Author's Note:

This story has now been expanded due to demand on AO3. Chapter has been updated with additional scenes, and ending has been removed and subject to change.

ITACHI (Voice Over):

First impressions can often be veiled in deception. Our realities are subjective and shaped by our unique perspectives. We may unknowingly lead others astray, and likewise, fall victim to the artifice of misconceptions turned truths. Although I held the belief that I was impervious to deception, I now humbly acknowledge that I too have been unwittingly misled, realising that even the most discerning can fall prey to illusions.

I am fortunate for chance encounters and coincidences.

Coincidences are interventions by fate, gently guiding us back onto the path from which our narrow-mindedness and human fallibility may have led us astray.

They are serendipitous windows into the truth, revealing that what we thought was a certainty may actually be a delusion, and that life's unpredictable twists can beautifully correct our misconceptions.

Had it not been for fate's intervention, I would have never encountered the one soul whose essence intertwines flawlessly with my own.

Scene 1:

Place: Lobby of Itachi's apartment building

Time: 3:24 AM

Date: Friday, 2nd Sep

Itachi had returned home quite late, as he often had, due to another pro bono case he had been working on. In contrast to his firm's prioritisation of billable cases over charitable ones, Itachi made it a point to dedicate his time to those in need. This meant working on pro bono cases during after-hours, only once he had fulfilled his responsibilities with paying clients' cases. Itachi didn't mind the late nights, though, because as long as he managed his workload effectively, his firm granted him the freedom to choose and take on a pro bono case every month, a privilege he cherished deeply.

This time, it involved a frail elderly woman in her late 70s who had been living in the same small rental home for over two decades. Her landlord, who had recently inherited the property from his late father, was shamelessly taking advantage of her for his own financial gain.

The landlord had realised that the property's value had skyrocketed due to the booming real estate market in the area. He saw an opportunity to cash in on this windfall by either selling the property at an exorbitant price or renting it out to a new tenant at an inflated rate, all in pursuit of higher profits. However, he was well aware that he could not easily evict the old lady as per the terms of the current rental agreement.

To achieve his devious plan, the landlord resorted to unscrupulous means. He harassed the old lady with baseless complaints about supposed violations of the rental agreement, accusing her of causing damages to the property, which she vehemently denied. He also neglected his responsibilities as a landlord by refusing to carry out necessary repairs and maintenance. In truth, the landlord was concocting a pretext to evict her, solely driven by his greed to capitalise on the rising property value.

Itachi found the situation despicably horrendous, but it was precisely the kind of case he was committed to taking on. He fought for justice on behalf of those who were too weak to fight their own battles, and he was exceptionally skilled in doing so. He was yet to lose a case he had worked on.

"Izumo" He greeted the concierge with an acknowledging nod as he entered the lobby to his apartment building. "Mr. Uchiha, welcome home!" Izumo greeted in return, "Another late night. Who are you saving this time?"

Izumo held Itachi in high regard, deeply admiring him for the cases he took on and the impact he made as a lawyer. To Izumo, Itachi was a real-life superhero, someone who stood up for the underprivileged and fought for justice, just like he aspired to do. This admiration and inspiration led Izumo to work tirelessly, taking on both day and late-night shifts to save enough money for law school tuition, hoping to follow in Itachi's footsteps.

Itachi placed what spare change he had in the jar atop the front desk. He did this every night to help support Izumo in covering the tuition faster, as had others who lived in the building. He was glad to see the jar was filled halfway when he inserted his spare change; Izumo was ambitious and lovable. Someone who truly wanted to improve this accursed world they lived in, and Itachi strived to support anyone who wanted to make this world a little better.

The concierge was grateful to be blessed to work in a building that housed the kindest people he had ever met. "Thank you, Mr. Uchiha" his voice trembled slightly with extreme gratitude. Itachi smiled warmly at Izumo, his appreciation for the concierge's hard work and ambition evident in his eyes. "There's no need to thank me, Izumo," he replied. "Seeing you achieve your dream of becoming a lawyer sooner not only benefits you but also serves the greater good of this world." He ruffled Izumo's hair before walking to call for the lift.

