A/N: It's that time again!

Thank you everyone who reviewed! Some people mentioned Within the Messages and and after rereading parts of my old story I realized something. I absolutely hate it. If it wasn't for the fact you guys like it so much it probably would have been deleted and never returned...so bad. In my defense though, I wrote it about six years ago. I think I've improved...hmm...haha

Enjoy!

Update (12/20): So this chapter has been completely reedited as well and I invite you all to reread this one as well.


- - - Chapter Two - - -

The sun was barely noticeable above the horizon when Itachi arrived at the station and the crisp, winter air prickled at his skin through his light winter jacket. Winters in Los Angeles were never terribly cold, but it did chill him enough that he hurried slightly to collect his work items before heading to the elevator.

It was much warmer in the lobby, but still vacant of anyone except for the graveyard officer that manned the front desk. They exchanged quiet greetings before Itachi moved to the second set of elevators and called for one. He rode the lift to the floor his office was located on silently as he skirted through the emails on his phone. A few needed his attention, but for the most part it appeared to have been a quiet night.

As he reached his office, he pocketed his phone and pulled out his keys to unlock the door. His secretary, Hyuuga Hinata, wasn't in yet, but he hadn't expected her to be either. She usually arrived a few hours later than himself, which gave him enough time to sort through his paperwork and emails before he met with her to discuss his schedule for the day.

She was an incredibly smart woman even if she was a little shy, but when her cousin, Hyuuga Neji had suggested in passing that she was an excellent assistant, Itachi had been more than willing to give her a chance. After all, Neji himself was an incredible officer. It had proved to be a smart choice with her keen eye for detail and remarkable ability to organize and plan his schedule with little to no guidance from him. She had made his job far easier and he was grateful that she had proven herself time and time again.

With Hinata's absence, his office area was silent and he moved to the small coffeemaker in the corner to pour himself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee. Mornings like these made him grateful Hinata had thought to order him one with an automated timer so that he could come to work with a fresh pot every morning. As usual, he made his coffee with creamer and far too much sugar before he turned his attention out his floor-to-ceiling window. Just as he did every morning, he took a moment for himself to look out the window at the Los Angeles skyline.

It really was a beautiful city, even if it was a busy one. The coastline and ever-present sun drew millions to the already crowded city annually. He himself had never been fond of high volumes of people so when he had originally been offered a position as Chief in a smaller city outside of Seattle he had been very tempted to take the offer. But his parents were here, as well as his younger brother and his cousin/best friend, Shisui, before he had been deployed to the war. All these factors had influenced his decision to stay, but he never regretted turning the offer down.

In his time as an officer at the LA PD, he had seen his share of crooked cops and poorly trained officers and he had always known should he be appointed Chief, there would be a list of things to change. His two years behind the desk had made an impact, but he knew there was a long road ahead and plenty of changed still needed to be made. All he needed was time.

Eventually Itachi turned away from the window and moved behind his desk. He turned on his office computer and signed in with his credentials before moving to his emails. He found a few from media sources, asking questions about police activity the previous night in different areas of the city and he easily forwarded them to the Media Relations department to be handled. There was also an email from Internal Affairs informing him that an officer that had been accused of inappropriate work conduct had been cleared of all charges and should be returned to active duty immediately. His supervisor had been forwarded the email as well so Itachi replied with a simple 'thank you for your assistance' before moving on.

The rest of his emails were normal day-to-day updates and forwarded notes. He had one from a Chief in a neighboring city that wanted to thank him and his officers for their outstanding work and professionalism and Itachi made sure to file their names away for later reference. His assistant Chief, Hoshigaki Kisame, had replied to him last night in regards to officers from another city within the state getting fired and charged for accepting bribes in return for not arresting persons with warrants for their arrest. His second-in-command informed him that he would make a memo and send it out to all supervisors to inform him if they are suspicious that any officer may be following in the same footsteps. There was also an email from the events coordinator asking him how he wanted to authorize entry for officers for the upcoming Christmas party in two weeks. He answered that their badges would be adequate before noise outside his door drew his attention.

Curiously Itachi glanced up to find Hinata had arrived a little earlier than usual this morning. She was dressed professionally in a black business dress and heels. She fished out her phone and a fairly thick folder from her purse before she set it down on her desk and made her way into his office. "Good morning, sir," she greeted him.

"Good morning," he replied. He watched her fingers slide across the screen of her phone as she held the folder under her arm. "You are earlier today."

She glanced up at him briefly. "Yes, I forgot to inform you last night before you left that you are meeting Detective Morino Ibiki with a potential candidate this morning at eight." She held out the file to him, which he took immediately and opened.

Glancing at the clock, he realized he had half an hour until then. Although if they were a smart candidate they would be here in fifteen minutes, which didn't give him long to read their background. Quickly he noted their name and age, but his attention was drawn again as Hinata spoke: "You also have a meeting with Kisame immediately after, but I'm fairly certain he just wants to get breakfast with you. And Shiranui Genma wants to speak with you when you get a moment."

Itachi flipped to the candidates work history as he glanced at her briefly. "And when will I get a moment?"

Hinata flashed him a smile. "I suggest you see him after your meeting with Kisame." She glanced at the packet in his hands and then her phone. "Anyway I will leave you to your reading. I'll be outside if you need me."

Itachi waved her out before his gaze dropped back down to the file. He scanned through the female's criminal and work history, noting both their achievements and the times when she had lacked proper judgment. On paper she looked like an average candidate, but he would hold judgment until speaking with her.

