Chapter Three; Labs Have all the Solutions
This day had played out in such a way it could not have been anticipated or predicted in shape or form, by seer or psychic, let alone a rookie detective. And yet Sakura was a little disappointed that she hadn't been able to foresee where this day would take her. It was close to 9pm, they were heading full tilt on the highway in Kakashi's sorry excuse for a car, and she had no idea where they were going.
The Sakura of the past, the one that had worked to a hospital schedule with military precision, she would have been physically ill at the very idea of what was unfolding around her now, the chaos. But Detective Haruno? She was loving every second. She wasn't sure if that was to do with the seasoned veteran next to her and the calm, albeit strange, aura he seemed to exude.
It was fun. Unexpected, brilliant, nonsensical... fun. So much better than the sterile world she had escaped from.
"Next turn off. Exit 321."
She simply nodded and complied. The kind of barking order didn't even bother her at this point, she was just grateful to be there, and she was good at this. She would be great even with a little more time. She would show them all.
The buildings in this part of the city were unfamiliar, an odd mixture of larger gated factories and well lit parking lots.
"Take the next right."
Part of her realized she should really ask where they were going, but something was also telling her that he wasn't going to just come out with that kind of information for nothing. It seemed to be how he operated. Sakura's stomach lurched, may she was only so compliant out of hunger.
"You want the entrance to Axiam Labs, 100 meters on the left. There's reserved precinct parking."
He sounded at least a little more interested in the case now, the realization about the skull lighting a fire in him obviously. Kakashi appeared to be sending some very fast messages, every so often he would grow frustrated at the screen and close it with a huff, only to open it seconds later. Sakura should have guessed they were heading to the lab, but what could they possibly discern without any of the forensic evidence with them? Surely it wouldn't have been collated and sent for testing so quickly...
"Lab, huh." She was not surprised that he offered no more information. She hadn't exactly asked a question to begin with. "I thought the precinct lab was on site now..."
"It is. This is just where our... special cases are outsourced to."
"Special cases?"
"Yes, I'm aware of what I said. Or are you just fond of repeating?"
Sakura rolled her eyes so hard she was sure he could hear it even though he was looking dramatically out the passenger side window into the darkness. The security guard seated in a booth by the gate nodded to Kakashi and raised the bar. It would be hard not to recognize that matte of silver hair.
As she pulled into the park and cut the ignition she waited for Kakashi to elaborate with patience. She may not know him completely or well enough yet, but she was vindicated when his whole body appeared to sigh and he begrudgingly continued.
"Sorry, yeah, this is the lab we use mostly for violent crimes. It's privately owned but the tech here is, well he's something else... You'll see."
Kakashi leant over to the back seat with a sigh, unbuckling the plant that had been an unwilling passenger for the whole day.
Sakura was too irked to make any kind of intelligible response, though she was also determined not to let Hatake's prickly exterior dampen her mood. It was a saddening fact that she was too used to the mood swings of men in the professional world. The medical world was just as cut throat as that of the detective.
At least he apologized, sort of. It was an attempt in the right direction, she nodded, acknowledge the good behaviour so that it may continue. She would train him yet.
The night air was cool as they headed toward the entrance, Sakura's eyes darting around quickly, taking in as much as she could in the darkness. It was a tidy but unremarkable laboratory. They knew Kakashi well enough not to even ask to see his badge, they weren't bothered by the potted plant, not one person batted an eye in her direction as far as she could tell. It wasn't until they rounded a corner that she spied anything that really grabbed her attention, and as they padded closer to it there was even more to take in.
Specifically it was what she could see through the doors to one lab in particular. In a sea of sterile white it stood out like a sore thumb, and a lush green thumb at that. Her eyes struggled to take in more detail when Kakashi fortuitously paused outside the double doors, pulling a key card from the inside of his jacket.
When those automated doors opened it was like walking from a laboratory and into a jungle. While there was equipment, tables and computers all brand new and in working order; it was above all that she could see the hundreds of potted plants carefully placed on shelves. Some were creeping vines with glossy leaves which were climbing over every available surface and up to the ceiling rafters.
There was a moment of wonder where Sakura was simply marveling at the strangeness around her, the male voices jarring her back to reality.
"I've already told you Mr. Hatake... I'm not helping you this time. I don't care what you've brought me or what excuse you've dreamed up..."
"Now now, Yamato. At least hear us out first."
"Us? What do you mean... oh..."
A man wheeled into view while still sitting in an office chair, a shaggy head of brown hair, wearing a white lab coat. It was his eyes that held her attention and she wasn't sure if he was deliberately that wide eyed or not.
"Well, well. This is an interesting development. Sorry for my rudeness, let me introduce myself. Name's Yamato, entomologist and plant enthusiast..." He scooted closer, still seated, and gasped loudly. "Kakashi what beautiful creature have you destroyed this time?"
