Trigger warning, this chapter has a scene with violence.

Chapter 23

Karin's POV

Two Days Earlier

Monday Evening

As much as people liked to think that they're complicated, they really aren't. Karin knew this, and would abide by the proper measures of society when it suited her. Because at the end of the day, people are quite simple. Act "normal" and they treat you just as well. Only thing was, it often didn't suit her. So she acted in whatever way she wanted. She wasn't crazy, she simply wasn't a sheep. "Civilized" societies were full of fakers with their niceties and etiquette. It wasn't that anyone was more sane or better than her. They were just comfortable in their lies that they labeled as normalcy. She wasn't any more vicious than the average woman in love, she simply didn't let anything or anyone stop her from acting on her impulses.

Karin knew the truth.

The world was selfish and ugly. And if you wanted something, if you dared to care about someone, you had to act in a way that made sense. Whether it was cruel or kind or mean or nice or anything in between.

For example, days before today, she reached out to Sakura Uchiha's assistant, begging for her to come by. And she did so in a pleasant letter that seemed kind "sane" because it was necessary. Kana hadn't visited before, probably because of how she thought it would look to anyone, including Sakura Uchiha, her boss, if she was found out.

But when Karin asked her to stop by, she did. Afterall, they had history.

Kana appeared late into visiting hours all smiles and smelling sweetly of perfume. She was beautiful, in her own way. Admittedly, Karin was happy to see her when she arrived. Sitting on her bed within her room the two women chatted. Kana was respectful and even kind, bringing Karin sweets from a well-known bakery. "Lot's of dark chocolate cookies," she said with a smile. "Thanks," Karin said, taking a cookie and eating one of them. Kana mirrored Karin.

"So, how's UE?" Kana shrugged. "Well, it's the same ole same ole since you...left. Only thing that's different is Sakura's married now." Karin felt her free hand clench. "Sai is still working Sasuke's position. Sasuke is still, more or less, MIA..." "You haven't talked to him any?" Karin asked suspiciously. "Not really. He reached out months ago, but nothing since."

"What did he want when he reached out to you?"

She fidgeted in her seat a little, clearly uncomfortable. "It's okay, just spit it out, I won't be upset." "He asked if you ever hurt me," she said slowly. Karin laughed. Of course she never hurt Kana, the little bitch was as much as her dog as she was Sasuke's. Though, few people knew that.

"And what did you tell him?" Kana sighed in relief, seeing that she wasn't upset. "I told him that you were always kind to me." Karin reached forward and swiped a thumb where a crumb had stuck on her face. She watched as Kana's eyes widened.

"Of course I wouldn't hurt you."

The slightly younger woman smiled. Kana was a bit of a pet to Karin. A sweet thing that never raised her voice to her or Sasuke, a convenient creature that partook in her and Sasuke's fantasies without question. Karin never thought to hurt her because she never had to. There was no purpose in Kana's pain, no reward.

"When will you be leaving here?" Kana asked, a genuine flash of concern for Karin flashing though her large eyes. Karin smiled, touched by her feelings for her. "Soon," the redhead said, inching closer to her. Kana smiled. "That's good to hear."

"Yes, it is," Karin breathed, placing the other hand onto Kana's face. Karin moved forward and kissed her, tasting chocolate and Kana in a way that was more sweet than the cookie she ate earlier.

"Karin, you have five minutes left with your visitor."

Karin and Kana both pulled away to see a male nurse, a young man with wide brown eyes and a blush burning on his face, standing in the door of her room. "Okay, fine. Can I just have a bit of privacy with my friend," she asked, irritated.

He said nothing, he instead lingered for a moment more and walked away with a bright red face. "Maybe...I should go now. I-I…" "Don't, you're finally here. Can't I spend at least a bit more time with you before you go away?" Kana bit her lower lip and nodded. Karin moved forward again and pushed Kana backwards onto her bed. "Wait, what if the nurse comes back." "He won't." "B-But, the door's open."

"I don't care."

Karin blinked back at her, eyes wide and unsure. "It's fine, Kana. I'm telling you it's fine." Kana relaxed when Karin caressed her face. "You trust me, don't you?" "O-Of course." Karin smiled, "Good girl." Learning forward she put a hand on her throat. "You've always been a good girl."

