31 Days 3/?

[AngelOfDeath]

Interested yet? Hohoho. I love Gaara. Poor thing. Maybe I?ll write a GaaSaku after all this so I feel better for him. I rushed through this portion because I didn?t feel like going through every little bit of every day to justify why and how people had gotten closer. My laziness = bad writing style but I hope you can all forgive me and take amusement from this anyway. You all see what I was trying to do, right?

Disclaimer: (See Ch. 1)

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Chapter 3

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?Where are we going??

Sasuke didn?t answer, he merely steered the car down winding streets in the direction of a part of town she rarely had visited. It looked like an obscure part of Chinatown, and it seemed a bit sketchy, but maybe he knew of good restaurants around here.

?You seem upset over something. Why did you want to have dinner with me? Is knowing about Mr. Shukaku so important to you that you have to??

?Must you be so noisy?? Sasuke seemed to be regretting his decision. His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. ?We?re almost there.?

They pulled into a small parking lot where there were a few other cars, but not enough to make Sakura think that this place was some undiscovered jewel so much as a standard kind of dim sum, as the sign proclaimed it to be. Ino, who only found herself going to or being taken to high priced and well known restaurants, would have been shocked to know that the idol of the accounting department liked cheap and greasy Chinese food.

He didn?t say anything after he pulled into a parking spot and turned off the power. Sakura followed, not expecting him to be so gallant as to open her door for her or any other kind of date-like activity. It was difficult not to try to classify this outing as a date, when it was exhibited many of the qualities of one. The implication when she left with him was supposed to set Gaara off whatever track he had been on. The idea that he wanted to go out with her for any reason made her feel slightly queasy. It wasn?t that he wasn?t attractive, or even that she was too angry at him not to be flattered (though her anger seethed even now at the thought of him), but she didn?t have any chemistry with him and she knew going out would only result in painful conversation and awkward silences. Honestly, that?s what she expected out of tonight as well with Sasuke.

The rush of warm air was refreshing once she entered the building, while Sasuke was already speaking to a waiter. ?Two. The usual table will be fine.? So he came here a lot, did he? She didn?t think she had a regular table anywhere. In college she had had a regular chair in a coffee house, but that was a consequence of working too hard and liking caffeine too much. These days she didn?t need the extra stimuli, as working was proving to be exciting enough for her nerves.

The table was situated near some plants that hid them from the view of nearly anyone else that might happen by. It was private, but then she had come to expect that privacy was a must in the life of Sasuke Uchiha. They settled down to wait for a cart to be brought forth with their first selection of foods, and Sakura pretended that she wasn?t being stared at by an intense pair of dark eyes.

?So how do you know Gaara??

Sakura wished he could have at least pretended that they could talk to one another like regular human beings before he launched into the point of this whole outing. ?I worked for him for three years. I was practically fresh out of college, and I thought it would be a good idea to get some money together and take a break before I continued on with school.?

?Is that all??

?Yes, we didn?t have to go anywhere for me to tell you about him.?

Sasuke tightened his lips together, dissatisfied with her lack of detail. ?I don?t think you?re telling me everything. Gaara was showing an unusual amount of interest in you, and there must be more to your association with him. I called in a favor for this, so don?t make me ask questions to get the full story.?

It looked like Sakura wasn?t going to get away with the easy answers during this meal. The first cart appeared, giving her a moment of grace as Sasuke pointed to a couple items and they were marked down on the tab. The waiter wheeled away and Sakura picked up a dubious looking fried thing. It would probably taste ok, but at this point she wasn?t sure what to expect.

?I think it?s funny that you like this kind of food.?

He poured soy sauce onto his own fried thing and said, ?I get exactly what I want from the menu, there is as much as I want to eat but no more, and I only pay for each individual portion as it comes by. It?s an efficient way to eat. Very little excess and cheap compared to most meals.?

?But does it taste good to you??

?It?s serviceable. I have no complaints. No more changing the subject.?

He chewed as Sakura sighed and tried not to let her inner frustration and awkwardness surface. ?Mr. Shukaku?Gaara?fired me from my job at which I had done excellent work faithfully for three years. He fired me without warning the day before Thanksgiving. It very nearly the worst time of year he could have done so, and other than my severance pay I didn?t have any backup other than my savings. . . and I have other plans for that.?

