Disclaimer: No ownage whatsoever of any characters or things related to Naruto.

Hinata gulped audibly as she sat adjacent to her editor-in-chief. His piercing onyx eyes scanned her article quickly but critically.

Rumor had it that he could make a woman swoon, cry, and as pliant as putty in his hands all at once. His eyes could make a grown man still as stone, and if anyone turned in an article that wasn't up to par with his standards, he would crumple it right in front of the person, throw it in the face of the unfortunate soul (the paper would always, always ricochet perfectly into the wastebasket), and have him cleaning out his desk before lunchtime.

Hyuuga Hinata was across from death himself, the editor-in-chief of the immensely popular entertainment magazine Konoha Heat, Uchiha Sasuke.

Running her article through her head, she supposed it decent enough for her first. She liked it, at least. It covered a side of the adult actress Mikashima Hoshi, who starred in the movie adaptation of the Icha Icha Paradise series that most others would have never thought someone like her would have. Not that Hinata partook in such movies like the one that Mikashima-san had starred in, but she never thought that a woman that starred in such a scandalous movie would be so likeable.

The clack of papers straightening on Uchiha Sasuke's fine mahogany desk rapped Hinata from her thoughts.

"Lukewarm, at best."

Hinata's heart sank in fear, and she opened her mouth to tell him herself that she'd go clean out her desk and be out before ten to lessen the humiliation.

"But I suppose I'll have to accept it. Congratulations, Hyuuga Hinata, you've been given another chance. My shredder has seen better, but I've yet to feed your work to it. Now I suggest you close that pretty little mouth of yours and find a way to not disappoint me next time," Sasuke languidly, almost tiresomely, drawled.

Hinata let out an astonished gasp, jumped out of her chair, and deeply bowed in gratitude.

"T-Thank you, Uchiha-sama. I won't let you down next time." And promptly left the room, almost barreling over Naruto.

There were flustered muffles of apology and repeated "It's okay, Hinata-chan! I'm all right," outside his door and Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed quiet exasperation. He was as transparent as glass, that Naruto.

"You can come in, Naruto."

Naruto slipped in with a sheepish grin plastered on his face, and slid into the seat Hinata previously occupied.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "So, how long were you out there, poking your nose into other people's business?"

"Enough to know you didn't fire her, even though you had just let go two other mid-seasoned girls today already, and she was just a newbie," Naruto answered with a smirk. Reaching over and pulling out Hinata's article from under Sasuke's elbow, he skimmed over it to see exactly what possessed a demon like Sasuke to let a lamb like Hinata get a "second chance."

"I need articles for this month's release," Sasuke answered curtly. "Besides, she didn't come in with her blouse unbuttoned three down."

"Three down, huh…" Naruto answered absentmindedly, and mumbled something like "Never thought Mikashima and rock-collecting would go in the same sentence together without the mention of a precious gem."

"Engrossed, are you?"

Naruto waved away Sasuke's words with a hand. "Yeah, yeah, just lemme finish this. I just never knew that that Mikashima could be so…so tame. I mean, have you seen her in the movie? Wild, that one was. You should have seen how far that guy went do—"

"Naruto…Get out."

It was lunchtime, and all Hinata could do was stare into her neatly packed bento, with her chopsticks hanging limply between her thumb and forefinger.

She finally looked up when Sakura nudged her arm, asking her what was wrong.

"He gave you a second chance, didn't he? You should know, he rarely ever does that. He just goes off and fires them on the spot."

Hinata sighed again and nudged around an octopus weenie. "I know, but…He's really…really…Tough," Hinata finished, somewhat lamely. Hinata knew her line, as he was her boss, but he was tough, and much more. He was stone-cold. He was frightening. He was…

"A bit of a jerk, too, and working with Sasuke for all these years, I know he can be a hard person to please. But I also know that you don't give up so easily, Hinata."

"That's right! With me at your side and being Sasuke's right-hand man, I could, you know, pull some strings here and here if you ever need it," a familiar, confident, and a bit obnoxious voice boomed to Hinata's right. Naruto placed a warm hand on her shoulder, as if to reassure his friend she wouldn't fail.

Sakura gave Naruto an accusing glance and half shouted, "And I also I know that Hinata would never want her friends to mess around in her career!"

Naruto shot Sakura an equally forceful glare. "I'm trying to help Hinata! What, you want her fired so there would be no chance of competition? Think that Sasuke let Hinata stay because he's sweet on her?"

"What? I want no such thing!" Sakura spluttered, outraged, with color rising in her cheeks.

Hinata blushed and gave a small giggle. "Thank you, Naruto, but I feel as if this is my own challenge to take on." Looking at him, all sunshine with so much vibrancy, so much faith in her lifted Hinata's spirits a little. Standing up, she closed her bento and gathered her things.

"I suppose I should get back to work now. My lunch hour's over."

The streetlights had long flickered on when Hinata finally walked out of the building that day. Under all the thoughts and pressure that weighed her down, she treaded slowly, with a glazed look in her eye. It wasn't so much the chance, but what to do with the chance that had Hinata mulling. If she failed again, her father would have her packing back to Hyuuga Corporation, a prestigious company that has been in the family for ages, widely known for its specialty aromatic teas. But Hinata had refused a seat as an executive, as her hands were made for writing. The Hyuuga family was meticulous, skilled, and all-powerful. They had been doing the same thing for hundreds of years, hundreds of years of success and glory. There was no room for Hinata's soft-spoken ways.

"You shouldn't walk around like that with that look on your face, Hyuuga. Makes people think you're an easy target, if you get my drift."

Hinata nearly jumped in surprised, and swiveled around to see Sasuke leaving the building also.

"Uchiha-sama!" She bowed in respect.

"Walking home, I'd stay away from dark alleys if I were you. You never know what kind of people are hiding in it, especially in this district of Konoha."

Hinata's cheeks reddened, and she became flustered. "Ah! Thank you for your concern, Uchiha-sama. I just live a few blocks away." She bowed again in gratitude as Uchiha Sasuke sped off in his sleek, midnight car.

So ends her day.