Chapter 3
The Agreement
Sakura banged at her chest with an aggressive and closed sideways fist. Sputtering, she could hardly catch her breath as she choked on her ramen. Normally she'd be embarrassed over the commotion and ungraceful demeanor she was displaying. Particularly in front of her boss. However, such an expression was absolutely warranted considering the situation at hand.
Someone, she hadn't seen who, had grabbed her a cold plastic red cup of water. She immediately grabbed the perspiring drink and gulped the contents down in a harsh and dramatic flourish. Coughing still in the back of her hand, she addressed Fugaku with wide eyes, "Can you please repeat that?"
Her voice was comically strained as she pathetically wheezed for air.
Yet, she was in no mindset to care how ridiculous she may have currently seemed.
Amusement danced in Fugaku's expression as he finished a steady slurp of his noodles. For a moment, Sasuke's face popped into her mind's eye. She wouldn't allow herself to fully consider it, but she wondered if the man before her was toying with her, or at least enjoying her reactions, as Sasuke clearly liked to do.
The thought alone pissed off.
Sakura wasn't completely unsure if sadism was or wasn't genetic.
"You heard right, Miss Haruno. I asked you to move in with my son."
The pinkette couldn't consider the task at hand, the offer, the request - none of it made sense! Ten minutes ago, she was worried about her job. Now she was being asked to move in with the CEO's son?!
"B-But I already have an a-apartment -"
"We'll pay for all of your current and future living expenses, of course," he reassured her.
"But Sasuke won't like it and -"
"He'll do whatever is asked of him. He won't have a choice."
"B-BUT my job!? And-"
"If you complete this task for me, I'll expedite a promotion onto any team or reasonable position within my company either at Konaha or elsewhere internationally."
Sakura felt faint.
"I don't get it… Why me?" She practically choked.
Fugaku had begun to enjoy his noodles once more. Finishing his current slurp, he eyed her regarded her kindly. There was a softness in his eyes that she hadn't expected. And a bit of sadness too.
"My children are exceptional. I couldn't ask more from them. However, there are few that regard them as simply people, rather than as the infamous Uchiha. My biggest regret is shouldering my sons, particularly Sasuke, with my burden of ambition. I'm seeing…. signs of wear."
His jaw tensed in consideration, and he shook his head once. Clenching his large hands that were now on the table on either side of his bowl, he stared at Sakura seriously. "This is not a request I take lightly. I know what may be at stake with what I'm asking. I also know that you may say no, which is completely reasonable. I'm not such a fool to be unaware with how strange my request may be perceived. However, I'm humbly asking for your help, Sakura Haruno."
He eased from his plastic seat and stood upright. Sakura's heart hammered nervously in her chest as Fugaku took two steps towards her and bowed forward deeply.
"I'm pleading with you, Miss Haruno. Please help my son."
Sakura felt her throat tighten. The sight of Fugaku Uchiha, one of the richest and most powerful men in the country, in the world, go so far for her "help" felt…
Her heartbeat was filling her ears, deafening her thoughts, and everything else around her. She bit her lower lip as her hands began to sweat. Closing her eyes shut tightly she blurted that she'd "do it" without quite meaning to. The moment the words left her mouth her eyes shot open wide.
What had she said? Did she just agree to this mad deal?
Fugaku was still for a moment, then he straightened his back. In his onyx orbs, gratitude was beaming down at her.
"B-But," she rushed, "there has to be some rules to this situation."
The Uchiha Corp CEO smiled. "I'd expect nothing less. Draft your demands to me over the weekend, Miss Haruno, and let's discuss terms on Monday."
"W-With Sasuke?" She squeaked.
Fugaku shook his head. "Sasuke must not know about what we agreed upon. My second request is that this conversation and deal is to remain a secret between you and I. Sasuke, or anyone else, must not know anything, understand?"
"Why?"
The moment she asked she knew it was absurd to question anything Fugaku said.
The older man settled back into his seat. "I'm asking for your word that you will not discuss this agreement with Sasuke at any point."
She didn't bother asking more questions. She simply nodded dumbly.
"The meeting with Sasuke will be one that I will completely contrive. Say nothing during this time. He will think it's a test of sorts from me and won't reject the situation. However, this will only remain if you keep your word and not speak of the details of this deal. Understand?"
She didn't.
For a moment, she wondered what sort of life did Sasuke live, what type of person was he truly, to accept his coworker to live with him without question.
What kind of person was Fugaku, as a parent, to invite a practical stranger to move in with his youngest son?
What the hell was this?
