Chapter Text
Monday mornings truly were a blessing and a curse.
An exciting new week of challenges and tedious work, dreadful days spent indoors creating and succeeding in life, her ambitions and desires taking her away from a place she once called home.
Temari Sabakuno played to win, never one to turn down a task no matter the difficulty, no matter the time she would sacrifice for it. Stepping into a competitive field like hers had been the goal, the dream to sit on that final floor and gaze down into the city of Konoha. To earn the position she had worked her entire life for and make it a reality.
Though currently, she was anything but calm and collected.
She was late.
“Fuck.”
Eight minutes to be exact.
Temari ran like a clock, every moment spent at work planned ahead of time, each minute of the day meant for a task to be settled by her confidence and rightful leadership alone.
Everything had to be perfect.
As if the bad luck of a late awakening followed her, she finally remembered that she had caught the sides of the door on her car earlier, now knowing that today really was Monday.
"Just great," Temari muttered with a huff, coffee held in her left hand, leaning down to glare at the tear in her stocking, a brush of her hand only making the hole worse as she forced herself to push through the doors of Yamanaka Marketing Industries. The twelfth floor, her destination for now, a meeting that held great importance for her future just seconds away.
As the doors of the elevator threaten to slide closed, she blindly stepped in, fixated on staring down her skirt at the tear that would ruin her day, a mishap so small that it would put her in the mood she knew would keep her eyes on fire all day. Had she only been ready for the trouble her mistake would make.
As she walked in, one red heel before the other she fell, more specifically, fell into someone.
A move so sudden and alarming that she almost didn’t feel the hands holding her arms, pushing her just enough away from being caught in the mess she had created in the space between them.
Spilt coffee soaking one, but leaving the other untouched.
"Are you kidding me, you son of a,” just biting the curse on her tongue, she faced her obstacle, someone who dared to be in her way, "can't you watch where you're going?" Glaring up at the man, his brows quickly knitting together to shoot her an equally irritated look back.
"You should watch where you're going,” a stumbled step back when she leaned forward and snapped twice as hard.
"The courteous thing to do would have been not standing right in front of the doors, idiot.” One last spat and she caught herself, seconds, she only had seconds.
"You walked into me, woman," he glared back down to the stain on his white button up, the addition of coffee now giving it a beige hue, mumbling under his breath about how something was a drag, the last of it cut off from her attention.
Stepping past him to the back of the elevator, she waved off the pointless argument, seconds away from where she needed to be, she took each one to heart as she began to fix the mess.
"Brainless interns," Temari huffed, uncaring if he heard, kicking her heels off and setting her purse beside her, engrossed in her own frustrations to care who was near her. Picking at the side of her leg until she could grip the edge of the nude stocking and pull it down under her skirt, bare legs worked better than an imperfect exterior and today was too important for any screw ups.
Whether it was her fault or his.
“I’m not an intern,” muttered as the man glanced back subtly, eyes widening when he noticed what she was doing. Suddenly the spilled coffee didn't bother him so much. Eyes falling as she bent down just far enough to grab the rest of the stocking she had peeled off her long tan legs, the skirt he decided was now shorter than before.
"My eyes are up here pervert," his gaze quickly snapped up to hers at the warning, the heat behind the exchange leaving him burned. And just as quickly as he had looked, he turned away to stare at the door, an uncomfortable clearing of his throat, keeping quiet a hidden blush and forgetting that he still had coffee all over his suit.
One more floor and she slipped into her heels again, ripped stockings hidden in her purse, taking a step towards the door with a huff, gaining back her composure, needed for her important task ahead. The man beside her, forgotten, but remaining stiff staring back at the doors, afraid to look in her direction and when her floor came and she stepped out his head turned down, only his gaze following after her form instead, a hidden grin threatening to pull at his lips.
"Troublesome.”
Monday's a blessing and a curse.
Monday, 7:59 am
Prepared for war, wielding a dangerously hard look and powerful stride with each step into the room, the oval table and chairs spread around the sides of her battle field and inside her opponent, a bitch.
"Running late this morning, Sabakuno?" The damn witch herself, Tayuya Sakon, already seated back closest to the head of the table, to where the final boss would be, to where that goal ended.
"Still beat Kakashi,” she stopped her steps and took her spot across from her.
A rival if she wanted to force it, simply a pesky rock that kept falling into her shoe. Decent at her job, but lacking that little charm that would have the crowd roaring at the end of the show. Tall and hair as red as Temari’s lips, tied back hair as neat as her own, they would acknowledge their disdain in the other with forced toothless smiles.
"Kakashi is always late,” Tayuya scoffed, absently straightening her folder before her as the door squeaked with a new occupant.
"Not today, ladies,” strolling casually as usual, no haste in his steps or worry about fixing the one stray white hair plastered on his forehead, Kakashi nodding his greeting to each department head.
"Well look who decided to show up before the big boss did,” Temari threw back at him, just flashing a snarky grin to his slow smirk.
"I'm still here before Mr. Yamanaka,” he shrugged, taking the spot a chair away from hers, "so personal goal achieved today."