The sound of the building's door clicking open, alerted him to another returning home quite late into the night, and he had an inkling on who it would be.

It was just as common for Noi Naka to return home at this late hour, and she was always dressed indecently. Her open trench coat revealed a provocative outfit underneath. She donned a short, flashy dress that accentuated her figure, paired with fishnet stockings and high heels that added to her alluring appearance. She also wore a choker around her neck, adding to the overall sensual vibe of her attire.

Her makeup was bold, with vibrant red lipstick that drew attention to her lips and dark blue glittery eyeshadow that added a touch of glamour. She also wore long black fake eyelashes that enhanced her eyes and added drama to her look.

Izumo greeted Miss Naka with the same level of cheerfulness as he had greeted Itachi, saying, "Welcome home, Miss Naka!" Itachi, who was pretending to be oblivious to her arrival, secretly observed their interaction from a side-eyed view, curious about the woman's presence in the building and her rapport with Izumo.

She took out a wad of cash and placed it into the jar, "My customers tonight were extremely lavish, this should help you get to law school sooner than planned!" she exclaimed. "Miss Naka, you're too kind. This is too much!" he protested, but Noi waved her hand in dismissal. "Nonsense, you deserve it for all your hard work," she replied, adding with a playful tone, "besides, I have a leaking sink that I expect you to fix in return."

That was indeed generous, Itachi mused, and wondered why someone who most likely did what she had for a living, would be willing to hand over her night's tips so willingly. How could she afford to stay in this apartment building too? It was located in a middle-class area of the city. He also didn't understand why the landlord would accept someone who worked where she had as a tenant.

Noi worked at a strip club, which was located in the city's red district. By the way she dressed and how beautiful she was, not to mention her voluptuous figure, he discerned she must be one of the performers. It was a waste and a shame, in his opinion, for a woman to degrade herself so low for the extra money…

"You can count on me! I'll have it as good as new by the time you return from work tomorrow!" Izumo promised with enthusiasm.

The elevator arrived, and Itachi clicked on the button that displayed the floor his apartment was situated on, followed immediately by the button that would close the doors to the lift.

"Hold the elevator!" she called out, but too late as the lift had already ascended.

Scene 2:

Place: Itachi's floor, the elevator of the apartment building, and Noi's floor.

Time: 3:12 PM

Date: Sunday, 11th Sep

Sundays were the most convenient day for Itachi to run his errands and visit his parents. He had already fulfilled his responsibilities towards his parents earlier this morning, then returned home to change into more casual attire and grab his collapsible trolley before heading out to the grocery store to complete his shopping.

He requested the elevator and waited, feeling like he had been waiting longer than he should have, only to realise that it hadn't moved from the floor it was on. The elevator display panel indicated that it was on her floor, Noi Naka...

Itachi's mind fell into its usual habit of developing hypotheses on what could possibly be holding the elevator, and several of those hypotheses included her as the culprit. He could simply ignore the whole issue and just take the stairs to the lobby, which wouldn't be an issue at all. However, the voice in the back of his head was urging him to investigate why the elevator was being held up and to instil manners and elevator etiquette onto the culprit, whom he was fairly certain would turn out to be Noi Naka.

Then there was the other voice nagging in his head that it might be someone stuck in the elevator. In which case, it didn't matter if it was being held up and someone might be needing help. Therefore, whichever the case turned out to be, Itachi would have to ascend the stairs, and so he did.

When he emerged from the stairwell, he wasn't at all surprised with what he had found. A box was placed by the elevator doors, preventing them from closing. A brief scowl appeared on his face, and he was about to walk towards the elevator to remove the box, when she appeared. Noi walked out of her apartment to haul more boxes out of the elevator and hadn't noticed him standing there.

She was dressed in jean hot shorts, which were cut off at a flattering length to showcase her toned legs. The denim hugged her curves, accentuating her figure. She paired the shorts with a white long-sleeve jumper that added a touch of casual chic to her outfit. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, revealing the graceful curve of her neck. She had kept her makeup light, with a natural look that highlighted her features. Noi's attire was more laid-back compared to what he would normally see her wearing, yet it still had a provocative effect.