"I… Understand…"
It seemed as if her concerns were one sided.
Upon hearing Sakura's agreement, Fugaku, tall, dark, handsome, and rich, simply began to eat again.
The seriousness of his earlier statements dispelled once a carefree grin etched onto the older man's handsome face.
"Thank you, Miss Haruno."
Sakura politely smiled, then stared into the thick cooling broth of her ramen. Her stomach rumbled, demanding for her to take a bite, a slurp, a spoonful, of what was before her. She mechanically moved her hands to do so, but her heart wasn't in it.
What was Fugaku hoping for with her moving in with Sasuke? What was the deliverable? What was he seeking? And what would her demands be? Her head swam with questions, none of which could be immediately answered. It frustrated and overwhelmed her.
Her hangover wasn't exactly helping matters.
"What is happening?"
Frustration and anxiety consumed her entire being throughout the duration of their meal.
She hardly registered once she was dropped off at home and numbly walked into her luxury apartment.
Green irises stared at her closed laptop and thought about the edits Sasuke was expecting for her to do over the weekend. She wondered if even a small part of him considered the storm that was about to overtake his life?
She shivered of the inclination either way.
The young associate wondered if this wasn't the first time that Fugaku inserted himself in however he pleased in such a grandiose state. She was curious what else he had contrived for his children. And what other "tests" he had evoked to see what they were capable of.
Sakura groaned as she pulled off her sweaty clothes.
What the hell did she agree to?
Less than hour later, while washing her hair in the shower, Sakura considered the rest of her weekend. To say it started off in a way she wasn't expecting would be an understatement. While running fingers through her lathered hair, she thought of her lunch with Sasuke's farther, their boss, and what he asked of her - to live with her manager. The thought of being in any intimate setting, let alone living with him, terrified her. But the prospect of her reward enticed her even more.
But there was more to discuss, wasn't there?
What would her conditions be?
What position would she request when this was all said done?
Better yet, how long would she have to live with Sasuke? Would she get her own room? Or—
The thought that this agreement might mean she'd have to stay in the same bedroom or even bed made her feel nauseous. She already hated seeing her manager's face at the office, but in bed?
"No thank you."
The more she thought about it, the more questions that began to develop. Fugaku's reasoning seemed so fickle in comparison to her discomfort. This was her LIFE being affected. How could he ask her to drastically change, to suddenly shift everything, on such a seamlessly simple whim as to help his son.
"What was her moving in with Sasuke going to help with ANYTHING!? Fugaku wouldn't even specify!"
With a troubled huff, Sakura rinsed shampoo from her long petal-pink tresses and resigned to her fate. There was no use in complaining now.
The young woman fashioned herself in worn out forest green sweats that she had since college, and sat on her light brown leather couch that was stationed in her cramped living room. All that could fit in the space was her couch, a white marble coffee table, and an adjacent wall with two industrial styled bookshelves filled with novels and biographies of artists she admired.
The space itself was barely larger than a studio at just 450 square feet. But its size had an adequate nest-esque energy to it that she appreciated. In her luxury one bedroom apartment with the entirety of her living room wall being a glass window that showcased a view of the entire city, it was well worth whatever price she was paying. She tried to ignore that it was about half her take-home pay.
Now clean, somewhat full, and eager to get some work done - Sakura opened her laptop. The backlit screen illuminated her soft makeup-free features as she opened a word document. Once more, she contemplated her demands in this agreement she had found herself in.
Chewing her lower lip, she thought about her safety.
That was as reasonable a start as any.
1.) Uchiha Corp will ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of Sakura Haruno throughout the duration of her time completing the agreed task living with Sasuke Uchiha.
She had seen enough dramas on television to know that the lives of rich and famous people weren't always as glamorous as it seemed. She wouldn't risk an encounter with an evil twin or something of the sorts to blindly impact her.
Was it a ridiculous fear? Sure. But honestly, anything is possible, it seems.
Her fingers hesitated as they lingered over the laptop keys before her. And then she typed her second term.
2.) The verbal agreement of future promotion and employment of any 'reasonable position' in Konaha or any office internationally will be honored once said task is completed.
A harrowing thought crossed her mind that what if Fugaku expected Sakura to live with Sasuke for years. The possibility alone made her want to vomit. With a turning stomach, Sakura thought to herself that she should confirm how long this would go on for. In this situation, what would be fair?
"Maybe it would be best if I come up with the duration?"
But what was appropriate?
A month?
A year?
Both seemed too little and too much.