"You strive for so little, Hatake." Temari deadpanned, unimpressed by her colleagues' lack of interest in the competitive nature of their work.
Between the two other heads of their marketing division, Kakashi preferred his work to be slow and steady, not minding if he took an extra day, but always coming back with perfect results. As much as she hated to admit it, she liked his mild temperament and careful calculations to anything involving numbers and risks when it came to potential clients. A seasoned veteran of nearly ten years. Second to her if she had to decide now.
"The job still gets done,” he shrugged, sipping at his coffee carefully, lacking finesse and anything past a sluggish sigh.
"Better than your team, poor group looks drained,” the first shot of the day, Temari rolled her eyes at the attempt, "you probably suck all the souls out of those people."
"My department has twice the work you do, Sakon, so I know you won’t understand what working hard looks like.”
Two false smiles, a fourth entering to break it up.
With the fight paused, a new voice entered, bright, cheerful, and full of energy for the day ahead. Inochi Yamanaka, president and owner of the company, a man who knew what people wanted and a team at his back he called family to help him achieve the top ten status as one of the best marketing firms out there.
Just one spot down to Sharingan industries, their true rivals.
"Good morning my three favorite department directors, what a fine group of such hard and dedicated working people.” Everyone called out their greeting and followed the man as he stood at the end of the conference table, sharing his wide grin with the group. “I’m sure we all had a great weekend?”
“If you're about to bring up our golf tournament,” Kakashi began, a sly little smile sent to Temari when she rolled her eyes.
“No,” Inochi chuckled, “you definitely beat me fair and square, Kakashi, win is all yours.” Settling he glanced between the trio, “but back to business and time is money as they say. So,” he clapped his hands, another grin, “with Tsuande’s retirement coming up next year I’d like to make it known to my three directors that her spot as CEO will be opening up soon.”
Of course the leaders knew, it’s all their little lackies gossiped about for the past couple of weeks. Assistants and coworkers all buzzing about the change in power, of which one of their leaders would sit on the side of their boss, promising hopes and dreams for paper.
Temari wanted just that.
“I will be choosing one of you three based on your performances these next few months,” he looked between each of them, “I want to make sure you are reminded it’s not just quantity, it’s quality we are after. We want people to come back to us, to know us like we are best friends. I want a leader we can count on to keep that motto going.”
The speech slowed, a hesitant knock on the opened wooden door, unable to stop it as the group turned their attention to the noise.
To him.
The guy from the elevator.
Temari bit her tongue so quickly so swore she tasted blood, the curse threatening to slip out as he made his way in. His jacket buttoned up and tie hiding most of the stain, neat tied back black hair, a professional clean look, but a lack of finesse as if the suit and tie seemed to suffocate him.
Who would dare interrupt a meeting of this importance? And why was Inochi so excited to see him?
"Just in time," Inochi grinned broadly, gesturing to the young man with open arms. Shikamaru stepped forward and visibly straightened to take Inochi’s hand, but instead was taken into an uncomfortable embrace. Just long enough to make things awkward, giving each head a chance to glance at one another before looking back to their boss as he addressed them. "Everyone this is my nephew, Shikamaru Nara, not blood related of course, but close enough. He'll be our newest head representative in the marketing department with you three.”
Silence.
"Excuse me?" The words slipped out before Temari could cover her mouth, ignoring the eyes turned to her and forcing hers off of the new arrival back to Inochi to play nice again.
"Miss Sabakuno?" Inochi raised a brow in question to the outburst.
"Mr. Yamanaka," she began evenly, keeping her voice light, just on the line between pleasant and spiteful. "It’s just we aren't supposed to be accepting new employees this late in the quarter," she turned a sharp look to Shikamaru, catching his eyes briefly and forcing ice to form, "no new hires, you said it yourself.”
"I can always make an exception for my best friend's son," he patted Shikamaru’s back, a man who died under the praise as Inochi boosted, "fresh out of college and ready to gain some on the job experience." He grinned wide, always friendly, but lacking when it came to spotting the obvious disapproval in his department heads.
Shikamaru offered Inochi a tight smile, forced and awkward as the group around looked among each other, with Kakashi being the first to speak.
“So is he going to be shadowing one of us?”
“Or are you going to throw him in the deep end?” Temari didn’t bother to hide the glare now, curious in her threat, tapped her neatly done french tips onto the table, the sound echoing during the decision.
“Haven’t decided yet, but I know that this will play a factor in my final decision. You three are my best, so I want him to learn from the best,” he winked back at them. That caught their attention, even Kakashi straightened, only enough to not roll his head back. Turning away, he guided Shikamaru out the room, leaving the trio to sit in silence for only a few seconds.
“This just got interesting,” Tayuya smirked and stood, Temari mimicking the gesture, though not as amused as her rival.
“Interesting or trouble for us,” Temari scoffed, fixing her jacket cuffs and readjusting the thin old gold watch on her wrist, the clasp barely holding on with the jerking movements.
“Guess we’ll have to see how the kid does,” Kakashi grabbed the cup he came in with and took a sip, looking between them.
