Insert mandatory AN apology: I'm a lazy butt. Good? Good. Change of pace this chapter, we're dealing with new characters and the main duo isn't in this one. They'll be back in the next one. I had a LOT of fun writing this chapter, and I took a couple creative liberties that you'll probably notice. I didn't even consider a certain rare pairing until midway through the chapter, but their dynamic is pretty fun sooo...you might just get it. I honestly have no clue where this story is going, I've always been the type of author who lets the story write itself, so if you suggest something, I might just add it to later chapters. Wanna be a beta reader? Tell me because my traitorous sister quit. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: My birthday is next month, so if someone bought me the rights to Naruto, I'd marry them on the spot. Psik. But seriously, not mine.

Chapter Summary: The crazy, the sexy, and the confuddled walk into an office.

Sakura liked to think she was in a good place- for a college student. She didn't have the biggest apartment and she had to share what little space she had with her blonde pig of a roommate Ino Yamanaka. But that was okay because Ino-pig, Sakura would grudgingly admit, had taste and had managed to make their cramped two bedroom apartment into a space that she looked forward to coming back to.

And at the end of the day when her eyelids felt like they were made of heavy lead, refusing to study the night's lesson, her fingers stayed curled around an invisible pen and she couldn't even muster the strength to undress herself before flopping down onto her bed- it was nice to have something and someone waiting for her.

Even if it was just an apartment and a roommate that was somewhere between a rival and a friend.

"Miss Haruno…"

Somewhere at the back of Sakura's mind, she registered a voice calling to her distantly.

"Miss Haruno...what are you-" It was louder this time, closer, and annoying so she nuzzled her face further into her the crook of her arm, attempting to escape the grating sound.

"Miss Haruno!" The voice was distinctly feminine and sharp, this time accompanied by a firm shake.

"...lemme alone. 'm tired." Sakura's brain refused to comprehend the situation, firmly keeping itself wrapped in the folds of sleep.

A new voice, male and soft in comparison to the former one, smoothly intervened, "Allow me."

The first voice suddenly became submissive, stumbling over her words to satisfy the second voice, "It's no problem r-really sir. Let me take care of this one."

Sakura didn't hear the response- sleep had taken her again.

When she woke up her surroundings were different. The white cubicle walls of her job covered with colorful sticky notes, filled with countless memos, deadlines and to-do's had been replaced with a stunning afternoon sky courtesy of wall to wall glass windows. She was lying on a couch, black leather, she noted as she shifted and stretched as her body began to wake.

All in all not a bad way to wake up. Except for the fact -her mind was starting to catching up with her as her observations sunk in- it was afternoon and she was at work and the staff lounge that she knew she wasn't in didn't have leather sofas.

Sakura internally groaned, curling herself into a small ball as she covered her face. Oh Kami no... I'm so fired…

Anywhere else sleeping on the job wasn't an offense punishable with being fired, but it was a different story where Uchiha Corp. was concerned. Every employee signed with the understanding that their work and behavior was held to the highest standard. Failure was seriously frowned upon.

She huffed lightly, warm against her cupped hands. Sakura smiled weakly to herself, I needed this job too.

"Aww fuck," She whispered to herself. Now how was she going to pay for-

Her thoughts froze and her body became rigid as the voice from before spoke,

"It seems I could add profanity to the list of misdemeanors as well Miss Haruno."

She heard something sliding against a surface and glasses clinking against each other before the sound of heels clicking slowly began against the floor.

Sakura honestly didn't want to turn around and see who it was.

"Along with sleeping while you're on payroll and ignoring your superiors." A dry laugh void of any actual humor accompanied the voice, "I must say, it is quite impressive you managed to achieve all of that in four hours when you haven't a single mark against you in a year." His voice was drawing closer.

Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit

"One might even call that peculiar…"

Sakura sat up quickly and straightened her blouse and slacks. She bit her bottom lip harshly as she patted down her mussed hair and prayed that the voice behind her didn't belong to the one person who held her job in his hands.

"So Miss Haruno..." The voice was in front of her now, and something was placed on the table before her.

Sakura finally looked up, eyes taking in a dark blue china teapot, plate of sweets and several jars filled with various creamers and sweeteners, all resting on a cherry stained tray.

Her stomach now felt like an empty pit gazing upon it.

When was the last time she ate?

But she could only focus on it for so long. She steeled her nerves, squared her shoulders and met the black gaze of her boss- Itachi Uchiha.

