An chapter was supposed to be longer but I found a good stopping point the next chapter we will continue with SS. Then after that get back to NH.
Sasuke got a room under Riku names and slept in the town for the night.
In the middle of nowhere. Just desert for miles. It was the best sleep he had in a while. Taking out his tracking device was against the rules he wouldn't risk it only for something important. This is important. He now drove
50 miles from the town stood an large warehouse. He parked the car Itachi left for him at the Post office. Putting the map on the seat.
He could feel the vibrations but hear no music not until he knocked on the door and a shirtless man with slicked back hair opened it. The tall man look down at him.
"Who the fuck are you?" He barked.
Sasuke looked blankly into his eyes to replied. "I'm here for Itachi"
12 hours earlier
If it's one thing Sasuke taught her, it's how destroying men could be. She thinks this as she sat across from the red hair man. His eyes glitter at her as his cuffed hands sit on the metal table a smile playing at his lip.
"I'm here " she says almost seductive. Playing into his game. The way he shrilled her name like bloody murder the day the ABAU busted him for his sick freak show of persevered corpses. He thinks he knows her personality.
"I thought you forgot about me" he says with a stupid pout.
A smile etched on top her lips. "How could I. Your craftsmanship was beautiful"
"Isn't it? Diedera always goes on and on about art being this moving force but true art is set still in motion,stuck in time and frozen forever"
"Why don't you tell me more about it? Your work"
"Granny taught me so I be less lonely."
"Your dolls are-"
She stops when she sees annoyance flashing through his face.
"Please Do not call them that. You know what they are"
"My apologies" she says cooly with a slight shrug of her shoulder.
"What do you prefer to call them?"
"marionettes even for the uncultured puppets. However never Dolls. They aren't a child's play thing"
Sakura calm facade dropped as she looked at this murder losing his composure at her purposely misusing a term. Just like a damn child. Men.
She opened the folder she brought with her slapping it open and showing him pictures of the people he's killed.
"I think they were called differently when alive. They had their own names and families." She says shifting through the pictures one by one. Smiling faces until she reaches a wedding photo.
"Someone called them mom and Dad"
She watched as he stared at the pictures of his parents before he scrunched his nose. His ignorant behavior faded as something more sinister filled him.
"Ignorance is bliss Alice"." Door after door you'll open".
Her eyes faltered as she is quiet unsure what he is alluding.
"You have no clue what your dealing with or rather Who your dealing with?"
Before she think or rebuttal he spoke again.
"I can lead you to the water but are you willing to drink?"
"Tell me about the Akatsuki. Help us find them. We can work out something get you in a more comfortable place" she says while standing up and dragging her chair closer to him. Leaning a bit into his space.
He looks at her then away. "I was jealous"
Sakura hide her deadpanned and swallowed. "Oh yeah?"
"When I was arrested that Agent step between my view of you" he gave an expression of fake deep thought. "What's his name? Oh uh Uchiha? Right?" He says as his curiosity trickles into a smirk as he nods. "What a name". "You know early on in the thirds days his console made it illegal to name a child after those... people" he whispered
She knows who Madara Uchiha is everyone did. Are they his followers? "We're you a fan of-" it's taboo to say his name she noticed this as her lips trembled. Why had had she never felt this before about Sasuke. Was she that vain? All she saw was the looks and his rejection. It made her pine after him like there's no tomorrow.
"I'm a fan of yours" he corrected
She frowned. "a fan of mine?"
He suddenly losses his guile .
"I'm tired. Sooo tired Dr.Haruno but you haven't worked hard enough for information I have" he says while pulling away about to signal the guard. She grabbed the link between his cuffs pulling the chain sitting him back down in the chair. "Get over here!"
He turns to her sharply before he smiled and amusement filled his eyes once again.
She had to bring something back for Kakashi and Naruto. "You'll lead me to the water right? " she asked. "I'm ready to drink"
He flipped there hands position pulling her closer to himself his lips fell in her ear.
