AN: Hi everyone! :D Man have I been gone for awhile...again. But uhm, I'll let you guys get to this chapter, and I'll write a little more at the end! :D Enjoy!

I do not own Naruto, just Ayame. :3


Chapter 4: Instructions
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I sighed as I opened my bosses' office door, careful not to spill his precious coffee, and my own for that matter…I didn't really want another experience like I did during our first meeting… (Man, has it already been an eventful morning…) "You made yourself some?" He asked on my entry, taking notice of the additional cup I was now carrying.

"Yeah," I stated, handing him his own. "Do you normally take it black?"

He continued glancing at my own glass, as if he were going to make some other mention of it, but decided against it. "Yes, on rare occasion I like cream," He clicked a few things on his computer screen before continuing, "Hazelnut and such."

"That's my favourite." I stated, taking a sip of my own scalding beverage.

He did the same then stood, as if remembering something. "I have yet to show you to your office." Until he had mentioned it, I had completely forgotten that I would have some sort of office; that's cool I guess, at least I wouldn't have to work in the same room as everyone else.

He gestured for me to follow. I did (again, careful with the coffee), to a door just to the left of his office; I'd failed to see that during my first visit here…I guess for good reason…
He opened it, and began walking down a long, window enclosed hallway. I glanced around, awestricken by the gorgeous view of the cities skyscrapers and buildings, the sun rising, shining. I have to give this company props, they picked a great part of town for their residence, not to mention all of the thoughtful architecture, and—"Ms. Azikuria," I glanced up to see Mr. Uchiha standing near the opposite end of the walkway, looking somewhat annoyed.

I cleared my throat (trying to play off my embarrassment) and hurried to meet him, again, careful with the coffee.

"I will email you a list of work that needs to be done today," He began, "All of it must be completed before you leave, and I would prefer for it to be finished by 5, or possibly earlier." I nodded as he continued, "Most of clients and their information have been placed in a series of files in your office. If I email or contact you through your headset for it, I expect it to be brought promptly; I need them for meetings, and I don't have time to waste. Also, they are there for your convenience, if I say I need them to be contacted, again, do so promptly." Again, I nodded.

"When I have meetings, both domestic and abroad, I expect you to attend, and take notes. There is a current schedule of events in your email as well to tell you of those dates and such, so please take the liberty of reminding yourself of when these are." He paused for understanding, again, a nod. Promptness must be a pet peeve of his…"If I have any further instructions, I will also contact you. As for how to do your work, I recommend using your cataloging services and such, but there is also an email to help guide you through it."

"Okay," I stated, trying to absorb everything he had said (good thing my headache was starting to go away…).

"I'll come get you for lunch." He stated, walking back towards his office.

I opened my mouth to protest, or at least say something to his comment, but he'd already left by the time I'd registered what he'd said. Sighing, I opened my office door, shocked, again, by the appearance. Upon entry I noticed that, like Mr. Uchiha's office (I really needed to figure out this man's first name…), I had a large window covered wall (though mine didn't quite take up the entirety of the room like his had…). I was immediately grateful for that; at least I wouldn't feel like I'm enclosed or trapped… I took a step inside, instantly noticing the click of my heels on the freshly cleaned wooden floors-again, another perk that matched his; that was an instant plus. There was a lack of décor, in terms of all of the red I had seen in the other rooms and offices, but I appreciated the simplicity of my own.

In the center of the room sat a large white desk with an equally white monitor and keyboard; other little things like pencils holders and file containers also adorned its surface. Bookshelves and filing cabinets covered the remainder of the walls, so I couldn't really tell if the room actually had a colour or not; again, I appreciated. All and all, this office was better than my house; I think I could get used to working here.

Closing the door behind me, I made my way over to the desk, placing my coffee to the side of the mouse. Clicking on the monitor, I found that my email, company email anyway, had already been brought up, revealing the several informative messages my boss had mentioned from before. I scrolled through, searching for the oldest one, and clicked:

From: Itachi Uchiha
To: Ayame Azikuria

I'm sure I have already made you aware of some of the things you will be required to do as my assistant. As for details, or some things you may be wishing to ask me, here is an email containing some of the logistics.

