Chapter 10

And why did you have to go

Have to go and

Throw water on my flame…

He knew it was a risk to tell his mother about the boys, but after contemplating his concerns and going over the pros and cons, he decided it was the right thing to do. He was in need of allies after all.

When he first saw his mother's personal assistant Inabi Uchiha trailing him, he knew the ruse he and Sasuke kept up for the past six years had not fooled her one bit. He wasn't overly concerned about his father finding out about the rift between he and his little brother because he was either too busy to care, or didn't care enough to find out the root of the problem. To him, he and Sasuke were at odds with one another because they were vying for his approval to be the inheriting son. Even though he had told Sasuke that Itachi was his heir, it didn't stop his little brother from trying to make himself just as good, if not better. And due to Itachi's gradual disinterest with company affairs, Sasuke's hard work at being finally acknowledged as a viable heir was coming into fruition. To his father the shifting rift between them was competition and Itachi knew he had to play his part to keep his father focused on that instead of nosing into Itachi's personal affairs.

So he let Inabi trail him for weeks, and finally led him to his weekend retreat in Burning Willows, to his most important secrets.

"Did you talk with your mother?" Ino came into his office, leaning into the door way with a worried look. Dressed in faded blue jeans and a tight black t-shirt, she looked comfortable and beautiful all at once. Itachi turned from her reflection in the window, noting idly that the fading light of the evening were almost swallowed up with incoming storm clouds.

"We're meeting to talk next week." He said softly, coming around his orderly desk and pressing a kiss to her temple. She sighed and he felt the tension in her body. They had discussed this inevitable turn of events at length before both deciding to take his mother into their confidence. Itachi knew for certain that his mother would want to meet the boys and would demand to know who their mother was. Though Ino's identity would be withheld for the moment, he was rather happy that the boys would be meeting their grandmother. Sesame was always asking questions about Itachi's family, wanting to know his father's blood ties. He was an inquisitive child and he and Ino knew they would have to give him some answers sooner or later.

"And Inabi? Can he be trusted not to tell your father?" Ino asked, looking up at him though her lashes. He gave a comforting squeeze around her arm and smiled reassuringly at her.

"There is some bad blood between he and my father so he wouldn't give my mother's secrets away. He is her most trusted friend and will keep this from my father at all costs."

She must have seen the dark troubled look in his eyes because she ran her hand down his chest. "Dare I ask the story behind that?" Ino dryly mused to keep the tension light. He appreciated that.

Blood down his chin, the black carpet soaking it up (drinking it)…eye swollen shut…on his knees with an Enforcer's foot on his back, pressing him down until his chin was touching the ground…

The man's long black hair was mussed and dirty, sticking to his tear soaked cheeks yet he looked undaunted, regal even. Itachi looked from the man to his father silhouetted against the large wall window in his office, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. His hands were numb, but were settled on his lap gracefully.

"You failed. Betrayed your clan. Your son would be better off without you in his life." His dad's voice sounded like a hissing viper.

He was hauled to his feet with a pained groan, blood dripped down his head from a deep gash on his eyebrow. "You wanted me to hurt innocent families all for the sake of some water rights. Our Clan would be better off without you!" Inabi's father spat blood and disgust at Fugaku's back. He was struck again, a thud sound against his bruised face that made Itachi's stomach sink and bile rise in the back of his throat.

Madara was smirking next to Itachi on the office sofa. Inabi's father looked at him, a ten year old Itachi and his vicious glare softened. He looked regretful and Itachi saw the pity in his eyes and it made his chest hurt. He was almost trembling with empathy for this man but knew he couldn't let his uncle know he harbored such a flaw. Father always warned him not to show weakness in front of his uncle.

"Be better than them little one. Be better…" A fist across the face from an Enforcer and that broken man was dragged behind the Uchiha tapestry.

"Ignore him Itachi." The softness in his father's voice startled him. "You will always be better than any lowly clansmen. You are my son. My heir. There is no one better than us." He said, not turning to him, only staring down below at the city before him…

Coming from his thoughts, Itachi wryly smiled and kissed her lips to center himself from the bad memories. "No, you shouldn't."

Ino sighed again. "Alright. I trust you." She hugged him around the waist and Itachi stroked her hair gently until the fire alarm shrilled from the kitchen.

"The chicken!" Ino screamed up at him with big round eyes before running frantically down the hall.

"Ughhh! You burned the food again?!" He heard Sesame yell from the living room where he and Taeyo were making a fort last time he checked.