And the bad luck continued amongst the uncertainty.
“Miss Sabakuno, might I have a word with you in my office?” Inochi called back in, her frozen state melted into a firm nod and grin that fell as soon as she walked out the room. Feeling like the principal had just called her into his office, but knowing that each step she took beside him to that final floor would determine her future.
"I thought we discussed me being promoted, Sir.” She let it slip out as soon as the door shut behind them. Inochi let out a sigh and chuckled as he strode past his velvet seating area in his office towards the grand wooden desk in the middle, going for his comically large leather chair.
“There is something missing,” he hummed back to her as she quickly caught up to take her seat on the other side of the desk.
Now alone she let some of the stiff tension relax in her shoulders. Not her first time seeing the carefully crafted oak designs of the room, passing ancient bookshelves and deep purple rugs only the rich could afford, she took her spot before the man who saw potential in her before she could even see it herself. That was three years ago, hesitant to make that first move and finding more than just a job in the end.
“Missing how?” Demanding just enough not to sound harsh, friendly if you tilted your head a bit.
"Well, Temari, I’d like to see you be more of a team player in the next few months,” just enough restraint that she wouldn’t gap openly at him, "you might be my best marketing promoter, hell, you can sell water to the ocean, but your social status in the office is, for lack of better terms," he glanced away uncomfortably, searching for a better word, but settling with one that still made her chest heave under her clean blouse, "lacking.”
"Lacking?" she managed calmly, the word barely making it past her bared grin.
"You only attend events with customers, never engage with anyone outside of that, you take on everyone’s work, and I do appreciate it, but there is a reason there are three of you pitching the customers.”
"Well I am trying to sell to clients, not our employees, Mr. Yamanaka, and as far as our other heads go, we work well enough with each other.”
"Yes, but as my CEO you'll be managing multiple different teams, so you'll need to be a part of the team in order to gain their trust, and vice versa, you have to trust them to handle things as well.”
"Trust?" She couldn’t help that it came out like a question, as if she didn’t know what the word meant.
"You’re a bit,” he hesitated and offered an attempt at a comforting smile, "how to put it lightly, unapproachable sometimes. You run your department like a military operation, effective, but strict, it's not great for moral,” he raised his hands quickly in defense, "nothing wrong with your work ethic, you've always been perfect, never failed a deadline or even made a mistake, but,” that dreaded word, perfect, she stiffened despite her restraint. “I just want to see you succeed in all fields, be more well rounded, if you will. You have been my best employee for two years running and I want to see a third year. The investment I made in you has been amazing, your loyalty, inspirational! But use some of that charm you have with our buyers on our teams.” He raised his fist, firmly shaking it with his broad grin, “imagine what you could do if you had not just me, but the entire industry at your back, just like Tsuande has everyone’s trust.”
"Consider it done, Mr Yamanaka,” she resisted the urge to groan when he clapped his hands.
"That's the spirit, Temari!”
A simple hurdle to jump through, she could manage this easily, so close to that finish line she could practically smell the brisk air from the top.
“One more thing,” the glass shattered around her, her smile twitching, threatening to fall as the hurdle suddenly became an enormous mountain. “My nephew will be your partner during this quarter, he's new to the business, but I assure you he's not just for show, he's a pretty smart kid and I'm sure you can use him in your department to help out the seasonal workload,” he smirked, “he’s a decent strategist, and I know how much you like things planned out in advance.”
"Why my department?" Asking slowly, keeping that professional mask glued on for just a moment longer.
"Because unlike Kakashi and Tayuya, your department has never made a mistake, and I'd like my nephew to learn from the best.” His grin turned up even brighter, as if he’d had the greatest idea known to mankind, a part of her wished to throw the stapler at him for the fact he seemed to be blind to her darkened stare, “plus you can work on being part of the team, so to me is a two birds one stone situation," he chuckled and leaned back in his chair, good natured and kind, she knew that about her boss. He had no ill intent, but this was just breaking the seams to her very limited composure. “What do you say, Temari?” He smiled, lacking any bad fortune with his request and she realized what this was, “are you up for the challenge?”
A challenge.
Temari did love those. One thing she could always count on, Inochi having her back since the first time he shook her hand and told her she was perfect for this part in his company. A company that was truly like a family, taking care of each member from the top to the bottom and breeding a fierce loyalty in her to the name of Yamanaka Marketing Industries.
"Looking forward to it, Sir." The smile forced back, showing less teeth, even though she hated the way it pulled at her lips she knew inside she could do this. An obstacle to conquer, that's what her boss had given her, or possibly one that could help climb her ranks faster.
A challenge, she did like those.
“Temari Sabakuno, CEO of Yamanaka Marketing Industries,” Inochi hummed and he leaned back in his chair testing the tempting title.
"Has a nice ring to it,” she admitted, a subtle grin following, less forced, and more pleasant, more approachable.
"It does, doesn't it?” He crossed his arms and grinned back as she bowed his head respectfully.
"I won't fail you, Sir.”
