Faceless Desire

Chapter 6-Itachi Enters From Stage Left

Sasuke only realizes he forgot to respond to Haruki as he lies in bed in the very early hours of Tuesday morning since he's having trouble falling asleep. He'd woken up in the middle of the night Friday in a panic. The man had been so unsure of what to do that he desperately took Naruto's advice and downloaded the stupid AC app.

The experience was...surprising. Sasuke only tried it as a last resort but found it did bring an unexpected comfort. Now, he knows what Naruto meant when he described it as non-obligatory.

Truthfully, he fell asleep messaging Haruki and felt sick as a dog all weekend. All the rest he got means he feels less exhausted now, at least.

'I shouldn't have asked that so soon. Sorry if I made you feel pressured,' is the message awaiting the man. He hesitates because he's no longer in a manic state of mind. If he responds now, that means he's one of those people who acknowledges their mental inadequacies.

'I'm twenty-three. You?'

To his surprise, a quick response came, 'Nineteen. We're not so far apart, huh? That's cool! How was your weekend? Was work better than you expected today?' The person's youthful enthusiasm made the age believable. Sasuke scoffs, turning to his side. Haruki obviously hasn't had his spirit crushed by adulthood yet. They may only be four years apart, but their outlooks seem worlds apart.

He replies, 'It could've been worse, I guess.'

'Did your coworker get you in trouble?'

'Not exactly. It might still be too soon to tell. They didn't quit, though.'

'At least there's that.'

Sasuke catches himself not frowning. It feels like he's speaking with his own personal confidante. Haruki may not know exact details of his life, but it seems like he doesn't mind and is only interested in lending an ear. The Uchiha feels grateful but not as much as he does uneasy. Who is this person? What if they find out his identity and contact the press?

'How was your day? Embarrass yourself again?' Part of him doesn't really care to learn about Haruki, but it'd be rude not to offer to listen.

'It almost sounds like you're trying to tease me about it, haha. It wasn't all that bad. My boss is a dick, but what can you do, right?'

For the next hour, the pair messaged back and forth, learning a little bit more about one another. By the time they say good night, Sasuke feels like he's stumbled upon gold. Naruto's a great friend, but there are things he can't understand. There are also things the Uchiha man will never be able to share with him. It doesn't feel that way with Haruki.

The rare, pleasant mood Sasuke is in dampens when his two assistants enter his office with coffees the next morning. The redheaded one hands him one with a smile, "Good morning, Sir." He nods wordlessly, eyes flickering to the other one, who lifts a brow but says nothing and politely greets him the same way.

Please, God. Let this woman keep her mouth shut today.

And she does. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he and Miss Uzumaki were out of the office for most of the day, leaving her with Sai in their absence. For at least two days this week, the assistants will have to switch places so both can be accurately trained. Hopefully, Miss Haruno will calm down by then.

"Do you have any advice so far, Sir?"

Sasuke's focus is snapped by the redhead in his passenger seat. He glances at her before turning his gaze back onto the road, "Pardon?"

"Is there anything I should improve on?" The woman adjusts her legs so one is crossed atop the other, her skirt rising slightly, almost to the middle of her thigh. "I want to learn as much as possible while working under you. Please don't hesitate to tell me if something needs attention."