"Don't start with me kid!" Ino yelled back and Itachi chuckled. She was a grown woman but she argued with a five year old like she was still a kid. When he got to the kitchen, his eyes burned from the smoke and Ino was frantically waving a dish towel in front of the fire alarm to get it to turn off. Sesame was smirking at her, his arms folded and Taeyo had the front of his shirt pulled over his nose.

Itachi reached for the house phone. Guess it was going to be a pizza night for them. Again.

XOXO

There was chatter in the back changing room as Misa changed out of her street clothes and into the black shorts and matching black breast band left for them. Today they had a booking appointment. She looked around at the other girls in the changing room and wondered what kind of client it was. Usually when she went to these mass booking appointments, the girls looked the same. Dark hair, tall and thin with creamy or peachy skin types. But there was a variety here and that made it a bit more exciting.

There was a brief knock at the door and a middle aged man with spiky hair and dark sunglasses came in. "We're ready for you."

They all filed out, into a room where the walls and furniture were white. Soft lights lit the ceilings and the owner of the company was taking quietly with a group of people dressed all in black.

"Must be someone important if THE Shino Aburame is here overseeing the selection." A red headed model whispered to her.

"I heard it's an old flame." A tall coco butter skinned model said teasingly.

"It's always an old flame with you Mako!" The red head scoffed playfully and then they took their places in a line.

Misa kept an eye in the elusive Shino Aburame. It was the first time she saw him in person. His hair was softly spiked, nice skin tone, kissable lips if they weren't in a flat line of professionalism. He wore dark sunglasses and his voice was soft, but deep and pleasant to hear. Misa ignored the chatter behind her as the others gossiped about some jobs there were booked to and who they thought was this client was. Shino Aburame wouldn't make an appearance personally if it wasn't important.

There was some rustling down the curvy halls of Aburame Modeling Agency and all those important people dressed in black turned expectantly. There was a collective gasp from some of the girls and then a buzz of excited whispered followed.

"Its Hinata Hyuga and Naruto Uzumaki!"

"I'm such a big fan!"

"He's gorgeous up close!"

"Look how beautiful she is!"

"Oh my gods!"

Misa was impressed as well though she wasn't so unprofessional to make such a tittering spectacle of herself. Indeed, she herself was a fan of Naruto Uzumaki.

She had only saw him once when she was in Sound. She was going to meet Sasuke for dinner when she heard heated arguing just outside his door.

"I'm going to keep bothering you until you relent. You know I will Sasuke!" The door whipped open and there he was, Naruto Uzumaki grinning boyishly at a brooding Sasuke. She took a step back so he wouldn't crash into her. Inside she was fangirling big time. Sasuke knew Naruto?!

"I'll think about it Idiot. Don't drop by like this anymore." Sasuke groused, not even sparing her a glance even though he knew she was there.

"Well I try to call but you never answer!" Naruto protested with a roll of his dreamy blue eyes. He hadn't even noticed her!

"I'll call you." Sasuke almost snapped. Finally he looked at her. "I'm going to dinner with Naruto. We'll reschedule." She was still in a state of shock so all she could do was nod.

"A-alright." Naruto gave her a brief look before they left and that was it.

Misa wished she had said something other than "alright" but the moment was gone. She asked Sasuke about their relationship when they met up next, but the Uchiha just gave her a look that said don't ask again and she didn't have a choice but to leave it like that.

Thinking about it now, she wondered why she put up with him as long as she did. In bed it was fantastic, but out of it, he was an egoistical prick. She wondered if Ino had to put up with that kind of attitude when they were together. Not that she wanted to become friends with the blonde. A part of her would always view her as a rival where Sasuke was concerned. But she wanted to ask her if Sasuke had always been that bitter and cold. She had a feeling he hadn't been.

Hinata Hyuga looked serenely around, her hand tucked tightly in Naruto's grasp. He kept her close to him, almost like he was protecting a delicate little doll. Indeed, she did look like a little doll. She was short, but had a nice curvaceous figure with long, shiny black hair, left down. Her bangs framed her heart shaped face and her exotic lavender eyes were sparking with a soft happiness that Misa envied a little. They were full of kindness and love for her fiancée holding her hand so devotedly. She didn't look uncomfortable or threatened by a room full of half naked models. Naruto didn't even spare them another look once he came in.

Then right behind her another person came in view. One that made Misa's breath catch in her chest. She wore a long black skirt with a tantalizing slit up one leg and a filmy, gauzy smoke grey long sleeved tunic that cut low and buttoned in the front. Her hair was molten platinum gold, softly curled and glistening under the lights of the room. Her blue eyes popped from her dark makeup. A spike of that silly envy sparked to life when Misa saw her.

"Who's that?"

