Fire

Event happening before the monster attack.

10

“Sasuke-kun,” Sakura called as she arrived at his desk holding a stack of folders for him to see. But… unexpectedly he wasn’t at his desk like always. She peered at the things on his desk and nothing was being moved from its usual place. She was confused it was unlike him to not start work immediately upon entering the office. She had not heard about him being sick or taking leave, both of which was rare for him.

The headphones which he would wore on his head was neatly placed on the folders, the wires neatly coiled in a circle. Sakura leaned over his desk to peer at the pen he would place on his desk in case he needed to write something and found none. She thought that this was unusual.

Sakura checked her other co-workers. The Department of Campaigns was already filled with their other office mates, but the familiar spiky haired head was nowhere to be seen. She wanted to pass him a few accounts which needed an immediate second opinion from him. These clients had some issues which needed his attention, one whose CEO died and was succeeded by his son who wanted to discontinue their contract with Uchiha Works, another was always late in payment and one account had been suspended following the CEO unable to pay after he was involved with a corruption charge.

Sighing, Sakura squeezed the folders which she was carrying and brought it to their department file keeper. She had some other matter to attend at the Department of Marketing so she couldn’t just stay at the office until Sasuke arrives.

“Good morning Kurenai-senpai.”

The red eyed file keeper glanced at Sakura and greeted in return, “Good morning Sakura-chan.”

“Kurenai-senpai please pass these folders to Sasuke-san, I need him to check these files by tomorrow.”

Kurenai nodded and frowned at Sakura, “I just saw Sasuke-san some time ago. I think he is in Itachi-san’s office.”

“Owh,” Sakura said.

She knew that if Sasuke was meeting Itachi it was most likely because he was having some sort of personal problem. He wouldn’t meet Itachi about work because Sasuke only ever needed Itachi when it comes to major decisions like the need to reject high profile clients or executing an international campaign. Other matters were mostly handled by Sasuke himself.

She didn’t want to disturb Sasuke but she wondered if he was not feeling well. She had noticed that Sasuke had been looking pale and lethargic sometimes in the past few weeks. Sakura wondered if she should ask Itachi about Sasuke. She knew Itachi wouldn’t mind since Itachi himself had at other times asked Sakura to watch over his brother. Sakura found herself standing outside Itachi’s office while pondering whether she should ask her boss about his brother when the door opened.

Sasuke’s eyes instantly met the neatly styled pink bob of his officemate the moment he opened Itachi’s office door. He moved south and his eyes met the surprised green eyes of the pink haired woman.

“Hey Sakura,” he greeted.

“Ah, hey,” Sakura greeted in response, she checked Sasuke’s flushed complexion and unusually cheery demeanour.

“Is this the right time to talk about work? I have some accounts for you to double check,” Sakura asked.

“Sure thing, bring them into Itachi’s office. We can go over them together.”

Sasuke turned back to his brother and called for Itachi, “Niisan, I need to borrow your office since you’re going out.”

In a second Itachi appeared from his office wearing a neatly pressed grey jacket suit and jeans. His black shiny hair was braided neatly on the back and swept to one side of his shoulder. He turned to Sasuke and mussed his younger brother’s hair.

“Move into Department of New Media and get your own office little brother,” Itachi smirked as he messed up Sasuke’s hair.

“I’ll think about it,” Sasuke retorted.

Sasuke then rolled his eyes and then shooed his brother away. “You should be going now Itachi, we have work to do.”

Itachi smirked at his brother and then bowed to Sakura, “Please watch over my brother Sakura-chan, I have a meeting with a client today. Maybe I won’t be back this evening because we are visiting Konoha Studios after the meeting.”

Sakura nodded and moved aside as a sign for her boss to get going.

“Yes boss,” she said. She was delighted whenever Itachi had told her to watch over Sasuke. Not that Sasuke was going to misbehave when his boss was not around but it was Itachi’s way of acknowledging Sakura’s long friendship with Sasuke. However Sakura didn’t dare comment more on that since she was not sure whether Itachi saw her as a potential sister in law or even as Sasuke’s girlfriend.

Hell, she was even unsure if Sasuke was going to reciprocate her subtle hints at wanting Sasuke and her be more than office mates.

She used to fall hard for Sasuke and had asked him out to a movie out when they were in different departments about two years ago. But Sasuke told her that he wasn’t available at night since he had plans. Sakura wondered what those plans were since he was constantly declining her invitation. Still he hadn’t comment anything at all about her at all.

Sasuke pulled Sakura inside Itachi’s office and pushed her inside. Sakura went into Itachi’s office further surprised by Itachi’s manhandling her.

“Sasuke? What’s happened?”

“I think I need to change things Sakura, tell me, what do you think about me?”

