The crowd parted for him as he walked towards the green room behind the stage, while a determined-looking Sakura was practically stepping on the heels of his heels. At the door, Monti, an Uchiha security guard, bowed deeply and gestured them both through.
Itachi was sitting on the couch, drinking seltzer water. His wife, Izumi, was beside him, rubbing circles across her quite pregnant belly. They were both dressed in navy––an Uchiha color––Itachi in a slick Armani suit, and Izumi in a pleated, halter top dress with a simple gold chain falling gently over her belly. Neither were speaking to each other, but Itachi frequently looked over at his wife, a question in his gaze.
They both looked up when Sasuke and Sakura entered the room. Sakura smiled at Sasuke and left for Izumi's side––another wifely duty she'd been trained into by her family––and began gushing about baby names and other things sisters-in-law liked to talk about. As Sasuke turned to Itachi, he heard Sakura's lifting laughter, like bells, as she begged to help plan the baby shower.
"You'll have one, won't you?" Sakura said. She tenderly touched Izumi's belly. "You've only got a few months left!"
Itachi stood and went to the corner of the room with a bar cart, and poured himself and his brother a stiff drink. Sasuke accepted easily, and didn't even flinch when Itachi eyed him with a stare. "You're late," he said.
"Apologies, brother," Sasuke replied stiffly back. "Something came up in the office."
The truth was that when he got home, he fell into a deep slumber while Sakura was out helping her father with a business deal. Sasuke had been grateful for her departure, and hopeful that she had started feeling more comfortable going out again––she was a busy and important woman, after all, and now she had security detail so she could move around with ease–––and he finally felt relaxed for the first time in days. He even smoked a fat joint while taking a shower. The marijuana was so intoxicating that he allowed himself to nap, his blankets curled around his legs.
Then, surprisingly, he dreamt of that Hyuga woman, and Naruto's comment about the size of his desk. He saw her hair through his fingers, and those weird-ass eyes. He woke up sweaty and uncomfortable––and unfortunately hard. It was strange, this reaction. It wasn't like him to be so impacted by the presence of some simple woman. A nobody from a far away city. A nobody who wanted to work too hard for a title she already had––it was strange.
Unfortunately, Sakura came home right as he woke and she noticed his predicament. She was excited and needed to decompress from a day at the office, and he was in a similar boat. It was better than a cold shower, anyway. And besides, when they did have sex he did not think of the woman at all, and that told him that the dream was merely consequential. It had been the stress and nothing more.
When they finally untangled themselves––Sakura pink as her hair, taking breathy gulps of air, satisfied; Sasuke, just as tired as before, but perhaps more relaxed––they jumped at the time and got ready. Sakura took over the bathroom while Sasuke sat for a while on his bed, still naked. He'd have to shower again.
Instead, despite his better judgment, he Googled the indigo-haired woman and wondered over hiring her. He liked that she stood up for herself, was articulate, and seemed to know what she wanted and why, but he hated the reasons. He thought it was stupid to waste one's time like this when you didn't have to––to agree to be a meager assistant for pay far below what they probably spent on meals in a week? Ridiculous.
He looked at the Hyuga Hospitality Corp. website, and stared into the stone-cone face of her father. The company was impressive, he had to admit; two five-star hotels in Osaka, one resort in Okinawa, and a meager restaurant enterprise between Osaka and Tokyo. It looked like they had new ventures in Konoha as well––probably yet another reason the Hyuga woman had come here.
Then he found the woman's Instagram––he couldn't figure out why he was so interested––and was disappointed to find only four posts: an image of her and her father when she was a child (a heartfelt birthday post), a picture of a Sakura tree, a stack of books she'd been reading (Breast and Eggs, a contemporary hit), and an image of the beach. It seemed that the profile hadn't been updated at all. He doubted the woman even had the damn app on her phone any more.
All this, led to nothing. Still, he puzzled over hiring her. It just seemed like she would be too serious. Contrary to popular belief, Sasuke liked the fangirls who worked for him. They were annoying, yes, but they were diligent and often too shy to meddle in his and his family's business. Most of them were airheads, satisfied with the morsel of attention he gave them when he said "thank you," and "have a good night."
Somehow this woman seemed too complex. She needed to go somewhere else.
"Am I supposed to believe that?" Itachi said, lifting his brows as Sasuke slipped out of the memory––the Hyuga woman's hair still occupied his mind, fine indigo strands pulling at the memory. Dammit.
"Does it matter?"