Ten minutes later, Ibiki walked into the room with Hinata's permission. Itachi stood and greeted the background detective. He was dressed casually in jeans, a dark blue shirt and a black beanie, concealing the scars Itachi knew he had received during his time working for the CIA. Currently the man worked undercover with the gang unit when he wasn't busy reviewing applicant backgrounds and with his current dress Itachi could only assume he would be working an assignment once he had finished their meeting this morning.

"Morino," Itachi greeted.

The older male nodded at him politely and shook his hand. "Good morning, sir. Sorry to have scheduled this meeting so early, but I'm needed fairly soon."

Itachi nodded in understanding as both men moved to the conference table on the far side of his office. "So how are we looking?" Itachi asked, placing the file in front of him.

Ibiki was quiet a moment. "She's obviously misstepped in the past, but nothing recent or of any significance. She's well-spoken and confident, but there can be improvement on her officer presence. I would not have brought her to you if I did not feel she didn't deserve a chance."

Itachi nodded. "Alright, send her in."

Ibiki stood and made his way back out into the hallway. A moment later, a tall, pretty woman with tan skin, red hair and bright eyes entered. Itachi stood to greet her and inwardly complimented her on her firm handshake. "Good morning. My name is Karui."


A smirk of amusement fell across Itachi's face as he watched Kisame speak furiously into his cell phone. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened within the Robbery Department, but whatever had occurred was seriously angering his second-in-command, which to be honest wasn't that surprising.

Itachi had known Kisame for nearly ten years. They had started at the department at the same time even though Kisame was ten years his senior. It had been his "second" career as most officers called it when a person realized they weren't happy with their desk job and wanted something more. The older male had grown up in Florida, but had moved to Los Angeles after applying for the department. They had been partnered on the street together for a few years and knew he could be quite intimidating even on his good days so Itachi was sure that whoever he was on the verge of yelling at was sure to be grateful they were having their discussion through the phone rather than in person.

With an annoyed sigh, Kisame finally hung up and turned back to him. He glared half-heartedly at the smirk on Itachi's face, his dark eyes looking less than pleased. "You know, we need to change how the dynamics of Robbery works," he said in irritation.

Itachi sipped his coffee from the to-go cup in front of him and cocked a brow at him. "You deal with them the most. I will leave that to your expertise."

The older male just ran an irritated hand through his short, dark hair as he snorted. "Yeah, whatever. You just don't want to deal with them."

"Perhaps you would like to handle interviewing potential candidates instead?" Itachi offered as he casually glanced around, taking note of all the officers in the room. They were in a small coffee shop across the street from the department. It was frequented by officers getting coffee and a quick bite to eat so often that he was fairly certain that the department single-handedly kept the little shop running.

Across from him, Kisame huffed in amusement. "No thanks. I think I'll actually stick to my issues with Robbery."

A smirk graced his face once more and he returned his attention to Kisame briefly before he picked up his coffee again. "Did you actually have something to discuss with me or did my assistant guess correctly in that you simply wanted to have breakfast together?"

The male cocked brow and sat back in his chair slightly as he crossed his arms. It made his broad shoulders and barrel chest stand out under his business clothes and made him look even bigger than he already was. "She said that, did she?" He was quiet for a moment before he shrugged. "Perhaps she was mostly right, but I did want to go over something with you."

Itachi watched as he casually slid a glance about the room and he knew he was checking to make sure they were not in immediate hearing distance of anyone. When he was satisfied that no one was paying close attention to them, he turned back to Itachi. "There's been rumors that the 18th Street Gang has put a bounty on police officers in Los Angeles County."

A frown crossed Itachi's face at the news. It wasn't the first time he had heard a threat like this from gang members, but it had been the first time hearing it in the time was chief. News like this always put officers on edge and he didn't want to cause a stir in the department unless necessary. "Are we certain this is true?"

The corner of Kisame's lip turned down. "We should get news soon. The Gang Unit sent Morino to do some undercover work today so hopefully we'll find out soon enough."

Itachi nodded slowly in thought. "I will draft up a memo to be sent out to every officer with the department and I will prepare an email for the Sheriff's Office as well, but I won't send it out until we are certain that there is some truth to this rumor."

Kisame nodded and opened his mouth to comment further when his cell phone rang again. "God damnit," he muttered before he answered. "What is it now?"

The smirk on Itachi's face returned and he was hardly surprised when Kisame stood after hanging up. "I need to return to the department. Robbery is having issues with one of their suspects and their lawyer."

Itachi stood with him and easily drained his coffee cup before tossing it in the garbage. The pair then made their way across the street back to the department. They headed for the elevators, but before Itachi could reach them, he heard someone call him by his title. "Chief!"

He turned expectantly as he saw one of the department's best FTO's, Yuhi Kurenai, approach him from the elevators leading to the parking garage. Knowing he was going to take a moment, Itachi glanced back at Kisame. "I will send that memo to you once I have finished it."

Kisame nodded once before he continued on his way.

Once he was gone, Itachi returned his attention to the woman. Her dark hair was tied up in a tight bun and she was dressed in her uniform, informing him that she was out in the field today rather than doing any in-service training. "Yes, Kurenai, how may I help you?"

She held out a file to him. "I wanted to request that the newer officers receive more tactical training than what it currently required by the department."

Itachi read through her proposal quickly and closed it again when he found her request to be within reason. "This appears do-able. Have you spoken to the Shift Commander about this?"