For a moment she thought that he was speaking of herself, but his arms were already outstretched to the damned potted plant they had purchased earlier. Kakashi was holding it up like a hostage and the look on his face was pure pompous snob and she had to bite back the urge to roll her eyes. Yamato beat her to the punch by rolling his own eyes and folding his arms with a huff.
"Manners, Yamato. This is Detective Haruno."
"Detective…" Yamato repeated quietly.
She watched with curiosity as the entomologist's eyes quickly scanned between herself and Kakashi.
"Sakura, you can call me Sakura. Nice to meet you."
It was even more unsettling when Yamato's attention was focused directly on her. The man practically snatching her hand to shake it, pulling her a little closer to him.
"You're here of your own free will, right? Blink twice for help and I'll call the guards…"
"Yamato." Kakashi's no nonsense tone broke through and the warning broke any silliness in the man's features.
"Sorry about that." He scooted back and sheepishly ran a hand through his hair. "It's just very unusual to see Kakashi teamed up with anyone, let alone someone as pretty as…"
"Yamato!" Kakashi was now the one rolling his eyes. "Do you want the damned plant or not?"
The man sat back and turned his unimpressed attention back to Kakashi.
"Depends on what despicable favor you're going to ask me to do this time. I've told you before, I'm not a miracle worker, some of these things you just have to wait for. I haven't any details of the case you're working on…"
"You will soon. Here." Kakashi offered the plant, and as prickly as Yamato had been seconds ago, he took that vegetation like a child snatching back their favorite toy. "All I want you to do is take a look at some photos and confirm Detective Haruno's theory."
She noticed that suddenly the theory was hers alone. A tide of negative thoughts flooded her mind at that point, many a man had done this throughout her professional career, as a surgeon and as a budding detective. It had dogged her throughout school and university. And at this very moment she could see the seeds of doubt in her ability being planted in the minds of the men around her. She didn't really know Kakashi that well, with no idea as to why he had brought her here, heck she wasn't even sure now that he believed her theory about the skull. It seemed almost too wild to be the truth, but she would not have said it if she weren't absolutely certain, she would stand by her work. It was the only way to get men like this to listen, and it would be the only way to garner any kind of respect from them as colleagues.
"Is that what that onslaught of messages contained? You know I won't open anything you send me, especially at work, not after the last time you sent me that link to cock rings on ebay..."
"Ugh..." Kakashi made a throat clearing sound, he also tried to hide the creeping blush on his face but was too slow for Sakura's eye. "Bring them up on the Discord network then if you have to."
With a shrug and a push of his legs Yamato wheeled himself back to his desk. All the while hugging that plant closely to his chest. Sakura still couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was walking into a bullying session or something similar. For now she chose to give Kakashi the benefit of the doubt, surely he wouldn't put in so much effort, come all this way just to humiliate her...
"Well it must be important if you've brought an offering, guess I'll take a quick look. How big are we talking?"
"You'll see."
Yamato rolled his eyes while he tapped his login to the computer. Kakashi moved forward to stand beside him, Sakura took the opportunity to look more closely around the lab. It seemed that this Yamato was meticulous in his operations, with plants and equipment alike, it was fastidiously labelled and cleaned. While Sakura enjoyed the tidy and novel appearance of this lab it did not make her nostalgic to be back in that sort of world. She would take the rush of speeding to a crime scene in a beat up sedan any day.
"Case number MR13B... Wait, is this is skeletal remains that were fished out of the lake this afternoon?"
"Yeah that's the one."
"Kakashi what possible assistance could I provide at this early stage? There's nothing even here to show for it apart from a few photos, the forensic autopsy hasn't even been completed."
"Yamato, I just want you to take a quick look at the photos on file."
Sakura couldn't see the gentleman roll his eyes but she presumed that's what was happening, she knew his type.
"What exactly am I meant to be looking at?"
"Detective Haruno..." Kakashi chimed.
Ah, here it comes. The inevitable act of humiliation, she couldn't help the thought that entered her mind, she had been down this road so many times before. He would ask her to explain her theory and then they would all have a big laugh at her expense.
"Yes?"
"Can you enlarge this image like you did the one back at the precinct?"
"Oh, yeah, as long as the computer still has the factory features. I had to use a separate program to really zoom in on the area..." Sakura stepped forward, taking hold of the mouse and making a few quick clicks. When she stepped back she pretended to be disinterested in the whole thing. Guarding her fragile self for the incoming barrage of teasing that was surely to come. They weren't saying anything yet but it wouldn't be far away.
"Do you see it?" Kakashi asked, and for a moment she thought he was speaking to her, but Yamato was staring at the screen transfixed and nodding.
"I think so, wow, you spotted this Sakura? That's amazing."