"I'm giving you 5 minutes to enjoy my hospitality and give me one excellent reason why you should keep your job."

The tightness in her chest loosened a bit. He wasn't going to blindly fire her. She had a chance to-

Get your shit together Sakura, dammit!

"I'm extremely sorry sir." Sakura began, slipping into a professional tone, the formality of it clearing her mind, "My behavior today was inexcusable, however you stated it yourself Uchiha-san, this is something I rarely do and today is the first black mark on my record. If you allow me to continue working here, it will not happen again." She ended determinedly, staring into his unreadable eyes.

After a few seconds she started feeling as if she was being searched or studied, before he made a neutral sound and turned to the tray.

Gah! That could mean literally anything!

Itachi reached out for the china cups, a pale hand placing one in front of himself and one in front of her before reaching out for the teapot and pouring a dark steaming stream of tea into each.

He started pouring copious amount of cream into his tea as he said, "Help yourself."

Sakura was hungry, but she didn't think she could stomach something right now with the fate of her only source of income on the line, "Ah, no thank you."

Her stomach lightly complained and her boss stared blankly. Sakura flushed and quickly made her tea and grabbed a cookie to nibble on. It felt dry and tasted like cardboard in her mouth.

"Is that all?" His voice came emotionless, but Sakura hear a tinge of expectancy.

Her stomach sank. That didn't sound good, but Sakura wasn't sure what he wanted to hear, so she said, "That is all."

Then, a thought came to her, if she was going to be fired then it couldn't hurt to ask,

"Sir," He raised an eyebrow, "if you're going to fire me, then please I'm asking that you give me a week to find a new job. I'm," She took in a deep breath, before admitting, "I-I'm not just taking care of myself. Someone else relies on the income this job provides me with. At least give me a chance to stabilize and find somewhere else."

The Uchiha stared at her with those unfathomable eyes, and she firmly stared back.

He opened his mouth to speak and Sakura quickly cut him off, " If you keep me, I guarantee that I will make it worth your while. I can be one of the greatest assets this company has ever seen, and- pardon my french sir - I'll never half-ass a job. I'll give it my all and then some."

The man sipped his tea infused half and half and placed it back down on the saucer,

"I never said anything that implied I made a decision did I? With the way you're defending yourself however, someone could believe I just accused you of murder," The straight line of his mouth twitched in one corner quick enough to make Sakura question if she had imagined amusement on his face.

"You have good work ethic, " And, wow, if that didn't startle her, honestly this entire meeting was startling her, "not many people can handle the stress of working full-time, attending university and having a financially dependent at 22."

Itachi slowly dragged his eyes over the woman, starting from the bottom and moving upwards in a clinical fashion, taking inventory of her thin wrists, sullen pallor and dark circles that attempted to hide behind concealer. And then he asked a question designed to tactfully probe at a weakness she unwillingly divulged, "But you're not handling it are you?"

She flinched minutely, a fact that Itachi's sharp eyes didn't miss. Her eyes glazed over for a moment, and there he saw that he struck a nerve.

There was something there. Even with all of her grovelling earlier that he'd watched with cool disinterest, he'd never seen her look more pathetic. There was no better word to describe her than pathetic, and Itachi felt pity.

The cold detached pity that one might feel for a struggling animal caught in the sharp jaws of something much larger than itself, mere seconds from being consumed. Quiet suffering, masked by the dignity she refused to give up, but there was only so long she could hang on.

He wondered how long it would take for her to snap.

Interesting... but it was not enough. He had scented blood in the water and now he wanted more.

'But you're not handling it are you?'

And Kami if that didn't hurt.

A lump swelled in her throat. A complete stranger could see more than the few people she had left.

Normally, a smile and a laugh could deflect questions and worries as easily as a shield. Concealer could hide the fact that she never slept more than 4 hours a night. A new diet could explain her gaunt form and small appetite. These tools protected her from unnecessary attention, from the well meaning but unwanted, assistance of friends and of distant family she used meet at max twice a year. Their actions would only be spurred on by pity.

Poor girl, they would say, isn't it just unfortunate what happened to her family, she didn't deserve it...

No, she was fine. Sakura could manage without the interference of a perfect stranger. Let alone her boss.

She looked at him warily, " I assure you that I am handling my personal," She made sure to stress the word, subtle signaling her unwillingness for further discussion on the current subject, "situation perfectly fine. Thank you for your concern though."

Translation: Screw off and stay out of my business, please and thank you.