She nodded. "Yes, but Gai said that it was above his clearance and needed to be addressed by someone higher up the chain."

A frown fell across his face briefly at the news, but rather than discuss another officer's wrongdoing he simply nodded. "I will see to it that your request gets submitted."

Kurenai nodded gratefully before she turned and made her way back towards the way she came. Itachi continued to the building elevators and made his way to the Records Department. He signed the request and informed the woman at the desk to forward the document to all training and rookie officers before he returned to the elevator. He still needed to meet with Genma to see what he needed before he returned to his office and checked with Hinata to see what still required his attention for the day.

As Itachi waited for the doors, he pulled out his phone to see he had two missed phone calls. One was from his mother and another was from an unknown number, neither of which left a voice mail. As the elevator doors opened, he made a mental note to call his mom back when he took a lunch break.

"Itachi."

Curiously he glanced up at the greeting of his given name to find his brother, Sasuke, was already in the elevator, waiting to go up. There was a paper bag in his hand and he was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a dark blue shirt that had a design and brand name he was unfamiliar with. Itachi knew he worked the grave shift and with Kurenai being out in the field today, he doubted his brother had training so he could only assume he was here on a personal visit.

"Sasuke," he greeted lightly as he stepped into the elevator. His curiosity grew when he saw that the button for the floor to Major Crimes was already lit up. They apparently had the same destination. "You are here later than usual."

His brother shifted his weight to his other foot as the doors closed again and slowly ascended them up the floors. A soft sigh escaped him as he watched the numbers over the doors climb with his matching dark eyes. "I'm just here to bring Sakura breakfast in an attempt to bribe her to have Christmas dinner with us," he answered lightly.

Itachi suddenly wondered if that was the reason for their mother's call and he frowned to himself slightly. Christmas was in two days and though he loved their mother, their father could be difficult to handle. It didn't surprise him that their mom had invited Sakura to dinner and knowing that Sasuke always had his best friends by his side, Itachi had to assume Naruto would be coming as well. "It sounds as if this is not the first time you have asked her," he said conversationally.

Sasuke snorted. "It's not. Sometimes I think she just likes saying no to me just to say no."

A vibration from his phone drew Itachi's attention momentarily. "Perhaps she wishes to spend Christmas with her own family," he replied offhandedly as he read the text from Hinata, informing him that the DEA's office wanted to set up a meeting with him and the captain in charge of homicide to discuss an upcoming murder trial. He replied quickly that he would meet her in his office within the hour to find a time.

"I doubt it," Sasuke continued in secret amusement. He didn't seem to notice that Itachi's mind was elsewhere. "Her only relative lives in New York and there's no way in hell she's going to fly out there to see her adopted mom."

Itachi glanced at Sasuke briefly at the information. He hadn't known that Sakura was adopted, but then again, he only spoke to her briefly during work and saw her even less off-duty. But his attention turned as the elevator doors opened once more and together they made their way down the hallway towards the Major Crimes division.

When they finally entered the room, Itachi stopped for a moment to watch Sasuke as he approached Sakura. She was standing next to a white board against the wall as she read a file in her hand, but her attention dropped the moment he walked up to her. Just by the look on her face, Itachi could tell she knew exactly what Sasuke was attempting to do and she crossed her arms lightly with a cocked brow.

Itachi turned his attention from them at that moment as his eyes sought out Genma's office. Through the glass walls, he could see the brown-haired male sitting behind his desk and he made his way towards his opened door, knocking lightly as he entered. Genma's brown eyes looked up upon his entry and he finished typing on his computer before turning to him. "Good morning, Itachi."

It didn't faze him that the male called him by his given name privately. They had after all been in the same graduating class all those years ago and they had been working together in all that time. "Hinata told me that you wanted a word with me," Itachi said, getting straight to business.

A look of confusion passed across his face for a moment before it cleared as he suddenly remembered what he needed. "Yes, I need you to give a press conference about our case sometime this afternoon after we speak with our victim's manager."

Itachi nodding as he made a mental note to speak with Hinata about scheduling in a time. "What's the case about?"

Genma crossed his arms lightly as he sat back in his chair. "Patrol found the body of the highest paid pornstar in Los Angeles two nights ago. We don't have many leads right now since we're waiting to speak with her manager who is out of town until tomorrow and we're still waiting to hear back from the records department about the house she was killed in since it wasn't her own, but I want to alert the public that there's a potential kidnapper and murderer on the streets."

Itachi pursed his lips together in thought. He understood why Genma wanted to release a statement, but at the same time, letting the public know that there was a threat out on the streets could look bad upon the department. However he did want to protect the citizens of Los Angeles by making them aware of the possible danger.

"Where was she taken?" he asked.

A frown crossed the older male's face. "We don't know yet. Hyuuga is still waiting for her bank statements and Haruno and Nara are attempting to track down her last known location through the evidence. We'll have a clearer picture once we interview her agent."

Itachi nodded slowly as he thought. "Alright, it might be best to release a statement rather than give a press conference at this time. Draft one up and I will review it this afternoon before sending it to Media Relations. Once we have a firmer grasp on the details of what happened, I will set up a press conference."

Genma sat up in his chair once more. "Okay, that sounds good."

"Did you need anything else from me?" Itachi asked.