So his name is Itachi, hunh? I suppose that suits him, it sounds foreign though…I wonder if he's from America…?

Your headset, which I recommend you have on at all times, is located to the left of your desk.

I glanced around in the location he'd informed me of, finding the small earpiece I'd seen other employees adorning. It was quite intricate from the looks of it, receiver and speaker-small, sleek; clicking it on, I placed it into my ear and continued reading.

Please remember to turn your headset off before you leave your office. They do have rechargeable batteries, but be it they were to malfunction or wear from overuse, our IT department would have to put in more hassle than it's worth to get them working again. Again, time wasted.

Noted.

Work hours begin from 7, though some of our offices open at 8; again, my department starts at 7. You may leave when your work has been completed and you have assisted me with what work I have asked you to do, though normally expect to be here until at least 5pm.
Sick days, or vacation days, may be discussed with me in an email or a phone call.

As my assistant, I require that you keep a positive light within society. Akatsuki is a large company, and the International Relations Department has a lot of friends, in a lot of places; in short, I do not want the hassle of trying to clean up after my assistant, so do try to take care of yourself. While we are on the subject, slandering or sharing of Akatsuki information is strictly banned and punishable. If you were found divulging company secrets to another, you will be most definitely fired, and fined. Immensely so.

Again, noted.

The left of your wall is used for clientele information; please refer to that for assigned jobs. The right wall is used for books and particular studies I keep on file for both record, myself, and client; take care of them. The back wall is used, again, for clientele and also for completed files. When you finish a paperwork job, please place it here so one of the floor managers may pick it up when you leave for the day.

In the next email, I have included a calendar of events, be sure to place these somewhere where you may keep them in sight at all times; there are no excuses for missing a meeting, and I expect you to keep to this rule.

Stay vigilant of your email; I will send more jobs to you throughout the day.

Welcome to the company.

CEO of International Relations; Akatsuki Ent.

Itachi Uchiha

I sighed at the lengthy email, that was quite a bit of information, and that was only one of the eight he'd already sent me. Man, I'd be here all day just putting up notes and little reminders of things I needed to do…

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With the help of my coffee fueled energy, I managed to scroll through the remainder of my mail, taking notes and record of where everything was to be placed, when it would happen, etc. The last email, the newest one I'd read, was information on how to get started on my work, and it was by far the longest of all…How to address a phone call, when to forward a phone call, how to forward a phone call, who not to forward a phone call to, who to answer, who not; yeah, 90% of the email consisted of that, only with a difference in situation (email, phone, in person, etc).

I sighed as I leaned back in my chair, it was already close to noon and I hadn't even started on my actual assignments, I've just been going through instructions and mountains of emails…It was a good thing I was feeling better, otherwise I wouldn't of even had that much done.

Taking another drink of coffee (I was now on my third cup of the day…), I leaned back into my computer, starting up the application for contacting the company's clients. So, from what I could tell from the emails, my job was to contact the list of clientele that Itachi would forward me each morning, and depending on the little icon by their names, either call them, email them, or ask the for a meeting. It sounded easy enough, at first…

From there, I would discuss with each person what the statement following their name listed, and that could range from a wide variety of things; how are our stocks, meet me on "_" date and let's discuss that proposition you forwarded me, you have an idea you want me to invest in- then let's meet and discuss that, you want that industry to start making different products-then tell me details and let me research it. And, depending on what exactly the statements said, I could either accept their offers, forward them to Itachi for evaluation, or I could just turn them away completely. Then, if someone were to send me offers and we didn't have their names on file, not only would I have to research their company and investments, I would also have to evaluate their offers, the numbers, benefits and consequences of their proposal, and present them all to Itachi and his board before we could even discuss making a decision. It was an important job, I suppose, and a very time consuming one at that.

I sighed again. I haven't even started working yet and I already felt exhausted…

"Ayame," I jumped, nearly falling out of my chair; thankfully, both myself (and my coffee), managed to stay in their respective areas, avoiding disaster.

