Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Chapter 4

Fury was burning away the pot of logic and reason in Sakura's mind; more and more particles of calm and collection were breaking off the surface of her sanity as rage continued to flare with vigor. Who would condense them back into their cool, placid state? Fire extinguishers were not designed to put out flames of anger. On the other hand, if anyone wanted to burn the test papers they did terrible on, they can call Sakura – after her business with Kankuro is done, that is; didn't their mothers ever tell them not to play with fire?

She stormed down to the 52nd floor from The Rosemary, a maroon box containing untouched roasted pork clutched in one arm. Only one door was visible to her eyes, and only one thought rolled through her mind: how dare that Uchiha chuck food at her as if she was some sort of beggar? Clinging on to the last drops of control in her system, she escaped the urge to kick a hole in the door. Instead, she tried punching, but just lightly.

"Come in," Kankuro's muffled voice said.

Sakura twisted the bronze handle and charged in. Downstairs, a little boy ran into the arms of an old woman from the heavy footsteps. He quavered and muttered something about dinosaurs; the grandma smiled. "Don't worry," she said, petting him on the head. "It's just Barney."

"I hope those are the stomps of triumph," said Kankuro, clapping his hands together in anticipation.

"A – what is he doing back here?" Sakura's mouth hung open at the sight of the man standing beside her boss. His pale complexion blended with his white security uniform. "You busboy."

"Sakura-!"

"It's alright, sir," Sai bowed with his smooth and ever so plastic smile. He straightened his back as he turned to face Sakura. "I never left, you see. I was merely deployed to the Y building."

"Huh, so they don't want you there, either?" Sakura sneered, feeling a bit better.

"My heart," Kankuro cut in, "breaks at the thought of you two not snapping at each other's throat, but a good employer always sacrifices. So, Sakura, I'm afraid you'll have to shut up."

"But-"

"He didn't start it."

"He was standing there, smiling."

"And being an exemplary guard," said Kankuro. "Which is why I've asked Gaara to send him back. We'll need all the help we can get for the day of the celebration."

"You make it sound like we only have ten people in the security department," Sakura put her free hand on her waist.

"We should 'prepare for the worst and hope for the best.' Isn't that right, sir?" Sai suggested. Sighing, Sakura watched her patience somersault out the window.

"Eh – I was thinking more along the lines of preventing the worst and…Sakura, where is your wig?"

Burning in hell.

"I gave it away as a tip," she said.

Kankuro tilted his head with raised eyebrows. "What is in that box?"

"Poison," Sakura answered; Sai was shaking his head in disbelief.

"Humor is a hard thing to achieve," Kankuro frowned at the bitter tone of her voice.

"You're right. My real name is actually Pandora, and what I have in here is actually a bunch of demons, monsters, and malevolent spirits, which I will release upon you by accident, thus ruling out the possibility of premeditated murder."

"Miss Haruno, what is going on?" her boss demanded. "Did the mission fail?"

"It was skinned and dipped in salt, sir," Sakura looked down. "This box – Uchiha Sasuke threw it at me just as he was leaving. It's roasted pork…and after seeing a copy of their receipt, I noticed that it was the only thing they ordered."

"They saw right through us, then," Kankuro whispered.

"We underestimated them, sir."

"Don't you think your disguise is a little too casual" Sai suddenly cut in, his eyes on her shirt and jeans. "After all, it is The Rosemary."

Sakura placed the box down on Kankuro's desk and crossed her arms. "How do you know that I was in The Rosemary?"

"Ah, about that," said Kankuro. "I told him."

"How else could I have found out?" questioned Sai, his smile broadening.

"Miss Haruno," Kankuro stood up before she could say a word. "Sai has also been working on this Herris thing for a few days now. I called him in to discuss your discovery of Uchiha Sasuke's apparent connection with Herris, and he's come up with a reasonable hypothesis as to what they're planning."

"Oh?" Sakura looked over at Sai. "And what might that be?"

Sai gave a gentle nod before speaking. "It's simple; after I did some more background research on him, I'd found a very fitting explanation. But I must say, in all the files I'd read on him, none mentioned the existence of a five-year-old daughter."

"What?"