Those black eyes looked passive, but Sakura could see the glint of curiosity hidden in their depths.

Itachi Uchiha was a genius- that was already known. A dangerous one too- ruthless, exacting, unrelenting and utterly dominant in the dog-eat-dog world of business. However in this moment, Sakura realized that that attitude applied to more than sales.

He would not give up that easily she saw. Unknowingly, her situation had caught his interest, and now he would not be content to leave it alone.

She'd won the first battle, it did not make her foolish enough to believe that she'd win the forthcoming war.

She laughed a little inside. It was foolish to believe there would be a war over such a small matter.

There was a pregnant silence, and the calculating nature of the conversation was broken, "Please refrain from using unsavory language in my building Miss Haruno." Dismissed.

Sakura rose from the couch, butt tingling after sitting in the same spot with clenched, tensed muscles for so long. She smoothed out her gray pants, dipped her head, pink hair falling forwards, in as small a bow as she could get away with, both accepting the statement and showing her "respect" for his presence. She quickly made her way across the room, heels clicking harshly against the tiled floor.

After what seemed like an eternity in a tense room, Sakura rested her hand lightly on the cool door handle, which leeched at her warmth, the metal starting to turn warm with the heat it absorbed. She turned her body halfway, legs facing the door whilst her upper body was angled in the direction of the man.

"And what of my job?"

Itachi stayed silent, the soft black of his head facing her, and after several long moments, the door clicked softly on itself.

Itachi sat quietly by himself, lost in deep thought, unconsciously refilling his cup with tea that he wouldn't end up drinking. The CEO set down the pot, standing up and with several long strides he was at his desk.

A pianist's finger found the intercom that would connect him to his secretary.

The voice that came in was nothing but respectful and filled with a sickening sweetness Itachi sensed was attraction years ago, but didn't bother to replace as all the other suitable candidates presented the same attitude with slightly different faces and details, "How can I help you sir?"

One minute he was fine and the next Itachi's eyes flared with sudden pain.

It felt as if little needles jammed themselves into every available crevice and twisted themselves deeper, seeking out his most vulnerable spots. Throughout the assault, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, finally opening them though the pain had not gone away, staring straight ahead as the blurred together and colorful dots exploded in his vision.

His voice was absolutely controlled and there was nothing in it that exposed his episode, "Secretary Uzumaki. Why don't I have a personal assistant?"

Stab. His eye twitched of its own accord.

"Sir, there currently are no positions open and in the past you have expressed disinterest in having such an employee."

Itachi waited for what should be her next question. Would you like me to open a position and screen for potential applicants?

Of course it never comes. Incompetent woman.

"That is in the past, Secretary Uzumaki. I want a personal assistant-"

She cut him off, "I'll gather the files of some candidates I believe you'll like, right away sir."

Twist. His world goes white.

Itachi linked his fingers together, the circulation being cut off and turning them white from the strength of his grip.

"No need. I already have a candidate in mind. Please transfer her to my department, make the necessary arrangements and notify her immediately. Give her the oak desk on this floor, place it across from mine," As an afterthought he added, "and install a stocked mini fridge next to it."

"...Sir, the only oak desk on this floor is my desk."

The man pursed his lips and held back a sigh.

"That it is. Make the arrangements."

There's a forced strain in her voice the next time she answers, "Which desk am I to use then Uchiha-san?"

As he was talking, Itachi reached down to open the bottom drawer of his desk, hand automatically reaching to lift a slightly thick book out of it, placing it on the desk, "You won't. After this assignment you've been dismissed Secretary Uzumaki. I've decided to merge the secretarial position and the new personal assistant position, therefore there is no longer a need for you in this department at this time. I've chosen to transfer you to Human Resources as a manager, I believe you will be an excellent fit there. Please do a good job."

Opening the book he lifted a small cylinder from within the hollowed pages of the book turned container, and looked at it. The orange bottle was small and unassuming, but it would not do for anyone to stumble upon such a thing. He examined the paper wrapped around it before setting it down- he could wait the pain through.

Stilted silence, then acceptance, "Yes, sir. What is the applicant's name?"

"Sakura Haruno." A click signified the end of the call.

Itachi's sight started to clear and his vision began to return to him in bits and pieces. The pain was starting to recede, and Itachi breathed again. His fingers began to unlace themselves before- more pain.

Push. Another spike of pain, and a warm liquid started to pool in his eyes, gathering and running down the ever present lines slanting from his eyes that marred his otherwise unblemished features, leaving tracks of red.

