THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT

Disclaimer: I donot own Naruto or it's Characters

Chapter One: Of a shady deal and making arrangements

"Miss Namikaze,"

Noriko looked up from her chair to look at the pretty blond receptionist.

"Mr Uchiha will see you now."

Noriko wiped her damp palms on her skirt and took a deep breath in, before following the secretary to Uchiha Itachi's office.

As the secretary opened the double doors, Noriko knew it was too late to turn around now. Not that she could turn around. She didn't want to ask Itachi for help, but there was nothing else she could do; no-one else she could turn to. Sasuke would be mad at her if he knew she had gone to his brother, but Sasuke couldn't help her with this. Itachi owned the company, and it would have to be Itachi that helped her.

"Mr Uchiha," the secretary announced, "Miss Namikaze is here to see you," His eyes flicked upwards and rested on Noriko's face for a brief moment before he turned his attention back to the papers in front of him. If he was surprised that she was here to see him, he certainly didn't show it.

"Thank you Temari, that will be all."

Temari left, closing the doors behind her. Noriko stood there in the large room, unsure whether she should take a seat across from him, or wait to be invited to sit down. She waited for a moment, but when he said nothing, she decided to take a seat.

Did he have any idea why she was here? She was trying to be patient now, but she wanted to get this conversation over with. There was something disturbing about Sasuke's older brother; something she couldn't quite put her finger on. For some reason he made her feel nervous, unsure of herself.

On more than one occasion she'd had the distinct impression that he did not like her very much. She couldn't recount any incidence where she might have given him a reason to dislike her, but maybe it was just because she was Sasuke's girlfriend. She knew there was a history between the two brothers; she just didn't know what that history was.

Sitting this close to him, it was impossible not to notice how handsome he really was. Sasuke was handsome, in a conventional sort of way. Itachi was more the dark and dangerous type. When Uchiha Itachi walked into the room, people stopped and took notice. He had an air of authority that couldn't be denied, and the way he filled out his Armani suit normally had the ladies swooning.

The papers referred to him Uchiha Itachi– The Billionaire Playboy. He worked hard, but played harder. She'd seen photos of him out on the town with one woman after another. Lately though it had just been one woman – Yamanaka Ino; a former beauty pageant winner.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was probably only a matter of minutes, he looked at her.

"Noriko, to what do I owe this pleasure? Is Sasuke alright?"

"Yes, Sasuke is fine. It's...I have a personal favor to ask of you."

Damn it, her hands were growing damp again. He had to help her, surely he would help her.

"A personal favor," he said to her, leaning back in his chair and giving her his undivided attention, "now I am intrigued."

"My family is in some trouble. You might have seen an article in the paper about it." She looked up to see him nodding. Of course he would have heard about it. "It would seem as though we are going to lose everything."

She heard her voice wobble slightly, and shut her eyes tightly to stop any tears from forming. She had already cried enough and here was not the place for her to have another breakdown.

"Does Sasuke know you're here?"

"No," Noriko told him, "he wouldn't be happy I'm coming to you with this but…,"

"But?"

"He's not in a position to help us. Not like you are."

"What is it you would like me to do?"

Noriko swallowed, unable to stop fidgeting with the trim on her skirt. She hated asking him for help. If her father knew she was here he would die, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"I thought you might be able to help us with a loan of some kind. I know my father can make up the money we've lost. I know we can get things back on track, we just need the chance to do that."

"Noriko, do you have any idea just how much trouble your father's business is in?"

"Yes,"

"Then we're talking about a very large sum of money."

She nodded. She knew it was crazy to ask, but she had no choice. Without Itachi's help, her family would be ruined, and not just financially. As it was her father had started his day long binge drinking sessions again; her mother was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Menma was running up gambling debts, trying to win back their money. She was watching her family fall to pieces in front of her and she couldn't allow it. She had to do something.

