Gotham United
AN: Kakashi's age is approximately fifteen years older than canon in this story. Canon events have been altered, but you'll recognize quite a few. Also, as this is a fairly loosely adapted AU, expect some OOC. ;)
Fifty Seven Years Ago, The Burroughs, Outskirts of Gotham City
Tsunade, her small feet silent on the scuffed floors of her front hallway, crept up to the kitchen doorway and pressed her five year old body to the wall, closing her eyes, slowing her breathing. Just like mama had taught her. "It's the only way to learn anything around here," she'd said, before rolling her eyes and winking at Tsunade.
"It can't keep on like this!" Her grandfather's voice, tense with frustration, tore at her. He was supposed to be smiling and laughing. That's the grandfather she knew, the one who pulled her into the garden after him every Saturday morning no matter how late he'd been out carousing the night before, to escape her grandmother's nagging and list of 'honey do' chores. "It's escalating; there just isn't enough to go around. The haves are taking from the have-nots, the have-nots are stealing it all back, and from there…" He slumped into his chair with a soft sound of cotton and wool-clad worker after a hard day's work. "They're suffering. They're all suffering."
"There is little we can do about that, Hashirama."
Tsunade pressed her rosy, cupid's bow lips together. She knew that voice; the dark-haired Uchiha, her grandfather's best friend… He rarely visited them at their home, though. She only knew that they'd been best friends since they were young, and that there was something unusual about their friendship. (Grandmother Mito would always spike a brow when she asked how they become friends, while grand-uncle Tobi would mutter something about them being strange, all right.)
"But there has to be! We barely have enough medical care for the community; yet the council won't authorize the hiring of more staff ,or allocate the resources for more education so we can meet even the minimum requirements for university education for them. We don't have the money to send our young away to be trained… We're drowning!"
There came a heavy sigh, this time from grand-uncle Tobi; Tsunade's breath caught. He was never there when the Uchiha was around. This must be serious!
"We need more control. Over everything. And we need a less corrupt police force. The current one is too politically tied to supporting the regime."
"People, honest people, can't make ends meet. The only ones thriving are the underworld, because they can bypass authority so easily. And as long as they keep paying their tithe to the officials and ministry, the city council is happy to let them go along as they please," said the Uchiha in an even tone. "Every step of the way, Uchiha Tech Enterprises has struggled not against economic downturn or competition, but against the bureaucracy. The ministry and council don't want UTE to succeed or become too powerful; too much power could lead to influence. They'd rather we struggle and fail than succeed; regardless of the effect on the populace." He did sigh then, under his breath. "We could be the biggest employer in Gotham, but they keep cutting us off at the knees."
"On purpose," murmured Hashirama, his voice tired and distorted. She could easily imagine him rubbing his face as he said it, but didn't dare poke her head any closer to the doorway.
"The system is broken." And Tsunade was so shocked at the tone of grudging agreement in Tobi's voice that she nearly gasped. She caught herself just in time. Tobi and the Uchiha were agreeing on something? Oh dear heavens. Grandmother would never believe her!
There was a moment of silence, then, and Tsunade held her breath.
Then the voice she least expected spoke up.
"Well then," said her grandmother, in her simple, straightforward way. And there was something that chilled the air in that moment; that slid ice down Tsunade's spine, and trickled through her veins, and froze her in place. There had always been something cold and calculating she'd only glimpsed in her grandmother, prior to then. She knew so little about grandmother Mito's past outside of her endless beauty, her refined manners and her salty tongue. But now, now she realized there was perhaps something dangerous lurking behind that beautiful facade, something more intelligent and predatory behind those hands that, like her grandfather Hashirama's, had easily healed her bumps and bruises and broken bones as if by magic.
The matriarch of the Senju continued in a relaxed, no-nonsense, terrifying tone.
"What we need, is a new system."
And then sweat broke out along the young girl's temple when Mito called, in her sweetest tone, "Isn't that right, Tsunade?"
Shit.
Modern Day, Gotham City, Green-Wood Cemetery, South Brooklyn
Itachi looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, causing Sasuke to turn away from the granite mausoleum that housed their parents' remains. Who wore high heels to walk the stone paths in this old, half-forgotten acreage in the cemetery?
Itachi nodded to the visitor.
"Good morning, Dr Senju."
"No need for formality, Itachi, I've told you a hundred times. Tsunade is all I am," she said in return. She nodded in Sasuke's direction. "Sasuke. I trust you're both well?"
"Hn."
Her brow arched at Sasuke's grunted acknowledgement, and she pursed her lips. "Manners, Master Uchiha," she snapped, and Sasuke hated that the strident sound had him straightening his back to stand taller in her larger-than-life presence. She turned her gaze back to Itachi. "I'll be seeing you this afternoon?"
"Of course."
She nodded. "Good. I brought flowers for your parents; I know your mother enjoyed the bouquets from the Yamanaka clan. Fugaku could go stuff himself for all he knew of art and beauty."
Sasuke almost missed the upwards tug of his brother's lips at Tsunade's disgusted snort.
"He recognized it in Mother, though, and that was all the beauty he needed," Itachi countered.