"Uh, yeah, thanks." She was at a loss for what else she should say, she'd never had a theory so readily accepted in her entire adult life, let alone something as incriminating as this.
"She did, our little newbie is a doctor."
"Was a doctor." She corrected instantly, not missing the way Kakashi looked back to her with a raised brow, it might've been attractive if it weren't so damned irritating.
"That's tool marks alright." Yamato was still peering at the picture but sounded certain.
"Two separate tools if you look at the striations on the parietal bone compared to the mandible and temporal bones." She corrected again with more confidence than before, unless this was just an elaborate scheme to build her up before they tore her down, and it wouldn't be the first time. She liked to think that Kakashi was far too lazy for such a thing.
"You think it's one of his?" Yamato directed his attention to Kakashi.
"Unclear at this stage, his victims are all accounted for, so this would be a surprising addition. It does however rule out any kind of accidental death or grave desecration. Something violent happened here."
"That's for damned sure."
"Whose victims?" Sakura asked so suddenly she surprised herself, usually she wasn't one to interrupt conversation but she had so many questions and wanted to be in on the loop. Yamato turned to look at her before answering.
"The Knife-man of Konoha."
"Oh, I remember that case from the academy, wasn't the perp finally caught on a traffic violation?"
"The very same. That case took the better part of a year for Kakashi and I just to make sense of the evidence alone. There was so much of it. Good times, right Kakashi?"
"Speak for yourself." Kakashi hadn't taken his eyes off the screen and his tone was one not to be trifled with. "Skull was fished out of the water, but it may not have been there for very long. What do you think? Worth fast tracking?"
"Well, since you've brought an offering, and such an interesting case to boot... Fine. Put the transfer into Axiom and I'll take care of it."
Kakashi seemed to be bolstered as he straightened and reached for his phone.
"Brilliant, I'll phone it through to Tsunade." He murmured as he walked toward the door already dialing. "Be right back."
This left Sakura alone in the lab with Yamato, feeling a little vindicated that her integrity hadn't been torn to shreds about her theory. Maybe she had misjudged Kakashi's character entirely.
"Kakashi said you were unusually beautiful but I wasn't expecting such a gorgeous blossom."
Or maybe she had been right on the money, she narrowed her eyes.
"Ugh, I didn't realize you two had spoken about me..."
"Hmm? Oh no, I was talking to the plant, he didn't mention you. Not surprising though..."
Sakura could feel her temperature rising with her sudden anger.
"Why exactly is that surprising? Because I'm a woman? Or because I'm new blood, hmm?"
"Oh no, please forgive me. I only meant that Kakashi, well, he doesn't keep partners for more than a day. Not since, y'know."
Yamato's gesture and head tilt did little to shed any light on the matter. Sakura cocked her hip and raised a brow at the peculiar man.
"No I don't know, care to enlighten me?"
"Wait...:" Yamato now turned to look at her with undivided attention, "was Kakashi assigned to assist you on this case?"
"No we've been working it together since this morning. And you still haven't explained to me..."
"Since this morning? Wow, you've beaten the record already. Kakashi hasn't worked with a partner for more than an interrogation since... well, since Obito."
"Obito? Who's that?"
"Well he was Kakashi's best friend and partner until a year ago."
"What happened?"
Yamato indicated for her to lean closer, that this was private information that needed to be kept as quiet as possible.
"Obito was killed in the line of duty. Investigating... well something that's better left unsaid. It was violent. Kakashi was the one who found him and he hasn't found anyone he can work with since."
Sakura's brow furrowed as she took in all the information she could. She was also hyper aware that the man in question could come back at any second.
"Did they get the guy who did it?"
"Not yet. It's a shame, Kakashi hasn't been the same since, used to be ever the consummate Detective, thorough, caring, dedicated. But now... well, you've seen him."
She had trained her expression to one of indifference despite the shock she felt. It didn't feel right to be privy to such a thing without Kakashi's permission. That was how it should be between partners she guessed. She had tried to forget the commotion that Kakashi himself had caused on her arrival to the precinct, she'd had no idea that such a tragedy had befallen her predecessor. It explained part of Kakashi's behavior while also opening up a whole new realm of mystery about the man.
It was just lucky that she enjoyed puzzles so much.
"I don't know about that, he seems dedicated to me. We agreed to work this 50/50 and he's kept his word."
"Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy, and a brilliant detective and it's been hard watching him struggle for so long. You seem like a nice person, just don't go getting your hopes up."
Sakura tried to swallow her anger.
"Thanks for your concern, I assure you I'll be just fine."
Perhaps there was a little mirth to her tone still, a combination of being simultaneously fed up at the situation and not caring either way what this man thought of her.
"I gotta ask, what made you switch from medicine to detective work?"