The man reached for the bottle, shaking out a blue pill, and taking it dry. The tablet stuck uncomfortable to his tongue and with a swallow, it made its way uncomfortably down his throat.

Hopefully the medication would work soon. It would be a terrible inconvenience to get blood on his papers.

His mouth briefly twitched upwards as he mused at the thought of handing the paperwork to some underling, "It would only fuel the staff's theory of my demon heritage."

He let the thought amuse him for a few more moments before dismissing it. Itachi reached for a facial wipe, carefully wiped the blood away before disposing it in the trash can beside his desk, and went back to work.

"Secretary Uzumaki! Secretary Uzumaki!" A frantic voice made the woman in question stop her slightly angered stride down the wide corridor. Instead of turning around, she waited for the taller man to catch up.

"What is it Tobi. Can't you see I'm busy working right now?" She sniffed, taking in the almost childish look of mischief on his face, "Unlike some people I've had the misfortune of meeting."

"But I was working you see, Tobi is a good boy of course," He nodded to himself, before continuing, "Anyway Karin, can I call you that- we're friends right?-I was at my station, when all of the sudden 'beep', my intercom goes off. Says it's the big boss, so I get all itchy cause that guy is scaaa-reeyy, he gives me the jitters, I swear something's off with that guy. Gives off an inhuman, you-can't-touch-my-hot-self vibe you know, like can you imagine that kind of guy going to the bathroom, Itachi Uchiha certified genius pulling down his pants to take a shit. No you can't."

Secretary Uzumaki flushed a little at the thought. A bastard he may be, but he was a sexy bastard. She shook her head a little, attempting to clear her mind, red ponytail swishing with the effort.

She caught Tobi staring at her for a moment, silently observing before a sly smile slid onto his face, "...I can't imagine it but apparently you can….and you have before, haven't you?"

At that comment her face burned brighter. "No, no you've got it wr-"

The protest spurred him on, "Oooo I didn't know you were such a pervert Karin...saayy does Itachi know about that? That you want to kiiisss him and hold hiimm and melt that icy heart of his."

People were starting to stare, slowing down as they walked by, subtly nudging each other with looks of amusement at Tobi's antics. The office was always hungry for gossip and drama. Even if it was from an unreliable source.

Clasping his hands together, he started to bat his eyelashes, "OH Itachi I-"

Karin had enough. She move into his personal space and clasped her hand over his mouth, "I think that's enough, don't you?" She hissed, eyes glinting dangerously.

Tobi stared down at her, dark eyes wide and blinking quickly. Karin removed her hand after she felt his mouth curve into a smile. It was unnerving. There was a weird feeling that she couldn't decipher in the air, like her every action was being carefully observed.

"Or maybe I got it wrong, hmm Karin." His voice was different, darker, deeper, more serious, and he flicked his eyes to the nonexistent space between them.

She quickly put distance between them, scowling fiercely, crossing her arms over her chest, "In your dreams, Tobi. Get back on topic or I'm leaving."

"I think the princess doth protest too much, but as you wish…" Tobi's voice switched yet again to something lighter and more playful, " Anyway, that schmexy devil of yours," she looked warningly at him, and he put his hands up in mock surrender,

"called me to his office to pick up some paperwork for the chairman to look over. Boring stuff, lotsa numbers and crap. Something about the PR department too, I think, somewhere in that stack."

That's when Karin became Secretary Uzumaki, it may be her last day, but-, "Tobi, were you flipping through papers that don't concern you?"

The man shrugged flippantly, carding his hand through his short hair, "It's not like you don't do the same thing."

"That's different, it's my job." Was my job at least.

"Do you want to know or not Karin. Yeesh some people, no respect these days...so rude. So I was flipping through and then a splotch of red caught my eye, at first I thought it was like a ketchup stain or something ya know, not a big deal. But then I was like but it's the big boss' papers, he'd never have something as pleblain as ketchup for a dipping sauce. He probably eats mayo with his fries or something, if he eats fries that is- do you think he eats fries Karin?- and when I went closer to it to check, it was the wrong shade of red. I think it was," he paused, suddenly taking notice of the people listening in on the fringes of the hallway.

"What are you all looking at hmm?" His voice turned sharp, so vastly different from before, and people began to shift uncomfortably at the change, starting to disperse.

Even if Karin wouldn't admit it aloud, sometimes it frightened her at how fast Tobi could change personalities, almost as if he was different person sometimes.