"You're definitely Mikoto's son, with that tongue of yours," said Tsunade, arranging the flowers on the raised ledge. Sasuke had set out his offerings of oranges and incense a few moments earlier. "And congratulations on the rehabilitation hiring initiative; a number of our outreach clinic visitors have mentioned it recently, and they're cautiously optimistic. Which is to say they're grateful you're willing to give them a chance and plan on showing off the kind of grit they're made of. Their families were hit pretty hard by the DA's 'incarceration spree', and they've been struggling." She frowned a moment before shaking her head and nodding to them. "A bit like old times," she murmured to herself before shaking her head and facing them again.
"Good to see you both, and your boys, Mikoto. And Fugaku, you arse who never knew how good you had it." With that, Tsunade nodded to the grave, to the 'boys', before turning on her heel and striding back down the path she'd come.
Sasuke watched, frowning, until she disappeared behind the wrought-iron fencing and shrubbery.
"She has an apprentice, now," said Itachi, thoughtful.
"Great, another feminazi tyrant," muttered Sasuke.
Itachi winced as Sasuke leapt to the side, a gunshot cracking at his feet to send dirt and grass spraying up and over his shoes.
"The Hell!"
Sasuke spun around in a circle, trying to determine where it had come from.
With a sigh, Itachi bowed to his parents and caught hold of Sasuke's collar, tugging him behind him. He dragged Sasuke back towards the limousine that awaited them; their faithful retainer, and surrogate father-figure to Sasuke, leaned against the driver's side door, hands in his pockets as he stared at the tree canopy that sheltered him from the harshest of the morning light.
"Come, it is time for lunch."
Sasuke glared out the window as Itachi settled his shoes down outside the small rise of their private room at the traditional Japanese restaurant. The lush garden outside the window was beautifully tended with exotic plants and stones in artful, restful patterns. A light rain had begun to mist and sprinkle, releasing the sweet perfumes from the flowers' stamens.
Kneeling on the bench-seat, Itachi reached for the cup of tea Sasuke had poured him.
"Hm?" He asked, sensing his younger brother's brooding as a translation of his confusion over something or other.
"You didn't flinch at the sound, at mom and dad's. You didn't even react," said Sasuke.
Itachi watched Sasuke's brow knit, guilt and compassion warring inside him a moment as he watched Sasuke understand something inside himself. About himself.
"How did you know it was safe? Someone was shooting at us."
Itachi remained expressionless as he considered Sasuke's query.
"We were with Dr Senju. There was nothing to fear," he said after another moment of quiet deliberation.
"Someone shot at me."
Amusement glinted in Itachi's eye. "Someone defended Dr Senju's reputation."
"How could you tell?"
His expression softening, Itachi set down his cup of tea. "The individual had been staking out the family mausoleum for hours prior to us arriving. They were there on Dr Senju's orders."
"She told you this?"
Itachi shook his head once.
Frustrated, Sasuke blew out harshly and threw himself back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. "You knew because you knew?"
Itachi picked up his tea once more, and a hostess came to ask them for their order. When she left Sasuke watched his brother, and sighed through his nose.
"You never truly retired."
Itachi ignored the comment.
"I could help you."
"Focus on your career, Sasuke."
Sasuke's jaw tightened. "I can help you. I know what to do. I'm ready. I can—"
"I need you ready to take over the public face of Uchiha Tech Enterprises," said Itachi smoothly, his voice never rising above a gentle susurration. "I will be… withdrawing from face to face meetings entirely, shortly."
Sasuke swallowed. "It's not that bad. You can still handle the meetings from video-chats and tele-conferencing. It isn't as if—"
Itachi lifted a finger, and Sasuke swallowed his rambling. No. Itachi couldn't retire. Not at barely twenty five years old. He was supposed to have so much more time now.
The hostess served them their appetizer miso soup, and several assistants followed her with trays of side dishes, garnishes, and finally the sushi boat Itachi had requested. When they had bowed and withdrawn, he continued. "We shall not rule from atop an ivory tower, Sasuke. We need to be on site, be seen, and be available as people if we are to run Uchiha Tech Enterprises the way our family intended.
"You cannot do that while you are… indisposed during the sleeping hours, thus stretched thin from fatigue and injury during business hours. Adrenaline will only get you so far."
Staring down at the table as he listened to his big brother, Sasuke tried to formulate a reply that wouldn't sound like a whine. "You managed it. For years. No one ever knew."
Itachi shook his head once. "Some knew. They're the reason I was able to continue for so long. But it was too dangerous—exceedingly for them—for me to continue. I refuse to have others put themselves at risk again." He traced the table cloth with his fingertips for a moment before they reached the ceramic ladle-spoon; he curled his long, scarred, elegant fingers around it and lifted it to his bowl. "Nor will you."
"You'll be fine. Tsunade's a legend. She'll… if anyone can help, it's her," said Sasuke, noting the way Itachi's hand cupped the side of the bowl. Knowing why he did it. "And once you are, then I can—"
Itachi's voice was calm but lethal. "No, Sasuke."
Huffing and pressing his lips together in an ugly sneer he knew his brother wouldn't be able to make out—entirely, at any rate—Sasuke turned to glare out the window again. The sound of the gentle rain patter was all that passed between him and his brother for the remainder of the meal.
"I can stay in the car," said Sasuke later that afternoon. Kakashi, their driver and family retainer, glanced up at Sasuke through the rear view mirror, but returned his attention to the road a moment later.
