unedited/ not proofread (2/22/21)

( w w w . kunoichiwomensjournal . c o m )

KONOHA WOMEN'S JOURNAL
Konoha's Premier Women's Magazine

Men vs. Women
Shinobi vs. Kunoichi

Something New
Sakura Haruno

There are a lot of things I'm beginning to understand about Sasuke Uchiha.

One, his drive and hardworking nature can come across as aloofness. When I first suggested this date to our boss and she said yes, I expected more pushback from him. After all, he doesn't seem like the type to even entertain the thought of shopping. But though he did say something during the meeting, once it was decided, he didn't complain again. He's a man dedicated to doing his best at work even if he isn't one hundred percent on board. That doesn't mean he sacrifices anything on his side. While he can handle what comes his way, he never loses who he is at his core.

Walking around the store, suggesting clothes for him to wear, he was very clear on what he was willing to try and not. I did want to bring some color into his wardrobe (which, by the way. mainly consists of black, white, and gray), but I knew he was definitely not going to jump to wearing vivid colors just yet. Baby steps.

Two, his aloofness often hides his gentler side. He's not overtly gentle. He's not a man of words either. He's a man of action. I can see his caring nature in small gestures like when he made sure he was walking on the side closer to the street as we made our way to different areas to take photos or when he just casually passed me a water bottle when I was parched, and I hadn't even said a word about it.

This date felt like the natural progression of our relationship. The first was a little awkward, the second a test, this one was relaxed, calmer and didn't feel awkward in the slightest. Maybe I've just gotten used to his presence and his mannerisms, but I don't mind our outings. I actually find myself looking forward to the next.

Maybe I should suggest I clean out his closet, but as I've said, baby steps.

...

Ino's Corner
Ino Yamanaka

Looks like both Sasuke Uchiha and our very own Sakura Haruno had fun on this date. It's a little surprising how good of a photographer Sasuke is based on these photos from their dates, but then again, that man always seemed perfect. Though, based on Sakura's article, he isn't as robotic as I think, maybe.

I thought Sakura hit the nail on the head when she mentioned this date felt like a natural progression to their relationship. It definitely looks that way by the way she describes the man in detail. Now, I know what you think. Would that mean she's super into him now because of the detail of her article? It could, but knowing Sakura and how observant she is, and knowing her kindhearted core, she's probably doing this to give us an insight on the man she's partnered with and to maybe give him a boost after the video and poll of their second date was released.

With Sasuke Uchiha's 'gentler side' as Sakura put it, there is a difference in their interactions based on their first article to this one. The two appear to have gotten used to each other, finding their companionship less unusual and growing closer as we knew they would inevitably be considering they do have to be 'dating' for this project.

What she didn't mention in the article though, but from what I've observed, while she looked for clothes that gave a little color to Sasuke's palette, her outfits in these photos seem more muted, similar to Sasuke's monochrome. Maybe this was to make him more comfortable in his new clothes. While he tried something new, she did too and that shows her consideration.

And it looks like Sasuke appreciates it.

( w w w . shinobi . c o m )

SHINOBI
Trusted by Konoha's Men

Men vs. Women
Shinobi vs. Kunoichi

Not Bad
Sasuke Uchiha

When she initially insisted on "changing things up" for our next date, I never would have imagined that she would come up with a shopping date. Of course, now that I've slowly gotten to know my partner in this endeavor, I suppose I should have seen this coming from her admittedly intuitive mind.

I did not know what to expect on an outing she planned. Looking at how our second "date" had occurred, all I knew to do was wait and try and improve my read on her. Ever the bright woman, she's seemed to quickly learn how to catch me off guard.

We took a short walk to the department store she wanted to spend a few hours in, hoping to "brighten up" my wardrobe, as she put it. I never understood the fascination with my color palette regarding my clothes. Black and white match well and is easy to put together in the morning before I leave home. Sakura made it her mission to change that.

Because of our previous "date", it had crossed my mind that she would use this as another opportunity to get the upper hand in a similar way, but that was not the case. She did teasingly pull out clothes she knew I would abhor, but she wasn't serious. In the end, she told me it was never her intention, insisting that if she was going to change my color choices, she'd have to do so slowly, though I can hardly imagine myself in "canary yellow" as she joked during our search around the store.

There was something different about that day compared to our first two outings. Where the first felt more like quiet curiosity, two people quickly analyzing each other, and the second was a moment of realization, this felt more natural. Her presence didn't feel unusual, and it would seem like I've grown used to her company.

The rest of the day came and went quickly and with ease. Conversation with her was easy, though admittedly, she did most of the talking. I've come to find out that we had more in common than I would have realized, and that perhaps my initial thoughts on her at work were misplaced. Not to say that all of my initial thoughts on her have changed. In a way, she's the same person I thought she was, but what's different is her spontaneity and my reaction to our juxtaposition in personalities.

"See, I told you color isn't so bad."

Perhaps it truly isn't.

...

