A/N: I know I really shouldn't post a new story when I have three unfinished ones, but I can't resist. I've been dying to write a Female Naruto/Sasuke story for ages now, and I can't hold back the urge any longer! It's so hard to find a decent story to read nowadays. I've lost count how many stories I've stopped reading after the first paragraph. There's nothing genuine out there anymore, which is a shame, especially when you're in the mood to read a decent story, and even if there is one out there, it takes forever to find. Something I'm sure a lot of you agree with.

This story will be full of romance and drama. The characters will be as close to canon as I can write them, including my female version of Naruto, even though it is an AU fic.

Naruko - 24 years old.

Sasuke - 26 years old.

Story Summary: A job brings two individuals together. Both are survivors in their own way, working on achieving what they believe are their goals in life, but what they don't realise is that there is more to life, and that deep down they long for something completely different – something that would make them feel more alive…

All you need is love…

Chapter 1

Bright sunlight peeked through the open blinds, lighting up the medium-sized apartment room even more with its radiance. The sounds of birds tweeting merrily signalled it was going to be another beautiful summer day in the city of Tokyo, as did the blue cloudless sky surrounding the hot sun.

An alarm clock went off, awakening the person hidden underneath the white bed covers. A hand shot out immediately to cut off the irritating sound as the covers were pushed back lazily. Cerulean eyes, surrounded by dark long lashes, blinked several times sleepily before they glanced at the time. A hand pushed back the blonde bangs framing a beautiful oval face, soft red lips stretching into a bright smile.

The day for a new beginning was finally here, the day when she, Naruko Uzumaki, finally started her new job.

Excited, she got out of bed quickly, not bothering to straighten the bed sheets. She had more important things to worry about at the moment. Leaving her bedroom, she drifted into the living room of her apartment before moving towards the door on her left, revealing the small bathroom. Stripping naked, she tossed her night clothes aside, stepping underneath the shower head.

As she turned the shower on and reached for her shampoo, her mind was clouded by all kinds of thoughts.

Today was an important day for her; it was a day she'd been waiting eagerly to arrive for a long time now. If she was completely honest, she'd never imagined all her efforts would gain such success, not after the life she'd led.

After being orphaned at the age of two, getting moved from one foster family to another, being treated as if she was invisible and unwanted, anyone else in her shoes would've turned out much differently to the person she was today, and for a while, she too had assumed the same, but it hadn't happened. Instead of making her weak, her suffering had made her strong; it'd given her the courage to make a better life for herself. When she was at the right age to start school, she knew it was an opportunity to make her dream come true, and welcomed it with open arms, vowing to achieve her goals no matter what.

She worked as hard as she could, getting through school, working part-time jobs to earn money to pay for college when she was old enough to work. Balancing her jobs, on top of her college work, had been very stressful for her, but she managed to get through it with her determination. All the hard work paid off when she gained a scholarship in one of the well-known universities in Japan, where she was able to complete her Bachelor's Degree in accountancy.

Coming across the vacancy for her new job had been a stroke of luck. One of her tutors, Kakashi-san - who was also a good friend- had recommended the job to her, and she'd applied, even though she hadn't been too confident that she would get it. The process had been very difficult, and when she'd received the phone call to inform her she'd gotten the job, she'd almost fainted from shock.

Never had she imagined that she'd be working for Uchiha Industries, known far and wide for being one of the leading companies in Japan, and on top of that she'd earned the position of being Sasuke Uchiha's personal secretary, who was the president of Uchiha Industries.

She knew with her degree that she could find work anywhere, but the problem was lack of experience with working in major companies, which was what she'd been aiming to do from the beginning. She knew her current position in Uchiha Industries would open many doors for her in the future, and that was why she'd decided to take the opportunity in the first place.

Turning the water off, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her before grabbing another one for her long hair. She got out of the shower, heading towards the sink, where she quickly brushed her teeth, smiling excitedly at her reflection.

She headed back to her room, glancing once more at the time before drying her hair. After much pondering last night, she'd decided to wear a black suit jacket and skirt, with a white shirt. It was probably best to stay on the safe side and avoid her usual bright colours. Once dressed, she curled her hair, adding the final touches of mascara and lip gloss. She wasn't one for makeup, hardly ever bothering with it, but she knew it was good to make an effort here and there.