?What happened, specifically??

Sakura took a bite of the fried thing and found it to be oddly chewy but tasty enough. At least the food here wasn?t horrible, despite Sasuke?s less than glowing praises for it. She didn?t taste the rest of it as she thought to herself.

?I came into work as usual. Mr. Shukaku had said he didn?t want to be disturbed, which was unusual but not wholly out of synch with his usual routines. Sometimes he needed time to himself, no distractions, and he wasn?t afraid to shut the world out completely if he wanted it that way.? She didn?t add that Gaara reminded her of Sasuke strongly based on behavioral patterns. ?At lunch he came out and handed me some mail and told me that he wanted me to type up a memo to be sent off to his sister. . . it was such a typical day that I guess I didn?t expect to be slapped down like I was. It was at the end of my day, he came out of his office and handed me a two envelopes with my name on them. Silly me, I thought it might be my Christmas bonus early. . .?

?Two envelopes?? Sasuke poured himself tea from the pot in the middle of the table which had been brought while Sakura spoke.

She nodded. ?One was my severance pay, and the other was a letter commending my good work and assuring me that although I was being let go that I would get nothing but glowing references from the firm. Everyone else was gone for the day already, since I tend to work late and get there early, so I couldn?t ask anyone in the office if they knew about this or not.? The bubbling feeling of unfairness that gripped her in the pit of her stomach made her lose her appetite almost entirely. The fried thing digesting in her stomach turned with the violence of her emotion at remembering that day.

?And now he shows up at your new job.?

?Yes. Not just that, but he is treating me like. . . well, better than most people honestly. I don?t think I?ve seen people be regular with him, even his sister and brother tended to keep him at arms length. How are you so familiar with him??

Sasuke stopped the cart that slid by and took something off of it. Sakura declined her portion of it and he frowned again at her, as if she had prompted him to waste food. ?I don?t think I need to explain. We simply know one another and have for some time. Tell me more about his conduct leading up to the firing. What sort of patterns did he stick to on a daily basis. . .?

The rest of the ?date? was spent with Sasuke grilling Sakura on what Gaara did every minute of every day. It would have been less awful for Sakura if it were not for the fact that she found she could answer with increasing detail no matter what question he asked. She knew more about Gaara than just about anyone else besides his family, and even in that case it was shaky since Kankuro made a point to avoid Gaara most of the time due to the competitive spirit leaving bad blood between them and Temari was not overly affectionate either. Making law a family affair only seemed to work on the business side of things, and it didn?t do much for their sense of togetherness. Sakura knew she would never want to go into business with anyone in her family. They were all as demanding and prone to perfectionism as she was and they would all go crazy trying to do everything without flaw and then blame one another when something did go wrong.

By the end of the evening Sakura felt like she had the beginnings of an ulcer and about a gallon of tea in her gut. Sasuke finally became satisfied and stopped asking about Gaara, and Sakura wished that anyone else had been walking through the building at that moment. The chances that anyone else in that building knew Gaara Shukaku were slim, but it would provide more fodder for rumor and conjecture to try to figure out what their connection was. Sasuke could not be so interested if Gaara were a mere acquaintance.

Sakura dug into her purse, now in total disarray after her explosion on the floor earlier, but before she could pull out her wallet Sasuke had already put down enough to pay and a perfectly calculated tip besides. She was trying to walk, stuff things back into her purse, and thank him all at the same time but he seemed to ignore her as he quickly walked back to the car ahead of her. Rather than think about this evening any more, she decided to just be grateful it was almost over.

?Where is your car parked??

?In the garage three streets down from the Konoha building.? Sasuke nodded and they didn?t speak to one another as he drove them back. It would have been nice if he had at least put on music, even talk radio, to lighten the mood. As it was Sasuke was in full brood and Sakura didn?t want to attempt to interrupt it.

They pulled up next to the garage and Sakura tried to thank him once more. ?Thank you for paying for dinner, you didn?t have to. I can still pay you back.?

?Forget it.?

She smiled.

?I really mean forget it. If you bring this up in the office I will deny it ever happened.?