The bane of our existence, Shopping Dates
Kiba Inuzuka

Well, well, well, gents. Looks like we finally get to see the aftermath of that infamous video and poll, and, man, is it not what I expected.

Working with Sasuke Uchiha, this newest article is probably the best praise you could ever get from the man. Not going to lie, I was pretty sure this was going to end in disaster since Uchiha doesn't seem like the type to even go out and buy new clothes himself. Especially with that second "date", that, in my opinion, was complete bullshit, but I'll stop myself before I get another punch in the gut.

Shopping dates aren't exactly what most men look forward to. Most of the time we just go search for the nearest seat in the store while our girlfriends go and do their thing, but like we already knew, Uchiha isn't exactly like most men. But because he's on another level, never would have imagined he'd actually be fine in it all.

Looks like Sakura Haruno has been wanting to redeem herself from her loss on the first date because it looks like the elusive Sasuke Uchiha has taken some kind of interest in her. Not sure if he's into her in the dating sense, but he's definitely warming up to her, even with her sly little video trick.

But I doubt that's enough for the Uchiha to really break out of his shell.

Sakura

It was a little difficult to write that date's article. Obviously because there were some things we definitely had to omit. It isn't like we could blatantly share to the public that we're pretty much well acquainted with each other's bodies, and I highly doubt Racks would like to know how we used their private dressing room. But that really wasn't all of it. If I'm being completely honest, this entire project's been taking up all the space in my mind recently. And it's not because I like or dislike doing it. It's because I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it.

At first, I just thought of it as some sort of PR project, which it is and I knew that going into this, but what's surprised me is how it doesn't really feel like a project now. It feels like I'm juggling two different things at once, one for work and the other more personal. All of this really is because of who I'm in this project with. Honestly, with anyone else, I wouldn't be as caught up in it as I am now.

That little thing I pulled in the dressing room did work out as planned, but it ultimately just left me thinking deeper about everything I have to do just to look like I have the upper hand in the articles and in our little game. Balancing both at the same time seems to be blurring some lines that I would have never imagined being blurred.

Am I physically attracted to Sasuke Uchiha? That's a hard yes. I mean, I always thought he was a good looking guy, but the little taste I've gotten of him along with the time I've been spending with the guy's making me realize that maybe he isn't as terrible as I thought he was. Sure, he has his moments where he seems arrogant, but I'm beginning to see that he doesn't really see himself as this perfect guy. He just wants efficiency.

But that's just work Sasuke. Outside of work, there are peeks of that side of him, but it just looks to me like he's pretty chill. At least, he kind of has to be considering I have been testing his patience as of late. And mine as well apparently.

"Hello? Earth to Sakura?"

I look up and see Ino's expectant gaze, head tilted slightly as if she'd just asked me something important and is awaiting an answer. TenTen and Hinata are also looking at me from the couch by the wall, curious.

"What?"

Ino sighs, shaking her head. "We were just talking about the newest poll on the sites. We asked you how you felt about it?"

"The polls?"

"The polls you're leading," TenTen clarifies, almost chuckling to herself. "You really weren't listening, huh?"

"Oh, right."

"You've got him beat two to one so far! We have to keep this up." Ino peers closer from across my desk. "You're doing a better job than I thought, bighead."

I roll my eyes. "Wow, very flattering."

She grins. "Not like I didn't think you wouldn't, but based on the newest articles, he seems really into you now."

"'Not bad' screams him being into me?" I raise a brow. Of course, I know we both have a physical attraction to each other, but there's no way I'd be telling anyone that right now. Our interactions are being psychoanalyzed enough already.

"Kiba's article said that's probably the best praise he'd give anyone," Hinata chimes in. "That's something to note."

"To be honest, I would have thought his article would have been more arrogant or something considering our little hidden camera trick. Surprised Uchiha didn't seem as pissed off about it."

"It's because he knows it's true." Ino winks at TenTen before turning back to me. "And our very own rep here probably knows that too."

"It's way too early for this, Ino."

TenTen frowns. "It's almost lunch."

It is? I check the digital clock on my laptop screen and sure enough, she's right.

"Hey, maybe we should figure out what else to do."

"What else for what?"

"Hey, who's to say Shinobi isn't planning on doing what we did that second date." Ino points a finger at me. "You need to be prepared."

"I highly doubt Sasuke would go along with that."

"This is a competition, remember? And I'm pretty sure CEO Senju wouldn't oppose them doing it too to make it 'fair'."

"Maybe like cut an inch off your hair and see if he notices?"

"Oh, good idea, Ten! If he doesn't, then-"

I stand from my seat. "I need to go to the restroom."

The three of them look at me, Ino nodding as I head to the door.

"We'll just be here coming up with ideas!"

Okay, so that was a lie. I don't really need to go to the restroom, but as much as I love the girls, I need a breather from all of the planning. I'm not the only one whose mind is filled with the project. It's everyone in the office, and no doubt, it's probably the same in Shinobi.

I wonder how Sasuke's dealing with it.