When Genma shook his head, he turned and exited the room. His eyes did a quick sweep of the room and found that his brother was absent and that Sakura was now seated next to Shikamaru at a desk across the room. Her back was turned to him, but from the bent angle of her head, he could tell that both she and Shikamaru were working hard so he continued back to the elevator to return to his office.

Hinata was behind her desk when he returned and he called her into his office as he walked by. She quickly followed him in and took a seat across from his desk as he sat in his chair. Immediately the dark-haired woman began going over his schedule, informing him that he had a meeting with the Santa Monica Chief in a few hours and that the DEA wanted to see him before tomorrow afternoon if possible. She set up his schedule for him easily and sent an itinerary to his email to allow him a copy, but before he dismissed her, she spoke softly, "Ah, Chief."

His gaze didn't turn from his computer as he continued to check through his files to find the information he needed for his upcoming meeting with Santa Monica. "Yes, Hinata?"

"There's one more thing," she said gingerly. Itachi waited silently for her speak as he continued searching. "You're mother called."

Itachi's fingers stilled over his mouse as he slowly turned to her and he briefly wondered if she had called because he hadn't returned her phone call yet. "Is that so?" he asked lightly. When she nodded, he turned his gaze back to the screen. "Very well, I will call her later after my meeting."

But Hinata didn't move from her seat. "I'm sorry, sir, but she said that if you didn't call within the next hour, she was going to personally come down to the station to speak with you."

Again, he stilled as his eyes redirected back to his assistant. She was sitting calmly in her chair, but there was a tense set to her shoulders that told him she wasn't fully comfortable speaking to him about his personal matters and he sighed lightly. "Thank you, Hinata. I will call her shortly then."

The dark haired woman nodded and smiled politely at him before she exited his office, closing the door behind her. Once she was out, Itachi ever so slowly picked up his office phone and dialed his parents' home phone. He hoped that with it being mid-morning his mother would be the one to answer his phone rather than his father. It wasn't that he didn't love his father, it was just that his mother knew he had limited time and would keep her conversations short and to the point.

"Hello?" a woman's voice answered.

Itachi breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Hello, mom."

He could feel her smiling through the phone at the sound of his voice and he closed his eyes as he realized the only reason she reacted this way was because of how little he actually called her. He really should try harder to talk to her more often, but with a glance at the clock he knew he didn't have much time today.

"Itachi! I was beginning to worry you had forgotten you had a life outside of your job," she said not unkindly. "I'm glad you finally called. Now, I'm sure you know why I wanted to speak with you."

"I am assuming it has to do with Christmas dinner," he answered easily.

"Yes," she replied. Her voice was light in genuine pleasure. "Are you coming by yourself or with a plus one?"

A small huff of amusement escaped her at her question. "I am fairly certain you already know the answer," he teased lightly.

On the other end of the line, she laughed lightly. "Well I can still hope. How is it that Sasuke can manage to bring two people and you're coming alone?"

He wondered briefly if Sasuke had managed to convince Sakura to go or if his mother was just assuming she would be there. "Perhaps because Sasuke is an officer and not chief of police."

"Oh play nice, Itachi," Mikoto chided him. "But I do expect you to be on time for dinner."

A smirk grace his face at her light reprimand, but whatever response he was about to make was cut short by the door to his office suddenly opening loudly. He looked up in time to see Kisame walk in with a dark expression on his face and Itachi knew immediately something had happened. Unconsciously he straightened in his chair as his attention turned back to his mother. "I will be there. I have to go."

She seemed to understand for she said a quick farewell before she hung up. As soon as Itachi was off the phone, he turned his full attention to his second-in-command. "What happened?"

"Police-involved shooting. Officers Inuzuka and Aburame were ambushed by some gang members," Kisame replied smoothly.

Immediately Itachi felt himself tense, but he forced his voice to remain calm. "Are they alright?"

The frown on his face lifted slightly and Itachi knew that the officers were still alive even before he spoke. "They're fine as far as I've been told. They are being taken to the hospital for an exam, but the backup officers reported that neither one was seriously injured."

Itachi nodded as his shoulders slowly relaxed. "What else do we know so far?"

"Not much," he replied. "They managed to capture one suspect, but I believe the other is still at large. I'll keep you updated as we get more information."

"Alright, we are going to need to set up a press conference as soon as we get anymore detail and I will call the Sheriff's Office to help with the manhunt for the second suspect," Itachi said, his mind already going through all the necessary steps and legal proceedings.

Kisame nodded his agreement. "I'm going to contact the Shift Commander and I'll draft up a press release for you. I'll check with Media Relations as well. I'm sure they're already getting calls."

After they discussed all the immediate action that needed to take place, Kisame left, leaving Itachi to himself. This was not the first time he and his second-in-command had been in this situation so they knew how to handle these types of scenarios, but it was never emotionally or mentally easy. In fact, officer-involved shootings were the most exhausting and stressful situations Itachi had to deal with, even if the officers were physically uninjured. A shooting was life-changing and he had witnessed firsthand the changes an officer goes through after taking a life or being forced to take a life. A person was never the same.

Taking a deep breath, Itachi mentally steeled himself. He knew how to handle this. It was one of the reasons why he had been promoted so quickly. He could handle these impossible situations without his emotions and personal feelings hindering him, which is exactly what he needed to go.

Picking up the phone once more, Itachi dialed the County Sheriff's office number; it was one he had come to memorize over the years. A familiar voice answered on the third ring. "Hello, Gaara. I need to request your assistance."