"Dr Senju is happy to see you." Facing out the window, Itachi relaxed his shoulders and closed his lined, sunken eyes.
"You've grown so much. And this way you can perhaps meet her apprentice," piped up Kakashi from the front.
"Mini-Tsundere, more like it," muttered Sasuke, glaring at the door handle.
Beneath his shaggy silver hair, Kakashi scratched his cheek and winced from the driver's seat. "Ah, perhaps a bit more respect? The young lady is… not partial to leniency towards those who disrespect her or her Master."
"What's she going to do, shoot me?" Sasuke scoffed, smirking at Kakashi.
But the silence shared between Itachi and Kakashi had Sasuke lifting his head up and glancing between the two men.
Itachi let out a long, slow, patient breath. "For the sake of our departed parents' reputations, display the manners we tried to instill in you."
No more was said about the matter as Kakashi was pulling the limousine into the garbage-scattered alley behind Tsunade's clinic in Konoha's fallen inner city.
"I thought the city was supposed to re-gentrify this area," said Sasuke, confused and leaning forward as they slowed to a stop. The graffiti had worsened from the last time he'd visited the free-clinic, and there were signs of vagrant habitation in the tarped-over cardboard box-village towards the end of the alley. Blankets, empty food cartons and various pieces of make-shift luggage and plastic surrounded the enclave.
"The funds were redirected," said Itachi. Kakashi had parked and opened Itachi's door, standing aside it and scanning the area with sharp eyes. "Come." He exited the vehicle and Sasuke followed. Kakashi fell into step a half-step behind Itachi and to the side, relaxed to the casual observer. Sasuke had long ago learned better.
Itachi opened his own doors, though Kakashi insisted on holding them for him. It was only after Sasuke glared at Kakashi that the older man kept a hold of the door instead of releasing it to crash into Sasuke's face. With a chuckle, Kakashi made a sweeping gesture to guide Sasuke through. Sasuke was sure his vitriolic internal thoughts were broadcasting loud and clear to Kakashi.
"Masters Uchiha! Please come right this way. Dr Senju said you could come right in and she'll meet you in her office," said a familiar voice.
"There is no rush," said Itachi, turning to the nurse. "Good afternoon, Shizune. All is well?"
Shizune's smile faltered a moment before she pasted it back on again, leading them down a corridor to the left of the Reception area.
Itachi's brow furrowed as he lifted a hand. "I did not mean to—"
Shizune's eyes widened, and her shoulders relaxed. "Oh, it's… nothing. Just a little bit of conflict management, here. This morning there was a bit of tension, but it was just in passing." She made an interesting gesture with her head, which led Sasuke to believe there was more to it. "Mostly," she added.
"—spoiled brat!" yelled one voice, a young woman, coming from inside Dr Senju's office.
Shizune's neck and ears burned as she rushed to knock on the door and stem the volume of the argument.
"You know how important this is! You will mind your temper, do you hear me!" That was Dr Senju's angry voice. Sasuke recognized that tone immediately, his shoulders tightening in sympathy.
"Dr Senju, the Uchihas are here to see you!" called Shizune, louder than usual.
Sasuke didn't know how his brother kept himself so expressionless, but he felt no such compunction.
"Who's in there?" he asked.
Shizune glanced at Kakashi who shook his head subtly; Sasuke turned to look at Kakashi, his brows furrowed. "Hn?"
"Eyes forward," murmured Itachi, as the door buzzed open before them.
"Come on in, take a seat," sighed Tsunade, ushering them inside from behind her desk. To the side stood…
Sasuke stared.
Pink hair.
He blinked, sure he'd been mistaken. But no; atop the woman's head, it truly was… petal pink long hair. In a lovely thick plait that wrapped over her head like a crown, and which showed off the elegant slope of her slender, pale neck. But it was… pink. Rose. Like a cherry blossom. And her eyes; emerald green, hard, bright, shining with intelligence and… temper? Perhaps she'd had Tsunade's reprimands coming, he thought with a mental smirk.
Shaking himself mentally he returned his attention to Itachi and Dr Senju who were shaking hands. As such, he missed the scowl that flitted across her face, and the way Kakashi, behind him, sent the young woman a knowing look.
"We'll share pleasantries at the end; business first," said Tsunade, standing to come around her desk, stethoscope slung around her neck and pen-light in hand. "You know the drill. Pain? Headaches? Nausea? Vision deterioration?"
"I will leave you to it." Shizune smiled and nodded to the assembled group before taking her leave; Kakashi gave a wave, already pulling a novel from his pocket and following her. He shut the door behind them.
"Does she need to be here?" Sasuke asked. He heard the sigh his brother couldn't quite stifle, saw his eyelids flicker with apology at Dr Senju.
Standing straighter, manicure-nailed hand on her cocked hip, Tsunade's smile chilled and bore perfect white teeth.
"What was that, kid?"
"The one being obviously disciplined. Is she necessary?"
Her brow arched at him, but she nodded all the same. "Forgive me for failing to introduce you." She gestured to the young woman, who joined her at her curvy side. "This is Doctor Sakura Haruno. My apprentice."
"Is she qualified to be here?"
Oops. Itachi's shoulders twitched at that, and Sasuke knew he'd put his foot in it this time.
But wow, this girl had no self-control going by how deeply she was flushing. It almost made Sasuke want to antagonize her more, to see how close he could get her to apoplectic purple.