As Noi leaned down to pick up one of the boxes, Itachi couldn't help but be captivated by the alluring view of her rear end. The snug fit of her shorts emphasised her curves and accentuated her figure, evoking a feeling of temptation within him.

As she turned around to carry the box into her apartment, she suddenly noticed him and exclaimed, "Oh! Hey!" Her surprise at spotting him caused her to jerk back slightly, startled by his presence, "Oof! You came out of nowhere! Do you always sneak up on your neighbours?" She placed the box down and instinctively clutched her chest, trying to catch her breath. Itachi raised an eyebrow, puzzled by her exaggerated reaction to his sudden appearance. Her response seemed excessive, and it sparked a sense of suspicion in him.

"I apologise for startling you. I noticed that the elevator wasn't moving and I thought someone might be stuck inside, so I came to offer assistance," Itachi explained.

Noi seemed reassured by this statement, and her cheerful voice returned as she explained, "Oh, right! Sorry. I just had a lot of boxes to unload and it's taking me a few trips to get them all." She lifted the box back up and made her way to her apartment as she said, "I hope I didn't inconvenience you much, I have a few left and then it would be all yours."

The boxes were big and appeared to be heavy, he couldn't very well stick to his original intent anymore and chastise her. That would be ungentlemanly of him. Itachi let out a sigh and offered, "It's no trouble, I'm just glad no one was trapped inside. Allow me to help you with the rest of these boxes."

She stuck her head out and called back, "Oh no, please you don't have to trouble yourself-" however, he interjected saying, "I cannot simply stand idle as I watch you carry these yourself. It's no trouble and I am happy to help." With a tone of finality, as he was now carrying one of the bigger boxes which were exceedingly heavy. When he laid it down in her foyer, he noticed that there were larger boxes already inside, and he mused that she must be quite strong if she managed to carry all those herself.

He carried the final box and laid it down by the others, but noticed on his way back out that she had a lot of locks installed onto her door. It seemed to be more than the usual number of locks one would expect on an apartment door, that was located in a middle-class district, and it piqued his curiosity. The observation left him with a sense of intrigue, and he found himself wanting to know more about why Noi had taken such precautions with her door. This woman was very mysterious, and the lawyer in him questioned this observation instinctively, "That's plenty of locks. Have you been feeling unsafe in our neighbourhood?"

Noi appeared flustered, as she fumbled for words but eventually explained, "It's just a habit. I'm not really used to living in an upscale neighbourhood like this one."

Her response made him consider another question that had been gnawing at him for a while, which was how she had been capable of affording this apartment in the first place. He brought forth the observation with subtlety, "I wasn't either. If I hadn't made Junior Partner this year, I might not be able to afford living here…" which wasn't entirely untrue. Itachi could afford this place on his previous salary easily; however, he would have to cut off the many charity organisations he would donate to, but she didn't need to know this. Noi had a slight glimmer in her gaze, before retorting, "Good thing you did then, congrats on the promotion, and thanks for the help! Hope I didn't keep you from where you needed to go?" She must have picked up on his undertone, because hers was clearly telling him that he was overstaying his welcome.

"It's no trouble, I was just going to get some shopping done. If you need any help, I'm just two floors below you. Apartment 14 A." he said as he stepped outside towards the elevator to call for it back; with no box holding the door open, it was functional once again. "I don't know if that's an offer you can stick to..." She proclaimed, and he raised an eyebrow at her, as the ding of the elevator notified them of its arrival. She picked up on his puzzled gaze and elaborated, "You seem to be rarely home and return in the AM. I'd have better luck asking Izumo when he isn't busy with Miss Yuhi on third." Miss Yuhi on third always seemed to have a new issue with her place every day.