"I supposed not," Itachi sighed. He threw his head back to look at his wife, who was suddenly teary-eyed at something Sakura was saying. Sakura was handing her tissues. Sasuke watched Itachi place the glass down and go to Izumi, but she waved him off, sniffling and gently dabbing the corners of her eyes with triangle-folded napkins.
"Hormones," Itachi said, when he returned to the corner. "And stage fright. Izumi hates stages."
Sasuke made no comment. Instead, he and Itachi toasted and took several healthy gulps of brown liquor. Sasuke delighted in the burn. Once that was all settled, he pulled a sheet of paper from his breast pocket and handed it to Itachi.
"Will Mother and Father be in attendance?"
"No," Itachi said, briefly looking up from the paper. "Mother had a treatment this morning. Father says she's too tired to come."
Sasuke hummed in acknowledgement. Itachi flattened the paper on the bar cart, pointing, "I can't talk about this?"
It was a section on Karin, and what Itachi vowed to do about cyber security once in office. Sasuke shook his head, "As your legal consultant, I wouldn't advise. The investigation is still underway."
"Fine," Itachi said. He folded the letter back up and put it in his pocket. "Thank you."
A few minutes later, an aide came in and informed them that the rally would begin shortly. One of the district aldermen who had endorsed Itachi would go on stage and make a speech shortly. Itachi's would be next. Sasuke and Sakura took their leave––they too, were wearing navy; Sakura in a long, slick dress, embellished by swarovski crystals, Sasuke in a suit similar to his brother's.
Outside of the greenroom, away from the stage was far more intense. Crowds of people had shown up either to support Itachi or to protest him. Sasuke couldn't tell who held the majority. It was a warm summer night, and the air was muggy. Sarutobi Monument was full to the brim with people standing on the dark-paved stone, under the red lanterns. Sasuke estimated at least a thousand.
"Whoa," Sakura said, her eyes wide. She and Sasuke walked outside of the crowd, trying to get to a roped-off section where donors and other politicians sat. "This is good for Itachi, right?"
"I hope so," Sasuke grunted. He held onto Sakura as they walked, distrustful of almost anyone who had the urge to attend a political rally. If it wasn't for Itachi, Sasuke wouldn't be caught dead at one of these things. As they made their way to the reserved seating, Sasuke spotted the hair of someone he recognized and swore.
"What?" Sakura's head swiveled to look in that direction, too.
"Some Syndicate business showed up that I have to take care of," Sasuke took his arm from around Sakura as she sat down in their section. He kissed her cheek as a parting gesture. "I'll be back before Itachi speaks."
-:-
"Mighty big crowd," Ino said as she held Hinata's arm, leading her through the masses. "Itachi-san seems to be getting very popular."
Hinata was careful to not walk into a puddle of spilled coffee on the curb as the duo navigated their way into Sarutobi Monument. She was wearing a pair of sage-green sandal mules, which showed off her brand-new pedicure: white toe-nail polish. The dress she had chosen to wear was at least breathable, pleated chiffon of the same color, tight across her chest but loose around the hips like she liked dresses to be. She had a knife fastened against her thigh. Ino had nodded approvingly when she picked her up.
"Do you think the Karin news worked in their favor?"
"Sasuke's a great press guy," Ino said instead of answering. She looked curious, "Maybe he should switch to PR."
Hinata followed Ino. She was incredibly alert because of the crowd, but she allowed herself to be dragged through, stumbling a few times over the cobblestone for the effect. The Sarutobi Monument was to the left of the massive stage, which was lit up in navy and red flood lights and the Uchiha fan was projected onto the thick curtains. Hinata twitched as applause erupted around them; a small man had just walked on stage.
"How well do you know the Uchihas?" Hinata questioned, as Ino dipped between bodies. She was fast for a woman wearing 6-inch heels. Ino perplexed Hinata greatly: she was beautiful, social, quick-witted, rich, and…worked for the Hokage? How had that become her path?
"Well enough," Ino said. She led them to a roped off area to the left of the stage, near the monument, and flashed an ID at the security guard. He unclipped the velvet gate and led them through to the only seats in the entire park. They were plush, velvety chairs, reserved for those closest or significant enough to the Uchihas. Ino had two seats reserved at the very back. "I grew up in the same circles. My parents are divorced––have been since I was three. My mom is a wealthy socialite, my dad works closely for the Hokage. Things just worked out this way."
It was a horrible explanation of Ino's position, but Hinata wasn't one to pry. She assumed it was a point of contention for this girl, and she likely had something to prove. Hinata just wasn't sure who she was trying to prove it to. It didn't matter though, Ino wasn't the person Hinata was supposed to be keeping track of.