"She looks to perfect to be real. You know what I'm saying?" One of the girls to her left nudged her shoulder with her finger. Misa ignored her, but was amused at the comment.

The shock of seeing Ino with Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga was short lived. Of course she would know them. She was often seen on Neji Hyuga's arm at various parties and if Naruto and Sasuke were friends, she would have met him too. But how did they know Shino Aburame? Misa watched Ino give Shino a look when he offered his hand in greeting.

"What? It's been too long for a hug Shino?" She teased in a seductive tone, blue eyes dancing prettily.

Shino's lips twitched in amusement. "Let's remain professional Ino." He said and Ino rolled a smirk.

"Right. I'll be professional then."

A tall Amazon blonde was beside her with a no nonsense air about her. She was beautiful with dark wash designer jeans with beige and black striped sweater settled lightly around her shoulders, over a silk black shirt. Next to her an enchanting man with honey blonde hair and rich chocolate eyes was talking on his cell phone. He was dressed in severe perfectness in a business suit of dark navy blue. With him and Naruto in the room, she could feel the girls go into diabetic shock from all the amazing eye candy they were presented with.

"Let's get started then." The Amazon said stood in front of them, hands on her hips with a scrutinizing teal green gaze. The blonde man slipped his phone into the pocket of his pants and pulled eye glasses from his breast pocket and stood next to the Amazon. His eyes swept over them in cold deduction and Misa felt a tug nervous. She had done his before, countless times but it felt different this time. The Amazon snapped her fingers and a young woman pushed her way to the front of the quiet crowed. She was dressed in flashy bronze skirt with a deep emerald color designer halter that made her dark skin and golden eyes practically glow. Her red hair was in tousled waves just reaching her shoulders.

She handed both the Amazon and pretty boy a clipboard. It was probably their portfolios, Misa thought, gazing steadily at the pair. Ino had finished talking with Shino and Hinata and was handed the last clipboard. She glanced up and their eyes locked. Misa saw her freeze for a second in recognition but then it was quickly hid.

Misa and the other girls were asked to turn and pose and then do a walk down the runway while Ino and her team busied themselves taking notes and conversing with one another. When it was Misa's turn to walk, she felt butterflies in her stomach but she took a breath and straitened her shoulders. If she was chosen for whatever project Ino and her team was up too, then she could dive head fist into Sasuke and Ino's secretive history. Gods, it was becoming an obsession but her mind was set and she would learn everything.

So she confidently stomped the runway, flawlessly posed and when she looked down at Ino and her team to see their reactions she was met with a smirk. An impressed smirk and Ino very deliberately placed a check mark by Misa's name.

XOXO

It wasn't everyday when Sakura was a nervous Nancy. But standing in the Uchiha Manor with Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha asking her about her dating life was a surreal experience. They were very blunt about it, wondering about her future plans. Yes, she would like to get married someday. Yes she would probably enjoy motherhood. Yes, she would like to continue working after getting married. No, she didn't have anyone special in her life. No, she didn't drink often and no, she didn't have any siblings.

She had been through this a couple of times before, when she and Sai broke up and her mother tried to get her into dating again. Bitterness welled in her chest when she thought about it, but she forced herself to remain pleasant. Considering where she was and who she was taking with, she had to be very careful.

"I would like you to go on a matchmaking date with one of my sons." Mikoto finally said and Sakura's breath left her lungs in a quick woosh. Her heart was rapidly pounding. Nervousness was not even adequately describing how she felt right now.

"Our youngest, Sasuke. Your mother tells me you two know each other from school." Fugaku said with a small smile. She knew that lie would catch up with her!

"We didn't talk really." Sakura admitted weakly. "I started at the end of my senior year so there weren't many opportunities to get to know him." That and his rabid fangirl devotees were very strict on who they allowed to get close to him. Plus the rumor that he was seeing someone didn't make things easier. Not that she cared all that much. She had met him only once before when she had come to Leaf Capitol to go shopping. He has saved her from and unsightly fall and she was knocked speechless by how good looking he was. But it was ideal fantasies of a naive girl. She had someone else in her heart and didn't care about getting to know the infamous Sasuke Uchiha after that.

But now…with Sai gone with her…Sasuke Uchiha sounded like a good idea. He was handsome, wealthy, well connected. But then again, he was cold and calculating. He wasn't someone she would try and date. If everything worked out between them, marriage would be just a business arrangement. It would benefit her family to have those civil ties but…at the expense of her happiness? Could she live like that? Could she give up the idea of love and warmth and compassion for wealth and fame?

Sakura sighed and smiled softly. She didn't know. "Can I think about it? I know this is an important opportunity for my future, but I need time to weight all of my pros and cons."

