Dislaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

So, here's the first chapter! Mm, I hope you'll like it, but before that, I have a tiny little "joke." Hehe, it's not really the lol type, but I thought it was very sweet.

-What kind of ship never sinks?

- Friendship.

That made me go "awww" for like 10 minutes. Anyway, have fun reading! Don't forget to review

Chapter 1

"Sweetie, come back!" the voice of a frantic mother came through the speaker. Sakura moved her finger off the red button, and the room fell silent. She watched the woman chase her son down the hallway of the third floor; a sad smile wiggled its way onto her face. Nostalgia – sometimes it's the best thing in the world, but other times not so much. The times that her mom spent running after her in hallways replayed in her mind. Flashes of her past were getting comfortable with her ever since she got the job of a hotel security guard. Each day in the two months that she had been working, she witnessed different clips of people's lives, and often they reminded her of her own.

Sakura leaned back on her leather rolling chair and sighed. She missed when she could patrol around the hotel and get up close and personal with the issues of the guests: old drunk business men with their big bellies and blond chicks in their arms coming back well after midnight, the married wives that explode and hit their greedy husbands with their designer bags, confused grannies searching for their Chihuahuas – who would avoid a hotel that allowed animals? And then there were the happy tourists, who were fascinated by things, especially getting lost. She skimmed through the five million camera screens in front of her and fixed her eyes upon the one that showed the Employee Break Lounge. Her boss, the head of the security department, Kankuro, seemed to be flirting with the receptionist. Again.

The man never took breaks, unless it was to "socialize." Sakura shook her head and pressed the red button to hear what the conversation was about.

"– And on the 8th day, God created coffee," he was saying as he saluted his coffee cup at the brunette in front of him. The receptionist stared at him.

"I don't really like coffee," she said at the speed of a crawling snail. Kankuro coughed and cleared his throat.

The two of them turned away from each other. Kankuro ripped open a sack of sugar and poured its contents into the cup; the receptionist got some orange juice and left the room.

Sakura laughed. People were so silly. She wanted to be a part of the silliness, but she couldn't, or else, as Kankuro often warned, her paycheck "would starve." She checked her watch – five minutes until her lunch break, her salvation, her only chance to participate in the silliness before going home. Sakura grabbed her keys and bag and started for the door. After locking up, she walked down the corridor towards the elevators. It seemed to have taken years for the lift to reach the 75th floor; the ping of the elevator arriving was the true sound of enlightenment.

She stepped in and pressed the "1" button. And now I wait, she thought, looking up. She examined the ceiling for potentially dangerous items and noticed a tiny little spot in the corner. "What the –?" It was a camera. There was a camera in the elevator. It was almost like having a camera in the bathroom – invasion of privacy. A need to check out the screens of the cameras in the lifts was stirring within her. Sakura was about to go back up when her cell phone rang.

"Hello? Oh, hey, yeah, I – what? I know, but – already on my way, woman. Mmhmm, see you in a bit."

Thank God for Ino.

--

"Hello and welcome to The Leaf," an apathetic teenage waitress with a unique taste in make-up said and handed Sakura a menu as she entered the diner. "It sounds vegetarian, but it's not. Enjoy."

"Doesn't she know that everyone that comes here has memorized this thing by heart?" Sakura asked as she sat down across from Ino. She put the menu at the corner of the table.

"Ugh, I know. She's a newbie – you know, it felt so weird to hold an actual menu," Ino said, twirling her straw around in her ice tea. "It's appalling that someone who works here doesn't know me."

"It's appalling to you when any person doesn't know who you are," Sakura rolled her eyes. She looked at the counter and saw a young man scribbling away on abandoned receipts. "Naruto! Serve me, if you will."

"Well, if it isn't Sakura, the girl who took my food-serving virginity," Naruto smiled and approached the two of them.

"Wow, Naruto. You just revolutionized humor."

"Ino, is there really a need to flaunt the 5 you got in AP Sarcasm?"

"Yes, Sakura, there is."

"I'm actually pretty smart too," Naruto popped in. "What would you like today? The usual?"

"If you were that smart, you'd know the answer," said Ino, taking a sip from her drink.

"In Ino-language, that's a 'yes.'"

"Don't worry, Sakura, she just hates me because I'm blond."

"Extra, extra, read all about it – I am blond too."

"So, Ino," Sakura began as Naruto left to give the order to the kitchen. "I'm so glad that you're here today. I thought that you had something to do at the flower shop."