I glanced up, trying to calm my breathing, and was surprised to see Itachi standing at my office door, his suit jacket on and buttoned. "Y-Yeah?"

He quirked an eyebrow at me (apparently scaring someone half-to-death was humorous to him), "I've been paging you for nearly twenty minutes, is your earpiece not working?"

I took the small device out of my ear, inspecting it. "It looks fine; it has the little light on and everything." I tried flicking its power switch a few times, "It's not dead, at least?"

Itachi sighed, "Well, leave it on your desk; I'll get someone from IT to look at it while we're gone."

"Gone?"

"Yes," He stated, again, giving me a look of disbelief (If I keep this up he's going to fire me for stupidity, not attitude…). "It's lunch hour, and I told you earlier that you would be going with me." Itachi gestured to the hallway before him, "Get your things and come on, I have meetings to take care of when we get back."

"W-wait," I stood, making sure to grab my purse from the back of my chair, "Why do I have to go with you?"

Itachi didn't reply as I approached him, he just began walking, looking rather annoyed at the whole ordeal. I scowled, in his emails I couldn't get him to stop bossing me around, now he couldn't even be bothered answer me.

Well, if he wouldn't answer that question, maybe…"Do I need to attend these meetings with you?"

"I'd prefer if you did," He stated, stepping out into the elevator lobby. In comparison to my new office, this room felt oddly enclosed and blank-despite any preconceived notion from this morning. The groups of girl's working behind the welcoming counter all bowed to Itachi as he passed, but he didn't bother to respond; he didn't even look at them. Well, at least he's rude to everyone, not just me. "Attending a meeting might help you realize exactly what you will be working with. I don't expect you to understand everything we discuss, or contribute, for that matter, but yeah. It will be good for you."

I scowled, following him into the elevator. He was definitely all about business. "So,"

Itachi pressed a series of number then glanced back at me, just as the elevator started to move. "So?"

"Uhm," I swept my hair away from my eyes, trying to think of something to break the awkward silence I'd created. Everything I said just came across as annoying questions…"Will anyone be joining us?"

"No."

-"Ah…okay."

Well, so much for trying to break that silence.
The elevator came to a hault, a little slower than it seemed to this morning. Itachi left first, again, disregarding the girl's at the welcoming desk. I tried to search for Shirane as we walked by, but she didn't seem to be there; that or we passed by too quickly for me to tell.

"Mr. Uchiha," I glanced back to my boss, nearly walking into his, now stationary, form. Good thing I turned around when I did, otherwise I would have knocked him to the floor…again.
A man (standing at least another foot or so above me), towered before us, completely clad in a black suit and a tiny little…cap? It that what that thing was on his head?.. He was a little too tall for me to tell…at least without asking for him to bend over.

"Nox, good afternoon." Itachi stated, giving the man a nod of recognition.

"Are you ready, Mr. Uchiha?" He asked. The tone of his voice surprised me, I didn't think-at least until now-that someone had a voice that could be as low and quiet as his; he was even softer than the twin's, and that was saying something.

Itachi nodded, then glanced back to me, as if suddenly remembering I was there. Stepping aside so the man before us, Nox I guess was his name, could see me (not that it'd be that hard at that height…), he replied, "Yes. This, Nox, is my new assistant, Ayame, she will be joining us today."

Nox bowed to me, low and respectfully deep, (do people still do that?) "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ayame; I am Nox, Mr. Uchiha's servant."

What? Did this guy just say servant? Really? Itachi needed bloody servants? "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Nox." I stated, not really knowing what else to say. The whole ordeal was beginning to make me feel uncomfortable…

Itachi stepped forward, gesturing towards the door. "If we may, I have a short lunch this afternoon."

"My apologies, sir," Nox stepped in front of us, bowing and turning to now point us in the direction of a….well….I guess you could call it a car, though I've never really seen a car that looked quite as intricate and…expensive, as this one. I pushed my way through the front entrance, walking over to investigate the vehicle before me. "What is this thing?"

