Hello readers! This story is part of a series involving the Happy Accidents SasuSaku fanfiction published. This story covers Ino Yamanaka's role as a district attorney who gets herself involved in far more than she needs to. Along the way, she uncovers information that could destroy everything she knows—about her family, her heritage, and her career. It's up to her and foreign operative Sai Gaka to uncover the truth and salvage the remains of her life.
Chapters will come out simultaneously with Happy Accidents, and there will be plot crossover. This story kicks off from Chapter 34 of Happy Accidents, but may reference earlier events in that story periodically.
Whenever things happened around the office, Ino was usually one of the first people to find out about it. There was a reason they called her the gossip queen; she always, through some means or another, found out what was going on. Eyes and ears everywhere, as they said. It was a trait that had helped her not only in her social life but in her professional one too; if there were any information to be found and followed up on regarding a case, Ino would find it and have it investigated. It was the reason she was Konoha's District Attorney.
Lately, the only good gossip she'd been getting was best-friend gossip—little tidbits about her best friend and the hot cop she was shacking up with. Sakura would never love to hear that descriptor used for their relationship, but Ino knew that was the best way to put it. It was only a matter of time before that relationship went further and further. Admittedly, she found it entertaining: Sakura and Sasuke seemed to have this tendency to dance around one another, just out of reach, like they were taunting each other. It was both entertaining and deeply frustrating at the same time.
Today, though... today, there was new gossip she'd come across. Word had spread that there was a new person in the office: a foreign liaison, from what she understood. Sai Gaka. The more Ino dug on him, the less she seemed to be able to find; he was from a foreign organization known as ROOT, employed by the National Allied Forces. Supposedly, they were black operatives used to investigate the most heinous of crimes. From what Ino understood, it was usually mobsters or terrorist-related organizations that ROOT kept tabs on. Deeply high-level operatives that were everywhere and nowhere, all at once.
In Ino's case, it intrigued her deeply. She'd heard rumours about this Sai character, and from what she understood, he was another tall, dark, handsome, mysterious character that was attracting attention in the office. He'd supposedly been brought to help with a case; he was a sort of... foreign operative—an Allied Nations operative from a division called Root.
Foreigners were always intriguing to Ino. They always had stories and adventures to share. This one was no different; he was quiet, mysterious... sort of intriguing in a way. Ino had been a bit bummed she lost to Sakura when it came to Sasuke, but if this was her consolation prize, then she damn well wasn't about to complain.
Besides—Sakura deserved a man like Sasuke. One who'd go to great lengths to protect her. She may not have known Detective Uchiha for long, but what she did know was that he was fierce.
"Oi, look who's creeping about the office again," an energetic voice sounded from behind Ino, causing her to jump.
"Uzumaki—what the hell!" She said with an angry stamp of her foot, stabbing him in the chest with a finger. "Okay, first of all, smartass, I wasn't creeping, and second of all, shut up, and thirdly, don't ever sneak up behind me again, or you will be the first man in existence to find out what it's like to have his balls drop twice." Damn, just how the hell was he so sneaky?!
"Okay, okay, okay, sheesh, calm down," he said with a defensive wave of his hands. "Ya do look kinda creepy with the way you're starin' and all, though." Oh, one of these days, Naruto's brutal honesty was going to get him in so, so much trouble.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't you have work to do? Go win at interrogations against Sasuke or something. Shoo shoo," Ino said with a dismissive gesture, straightening her blouse before putting on a bright smile. She had a newbie to show around, and she was going to give him the warmest welcome she could.
Sauntering up to the man, she gave him a wave. "Hey there! You're Sai, right?" His expression turned to her, nodding in response. "District Attorney Yamanaka, though you can just call me Ino."
"Oh. Hello, DA Yamanaka. Is it customary for district attorneys to be the ones showing newcomers around? I would have thought persecuting cases was your primary duty."
"Oh, it is, but I don't have any scheduled prosecutions today, lucky me! It happens when you prosecute the most high-profile of cases." She flipped her hair proudly, letting out a chuckle. "The chief's just in an interview right now, so why don't I give you the tour while we wait? I'm sure he won't be long." Ino was silently praying he'd take the bait.
"Sure," he replied, gesturing for her to lead the way. Straightening up, Ino put on her best confident face as she began to lead him around the precinct, taking the time to introduce her to everyone.