And her hand squeezed. Kana choked out in surprise. Her mouth gaped open and closed, gasping for air, maybe hoping to utter a scream, but nothing came in or out. "Kana, you've always helped me when I needed it. So I need you to help me with one more thing."

Kana scratched Karin's arms and face as a feeble attempt to free herself. But it was of no use. Karin felt no pain, only purpose. She was getting out of this shithole, tonight. And Kana was a key component in her escape.

As much as she liked Kana, her attraction to the girl was nothing compared to her hatred for Sakura Uchiha. And so, she squeezed her throat harder.

It didn't take long for Kana, all filled with sugar and spice and everything nice, to lose all the light from her eyes and movement from her body. When her arms fell limply at her sides and Karin pulled back from the woman beneath her she began to move quickly. Reaching and then opening the bag beneath her bed that the mysterious gentleman provided her, she tucked her thick long hair partially in a wig cap and partially down the back of her shirt, put on a wig that matched similarly to Kana's beautiful dark hair, and switched their clothes. Tucking Kana's lifeless body completely underneath her blanket, Karin put her glasses in Kana's coat that she now wore, and turned off the light to her room behind her. After walking down the hall without incident, she was nearly at the exit when a nurse asked for her to wait.

"Miss, you need to sign out!"

Karin nodded from behind and turned around with her head facing the ground. Her wig's bangs hid most of her face as she approached the front desk and signed out as Kana. "Thank you. You're good to go," she heard the nurse say cheerfully. "Karin bowed slightly as thanks and wordlessly walked to the door she had already tried to leave from once.

Hearing a buzz, she watched as the door opened itself with a smile, and walked purposefully from the psych ward and to the entrance of the hospital. The automatic doors opened before her once more, and she laughed in relief, The hardest bit was done. Now, she had to find a certain pink-haired woman and make her pay for all that she had done.

And as luck would have it, finding her was a task that was ridiculously easy to do.

She tracked her at UE the next day, exiting from the building with short pink hair and a stylish outfit, and tailed her to a restaurant. Waltzing in after her and taking a seat at the bar, Karin peered over her drink at the pinkett. Wearing a different wig and inconspicuous outfit, she didn't look like herself and tried to remain invisible to the woman, so as to not alert her. Even so, she could barely tame the boiling blood within her body as she saw her sit across from her Sasuke.

As she watched them speak to each other, she felt blood trickle from her palm as thanks to her anxious and furious nails digging into her skin. She felt even more enraged as Sasuke Uchiha, the love of her life and second son to the powerful Fugaku Uchiha, leave his seat and was deeply bowing to Sakura.

"No, she growled. "Excuse me?" the bartender asked, stopping in mid-motion while making a cocktail. "Nothing," she hissed, taking a gulp of her own drink and watching from across the bar as Sasuke and Sakura embraced.

Karin could feel herself filling with rage. But she had to wait. She had to be smart. She had to be patient. Soon she would receive her revenge. Very soon.

Ordering food for herself, she watched as Sakura and the two men relaxed into a calm conversation, eating and drinking and after friendly embraces, leaving their table. Paying her own bill from Kana's credit card, she trailed after them. Or, to be more specific, she trailed after Sakura.

The night was slightly crisp, it was late Spring after all. Sakura hugged herself while saying goodbye to Sasuke and the blonde man she was with. "Do you need a lift?" They offered her. She declined them. "I'm heading back to UE, there's some things I need to finish before I get home, it's such a close walk… I'll be fine." "Are you sure? It's late out…" the blonde male said.

She smiled and reassured them both, "I'm a black belt in jiu jitsu, I think I can walk a few blocks to get back to the office."

"If you say so."

Karin lit a cigarette and smiled as she watched the group of three depart and Sakura go her own way. She quietly followed her.

Sakura didn't look back even once, she seemed lost in her thoughts. It suited Karin's needs just fine.

It was once they were far enough from the bustling street of restaurants and from onlookers, did she strike.

The pink-haired tramp never saw it coming.