Itachi walked around to the opposite side of me, closely followed by Nox who was now doing the same, except he was taking that of the driver's seat (could he even fit in this tiny thing?..). "Get in," The Uchiha stated, doing so himself.

I did as I was told, closing the door shut behind me; I don't know what I did to nail this job, but I really hope I can keep it, especially if I could one day get a car as nice as this one…"It's an experimental vehicle our company has been working on for a few years." Itachi stated, gesturing around to different points in the vehicle. Nox started the engine and pulled out of our makeshift parking place, taking us towards our mysterious destination. "Pain gave each of the CEO's a prototype to test before launching their release, more or less, it was a gift."

"A very expensive gift…" I mumbled, glancing around at the interior. Each set of seats were coated in fine black leather, all sewn together with bright red thread. I suppose to one the little splash of colour may look gaudy, especially in a car such as this, but I think it really fit the overall design; besides, this company seemed to have a thing for red and black. I suppose the car itself could be compared to that of a Ferrari, but it was actually a four door car as opposed to two, not to mention the fact that it had a backseat; and a very spacious one at that. "Is it electric?" I asked, glancing up to the driver's pit.

Nox gave me a nod, "Yes, madam, it is. Mr. Uchiha and his associates work diligently on environmentally safe products, this car just so happens to be an example."

I couldn't help but smile at the respect Nox seemed to have for Itachi, it was odd, I suppose, but he must really like working for him. It sort of reminded me of a childlike reverence, cute, until you think about how much larger Nox is to Itachi, then it just crossed me as funny. "So, where exactly are we going?" I asked, turning back to the Uchiha.

"My usual lunch spot," Itachi responded, not bothering to look away from the window.

I scowled. Looks like he wasn't in a very talkative mood, though I got the feeling he never really was (he could at least turn on some music or something…). Holding back a sigh, I decided now would probably be an opportune moment to text my sister and ask how she was doing, not to mention the others as well; if they felt anywhere as bad as I did this morning, well, I might be tempted to call it an early evening tonight (though realistically that definitely wouldn't be the case).

Ayame: Hey, Kia, are you guys up yet? Sent: 12:15 pm, 8/17

She didn't respond right away, I didn't really expect her to, but soon enough my phone began to buzz.

Kiame: Yeah, unfortunately. Feeling like shit. Are you at work? Sent 12:19 pm, 8/17

I figured as much…

Ayame: Yeah, I woke up late this morning though, so, you can just imagine….What's wrong? How's everyone else? Sent 12:20 pm. 8/17

'BUZZ-BUZZ.'

Kiame: Lol, you messed up…
Uh, headache and stomach ache, I think we may have overdone it last night…lol. The others are alright. Naru said she's pretty nauseous, Claire is fine aside from a headache, but Serrah's pretty sick, she's been up all morning throwing up. :/ ….
Sent 12:22 pm, 8/17

Oh boy…

Ayame: Tell them they can just stay the night, maybe we can call a pizza in or something later on when I get home. No point in you guys trying to go back to the college when you feel as sick as you guys do. Sent 12:23 pm, 8/17

Kiame: Sounds good to me, the others said, and I quote, "If she's offering pizza, I'll stay all week." Sent 12:24 pm, 8/17

Ayame: Yeah, yeah, lol. Sent 12:24 pm, 8/17

Kiame: Hey, HEY Ayame…now that you're rolling in the…."big dough"….will we be able to have more than one pizza? ;D LOLOL Sent 12:25 pm, 8/17

I rolled my eyes and slipped my phone back into my bag; only Kia, only Kia…

"Family?" Itachi asked, suddenly breaking the silence. I looked up, surprised that he we staring at me, let alone speaking to me.

"Uh, yeah, kind of." I stated, looking back at my bag. Was it wrong of me to be texting my sister? I thought we were on a lunch break; don't people do that sort of thing? "Sister, really."

The black-haired man nodded, looking back at his window.

Well, so much for that conversation…

"Mr. Uchiha," Nox called, glancing back at his boss in the mirror. I looked around, realizing the car was slowly losing speed; were we already here?