Itachi, as always, was already cleaning up his mess. "Dr Senju, I apologize on Sasuke's behalf. Perhaps it is best that he wait with Kakashi outside—"
"You dragged me in here, and now you're sending me out? What gives, Itachi!"
"Sasuke, please apologize to Miss Haruno—"
"Doctor Haruno," spat Sakura, her arms snapping into a tight fold under her bosom.
"If she's a doctor, I'm a monkey's uncle."
"You're a horse's ass, is what you are. Obviously your family failed to beat any manners into you." Sakura looked down her nose at Sasuke. "Tch, you're an embarrassment to the Uchiha."
Tsunade's shoulders tensed as she whipped her head around and glared at her apprentice. "Sakura—!"
"Take that back," murmured Sasuke lowly, rising to his feet. His hands fisted at his side.
Eyes pained, Itachi sighed. "Sasuke—"
Sakura scoffed at Sasuke, unfolding her arms to plant her hands on her cocked hips. "Nope."
"Apologize to me, to my parents, now."
"Make me."
And then Sasuke felt his temper snap, his control unleashed, and with unheard of disregard for his station and company, he leapt at the pink-haired pseudo-doctor—
—only to have the wind knocked out of him, leaving him gasping and sucking on air as he faced the ceiling and his brother's tired expression, looking down at him.
He could just make out Dr Senju sighing behind Itachi. "Sakura, get some water for Young Master Uchiha. Now." She added, a moment later, "And no accidentally spilling it on him."
The door closed behind her and Sasuke rolled to his side, his arms shaking a bit as he pushed himself up to his knees.
So fast.
His brother was still so fast. He hadn't even seen him coming. Damn. That punch had sent him straight to the floor.
"I think that was a little overkill," remarked Dr Senju.
"I apologize for his poor behaviour. It… it does not reflect well. I trust Dr Haruno will be all right?"
Dr Senju snorted.
"She'd been looking forward to this for a while; I'm kind of glad it turned out like this," she admitted. "Maybe she won't be so distracted anymore," she muttered, probably not intending Sasuke to hear it. But he did.
What is wrong with people these days, wondered Sasuke, still on the floor. Didn't she know he was an Uchiha?
"I heard there were some fireworks when Sasuke met Dr Senju's apprentice the other day."
In the tinted-glass encased elevator at the Tower, the more common moniker for Gotham City Hall, Itachi glanced to his right and nodded to his older cousin, Madara. Uchiha Madara had recently been nominated as Chief District Attorney for their city and had long held designs on the mayorship. He had implemented a number of crime-reducing initiatives that, so far, had proven themselves with near-miraculous results. Itachi just… never could shake the feeling that there was more to Madara than he let people see. He respected his cousin, and they were very close after being raised together; but sometimes, it just felt like something didn't jive behind Madara's cool, dry expression.
He's too calculating. I don't trust him, Sasuke had said more than once.
Itachi held open the door for someone getting off. It closed with a ding after them. "Ah."
"Has his pride recovered yet?"
"Sasuke is very busy; I doubt he spends time agonizing over an insult." That he should have gotten over two days ago, mentally sighed Itachi. If he had to hear about 'ugly, pink-haired, rude physicians who should be suspended from practising medicine' one more time, he was going to have a word with Kakashi and see if the man could beat some sense into Sasuke. 'Train' with him. That was it. 'Train'. 'Physical reality check', more like.
"Well, hopefully he won't take it too hard that his crush will soon be unavailable," smirked Madara.
The door dinged once more, and Madara exited, nodding to Itachi.
"Enjoy your time in the Tower," said Madara.
"Good evening," said Itachi with an equally brief nod.
The door closed, leaving Itachi alone to return to the car park where Kakashi waited for him.
"Everything go okay up there?" Kakashi opened and closed Itachi's door, and caught his eye in the rearview mirror.
"Hn," said Itachi. His eyes narrowed.
Kakashi shrugged and they pulled away from the VIP parking to return home.
Interesting. He needed to speak to Tsunade.
In the freestyle, open gymnasium at his family home, surrounded by floor to ceiling windows and exercise equipment, Sasuke mopped his brow with a towel and tapped in the access code on his phone. He had designed the phone himself; it was a prototype, for now, but so far it was proving itself.
"Incorrect code. Please re-submit."
Mostly.
There were still a few bugs.
On the third try, he opened up the message his brother had texted him.
Out at a meeting. Kakashi is with me. You're still grounded. — I.
"Tch," he scoffed, snapping it shut.
Twenty years old, and grounded?
He sighed.
Stupid pink-haired, obnoxious, ill-mannered, fiery, direct, cute as…
Scoffing under his breath again, he looked around the gymnasium that was his refuge… and prison.
Shoulders tense, he stalked away from the weight-lifting equipment, climbing wall and rope jungle and grabbed up his key fob from where it hung on a hook by the door. He changed into his swim trunks there in the open gym—he was obviously on his own for the night if Itachi had a secret special 'meeting'—and with a deep breath dove into the Olympic-sized pool on the other side of the immense room.
He hated chlorine, but he needed to clear his head. Perhaps he'd do some bo kata later.
It wasn't 'sulking', it was 'training'. Constant training. Constant improvement.
The bar was so noisy that night, Itachi couldn't quite hide his wince from Kakashi.