KIsame's POV

Kisame felt sick with how little progress he made. While he was able to get a ticket to Tokyo, he wasn't able to fly until the evening. He tried reaching out to Fugaku and Itachi Uchiha, but he wasn't able to reach them, only their assistant. Even once he used MR as an excuse, they wouldn't be able to contact him till tomorrow. He tried calling the police but they weren't able to do anything because well, for starters, no crime occured. Sakura, like her husband and father-in-law, wasn't available either. And for some reason, he wasn't able to reach her on social media. He felt nauseous thinking about her being in danger and not being able to do anything about it.

Why wasn't anyone listening to him!? Why was this so difficult?

He took his backpack from the overhead bin and turned on his phone the moment his plane landed. No notifications were present since he last checked. "Fuck," he hissed. Then he paused.

There was one person he didn't reach out to. Opening google, he searched Kakashi Haruno. That was her brother, he would listen to him, wouldn't he? No Kakashi Haruno appeared in his Google results. But a Kakashi Hatake did. He paused then clicked on a random link to see the image of her brother glaring brightly at him from his phone. "Hatake?"

He shook his head. He couldn't get distracted. He searched contact information and only came to his email. Immediately, he opened his email app and begged for Kakashi to reach out to him. Texting him his cell number, he told Kakashi to call or text at any time. It was urgent.

Kisame shakily ran his fingers through his hair and walked out of the airport with haste the moment he sent out his email, to then suddenly stop when he realized how unsure he was of where to go. Or what to do.

With no one answering his calls… He only knew of one place to go. And it was so late, past midnight, it likely didn't make any sense to bother going there...

Uchiha enterprise.

Well, it's not like he had any better routes to take. He hailed a taxi and gave him the address. The driver looked at him strangely but shrugged and obliged.

Itachi's POV

He had tried calling her several times to no avail.

It was near 1am and Sakura still wasn't home. Itachi felt his temper flare as he took another gulp of his whisky. Calling his younger brother, he demanded to know why Sakura was still out. "We left the restaurant around 11pm. Last I saw her she said she was going to UE to work on a few more things before she went home." "Oh?" "Yea, check with Naruto if you don't believe me," Sasuke challenged.

"Fine, fine. I believe you. But she normally is home by now." "I know that technically you aren't supposed to speak of UE business with me anymore, but are there any upcoming meetings or presentations coming up? Sakura's always been an overachiever. I've heard from staff she would be at work sometimes overnight. I wouldn't worry too much." "Yes, well, as much as that makes sense, she's married now. She should call me to let me know where she's at when it's this late." Sasuke was silent for a moment.

Then he sighed. "Look, it might not be my place, but are things alright between you two?" "Of course they are," Itachi said coolly. "Okay…" "Why do you ask?" "I don't know, she just seems...off? I can't put it into words. But if you two are fine, it's probably something work-related."

"I don't know why you asked such a question, little brother. It was inappropriate."

"I've known Sakura since we were little kids, I don't think it's inappropriate at all." "When it concerns our relationship, it is. She's my wife. Don't go digging your nose where it doesn't belong. Especially since you didn't even bother to attend our wedding." "Itachi I-" Itachi was bored with the back and forth with his brother, he hung up.

Throwing his phone across the room he clenched and unclenched his hands angrily while breathing deeply from his nose.

Sakura was making a mockery of him to his little brother. Had she spoke about their problems? He doubted Sasuke was as perceptive as he seemed. He smirked. He told Sakura she wouldn't make a fool of him. Did she think avoiding him while at UE would save her from facing him?

Well, he'd prove to her that she was wrong. He was her husband. She couldn't hide from him. And he wouldn't allow for her to embarrass him. Calling his driver, he downed the rest of his drink and headed to UE. He'd be damned if his wife avoided him.

Sitting in the backseat, he watched the lights of the city glimmer past him, thinking about Sakura and of UE and of Sasuke and his frustration and of MR. He thought of those things and of how much he wished Sakura would not be difficult. She was his wife. And yet, he was beginning to feel more like a villain. Didn't he give her everything she wanted, everything that she needed? And yet… She treated him like this. She was actively avoiding him. Why? What did he do to deserve this?