"I doubted the piece of information at first, until I heard him talking about her at the gym over in Y. So after listening in on a few of his conversations, I concluded with this theory –

"The reason Bob Herris is here, and the reason he is meeting some important figures in the business and trading world is," he paused, oddly like Ino, for effect. "He is planning a surprise birthday party for his daughter."

- -

The sun was still blazing outside, but it had set on Haruno Sakura as the 23-year-old plodded back into the depths of the camera room. She had her hopes up; when those ridiculous words came out of Sai's mouth, she felt ten times thinned and believed that the thing to sweep her off her feet would not be a prince, but a fly. Her faith in humankind shook at the laugh of approval from her boss. She walked out on the them the moment Kankuro decided to accept the tape recordings of what could have been scripted conversations as evidence and adjourned the operation on watching Herris. One look, just one look, at the daughter, who could have been a random little girl that Sai asked to take a picture of, and Kankuro's view on a horrible man did a triple flip. "You just can't help but go soft on criminals who have children," was his great ending statement on the matter. Uchiha Sasuke was brushed into the corner with the role of the gift-provider. Was Kankuro's head really as empty and dense as the heads of his beloved puppet friends? Sakura was more disappointed than anything.

She watched the screens for some hint of movement – a distraction, but her faux-TVs had let her down. Her stomach, much like her boss' brilliant mind, had almost nothing inside it. She began to laugh at herself. Why did she get rid of the pork? Right then, a strange idea started wrapping itself around her thoughts: did Uchiha Sasuke foresee this? Did he somehow predict that Sakura would dispose of the dish but regret it later on?

"For your hard work."

Hmph, Sakura smiled and leaned back on her chair. At least he awarded me…

She turned on her phone and rolled her eyes happily at her wallpaper. It was the screenshot of Sasuke walking into the elevator; she had pretty much Uchiha-nized her cell for the lunch session. Notes, tasks, email drafts, message drafts – anywhere you could text information, she used to record his actions. As a stunt to entertain herself, she had also added him as a contact without a number. Maybe I'll get it filled one day, she thought, looking at the empty number box. And maybe the birthday too, and all the other stuff in here, she flipped through the blank details section. The only thing she had written in was the 'info.'

"He is a rich and (more than) potentially dangerous man. Avoid contact or else. Will also be a bore to ride an elevator with."

I am so weird, Sakura snickered and put the tiny device down. She planned on sleeping and going on silent strike by neglecting her post, which could land her a free ticket to Jobless Wonderland, but the phone rang.

"Ino," she picked up. "You really know how to ruin a good moment."

"What? Oh, whatever," Ino said over a noisy background.

"Is that your life movie's theme song – a garbage truck's honk?" Sakura winced at the high-pitched beep from the other end.

"Say that again? I can't – eek! – hear you! Ugh, I almost stepped on gum," she was whining; Sakura heard a click of a heel. "I spent so much on these babies…"

This may be a distraction but… She sighed and looked at her phone. "Hey, Miss Piggy, where are you?"

"Uh – I – um, Rockae–? I dunno, some street."

"Are you lost?"

"No – no," she said firmly. "Just telling you that I'm coming over."

"Wha-"

"Ooh, I see the hotel! See you in a sec!"

"I'll wait for two seconds, because it's you. Bye," Sakura said, laughing, and hung up.

To her surprise, Ino did arrive quite soon. Sakura noticed her waiting for the lift to come; she had her hair down in "seduction mode," and she was dressed with modesty. One of Sakura's pink eyebrows shot up to her hairline – someone was trying to leave a good first impression. Ino was making a call when the elevator doors opened. She went in with, for some reason, a grumpy expression. After about five floors, Sakura watched Ino fix her long, blond hair at the mirrored wall and then pull out a camera. Sakura felt her other eyebrow go up to join its friend. "Nice view, eh?" she could imagine one asking the other.

Ino pouted her lips, looked upwards, held the camera vertically and snapped a picture. Yamanaka Ino 'candids', Sakura hung her head in defeat. When was her best friend ever going to stop surprising her? Amusing as it was, watching Ino strike flirty poses and taking photos of herself, Sakura couldn't help but envy her. Though her current self esteem was better than it was in her kindergarten days, she still lacked the confidence Ino had. How she wanted to go up to the mirror each day and say, "Hell yeah, I look good" – Sakura always takes a step backwards when she sees her reflection, not because she is repulsed but because she is disappointed. She was floating in that epiphany, lost and unfocused, until the divine elevator ping went off at 48. Who else should enter and make her day but Uchiha Sasuke?