Exhaustion was etched into every cell of his body. Since the shooting earlier, Itachi had been running around, dealing with the media, phone calls, the hospital updates, the officers involved and one sorry excuse for a human being: the gang member they had caught.

The press conference had been incredibly tiring as he had to explain what had happened without all of the details. The media had been adamant on knowing more, but he had been unable to give them any more information than what he already had. He had spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone with Gaara, the Sheriff at the County's Office, as they attempted to make the most of their resources to hunt down the second suspect.

Sometime in the early evening, the officers involved had been released from the hospital and had returned to the department to collect whatever personal belongings they needed before leaving on mandatory, paid-administrative leave, pending the investigation of the shooting. They had been able to sit with their city-provided attorneys and another officer to give a brief statement and the details of what had happened. Inuzuka Kiba had explained that his canine, Akamaru, had saved them. The dog had started barking, alerting Kiba and his partner, Shino, that there were people approaching the vehicle. That had given them enough time to get out of their cars and draw their weapons before they could be fired upon. They had managed to capture one suspect immediately after Kiba released his canine. The police dog had grabbed onto one of the gang members and refused to let go until he gave the order. Unfortunately the second suspect had managed to get away before the pair could arrest him.

After gathering as much information as he could, Itachi had then called Gaara back to inform him of the update. Itachi had decided early he wanted an external department to handle the case so there could be no concerns that there had been any fabrication or tampering of evidence. It was well known that the LA PD had their grievances with gang members. The last thing he needed was an internal affairs investigation on top of everything.

Kisame had followed up with the media after they had spoken with Shino and Kiba and Itachi had forwarded all emails from media outlets to him so he could keep up-to-date with the Shift Commander on how the manhunt was proceeding. They didn't have much to work with, but detectives and officers from multiple units in the department were voluntarily putting in extra hours to find any evidence that would lead them to their suspect.

The help from his Assistant Chief and the Sheriff's Office had taken a huge load off his shoulders and though it had been a stressful day, it wasn't the worst Itachi had ever had. His mind and body was tired but he wasn't nearly exhausted as he expected he would be. It was late, nearly eight at night and he was ready to go home, but there was still one last thing that required his attention for the night.

Before the shooting, Genma had told him he would want a press release to be sent to the media about their case so the public could become aware of the possible danger. However, Itachi hadn't heard anything further about it and he knew Genma's email hadn't gotten lost in the fray of the busy day; Itachi had specifically looked for it. So hopefully Genma would still be in his office to update him on the situation. If not, he would speak with him tomorrow.

For the second time that day, Itachi made his way to the Major Crimes division. Surprisingly both Hyuuga Neji and Haruno Sakura were seated at a large table with a file and a number of documents around them. He could tell Sakura was still there from earlier that morning for she was still dressed in her black slacks and deep red blouse. Her heels were kicked off as she worked though, her green eyes focused on the papers before her and her pink hair piled into a messy bun on top of her head. It briefly crossed his mind that Genma had been right to request her for a promotion. She was a hard worker.

His mind quickly returned to the present when Neji suddenly took notice of him. "Chief," he greeted.

Sakura only then looked up and followed his gaze. "Evening, sir," she said politely.

He nodded at both of them. "Is Shiranui still in his office?"

Sakura turned her chair slightly to face him. "No, he went home a few hours ago. Is there something we can do for you?"

Itachi frowned for a moment as he debated whether to speak with Genma himself again tomorrow or to ask the pair directly if they had any understanding on how their supervisor wanted to proceed with their case. He decided the latter when he realized he may still be caught up in the legal mess of the shooting in the coming day. "Genma informed me earlier he wanted a press release about your case after he had spoken to your victim's agent," Itachi explained. "I never received word on if he wanted to continue with this action."

Sakura glanced at Neji as he spoke: "Her agent is out of the country until tomorrow. I am sure the Deputy Chief still wants one after he questions him."

Itachi nodded. "Very well, I will speak to ShiranuiShiranui tomorrow."

Tiredly he turned to head home for the night but stopped when Sakura spoke again: "Um….Chief."

The tone in her voice made him turn to face the pair once more. Both she and Neji had tense expressions as if there was something bothering them so he waited patiently for Sakura to say whatever was on her mind. It didn't take long. "How are Kiba and Shino? And Akamaru?"

His brow rose curiously and he saw Sakura chew on her lower lip nervously. They both looked more concerned than one would for their fellow officer, even given the situation.

"They were in our graduating class," Neji explained before he could inquire about her need to know.

Understanding flooded him and he gave the pair a small smile; it was barely noticeable but still there. They had probably been too busy working on their case to hear what had happened. The department had sent off an email informing everyone of what had occurred but it gave no status on the officers' conditions other than they had been taken to the hospital for treatment. "They are fine. Neither were injured beyond a few bruises and are currently on administrative leave until the investigation concludes with the Sheriff's office."

His words provided the desired effect as both of them seemed to relaxed back into their chairs. The sudden change almost made him smile again for he had been in the same situation before with Genma when he had first started on the force. But then he schooled his expression and gave them each a level look. "Is there anything else?"

When they both shook their heads, he nodded his farewell before he finally headed home for the night.

Easily Itachi reached the elevator and pressed the call button. The hall around him was silent with the lateness of the hour so when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket, it drew his attention immediately. He fished the device out and frowned at the screen when he saw it was an unknown number, but as he looked at it a moment longer, he realized it was the same number that had called him earlier that morning and hadn't left a voice mail.