"There's a CO that drives an white sedan. He works the night shift. Bring him a cellphone, silicone injections, opioids and I'll tell you want you really want to know once I have those things. "
He released her and her eyes fluttered as they blink unsure and confused. "I I can't " she stammered as the guards rushed in the room.
"Do you want to know who the Akatsuki is or who he is "
That's the last thing he whispers before he's being pulled away by Suna officers.
Sakura stood up a chill in bones as blinked at him wide eye and confused. "Who's he?" She yelled
"Sasori! Who's he?"
"You know who he is!" He yells back as a body steps into her vision of sight.
An Officer with purple marks on his face stood In front of her.
"What did he say?"
She looked up at him.
"Nothing important"
"Really?" He asked.
Sakura nodded.
"Then why were you yelling who's he ?"
"I lost control of the interview is all" She says gathering herself swallowing hard as she fixed her shirt.
"You Konoha agents have a lot of nerve. Strolling in here, integrating our suspect. Sasori is our case"
Sakura eyes squinted and she stared at this man. This big piece of flesh before her giving him the stink eye and a frown before the fakest smile spread on her lips. "We'll see for how long"
She put her hand in her pocket of her pants suit and walked away as her smile dropped and she rolled her eyes. Her heart beat pounding as she rode the elevator down and walked out towards the parking lot face to face with her rental vehicle.
Driving in Suna afternoon traffic she held onto to the wheel. Her confusion had melted into conviction. That botched bastard knew something about Sasuke. He also knew she would be emerged by anything related to him. How does he know that? Only Naruto and maybe Ino. Knows
Her eyes stilled as cars honked and scooted slowly she could finally see the accident. A pile up.
She couldn't tell Kakashi but further more she couldn't tell Naruto, what she was about to do.
If she gets caught. If she dies. If she finds the Akatsuki or this Itachi. If her dear friend finds out.Her and Naruto would be no more. He's a good man. He's in love with her. Something that was naturally always her advantage. Something that always felt comforting when she felt like shit for the way Sasuke left her. She would have to let that safety mechanism go. He loves her and what she's about to do will make him hate her. However Naruto was only in love with the women she was pretending to be.
She been so mean to him in the beginning but it morphed into some flirty, intense, battle, compassionate friendship. Sometimes she wished she was one of the guys but her hair is the embodiment of femininity, her A-cup there, small but present and her hips a bit more wider then others reminded her. She was pretty. Guys liked her. Her best friend liked her but for the love of Pete she could not, absolutely could not entice that cold dark stare. Sometimes Sasuke completely ignored her while she was in the same room and hogged all Naruto's attention. She sat in the dorm at the table quiet as they played video games and talked. She tried to talk to him but he barley talked back. When he did acknowledge her he would say embarrassing things and persuade her to date Naruto. Naruto would get embarrassed but the hope flashed through his eyes before he smiled and brushed it off.
Sakura grabbed her head dropping one hand from the wheel.
Toxic. She was. He was. They were.
Her eyes looked up at the rear view mirror as she gripped the wheel again. She also knows everything's not about her.
Naruto loves Sasuke and the truth of the matter is Kissame gave a message to Sasuke. Sasuke is involved with this group terrorizing Konoha.
Sasuke also loves Naruto. She doesn't know the extend but she watched how comfortable they are with each other.
She bit her lip hard before taking a deep breath. Surpassing that painful thought.
Weak so weak. Thinking back to their college days. How she go from barley getting an head nod out of the guy to...
One of their brief verbal exchanges had been after a night out drinking. Saint Patrick's day. They walked through campus Naruto slumped over their shoulders singing the Irish national anthem off key in and out mixing Konoha's lyrics with it too.
She been laughing at her friend being three sheets to the west when a beautiful sound came from left. She been reminded watching her mothers garden wind chimes twinkle and sing in the sun. Sasuke had joined her in amusement.
"He's comfortable with you" He said
Sakuras face grew red under Naruots elbow. "He's genuine" she noted feeling warm.
Silence had followed them as they cross the landscapes.
"This hard to get thing you got going on it's working on you" he says
Her heart stop because her brain convinced herself he thought she had some appeal.