When the hallway had cleared out some, he turned back to her happy go lucky Tobi was back, no sign of the commanding man from before, " I think it was blood."

Karin snorted, "Yeah right. You made me stand here for that." She made to move past him, shifting the papers in her arms, "I'm going to get back to work before you tell me he's some sort of assassin-ninja-terrorist guy."

As she walked away, Tobi called from behind her childishly pouty voice, "Why don't you believe me, it's true. Tobi is a good boy, and good boys don't lie."

Did she ever mention how weird that quirky phrase of his was?

"Suure, I see it now- CEO by day, vigilante by night."

"See you later then," Tobi was waving so hard, Karin wondered if his arm would fly off, "don't miss me too much Karin. Oh, and coffee doesn't count as lunch, so eat something, like a pork cutlet bowl or udon noodles, oooo or how about-"

Secretary Uzumaki turned the corner rolling her eyes, leaving him behind. What if it was blood though? If Tobi was telling the truth, then she was kind of glad to be transfered. Good luck to the next person.

Sakura Haruno.

A flash of bitterness welled up in her.

Who the hell was she? What made her so good that her Ita- wrong not hers, never hers, she corrected herself, Uchiha-san, would replace her?

Karin was competent, of this she was assured- her previous employers had never complained, had never wanted for anything and yet with him it never seemed to be enough. He rarely talked to her face to face, always calling over the intercom, which was to be expected, but the degree to which it happen almost made it seem like he was avoiding her. Secretary Uzumaki, he'd say in that dulcet voice of his, did you take care of that appointment? Yes, would you like me to go over it with you? In a purely professional manner No, just send me the details over email. Okay sir, I'll also make a paper cop- Don't Static silence.

She had been content to just be useful to him, but she failed. It was right to move her to a different department, but she was also angry. So, so angry.

Karin sighed, It was all in the past now anyway...at least she was a manager, was how she consoled herself...until she realized who that meant she was working with.

She groaned. Kami give her strength to deal with Tobi.

Secretary Uzumaki finally arrived at her destination, where a pink haired woman-pink hair, that's so stupid, why did Ita- Uchiha-san want her?- was packing her stuff into a cardboard box.

"I see you already got the news Miss Haruno." Her voice was cold.

At the voice Sakura looked up, a red haired woman, maybe a few years older than her was addressing her.

"Not officially, but I assumed that Uchiha-san would, so I decided to start packing." Sakura scrutinized the woman as subtly as she could- which probably not very well.

Glasses. Red hair. Above average height, taller with heels. Narrowed eyes- she doesn't like me? But I've never met her? Folder in her arms- my firing request?

"Sorry, but...who are you?" Sakura curiously asked after her attempt to place the woman failed.

"Uchiha-san's former secretary, Karin Uzumaki." She replied clipped.

"Former?"

"Yes, former. But you're already aware of that aren't you." Seriously, did she do something to this woman? "I've come to inform you of news in regards to your position. In effect immediately as per Uchiha-san's orders."

Sakura winced, she'd been expecting it but...expecting being fired didn't make it any easier, "I see…" She turned back to her messy desk and began to load items at a much faster pace, "I'll clean this up quickly so you won't have to wait long."

Sakura was proud that her voice didn't break because her throat felt like it was shrinking, a lump was forming in her throat and her eyes were beginning to sting with the pressure of unshed tears. She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't cry. It was a waste of tears, effort and it wouldn't make anything better.

She would not cry.

"May I have the firing notice? I'll need it to alert the financial department of my final month's pay." Sakura needed to move on. Time to think of the next steps.

When she got home she would immediately start looking through the job classifieds. If she had to, she would apply for a couple fast food restaurants. Maybe she could ask Ino if she could cover a couple shifts at her family's flower shop until she could get back onto her feet- she'd repay her as soon as she could.

Being lost in thought, she didn't catch the look of befuddlement on Karin's face, "What are you talking about? You've been transferred, why would you need a firing notice?"

Sakura froze, arms midway to placing a few files in the box, "...I've been what? Since when?" She stood up from her place at her chair, nearly eye level with the woman.

"Since now. But your responses made me believe you were already aware." The woman bit her lip, softly exhaled and glanced sideways, "It seems I own you an apology. Two actually."

The woman fixed her sharp red- red?- eyes on Sakura, " I should've made sure that we were discussing the same topic- that was a professional mistake. And I may be many things, but I'm not a bitch. Not to people I haven't even spoken to at least. You had nothing to do with the change in circumstance."

