Testing Fate: A MadaSaku Love Story

Chapter 5

"Long time no see, my old friend. How are you settling in?"

Madara steeled his body so it wouldn't move away when Danzo patted his arm with a smile plastered on his scarred face, "I'm ready to work."

The dark-haired older man chuckled, glancing at the couple standing silently nearby, "Always the professional, isn't he? Some things never change."

Danzo casually walked around the large mahogany desk in the office they were meeting at and sat. Madara observed as he moved to stand beside Yahiko and awaited instruction. For Mr. Shimura to summon him back to Konoha after all this time, he surely had something specific in mind. He didn't have to wait long because his boss soon explained the situation.

"As you all know, I have relationships with some of the most powerful people in the country. It's taken years for our family to gain its good reputation, and the time has come to take things to the next level."

Madara's teeth grit. He didn't like how the older man's smile kept widening. It made his stomach churn.

"I chose you three because there's no one I trust enough for such an important job. Please don't make me regret my decision."

The couple to the Uchiha man's left glanced at one another, but no one interrupted the powerful man sitting at the desk.

"On Christmas Eve, I will be hosting an auction. Your job is to locate and retrieve the items for this auction." No one outwardly reacted, so Danzo continued, "Someone will be in contact to provide you with your targets and information on when and where to deliver them. I trust I don't need to explain how important this party is for all of our futures."

Hours later, Madara returned to his apartment feeling apprehensive. It's been so long since he worked directly under Danzo, so he'd forgotten how unsettling his constantly-present smile was to behold. His way of speaking was sickeningly sweet and cheerful, as though he was always in the presence of children he didn't want to scare. The Uchiha man isn't scared of him, per se, but he is intimidated by the man's power. With just a snap of his fingers, dozens of assassins could jump a target at any moment.

'Will we have to steal the items for this mission? He didn't explain that well,' Madara wondered as he absently cleaned his apartment. When he told Sakura the place was only tidy because he'd just moved in, he wasn't lying. It's not that he's lazy, just that he gets so focused he doesn't notice.

In the past, he's stolen priceless treasures, but he'd also worked jobs where the item simply needed to be picked up and brought back. Given the lucrative nature of their meeting and how thoroughly Danzo reminded them of his expectations, Madara expected to be given only the most demanding orders.

A soft thump hit the wall separating his unit from Sakura's, and he sighed, glaring at the white paint that colored it.

It's been over a week since he and Sakura spent more than a few minutes in one another's presence. When he left her apartment on Saturday evening, he felt they were back to normal, where they'd visit one another a couple times throughout the week and text occasionally, but that wasn't the case.

On Tuesday morning, he ran into the pink-haired woman when he was leaving for work, and she was leaving for a jog. She couldn't meet his eye.

Madara's not an idiot, and he's not blind. The moment she noticed his presence, she became stiff, and when the elevator doors closed with them inside, her body language became introverted and defensive. It was apparent she didn't feel comfortable, but the man couldn't figure out why. When the doors opened, she plastered on a sad excuse for a smile and hurried out of the building before he could stop her.