As if every single cell in her body got slapped by a military general, Sakura was instantly alert and energetic. Using her chair, she rolled from one end of the room to the other to retrieve a lost notepad, which had been dumped on the corner of the table since the first day she started the job. The return journey to the elevator screens was short; she put the notepad on top of the red button so she didn't have to push it with her finger the whole time. Just as expected, Ino began to spin her lustful web.

"Hello there," Ino said in a low voice as she flipped her hair back. Sakura crossed her fingers and waited for Sasuke's reaction.

But he had none. He stared at Ino like she had spoken to him in a foreign language for a moment before looking away and checking the bottoms of his shiny leather shoes. Sakura was relieved. She had gotten more works out of him and she didn't even talk to him. Indeed, Uchiha Sasuke was her target.

"…Hm," Ino grunted. She had a confused look on her face. The bewildered expression turned to one that made her seem to be in deep thought. Sasuke inched towards the buttons as soundless as a gliding ghost; Sakura saw him press for 73 – he was originally going to 91. Interesting…Sakura thought. Perhaps she could let Ino corner him in a big rectangular box and get some answers. She would tie and chain him to a chair, starve him, and hang a roasted pig over his head. Revenge smells like delicious pork.

The elevator opened on the 73rd floor just when Ino was about to take a bite out of her prey. Sasuke gave a subtle and polite bow on the way out; the Uchiha man didn't go take another elevator. Sakura had no time to see where he went for Ino had stepped out on 75 about ten seconds later.

"Sakura," her voice sounded between the knocks. "Let me in."

"Sorry, but my mother told me not to open the door for strangers," Sakura faked a child-like voice as she put her hand on the handle.

"Teeheehee," came Ino's sarcastic reply.

"That giggle, could it be…? Ino!" Sakura opened the door, gasping.

"I brought cookies," Ino said and walked in.

"And the milk?" beckoned Sakura as she shut the heavy door.

"Cut it out," Ino snapped, putting her bag down. At this point, she was smiling. "Hey, guess what I'm doing later tonight?"

"I don't want to guess. Tell me," Sakura said and sat back down.

"I'm going on a blind date."

Sakura laughed. "You're joking!"

"No, I'm really serious about this…"

"Why?"

"Every girl's gotta try it at least once in her life," Ino shrugged and sat on top of the table. She knocked on the screen beside her. "How's stalking people coming along?"

"Better than spending time sending poisonous flowers to an ex."

"It was one time, and he didn't even get hurt."

"Yeah, that's because you sent it to his next door neighbor."

"Haruno Sakura, is walking down memory lane with me something you really want to do?" Ino threatened, crossing her legs and leaning in with a glare. "Because I could easily ace a history class about you."

"Too bad they don't offer such a course," Sakura gripped Ino's shoulder to offer her condolences. "That single A would've looked really nice on your report card."

"Sometimes I can't believe I live with you," Ino scowled as she stood up while checking her watch. "I think I'm going to go."

"Now?" Sakura inquired, sounding very sad. "But I hardly get any visitors here."

"You're not supposed to," said Ino, picking up her bag. "Anyway, I'll be at the fancy Japanese restaurant we always gawk at. It's only a block away from here, but the traffic lights always take so long to change."

"Be extra careful!" Sakura got off her chair to say goodbye. "Tell the man I want you back by 11."

"A.M.?"

"Ino."

She smiled. "See you later, little stalker."

Cam-whore, Sakura thought, shaking her head as she closed the door once again. She leaned against the cold steel wall and stared at the screens. Watching other people like a fly resting on an orange wasn't as satisfying after a few days. Maybe that's why flies have such short lives – to enjoy living without boredom, and maybe one day her knight in shining fuzz will come and buzz her off the fruit. She frowned; a blob was entering Elevator A, a very familiar blob: going from 91 was none other than Sasuke. He must have taken the stairs from 73. Do you need to meet with Herris so often if you're just selling a gift? Sakura wondered and took her seat. Stupid Sai and his stupid theories.