Sasuke wanted to help her, but he hadn't the money or position to offer it to her. She'd met Sasuke at a fund raising event a year ago and it had been love at first sight. She was hoping that he might propose to her sometime soon. Maybe Itachi would see this as an opportunity to help out his future sister-in-law.

"I wouldn't ask, but there is no-one else."

"So I am your last lifeline then?" he asked her.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Itachi, I wouldn't have come to you if there was another option. I know I'm asking you for a lot, but I have to ask. We will pay every cent back, once we get the money back."

"What if you don't get the money back, Noriko? What happens if I loan you this money and it makes no difference?"

"Then I'll come up with some other form of payment."

His eyes widened a little, and she reddened. She hadn't meant it to sound like that.

"I mean, there must be some way to repay you, I'll work in your company, be your personal assistant, be your maid. I'll do anything. I promise you that I will find a way to repay the debt."

"We're talking about a huge loan and I don't need a maid, or an assistant or another employee, I already have those."

"There must be something you need."

Again she blushed at the words coming out of her mouth and he smirked.

"No, I get plenty of that," he told her.

She was feeling far too hot. She could only imagine how many women he'd slept with.

"Of course, I didn't mean to insinuate…I just mean there must be something you don't have. Something you want."

Itachi stared at the beauty before him, and wondered what she would say if he told her the only thing he wanted was her. He knew she was madly in love with his foolish little brother, but she was only going to end up with a broken heart dating him. Sasuke was the true playboy of the family and Itachi had caught him with his pants down on more than one occasion whilst he was supposedly with Noriko.

His brother was a prat. He only put up with him because his father had made Itachi promise to look after him. Sasuke got himself into trouble and Itachi had to get him out of it. His parents had spoiled Sasuke and coddled him and now he had Noriko too. Sasuke got everything he wanted, even Karin.

Itachi inwardly shuddered as he remembered the day he'd found Sasuke and Karin in bed together. He'd just been out ring shopping and had planned on proposing to Karin that night. Needless to say when he'd found Karin with her legs wrapped around his brother, he'd decided against it.

That day he'd realized that love was for fools. It wasn't worth it. And as for his brother, well he pretended for the most part that he didn't have one of those. He'd given him a job in the company, he'd get him out of trouble if he needed it, but that was it.

When Itachi had first met Noriko, he'd been mad with jealousy to begin with. Here was this wonderful, warm and caring woman, and she loved Sasuke. He had wanted to warn her off Sasuke, but it was her choice and he knew she wouldn't have listened to him anyway. So most of the time he ended up trying to avoid her.

Now she was here and she wanted his help. She was offering him anything. Well he had no need for love, didn't want any part of it; but he did want her. He wanted her in his bed and by his side and he saw his opportunity to take that now. Was it just to get revenge on his brother? No, though that would be a nice little side effect. Noriko had passion and beauty; she was caring and nurturing, and lately he'd decided that he wanted a family. He wanted a wife.

He was tired of the constant merry-go-round of dating. He had need for someone to slake his lust and to entertain his investors, and travel with him. He wondered how amenable she would be to the idea.

"There is one thing that I would like," he said to her slowly.

"Anything," she told him, "I'll do anything."

"I wouldn't agree too quickly," he warned her. "You may want to think this over first. I don't believe in love and happy ever after, however, it has been brought to my attention that a…wife could be useful to me. It helps with the business side of things. Often I'm in need of someone to travel with me or to entertain associates."

Noriko felt all the air leave her lungs. A wife. He wanted a wife? And did he just say he didn't believe in love?

"Are you serious?" she asked him.

He laughed lightly.

"I can see that I've surprised you. That is my offer, however. Take a day or two, think it over and let me know."

He was talking about marriage so casually, as if it was nothing but a convenience.

"That's the only thing you want?"

He had to be joking. What about Sasuke? What would Sasuke think? She'd been hoping to marry Sasuke one day, not Itachi.

"Yep, that's it," he told her.

"But I don't love you," she told him. "Surely you don't believe in marriage without love."