The smile stayed on, pasted there in an almost futile effort to hold on to any kind of good feeling Sakura could manage. There must be a nice person buried inside of him somewhere. Every so often this evening she thought she might have seen a glimmer, but it could have been indigestion.

?Good night, Mr. Uchiha.?

?Good night, Ms. Haruno.?

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?. . . and then I went back to my car which was almost frozen shut. I hate winter sometimes.?

Ino stared at Sakura as if she had broken the news that she had joined a French convent and she was leaving tomorrow. ?You don?t get it, Sakura, this is the first sign of the apocalypse. . . Sasuke paid for dinner.?

?Maybe I?m lying. He did say he?d deny it, and I could have made it up to make you jealous.?

?I won?t say the thought didn?t occur to me, but I think that you would have thought up something better than the whole Shukaku thing. I know he?s not on your list of favorite people, and if that?s all you talked about then that would be a pretty lame date.?

Sakura wrinkled her nose and picked at the leaves of one of the many plants that adorned Ino?s office. ?It wasn?t a date. It was. . .?

?. . . a dinner with a guy you?re interested in, where he paid. That?s close enough in my book.? Ino squealed and Sakura knew that telling her friend might not have been the best idea in retrospect. She also didn?t bother to refute the ?interest? comment since that would end in unconstructive bickering. ?I can?t believe he saved you from Shukaku in the first place. Do you have any idea how many times he?s ignored the ?helpless woman in trouble? tactic? I know a number of women who fell down in front of him, one who even timed it so that she could fall down a flight of steps and land at his feet. He didn?t even blink. Yours was lame in comparison to a lot of them.?

Sakura continued to fiddle with the plant until Ino slapped her hand away. Ino had always been protective of her greenery. ?All I figure is that he and Shukaku have a history. And from the way Sasuke was acting I don?t think it?s a positive history.?

?Almost no one has any idea about Sasuke in general. I certainly can?t help you and I practically stalked the man for a few months.? Ino tapped her lip with her finger, a sign of deep thought for her. ?Your best bets would be Shino or Naruto. I?d say Kakashi too, as his boss, but he never imparts other people?s personal information. Shino has worked with him the longest, but Naruto makes it a point to learn as much as he can about everyone. I wouldn?t be surprised if he didn?t already know everything down to your cup size. . .?

?Thanks Ino.? It was entirely wholehearted after that last comment.

She put a friendly arm around Sakura?s shoulders. ?Don?t get me wrong, I?m jealous as all hell because Sasuke noticed you. But I also like a good drama and your situation seems to carry all the possibility of some of the best gossip since Jiraiya got loose from Tsunade two summer?s ago at a nude beach. I want to help you in any way I can.?

?Have I ever told you that you?re evil??

?Every week since we were twelve at least.?

?Just so you know.?

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?Yes?? Shino looked up at her through those prescription sunglasses he liked so much. Sakura wondered how he saw anything at night. How did he drive?

?I was wondering if you had a moment.? This was gutsy. It had taken a day or two of Ino?s goading and Hinata?s quiet support for Sakura to muster the confidence to approach Shino in his inner sanctum. The quiet Aburame was as imposing as Sasuke was, even if he was not known for being as rude. Part of that was his height, because at well above six feet he towered above most of the men in the accounting department with only Kakashi being able to look him in the eye.

?I suppose, so long as this isn?t going to take long.? He pushed the button on his computer monitor and turned to face her as she sat down in the chair he provided for guests to his office. While the blinds around his office were drawn on the outside, as in Sasuke?s, the ones covering the window were wide open as was the window itself. The room was like an ice box, and Sakura rubbed her arms as the cold set in.

She couldn?t help but comment on the obvious, being nervous in general about asking a favor of a man she hardly knew. ?How can you stand the cold??

?I find fresh air is worth whatever troubles come with it regardless of the season.?

?Ah.? She looked around the office and forgot her rapidly dropping body temperature. The walls were covered in glass cases in which bugs were mounted with their names printed in clear lettering below each one. If that were not enough, there was a terrarium in which beetles appeared to be making their merry way under a heat lamp. She envied them the heat, but did not desire to get any closer to those bugs if she could help it. The raw horror on her face must have been badly concealed.

?I see my hobby bothers you.? Shino sounded factual rather than disappointed. ?Would you prefer to speak with me in a conference room??