She rested her elbow on the button. As expected, Sasuke didn't do anything. "Are you a robot?" she muttered. Her eyes carelessly swept at the buttons. She screamed and jumped up – she had put her elbow on the green one. Did he hear? Sakura was yelling inside and smacking her elbow. Then the fact that Kankuro said he'd delay fixing the mike came to her mind. Oh, thank god, she thought, collapsing on to her chair with relief. For once it paid off to have an irresponsible boss – or did it?

Sakura felt her goose bumps rise as Uchiha Sasuke slowly turned around; his dark eyes were looking straight at her. Without thinking, Sakura put her hands up in the air. Was this it? Was he going to come into her office and slaughter her? But wait, how could he see her? If he saw anything, it'd only be the camera.

"I have a gun," she pounded a fist on the table while the other hand pressed down the green button. "And I'll fight you if I have to, you good-for-nothing, roasted-pork-throwing man."

Either her threat worked or he just plainly didn't hear her. Sasuke's next move perplexed her – he smoother a bump in his hair. Sakura's jaw found a comfortable spot on the floor. Was he just looking at himself in the ceiling mirror, as Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee had done? Well, pretty boys weren't born that way, Sakura pursed her lips, now watching Sasuke fix his tie. At that moment, an idea sparked in her head. She placed the finger over the green button.

"Uchiha Sasuke," she said into the mike; she had to let some of her anger out. But she paused – she couldn't muster any strength to yell at him. She should do it to his face and not behind the protection of a camera screen. She sighed. "You know…you really embarrassed me today. It seems like such a long time ago…why didn't you let the waiter give it to me? I could've figured out that my cover was blown that way."

With one hand in a pocket and his head looking down, he really seemed to be listening.

"But I guess you don't roll like a nice person," she continued to rant at the oblivious man. How awkward would it be if the mike were actually working? "You work for Bob Herris. You 'buy presents for his daughter.' God, this guy who watched the cameras before me, he said that your boss is just planning a surprise birthday party for his five-year-old. An idiot wouldn't buy that, but my boss did. They think you're all wonderful, but I know you're bad. Sai might say you pinned the diner waitress against the wall because she got the wrong party dish, and she herself may have claimed that, there has to be something more."

She stopped. Why does there have to be "something more?"

"Unless…you really are –? Hmph, you're toying with my mind again like you did with the pig. You knew I'd regret throwing it away," Sakura grumbled, feeling her stomach. "I still haven't eaten anything…You didn't have anything during lunch either. Did you eat already?"

His elevator was passing the 29th floor.

"I would love to have some umeboshi right now," she said, grinning to herself. Sasuke was checking his watch. "One day, I'll figure out your favorite food. They say a person should know their enemy well."

It was at 15. Sasuke put the other hand in the other pocket.

"If only you weren't evil," Sakura was saying. "You're the type of guy I'd dream about, walking up to me while I sit in a beautiful little park on a sunny day and invite me to go for a walk. An immature thing to think about at my age, but in ten years' time I won't have the privilege to dream. I bet all I'll think about are work, bills, and taxes. It would be nice to add a family to that list…"

Ding. The elevator door finally opened at B2. Sasuke got off and it was the end of their one-sided heart-to-heart. Sakura stood up and got a good stretch; her spirits had been lifted all thanks to Therapy with Mr. Uchiha.

- -

"Hinata!" she called out. The girl with long purple hair turned around, surprised. Sakura quickened her pace as she strode across the marble floor of the lobby to catch up with her friend.

"H-hi, Sakura," said Hinata. She was out of her maid uniform and into a dress of light lavender; anyone who saw her now could not imagine that she pushed a trolley around all day and announced, "Room service!"

"Are you going to grab some dinner?"

"Yeah…a-are you?"

"Mmhmm," Sakura nodded and pointed across the street as they walked out the door. "The Leaf. Great stuff, cheap prices. Do you want to join me?"

Hinata's natural blush deepened. "May I?"

"I don't see why not," Sakura laughed and grabbed her by the arm. "Come on."

She had been planning to look for the teenage waitress when she got there, but getting to know the new friend of hers was more important – that, and filling her poor stomach. "So, how have you been? I haven't seen you since…" Sakura almost said the time in the elevator, when they had met out of the elevator. Revealing to Hinata that she had stalked her with the security camera might be too much. "The, uh – day I bumped into you. 'Hem," she cleared her throat. "That was a nice day."