Itachi gave her a nod, as he entered the elevator and clicked on the button that indicated the lobby. His expression told her she was probably right in her assessment, but his thoughts were frustrated as she made it seem like he was the scandalous one who was returning in the dead of the night. "You can try for me on a Sunday then, I'm usually home come noon." he declared as the elevator doors closed to start its descent.

Scene 3 :

Place: Streets of Konoha

Time: 4:02 AM

Date: Tuesday, 20th Sep

It was another late night at the office, and Itachi was walking home after spending longer hours working on his pro bono case. The landlord had proven to be cunning, but Itachi had managed to gather testimonies from current and past tenants of the building. He had collected evidence of the old lady's tenancy record, prior to the current landlord taking over, which showed that the incidents had only started after the previous owner's passing. Additionally, other tenants had agreed to testify that they had to hire contractors themselves for basic repairs, as the landlord had been ignoring their requests.

Itachi halted in his place when he recognised her from his side-glance in an alleyway with another woman. It's Noi… he mused, as he stepped back to the cover of the building's corner and observed what his suspicious neighbour was doing.

Noi had inserted her hand into her pocket and had taken out a flash drive and handed it to the other, older looking woman who had long blonde hair as well. He felt like he had recognised who she was, but he couldn't quite place her. The exchange was quite quick, and Noi was now walking in his direction, so he hurried to hide behind a protruding pillar from one of the buildings so she wouldn't notice him.

A moment later, he stole another glance and noticed that Noi was heading in the direction of their building. He composed himself and continued walking home, increasing his strides to catch up with her. When he was close enough, he called out, "Noi!" She turned abruptly, with pepper spray in hand and pointed at him. Itachi instinctively held up his briefcase to shield his face and informed her, "It's me! Itachi!" He was grateful that his briefcase had taken the brunt of her attack.

"Oh! Sorry!" she chimed startled, and then her face morphed into a slight scowl as she proclaimed, "You really need to stop sneaking up on me, you know!" catching her breath in the process. He wasn't too suspicious of her reaction, given the time in which they had both been walking out on the streets. "I apologise, I was just heading home from work and had recognised you, so I thought it would be best to walk with you home in this late hour" he explained.

After a moment of considering his words, Noi seemed to have accepted his explanation and agreed to walk beside him the rest of the way.

"Do you often work late nights, Mr. Junior Partner?" she asked, when they were halfway home. Itachi nodded then jested, "You don't make Junior Partner in my age by working regular office hours." Noi smiled and returned, "I guess not, but I wouldn't know what lawyers did to get promoted." She then observed casually, "You're going home later than usual." And he returned, "The case I'm working on took more time from me tonight than I expected" he explained, grateful she provided him with a window to question her as well, "Seems it's the case with you as well…" he observed. "Ah, yeah. We had some troublesome customers tonight, so cleaning up the mess they left made me stay an extra hour" she quickly explained as well.

They rounded a corner that took them a block away from their building, and Noi opened her purse to take out her keys. That was when Itachi noticed she kept a small pistol in her purse. "Is that a gun?" he asked bewildered, and she flustered before responding, "Yeah, well there are a lot of creeps out at night, and a girl has to protect herself." Itachi retorted, "Luckily you decided on the pepper spray then when I startled you." With a hint of relief. She chuckled and said, "Yeah, but it's loaded with rubber bullets so you would have been fine anyway."

Somehow her tone wasn't so convincing…

Who was this familiar woman he had seen her with, and why did Noi need so much protection with locks, pepper spray, and the gun. She was truly intriguing, and Itachi knew he had to get to the bottom of who Noi Naka really was.

They entered the building, and Izumo greeted them with his usual enthusiasm, "Mr. Uchiha, Miss Naka, welcome home!". Itachi smiled at Izumo and placed the usual change in the jar at the front desk, and Noi took out another wad and placed it in the jar. "I'm definitely going to make it to law school thanks to the both of you! I don't know what I've done to deserve all this generosity." Izumo chimed. "You have made the unfortunate mistake of being my favourite concierge, so I am going to spoil you anyway I can!" Noi stated light-heartedly.