"It's working on him too" he says
Her self esteemed shattered as she frowned for being so stupid for finding flattery in his short statements.
That night she nursed Naruto and herself back to sober once Sasuke walked them to their blonde mutual door.
Back then she always felt like the third wheel or back burner. Watching those two.
She drove to valet and went to her hotel room. Taking off her clothes she quickly showered and put on a grey tracksuit cuffing her hair in the collar while placing a dad cap on her head. Last she packed a bag and hurried out the door. Strutting past the elevator and pushing the staircase door open.
The train ride to the market was smooth. A scarf, sun glasses, Costume hair dye for her brows and leather gloves. Straight to the ATM she went.
She use to be so fixed on why Sasuke didn't make the effort to know her. To really be friends but what they eventually did made them something more at least to her. She then realize Naruto always was there letting Sasuke in like a stray cat in the night who's hungry or just trying to find some warmth to beat the chill of the world.
The pawn store owner had a really old and rusted European car parked in the drive. She walked in faking interest in a purchase of lawn mower before offer him double the cash that his car was worth.
Not anymore. Not while he's involved some way with their prime targets at the office. The ones keeping the Junior director up at night.
The red hair in Suna is a bit different then the others in the world. It's sandy red and sometimes when the right genes collide and the sun is shining it gives an illusion of pink. She thinks as Looking into the microform at the Suna capital library. Sen Ko a MD, no family or children other than a great aunt up north. She died 10 years ago. Some criminals Forge things how hard could it be.
She'll be the one to leave her door open for Sasuke no matter what. That way Naruto didn't have to do it.
Driving into the nicely polish community in her new pair of wheels. With two newly purchased cellphones in the front seat. The building had an orange rooftop and is the size of a mansion. Palm trees spread about as. She sighed and took her hat off. Taking off her jacket and changing her shoes. Stepping out of the car she began to walk.
The receptionist sat behind a desk.
"Hello" she greeted
"Sign your name, appointment date and time your arrives"
She paused annoyed that the women hadn't looked up at her.
"Is she in today?"
The woman looked up and smiled. "Oh Sakura- Dr. Haruno"
"Hi Karin how's... it going" she asked uninterested.
"Good actually great. I'm part time now. "
"Starting your own practice?"
Karin laughed. "That board exam still is a pain in my side"
Sakura could laugh at the red head but she doesn't.
"That was a good one. I'm not interested in that anymore " she paused before blushing her eyes rolled to the ceiling as she cheesing a big smile and her glasses fogged. "I met this guy" coming back down from whatever the hell that was she calms and looks Sakura in the eyes. "He doesn't sit in one spot so this is my last month here.
That's extreme but she was in position to question how far one would go for a guy all things considered. Sasori hints at Sasuke and here she is.
"enough about me. You can have my job now if things aren't going well at the bearu "
"Things are fine" Sakura says. She didn't have time for banter from her old classmate. "Is she here?"
"In the back, go ahead"
She began to walk away before
"Hey Sakura. You win. You can be here golden student. It's all pretty fucking stupid to began with. I found something. My something that makes me happy. " she smiles. "So maybe we can do drinks before you go back home "
She hadn't expected this development. She didn't have time to care about it though. "Sure Karin" she says Before pushing the door open walking down the white hall to the next door.
Her mouth watered at the shelved supplies.
Opioids
Her find is short lived as she see the blonde woman counting inventory. Her heart deepen at the sight of her mentor.
"Dr" Sakura calls
The woman blinks behind her and she smiles. "My adorable student look at you"
Sakura couldn't help but go for a hug and fell into an embrace that would put her own mother shame. She doesn't get along with girls. Ino tries and Sakura appreciates that but that wall is still up. It's nice to have Tsunade.
"What brings you by"
"Can't a girl miss her teacher"
Tsunade gave her a look and she broke.
"A girl can" She answered
Sakura blushed. "I need advice doctor"
"Let's go in my office" she says
Tsunadae let her in not before looking around and closing the door.
To remind readers this all happens in Suna while Naruto and Hinata are on their date.