"As usual, in the back," Kakashi said, leaning over Itachi's shoulder to speak directly into his ear. Itachi nodded once and made his way through the raucous throngs. He met the gaze of a pale young woman with pin-straight, midnight hair and wide, moonlit eyes; she nodded discreetly to him and tilted her head at the door to her left.
"Busy night," said Kakashi, holding the door open for Itachi.
"Hn."
One of the young women who'd been tending the bar met them at the door and guided them through to the most private of the meeting rooms, two floors below.
"My old joints can't take much more of this," said Kakashi as they descended the stairs.
"If you'd keep up with your qi gong instead of holding swimsuit contests for the maid staff, you might find yourself in better shape," said the green-eyed girl with a sniff.
"My own daughter's against me," sighed Kakashi.
Itachi let a small smirk peek through. "She speaks the truth. The maids have become over-competitive about it."
"See," said Sakura, poking her tongue out at her father.
"Hai hai." Kakashi hung his head a bit, though kept his hands tucked in his pockets.
"They're in here. The only two people who will come down this evening will be me, and possibly the Commissioner's assistant."
Itachi nodded. "Thank you, Sakura." He paused and looked at her over his shoulder, brow furrowed. "Also, I apologize again for—"
"No apology needed," she said with a smile.
"You're too kind," he said, nodding to her.
"Nah, I'm quiet, patient and vengeful," she said with a grin and a wink. "Good luck!"
As Kakashi chuckled, she keyed in a code at the door and lifted her necklace up to the scanner, joined by her thumb.
The red light at the door trim flashed green, and she bowed as she opened the door.
Kakashi ruffled her hair as she turned away ("Ugh, Daaad! I'm working!"), and Itachi entered the room.
He bowed to the queen of the Gotham underworld, Dr Tsunade Senju, and her other guest, Gotham's Police Commissioner, Jiraiya.
"Good to see you again, kid!" Jiraiya's hearty call filled the room with a boom. He took the opportunity to casually slip closer to Tsunade on the couch. She smacked his cheek, even as she nodded to Itachi.
"Official business starts now," said Tsunade as Sakura closed the door behind them. Itachi chose a seat near Jiraiya, while Kakashi stood just inside the door.
"Why did you call us?"
"Yeah, I thought you were retiring. Time to put that money and those good looks of yours to better use!"
Itachi ignored Jiraiya's comments to hold Tsunade's eyes. "You have a leak at your office," said Itachi to Tsunade. His eyes flicked to Jiraiya. "They knew about my appointment, they knew Sasuke was there, and they know about the skirmish between Sakura and Sasuke."
"How do you know?" asked Tsunade, leaning back and folding her long, athletic legs, one over the other. Though she had to be close to sixty, she didn't look a day over thirty; and a very graceful, fit thirty.
"My cousin, Madara. Chief District Attorney. He brought it up. But the only people in the room were myself, Sasuke, Sakura and Tsunade." He looked at Tsunade, and she shook her head.
"Sakura knows to keep her mouth shut. She's been my apprentice for years; we've only just revealed her recently, in the last two to three months."
"Unless Sasuke talked, then no one should have known what happened in that office."
"Was there any clue that Madara knew more than about just the fight?"
Itachi shook his head. "He gave none. But Sasuke has never trusted him. I… I grew up with him. It is difficult for me to be impartial, with respect to him," admitted Itachi.
"If you had to guess," said Jiraiya, leaning forward.
Itachi took a breath. "He has provided no sign he knows… about my other affiliations."
Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at each other before they both sat down again.
"There is also the fact that Sasuke feels he is ready to take over my position."
"At Uchiha Tech Enterprises?" asked Tsunade, brow arched.
"No."
Jiraiya stared at him a moment before he burst out laughing.
"He's such a spoiled brat!"
A muscle in Itachi's cheek twitched, but he didn't deny Jiraiya's claim.
"He still thinks I was the one who struck him to the ground," admitted Itachi. "I have not disabused him of this notion."
Tsunade smirked. "She'll be insufferable when she hears that." She glanced at the back of the room and her expression dropped in disgust. "Kakashi, get a hold of yourself."
"My little girl is so strong!" He said through his mask-muffled sniffles.
"All that training with Gai must've finally paid off," taunted Jiraiya with a shit-eating grin.
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed and cut straight to the Commissioner. "Traitor."
Itachi sighed. This was what meetings were like between the head of the underworld, her main competitor and rival—who also happened to be madly in love with her—and himself, who just wanted to retire from his 'night job' and learn to play the bagpipes.
"Sasuke still complains about Itachi using too much force, at that time," sighed Kakashi happily. This prompted Jiraiya to bellow another gut-busting laugh, even as Tsunade frowned at him.
Oh, and Kakashi. Former secret-serviceman-turned-legal-guardian for Itachi and Sasuke, when their parents were murdered.
A murder that remained unsolved, almost twenty years after the fact.
In his office at headquarters, Jiraiya leaned over his desk, intently typing at his computer with tense, staccato fingers.
He ignored his assistant, who'd been tapping at his door and glaring at him for at least four minutes.
"Commish. Commish… Commissioner Jiraiyaaaaaa…"
"What is it, Naruto!?" He snapped up from his triple monitors and snarled at him. He would never finish this scene with these constant interruptions! Could no one recognise he was working?