Sakura considered her answer and she considered the ramifications of biting back with malice. It probably wouldn't do well to antagonize someone they had come to ask a favor of.
"It's a long story, let's just say I wanted to make a difference somehow."
Her answer was just the right amount of vague detail to settle the matter for the time being. Kakashi appearing behind her just as the last words drifted from her mouth. Their eyes met with a curt nod.
"All sorted?"
"Tsunade is on board, she at least agreed that we were dealing with something too violent not to pull out all the stops for. You can expect all the particulars to be forwarded to you as soon as they're ready, Tenzo- I mean, Yamato." Kakashi cleared his throat, Sakura watched as the entomologists face turned beet red. "Ready to go, Sakura?"
Without any chance for a reply, Kakashi was already turned and heading toward the door, Sakura barely had time to wave awkwardly to Yamato before catching up with Hatake.
The silence hanging in the air seemed heavier to Sakura even as they walked quickly back towards the entrance of the lab. The questions were forming in her mind and sorting themselves into an acceptable order. She would need to be careful about how she asked them as well, to get the most information out of Kakashi as possible without him realizing.
By the time they reached the sedan her mind was a tumultuous storm of emotions, questions and thoughts. She had been so certain that Kakashi was about to throw her under the bus, embarrass her in some way about her skull theory, yet he hadn't. Apart from the plant oddity he had been a professional through and through. Yamato had even seemed nice for the most part... probing questions aside.
"Bet you're wondering... about that..." Kakashi asked as extended his hand, they were paused outside the vehicle, it took a moment for her to register that he was asking for the keys.
"About what?" She coyly raised a brow feigning innocence. "The plants, the lab or the weirdo who brought me here?:
She dropped the keys into his palm, his eyes were on hers but they weren't holding her attention any longer. He was smiling, genuinely smiling, and she could tell because it was the first time he'd made such an expression in her company. It was beguiling and completely changed the look of his entire face.
"Get in, I'll give you the abridged version."
Sakura ignored her rumbling stomach again as she sat in the passengers side, her nerves quelled for the meantime, it had reawakened that hunger from before. She was also hungry for answers, in any way, shape or form. About the case of about the weirdness she had just witnessed.
"What did you think of Yamato?" Kakashi asked when they reached the highway.
"He's... nice, I guess. An oddity but that seems to be the trend with everyone in this profession." She may have sounded slightly bitter but she didn't want to be answering questions, she wanted the puzzle pieces to fit together neatly.
She also wanted her dinner.
"Nice, yeah that's about it. You wouldn't know it from looking at him, but he was once an up and coming Detective of such a caliber he was on the docket for Captain."
"Really? I've never heard of him."
"Would surprise me greatly if you had. Met him some ten years back, but his talents were wasted on the force. Man could pick up a blade of grass and tell you where it had been growing and for how long." Kakashi sighed and she had to wonder what parts of the story he was strategically omitting. "When his talents were finally recognized he was transferred. It was a fight getting a cop to be deemed worthy in the forensic side in any case. You won't find a harder worker, or a more talented scientist anywhere in the city. His time is so valuable now it takes some gentle coercion to get his attention."
"Ah, I see. So he won't do you any favors unless you bring him the plants? That it?"
"Yes ma'am."
"His lab is filled with them, you must have asked a lot of favors..."
"Some of them are by way of apology also, it is my fault he got transferred from the force to begin with, my fault he's had to work so hard. But that's a story for another time. Anyway, I knew from experience that your theory about the skull being defleshed held value, but to get Tsunade on our side quicker..."
"You wanted Yamato to back it up."
"Exactly. You catch on quick Haruno."
"Would have been easier if you'd just told me, why you men feel the need to keep everything covert from women I'll never understand... But I can also see why you did it. You wanted me to get defensive on the theory..."
Sakura gave him a side glance with her eyes narrowed.
"Well, maybe defensive isn't the right word, passionate is more appropriate."
"Uh huh. You men, why you don't just come out with..."
"Sakura, I meant it when I said nice work. Trust your instincts, trust your..." He paused and swallowed thickly, pretending to concentrate on the road though it was the words he was having trouble with. "Trust your partner. You've proven yourself to be an extremely capable detective and only on your first day."
There was silence between them. Sakura had never been good at accepting complements, let alone ones that came directly from a superior. They tended to lead to sexual harassment in her experience. But this seemed genuine, and it held even more stock because of what Yamato had said to her that evening.
"You're pretty capable yourself, Hatake."
"Well, I do try occasionally, and this is meant to be 50/50 right?"
She huffed instead of articulating an answer. While there were still so many questions surrounding this man, her partner, for the moment she was content to trust him just a little bit.
"You have any more questions?" He asked with a tone that was almost too nice to be recognized as Kakashi.
"Yeah, what did you get me for dinner?"