Sakura forced her eyes to center on Shino and only Shino, therefore putting the bugs out of sight and mostly out of mind. At least the terror dispelled much of her embarrassment. ?I came to ask you about Uchiha, I mean Sasuke. . .?

Shino was unreadable behind those glasses, but she had a feeling the room somehow became more frigid. ?I don?t have time for nonsense. I had thought you were better than that, Sakura.?

?You misunderstand me. I ran into a situation recently. . .? She went through an edited version of her troubles. ?. . . and so you see, although I?m sure you are above office gossip it would be helpful to understand what sort of social interaction I have been thrust into regarding them, if you know anything.?

He was immobile and for an unreasonable moment she wondered if he had fallen asleep sitting up during her explanation. It was her experience that these executives tended towards little sleep, and Gaara?s fabled two hours a night had left her with odd expectations. With all her observations, maybe she should write a book. Shino finally leaned back in his chair, showing her that he indeed was not unconscious and slowly spoke.

?While I still suspect your motives and your accuracy, I have to admit that you have given me much more information about Sasuke than I have been able to glean in years of knowing him. In return I?ll tell you the only useful thing I know, and after that I?d prefer you take your inquiries elsewhere, is that clear?? She nodded. If she had given him more insight into Sasuke?s character then Shino might be grateful to her. They were well known rivals in the department, even if that rivalry was understated. ?I had heard rumors about the Uchiha family long before I even touched a ledger. Something unsavory happened in connection to his brother and father, but no one knows any details. When I first met him Kakashi said something about Sasuke?s father and that?s the only time Sasuke showed as much response as I ever saw out of him?and it wasn?t good. It sounded similar to his reaction to Gaara Shukaku, if you are to be believed.?

Things were getting interesting. Problems with his family? Could Sasuke be related to Gaara in some way? They were similar in a lot of ways, but that didn?t prove anything. It was starting to get interesting, like she was solving a crime and putting the evidence together.

?Thank you Shino, you?ve been particularly helpful. I won?t bother you again unless it?s for work.? She rubbed her arms as she stood, trying to get the blood pumping and the warmth to return.

The man drew his eyebrows together over his glasses, and she sensed he wasn?t entirely pleased by her statement. ?I didn?t say that. I merely wished to imply my general disinterest in discussing Sasuke.?

?I take it women have tried to ply you for information before.? He nodded. ?Did they all get a much as I did??

He shook his head. ?Their stories were not as good as yours. This was an exchange.? She had almost made it out when Shino?s voice stopped her. ?Does he really wear glasses to read??

Sakura looked over her shoulder and winked.

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While this next interview was less stressful from a personality perspective, Sakura dreaded it more. Naruto was still obnoxiously chasing after her, but he did it in a friendly and playful way so was easy to brush off. Sometimes they actually had real conversations together, and Sakura would say that he was becoming as good of a friend to her as Hinata. If only those two connected better, then her life would be happier all around.

What she had to consider especially was that Naruto had a big mouth, and as Sasuke?s only friend (even if it was self proclaimed and not mutually accepted) it was entirely possible that Sasuke would find out what she was doing. She would not put it past Sasuke to make her life a living hell in the department until she left for the unforgivable crime of trying to know more about him.

It was the end of the day, and things were oddly calm considering all the need for bustle over the holiday purchasing. Then again, if all the ads were running this month then the deadlines for them would have had to be earlier. This was a brief lull.

Finding Naruto?s office was easy, since his was the only one with an embossed plaque on the door proclaiming in bold darkened letters: ?You Can Do Better Than That?. This Neji guy must be a real monster. She was morbidly curious already, but there was no call to go to human resources the next floor up if all she was going for was to be glowered at by a bad tempered man. Sakura could do that without leaving the accounting department.

Naruto pulled open the door before she had the chance to knock, while she studied the plaque and gathered her wits together.

?Sakura!? He surged forward as if he was going to hug her, but she sidestepped and he instead pretended like he had needed to stretch his arms. It made her feel bad for encouraging him by showing up at his office, but she wanted to know more and research was something she had always been driven to do. ?Come on in.?