The Uchiha's looked surprised at her statement and Sakura's cheeks began to burn with embarrassment and a bit of fear. They expected her to jump at this chance didn't they? Who wouldn't? Sasuke Uchiha was an international enigma that families all over would fight to have their daughters with. The Uchiha influence would be practically unrivaled if the Hyuga's didn't exist. But this was her future, her life!

Fugaku looked annoyed and was about to say something but Mikoto placed a calming hand on his knee. "Of course Sakura. Take some time to consider this. Our life isn't for everyone and I want you to know what you'll be getting into." She said with a patient smile that didn't quite reach her dark eyes.

"This offer won't last long. I am grateful that you helped me at the banquet; that is why I present this opportunity to you. But my sons are not getting any younger and they need viable heirs to carry on our legacy. Eligible young women are hard to find." Fugaku stated, his eyes spearing her with seriousness. Sakura nodded. She was flattered that he considered her a match for Sasuke. For their family.

"Of course Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha. I am honored by your consideration." She bowed her head humbly at them, her eyes down in respect. They murmured goodbyes and Sakura exited the manor. She couldn't get to her car fast enough! Behind the wheel she let out a long breath and looked back at the Uchiha Manor.

Her phone rang and she looked at the screen, her nervousness melting instantly into anger and irritation. Of course her mother would know about her summons from the Uchiha. She grabbed her phone roughly from the passenger seat and tapped on the Bluetooth button on her navigation system.

"Hello mother."

"Sakura, I just heard about it! How did it go? What did they ask?" She could practically hear her mother's excited tapping of her foot.

"It went well. They asked if I could meet up with Sasuke Uchiha for a match date."

Her mother squealed like a teenager just hearing the latest gossip. "When is it going to be? We need to go shopping for an outfit and your father and I—"

"Mother, I told them I would think about it." She said firmly. It was quiet on the other end for a moment.

"You're going to think about it?" Her mother asked in a deadly calm voice and Sakura felt a faint trickle of unease. Her mother never used that kind of tone unless she was very angry. Sakura smirked. What more could she do to her? She already took Sai from her and set him up with another woman a month after they broke up. The betrayal of that from both her mother and Sai made her blood boil. Her fingers tightened around her steering wheel.

"It's a big decision. I explained it to them and they understand." Sakura said cheerfully, feigning innocence.

"Sakura, don't let this opportunity pass you. You and Sasuke could be a match made in heaven." Her mother said in a deceptively sweet voice. "Give it a try Sakura. There is no harm in trying."

Sakura expected her mother to push this. "I said I'll think about it and I will. I have to go mother. I'm meeting Ino for lunch in an hour. We'll talk later." She hung up before she said anything more.

XOXO

Sami Haruno hissed out a breath and threw her cell phone on the counter where it clattered against her purse. She was there! She had it in her grasp and her daughter was going to ruin everything!

No. No! She wasn't going to stop. After everything she did, she wasn't going to just let things fall apart before it even began. And Ino…Ino was back in town. That did not bode well when Sasuke was back. She had certain people keep tabs on the blonde from afar and knew that Ino and Sasuke pretended the other didn't exist. She didn't have to worry about them. Until now.

She had to make sure they still hated each other. She had to make them stay apart forever! Or at least until Sakura and Sasuke were married.

There was only one person she could rely on and she left the kitchen and went into her office. She shut the door and locked it. In back of her finely carved chestnut colored desk was two rather expensive portraits of her family. One that was taken on the day of her wedding and the other taken before Sakura left for Ember. She pressed the secret latch of the most recent portrait and it clicked open reveling her hidden safe. She pressed the digital numbers and scanned her thumb before it released the lock. In a small wooden box, she thumbed through various business cards and a second cell phone. She dialed and he answered after the second ring.

"Mizuki, care to make some money?"

XOXO

Catching up with a friend like Sakura was long overdue. Ino felt extremely happy after hugging her goodbye and watching her drive off with a grin. She almost forgot how awesomely they got along. There was few that she could just drop pretenses and be herself. She had a close relationship with her staff but there was always that unspoken line between them and her. She was their boss and they were her employees.

Of course her relationship with Itachi was different than it was with any of her friends. He was her closest confidant, her lover and father of her children. No relationship could compare to that. He made her feel so safe and secure. Like he could face anything and come out unscathed. So whatever plans he had for the Uchiha Corporation, she had complete faith in him.

She returned to her workplace only to see two black cars sitting ominously in front of the glass doors. C and Temari were outside, angrily talking to three dark suits. When they saw her they stopped.

"What's going on?" She demanded in a hard voice, slamming her car door to make a point.