He silently vowed he would put a stop to this. She would most definitely stop acting out…

"Sir, we're here." Itachi nodded, his head and stomach warm from his drink not that long ago, and of his adrenaline for the conversation that would likely come in mere minutes from now. "Wait here. I won't be long." He opened his door, his eyes staring at his shined shoes, to stop in mid-step when he felt a hand grab onto his shoulder. He looked upright to see the familiar face of Kisame Hoshigaki.

"You," Itachi sneered, making his hand into a fist and immediately striking him. "Why are you here?" Kisame fell backwards. "I've been trying to call you," he groaned. "Did you get any of my messages? Is she safe?!"

Itachi paused.

"What are you talking about?"

The other man's eyes widened. "Wait, why are you here?" "This is my fucking company. I can come here whenever the fuck I want." "Uchiha, this is important! I've been trying to call you and your father all day. I tried calling the cops and nobody will get back to me or take me seriously!" "Why are you here?" Itachi asked, not listening to him. "My uncle, he wants to hurt Sakura!" Itachi scoffed. "What are you babbling on about? Sakura is fine. My brother was with her only a couple of hours ago."

"Fine, then where is she now? I...I don't have to see her. I just need to know that she's safe. That's why I'm here."

Itachi looked down at Kisame, seeing his dark desperate eyes and skinny nearly emaciated form he couldn't help but pity him. Kisame looked sick, and also sincere. Itachi sighed. "She's here. And she's fine. I thank you for your concern but you should go. Now." Kisame gathered himself to his feet. "I understand. Thank you. That's all I needed to know, that you know where she is. Keep a guard with her. I-I'm worried about what my uncle has planned." Kisame leaned forward and grabbed his bag.

"I'll…" he began, then stopped. "Thank you," he whispered, eyes looking defeated and then bowing slightly. Itachi watched him set off down the street. He was ready to see him walk out of view, when an unruly feeling began to course through him.

"Wait! Hoshigaki!"

Kisame turned around. "I want to hear more about this uncle of yours. But first, I need to speak to Sakura. Do you mind waiting in the lobby for a moment?"

Kisame nodded, "Of course."

The two men entered the large building, and Kisame promptly sat in a large leathered chair that was close to building's entrance. Itachi was on his to an elevator when the frontdesk stopped him, "Sir, it's mighty late. Are you okay?" HIs voice echoed slightly in the now empty space. "Yes, I'm just checking-in on my wife." "Aa, ? I can't say that I've seen her."

Itachi's stomach dropped. "What?"

"Since about 7pm, no one else has walked in or out of this building."

Kisame ran to the desk, "Are you sure?!" "Well, uh, yea. Mrs. Uchiha isn't someone I would miss." "My brother said that she was coming back to UE after dinner, but you're saying she's not here?" Itachi asked slowly. "That's what I'm saying. Is everything alright, sir?" "Uchiha, I'm calling the cops, this could be my uncle's doing."

"Sir?"

Itachi felt his heart thud in his chest painfully. "Call my father," he ordered the man at the desk, "call Kakashi Hatake, and my brother." "R-Right away, sir."

"Yes, yes. It's me, Kisame Hoshigaki again." Itachi turned his head to see Kisame nearly hyperventilating while on the phone. "No, please don't hang up, I-I, we…" He clenched his teeth as he struggled to speak. Itachi took his phone from him. "This is Itachi Uchiha, we are calling because my wife is missing. I request assistance at Uchiha Enterprise immediately." Kisame's eyes began to water as he tried to calm himself down.

"Yes, Kisami Hoshigaki is here with me at UE. My father, Fugaku Uchiha, as well as a few others are on their way to our company's headquarters."

Itachi was prepared to offer more information when suddenly Kisame swiped his phone back, "Listen to me, Sakura was attacked some months ago by a redhead woman named Karin. Please, check to see if she's still in the hospital. I have reason to believe that this might be her doing."

Itachi's brow furrowed. "Why would you-" "I'll explain everything later. Just, please, check."

"This is a matter of life or death."

Author's notes:
Ahhh! The finale is nearly upon us! I thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, followed, and read my story. I tell you, I've flailed at every notification I received from . All of you mean so much to me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. Sending all my love! 3

And a special shoutout to Sumiko808. I always show your comments to my friends! Thank you for your in-depth responses to my chapters. Sending virtual hugs your way!