3.) Sakura Haruno will not be required to partake in this assignment for no more than six months. If more time is needed, there will be a conversation with Sakura Haruno and a separate agreement added to what has already been discussed.
Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her pierced ear, she finished with a final demand -
4.) Sakura will have her reasonable financial means compensated in addition to her already existing salary. This includes additional income for therapy, her apartment rent and utilities, and any additional transportation.
Looking at her laptop's cracked screen, it felt too bare to be sufficient.
"This hardly looks adequate…" she mumbled while rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms. But she couldn't think beyond the demands that were before her. And it wasn't like she could Google or ask someone for advice.
For the millionth time she wondered if she could go through with this request.
And for the millionth time she reassured herself it would be fine.
With a sigh, the pink-haired woman created a folder titled "Agreement" in her documents and saved her drafted file under "Sasuke_Agreement".
The sun was beginning to set, and she knew she needed a break from her "terms." And so, she moved on to the next task - Sasuke's edits.
Interesting how the Devil incarnate had taken up so much of her weekend already, and she hadn't even worked on his ever so lovely extra edits he sent her.
Opening the folder with her project she had already been slaving over for the last week or so, she began to partake on an unexciting series of edits from Sasuke.
For once, however, his meticulous notes were nice to focus on. She didn't have to think about her own personal life, or how he was somehow about to become a very large part of it.
It was just before midnight that she sent Sasuke a link to their company drive with all the requested changes finished.
Staring at her portfolio, she daydreamed about her future at Uchiha Corp, and what position she could likely move into…
The next morning, Sakura awoke with her closed laptop on her wooden floor and her body twisted uncomfortably on her couch. She slowly sat upright and stretched her body side to side. A series of small cracks and pops filled the air of her otherwise silent home. Rubbing her face, she glanced with a blurry cracked eye at her phone to see the time. It wasn't even eight in the morning.
Yawning into her shoulder, the still exhausted marketing associate stood upright and padded the short distance from her living room to the kitchen and poured herself a cold glass of water. Staring at the clear liquid in the glass, she considered the rest of her day. She needed to review her terms for Fugaku and send them off…
She groaned while wiping her face with her hands.
It was hard to think about her typical Sunday routine.
Normally, she'd buy flowers for her kitchen and go grocery shopping. She'd do laundry and deep clean her space… She was sure half of her routine should still remain. But the other half…
When did Fugaku expect for her to move in with Sasuke?
Was this something she should ask via text? Or email? She had to remind herself that the following day was Monday and she was sure the elder Uchiha would tell her everything she was eager to know.
Grumbling to herself about dark-haired and eyed rich bastards, Sakura focused on laundry and work as her main tasks to do.
Sometime between starting laundry and changing her bed's linens, Sakura emailed Fugaku her terms. She had made one single change, an added fifth term:
5.) Sakura Haruno is allowed one evening a month from Sasuke Uchiha in her own apartment.
She was worried that Fugaku might push back on her demand, but figured it wouldn't hurt to at least negotiate the term.
After reviewing her other four terms more critically, she had held her breath and sent the email containing her document. As with all emails, once it was gone there wasn't much more she could do.
The ball was in Fugaku's court.
With that (supposedly small) task out of the way, Sakura finished laundry and cleaned her home spotless.
Feeling somewhat inspired by the sunny weather piercing into her fifth level apartment, she changed into a pastel yellow mini sundress with spaghetti straps, bright red leather wedges, and grabbed her brown leather purse.
She figured she needed to embrace the day for what it was. She tried not to consider that her thought process was as if she was going to prison and her freedom would soon be limited… Even if in some ways that's exactly what would be occurring.
Walking from the front doors of her apartment building (somewhat aimlessly), she took steady deep breaths as she surveyed her neighborhood. On this beautiful afternoon, the air was warm but not quite hot. There was a gentle friendly breeze. And since it was Sunday, the city calmly bustled around her with a leisurely pace.
Fifteen minutes within her walk, Sakura came across her local ice cream parlor. She ignored a small part of her that acknowledged this so happened to be her favorite spot to go to when she was stressed.
It truly wasn't her intent to get ice cream…
It just so happened that she wanted ice cream and now she was in close proximity to a shop.
Her mouth watered and her stomach grumbled as she stared at the friendly small white building with red panted windowsills and trim.
"Sugar," she reasoned to herself, "I need to consume sugar."
She chose to ignore the fact that she had skipped dinner and breakfast already, and eating sugar likely wasn't the wisest of choices for a woman in her twenties as a meal. However, her life felt unsteady as is. If she's going to get off her personal routine, at least somewhat enjoy it.