"Yes, it was," Hinata said brightly as they went in. Sakura scanned the place – quite empty, as it was only 6:15, and the girl was nowhere in sight.

"Let's sit here," Sakura gestured at the table by the window. She could see the glamorous sign of Le Grand Hotel on the other side of the road, shining and glimmering like it lead to the heaven for living humans. She unfolded her napkin and jerked her head at the menus. "Have a look – don't get the spinach and beef spaghetti –" Hinata made a frightened face "– yeah, it sounds gross; the picture makes it look delicious, though. But because it sounds gross, it is gross."

"I like it," a voice said from behind her. Hinata looked at the source and blushed. "Who's your friend, Sakura?"

"Hyuuga Hinata," Sakura smiled at her. She turned to look at Naruto, who took the seat beside her.

"You're a lot more pleasant to look at than that Ino," he said and grinned at Hinata. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"You're going to stand up and take our order, aren't you, Naruto?" Sakura cracked her knuckles after Hinata squeaked out a "Nice to m-meet you."

"Good plan," he gulped as he did what he was told. His sheepish expression broke into a grim when he faced Hinata. "As a special first-time offer, you get to order before Sakura and not pay for your food."

"How come I never had that?"

"Because Sakura ordering before Sakura wouldn't make sense, would it?"

"I meant the free food," Sakura's eye twitched; Naruto didn't respond.

"Choose wisely, Hinata. You only have one first-time."

Hinata smiled; this time, her pearly-whites were showing. She was sort of beaming at the menu, too. "I-I think I'll have a, um, medium salad a-and," she looked towards Sakura apologetically. "The spinach and beef spaghetti."

"So wise," Naruto saluted her and scribbled the names down. "Sakura, the usual?"

"…Only if I get a 50 discount for bringing a first-time costumer."

"But that's not profitable…"

Sakura sighed. "It's fine. Just hurry."

She watched Hinata's pale eyes follow him leave, looked away towards Le Grand Hotel, and raised an eyebrow. She had been humiliated by a bad guy, ignored by her sexist boss, abandoned by her best friend, kind of literally talking to a person in a TV screen, denied of a half-priced meal, and now she was going to be a third wheel? Not my day, today, Sakura reckoned.

"Hinata," she said, startling the girl. "Are you attending the Macs anniversary thing the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes, my father asked me to…"

"You're lucky you get to wear a decent dress. Not only do I have to look like a flight stewardess, I also have to act like one."

"I think you look really p-pretty in your uniform," said Hinata in her soft voice.

Sakura drew her hands up to her cheeks. "Hinata, that' so flattering," she said, smiling. Compliments are such fine things.

"About the c-celebration, I think I'm only going to the awards ceremony held on the 50th floor in the X building."

"The Honors Hall? But why aren't you going to the ceiling hall in Y? That's where the true celebration –"

Bang.

Sakura jumped up. "What was that?"

"I-I think it came from t-there," Hinata stammered, gazing leftward out the window. The other guests in the diner were stirring; some of the women had their arms covering their heads.

A few screams splattered over the noisy but peaceful façade of the streets. When more gunshots were heard, Sakura told Hinata and everyone to stay put. She sprint outside, clutching her revolver behind her back. Many people were running away from the bank a few shops away. She pushed through the frantic crowd –

The sound of shattering glass caught the attention of more people. Sakura started to run again as she watched the shards of glass fall from the second floor of the bank. Her eyes widened with horror when a large SUV zoomed out the gigantic window. On-coming cars screeched to a halt. The black vehicle landed with a crash and Sakura could do nothing but shield her face from the chunks of rubble flying towards her. She heard more yells and screams as she fanned the smoke away. Through the smog, she saw the car picking up speed. She didn't dare to shoot through the confusion, and ran into the road where five cars had formed a circle. She raised her gun, aiming at a tire, but wheeled around when she heard a shriek.

"Up there!" a woman from one of the cars jabbed her finger up at Le Grand Hotel.

"Fire!"

"What happened?"

"Someone call the ambulance!"

"Get the freakin' firemen!"

"Dear god…"

Sakura staggered back a little. Half way up the hotel was a belt of flame, burning with no mercy above a pool of panic, fear, and faint sirens that were too far and almost too late.

Author's note: This was quite a long chapter (for me). Thanks so much to those who reviewed! I really hope you enjoyed this one as well!

Till next time!