"Love is for people that want to lose themselves in another person, and don't care about losing control over their emotions."

"Is that what you think? That love is for people who are weak?"

"Ah, I didn't use the word weak, you did. But I do believe that love is something that I can do without."

"So if we get married, you're saying that love wouldn't be part of the equation?"

"Correct. I was in love once; it ended badly to say the least. I've no desire to repeat that."

She shook her head. He was just giving up on love so easily. It saddened her to think that he would go through his life not loving someone. Whoever had done this to him was a real piece of work.

"I rarely see you without female company, why don't you ask someone else to marry you. In fact, aren't you seeing Yamanaka Ino at the moment?"

"We've been seeing each other, but lately she's wanted more that I'm able to give her."

"You mean like love?" she asked him.

"Yes," he returned quickly.

"What makes you think our marriage would be any different? What if I fall in love with you or you fall in love with me?"

"I'm not going to fall in love with you, Noriko just so we're clear. And you'd do well not to let yourself fall in love with me. We would have an understanding."

"What about Sasuke?"

"Ah, Sasuke. I would expect you to keep this deal between the two of us."

"As if I'd dream of telling him about your suggestion. He'd be horrified."

"Tell him you had a change of heart and you realize I am the more superior brother."

He smiled at her again. It was obvious he had no regard for his brother's feelings.

"This is ridiculous; insane. I can't just dump Sasuke and marry you. What would everyone say?"

Itachi waved a hand as if to shoo the matter away.

"I have money; people will say what I tell them to say."

She was torn. On one hand she knew he was her salvation, her family's way out, and on the other she couldn't imagine being married to him, of giving up .

"I'll even sweeten the deal for you," he said to her now. "If you agree to become my wife, the money won't be a loan; it will be a gift to your parents for the bride I'll be receiving. In return I want an heir, someone to take over from me when I want to retire."

Effectively he would be buying her services. He was likening her to common prostitute. Yet, his offer now would mean the end to her family's trouble. With the money as a gift instead of a loan, her family would be free from financial ruin.

"I would be expected to share your bed then?"

"Naturally. It's a wife's duty to satisfy her husband, and you will satisfy me."

His words took her breath away as she pictured them naked together, tangled in bed sheets.

"How long could I expect this arrangement to last for?"

"I would consider it a permanent arrangement."

"In that case, you will be faithful to me," she told him. "I won't have you out there making a mockery of me by sleeping around."

Her parents would be horrified if she became the joke of the town.

"You don't get to dictate what happens in our marriage, but rest assured I will be discreet should it come to that."

He was openly admitting to her that he intended to have affairs, or keep a mistress, whilst she was expected to stay at home like some dutiful wife that he would never love. The idea made her sick to the pit of her stomach.

Her phone rang, and she looked at the screen. It was her mother. She had told her mother she wouldn't be available this afternoon, so if her mother was calling it must be urgent. She looked at Itachi and he motioned for her to pick it up.

"Kaa-chan, is everything alright?"

She could barely understand her mother through the sobs coming down the line, but eventually she pieced together what her mother was trying to tell her. Her father had just tried to kill himself with sleeping tablets. He was in hospital, and she should come now; her family needed her.

As she hung up the phone, she noticed she was shaking. Itachi was by her side in an instant, asking her if he could get her anything.

"Hospital, I have to get to the hospital."

"Of course, I'll have my driver take you."

A moment later she heard him on the phone, "Temari, cancel my meetings for the rest of the afternoon. Yes, even the Sarutobi meeting."

The next thing she knew, he was ushering her out the office door and into the elevator. He kept his hand on her back the whole time. Finally they were in his car, both of them in the back seat as the driver sped them towards the hospital.

This was exactly the type of thing that she had hoped to avoid by coming to Itachi. If she married him, her life would be over, but it was a small price to pay for the happiness of the three people she loved most in the world.

She turned to him now to find him watching her.

"I'll do it," she told him quietly, "Whatever you want, I'll do it. Just please save my family."