Walking through the halls of the office, I wander aimlessly, still not ready to go back to my own office. I can't go to the floor lobby or anywhere else on the floor without being pestered by other coworkers either. The bathroom doesn't seem like a safe space, too, considering the fact that I know some interns like to hang out there to avoid doing work sometimes.

I end up in the back hall. Kurenai's old office is here, and I can understand why she moved to the one closer to the reception area. While the old one is big, her new office is bigger and it's not as far off as this one. Maybe this can be my new quiet space within the floor.

"Hey, so the new articles came out, what'd you think?"

"I mean, come on. Sakura's leading right now, obvi!"

Or not.

As soon as I hear the voices emerging, I panic. My eyes set on the door that leads to the emergency staircase. They're getting closer, and I really don't feel like engaging in small talk about my 'plans for the next date' or more calls to win. I open the doors to the emergency stairs before they can even see I was there.

Once the doors close behind me, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Sakura?"

My eyes widen at the voice that comes out of nowhere, jumping in surprise.

"Sasuke?" He's on one of the steps, appearing to have been walking down from Shinobi's floor. "What are you…?"

His eyes drift from the door behind me to the hand resting on my chest. "Same reason as you, I'm assuming."

He walks down, only stopping a short distance away from me.

"Your coworkers are going crazy too?"

He shrugs. "It appears I seemed too nice in my latest article, all things considered."

"You mean the video?"

He nods. "The article is supposed to show my view on that particular date, not the previous one, so I did my job."

"Kiba must have been fuming."

A smirk lines his lips. "Like I'd care what that dog would think."

That makes me smile a little. "I've noticed you like using nicknames."

He raises a brow.

"I mean, you called Naruto 'idiot' when I stormed into your office. Kiba's 'dog', apparently. And I'm probably either 'annoying' or 'ridiculous'."

"You consider that a nickname?"

I shrug. "I mean, maybe? You do call me that often."

"I don't refer to you as that. It's just Sakura."

"Not friendly enough with you to garner a nickname?" I tilt my head. "Got it."

"No, I just don't find you as irritating as those two."

"Damn, I better up my game, then."

Somehow, this exchange makes us both smile. Well, a smirk is as close to a smile I'll get from Sasuke, but that isn't the point. It's the first time today I didn't feel so pressured since coming into work, so it's a welcome feeling.

"Anyway, I thought your article was good. I don't see how it was 'too nice', though."

"Neither do I, but apparently it's uncharacteristically nice of me."

"Naruto said that?"

"No, my boss."

"Mr. Hatake? He doesn't seem like the overly competitive type."

"He isn't. He meant it to tease. If he knew how much I had to keep out of those articles, I guess he'd have been worse."

"Oh my God. I don't think I'd hear the end of it from Ino. The girls are in my office plotting new ways to get you off guard, and I couldn't think of anywhere else to go for a breather."

"Hence you ran in here."

"Like you did, I'm sure."

"What were they planning?"

"I don't know. Something about cutting my hair an inch to see if you'd notice."

"What is that supposed to prove?"

"No clue."

Without even talking about it, the two of us begin walking down the steps as we talk. We have no destination in mind, but I'd imagine he'd just want to be away from the office for now. Knowing how much of a workaholic he is, he must be pretty bothered with all the pestering for him to get out of the office.

"And were your co-workers suggesting any underhanded tricks too?"

"Like I'd use any of them."

"That bad?"

"Not my style."

"Now, why does that feel like a jab at me?"

"You tell me."

I laugh. "Hey, you know I can be a little over dramatic."

"It's one of the things I've grown to get used to."

"And I'm starting to understand Sasuke-speak. That means you don't hate me."

"Again, I don't have sex with people I hate."

I know that. But some part of me just wanted to hear him say it. Not because I wanted to tease, not because I had a motive. I just wanted to hear it. Why? I'm still not sure.

Who am I kidding? Of course I know why. It's because I want the man, and this game I started is starting to be a pain in my ass. But my pride won't let me bow down first. Sasuke, though, doesn't seem to mind it as much as I do.

"The release will be worth it, won't it?"

I sure hope so because as soon as the game's over, I don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands off of him. And that both thrills me and terrifies me. Because I don't know what these new feelings towards the guy I disliked for so long are, and I don't know how to process it.

Maybe that's also one of the reasons why I don't want to hear all of the chatter about the project. I don't want my thoughts to show on my face. But talking with the man himself makes me feel at ease despite all of my worries. In a short amount of time, we've become two people that can really only talk about this to each other because we're the ones in this situation, and no one else can truly know what it's like.

"It's almost lunch hour," I blurt out. "Know any place quiet that not many people go to?"

"I know one."

"Mind showing me?"

And we both continue our walk down until we hit the ground floor, ready to get away from prying eyes and continue our easy conversations in peace.

Notes:

AND I'M BACK dkhfsjkdfh

there will be an update of this after I update my isekai au, so maybe next week at least.