The grand feel of something as simple as an office space gave Shikamaru a sense of purpose, hidden behind his curious look around the place. His uncle's company, his father’s investment in him finally paying off.
Born to be great, realizing quickly the drag of what hard work got him. More work. He’d take it though, he'd handle it, he'd invest his time into the company those before him created for their children. While his best friend took off for culinary school, and his, not by blood, sister took to using her looks to follow in her mother’s modeling career, he took the troublesome task of being molded to continue on the company name.
Forced really, but he wouldn’t give his mother the satisfaction of seeing him quit now. That little thought tucked away with the quiet hum of the office.
Simple open layout, a grand view of the street eighteen floors below on one side, desks and cubicles in the middle, people at work, a team managing calls and spreadsheets, boards and layouts for possible ads to be created. Unsurprisingly, he saw Ino’s face on a magazine cover, her latest endeavors taking her across seas for an ‘amazing opportunity’ photo shoot she had said last week.
One wide hallway connected to where the elevator was and a reception desk in front, behind it a short mousy woman by the name of Marsuri, simply offering a welcoming smile and her gaze glued to a screen before her when he had entered to meet his new assistant alongside Inochi before his uncle ran off to his top office on the twenty-fifth floor. One down from the rooftop patio he used to attend as a kid when the company would have their yearly parties and balls, all planned of course by the mothers of the children.
Three doors in the big space around him, only catching the conference room to his right and the office with a new nametag on it to its side. His own office was renamed that same morning. Almost making the first day jitters settle in his bones finally. Shikamaru went to check the next office, but was finally brought back from his observation to reality.
That being an old friend he hadn’t seen in nearly two years, his extra schooling taking him past just a mere graduate. All degrees needed for the field of marketing, the work over the past few years burned to his memory whether he wanted it there or not. The way this company actually ran, just a childhood experience he never could get away from. Nearly twenty years old, he still had a memory of his uncles and father opening up the doors for the first time when he was a four year old kid, Ino to one side and Choji the other.
A family company as their fathers had said.
"Easy work," Kiba grinned now, turning Shikamaru’s attention back to him, his quiet observation of the place he’d be spending forty hours a week at coming to a end as he met the familiar grin of his friend, "isn't it, boss?”
"I really hate that title." He faked a dramatic shudder, leaving Kiba to chuckle, “I’m not going to be your boss, I’m just going to be your boss's partner.”
"Yeah well, you decided to spend two more years back in uni, so within the four walls of this place, your the boss, Shikamaru— I mean Mr. Nara.” The dramatic salute, like catching up with old times before he was made to glare down at numbers and lines on paper, so insignificant to most, but it’s here his future laid.
Asuma would be proud, he thought.
"Had no choice, either this or have my parents on my back about doing something with my life.” He added quicker and with a cringe in his shoulders, “and please don’t call me Mr. Nara, Kiba. I’m not my dad.”
“So you haven’t changed a single bit since school,” a short exchange and Kiba let out a long sigh of relief, “thank god, man. Fucking corporate jobs are the worst, they really change people.”
“Then why work here?”
“Pays great and hours are decent, and the bonuses Mr. Yamanaka gives us are amazing,” he paused and grimaced, “unless there’s a deadline, then we can get stuck in here for weeks, working and working and working.” He blew out a held breath, exhausted with the mention. Curious, but not enough to ask why. “We've missed you man, haven't heard from you in almost a year."
"You know why," Shikamaru muttered, turning away to glance around the space. Open and light flooding from the sky around them. He was glad at least he now stood where he was needed, where his childhood dreams of clouds stopped and his future as a leader began. Though he did enjoy the view of the sky from this angle, that habit hard to break even now.
“Alright, I’ll show you around the place, since I’ll be your new secretary,” Kiba winced, making a careful suggestion, “maybe a new title for myself?”
“Assistant?” Shikamaru offered.
“That sounds better,” he pointed a finger at him sternly, “but in no way shape or form will I be getting you coffee.”
“Hey, I bought you beer when you couldn’t, you owe me.” Shikamaru let a sly grin rise at the reminder of freshman year. A few friends all failing in buying alcohol, except for Shikamaru who had perfected the careless look of indifference and played off his fake ID like a professional. One he still kept tucked away with a few other trinkets from his youth.
“I don’t even remember my senior year thanks to you,” Kiba deadpanned, ready for another joke until the shout.
"Mistress!"
Suddenly the light breezy air of the place shifted, a storm was approaching.
"Why is everyone panicking?” Shikamaru leaned away as one of the boards came rolling by, a pair of fearful workers going to hide in the conference room on the other side. He noticed Sakura clear the table of folders and call out for a specific one. Now he knew for a fact something dangerous was approaching when she lost it.
Sakura Haruno had been tied to him just as close as Kiba had been back then, a fearless rival to Ino and the second smartest person in the room if he only compared her to himself. Firm in her can do attitude and ambitions as could be, she was one of the only women who didn’t get on his nerves, at least when Ino wasn’t there. The fact that she was panicking to find that precious folder made the fear crawl up his spine, one would think a monster was approaching.
