Note:
Thank you so much to my beta-reader, DeeDee (MsDeeDeeStyles on Twitter), for the help!
I can't breathe.
It feels like the world has tilted on its axis and the only thing that's keeping me tethered to the ground is the steadying hand on my back that reminds me that this is happening. I can't even bring myself to point out the fact that he's lying.
Madara Uchiha regards me with a pointed look masked in concern. Though it seems like I'm the only one that catches it because I can hear Sasuke Uchiha's mother chatter on about the information she's received.
Hell, this is new information to everyone including myself.
When Aunt Tsunade mentioned a powerful family, she meant it. Of all families, the Uchiha is the one she made a deal with?
I don't expect this to be an easy situation to get myself out of. I don't expect arms circling around me to pull me into a hug either. Not even having time to react to the action, Mikoto Uchiha removes herself from the one-sided embrace and graces me with the sincerest grin I've seen in a while.
"Sasuke! You never told me you were seeing someone. You told your grandfather that you're engaged before telling me?" She huffs. "To a Senju, no less! Is that why you went to see him first?"
I turn to look at my boss and find that we're probably sharing the same look of astonishment. I can't even process that this is an unusual expression to witness from him nor can I correct her because the undeterred Mikoto Uchiha continues. "I'm so happy for you! Here I thought you'd done nothing but work this past year. I should have known! She's so beautiful, Sasuke. How could you keep her a secret for so long?"
"Mikoto." The man behind her, who I recognize is Sasuke Uchiha's father, places an arm on her shoulder. "Give them time to answer."
The woman playfully swats her husband's hand off her shoulder.
"Mother, I-"
"Son, Mikoto," Madara Uchiha addresses Sasuke's parents. "Would you please give me a moment alone with the couple? This is actually the perfect time to discuss a few minor details."
"Oh, yes," she takes a step back, quelling her jubilance.
I'm surprised at how quick she'd calmed. Though, not entirely, sensing her joy very much lingered.
With a man like Madara Uchiha as your father-in-law, there may have been some things she had to learn the hard way. His aura is no joke. There's authority in the way he stands and unquestionable power in his gaze. He doesn't even have to do anything and the control is his. He's intimidation personified.
His attention is on me; a silent warning to keep my mouth shut.
As much as I want to protest, I can't bring myself to do so.
The rooftop terrace of the restaurant is the complete opposite of the main floor. It's empty at lunch hours for a Monday.
Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha sit by the shade, indulging in conversation as the entrance to the terrace area closes, and I'm left alone with the two men.
Shocking situation aside, suspicion begins to overtake my mind. The timing is too good. My godmother wanting to meet this morning at the same restaurant the Uchihas are coincidentally having lunch. Granted, this is Aunt T's favorite spot, but still. Did they simply reserve the entire terrace area in advance? They certainly have the power to do so. The staff did close off the stairs to the rooftop seating.
Or was this planned?
I trust my godmother and she assured me that she wouldn't force her plan on me. However, she was acting weird. I'm not sure whether it was because of the situation itself or because she's in on this.
She couldn't have known I'd choose to stay when she left after my refusal. Could she?
I glance at Mr. Uchiha, his jaw set. From the looks of it, this is either news to him too or that he's known and is vehemently against it. Either could explain his questions earlier.
"Your employee file stated that your hiring was personally accepted by my grandfather."
Just how long has this been going on?
"When your mother said you'd be joining us for lunch, I didn't expect the timing to be this impeccable." Satisfaction practically drips from his words. Laced with it is an arrogance that is only earned.
"Considering you've been ignoring my requests to meet, I'd say this is no surprise to you in the least," Mr. Uchiha replies, his contempt obvious.
I'm not sure whether if that disapproval is aimed at me, him, or the situation as a whole, but there's no denying the friction.
Madara is unperturbed. Instead, his gaze flits to me. "Your talk with your godmother went well, I assume?"
Displeasure spreads within me like wildfire. "I don't know. How about you tell me? I have a feeling you know more than you should."
His expression doesn't falter, neither does his tone. "You Senjus do have the tendency to be difficult."
"I'm not a Senju. She's my godmother."
"Semantics. She's said that you're her daughter in everything but blood. It's intriguing why you don't use that to your advantage. Nevertheless, what you've managed to achieve is impressive."
"I don't know what you've heard, but I told her no. I'm not agreeing to be the heiress which means the engagement that comes with it is not happening."
Madara only shakes his head. "This has been in discussion for years now, but only finalized by her thoughts of retirement."
"Well, then we can discuss its cancellation."
He's not even phased by my insistence. "Based on your rapport in emails to each other, I didn't think I'd be met with such resistance."
My stomach drops.
The emails.
He doesn't.
He shouldn't.
He's looking into his grandson's work emails?
Mr. Uchiha glowers at him. "So you have been looking into company matters."
"You thought I wouldn't be?" Madara exhales, amused at the thought.
"What do our emails have to do with any of this?"
"A little incentive, let's say."
"Incentive?" It's not hard to infer what that incentive is.
"Don't be so dour. It doesn't have to result to that," Madara states.