Itachi glanced up, grunting a yes-to what I don't really know-as the car came to a complete stop; I guess we really were here. Nox, having now parked and stopped the car, left his seat first, stepping out to open both mine and Itachi's doors. A part of me felt bad for him, I could have opened my door…

"Have you ever eaten here before?" Itachi asked, coming around the car to join me on the sidewalk. I glanced around, I don't really recall being in this area of Detroit before, and if I ever have, I couldn't remember.

"Uhm," I looked up at the building before us, surprised to see exactly where we were. "No…" I've heard of the Rattle Snake Club before, it was a very expensive, very…lavish restaurant located here in the scene of Detroit. I heard many people talk about it back at the college and in other areas around town; needless to say, it was popular, especially if someone wanted to brag about it to their friends.

Itachi stepped up before me, gesturing for me to go inside.

I followed, not really knowing what to say; what do you say when your boss takes you to eat somewhere you definitely CAN'T afford, not even on a good day?

The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. The walls were all painted a vibrant red, garnished in artisan style moldings and large, bright windows. All of the tables were expertly set, each sporting their own series of wine glasses and tediously cleaned silverware. But…where in the world were all the people?

"Ah, Mr. Uchiha!" I stopped, again, almost running into Itachi (I really need to start paying attention…). A man, somewhat short and stoutly, came walking up to us, grinning happily.

"Mr. Sereno," Itachi extended his hand, meeting him halfway. "How are you this afternoon?"

I looked at my boss, trying to hide the incredulous look I so desperately wanted to give him. Is this what slick, business-savvy Itachi looked like? I had to stifle a laugh; he went from brooding to strictly professional in a matter of seconds.

"I'm well, I'm well," The shorter man smiled, "We've prepared a seat for you and your, uh," He glanced over to me, his smile widening considerably. Uncomfortable didn't even describe how I felt at the moment…"Friend."

"Thank you," Itachi stated, following him to a smaller corner of the restaurant. Was he not going to comment about this guy's assumptions?

Sighing, I followed the pair into, what I guessed, was a private dining room. Red paint continued on these walls, along with the molding, but now a series of intricate paintings and masks adorned the surface; it was a little different from the atmosphere outside, more modern, but I liked it. "I hope you both enjoy your meal," Mr. Sereno (was that his name?) stated, leaving us to ourselves.

I took my seat, directly across Itachi, and frowned. This felt weird. "So…why isn't there anyone else here?"

Mr. Uchiha glanced up from his menu, giving me a blank look. "They aren't open on Mondays, most places in Detroit aren't. But they do catering and…a few favors, for our company, so they give us the exception."

"Oh," I mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed for having asked. Of course they have full access to….wow, w-was that steak really $60?! I-I thought this place would be expensive, but…but damn…I…what was I going to do about rent?

"Excuse me, Miss?" I looked up, almost on the verge of a panic attack. A man, again, short, but not as stoutly as the other, stood before us, sporting a chef's coat and a small little notepad.

Itachi cleared his throat, giving me a knowing look; was…was this guy here to take our order? Wait, I..I didn't even have time to look? (w-what's the cheapest thing on here!?) "Well," Itachi collected my menu from my hands and handed it over to the chef, "I believe Miss Ayame will have what I'm having." The chef grinned suddenly, jotting down something on his notepad, "Thank you, Mr. Franz."

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Uchiha." And he, too, left us.

I sighed (exactly how many times had I done that today?..), if Itachi didn't want to fire me before, I know he did now; I may have had the credentials to get me the job, but I definitely haven't shown him that I can apply it… And that reminds me, just how in the world did I expect to pay for this food?.. I didn't even have twenty dollars to my name, let alone enough to cover whatever he ordered for me… Man this day was just getting better and better.

"You sigh a lot." Itachi stated, bringing my attention back to our little table.

I frowned, somewhat taken aback that he just decided to randomly blurt that out. Even my boss was beginning to notice, and I'd only been working for him for one bloody day…"I suppose."