"Boss is coming,” Kiba practically threw himself at his desk beside the office he had been given, gathering papers and dropping loose ones all around the sides.
"Inochi?" Shikamaru glanced back down the hall, expecting his uncle, but getting a shuddering reminder at his back.
"No, Miss Sabakuno.”
He knew that name, the reminder still stained on his white button up. Inochi promised him a partner, someone he could learn from for a little while before he got warmed up to the feel of the job, but he hadn’t expected her. From the one incident and darkened look in that conference room earlier, he was sure she hated him.
"That troublesome woman from the meeting this morning?" His eyes widened back to Kiba as he began to grab at loose papers from the floor, panicked as the others, only stopping before Shikamaru when he asked. "This is her department? I’m working with her?”
"Yeah, I thought you knew that,” he gave an apologetic shrug and went back to work. “She's one of the head marketing directors here, our direct boss, but we call her the cruel Mistress, because well," he paused and tensed uncomfortably, “she's mean." Kiba rushed to shove a stack of papers into his file cabinet, his attempt at organizing failing as he crinkled the ends, even shutting it didn’t help hide the mess. "Also she’s terrifying to be around, especially when we mess up, runs this entire department like it's a military operation sometimes. Like some kind of drill sergeant.”
“I have to partner with her?” He just managed to wipe the surprise from his face and turn it into discomfort.
Like an alarm, the bell to the elevator rang, and everyone went still in the office.
"She's here," Sakura whispered loudly, Matsuri squeaked beside her as they rushed down the aisles towards the hall to the elevator just as the doors opened and one red heel made way onto the pristine white tile.
Her first victim, Sakura.
“Haruno, is it done?” Her sharply called name, Sakura already began showing the report she had been tasked with as she followed at Temari’s side.
“It’s all ready for your two o’clock, Miss Sabakuno.” Handing the file to Temari, she didn’t bother to open it and instead handed it off to Matsuri at her side. With a firm nod, Sakura was dismissed and the attention now turned on the click of those heels as she made it down the hall.
"Matsuri.”
"Yes ma'am?" The mousy haired women quickened her pace to keep beside Temari as she passed the hallway heading towards the desks, the stomp of her heels echoing on the marble, sounding like drums before a battle, keeping everyone staring back at their screens to avoid being on her direct war path.
Shaped in clothes that just fit her curved frame perfectly, her steps made in a sway and hips moving in a dangerous way. Hair pinned up and bangs neat across her flawless features. Dressed in white and black, a perfect balance of power, a sharp black coat to follow the same shade of darkness in her skirt and each step made in blood red heels.
The same shade as her lipstick.
"Push my nine o’clock meeting with the others to ten, and have my lunch with my next victim from Sharingan pushed to one, those cowards can’t seem to send anyone worth talking to.” Her heels stomped louder as she passed the hunkered down workers on her runway walk to her main office in the back. “Don’t make me remind you again that I want Sakon’s final edits on my desk in an hour at the latest.”
“But ma’am, Kimimaro said she isn’t supposed to.”
“I don’t care, I want those edits and accounts, steal them if you have to. We can’t afford a mistake this early into the quarter. And I don’t trust that woman to handle it.”
"Yes ma'am," Matsuri nodded quickly, nervously agreeing, but tapping frantically at her tablet as she rushed behind Temari, her heeled steps taking a sudden stop at the end of the lined cubicles.
So quiet now that a pin could be heard if dropped.
Suddenly turning sharply, the turn making Matsuri scramble to stop and not run into her, teals began searching the office as she spoke.
"So where is this new partner of mine?” The simple question sounded more dangerous than it needed to be. Though he had watched the display with a silent awe and prick of fear in his shoulders, he now understood why everyone had panicked earlier.
"He's with his assistant, Inuzuka,” Matsuri gingerly pointed toward the other side of the room, towards him and his nervous assistant.
Her focus set on Shikamaru and he didn't know why, but he froze, as if forced to, like a deer caught in the headlights awaiting its tragic end. He was sure that the damn air stilled in her presence with the look she gave, not even close to the heat he felt this morning during the coffee incident, but those eyes hooked his attention before he could even give it.
Like a cold fire, warming yet freezing, her target caught in her sights and her menacing steps making their way towards him. The clicking on the keyboards stopped, eyes watching as if a fight would break out. A part of him tensed, ready to give in on the first remark, but something told him the first move was just a fake, a test.
"Inochi’s not by blood nephew, Mr. Nara,” one drop in her gaze and something sparked inside him.
"It's Shikamaru,” he bothered to correct her.
"Well, Nara," she purposefully emphasized his last name and glanced at Kiba beside him, "Inuzuka should have settled you into your office and shown you the introduction books by now." Her eyes narrowed, turning down to his closed cabinet, wrinkled pages sticking out from the hastily closed drawer, she gave Kiba a quick glare at his nervous grin, "our meeting is at eleven, so don't be late and while you're at it, do something about that coffee stain, I like things neat and tidy around here and you look like a mess.”