Deeming she looked good enough for her first day, she left the room, heading towards the kitchen area, which was joint with the living room. She shoved two breads into the toaster as she went through the process of making some coffee, her eyes checking the time on the wall clock.

She was going to have to leave in the next five minutes if she wanted to catch her bus on time, especially if she wanted to get there before she started at 7.

Five minutes later, she was ready to leave, grabbing her bag and keys before she slipped her feet into her low-heeled shoes. She opened the front door, slightly surprised to see one of her neighbours walking past.

"Naruko," Kiba greeted her with a wide grin, his dog, Akamaru, attached to a leash in front of him.

"Hey, Kiba," she smiled at him, closing her door and locking it before turning back to him once more. "It's not like you to be up so early on a Monday!"

Kiba smirked. "Just taking Akamaru for a morning walk," he explained as they started walking towards the elevators.

Naruko gave him a disbelieving look. "Are you sure that's the only reason?" She smirked knowingly. "You're probably stalking some poor damsel out with her dog!"

Kiba gave her a mock hurt look. "I never knew you thought so low of me, Naruko. You really hurt my feelings!"

"Yeah, yeah, you stupid mutt," she teased him. "Shino already told me all about that 'dark-haired beauty' you've been stalking for the past week now."

Kiba almost dropped the leash in shock, his face instantly turning red. "That stupid idiot," he growled. "I should've known he would tell you!"

"Relax," she laughed heartedly as they stepped inside the elevator. "He only told me because he wanted me to help you get her attention. Apparently, he's sick of your continuous yearning for her."

Kiba eyes lit up at the words. "Does that mean you're going to help me?"

"I can't at the moment," she apologised regrettably. "I'm working Mondays - Saturdays, so it's going to be hard to find the time. I suppose we can go on Sunday if I'm not too tired, okay?"

He nodded as they stepped out of the elevator, heading towards the exit. "That'd be great, Naruko. Thanks!" Kiba grinned, giving her a thumbs up before he turned away to go in the opposite direction. "Good luck with your new job!"

"Thanks, Kiba!" She smiled at his departing back, making her way towards the bus stop. It was a good thing she didn't live too far away from her new work place, easily able to travel back and forth within twenty minutes.

Reaching the bus stop, she silently prayed the bus would be on time, even though it usually was. As she waited, she pondered over what her first day would be like. She wasn't going to deny that she was a little nervous, even though it was to be expected.

She wasn't as worried about her job role as much as meeting the great Sasuke Uchiha face to face for the very first time. The face-to-face part of the interview had been carried out by the Vice President of the Company – Suigetsu Hozuki, which had been a bit of a surprise as she'd been expecting the President to make some sort of appearance.

She sighed in relief when she saw the bus approaching, getting on immediately. After paying for her ticket, she sat down on a nearby seat, returning her attention to her previous thoughts.

Hozuki-san was a very passionate man from what she'd picked up from their short meeting. He clearly knew what he was talking about, surprising her a few times with his belligerent moments, not that they were aimed at her, no, which was a relief. They were aimed at the unfortunate person who made the mistake of calling him at the wrong times. She smiled in remembrance, looking forward to seeing him again.

Her thoughts drifted to Sasuke Uchiha once more, recalling what she'd learned about him after browsing online using her laptop. He was a very handsome man, as well as being ridiculously rich. She could understand why women were crazy about him, after all, it was all about money and appearance nowadays, which she could understand to an extent, but found it didn't interest her in the least. She was more interested in what a person was like on the inside.

After reading several articles on the President of Uchiha Industries, she'd learned more about the history of his company, surprised to learn that it'd been previously owned by his father, Fugaku Uchiha who'd passed away in a car accident with his wife eight years ago, leaving the company in the hands of his two sons – Itachi and Sasuke. Itachi, who was the eldest brother, took care of the company for two years before he took off for reasons unknown, leaving a twenty year old Sasuke behind with complete ownership and responsibility.