"Ino! These fools have our lease agreement!" Temari said, slicing the men with a sharp look.

"Lease?" Ino snatched the paper from the blubbering older man. "I bought this place straight out. There is no lease agreement." She scanned the document. What was this? She never signed anything like this but it had her signature on it. "Where is the original?" She demanded, flipping through the pages.

"The original is back at the office. This document will suffice." The elderly man said, but she noticed the trickling sweat down his temple.

"You can't do anything without showing me the original." Ino said through her teeth. "Until you produce it, we will do nothing you say. I know my rights and I will take this to court if I have to." She crumbled the paper and threw it at the sputtering man. "Who sent you to dispute this anyways? I have a right to know that as well."

"Who else owns everything in the world?" C muttered and Ino felt a chill down her spine.

"The Uchiha?" Itachi would have told me about something like this if it was true. But on closer inspection, she noticed that other than the expensive dark suits and dark cars, these men didn't really look like Uchiha's employees. She was good a reading people. That tell-tell trickle of sweat down than man's head was enough to know that something else was up. "Which Uchiha?"

The older man tried to bristle but his nervousness was showing. "That's beside the point! No one defies the Uchiha! We will be back!" He shouted and then pivoted on his heel and marched to one of the cars, the other two close to his back. Ino glared after them and then stomped back into the building, flinging the glass doors open with her tantrum.

"Are you going to call Itachi about this? Why would those guys think we would go for something like that? Do we look like idiots?" It was Kauri who asked the worried, but heated question. She was dressed in white pants that brought out her legginess and a gold wrapped shirt that left a little of her lower tummy showing. A cool, professional cross between sexiness and hipster that only she could get away with. Her red hair was up in a messy bun, tendrils of it framing her smooth dark skin like they were on fire.

Ino glowered at her. "No. I can handle this on my own." She said. She placed her leather hand bag on her desk, digging through her miscellaneous to find her phone. She waved Kauri out and turned from the questioning look of Temari and C. It rang twice before he answered.

"Kisame, I need Sasuke's number." After ending the call and telling Kisame not to tell Itachi about her call she closed the door to her office. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she looked at the sequence of numbers on a post-it rubbing her thumb and index fingers together in nervousness. Should she call and confirm her suspicious of him? He had told her many times he was going to ruin her and trying to take away her place of work was certainly a way to do it, but could he really be that petty? Ino' sighed, her heart beginning to ache. Of course he would, Sasuke wasn't one to make threats just for the heck of it. He was always a man of his word and she was on his list of enemies.

With one more look at the number, she pulled it from the pad and folded it into a small square and placed it in her purse, in one of the pockets that lined the side. She needed to be prepared to face him and that meant covering her bases. She need to go home and gather all of her documents she had concerning this place, bank statements backing up her claim, signed and notarized letters from the office of land management…

XOXO

They said he had someone waiting to see him when he got back to the office but he didn't recall any lingering appointments and told his secretary to have them reschedule for sometime in the future. His day was over and he didn't want to deal with any work right now.

He heard someone murmur in the back ground and his secretary argue back. "Sasuke." His breath rushed out all at once when he heard her voice and then anger burned back quickly. "We need to talk." He should bite back that it was the last thing he wanted to do and to scold her that she had no right to come to his office to see him about anything. But he was curious about what she wanted. He ignored the longing and anticipation creeping into his gut.

So he sighed loudly, making her aware that he was not going to be pleasant company. "Meet me at Himo's Hideaway." He said in a clipped tone and then hung up. He pulled into an empty parking lot and turned around.

He didn't know he had a death grip on the steering wheel until he pried his fingers from the soft leather and noticed his joints were stiff. He was beginning to rethink meeting her here but pushed that aside with a small of his car door.

Himo's was a small little bar that only so many were privileged to enter. When he entered the young looking host greeted him silently with a tilt of his head.

"I'm meeting someone here. A blonde named Ino Yamanaka." He handed him his coat and the young man's lips tilted.

"She's waiting in the Sapphire Room." Sasuke paused in mild surprise. This establishment was hard to get into but she wiggled her way in.

Sasuke scowled. "How?"

The Host shrugged and then smiled. "Mr. Jiraiya thought she was beautiful. He's trying to work out a…deal…with her." He said carefully, dark eyes sparking in humor. Sasuke just huffed irritably.

"Of course." He followed another host down the richly decorated halls of Himo's and paused just outside Sapphire Room. Why was he so damn unnerved right now? She was nothing to him now. Not worth a thought or a courtesy yet here he was hesitating just outside the door.

Mentally berating himself, he nodded to the host and the door was open.

Let's just get this over with…