"I did, but I was depressed, and I needed to get away."

"Why were you depressed?"

"Okay," Ino took a deep breath. For suspense, probably. Very high-school-esque. "Today, this ridiculously good-looking guy came in and he got flowers."

"That is amazing. And yeah, I can see a bit of sadness in there."

Ino stuck her tongue out. "Anyways, it turned out that the flowers were for his fiancée."

"I take that back. It's tragic." A part of her meant it.

"Isn't it?

"Seriously though – you thought that a gorgeous guy came into your store to buy flowers and then he would give them to you?"

"Mankind has been up to the moon, and that was in the 60's. Anything is possible."

"In your awesome little Ino-land, I guess."

"You should move there," Ino said in a serious manner. "But think about it. Wouldn't it have been romantic? A great guy, flowers from my own shop…"

"The perfect chick flick," Sakura nodded as she smiled to thank the waiter who brought their food. "Maybe I should tip that one guy who you're seeing off. What's his name? Steve?"

"Shikamaru!" Ino yelled in the softest way she could.

"No need to be defensive," Sakura said and pointed at her lunch. "Eat."

"I think being locked up in that dreaded room with barely any human contact has turned you bitter."

"I agree."

"And I am not dating Shikamaru. God. That damn pineapple head."

"God. Whatever you say."

"You drive me crazy," Ino groaned and stabbed her fork in the Lasagna.

"Aw, that's sweet," Sakura giggled. She looked out the large window and sighed at the sight of Le Grand Hotel. The Leaf's tiny form was floating in a wild sea of skyscrapers, like how she was buffeted in the tsunami of life. If Sakura was in a helicopter up above the town, she would notice the little diner. She was a real observant person; Ino often complained about Sakura revealing her purposely well-hidden zits. Thanks to her great vision she was able to see that near-invisible camera in the elevator. The camera… she mused. Sakura looked back at the hotel and felt the strange urge to go back to work.

"Ino, that place is summoning me," she whispered and looked at her friend in panic. "Talk to me, keep me entertained. Let's bond."

"Oh, sorry, I can't," Ino said. The girl could be really sympathetic if she wanted to. "I have to finish up fast – I would love to catch up with you, but this guy who's holding a wedding wants to discuss the choice of flowers at around one, and I need to get back to make sure that I actually have everything."

"Now there's a romantic story in the making," Sakura snapped her fingers. "The guy meets you and is stunned by your beauty and your gift with flowers and falls in love with you when it was supposed to be strictly business. You'll be stealing a guy from his fiancée."

"That's cruel."

"Not if it's for love," Sakura said and spread her arms out like a drama queen. "And besides, you seem to have a special thing going on with engaged men."

"Please don't allude to this morning," said Ino with misery.

"Oh, you," Sakura smiled. She gulped down the last bit of her food and gathered her things. "I'm going to go now."

"Be extra careful!"

"Yes, ma'am," she waved. "Bye, Naruto, see you tomorrow."

Sakura held her breath. She pushed the door out of her way and strode onto the sidewalk; the warm sun still dazzled her and the rest of the world despite the smog. When the little green man of the traffic light lit up, Sakura let go of the breath – it was time to return to reality.

--

Three messages, all in the time when I was out to lunch…I must be popular today, Sakura thought when she saw the flashing "3" on her answer machine. She glanced around her dark office – still the same. It had its crime investigation scene aura on. If Sakura was allowed, she would have a movie on in each screen.

"You have three messages," the machine played. "Message 1:

"Miss Haruno, I hope you have a good reason for not being at your proper station. You should know that most crimes happen during breaks, especially lunch breaks, when culprits and villains believe that the security has let its guard down. Contact me immediately after you've received this thing."

Che, "villains," Sakura snorted as she reached for her back pocket. It was empty. Oh crap…

"Message 2," the machine went on. "Hey, Sakura, it's me, Ino. Before I start rambling about something else – Naruto, no! Put that down – sorry, I got him to come help me at the shop. Um, so, I have your walkie-talkie –"

Oh my God, I didn't lose it!

"– I never knew you had one. It's very cool. As I was saying, I'll give it back to you after I finish work. You don't mind that, do you? If you're desperate, call me. But I'd prefer you not to, because, you know, I'd be busy seducing an almost married man like you suggested. Naruto! They're flowers, not basketballs! Ugh, sorry, Sakura. I'm gonna go, call me, okay?