Sasuke had surprised the business world with the way he'd accepted the important role which had practically been dumped on him, working hard to bring the company to even greater heights with his prodigious intelligence. It was as if he'd been born to handle such a position, according to the media.

She knew it wasn't going to be easy working under such an incredible person, but she was willing to work as hard as she needed to. They must have seen something significant in her compared to the rest of the candidates who'd applied for the position.

Ignoring the flutter of nervousness in her stomach, she stood up when the bus reached her stop, getting off the bus quickly, and set off down the pavement, enjoying the five minute walk before she reached her new work place. Glancing at the time on her watch, she noticed she had at least fifteen minutes before she started and relaxed.

It was a beautiful day, she mused quietly, inhaling the soothing scent of flowers that were blooming on the sides of the roads. This part of town was looked after greatly, which was probably why so many people chose to set up their offices here.

Spotting the huge building of Uchiha Industries, she took a moment to admire the impressive, but very expensive, layout of the building before she made her way towards the entrance. It was a sight she'd seen before but it never failed to take her breath away.

Smiling to herself, she entered the building, greeting the guard standing by the entrance. He nodded with a smile as she walked past, heading towards the main desk.

The brown-haired receptionist, whose name she recalled as Tenten, looked up with a professional but friendly smile, recognising her immediately. "You must be Uzumaki-san," she greeted her. "Welcome to Uchiha Industries."

"Thank you," she smiled brightly. "There's no need to be formal," she added. "You can call me Naruko."

Tenten nodded. "In that case you can call me Tenten," she answered immediately with a grin. "Hozuki-san is expecting you at his office on the 40th floor, Naruko. His office is the on the far left."

Naruko smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Tenten," she said before turning to leave, heading towards the elevators.

The ride on the elevator was surprisingly quick, with people getting on or off every now and then. She was relieved when she reached her intended floor, moving towards the left once she'd exited. There was a reception area set up on the corner. A red-head with glasses looked up from her paperwork as she approached. Her name was Karin and she was Hozuki-san's personal secretary, according to the name plate. Her expression wasn't what you could friendly, she noted instantly.

"Hi," she smiled at her. "My name is Naruko Uzumaki. I was told to meet Hozuki-san in his office."

The red-head narrowed her eyes, straightening her glasses before she nodded. "I'll let him know you're here," her tone was clipped.

Naruko raised a brow at the cold tone, wondering if she spoke to everyone like this. Pushing the thought aside, she waited as the red-head picked up the phone and pushed a button on speed-dial.

"Hozuki-san," Karin greeted her boss sweetly when he answered. "Naruko Uzumaki is here."

She paused for a moment and then nodded. "Okay. I'll send her in."

Placing the phone back down, she looked up again. "Hozuki-san will see you now. His office is at the end of this corridor," she informed her before dismissing her as she turned away.

Amused by her attitude, Naruko thanked her before moving towards the end of the corridor. She stopped in front of the last door, noticing Hozuki-san's full name and position on the door plate on the door.

Her hand lifted to knock, waiting for permission to enter before she opened the door.

"Come in."

She pushed the door open, entering the room before closing it shut behind her. Her gaze immediately landed on Hozuki-san who was sat at his desk, talking on the phone. Looking in her direction, he gestured for her to take a seat, and then looked away as he continued his phone call.

She headed towards the desk, settling down on one of the seats while she waited patiently for Hozuki-san to finish his call.

Her gaze drifted towards her surroundings, noting the stylish and modern look of the office. It was almost as big as her entire apartment combined.

Hozuki-san placed the phone back down with more force than was necessary, obviously in a bad mood after speaking to whoever it was he'd been talking to. "Stupid delegates," he cursed. "They expect you to do everything for them!"

His attention shifted towards her, his purple eyes meeting hers. "I see you're right on time, Uzumaki-san," he smirked. "I like people who are punctual."

Naruko smiled politely. "Thank you, Hozuki-san," she responded.

"Now," he turned to the paperwork scattered on his desk, picking up a folder from a small pile. "Let's go over several formalities before we get started."

She nodded, waiting for him to continue.

He pulled out several sheets of documents from the folder. "I just need you to double-check the data we have on you, get your bank details and a few signatures, and go over the terms of your contract with us."