When she looked back at him, he swore his heart nearly jumped from his chest. The smile that followed was downright terrifying, each side's delicate curve and flash of teeth, no, fangs back at him, whether in warning or a taunt to get a reaction, he stared back.
Her mockery, as if she wasn’t to fault for anything, so blatantly disregarding him at that second, but he saw it. An opportunity to step up as his uncle had said.
"I have you to thank for this," Shikamaru returned the false grin back to her, flashing a darker narrow in his eyes. No longer stuck in his trance, but matching her harsh tone somewhat easily. Just the tiniest flinch of her cheek, as if no one ever dared to talk back to her like this before.
"Let that be a reminder," her smile fell, amusement gone, and the threat made clear as day, “stay out of my way next time.” Holding the last heat of her glare she turned on her heels and moved past Matsuri, the assistant quick to scramble to her side and into her office.
Once the two disappeared behind the slammed door, the entire room took a breath and thanked themselves that Shikamaru had been her target.
"You weren't kidding about the cruel part.” His eyes hadn’t moved from the closed door, stuck to her golden name etched in the thick wood.
"She's a nightmare most of the time,” Kiba cringed and went to fix his drawers better now that the rush was over, "competitive, harsh, doesn't care if she hurts your feelings, but she sells like no one else can, people want to use our firm because of her, it's why Mr. Yamanaka keeps her around, she's the best.” Kiba shrugged, accepting the truth.
"This is going to be a drag,” he sighed, releasing the last of that heat he had felt crawl up his back.
"Bet you're regretting those two extra years now,” a joke helped clear the air.
"This is what I get for actually trying,” Shikamaru muttered, checking his wrist watch. A gift from his old mentor, his lighter tucked in his back pocket. “Guess we have time for you to show me that setup, before I have to go see that troublesome woman again.”
“Yeah,” Kiba sighed and unlocked the door to the office behind them, “you get the old office Neji used before he got his promotion to department head of Human Resources.”
“He still works here?” He let surprise enter and just as easily stay as he glanced around the barren room. A desk set in the middle and the two bookshelves neatly dusted down for his arrival. The glass coffee table in the corner of the room and chairs to follow, nothing personal to give a warm feeling to the room.
“Yeah, a couple floors down,” Kiba went about the shelves to search fo a specific binder as he glanced back to explain. “Miss Sabakuno made sure to get him out this year before the quarter ended, but he seems happier down there, so I guess it’s a good thing.”
“Thought he had an interest in finances?”
“He did,” Kiba nudged his head down to Temari’s office, “guy lasted two months before the Mistress drove him out of here. I’m telling you, it was a constant battle between them as partners.”
“You're really selling this new position of mine.”
“If you're lucky she’ll just ignore you,” Kiba shrugged, setting the book on his desk while Shikamaru kept at the door, “and some advice from your old buddy, don’t argue with her, it’s about as pointless as trying to bathe a cat.” Glancing back once more to the closed door, seeing the glint of that golden nametag on its front, he took the analysis of his opponent and waited to make his move.
“Noted.”
Monday, 11:03 am
"No.”
"But-"
"I said no,” she growled louder at her brother over the phone. "I do not want to speak to father and you shouldn’t be talking to him either after the last time he called and asked for money from us.”
"He just wants-"
"I said no, Kankuro.” Threatening to lose her firm tone and chuck the phone out the full glass windows, Temari shut her eyes as he continued, once again stuck between hearing her brother out and crushing him.
"Mari, can you stop being stubborn for just a minute and just listen?”
"Well how about you remind him who took care of who after we left Suna,” she leaned back in her chair, glaring at the skyline, “I did not spend years fighting to keep you both away from him. I raised you and Gaara on my own working three fucking jobs so you two could eat. Do I have to keep reminding you what life would be like if we stayed with that drunken sorry excuse of a father?”
“You sound like a broken record.” And like one she repeated the speech.
"I will never forgive that man, Kankuro,” bitter in her words and her start of the day mood, she continued on venomously, “you would be better off remembering who got you out of that fucked up home.”
"I know and you know we are grateful for you, sis, but," his muttered words met with a knock at her office door. She stared up, eyes wide and quickly followed the turn of the doorknob by slamming the phone off and cutting off her brother's final attempt at convincing her once again to call back their father.
She could not and she would not, swearing until the end of time that she would never talk to him again. The same night she grabbed her brothers by their hands and stormed out of that home, sixteen, bruised, beaten, and with only enough money in her pocket to get them as far away as she could.
And to keep this foul mood going, he was here.
Once again the idiot with the coffee stain entered her presence. Her worries were replaced, almost grateful that the anger from her talk still remained creased in her brows.
"What do you want?" Sounding harsher than she needed to be, he stopped at the door and cautiously gaged the room.
"It's eleven," Shikamaru’s flat statement met with her quick glance down at her laptop screen and she smacked her red lips.
"It's eleven o’ four, you're late," she scoffed, now set back into her role as the director of Marketing. "Punctuality is important, but I guess someone as inarticulate and inexperienced as you wouldn't know that." She gestured to the chair before her, calmly keeping her exterior stone cold, showing nothing from her previous conversation. "Now sit so we can get the introductions over with.”