"Message 3:

"Sakura, it's me again. My client – that sounds kind of wrong – still isn't here. I can't believe you still haven't replied my message. It takes, what, five minutes to get back? It's been almost an hour since I last saw you…Sakura, I'm bored. I'll ramble until the man comes. No, Naruto, I will not talk to you –"

Sakura raised a finger, aiming at the delete button.

"– Oh! I see someone. He's coming this way. Looks like I won't have to recite the symbol of each and every flower out there – Shikamaru…? – beep, beep, beep

"No more messages."

She stared at the phone. Shikamaru was the man who was choosing the flowers for the wedding? Sakura wondered why exciting twists didn't happen in her life. Maybe one day an actor, a famous and hot actor, would stumble in thinking that her room was really a set for a scene in a crime movie. Ah, dreams. She picked up her phone and dialed Ino's number. Her machine picked up.

"Ino, this is Sakura's ghost speaking. Sakura got killed, that's why she's not returning your calls. Just kidding. I was helping Mrs. Ripley, this lady at the hotel, find her Yorkie. I swear it's the fifth time this week. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I'm fine with the walkie-talkie thing. It's not like my boss will kill me if he finds out that I don't have it. Well, call me if you need anymore drama in your life. Love you!"

She put down the phone and her eyes fell on to the screens of the elevators. Like an eagle that just spotted a bunny, she zipped to the screens and stared, hoping that someone would enter one of them. The ping of heaven sounded a few moments after Sakura pressed the read button under the screen of Elevator A.

A large ball of brown rolled in. It was no ordinary shade of brown; it was the type of brown that adorned the expensive fur coats filthy rich women wore. Sakura grabbed her remote and zoomed in. There, in the elevator going from the 9th floor to the 61st floor, stood one of the wealthy middle-aged ladies she imagined would own a brown fur coat. In her arms was a frightened little cat that had a ribbon tied on its ear. The fact that she was wearing a coat made out of animal hair and that she was cuddling the soul out of a cat raised Sakura's eyebrows. Irony – it's everywhere, isn't it?

"Tora, baby, don't you ever run away like that again," the lady was crooning, her chubby fingers poking at the poor cat's nose. When woman don't have children, Sakura gulped. "Do you hear me? I was so w-AHH!"

Sakura jumped up. The lights in the elevator flashed a couple times before stabling again; the woman was now curled in a corner – the lift had broken down. "Oh no, please no…" she covered her mouth with her hands in shock. She shook her head and pounced for the green button next to the red one.

"Ma'am? I want you to calm down – I'm going to call the staff, a-and everything's going to be okay," said Sakura through the mike. "Ma'am? Why aren't you calming down?"

She glanced down at the button. After several other tries at speaking to the frightened guest, she realized that the elevator wasn't the only thing that was broken. Crap, I need my walkie-talkie.

--

"What do you mean you can't fix the mike?" Sakura raised her voice at her telephone.

"Miss Haruno, our main priority right now is to save Madam Shijimi," Kankuro's suddenly more annoying voice attacked her ear. "Dividing up the team to fix the mike to one of the elevators will just slow that process down. Come to my office after the madam is out and we can arrange something."

"I can't believe you! Is this because I don't have my talkie with me?"

"You lost it, Miss Haruno. It was your responsibility –"

"I told you, my friend has it. The one you tried to hit on, remember?"

"Sorry to say but I don't. I have to go now," Kankuro concluded and hung up.

Sakura sighed and plopped down in her chair. The woman was pounding on the elevator door. She fell to her knees and looked up; she was probably praying. Sakura didn't feel like numbing her finger by pressing the red button too long. It was like watching a silent movie. The entertainment factor of her job was crossing over to the good side, where it avoided before due to the lack of cookies. "How sadistic I've become," Sakura rubbed her temples and sighed.

She sat, curled up in the leather rolling chair, and watched the doors of the lift being forced open. She watched Madam Shijimi bounced up and down with joy. Almost unconsciously, Sakura reached for the red button. The happiness flowed out of the speaker like a melody, and another smile wiggled onto her face – this time, it was a relieved one.

This is an amazing job, she thought, her heart gloating. What could be more exciting than stalking people in the elevator?

Author's Note: Aiyaya, of course there are things that are more exciting ;D

Reviewing would make me very, um, elated.

Thanks Naruto8ramen, Sailor Vampire, and Vanity-chan