"Detective Uzumaki's head of our gang unit and the best interrogator you'll find. He's a mastermind in there. I still don't know how he does it. Detective Uchiha is—and, there he goes," she said as she pointed to the mess of spiky black hair that disappeared into an interrogation room. "He's a bit of a cold fish at first, but he's really quite nice once you get to know him. Constable Hyuga is around here, somewhere—his cousin Hinata is my assistant and secretary. Sweet girl, a little shy, but she's truly a sweetheart. Oh, and she makes the best cinnamon buns! You'll have to try some when she brings some in next week. She promised she'd make some this weekend." Sai was only half tuned into the blonde's words as she spoke; her bubbly personality was a little much for him, but she was friendly at least. Perhaps a little too friendly...
"And down here, we have the autopsy area. My best friend runs the department pretty much by herself. Well, she's got assistance from Dr. Mitsashi, our head of forensics, but otherwise, she's your girl when it comes to anything you want to know about a vic." Opening the doors to the autopsy area, she saw that familiar head of bubblegum-pink hair leaning curiously to see them.
"Hey there, Sakura!" She called with a wave, sauntering up.
"Oh, hey, Ino. Who's your friend?" Sakura asked as she gestured to Sai. "Dr. Sakura Haruno, medical examiner. A pleasure to meet you. I'd shake your hand, but I'm a little goopy." Ew, goopy was right. Ino was just glad the smell wasn't travelling today; she always avoided visiting down here for that exact reason. The only time she ever would was if she wanted to kill her appetite for the rest of the day completely.
"...Sai Gaka," the male replied curtly. Ino was practically bouncing on the spot, silently praying the two would get along. She was certain Sakura had figured out what was going on; they had the same tastes in men, after all.
"I do not believe goopy is a word a doctor would use as an accurate descriptor for your duties," Sai stated bluntly. "Then again, choosing to be a medical examiner could be the reason for that." Oh, no. The moment those words came out of Sai's mouth, Ino knew exactly how this was going to go. There was one thing Sakura was deeply proud of, and it was just how smart she was. That was a button that one should never push when it came to her; it was a sure-fire way to make the doctor very angry very quickly.
"Excuse me?" That sharp tone was all too familiar to Ino. Quick, quick! She needed to run interference and damage control immediately! Okay, how to get Sai out of this situation before he got reamed... Oh, lord. She was too flustered by his good looks to think straight!
Ino just about gulped as her friend stepped forward. "I'm a licensed medical pathologist, I'll have you know, and I have a doctorate in forensic anthropology, thank you very much."
"Oh, Sakura, I'm sure he didn't mean it like that! You'll have to forgive him; he's new to the country," Ino said quickly as she tried to rush Sai out, using her hands to turn him around and coax him toward the door gently. "You said you were here about a case, right? Let's maybe bring you back to the chief; he should be out of his interview for now." She quickly ushered Sai toward the door, turning around with a sheepish look before mouthing an apology to Sakura. She'd have to come back down and fix things later.
Once they were back upstairs, she ushered the male into her office, frowning and putting her hands on her hips. "Okay, what was that?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "That was so rude of you! You're just lucky she's my best friend, or she might have gutted you verbally then and there." Ino shuddered. "She looks shy and meek, but she's scary when she's mad." Now wasn't that the truth; Sakura rarely lost her temper, but it was volatile when she did.
"Was that not an accurate statement?" He asked curiously, tilting his head to the side. "I would have thought someone with as much intelligence as her would have a much wider vocabulary to describe what it was she was engaged in. I also would have expected her not to be a medical examiner, but to be something more fitting of her intelligence, such as a neurosurgeon." Sai had thought he was complimenting her intelligence. He didn't understand how he'd offended her; he was only honest.
"Look, you can't just say it like that. You managed to insult her pretty bad. Look, just—acknowledge she's smart. She closes cases. She figures out things that other people can't, finds details and evidence on cases that appear completely hopeless. She does it because she has a good heart and wants to help people." She frowned. "If you ask me, that's a pretty damned good reason to do what she does. Someone has to do that kind of work. You owe her an apology."
Sai was deeply taken aback by the blonde. She was fierce when it came to her friend, unexpectedly so. He would have to consider what she was saying, though he was uncertain about how even to approach Dr. Haruno now that he'd insulted her. Maybe a book or two would be a good idea.
"I should go to my meeting," he said simply. "Thank you for the tour, Miss Yamanaka. I will take your statements under advisement." There. He was polite and honest, nodding his head before ducking out of her office.
This new job was going to be quite the ordeal if he was going to be taken so... seriously.