There were wrappers for snacks littering the floor along with presentation boards, magazine clippings, the odd suit jacket, and even a few socks. It wouldn?t surprise her if the floor had not been vacuumed in weeks. What janitor could work around all this trash? It was disorder that Naruto navigated through expertly, as he cleared off a chair and patted it with one of his patented toothy grins.

?Don?t mind the mess. I believe in an open space filing method. Trust me, I know where everything is in this room.? He sat on a corner of his desk as Sakura picked her way through the room towards the chair. ?What brings you all the way up here??

?Actually, it?s sort of hard for me to say this but. . .? She trailed off, unsure of how to start. With Shino it had been straightforward. She presented facts, he considered them, he traded her his information for hers, and she had left. With Naruto it wouldn?t do to be linear because he obviously didn?t think in a linear and organized way.

The man?s face fell, those eyes of his becoming as glossy and sad as a puppy begging by the foot of the table for scraps. ?This is about Sasuke isn?t it??

?Well. . .? Sakura watched Naruto hit himself in the head.

?Stupid stupid Sasuke. It always happens. As soon as I like a girl it?s ?Sasuke this? and ?Uchiha that? and ?would your friend like to come see the movie with us too?, blah blah blah. You?re the third one.? He pulled at his already loose tie. ?At least you came up to tell me yourself. It was only a matter of time. He already likes you better than any other girl I?ve seen him near.?

The way Naruto worked was fascinating. It must be a mix of intuition so good it was scary as well as a healthy dose of natural charisma and bluff naivet?. Sakura?s original purpose for coming up had already been consumed by this new interest. ?Likes me? How do you figure that??

?He always says you?re annoying, whenever I?ve visited him lately.?

?That hardly seems like a sign that he likes me.?

?You don?t get it, he actually notices you! Most people don?t even rate annoying, let alone most girls being mentioned period. He must sense how special you are, like I did.? Naruto was good at laying the lame flattery on thick, even when he thought his chances were nil.

She couldn?t allow him to do this at his pace. ?Naruto, listen to me, I came here to ask some questions and yes they are about Sasuke. . .? Naruto nodded, staring off into the distance hopelessly. ?But only because I think I might be in the middle of a feud he?s having with a man named Gaara Shukaku.?

?Gaara!?? Naruto was by her side so quickly she almost fell backwards in her chair in an attempt to not let their heads collide. ?When did that jerk get anywhere near Sasuke and which one of them threw the first blow??

This was better than she?d hoped for. Naruto appeared to know everything she wanted to. She should have come to him in the first place. Telling him about Sasuke?s impromptu rescue was as far as she got before Naruto interrupted her.

?Don?t do it Sakura. Gaara?s just about the lowest form of life out there. He?s dirt. He?s worse than dirt. Anyone who associates with him is??

?You do know you?re talking about my former employer.?

??er, is probably misguided in thinking he?s not so bad.? Naruto coughed nervously before he continued. ?We all went to high school together. I transferred late in middle school so I didn?t know anyone, but Gaara and Sasuke have hated one another for as long as I?ve known them. Gaara?s. . . what?s that term for someone you always compete with but can never seem to beat. . . damn, all I can think of is Gai and Kakashi. . . it?s on the tip of my tounge. . .?

Sakura scanned through her synonyms. ?Nemesis??

?That?s it, I think. Or something like that. Rival might be more accurate now that I think about it. Bah.? Naruto snapped his fingers and dug around in his desk while he spoke. ?When Sasuke joined the track team, so did Gaara. Gaara joined the debate team, so Sasuke did too. They competed in any academic subject they had together. They were co-valedictorians of our graduating class. . . found it!? Naruto pulled out a framed picture and waved it around in triumph.

Sakura leaned forward over the desk as Naruto turned it around and pointed down at a picture of younger versions of Sasuke and Gaara who shook hands with strained expressions on their faces. Naruto made a stupid face in the background.

?Let me guess, you didn?t wear anything under your robe that day, did you?? Sakura noted that other than looking younger, they were all still handsome, even the goofball in the background. Did any of them ever have an awkward stage? Sakura remembered years of waiting to catch up with Ino in curves and social capability. At least she knew the folly of those days and accepted that she had her own style.

?How did you know? Beauty and brains. . .? Naruto tried again, maybe even out of habit. ?Couldn?t you just give me a chance to??

?Sorry.?

?Damn.?