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"I don't see why we can't just go down to city hall and get married there," Noriko told Itachi.

They were in his office. She was sitting, and he was standing in front of her, leaning on his desk.

"I'm a billionaire, Noriko. People expect me to have a wedding, and we will give them one. How do you think the papers would perceive it if I was just to elope without any notice."

"I thought you didn't care what people thought."

"I don't," he growled at her, "but being Uchiha Itachi does come with certain…expectations. We need people to believe this union is real. I shouldn't have to explain this to you. Doesn't every woman dream of having her perfect wedding?"

Every woman dreamed of marrying a man that loved them, she thought. She was still trying to come to terms with that; still reeling from the fact that just a week ago she had expected she would someday marry Sasuke and live happily ever after. Now she'd made a deal with the devil, she'd signed her life away for money; for her family's happiness.

The devil had been generous with her though; he had agreed to keep her parents in the dark about their arrangement. He was investing money in the business as a private backer. Her parents would still have their pride and would be blissfully unaware that their daughter was entering into a loveless marriage for them. For that she was grateful.

Itachi had met her family yesterday, specifically to ask Noriko's father for her hand in marriage. He'd easily convinced both her mother and her father that their relationship was a whirlwind romance that had taken both of them by surprise, and that he was smitten.

Itachi had played the part so well that Noriko had to remind herself that none of it was real. The way he kept his arm around her all night and looked at her as if she were the only person in the room had put aside any concerns her parents may have had in the beginning.

Of course after Itachi had left, her parents asked her what happened with Sasuke. She told them it was over. She did not tell them that Sasuke hated her now and would probably never speak to her again. She'd never felt lower than the day she told Sasuke she was going to marry his brother.

xxxFlashbackxxx

"You're marrying him? Him? You're obviously more of a gold digger than I thought you were."

"Sasuke, how could you think such a thing of me?"

"You planned this all along didn't you? It was never me you were interested in. I'll bet you orchestrated our whole meeting and relationship so you could sink your hooks into my brother. I thought you were different from the others."

"It wasn't like that Sasuke."

" Wasn't it? What was it like then?"

She couldn't answer him. What could she possibly tell him that would change his perception of her, or make him feel better? She felt helpless against the onslaught of emotions and insults he was throwing at her.

"Am I expected to believe that you and my brother are in love? My brother loves no-one. Not since Karin. If you think he'll ever love you, you're delusional. Perhaps though, that is exactly what you deserve."

Who was Karin? Itachi had told her he'd been in love once; that it had not ended well. Was Karin the woman that had made Itachi vow never to love again? She wanted to ask Sasuke what had happened, but he was looking at her so cold and accusingly, she didn't think that the question would go down well right now.

"With me you could have had love and marriage. We would have been happy together. You won't find that with Itachi. He cares for no-one but himself. He's flicked the switch; turned off his emotions. He doesn't want to feel anything."

Sasuke paced the floor in front of her.

"He's just using you to get back at me, you know. Karin preferred me to him. He's never got over that. That's all you'll ever be to him, the woman he took from me."

Was she just a pawn in the Uchiha brother's game? He stopped and looked at her.

"I would feel sorry for you, but a woman who marries for money gets exactly what she deserves; a husband who doesn't give a shit about her. Good luck with that, Noriko. I hope you'll be very, very unhappy."

Then he'd just left her there. She wanted to crawl into the corner, curl up and cry. What would that achieve though? Things were what they were. Her relationship with Sasuke was over now. She would never have her happy ever after with him, and from what he'd told her, she wouldn't have one with Itachi either.

xxxEnd of flashbackxxx

"Noriko," Itachi said sharply.

"Hmmm," what had he asked her?

"I said, doesn't every woman dream of her perfect wedding?"

"These aren't exactly normal circumstances, Itachi. You've given me one month to organize a wedding. I have no idea where to start."

She admitted to this feeling slightly foolish. Itachi was perhaps in need of someone a little more worldly than she as a wife. She hoped she would not be an embarrassment to him.