“Ah, I think you are a great co-worker, always on hand to help anyone with problem.” Sakura bit her teeth, she thought Sasuke was acting weird. He had never cared about what others think about him and today he was asking Sakura about her personal opinion on him.

Sasuke sat on the sofa and gestured for Sakura to do so. “Please have a seat too Sakura.”

Sakura blinked questioningly but still approached the sofa to be seated.

“Since we knew each other for a long time, I thought we’d do this,” Sasuke said.

Sakura was not sure what Sasuke was onto but she sat facing him waiting for the bomb to drop.

“I think I need to have someone in my life,” Sasuke started.

Finally! Sakura shouted inside. This could be the moment where Sasuke propose to her.

OH MY GOD!

“So, I need you to be on a look out for someone around our age, who is receptive of a moody and apathetic guy, someone who is independent, and most importantly knows about Uchiha Works. Anyway, don’t you need a pen and paper for that?” Sasuke rattled on.

Sakura couldn’t believe her ears. Sasuke was totally ignoring her again.

“There’s a note pad and pen on Itachi’s desk, you can use that.”

Sakura got up and awkwardly approached Itachi’s desk and fetched the pen and paper. She was very bothered.

“Maybe we should do an audition, get her to work here. I need someone who understands me and what greater way to test my future wife than let her be my co-worker. Though we can’t tell her right away that it is an audition for a wife.” Sasuke grimaced and made a face.

Sakura turned slowly and looked at Sasuke. “A wife? Really Sasuke you are looking for a wife? Why now?”

Sasuke looked at Sakura and laughed, “I know right, it was all so sudden. I am not really sure about this either, but my mother and Itachi wanted me to at least befriend someone. I am just calling it a wife project because I want to find the one. I don’t want to spend unnecessary time to get to know someone and then have a relationship for years and then waste my years getting to know them.”

Sakura braved herself, she had to somehow go along with Sasuke’s idiotic ‘project’ / ‘program’ / ‘thing’ whatever this mate searching is called. Her mouth was itching to tell him that she had been there all along and the first person he should be considering for the project wife project was Sakura Haruno and not some stranger.

She walked hesitantly towards the sofa and seated herself.

“Now, I want you to create an advertisement for an employee call out. To think again, I don’t really care whether this wife is a woman or man, so don’t state the gender. Just do a call out for an Assistant Campaigns Manager, aged 23 to 30, have experience in marketing / sales / advertising, live locally, that criteria is a bonus because the closer she lived the more time she could spend at work and the more I will get to know her.”

“Mmm Sasuke-kun, don’t you want someone you already know?” Sakura asked.

Sakura paused for thinking, but then he said, “Itachi suggested me that, but I want to cast my net wider. I already know everyone here but it would help to know if there are compatible person out there.”

Sakura sighed, really she didn’t see Sasuke to be this dumb. She had pegged him for being a brilliant campaigns manager but it appeared he was ignorant and stupid when it comes to the matter of the heart.

“Sasuke-kun why this sudden with the wife thing?” Sakura queried. She was bothered and angry but she still wrote down Sasuke’s demand, this was one campaign she wasn’t looking forward to manage.

“These past few days things had happened. I don’t want to die without experiencing human things, Itachi said i have been self absorbed for too long.”

Sakura gaped at Sasuke, she almost said. I could be your baby mama if you would just ask me.

“Sakura, would you do the honour of doing this campaign for me, I’d pay you triple the normal charge,” Sasuke was suddenly on one knee and was looking at Sakura from below.

Sakura’s head was spinning, she saw Sasuke in a white tuxedo kneeling to propose to her and the image crumbled and faded with his proposal.

“Haaa,” was all she could reply.

“Ok then, thanks for agreeing and now I need to go to the hairdresser for a haircut. Can’t get the new staff seeing their boss like this right.” Sasuke said as he was up on his two feet and was opening the door for Sakura.

“Come on, you must have a tonne of thing to do. I’ll go over the accounts after I return from the hair dresser’s. Thanks Sakura, I know you’d understand me and would help me with this.

Sasuke nudged Sakura’s unmoving body slightly and she automatically got up and exited Itachi’s office. She walked until she reached her desk.

“Well see you around Sakura, we’ll get down to the campaigns design tomorrow.”

Sasuke waved at Sakura and got out the office. He was the boss’s son but it was rare for him to abuse his position for his personal errands. Sakura ignored that fact and sat at her desk with the pen and paper still in her hands. She was shocked, bothered and angry. She sighed and slumped on her desk and wailed inwardly. There was only so much ignorance that a woman can take.

Sakura decided that she would do something about this, thought she knew Sasuke had no inclinations towards her at all before, and it was absurd for him to suddenly notice her now. But… she would have to try, he seemed like he was searching for a wife only, so he was looking for someone practical and suitable for him at this moment. Sakura knew she could adapt, she would have to adapt she thought as her co-workers looked questioningly at her worn down figure.