Kakashi had ditched the jacket as soon as he'd gotten into the sedan. It wasn't especially warm inside the car but for some reason he felt as if he were suffocating, his blood had been running hot all evening and it didn't appear to be cooling down anytime soon. The burning had begun the second Sakura had run her hands all over his body and he could no longer deny the cause.
It was highly inappropriate and unprofessional, it was everything Tsunade had warned them against. He had half a mind to call Sakura and apologize for being so brazen with her in the elevator, but they had just spent almost 24 hours straight with each other, she wouldn't want to hear from him. Or would she? The second guessing was infuriating to Kakashi, he who had always been sure in his own convictions, but when it came to the opposite sex he was suddenly rendered indecisive.
She wasn't just any woman though, she was his partner, and an exceptional one at that. The lines had just been blurred by all the undercover work, the touching, the kissing... spending time at her apartment and in close quarters. That's all it was, it had to be, the alternative was more than Kakashi could bare to think of at the moment.
It was one of those car journeys where he arrived at his destination without an active memory of precisely how he got there. Like a dangerous kind of autopilot, it was just lucky that the streets were dark and relatively empty by the time he pulled up to his building.
His mind seemed to be enjoying the torment of replaying the various awkward conversations he'd had with Sakura today. It had started after the kiss, he'd called her exquisite and never felt more like an imbecile, then that little talk in the elevator. What had he been thinking? Before he could bring himself to get out of the vehicle Kakashi thumped his head against the steering wheel for good measure.
It would work itself out, he was sure. And if it didn't then Sakura would definitely make sure of it.
Slinging his jacket over his shoulder, Kakashi locked the shitty sedan and walked around the side of the building to the entrance. He was debating what would be more prudent, a cup of ramen and a ten hour sleep, or a bottle of wine and ordering in a pizza. The thoughts were so consuming he failed to notice the limousine that pulled up next to him on the sidewalk until the window was already being rolled down.
"Kakashi Hatake?"
It was hard to tell who was asking, the dim light inside the vehicle did little to illuminate the person, it helped that they were clad in dark sunglasses.
"Yeah, that might be me. Depends on who's asking..."
"Who said I was asking?" The window came down further and revealed the barrel of a gun, pointed straight at Kakashi's chest. "Get in."
One of Kakashi's special skills as a detective was that his mind worked well under pressure, his body knew how to react, and it had saved his life before. So even when he saw the gun he knew exactly what to do, putting his arms up in mock surrender.
"Guess I have no choice. Where will we be going?"
"You ask too many questions and see what happens, now get in."
The door opened and the man with the gun moved back to accommodate him, never straying in his aim at Kakashi's heart. The limousine was all black leather, easy to hide stains, Kakashi was already working out odd places where he could leave his fingerprints. The man with the gun was wearing a leather jacket with his hair slicked back, glasses covering his eyes, gloves, it didn't bode well. While he was busy trying to take in every single detail of the man as he could, the sound of a gun being loaded at the other side of the limo caught his attention.
"Detective, thank you for coming so quietly on our little ride..." His voice was thick with an accent that Kakashi immediately recognized as Kiri. The man speaking needed no introduction but he seemed to deem it necessary. "My name is Kisame Hoshigaki, I believe you were investigating me."
The word 'were' stood out like a sore thumb. He was trying to get under his skin and Kakashi wasn't going to give in to it.
"Nothing gets passed you, I see."
"Huh. Flattery will get you everywhere Detective Hatake, and you're right obviously, I have little birds all over the place, singing me little songs.." The smirk on his square face shifted into something darker, something sinister. "Which is why I know just how hard you and your little partner have been trying to shut me down. You're a thorn in my side, Hatake, and you know what I do to thorns?"
"Intimidate them into limousines?" Kakashi's phone was vibrating in his pocket, the leather jacket reached over and pulled it from his pocket, the screen lit up with Sakura's name. "And violate their privacy... You know I don't really swing that way, right guys?"
"Very funny, guy." He tossed the phone to Kisame, who caught it easily, all the while their guns were still aimed true. "What do you wanna do here, boss? That skank will keep calling I bet..."
"Right you are Hidan, we better hide him quickly then. Somewhere even that nosy bitch won't find, and I know just the place..."