"I thought you might say that," he told her. "That's why I've brought in help."

Noriko sat up a little bit straighter in her chair, as he dialed out on his phone, "Temari send in Izumi."

A moment later a beautiful brunette entered the room. Izumi smiled warmly at Itachi, and when he returned her smile just as warmly, it left Noriko feeling a little cold. By the way he embraced Izumi and kissed her on the cheek, they knew each other well. Noriko wondered if they'd slept together.

"Noriko," Itachi turned to her, "This is Izumi, the best personal assistant anyone could ever ask for."

"I wouldn't go that far," Izumi said to Noriko

"I would," Itachi said, continuing to grin at her. "It's not every PA that would cut their European vacation short just to come home and plan their boss's wedding."

Izumi had left Europe early to come back and help plan the wedding? Wouldn't a wedding planner have been a better idea? She couldn't stop the small pang of guilt that his assistant had been called back from a holiday to plan her wedding.

"How did the temporary assistant work out?" Izumi asked him.

"She couldn't do half the things I asked her to do, and her obvious attraction to me seemed to stop her from getting a great deal of work done. She seemed preoccupied with unbuttoning her blouse whenever I was in the room."

Izumi laughed softly. "You do have that effect on women," she said to him.

"Except you Izumi, you seem to be immune to my charm."

Did that mean he hadn't slept with her?

"So," Itachi said, looking at Noriko. "Money is obviously no problem." He turned back to Izumi "Make sure she has everything she could want or need for the day. I'm currently late for a meeting, so feel free to use my office for the next hour or so."

With that he picked up the suit jacket that had been slung on the back of his chair and left them without another word.

In Noriko's opinion Izumi's gaze lingered just a bit too long on Itachi as he exited the room. Noriko wanted to tell the other woman to back the hell off; Itachi was hers.

She hoped that becoming Itachi's wife wouldn't turn her into some crazed, possessive woman. She'd never had a jealous bone in her body, but then Sasuke had never attracted as much attention as Itachi.

"Well," Izumi said to her now, "Where would you like to start?"

Noriko wanted to know what Izumi thought about her boss suddenly deciding to get married like this. Really though, it didn't matter what anyone thought of their marriage. She'd seen the look on her father's face, when he realized he wasn't going to lose everything he'd spent his lifetime working for. That look was worth it all.

Now though, she had to pay the price - marriage to Itachi.

Itachi had had legal documents drawn up to outline every part of their agreement; as if he thought she might weasel out of her responsibilities. And there it had been in black and white, just so she could make no mistake about it – she was expected to share his bed and give him at least one child. At least one! She wondered if he had some idea of her being barefoot and pregnant year in and year out.

She hadn't even kissed him yet, and he expected her to have sex with him shortly. Sex – that would be what it was. With Sasuke, she'd made love, with Itachi it would be sex. What else could it be when there was no love involved?

Itachi would be an experienced and attentive lover, she was sure of it. She herself had only had two sexual partners, including Sasuke. What if he found her to be lacking in that department? What if she didn't satisfy him? Would he then go to his mistress? Did he already have one of those?

"Earth to Noriko," Izumi said softly. "Can we get started?"

Noriko nodded. With every day that passed, Itachi was in more and more of her thoughts. She had to try and turn them off. She could not allow herself to feel anything more than a cool affection for the man who had warned her up front not to love him.

That night Itachi insisted on taking her out to dinner. They'd spent every night of week together since she'd agreed to marry him. Itachi said it was good for them to be seen together. She wondered how Ino had taken her break-up with Itachi, and hoped she would never run into the former beauty queen.

Itachi ordered several courses for both of them. She did try to protest, saying she had not much of an appetite, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. She was learning quickly that Itachi got whatever he wanted, and it was better to save her breath than try to argue with him.

"You're not sleeping well," he stated.

"I'm fine, Itachi."

"Noriko, you look like the walking dead."