"You already introduced yourself pretty memorably this morning,” he stepped in, door shut behind him.
"You shouldn't have been standing in front of the elevator doors,” even his dragging steps fed into the heat, lazily glancing around the room, catching a peek out her glass windows, only looking back to her when he spoke.
"You should have watched where you were going," and a smart mouth to boot his arrogant stroll to the chair in front of her desk.
"Are we going to have a problem, Nara?"
"You don't have to be so formal, woman,” he drawled on, going to sit, "this is an office, not some grand throne room.”
"Office space or not, this department is run by me, and I have worked very hard to keep it running like a well oiled machine," she glared at the stain to his button up, jacket opened and displaying the mess with purpose, "no matter what obstacles I have to deal with."
"I'm supposed to be your partner here,” he leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs, almost too comfortable, “not a lacky."
"I haven't decided yet if you even deserve the mention," she gave him another once over and sneer to follow her strike. "So far my judgment on you is nothing more than a lazy rich boy who got this position from his daddy all because he’s buddy buddy with my boss." she scoffed distastefully, "nepotism at its finest.” He didn’t bother to acknowledge the obvious shot at him, "and to me, you are not worth the effort,” ready to dismiss him, she sighed, "I don't see this working out so you might as well give up now.”
"If you say so,” he shrugged, indifferent to her slow narrowed glare.
"Add no fight back to the list.”
"And argue with a woman?” He sucked his teeth, “no thanks."
"Sexist too.”
"Well if you want to get into specifics, you did kinda strip down in the elevator,” he sat up and gestured to himself, “I should be the one fileing for sexual harassment here."
"Pervert for looking,” she scoffed at his audacity.
"You didn't see me stripping over the coffee spill,” thrown off, frustrated so quickly, and clenching her fist on the desk. She almost didn’t notice the subtle squint in his eyes, the little pull on the corner of his lips, forcing a reaction out of her.
"I had a tear in my stocking," she huffed, ready to defend and rolled her eyes away as she realized, why was she arguing with a nobody like him, "why am I explaining myself to you, I'm your boss.”
"Partner,” he corrected calmly.
Temari almost jumped across the desk to smack him.
“Listen,” she forced a breath, forced her hands to unclench, just enough not to toss the new coffee cup at her side in his face. Arrogance pissed her off, someone thinking themselves better than her, how fucking dare he. “Mr. Yamanaka wants you to learn from my department, because we are the best. I am the best.”
She would leave the little mention of how having him here could benefit her in the run for CEO, all she had to do was keep him around long enough to get what she wanted. She could do that, Temari could have him drowning in pointless paperwork just to appease her boss.
“Are you even aware of the position you’ve been gifted?” Emphasizing her final word, intent on breaking that indifference on his face now.
“I didn't spend six years of my life in college for nothing, I know this business well enough,” he shrugged back to her, unbroken.
“Fine.” Just an obstacle she told herself. “You can shadow me this week, but do not get in my way. That means no questions, no stumbling, and no stupid looks. I don’t hold hands and I do not slow down, so you better keep up with me or you will be left behind,” he raised a brow back to her glare, as if unaffected by the warning. “You will be a child, to be seen and not heard, got that?”
They kept the stare down going, she even thought herself victorious as he let out a sigh and stood.
“Is that all, Miss Sabakuno?” The lazy drawl of her last name hit just right, grinding her teeth hard enough to make it personal.
“And one more thing,” she called out to him, pausing his step at the door to look back at her, the mocking last strike made with a smirk, just flashing enough of the fangs to darken his glare, “no coffee cups near me, Nara?”
He called it the moment she had stepped out of that elevator that morning.
Troublesome.
Monday, 9:19 PM
"Lacking.”
Temari repeated the words that had been haunting her all day, glaring at her third beer, the first having gone down faster than a shot, the second soon after. Now hidden away at her brother's simple apartment on the south side of Konoha, only getting his full attention with food and beer as an apology for hanging up and forgetting to call back after.
Always one to hear her out, always one to push her just far enough, good or bad, their conversation earlier in the day set aside with one warning look when she came over after work. It had been the worst possible time for her brother to bring up the dreaded topic of their father again. A drunken man left alone, his children taken away by the eldest to a foreign land where she made a name for herself in order to protect them.
She would do anything for them.
"Lacking or nonexistent?" Kankuro, further humored, threw his head back in another round of laughs, only dying down when she chucked the used plastic fork from their takeout back at him, "your boss really said that?”
"He didn't just say it, he emphasized it," she groaned and dropped her head into her hands, "he called me unapproachable too." She tensed when Kankuro snorted and laughed harder than before, glaring back at him, adding more to get it over with. “He wants me to start being a team player and trust people,” and he slowly returned, slowing the bellow into a throaty chuckle.
"You don't work well with others, sis, you’re too competitive and controlling,” he shrugged to her, grabbing his beer again.
"It's called being ambitious, Kankuro,” he snorted at her, "unlike you, I've got dreams bigger than your stupid garage.”