"Your secret-private line has been ringing for a while." He held it out to Jiraiya.
With angry fingers he tore at his wild, snowy mane. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of a chapt—I mean, yes, I'll take that," he corrected himself when Naruto's eyes widened and he shook his head ferociously, still holding out the phone. It was on speaker.
"Here, take this paperwork to do. I'll be busy for a while."
Groaning, Naruto gathered up the piles and hauled them back to his office—again—to forge his boss's signature on them. Better than last time.
"Helloooooo, lovely girl," he crooned, leaning back in his seat and propping his feet up on his desk—after moving his precious keyboard out of the way. He needed to protect his true source of income.
"Your people aren't where they're supposed to be."
Jiraiya twirled a pencil in the air as he considered Tsunade's words. "Well, they have some free movement, what with the beat cops and—"
"Cut the crap. I mean, you have entire districts empty of cops. What's up? Where are they?"
The pencil stilled. "How many districts? How big are we talking here?"
"Your entire financial district is wide open at the moment."
'Your' meaning, of course, the legal and official financial district. Not the black market, which was Slug territory.
"Since when?" he asked, rolling his chair over to the city map he pinned beneath his desk blotter. Some things were better old school.
"At least forty minutes to an hour, in some areas."
"I'm on it."
"You didn't order this?"
Jiraiya glanced up to see Naruto bent over his desk through the glass that partitioned their offices. No, even Naruto wouldn't leave the damn financial district unattended. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but the kid had uncanny street smarts. He would have spotted something like this pretty quickly.
"No," he admitted, voice lowering.
"It's in your hands."
"Thanks, ol' girl."
"Shut up and bring better wine next time. And get your people out there."
"Who told you?" asked Jiraiya, just before she hung up.
"Sakura. She's at the clinic today, just down the road. She raised the alarm."
"Good girl."
"The best. Now move your arse."
The line cut and Jiraiya swung his feet around to push his chair away from the wall, rocketing across the room to slam into the glass wall that separated his office from Naruto's.
Leaping backwards at the sudden noise and appearance of his superior, Naruto just gaped at Jiraiya.
The old man grinned madly.
"Get on the phone, boy! Who's on dispatch today?"
Relayed. Get back to the office. Don't get involved in anything; keep it clean. We need to tap the mole. - T.
Sipping her coffee in the cute, homestyle bakery several blocks from the clinic, Sakura smiled as if she'd just read a funny meme.
"On my way," she typed back. With easy grace she stood and collected the boxed-up treats she'd bought for her co-workers, a dozen freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. She was just slipping her phone back in her purse when a deep voice to her left asked, "Is this seat taken?"
"No, I'm just leaving. It's yours if you need it…" Sakura's voice trailed off as she looked up at the tall, dark-suited, raven-maned man. Funny, she'd seen him around a fair bit but this was the first he was approaching her. She recognized him from his photos and time on the news, however, the Uchiha had always been easy to spot. "Sir," she added, with a polite nod.
He gave her a small smile. "Please, no formality. I'm away from the office."
Sakura shook her head and gave him a wink. "Well, I need to head back to mine. Enjoy your coffee." Do not engage, had been Tsunade's message. Anyone, for anything. She listened to her mentor, no matter what.
"You can't stay?"
"No." Her phone beeped at her. Another text message. She ignored it.
"Ah, it sounds like you're needed. Perhaps another time," he said, offering her his hand.
Her phone beeped again.
Sakura's smile was strained as she quickly grasped the man's hand and shook it, firmly. Always shake hands like you mean it and keep eye contact, Tsunade had taught her. You never know when you'll need to intimidate that son of a bitch later.
"I'm sorry, I really do need to go," she said, stepping back and picking up the cookies again.
"I'll see you again," he replied, giving Sakura a small, knowing smile.
Sakura had already crossed the small room to the door, nodding at him before she pushed through and away. Flattery and unease curled in her stomach.
You still grounded? — N.
Working. Free after 6. — S.
Cute bartenders at a bar I found. You in? — N.
Working. No. — S.
Come on! They love you! Girls always love you. Be my wingman? I'll buy you a round. Seriously, the girls are super cute. Lots of business types hang out there. Your kinda place. — N.
Naruto obviously knew nothing about 'his kind of place'.
Sasuke glared at his phone as it beeped at him again. He turned away from his dual monitors to stare out over the Uchiha Tech Enterprises main campus from Itachi's—soon to be his—penthouse office. It had once been their father's.
His father had occasionally stepped out of the office to a restaurant to network with potential clients, from what he remembered. Well, from what he remembered Itachi saying about their father. Sasuke's memories got fuzzier each year; if it weren't for photographs, he may have forgotten his parents' faces entirely. He shook his head. Time, the thief of memory.
Sasuke had assumed Itachi had been handling any necessary schmoozing; but, had he had time?
If he did this, would it free up his brother enough to keep him behind the wheel at corporate, and thus give Sasuke a chance to prove his worth in the other, unofficial, family business?
Hn.
Dress code? — S.
The nightclub was indeed a step above some of the dives he'd visited previously with Naruto, though it was louder than he'd been expecting. Adjusting his suit jacket and straightening his shoulders, Sasuke stepped through Godaime's doors, bypassing the queue out front. Being Uchiha had its perks.