Against his judgment, Itachi chose to answer as the elevator doors opened. "Chief Uchiha."

"About God damn time you answered your phone," came the sharp reply.

Itachi cocked a brow and paused as he attempted to place the voice. It didn't take him very long. "Shisui?"

Through the line, he could practically feel his cousin's grin. "Did ya miss me, Ita?"


"I can hear you sighing," Sasuke said through the headphones connected to Sakura's phone.

She parked her personal car in the garage attached to the police department before she got out to collect her backpack. "I'm not sighing, Sasuke. I'm yawning."

"Well stop," he said through the phone. "You're only just starting your day."

"Well some of us don't work ten hour shifts every day," she countered. "I worked nearly sixteen yesterday and because you kept trying to call me in the middle of the night, I only slept for six hours."

She could very nearly feel Sasuke rolling his eyes through the phone. "Well maybe you should have just answered."

"I will hang up on you," she said flatly.

"Alright, alright," he muttered. "I just want to remind you that you're coming to dinner tomorrow night."

"Okay, seriously?" Sakura asked as she locked her car. "That's why you called three times last night?" A long sigh escaped her. "I should say no just for that."

On the other end of the phone, their police radio went off and it was a moment before Sasuke answered so she could hear him. "Well I already brought you breakfast so you better not ditch out. If my mom finds out that I let you stay home alone on Christmas again she'll kick my ass."

"Not my problem."

"I'll make it your problem, Sakura. And I'll give her your address so she can hunt you down," he said haughtily through the line.

Sakura frowned lightly, knowing that his mom was the type of woman that would do just that too. "Fine, yes, I'll be there. What time is dinner?"

"My mom said to be there at four," he replied. "And don't worry. I already talked to her about not asking why we're not dating."

On the other end of the line, Sakura heard Naruto's muffled voice before Sasuke snorted. "No, Naruto, we're not going to tell my mom that we're together. My father would kick my ass and yours." Naruto's muttering sounded again, but Sakura couldn't quite make it out.

She vaguely listened to them argue back and forth as she took to scrolling through her email. She knew that once the pair got into it, the only thing that would shut them up was a heated make out session or someone interrupting them and since they were still getting off work, she knew she was going to have to be the one to intervene.

As Sakura reached the elevator, she cleared her throat lightly, reminding Sasuke she was still on the line. She knew that she would lose her connection if she went into the lift so she leaned against the wall next to the buttons to wait. On the other end, Sasuke sighed. "So I'll tell my mom you'll be there?"

"Yes," she said answered, her voice rich with amusement. "You and Naruto make it home safe?"

"Not yet," he replied. "We're just dropping off the patrol car now. Still have to change then we'll be home."

She realized they must have gotten stuck on a call to just be driving their car back now, but it wasn't too much later than their scheduled shift. It still saddened her slightly that they worked opposite schedules for the most part. While Naruto and Sasuke had chosen to stay on grave shift, she worked long hours during the day. It made her lonely sometimes that she didn't get to see them very often and when she did, it was usually in passing. But she loved what her job and she knew they loved theirs too so they tried to make it work. At least she could see them for Christmas since it fell on their normal days off and the department didn't like paying any special units overtime for working holidays unless strictly necessary so she had that to look forward to tomorrow night. Maybe she shouldn't have given Sasuke such a hard time; but it was her own small form of entertainment.

With a smile, Sakura finally pressed the call button for the elevator. "Okay, well go get some sleep," she said.

"Stay safe," he returned before they both hung up.

It didn't take long for the elevator to come and she stepped into it when it finally opened for her before she pressed the button for the department lobby. As she rode it up, she pulled her headphones out and pocketed them before she searched for her picture badge that would give her access to the turnstiles. She found it just as the doors opened once more and stepped out into the large lobby. As soon as she looked up, she froze as an unexpected but entirely welcome face caught her attention in the crowd.

Uchiha Shisui.

Through the throng of bodies, she could see he was dressed in his marine uniform and had a military backpack over his shoulders. He was standing tall near the reception desk, looking down at his phone, and though his hair was shaved to his head, she could see his dark eyes and handsome face hadn't changed once since the last time she had been him two years ago before he had been deployed overseas.

Even through the thick material, she could see he had filled out physically over the years. His uniform wrapped around his muscular arms and his chest was bigger and full of muscle. Even his shoulders had lost their usual slouch as he stood up straight with practiced ease. Sakura couldn't deny that he looked good, really good. And he hadn't noticed her yet.

"Well, if it isn't the military brat himself," she said as she walked up to him. "I didn't know you were home."

He looked up abruptly and large grin spread out over his face the moment he spotted her. "Why you miss me or something?"

Now that she was closer, she could see that his eyes were sharper and more focused, but there was still that light of playfulness in the dark depths and his smile was still as infectious as ever as her own smile stretched widely across her face. "Or something," she said offhandedly before Shisui closed the gap between them and enveloped her in a large hug.

He even went as far as to pick her up and spin her around once. His strength surprised her and she let out a laugh of delight as her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders before he set her back down. Even with his short hair he looked good and uninjured which was the most important thing to her. He had after all been sent to a war zone.

"It's nice to see you, Officer Haruno," he teased.

She just gave him a sly look. "It's Sergeant now."

The playful look on his face vanished to be replaced by something akin to surprise. He glanced over her shoulder briefly before his mischievous smile returned. "They promoted you? They're just giving them away now."

Sakura crossed her arms and opened her mouth to retort when another voice suddenly spoke for her: "Sergeant Haruno earned her promotion."