"Oh, Miss Naka, I don't know about that. I'm not feeling unfortunate at all!" Izumo chimed back. "Konoha needs more diligent people like yourself, keeping bad guys off the street, so Miss Naka and others can feel safer." Itachi remarked.

Noi didn't pay much attention to his undertone, and simply nodded her head stating, "That's right, Konoha could use a lot more heroes. Maybe then Itachi could make it home earlier too." Throwing him a knowing glance filled with satire.

She was good…

They both headed to the elevator, and Itachi called for it. This time he felt he didn't mind sharing the ride with her. Noi has piqued his interest greatly, and he was going to make a friend out of her, if only to find answers to all those questions he has.

Scene 4 :

Place: Red District

Time: 11:16 PM

Date: Friday, 30th Sep

Itachi couldn't shake Noi from his thoughts all week. This enigmatic neighbour of his had been distracting him, and it was starting to impact his focus at work. He was determined to unravel the mystery surrounding her, and so he enlisted the help of his cousin, Shisui, and dragged him along to the establishment where Noi worked. Itachi was determined to find answers to the questions that had been consuming him, and he was prepared to take action to satisfy his curiosity.

Shisui, of course, had no idea what Itachi was really up to. He had only informed his cousin that he wanted to celebrate his birthday, which wasn't for another few weeks, much earlier because his busy schedule wouldn't allow it, and that he was taking him to strip club to make up for his future absence in a big way. Shisui didn't care what his reasons were; he was simply thrilled that his usually reserved cousin was letting loose for once!

They stepped into Siren's Call, the club where Noi worked, and were immediately enveloped by a seductive atmosphere. Dim, moody lighting cast shadows across the space, creating an alluring ambiance. The air was thick with the scent of various perfumes and colognes, mingling with the aroma of cigars and the faint hint of alcohol. The interior was tastefully decorated with plush seating, low tables, and a sleek, polished bar that stretched along one side of the room. They took their seats at the bar, and Itachi ordered a daiquiri to satisfy his sweet tooth, and Shisui ordered a scotch on the rocks.

Itachi swivelled on his barstool, his eyes scanning the room in search of the object of his desire. However, she was nowhere to be found. Instead, his gaze landed on the stage at the centre of the room, where a captivating scene was unfolding. A scantily clad woman moved sensuously around a pole, her movements mesmerising and alluring. With each tantalising spin, she peeled off more articles of clothing, revealing the more sexual glimpses of skin.

The stage was surrounded by a crowd of eager men, their eyes glued to the performance. They waved folded bills in the air, vying for the dancer's attention. Some even went so far as to place the bills between their teeth, enticing the dancer to come closer and take their offering. The air was charged with excitement, and the atmosphere was electric with the raw energy of desire.

The sultry performance on stage was a captivating display, that drew his cousin into the seductive allure of the club's atmosphere. "How about we grab a seat over there?" Shisui suggested, his excitement palpable in his voice. "I can't believe you brought us to this place, Itachi! This is amazing!" he chimed, clearly enjoying the atmosphere of the club. Itachi considered the idea and was relieved that Shisui had suggested it on his own. Being situated at the centre of the room could provide a better vantage point for him to spot Noi.

As they made their way towards the stage, Shisui realised that Itachi was no longer following him. He looked around, scanning the crowd, but couldn't spot his cousin anywhere. Shrugging, he took a seat by the stage, assuming that Itachi must have slipped off to the bathroom or some other place temporarily.

Itachi found himself being whisked away from the crowd and into one of the club's private rooms. It wasn't until he was seated in a chair that he realised who had pulled him away. He couldn't take his eyes off her back, mostly concealed by her flowing blonde hair, as she closed the curtains for privacy. When she finally turned around, Itachi's jaw dropped in awe, completely captivated by the stunning sight before him.

Noi was dressed in an incredibly teasing outfit, with shimmering purple nipple tassels that caught the light and matching glittering panties that accentuated her curves. Her gaze was intense, fixed on Itachi as if he were the sole object of her desire in the entire world. The way she looked at him sent a jolt of electricity through his body, igniting a fire of longing within him. Itachi found himself entranced by her seductive presence.