"That area settles down; you'll see," said Naruto, nudging Sasuke along, towards the back. "The cutest bartenders are over here. There's a really pretty one with amazing green eyes," he boasted. "We talked a bit last time I was here."
Something in the back of Sasuke's mind flickered with recognition at that, but he just nodded and followed Naruto. He felt eyes on him from every angle, and with each step he scanned the sprawling, sectioned room. Occasionally he'd meet a familiar pair of eyes; a colleague, business associate or client. Those he'd acknowledge with a nod. The others, more often than not young to middle-aged women, he disregarded; their eyes had a different weight to them, and he was not interested. He didn't have time for distractions.
"Hey Officer Naruto, you're out late. What can I get you?"
A feminine voice he'd heard only once before shot through Sasuke's hearing like an arrow, and he whipped his head around to see Naruto had stopped at the bar, leaning on his elbows as he chatted up the 'super cute' bartender.
With the green eyes.
And the pink hair.
He did not feel guilty.
He didn't.
Even with Naruto shaking and confused beside him, tearing at his shaggy blond hair, he didn't. Not really. Not real guilt. Or shame.
"How? I don't get it?" Naruto mumbled. "I thought we were getting along so well! What did I do?"
Sasuke remained quiet as they sat in his car, each with a cup of coffee, watching the night sky.
"We really hit it off the other night! You're usually so emotionally offensive they turn right to me after a while, anyway! What… what did I do wrong?"
Bitterness swirled in Sasuke's mouth; it had nothing to do with the terrible coffee.
"I've been kicked out of bars before, but not since I cleaned up. And they banned me; they banned us! YOU! YOU got banned!"
Letting out a low breath through his nose, Sasuke closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the headrest.
"And you didn't even speak a word outside of your stupid 'hn'-thing!"
He really needed something for his headache.
Then Naruto whirled on him, obviously having come to a conclusion. "What did you do to her?"
"Hn?"
"No, you don't get to brush this off," said Naruto, true anger glinting in his cerulean eyes. "She was so nice; then, she gets one look at you and we're escorted out. What did you do?"
"Nothing. She's probably crazy."
"Don't talk about her that way!"
Sasuke's eyes shot open and wide at Naruto.
"You, of all people, don't get to call someone else names like 'crazy'. That's not respectful. Whatever you did to her, you need to apologize." Naruto's gaze was cold and hard, and Sasuke's back tensed in reaction; he managed to control the rest of his body's response to his friend's rare display of genuine anger—especially directed at him—but his back was strung taut as a bow string.
"Sasuke, I'm a cop, and at that bar, they know and respect that. The fact that you did something so heinous that even my professional reputation couldn't save us tells me you fucked up and did something personal to her. Do you get it? You humiliated me. Professionally.
"It's one thing when we were younger and used to razz on one another to get a rise out of each other, but I have never professionally damaged or endangered your reputation." Throwing himself back in his seat, Naruto scoffed at Sasuke, then gave an ugly, dark chuckle. "We finally met the one woman in Gotham immune to your wealth, power and looks. I never thought I'd see the day. Your asshole-ness has reached new lows, man. Congratulations."
There was silence, uncomfortable, between them.
Then Naruto's shoulders were drooping and he was hanging his head in his hands. "Jiraiya's going to find out. He's going to be embarrassed, too. Ugh." He shredded his hair in his fingers for a second before rising again and giving his head a shake. "But worst of all? That cousin of yours was there to watch it all. The bouncers hadn't even finished tossing us out and he'd already moved in. Tch!"
Sasuke's eyes sharpened. "Who?"
"Your cousin! That fancy lawyer. Madara," said Naruto, opening the door.
"Naruto, wait—"
"Don't talk to me for a few days, man. I have work."
With less of an angry slam, and more of a disappointed closure, Naruto swung the McLaren's vertical door shut behind himself and walked home.
Behind the wheel, Sasuke watched his best friend's back get further and further away before he pressed the ignition button on the console and tore away with a roar.
This was too odd to be coincidence. Something was up.
"That looked… upsetting."
Sakura turned to look at the man who'd approached while security walked Naruto and Sasuke to the door.
"I apologize for the inconvenience," said Sakura automatically, before she'd had a chance to turn around to look at him. She saw the door close behind Sasuke's tight-lipped, handsome face before swinging her full attention back to the man before her. "What can I get for… you?"
There was that strange, knowing smile again.
"I seem to have caught you at another inopportune moment. I apologize for my bad timing," he said, leaning a hip against the bar. He still wore the same suit he had that afternoon. Somehow it still looked immaculate on his tall, athletic frame.
"It happens. To drink?"
"Black Russian. Are you going to be at the bakery tomorrow?"
Sakura's hands were steady as she poured the vodka. "I don't know." She reached for the coffee, only to have him lift a finger. "Hold the cream."
"There's no cream in a Black Russian. It's black," she said. "Or did you want a White Russian?"
His brow furrowed. "I'm not very good at jokes."
She looked at him from the corner of her, and poured the coffee. He didn't blush or look away, though his fingers twitched. Ah. So he was nervous.
"What do you want?" She finally asked, as he paid her.
"Coffee."
She looked pointedly down at his cup.
"With you," he clarified. "Preferably somewhere I won't be infringing upon your work hours."