Sakura smiled softly at that, "Thanks, but out of context I can see how what I said sounds. So I'll do the same- sorry. "

She extended her hand, the fingers were tipped in sea-green nail polish, "Let's begin again shall we? I'm Karin Uzumaki, the new manager of the Human Resource department."

"Nice to meet you...again" She added as an afterthought, accepting the hand, " I'm Sakura Haruno of somewhere in the Uchiha Corporation."

Retracting her hand, the woman- no Karin- gave a little 'oh', before grabbing the folder tucked in the crook of her arm.

From behind Sakura, her computer hummed loudly. Her mini fan blew her way and lifted some of the stray hair out of her face.

On the exterior Sakura seemed collected and patiently waiting for the papers that would alert her of her new position, but on the inside, she had the stupidest dopey smile in existence. Hallelujah was ringing in her ears, and a choir of angels lifted her job insecure worries off of her chest, making everything seem a bit brighter.

Quietly, she thanked the universe, Kami, and whoever the hell was responsible for this bit of good luck and mercy- something she was usually lacking.

"Here, you've been promoted to Uchiha-san's Personal Assistant, which comes with secretarial duties as well. In that folder, you'll find the job description, a few of my observations that might aid you in working with Uchiha-san, and a sample daily schedule."

Sakura's head was spinning with questions, but she held them back and skimmed through the papers.

Uchiha Corporation

Job position: Personal Assistant

Primary Duties: act as a first point of contact: deal with correspondence and phone calls. manage diaries and organising meetings and appointments, control access to the CEO, book and arrange travel, transport and accommodation, organising events and conferences.

Secondary Duties: plan the CEO's days, draft emails, other miscellaneous duties such as picking up gifts, dry cleaning, making coffee

Goddamn, that was a lot. It's fine though, she could handle it. But Uchiha-san? Just this morning she was sure she was good as toast.

Itachi Uchiha was a curious guy. Hiring a nameless face to handle his day to day business? Sakura sure as hell wouldn't do that- especially as a CEO. Unnecessary risk and all that.

Her credentials weren't anything special either. A high school diploma, an Associate's degree in business, and a couple stereotypical teenage jobs.

Yup it was confirmed- Uchiha-san either found their discussion this morning really enlightening or, more likely, he was insane. It was strange to take such an interest in someone after all.

Sakura looked up and smiled despite her growing unease, "Thank you. Maybe we could grab a coffee sometime?"

Karin raised an eyebrow, "I sincerely doubt you'll have the time with your new job, but in the unlikely case you do- I'll see. Good luck." And with that final remark she walked away in the direction of the staff lounge.

Sakura took a breath, grabbed the black peacoat that ma slung over the back of her chair, and quickly changed into a pair of shoes more suitable for walking.

She needed some air. Immediately. This cubicle was too small, her thoughts too large, questions piling onto each other seeking answers she did not have nor knew where to find. Her emotions were a mess- torn between elation, unease, fear, relief, and the gut-wrenching feeling that it was all a cosmic joke and everything would just be ripped

away.

On top of that, she was hungry and not properly caffeinated.

Cafe it is.

The world outside of the office was loud. And cold.

Sakura flipped the collar of her coat up to hopefully protect more of her face from the cold, ducking her head down as well.

It shouldn't be hard to find a coffee shop in downtown Konoha.

And it wasn't. At nearly every street corner she past there was a coffee shop. Mostly Starbucks teeming with people and excessively long lunch hour lines. Yeah, no thanks. Sakura wanted something quieter, hopefully somewhere emptier as well.

After 5 more minutes of walking, she was about to turn around and head back to the packed Starbucks near the office- then she saw it. Slightly hidden, tucked in between a small bookshop and a bus stop.

The cafe looked inviting, warm. It was a brick building, a small artisan cafe by the looks of it. Christmas lights were strung along the top of the doorway causing it to actually glow. There was a blackboard stand outside advertising their menu and specials. Looking inside, there were a few people, probably students, on laptops, and only a few people in line.

Perfect.

Sakura stuffed her hands in her pockets and hastily walked towards the entrance. Her breath came out in front of her in small puffs of steam, and her boots crunched on the first snow of the season.

Finally she was there. She reached for the doorknob and the scent of coffee greeted her. The bell above her rang. Christmas music played in the background, a voices quietly murmured, but that didn't stop her from hearing a female voice cheerily greet her with,

"Welcome to Konoha Coffee!"