Finding her way inside the familiar ice cream shop, the wafting scent of milk and various sweet flavors softly embraced her senses. Sakura smiled as a teenage employee greeted her. Walking to the counter, her eyes immediately sought her favorite flavor - strawberry shortcake. Placing two scoops in a chocolate dipped waffle cone, Sakura nearly pranced her way out of the shop with her sweet treat. Each lick brought a shiver of pleasure down her spine. She nearly squealed with delight on the seventh lick as she was walking down the street on the busy sidewalk. She hadn't noticed something was wrong until a woman shrieking behind her made her stop in her tracks. Before she could look behind her and observe the source, she was shoved into the building's wall she was next to.
Upon the sudden jostling, the pinkette's innocent ice cream fell out of her hand and on the cement in a dramatic final splat.
Her eyes widened in dismay and watered with tears as she gathered herself from the brick wall, to fiercely look up and see the culprit that ruined the seemingly one source of happiness of her day. He was running a short distance ahead, a bag clearly not his in his grasp. A woman from somewhere was screaming, "Thief, THIEF!"
A sudden wide smile etched on her face.
She had pent up aggression to spare. And this asshole just had to get in her way.
Throwing her purse's strap from one shoulder to over her head and onto the next shoulder so her purse laid comfortably across her body, Sakura took one deep breath in and sprinted ahead.
Within a minute she caught up with the perp.
With the initial screaming woman's wails behind her, Sakura pulled a flexed arm back and gave the thief an uppercut fueled with weeks of pent up stress. Sakura admittedly likely went overboard because the man didn't even scream. He simply sagged in an unimpressive heap from where he stood.
He hadn't even seen her.
"That's for being a jerk," she said pointing at him, and throwing her long hair over her shoulder.
"Oh my God!"
Sakura paused and looked up, a circle had immediately swarmed her in cheers. The woman who was screaming, a young lady with a stroller of a toddler thanked her profusely as Sakura handed her back her bag.
The young woman, a babysitter, she learned looked tired and out of breath as she accepted her belongings back. "Thank you, thank you!"
Sakura smiled at her. "No worries at all. Just glad to help."
The police appeared not too long after and wrote down Sakura's statement. Afterward, they hauled the still unconscious purse-thief away.
Not too long after, everyone dispersed.
It was all very anti-climactic, if Sakura was being honest.
Even so, it was more excitement than she had anticipated or wanted.
"So much for a calm walk."
The pinkette despairingly considered her lost ice cream. With slumped shoulders she walked rather slowly back towards the ice cream shop to grab another cone.
"Yo," a raspy deep voice stated awkwardly, breaking her from her thoughts.
Sakura paused in her tracks and glanced in the direction of the voice.
She was greeted with the attractive view of a well-dressed tall man. He looked to be her age. And, much to her flustered frustration, she somewhat recognized him but couldn't place from where.
"Yes?"
He cleared his throat and swiped his blonde locks out of his cerulean eyes. Glancing at the sky for a moment, he then nervously considered her. Despite herself, Sakura had to admit he was kind of gorgeous.
"I saw what you did there, helping that woman."
Sakura flushed. "Oh, um…" Now she felt awkward. The young woman idly toyed with the end of her long pink hair.
"I also saw your ice cream fall." Her green eyes stared downcast to her red heels. "Yeaaaaa."
What was she supposed to say to that?
"Can I buy you a replacement cone?"
Her head suddenly snapped upward.
"What?"
He smiled at her, and for whatever reason she felt herself relax at the sight of it. With a laugh he regarded her with a friendly dissipation, "I feel like you deserve it. We should maybe also get ice for your hand too." Sakura looked down at her knuckles to see them bruising. She hadn't even noticed.
Smiling at the stranger, she figured she'd take a note of kindness on this otherwise bizarre weekend.
"Sure, but I feel like I should know your name first." The blonde extended a large hand from his light blue jean pockets. "I'm Naruto." Sakura recognized that name. But again, she couldn't remember from where.
It was neither here or there, she supposed. If it was important, she'd learn sooner or later why this man looked familiar and where she knew his name from.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Sakura."
Shaking his hand, she stared curiously at his tan face.
She noticed that something danced in his eyes, a sense of knowing was clear as day in is expression.
She thought to ask but figured it couldn't be that important. After all, this was there first time seeing each other.
Right?
A/N
Ahhhhh I'm so excited to be making progress on this story. If you can believe it, this story's concept began almost six years ago. I'm glad that people are liking it.
Reviews keep me going. Please share with me anything and everything that you enjoy!