She accepted the paperwork he handed to her, checking over it quickly.

"Everything's fine," she told him once she was done checking it all.

"Great," he muttered. "Just sign and date it at the bottom, and then fill this out."

Once that was done, he went over the terms of her employment with Uchiha industries, going over the important details first before breezing through the minor ones. She knew it was company policy to go over such information, as it was the same pretty much everywhere.

"Now that we've covered all of that, we can talk about what you're going to be doing here," he placed all the paperwork back in the folder before looking up at her, leaning back in his chair. "As you already know, this position is for Uchiha-san's personal secretary. I'm aware you don't really have much experience in such a role when it involves working for a huge business, but we're willing to overlook that. Your qualifications are impressive, and from what I've seen during the interview, you are perfectly capable of handling what comes with this job."

She smiled. "Thank you, Hozuki-san. I'm honoured that you think so highly of me. Though, I'll admit I was quite shocked when you offered me the job."

Hozuki-san smirked. "The final decision was of course Uchiha-san's," he said. "I merely gave him my opinion."

Naruko didn't hide her surprise at those words, even though she should've been expecting them.

"Uchiha-san's office is on the 50th floor," he continued. "He has his legal and financial secretary working on the same floor, so you will see each other on a daily basis. Your role will involve time and daily management, scheduling of meetings, correspondence, and note taking."

She nodded, already aware of what her new job would involve after doing some research. She knew the role would keep her on her toes, considering who she was working for.

He stood up. "If you'll follow me, we'll head up to the 50th floor now and get you acquainted. Uchiha-san won't be here until 9, so you'll have plenty of time to get settled before he gets here."

She gave a brief nod before standing up, following him out of the room, towards the elevator.

"I'll be back soon, Karin," Hozuki-san informed her as they walked past her desk. "Note any important calls in my absence."

"As you wish, Hozuki-san," Karin responded eagerly, no sign of any coldness in her voice.

They entered the elevator, pushing the button for the 50th floor. A small screen above the selection of buttons lit up, requesting for an I.D card.

Hozuki-san pulled out a card and scanned it. "Access to the 50th floor requires an I.D card, which you'll be given," she was told. "There are certain security procedures we have to take, and this is one of them."

Naruko wasn't really surprised by the extra security precaution. A lot of the major businesses tended to have them nowadays, for the sake of protection.

The elevator ride was silent, save for Hozuki-san's tuneless whistling. When the doors opened, they walked out. Naruko looked around, noticing this floor was slightly different to the other one. It had another smaller lift on the far right, which was a bit odd.

Hozuki-san noticed her glance. "That lift is for Uchiha-san," he explained with a smirk. "He prefers his own little space."

"I see," Naruko responded slowly, wondering why her new boss couldn't ride an elevator with other people, but then again it was his own choice, she wasn't one to judge. He did own the building after all.

"This floor is only for the use of Uchiha-san and his secretaries," Hozuki-san explained further as he led her down the only corridor on this floor, which was on the left. "You won't see many others, except for me, of course."

They passed two doors on the right-hand side. A quick glance showed Naruko that these doors led to the offices of the legal and financial secretaries.

"As you've probably noticed, these doors lead to the offices of the financial and legal secretaries, but we'll come back to them. I want to show you where you'll be working first."

He continued down the corridor, stopping before a large work station. "This is where you'll be working," Hozuki-san gestured with his hand. "It's right beside Uchiha-san's office, so it'll be easy for you to move back and forth."

Naruko nodded, looking over her new work station, noticing it had pretty much everything she would need. There was even a name plate with her name and position in front of the desk. She could already picture herself working behind the desk.

Hozuki-san opened one of the drawers and pulled out what looked like her I.D card. "This is yours," he gave it to her. "Make sure you look after it carefully."

She nodded, accepting it. "Thank you."

"We should go and meet your other colleagues now," he announced after glancing at the time, leading her back the way they'd come. He didn't bother knocking on the first door, which led to the legal secretary's office, and pushed it open.

A gorgeous blonde with big blue eyes looked up from her paperwork as they entered.

"How's it going, Ino," Hozuki-san greeted the blonde informally. "You're looking really hot in that purple suit!"