Her brother’s little run down car garage, a lazy three minute walk from his apartment, and the first and only job he’s ever wanted, making enough to move away for her and still complain that she was fifteen minutes away. A man who liked to tinker and negotiate with the questionable people of Southside Konoha.
"You’re just jealous I don't have to work all the time like you do,” he stuck his tongue out, now seeking to annoy the hell out of her, she almost groaned when it began, “workaholic should be on your mental health chart along with anger management, daddy issues, your sociopathic tendencies, and stubbornness that reaches a level of insanity,” she cut him off with one sharp curse.
"Fuck you.”
"Maybe you should just try it out, try to be friendly.”
They both glanced at each other, before sharing a laugh across the coffee table, her brother still using the kitchen table for a pair of tires he brought home. She played the game well during work hours, not exactly friendly, but just enough held back to hook a customer and welcome them into her company’s growing numbers. Known for sneaky strikes and harsh hits, clients left applauding at the end of her little show, Inochi’s net worth adding more with each battle she took on.
"I am not a friendly person.”
"This is true,” he died down his laughter, throwing his hands on the back of the couch, swirling the beer in his right hand, "the only person I've seen you be nice to, willingly, is Gaara."
"He's my baby brother,” she mocked with a dramatic hand to her chest, seeking now to annoy her other brother.
"Uh hello? The fuck am I then?" Kankuro rolled his eyes, swinging his beer back, his comment ignored as Temari continued her speech.
"The smartest, greatest, most adorable creation that came from Sunagakure, the first ever Sabakuno to become a lawyer,” purposefully drawing a sweeter tone in her voice and making her middle brother groan with her doting words.
"He's twenty, in college, and lives in his dorm, Mari,” he scoffed, “why do you still baby him?” She wondered briefly if her youngest brother had gotten the care package she had packed him last week.
"He can be a hundred years old and I'd still dote on him, you're just jealous it’s not you." Both throwing mocking smiles at the other, "now go be a good middle brother," Kankuro rolled his eyes, "and bring me something stronger than this piss you call alcohol.”
"Hitting the hard stuff on a Monday, brave," Kankuro smirked as he stood, snatching their empty dinner containers while she wiped after them, "you’re in for a shit week, sis."
"Why can't I be tipsy at work,” she sighed, joking, but some truth in the words, “I'm fun tipsy.”
"Better than drunk you," Kankuro shouted from the kitchen. "Although I do miss hearing you kick guys out of your bed at three am, it was quite a show for us to see growing up.”
"When you pick up a guy from the bar they should know in a one night stand agreement there's no cuddling afterwards,” playing along she smiled with him.
"Because your cold heart might freeze them if they try.”
"Exactly,” she chuckled and glanced briefly at the evening news behind her, the new tv still spotless and untouched with car oil, her brothers first big splurge. “Besides, I haven't done that in a while, been too busy at work,” she pouted to herself, resting her chin on her hand and sighing, "I miss getting laid.”
"You’re right sis, tipsy Temari is fun, you should keep her around," she scoffed, the buzz not helping her contain the day's worries for long. The back of her mind playing out the past of her father sat back with a glass making her rethink ever taking another sip of alcohol again.
"And sober me is unapproachable,” she realized with a sigh into the air, looking at Kankuro as he came back, “and to top everything off, to make this day just an absolute worst," she practically shouted back to him, his brow furrowed at her frustration, at the reason why she had shown up to share her feelings, the only man that knew her better than she did sometimes, "I now have to deal with a partner at work, in my department.” He raised a brow, sitting cross legged on the floor as she was, the table between them, and the half empty bottle set in the middle as he questioned her.
“I’m gonna need more than that.”
"I have to share my title, the one I worked so hard for, with some new guy," her glare darkened into the room, Kankuro tensed, "and not just some run of the mill plain guy, but some entitled name brand rich kid fresh out of college with zero experience on how to keep a job and the most arrogant fucking look you’ve ever seen.”
"You don't share,” Kankuro simply stated, nodding along and hooked to the story.
"I don't share," she emphasized with him, waving her hand towards the poured shot he slid over. “I mean you should have seen this guy, he sat in front of me and looked me right in the eyes,” she pointed to herself, louder as she let loose her complaints, “and gave zero fucks, Kankuro! Do I look like someone you can just brush off and not give a shit about?”
Slowly, he nodded with her, understanding, on course, almost helpful, almost.
Almost.
“Is he cute?” And she lost him, her anger fell into nothing.
“Please don’t do this again,” she groaned and threw her head forward into her hands.
“Just fire him,” like she hadn’t thought of that one the moment he flashed that cocky smirk back to her. She groaned again and laid her head into her folded arms on the coffee table.
“Can’t, he’s Inochi’s, not by blood, nephew. I need him if I want that promotion,” she mumbled into her arms and peeked up at him for a solution. They stayed in silence for a moment and Kankuro finally sighed loudly, failing to help as he lifted his drink just as she did hers.
"Man, Mondays are the worst!”
"The fucking worst!”
They cheered to their misfortune and took the shot together, the week ahead troublesome as that stupid kid would say.