Curiously she turned to find none other than Itachi standing behind her. Immediately she noted that he looked far more relaxed than he had the night before; the stress lines under his eyes seemed less predominant and the shadows had faded to be replaced by the calm expression he usually wore. There was an elegance about the way he walked as he moved towards them as if his mind was at ease and wasn't preoccupied by anything else at the moment and she consciously realized she couldn't recall him ever looking so graceful before.

"Is that so?" Shisui asked, casting a glance at her.

Sakura pulled her eyes away from the chief to shrug and smile at him. "What can I say? I'm good at what I do," she bragged.

He chuckled at her and moved to ruffle her hair like he used to, but she ducked under his hand and poked his side with a grin. She could feel Itachi's gaze watching their interaction. "I was unaware you were acquainted with my cousin."

"Yeah," she said, turning to him. "I met Shisui when I first started at the academy-."

"More like I saved your life," he interrupted.

Sakura glared at him and shoved him playfully as a look of confusion fell across Itachi's face. "What he means is he helped me practice on the mat when Sasuke and Naruto were too busy," she explained.

Shisui threw an arm over her shoulder and tried to nuzzle her cheek with his own. "I always beat her though."

Sakura pushed him away with a palm to his face as she tried to glare through her smile. "You wanna go, Marine? I'll kick your ass."

He opened his mouth to retort, but Itachi interrupted before he could speak. "Perhaps some other time. You might want to get upstairs, Haruno." Sakura looked at him curiously as Shisui finally stopped struggling to get close to her again. Itachi didn't even seem fazed by their childish antics and continued without pause: "I believe Shiranui finally got ahold of Karin's agent. They should have him here for interviewing shortly."

Excitement built in her stomach and she nodded. "Oh good! I'll head up then. Thank you for informing me, Chief." She then turned to Shisui and gave him a bright smile. "Coffee soon, yes?"

"Definitely," he grinned. "But I'll need your number again. New phone and all."

He held out his phone, which she took from him immediately before she punched in her number and saved it under 'Your favorite detective ever'. Then she returned it to him before she excused herself. Quickly she moved to the elevator, excited to hear about any new information with her case, but as she waited, she couldn't but chance a look back.

Shisui and Itachi were still standing in the same spot as before. They both stood out among the crowd with Shisui's crisp military outfit and Itachi's sharp business suit, but it was more than their appearances that drew attention; it was their presence. Itachi's easy confidence had always stolen stares of respect and admiration, but with Shisui next to him to cool the intimidating air around the Chief, the pair seemed approachable and almost friendly.

No wonder they were best friends, Sakura mused. They complimented one another well. She could only wonder the impact Shisui's absence had made on Itachi's life in his time abroad. It suddenly dawned on her how hard it must have been for his best friend to leave so suddenly with nearly no contact - Sakura herself had only heard from Shisui twice in the time he had been gone; the last of which had been nearly a year ago - and a sudden sadness fell over her as she wondered if he had dealt with it on his own. She had always had Sasuke and Naruto around; she couldn't imagine being completely without either one for very long they had become such a big part of her life.

The sound of the elevator opening drew Sakura's mind to the present and she turned her gaze away from the pair to step inside. She pressed the button for her floor and waited patiently as the lift stopped a handful of times for other employees to enter and exit. As soon as it reached her floor, she excused herself as she pushed through the small group of officers in the small space with her and quickly made her way to her division.

Shikamaru and Neji were there, both collecting paperwork hurriedly, but Anko and Genma were absent. She made her way over to her desk to set down her backpack when Genma exited his office and looked at them Neji expectantly. "Anko just called. Karin's manager is here and ready in an interview room. Hyuuga, do you have that paperwork I asked for?"

"Yes," he replied as he turned to Shikamaru. He handed Neji a few documents to add to his file before they both moved to follow Genma down the hall towards the interview rooms.

Following their lead, Sakura eagerly went after them, excited to watch the interview to hear what her agent had to say, but before they could get very far, Genma turned back to her. "Haruno, I just remembered that the record's department just sent over the information on the owner of that house and I want you to go through the file. I want to know everything about them by the time I'm out of my interview," Genma ordered.

She opened her mouth, desperately wanting to argue, but she respected his authority and she nodded even as her shoulders slouched slightly. "Yes, sir."

He nodded his thanks at her before he continued down the hall, leaving Sakura to herself. A little dejectedly, she returned to her desk and powered it on before she logged onto her unit's shared email. Sure enough, she found an unopened attachment from the record's department, providing the title and name of the owner of their crime scene house. It belonged to a man named Yakushi Kabuto. He had inherited the small home from his grandmother when she passed five years ago and having no other family to give it to, it had gone to him.

As per usual, Sakura entered his name into the department's database and frowned when she saw he had a fairly long criminal history, dating back as far as ten years ago when he was still a teenager. Most of his crimes were for fraud and identity theft, but he had done three years in prison for assault and had been released just over a year ago. Since then he had mostly been off the grid, keeping himself out of trouble.

Which for someone who had such a long record was a little suspicious to her.

Knowing the easiest way to track someone's movements, Sakura immediately put in a call to Mitokado Homura, a judge that commonly writes warrants and subpoenas for their unit. After explaining the situation, he readily agreed to write a document for a release of Yakushi's bank statements and phone records for the last two years as well as a detailed background report and an hour later, she found herself reading through page after page of records, starting with his bank statements and the most recent charges to his credit card.