Hinata scanned the rows, easily finding a head of pink hair among the elite. She was just sitting down in the front row with Sasuke. But Sasuke paused, saw something that intrigued him, and stood up. Hinata watched him kiss Sakura on the cheek, and exit the area.
"I-I've got to go to the bathroom," Hinata whispered to Ino.
Ino nodded distractedly as she waved to someone in the crowd, her blonde hair shining in the sunlight like a beacon. Yes, Hinata thought to herself. It's best to keep my moves to myself.
-:-
Sasuke grabbed the orange-haired man by the forearm and dragged him through the crowds, his grip thickening over the man's dingy white T-shirt. The man didn't protest very much, but he lifted his top lip, scowling back at him. Still, he let himself be dragged, booted feet stomping across the cobblestone.
Once they were a far enough distance away, Sasuke slammed the man against the bricked-wall of an abandoned concessions stand. They were several yards away from the monument, and the first speech was well under way. No one would see them here.
"Juugo, what the hell are you doing here?" Sasuke pressed his forearm against the man's throat, his eyes glinting and dangerous. Inside, he seethed. How dare Juugo show up here on Itachi's day! The man could have ruined everything.
"Sorry man," Juugo said, though he didn't sound very apologetic. He tried to move, but Sasuke ground him further into the wall. "S-seriously! My boss asked me to come. He said one of his guys is pissed about Karin."
Sasuke let up a little, a bit of confusion seeping through his otherwise controlled demeanor. Juugo worked for a man named Orochimaru, one of the Uchiha Syndicate's partners. They didn't work closely together often, but when they did they got the job done.
"Yeah? And so what? This isn't how you get our attention."
Juugo just smirked and lifted his head up as much as he could; his neck was red already from the force of Sasuke's arm. The gesture was far too prideful for Sasuke, who applied more pressure and watched Juugo gag in response. The smile was wiped clean off.
"You––" Juugo took in a halting breath. "You Uchiha think you're royalty. Fucking pricks. I'm just," he coughed and Sasuke let up again, feeling merciful since he'd changed his tone. "I'm just here to fucking warn you."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. A threat? He could kill Juugo right then and there if he wanted to. He wasn't even worried about what his father might say about it once all was said and done.
But what Juugo said next shocked him. He even lowered his arm, letting Juugo move the upper half of his body freely again.
"Karin was one of ours."
"Hn," Sasuke took out a cigarette from his suit pocket. It was a habit he avoided partaking in around his family, who complained endlessly about its health detriments, but the nicotine helped him in moments like these. He could feel the vein over his eyebrow jumping in irritation. It was taking everything in him not to punch the fuck out of Juugo just to get this conversation over with.
But no, he was a changed man. Sasuke a year or so ago might have. But Sasuke now…? He lit the cigarette; inhaled. Then turned his razor-sharp gaze on the man, who hadn't so much as moved from his place against the wall. "If Karin was one of yours…why the fuck was she working for me?"
"I––I didn't mean it like that, man!" Juugo said quickly, noticing the changed look in Sasuke's gaze. He raised his hands as if to block his face from an incoming assault. "I seriously came to warn you! Karin just––she just needed a job! She'd been disowned by her family and started hanging out with us because she was Suigetsu's bitch! She wasn't––she wasn't with us forreal. She hadn't even been initiated."
What a headache. People never learned to keep their personal issues off the streets and out of business.
"Karin had no business in my office then," Sasuke said, spitting at the sidewalk. It narrowly avoided Juugo's feet, but he didn't move; didn't even acknowledge it. "So fair's fair. She deserved what she got."
"I understand," Juugo said. "I seriously do, man. Like I said, I came to warn you. I apologize if my energy felt disrespectful, but I'm here because I know Orochimaru values our partnership."
So, Juugo now saw that Sasuke hadn't changed much from the man he'd once been. He could still be dangerous, frightening even, and every bit the hardened Yakuza he'd been raised to be. Even when he walked around playing lawyer, assistant to his big-shot politician brother.
"Go on," Sasuke gestured with the lit end of the cigarette, embers flying.
"Suigetsu is really upset about what happened to Karin. I tried to stop him, but he wants revenge. I think he's going to try to come after you. You need to watch out or atone for what your people did to her."
Sasuke chuckled, tossing the cigarette underfoot and squashing it. "That's it?" He looked at Juugo, who looked away. "Should we either atone or watch out? And yet I am supposed to believe our partnership is still valued. Am I hearing this correctly?"