Sakura looked at the picture a little longer while Naruto rifled through his desk searching for something else.

?Who took this picture??

Naruto scanned his memory for that day. Graduation had been one long party for all he cared. School done, more school left to go. ?Hm. . . considering it isn?t tilted funny, probably Kakashi. Iruka was never so talented with the camera. My head got cut off in half of the vacation photos.?

?What?!?

Naruto looked up from whatever he had been doing, the jocular qualities completely erased from his being. ?Iruka was my adoptive dad. He and Kakashi were friends and that?s why we ended up moving when I was 13.? He looked around, reminding Sakura of Hinata at her most self aware. ?What I tell you next must never go beyond this office. I?m only telling you because I trust you Sakura. I?ve never taken to someone like I took to you, but I have good instincts about people.?

?I won?t say a word.? Inside she was salivating, because this kind of trust and power were exactly what she fed off of when it came to personal interactions. Naruto wanted to trust her and she wanted him to trust her, so their friendship moved faster than nearly any other she had had. Too bad for him that she could only see him in a brotherly light, and a little brother at that.

?Kakashi took care of Sasuke from the time he turned twelve and left the care of the state. Sasuke lost his whole family when he was nine and bounced around through foster homes until Kakashi took him on. That?s part of why I liked him so much, since we both didn?t have families. I used to act out a lot because I wanted the attention so bad. . .? Naruto seemed so strong, especially when this was a subject that was still close to his heart. Sakura wished she did have feelings for him beyond friendship. He was such a worthy man. ?Anyway, you understand if word got around then people would throw around terms like ?nepotism? and Sasuke?s career would suffer.?

At least Sasuke and Gaara weren?t related. If they were family then she would have seen Gaara whenever she looked at Sasuke and that would have been nearly as bad as seeing Gaara in the flesh. The guilt and gratitude she felt compiled into the need for self disclosure matching what Naruto had told her.

?I want to tell you something too.? Naruto perked. It seemed today was a day for personal revelations. ?I used to get beat up when I was younger. The other girls didn?t like me and I didn?t have enough confidence in myself to fight back yet. One day they pushed me down and I cracked the side of my head on a concrete step.? Sakura took off the blue headband she always wore that tied her hair back. ?Five stitches. And I have a small bald spot right here.? She pointed to the physical imperfection that she still fussed over. ?Your secret is as safe with me as mine is with you, I hope.?

?You?re beautiful as always to me, Sakura.? They had only known one another for two weeks, and already she knew he would be her friend as long as she had breath in her body. The moment they shared as she tied her headband back on was special. Then he opened his big mouth. ?You think you?d go out with me someti??

?Naruto!?

?Sorry, you can?t blame a guy for trying right??

[Pikachu]

XD;;; Ahh~ Another recommendation by Cheryl. XD I kinda rushed through all 3 chapters when I read it the first time around since I was in school, waiting for my next class, but now that I hve fully read everything, I have to say it's been pretty interesting so far. XD I want to see the development of the sasuke vs gaara, now that Gaara thinks Sasuke is pursuing Sakura. XDDDD;;;

I can't wait till you actually also put neji in the fic... as in not only referred to as Naruto's boss or whatever, but get him to talk as well? o_O;

XDDD;; I think this happened in the fic, but I loved the part when Sasuke was like telling Sakura that she's sucking up to the wrong Hyuuga, when Sakura was trying to pair Hianta off with naruto. XDDD;; ahaha

[Splintered]

I love you and your stories. Seriously, this is the best Sasusaku AU I've read. I love your characterization and the setting and... well everything.

Write or I'll die of sadness. Pity me, no really.

[Lauren]

OOOOOHHHH THE PLOT THICKENS! Sasuke's childhood ;_; Naruto's childhood ;_; SAKURA'S childhood! ::tears:: But that's okay, there's still the mystery of Gaara! And doust I hear a mentioned of a future GaaSaku fic???

Cheryl: LARS! What did we talk about before?

Lars: ::mumbles::

Cheryl: What was thaaaaat?

Lars: NO EVIL GAASAKU THOUGHTS.

Cheryl: That's m'girl!

Thoroughly enthralled! Keep goin'!

[Oyuki]

so he revealed the foundations for the rivalry... ooh.