She climbed onto his lap and began her dance, leaning into his ear to whisper, "Why are you here!" it was a tone that didn't match her expressions at all. She was angry…

Noi was incredibly flexible; she lifted a leg that was stretched to extreme limits and waved it past Itachi's face, spinning her body effortlessly to give him her back, all the while remaining on his lap. She bent over, curving her body back up and rubbing her ass onto his lap, where his member now quivered with excitement. She arched her back onto his chest and he mustered a whispered response into her ear, "I'm celebrating my cousin's birthday".

She gripped his face between her palm and cocked his head aggressively to the side, biting onto his earlobe, then whispered back, "We are being watched, so act like you asked for this. I assume you have change on you." She stated, and he was grateful he came prepared, but even if he hadn't, he always had spare change on him. "Yes" he sensually murmured as she continued to rub her body onto his lap, "Good, stick it on me" She ordered, and he looked at her, seeing there weren't that many places to place the bill in, so he settled to place it behind the strap just above her right thigh.

She spun back around hovering her breasts near his face, and as she was coming back down again to his eye level, she asked him in an assertive whisper, "Did you follow me here, or did you just happen to choose the club I worked at?" she was astute. She must have noticed he had developed a curiosity towards her.

"I think you know the answer to that" Itachi replied, almost instinctively. He wasn't sure why he said it, perhaps because he wasn't really thinking anymore, with Noi captivating all of his senses in the present moment. She seemed to appreciate his honesty, as she smirked at him and rewarded him with another sensual rub against his lap.

The intensity between them continued to escalate, and Itachi found himself torn between succumbing entirely to Noi's allure or resisting the forbidden temptation. Every touch, every whisper, and every titillating movement she made stirred a primal desire within him. It felt as if he was crossing a line he shouldn't, but at the same time, it felt undeniably right. The pull towards her was magnetic, and he found himself losing control.

It appeared to Itachi that Noi, too, was caught in the moment, her lips tantalisingly close to his own, beckoning him towards a kiss that seemed to hold the promise of salvation. He could see the desire flickering in her eyes, the way her breath hitched, and the way her body pressed against his. The pull between them was undeniable, and he found himself drawn towards her with an almost desperate longing, feeling the lustful and tormenting heat of anticipation building up between them. Then she whispered again, "Itachi, don't come here again." She got off his lap and said aloud, "Our time is up, pay up if you want another go".

He knew she didn't want to give him another go from the tone of her previous words. He walked towards the curtains to leave, and as he was about to exit, she spoke again, "This is where I work. I don't think you'd appreciate it if I showed up to yours. Have your fun then leave." With that, she closed the curtains behind him.

She was right…

What had he been thinking, showing up at her place of employment like this? It was reckless and impulsive, and he knew he had crossed a line. He couldn't understand the pull she had on him, but he realised he had gone too far in his obsession to unravel the mystery that she presented. It was time to stop.

He returned to his cousin, and after another few rounds of drinks, he asked that they leave. Shisui understood that Itachi was probably going to head to the office the next day, even if it was a weekend, so he didn't object to leave.

On their way out, Itachi heard a familiar voice from behind the curtain, "You sound jealous" Noi was speaking to someone inside one of the private rooms, and Itachi lingered to pick up the conversation. "You looked like you enjoyed ridin' that bastard. Do you know 'em? Are you two timing me?!" he heard the rugged voice of a man, and it was laced with aggression and malice. He felt like Noi was in danger. "Don't be foolish, Hidan baby, I've never seen that man here before, and I think you would know if he ever came in here before now. I only got eyes for you, and nobody could satisfy me better than you could. I thought you knew this. I was just doing my job." her voice sounded hurt, and Itachi could sense her lies, but it seemed this Hidan fellow hadn't. "Noi, you don't got to perform if you don't wanna. In fact, I insist that you don't. You don't need the cash when you got me. Starting from now, you just sit by my side. I don't want any other bastard to gawk at what's mine!"

Scratch that, he definitely needed to learn more…