A sigh escaped her as she realized he had never reported the murder in his home because he had been out of the country for the last two weeks. She doubted that he was even aware a major crime had occurred on his property. She assumed he didn't have a vehicle by the lack of car and insurance payments and after reviewing his phone records, he saw there were no emails, phone calls, or texts sent between the victim and himself. With her brief overview, it seemed to her like it was just a deadend.

With a soft yawn, Sakura stretched her arms over her head as she gave her eyes a short break from all the numbers and personal information. She looked over as the sound of voices reached her ears and saw Neji, Anko and Genma reenter the room. Shikamaru was absent, but she didn't give him any thought as Genma immediately walked up to her.

"Any information on our house?" he asked.

Sakura pointed to the large stacks on papers on her desk. "Oh yes," she emphasized. "It's owned by a man named Yakushi Kabuto. He has quite the impressive resume with the LA PD: fraud, identity theft, assault. He was in prison for a couple of years, but appears to have kept off our radar in the past year. His bank statements show he's been out of the country for the past two weeks though. There's a phone number connected with his name, but I have yet to try it. Honestly, I doubt he knows that anything has even happened in his house yet."

Genma frowned slightly at the information. "Alright. Good work. Karin's agent said she had a photoshoot scheduled a few hours before her time of death. She was supposedly at Icha Icha Studios at 1600 hours, being photographed by a named Jiraiya. I want you and Anko to go speak with him. Hyuuga can work on contacting Yakushi."

Sakura felt her heart sink as her boss spoke. She had been hoping beyond hope that Karin hadn't been working with Jiraiya and hearing his name made the worry she had been keeping at bay since they had discovered the identity of their victim come to the forefront of her mind. Hearing Jiraiya was now most likely the last person to see her alive, made her palms sweat and her heart race.

"Uh, Deputy Chief," Sakura said quietly before Genma could walk away from her. "I can't go on the interview."

Genma raised a brow at her. She had never disobeyed an order from him before. "Why not?" he asked calmly.

She swallowed in an attempt to wet her suddenly dry mouth and throat. "Because I know Jiraiya. Personally."

A mix of amazement and confusion flashed across his face, but before he could respond, Anko laughed. "So you recognized our pornstar first and know some pervy porn filmmaker too? Tell me, Haruno, were you in the porn industry before?"

Immediately Sakura whipped her head in the older woman's direction and fixed her with a deadly glare. She hadn't been aware she had been eavesdropping and it felt like a violation of privacy that she had been so blatantly listening in on her conversation with her supervisor. But before Sakura could retort, Genma glanced at the dark-haired woman: "Anko, go find Nara and take him with you to Icha Icha studios." Then he glanced back at her. "Haruno, I want to speak with you in my office."

He took off towards his door and Sakura soon followed after flashing a nasty look towards Anko. The older woman just smirked, obviously still entertained, but neither said a word to the other as Sakura made her way into Genma's office and closed the door behind her. She stood before his desk as he sat in his chair. "Care to explain?"

Automatically she became defensive. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I've never been in the porn industry."

An expression of amusement passed over his face. "I know that, Sakura. You wouldn't have been hired if you had. I'm just asking how you know Jiraiya."

Sighing, Sakura crossed her arms in an unconsciously protective manner as she redirected her gaze. "He's a family friend," she said quickly only to frown when she realized that may not entirely be accurate. "Well actually he's kinda my adopted father. But not legally."

Genma just cocked a brow at her poor explanation and she sighed again. "I was adopted in Florida by a woman when I was three years old. When I turned five, she began dating Jiraiya and he lived with us for some years. But after I turned fifteen, they broke up for reasons I'm still not aware of and we moved away. I knew he was working in Hollywood when I moved out here, but I've spoken to him maybe three times since then and I didn't know until now that Karin was one of his clients."

For a long moment, Genma was silent as he watched her with a calculating gaze, but eventually he sighed, "Alright, so besides your adopted mom dating him, you have no relation to him at all?"

Sakura shook her head. "No."

"And in recent years, you haven't spoken to him?" he asked.

Again, she shook her head, wondering where his line was questioning was going. "No."

He ran a ragged hand through his hair as he sat back in his chair, his brow furrowed in thought. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she waited anxiously, but eventually he sat up straight again with a hard look on his face. "Alright, for right now Jiraiya is not a suspect, only a person of interest." She felt relief sweep through her, but it was short lived as Genma gave her a stern look. "But the moment that changes, you're off the case, no questions asked. Understand?"

Sakura nodded quickly as she released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Thank you, sir."

"And you are not to tell your mom about this until the investigation is concluded. The last thing I need is some woman freaking out because her ex from a decade ago is a possible murder suspect," he added with a hint of irritation.

She briefly wondered if he had endured a similar situation before, but she merely nodded instead. "Of course, sir. Understood."

Genma just gestured towards the door. "Okay then, leave me alone and get back to work."


A/N: So I didn't even realize this chapter matched up in time for Veteran's Day so thank you to everyone who served and is/has sarcaficed for this country! This chapter is dedicated to you!

I know...I shaved Shisui's head ahahah

I'm honestly not a huge fan of this chapter, but I needed these scenes to move the story forward. So I hope you're all excited for next week! (Also Friday is my birthday so the third chapter is like an ItaSaku present to me - because there's ItaSaku notes FINALLY in it)

Thanks for reading and I love all my lovely reviewers/readers! You're awesome!