The black-haired man leaned back in his seat, looking me over. He didn't really seem too happy with my answer, or just anything at all really. "If the price is what you're worried about, you know you are my guest." He seemed to be picking his words carefully. "I intended to pay for your meal the whole time."

Okay…so, for you to understand this next little segment of conversation, I suppose I should explain exactly what I felt at that moment, and where I'm coming from when I say what I'm about to say…

For one, I felt relief; because frankly, I didn't have the money to pay for this place anyway, and now he seemed to be genuinely offering to do something nice for me, because surely he knows I just can't do it right now.
Second, it made me absolutely furious. Yeah, yeah, I know; why in the world are you getting angry that someone just offered to pay for you? Isn't that a good thing? Didn't you just say that you couldn't afford it? To some, yeah, I guess it was nice that he so graciously offered to take care of it all for me, but to me, it felt like a handout. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being nice to someone, but it's just…more of a…pet peeve of mine, I suppose. And, well…I guess it's kind of because my sister and I didn't really have much when we were younger, having been without a family to really go to for help and all, but she and I found our own way, without taking every little handout that was passed our way. To me, it felt more satisfying to know that I earned things myself, and I suppose I'm still like that today…which, would explain, to you, exactly why I decided to respond like I did… "I can pay for it."

Itachi's face didn't move, "Oh really?"

"Yeah," My voice sounded a little snappier than I meant for it to. "I don't need your help."

The black-haired man leaned forward, still meeting my eyes, and rested his head in his hand, tapping the other on the table. "You're lying."

Again, blunt.
"No, I'm not." This whole ordeal was just making me angrier and angrier. "I can pay for it."

"How much is your rent?"

The question caught me off guard. "Why?"

"Just answer me." He stated, unwavering.

"Around $400 or so a month." I snapped, not amused by his games.

"Alright, so, how long have you been out of school?" Again with the questions. "And what jobs have you had since then?"

"I really don't think that's any of your business."

Itachi continued looking at me, "It is, Miss Azikuria, I'm your boss. Either you can disclose it to me willingly, or I can get someone from my team to look up your file-right now-and call me within minutes with your entire life's worth of history."

He doesn't have that kind of power…does he? "Now you're lying." I stated, crossing my arms. He wanted to bluff? Psh, fine, I'll call it.

The look on his face suddenly shifted from stoic, verging on angry, to amused and arrogant. To tell the truth, it kind of caught me off guard, considering the only expression I thought he could make was annoyed, but, well, not enough to deter me from trying to prove him wrong. "Then try me."

I leaned forward, matching his look entirely, "Call them then."

There was a long moment of silence. No one really dared to move and neither of us dared break eye contact, "Fine, it's settled." Itachi stated, pulling something out of his suit jacket.

"What do you mean settled?"

The black-haired man gave me a look as he began tapping the thing in his hands, "I'm going to call your bluff."

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AN: I know, I know...It took me that long just to write this little thing? :( well...originally I was planning to just write through her entire first day then publish, but by the time I'd do that it'd be well over 10,000 words...so...yeah, I thought this was a good stopping point...:( Sorry D":

I'm also pretty upset about the email I put in here from Itachi...:( originally I had addresses I made up for them alongside their names, but every time I tried to post this, It'd delete them...:( oh well...

Uhm, also, THANK YOU TO ALL REVIEWERS, FOLLOWERS, AND FAVS! ;;.;; I am always so shocked when I log into my email and see someone else has reviewed or followed me, and it means so much! D": Thank you thank you to all!

Sooo, In other news, I recently started renting a home, so, updates may be a little sporadic, but I'll keep working and try to update for you guys :D

Also, if any of you follow my DeviantArt account, I am now OPEN FOR COMMISSIONS :D My deviant is under the same name I have on here, AriaxCantabile, so if you want to check me out there, feel free to note me OR, if you don't have a Deviantart, send me a private message on here and maybe we could strike up a deal for commissions :D

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!
Thank you again for all of the support! :D Happy Spring!

~Aria