"You'll never change, Suigetsu," Ino glared at the man before looking over at her. "Hmm, would this be the new addition to our team?" She smiled, getting out of her chair. "Hi, I'm Ino Yamanaka," she held out her hand.

Naruko smiled at the gesture. "Naruko Uzumaki," she shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you!"

"It's great to finally have another woman around here," Ino grinned. "I was getting kind of sick of being the only one!"

"Don't let Sasuke hear you say that," Hozuki-san smirked evilly. "He'll probably sack you on the spot!"

"I highly doubt that," Ino responded cockily. "He knows I'm the best at what I do."

"Sure, sure," Hozuki-san muttered sarcastically before changing the topic. "Is our lazy financial secretary here yet?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "I doubt he even bothered to go home after yesterday's shift."

"In that case, we better go and find out."

"I'll come with you," Ino smiled at Naruko. "The paperwork can wait a few minutes!"

Hozuki-san snorted. "Shikamaru's definitely infected you with his laziness, I see."

Ino gave him a playful smack. "It's not that I'm lazy, I'm just up-to-date with my work."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, leading the way out of the room and towards the next, opening it again without knocking.

"What do you all want?" A lazy voice called out as they all walked in. "Can't a guy get some sleep around here?"

Naruko hold back a chuckle when she caught a glimpse of the man with his hair pulled back in a spiky ponytail. He was sat at his desk, his head placed on top of his arms. No doubt he'd been in a middle of a nap.

"Rise and shine, your highness," Ino said out loud, the sarcasm clear in her tone. "You're at work, not at home."

"Go away, Ino," Shikamaru drawled. "Go bother someone else, you troublesome woman."

Naruko watched the exchange with a smile on her face. It seemed she was going to enjoy working around here. Her work colleagues seemed ever so friendly. It was enough to make her want to cry out in happiness.

"Our new workmate is here, you idiot," Ino reprimanded him. "At least say hello!"

"Hey," the man didn't even bother lifting his head to look at her, raising a hand slightly in greeting.

Ino glared at him before turning to smile apologetically at her.

"It's okay," Naruko smiled brightly. "I'm Naruko Uzumaki. It's nice to meet you too."

The man finally graced them all with a look, turning to look at her. "Shikamaru Naru," he said.

"I like you guys already," Naruko grinned. "I know I'm going to love working here."

Hozuki-san smirked. "Wait until you meet Sasuke before you say that," he joked.

"Is he really that bad, Hozuki-san?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Call me Suigetsu," he said, not bothering to answer her question. "Hozuki-san makes me feel old."

"Suigetsu it is."

Suigetsu glanced at the time, almost cursing out loud. "I should get going," he said. "Ino will explain everything you need to know about what needs doing, Naruko."

Naruko nodded. "Thanks, Suigetsu."

He nodded, leaving the three of them alone.

"I guess that means we should get started," Ino smiled at Naruko...

Forty-five minutes later, Ino was done explaining everything Naruko would need to know, going over the last few details.

"Like I've said, Uchiha-san doesn't like to be approached until he's settled in his office," Ino clarified once more. "So wait at least five minutes before you knock on his door."

Naruko nodded to show she understood. "Okay."

"If you need any help, don't hesitate to call me," Ino told her. "Our numbers are on speed-dial."

"Thanks," Naruko smiled gratefully. "I think I'll be okay, though. It doesn't seem too difficult."

Ino nodded approvingly before she turned to leave. "I like your confidence!"

Naruko grinned at her retreating back, turning to pick up the phone. Pressing the button to connect her to reception, she quickly asked Tenten to let her know when Uchiha-san entered the building. Tenten promised her she would and they ended the call.

Releasing a sigh, Naruko glanced at the wall clock, noting it was only 8.45, which meant there were still fifteen minutes left before her boss would arrive. Turning to her paperwork, she started going over the printed list of Uchiha-san's appointments for the day, silently praying that she didn't mess up on her first day…

A/N: Well, there you have it. Was it good or bad? Did it catch your interest? I hope it did…

Please review! I really would appreciate any kind of feedback. Since it's a new story, I'm dying to know what you think. It would help me tremendously! So, please…REVIEW!