Those emails paint me in a bad light more than it does his grandson, and it could be a sueable offense since those messages are supposed to be private, being sent through work email aside. However, that doesn't change the fact that there's a possibility that I could be blacklisted from working for other publications. If not, I've no doubt it's something the Uchiha patriarch is capable of doing himself.
I still doubt all of that would convince Sasuke Uchiha into agreeing to this.
I grit my teeth.
I should have gone home.
Still, I could get answers I couldn't get from Aunt T.
"Why are you helping Aunt Tsunade?"
"Let's just say we have a common enemy in Shimura." It's frustrating just how unreadable this man is because there's nothing in his body language that tells anything. He's a closed book. "As you've discussed with her, you know just how unfit he is for the position."
"So you have spoken with her in the past hour?"
"She informed me of your refusal. I simply told her that that isn't an acceptable response."
Incredulous, I scoff. That conversation couldn't have gone any better than my earlier discussions with her.
"What if she found someone else to take the job, play the fiancé? It doesn't have to be me."
He raises a brow. "And would that be believable to the public? It would have been fine had you not already made a connection with Sasuke, who's notorious for dismissing anyone who so much as shows interest."
I bring my hands to my face, rubbing at my temples. That damn email. It manages to be the reason for every single misfortune I've had since I sent the fucking thing.
"Is that what you were playing at?" Sasuke finally speaks having been quiet for the most part, no doubt digesting everything he's heard, connecting the missing pieces of information he had yet to gain. "Personally hiring her?"
Finally, there's a change in Madara Uchiha's features. A subtle one. A short, small tilt of the corners of his lips that disappear in a flash. Could that be pride? Is he impressed?
There's so much I've yet to uncover regarding this grandfather and grandson dynamic, but complicated seems to be the only word I can use to describe it. But why?
"Perhaps. Although, you don't personally oversee SNO, that would be highly unlikely for a meeting, don't you think?"
"Also the conflict with Jiji? That had nothing to do with you?"
Jiji?
"You truly think I would come up with something so convoluted just for the two of you to meet?"
"But you know what I'm referring to, which means it's not entirely unlikely."
I shake my head trying to make sense of what Mr. Uchiha is implying.
"He is irrelevant. You've already dealt with him, haven't you?"
His lack of clear answers is getting on my nerves. But he insisted on all of us being left alone to talk. No doubt, it's to convince us to go through with this crazy engagement plan, but that's null and void at this point.
He insists that it should be me because it'd make it more believable, he said. Believability is important for him, then and it's understandable. The media would be all over this and would dig for any information they can if a union between two of the most powerful families in Konoha are to be linked together through marriage.
However, I don't, for a second, believe that that is his main reason.
Him being against Shimura, that I can believe. But why? What did Shimura do to piss off Madara Uchiha? Based on his lack of answers, he doesn't want that known yet.
It should have happened years ago. If we're going by his personal hiring of me, that would be nine years prior to now.
Nine years ago…
It's as if the air is sucked out of me as I come to a realization.
Dan, Aunt Tsunade's late husband, died nine years ago.
It didn't occur to me when I was thinking about it earlier today, ruminating on my meeting with her. I was at the funeral. Could that be how he figured out I had a connection with her? I don't recall the Uchiha being in attendance, but my attendance couldn't have proven much unless someone truly dug into it.
If they had, that means he may not be the only one who knows.
As much as I try to suppress it, interest builds within me. I've always been too inquisitive for my own good, and with every question that emerges with every small bit of information, the more this becomes a story worth to uncover.
To the detriment of my own personal and work life.
No. I can't let that happen.
Journalistic tendencies aside, this is my life. There's too much that I'd have to sacrifice.
Yet the feeling remains.
I hear my name, and I come to, registering that I've not been paying attention to the conversation having been preoccupied with my own thoughts.
Looking to my side, I see Mr. Uchiha's anger hasn't been sated in the least. "We're leaving."
"And disappoint your mother?"
"If you're not going to say anything of importance, why bother?" He looks at me expectantly. "Let's go."
I hesitate for a moment and it doesn't go unnoticed. Mr. Uchiha's pointed glare weighs heavy on my profile, but I still don't move.
Whatever stunt Madara Uchiha wants pulled hasn't been done yet. I want to know what it is he's waiting to drop.
"There's something else, isn't there?" I ask. "You have something else you want to say."
There's something akin to satisfaction, but not quite. "Observant."
"Say it."
"And impatient." He watches the both of us in interest. "I'll allow you two to leave, but think on it."
Mr. Uchiha scoffs. "This was a waste of time."
"Perhaps, but should I get an acceptable answer, maybe there's something you'd gain."
"Doubtful," he mutters.
That's when his grandfather smirks and I know what he's about to say is going to change everything. "Don't be so confident. Besides, wouldn't you like to know where your brother is?"
Notes:
Abrupt ending yet again haha
Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Lots of Sakura theorizing and being nosey in her thoughts a bit lmaooo
If you've read the original socmed, you'll see that I changed a lot of the dialogue in this scene, and I did that bc Madara was too cartoon villain in there imo, so I toned him down a bit and added to the drama. This is where the plot starts to change from the go socmed for the better, so if you think you know what's going to happen... Do you? ;)
Thanks again to DeeDee for agreeing to be my beta-reader! I really needed the help.
Tell me what y'all think in the comments and see y'all again next week for chapter 12!