He watched Juugo's jaw tense. That was his tell. Suigestsu's loss had also been Juugo's loss, and he was just as pissed about. Only not as brave. "That's it."
"Leash your fucking dog, Juugo. If it gets messy it's Orochimaru you will have to worry about, not us. Now get the fuck away from the Monument before I get someone to handle you."
As Sasuke turned to walk away, he heard Juugo call him a bastard. Heat crawled up his neck, but he kept walking. He was a changed man.
-:-
"That's it," the red-headed man said. Hinata understood that the conversation was ending, so she slowly peeled up from her crouched position. She was inside of the concessions stand, having snuck in from the other side while Sasuke shoved the strange man against the wall. The concessions were boarded up, but she should still hear them, even when they spoke in low voices.
She took a moment to gather her bearings before returning to the outside world. It was dark out, but her eyes burned at the change, and she didn't have time to adjust. She could hear the ends of their conversation: Sasuke saying something threatening, the man calling him a bastard. She watched Sasuke pause as she darted towards the crowd, his fists tightening.
So, he was a bit of a hot head. She would have to write that down somewhere.
As she entered the crowd, applause rang out and she took a position in the back, not bothering to navigate back to Ino; she'd gotten what she needed here. When she looked up, Uchiha Itachi was coming on stage with his pregnant wife, Izumi.
"Pardon me," a voice said behind her, and the people around her parted. They looked at Sasuke with such reverence that it momentarily confused Hinata. She was so startled that she didn't register when Sasuke was right next to her, a hand on the small of her back as he continued to pass.
She jumped at the touch––so warm, and yet…Sasuke looked down at her, also surprised. He stopped for a second, and the people around her watched him like he was some sort of magnet they couldn't escape from. She didn't feel the same, and yet…his hand was still on her back, radiating heat. When she looked down at his forearm, he retracted it without comment.
"You," he said, frowning. Hinata wondered how hot he must be in that suit. His dark eyes slid down her form, from her gently waved hair, to her heel-clad feet. "I interviewed you this morning."
"Yes, Uchiha-san, it's––it's lovely to see you again," Hinata bowed, and as she did so, she opened her phone, quickly clicking into the photo app. She had to have an angle. She needed to have a reason to be here. She wasn't from Konoha, so she needed a reason to be interested in Konoha politics.
"Hn," he hummed, still not moving. He was still looking at her. "What happened to your dress?"
"Huh?" She said, and she regretted it because she knew it wasn't ladylike. When she looked down at the muted chiffon, she cringed. The edges of the gown were covered in a fine layer of dirt from her escapades in the concessions stand. She didn't do well with dresses and spying. She turned red in embarrassment. "O-oh! I, um, I..fell! I can be quite clumsy sometimes."
Sasuke looked momentarily disgusted. Hinata felt her heart drop into her stomach. Dammit! She was ruining her chances of being hired by him. Though it was true––even as an agent she was quite clumsy––she quickly thought of ways to save the situation.
She bowed deeply again, "I do apologize for my disrespect, Uchiha-san. I promise I am much more put together in the office than I am in…such an open crowd. If you ch-choose to hire me, my clumsiness will never be an issue for you."
"Somehow I doubt that," Sasuke said. Surprised, Hinata watched the disgust turn to amusement. He then looked towards the stage, where Itachi was in the beginnings of his speech. The crowd around them had hushed, even those who seemed to be in awe of Sasuke's presence had turned to stare in reverence at his older brother. "I should get back to my seat. Though, I must ask. Are you a fan of Konoha politics?"
Hinata winced internally. Ah, the man was smart. He was a top lawyer in a big city, afterall. Then, she nodded and raised her phone. Then pressed the button and hit record––she should've done that minutes ago––and zoomed in on Itachi's figure.
"I'm…I'm a fan of Itachi-san and his politics, embarrassing as it is," Hinata said, lying through her teeth. She'd already shown herself to be quite ditzy. This could either help or hurt her chances of being hired. "Even in Osaka, we saw how revolutionary some of his policies are."
"Why is that embarrassing?" Sasuke's voice was slick, like wind over her shoulders, he looked down at her over his shoulders, already moving away again. His voice was smooth and intoxicating all at once, Hinata found herself thinking.
Hinata blanched at the abnormal thought, but the blush that came to her cheeks was truthful. She used this to her advantage, to cushion the lie, "I-I guess I've never been a fangirl before."
Damn. This was a new low. Even for her.