She shifted under his intense gaze.

"Just what every woman wants to hear."

"How did things go with Izumi today? Was she helpful?" he asked.

"Very. Though I don't understand why you would call back you assistant from her holiday instead of hiring a wedding planner."

"Izumi is a good person. I thought the last few weeks have probably been stressful enough on you. I thought you might need more than a wedding planner; I thought you might need a friend."

"Oh,"

"So did you two make headway?"

"Yes, but…,"

"But?"

"It made me realize that I don't know you at all. Every time she asked me a question about what we want, I couldn't really answer it. I had to ask her what you would like, or what you would think about different ideas that I had."

Itachi frowned at her.

"This is your wedding, Noriko. You'll only have one wedding day. I want this day to be whatever you want it to be. Besides, once we're married we'll get to know each other very quickly."

He raised an eyebrow at her and smiled. She caught his meaning instantly; her body's response to his suggestion was just as immediate.

He picked up her hand and held it in his.

"Don't look so scared," he told her, "I'm not going to maul you the moment you say I do."

"Of course," she said to him, "it's all just so sudden."

His thumb was now stroking circles over the palm of her hand.

"How about this," he said to her, "I will give you one month from our wedding day to get used to the idea of us…together. In that time, either you will come to me, or on our one month anniversary, I will come to you. And Noriko, if I come to you, I expect you to be willing."

Her breath caught in her throat.

"Is that fair?" he asked her.

"That's fair," she choked.

He brought her palm to his mouth, and pressed his lips against it, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I've never slept with an unwilling woman and I won't start with you. But be warned, patience is not one of my virtues. Don't expect me to wait a month to touch you."

She was aware of how shallow her breathing was. She felt the warmth spreading through her body. She pressed her thighs tightly together as if that might stop her body from becoming more aroused than it already was.

A waiter came by to refill their wine glasses, and Noriko used the time to pull her hand free from his grasp. His touch; his smile, his eyes on hers seemed to be having a devastating effect on her, and she wanted it to stop.

The rest of the meal passed quickly. Itachi was charming, she knew that already, but he was also incredibly easy to talk to, and he seemed to be genuinely interested in everything about her. He, on the other hand, deflected any questions of a personal nature. He gave her information about his business, about his travels, but nothing beyond the surface.

She wanted desperately to ask him about Karin. What Sasuke had said to her, left her wanting to know more about the woman who had hurt Itachi so badly he would give up love. She did not, however, have the courage to broach the subject.

Eventually the restaurant was closing and Itachi's driver dropped her home. He exited the car and came round to open her door for her, taking her hand as she stepped out. His fingers intertwined with hers and Noriko felt the familiar charge his touch gave her. Once they were on the doorstep he made no move to let her hand go.

"Thank you for tonight Itachi, Both the meal and the company were enjoyable as usual."

Her gaze dropped to his lips, and she wondered again when he would finally kiss her. The longer she waited for his kiss, the more nervous she felt. She wanted to get it over with because the build-up and the tension were starting to interfere with her ability to concentrate on anything else.

She was curious to know what he tasted like. She was close enough to him now that she could smell the cologne he was wearing, and the scent was so appealing it made the butterflies in her stomach beat their wings rapidly.

Her eyes met his again, and the humor in them was evident. He was smirking. Did he know what she was thinking? He stood a little bit closer to her and leaned in, brushing the softest kiss over her cheek – the same thing he had done every night this week!

"Goodnight, Noriko. As usual, the pleasure was all mine." He traced her cheekbone with his thumb. "Get some sleep. I can't have my bride to be walking around like a zombie."

He waited until she was inside before he returned to his car, and as she closed the door behind her, she wondered if she stood any chance at all of keeping her heart safe from the man who wanted her body, but not her love.

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ENJOY THE FIRST CHAPPY I HOPE YOU LIKE IT, READ AND PLEASE REVIEW IT ENCOURAGES ME TO KEEP WRITING.

NAMIKAZE ICHIME