Picking up her cloth, Sakura wiped down the already pristine bar counter. "I work a lot."
"So do I," he said.
"I… I'm not really good at dating," she admitted. "If that's what you're getting at. I work obscene hours and I am pretty dedicated to my job. My day job," she clarified, when he in turned looked meaningfully around the bar.
"I've seen you around. You're a doctor at the clinic downtown, right?"
Considering how much he knew about her, Sakura nodded. She didn't offer information up to him, but it wouldn't do to conjure lies at this point.
"Why work here, then?"
"Helping out a friend." Sakura tilted her head to her fellow bartender, Hinata. Well, technically they were friends… and with bartending together they 'helped' each other. Lying was not one of her formidable strengths, and she kept her answers minimal.
The man nodded and leaned back, before pulling his wallet out again. He took out a rectangle of cotton paper and scrawled something on the back in flowing characters with his engraved, fountain ink pen.
"Well, for the next few days I'll be taking my lunch breaks at the bakery between one thirty and two thirty. If you happen to need a coffee, I would appreciate your company. It'd be my pleasure to treat you," he said, offering her his card.
Wiping her fingers on the towel, Sakura reached out for the card and felt her stomach flip-flop. So she'd been right.
Uchiha Madara, LLB
Chief District Attorney || Gotham City
He'd added his personal mobile number and e-mail address on the back in neat, elegant penmanship. And then, beneath that, 1:30-2:30pm, M-F.
Grinning a bit, she arched a brow when she met his gaze again. "Just in case my memory fails?"
He gave her a small smirk back. "Couldn't hurt." He nodded to her and lifted his glass. "Thank you for the drink…."
"Sakura," she said, and lifted his card. "I'll hold onto this. Ya never know when you'll need the law on your side."
"Or coffee," he said.
"Or coffee," she agreed.
They looked at each other another moment before his shoulders relaxed a touch, and he took a step back. "I see you have customers waiting, I won't take up any more of your time. Thank you, and I'll hopefully see you this week. Sakura."
"You have a good evening, Mr Uchiha."
"Madara," he said. "Call me Madara."
Tsunade is going to be so pissed at me. Sakura smiled wider, and added a saucy wink. "Madara."
Beneath the counter she saw the red light flashing at her like an alarm gone wild.
So very pissed.
The minute she had a breather between customers, Sakura nipped downstairs and relayed every word to her mentor. Then she ran back up the stairs again and continued serving and chatting and listening for the deals being brokered, the trades being made and the secrets being whispered. A few paces away, Hinata did the same.
When she relayed the last to her foster-mother that night, Tsunade nodded. "Good job; but keep away from Madara, for now."
"Yes, ma'am. For the lunch, should I?..."
Tsunade handed the card back to her. "Hold off until Thursday or Friday. We're checking a few things out." She rubbed at her head.
Sakura's brow furrowed. "Is everything okay?" Tsunade wasn't prone to headaches. Even with her notorious drinking habit, hangovers were rare.
"Hm? Fine, fine. I'll be around for a good long time, Sakura," smirked Tsunade, putting her hand down to reach for her saké. She gave Sakura a saucy wink; one Sakura had copied for dealing with others in the exact same manner. Distraction. Diversion. "Trust me. I'm too badass to be out of commission any time soon."
"Yes, ma'am," Sakura nodded, unconvinced but knowing better than show she doubted her mentor.
Fridays were a very busy night at Godaime.
Madara's meeting was held in the very early morning, at a private residence in the sprawling mansion district beside the river's east bank. The long drive was gated behind iron bars, the property itself heavily forested for privacy. It was there that a half dozen vehicles, sheltered by the carriage house's extended awning, lay in wait for their owners to finish their business deep inside the stone-walled estate.
"It took between forty and sixty minutes for the police to respond, according to Zetsu, yeah," said Deidara. His arms were stretched across the back of the black leather couch he occupied, while his legs were spread wide, taking up space. He tossed his long blond bangs out of his face. "We didn't detect any communication into the police departments from concerned citizens or officers about the missing officers via official communications routes. Only the direction from the Commissioner's assistant, the Uzumaki kid, to the dispatch, yeah. The Commissioner was there on the call with Uzumaki."
His hands laced together behind his back, Madara listened to the report.
"So, then how did they learn of it?"
"Private number? Untraceable contact? Unregistered device, maybe, yeah?" offered Deidara. "Jiraiya may have one under an assumed name; perhaps someone called him on it?"
"Are we able to search the content of the cellphones and text messages, throughout the city, from approximately five to seven minutes prior to that dispatch call going out from Uzumaki?"
"Yes, but it will take time."
"Do it. As fast as you can. They'll be alert, temporarily, but it shouldn't be a problem for you. You've pinpointed everything you need."
Deidara waved a hand from the couch. "Easy peasy."
"And the rest of you?"
"There's some restlessness, in the form of excitement and anticipation. All are willing and eager," said Sasori, the 'Puppetmaster'. He was in charge of many of the smaller gangs and recruiters.
"They just have ants in their pants. It's been a long time since they've seen any action," said Deidara. The others nodded.
"Their patience is appreciated and will be rewarded," promised Madara. He turned to look at them all. "There is one last thing…About the Slug Queen's apprentice..."
AN: Phew! Part 1 of 4. Please let me know if you find any errors!
More soon!