Hello?
By the time Sakura had rushed down the stairs and pushed the door open, she could see the taillights of his car disappearing into the snowy dawn. She watched the red glow fade, and released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
Sasuke was a few blocks down when he called his brother. Itachi was, of course, quick to answer.
"I was wondering when you were going to call," his brother's tired voice answered.
"Well… Orochimaru got the message. But Naruto was hurt. We had to swing by Tsunade's. It was a long night."
Truth.
A deep sigh crackled through the speakers in Sasuke's car. "Well, is he okay?"
"He's fine. Tsunade is the best."
Truth.
"If there was violence," Itachi started, and Sasuke rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, ready for the inevitable question: "It had to have been reported. Was anyone there? Did anyone see you?"
"No. I'm sure of it."
Lie.
"This all happened where?"
"A club, Orochumaru's. He refused to meet anywhere else, and in the interest of getting close to him without suspicion, it seemed like the only way."
Truth.
"What were you thinking?" His brothers voice groaned over the phone, "A public place like that—"
"The power was out, and the emergency lights were cut. It was dark and chaotic, and people panicked. Nobody saw us."
Lie. I'm getting good at this.
"As long as you're sure."
"I made sure, trust me. It was planned."
Truth. Lie. Whatever.
"You take too many risks, Sasuke. It's going to get you in trouble again."
"I told you it was fine. You don't have to micromanage me, Itachi, unless you have the time to come take care of things yourself."
Itachi paused. The snow was coming down so hard that it was beginning to coat the roads.
"We both have our responsibilities. But alright, if you're sure."
"I am" Sasuke said, glad to put the subject to rest. "And you? Are things going well with the Hyuuga's?"
"Slow. There's something wrong. Something we're not seeing and they're not telling us. It's not the money, but…"
The rest of their conversation was all business, and Itachi spent majority of the time updating him on how things were going on their end. Sasuke appreciated that his brother kept him in the loop, but he never really had anything to add. It was true what Orochimaru had said back at the club—before Sasuke had smashed his face in. His brother was always going to be the one to take over at the helm once their father decided that he's had enough. Sasuke harbored no ill will of course, despite what some dramatic journalists may say. That side of the family business just wasn't something that he even had time to think about.
What he seemed to have the time to think about as his brother droned on was his now vacant passenger side seat. Sakura had made things interesting. She was useful. Smart. She had, beyond everything, helped get Naruto safely to Tsunade's. She knew how to push back when Sasuke overstepped his boundaries. He deserved it; he definitely could have been nicer. The truth was that it had been his antics that had ruined her night, roped her into a dangerous situation, and had her returning home at a very early hour of the morning.
He felt bad.
"Did you hear me, Sasuke? Father says to have the money ready if we reach a deal today."
Sasuke jumped a little, suddenly remembering his brother was still on the phone.
"Sorry" he mumbled, "Tell me about it tomorrow. I can make it happen. I just need some time...Just need sleep."
"Ah," Itachi said, understanding. "Will you be up by the afternoon to discuss this?"
"Yes."
"Get home safely then."
Sasuke muttered a quick goodbye before his brother hung up, silence finally greeting him. He was tired, that much was true. He knew he should go home, but couldn't pull his mind from when Sakura had mentioned that she lost her phone. When she was talking with her roommate, she said she had left it in the bathroom. He figured that it wasn't likely he would ever find it, but that wasn't going to stop him from at least looking for it.
Picking the lock was easy, and he knew there would be no alarms. The damage they had caused would require some serious electrical work. He had only taken a few steps into the club when he felt the all too familiar buzz in his back pocket. Scowling and moving his flashlight into his left hand, Sasuke pulled out his phone.
"Yes, Tsunade. She got home safely. I wouldn't break a promise" he answered.
"Well then, I won't have to mention anything to your father."
Sasuke kicked an empty bottle of champagne from his path, moving towards the women's restroom.
"Oh. You're really going to extremes here," Sasuke said, sarcasm dripping. He heard Tsunade snort through the phone.
"Please. A scolding from 'Father' would feel like a vacation compared to what I would do to you."
"As a doctor, I'm sure you could come up with a hundred different ways to kill someone like me."
"A thousand ways."
"Well, regardless, it would be in your best interest to keep this under wraps. I didn't tell them the whole truth… That would just make things more complicated. If they hear about what happened, they'll wonder why I lied, and they will get to her. Then she'd be involved. You don't want that."
"Sasuke, if that happens, it sounds like it'd be your fault. I'll cut your balls off."
"Noted" Sasuke mumbled, pushing open the bathroom door. "So, how is Naruto feeling?"
"My nephew," Tsunade seethed, "Is very lucky."
Sasuke rolled his eyes as he kicked open stall after stall, making sure to shine his flashlight in each one.
"He had the least risky job out of all of us. He slid into Shikamaru's lane to help, so don't blame me for his bad judgment. He understands the risk."
Tsunade couldn't argue with that—and she rarely never did. After all, you're tied up in this too, Sasuke thought.
"Don't let it happen again."
"Only bumps and bruises from here on out. Scout's promise."
"And stay away from Sakura. She's my best resident. Don't fuck that up for her."
Sasuke got down on one knee, reached towards the ground, and plucked a rectangular object from underneath the bathroom stall. I'm his hand, he examined what had to be Sakura's cell phone. It very well could be anyone's—but he was willing to take the chance.
"Well, I can only take so many requests."
"Fuck you."
"See you next time, Tsunade." Sasuke said, ending the call and shoving his phone into his pocket.
It was a shame that he didn't really feel like being told what to do today.
.
.
.
It wasn't long until Sakura found herself back at the hospital for her next shift. After a few hours of sleep, she was absolutely exhausted. To make matters worse, it was an overnight shift.
The snow outside was keeping everybody away. When things were busy she could fight off her exhaustion through adrenaline, but now she had to fill her time with mindless tasks.
Sakura sat behind the desk in her too-small office with her chin resting in one hand, computer mouse in the other. At least she could get ahead on some paperwork and e-mails. For a long while, the clicking of her mouse and the clacking of her keyboard were the only two sounds in the room, rattling around her brain and forcing her to pay attention to anything other than this damn paperwork.
Her thoughts drifted to the only thing she could find herself to think about.
That damn jacket.
She had hid it as soon as she walked in the door; shoved it into the closet as Ino rounded the corner of their entryway to greet her. Sakura had endured all manner of questions. Some she had answered truthfully, others with a white lie, and most with downright fabrication. Not a gunshot wound, but a broken leg. No car ride to Tsunade's, but a quick trip to the hospital and a cab ride home. And most important of all, no Sasuke Uchiha. Just a concerned, handsome friend who went along with them in the ambulance.
It all made perfect, logical sense and Sakura was surprised by her ability to lie under pressure, not something she did often. Maybe it was the way that he had asked her not to say anything, the second time, when his touch sent flames down her spine and had her hoping that he might say something else.
A light knock at her door disconnected Sakura from her thoughts, and she peered over her computer screen as a nurse entered her office.
"Dr. Haruno, there's a patient in the clinic waiting for you."
Sakura nodded, pushing herself away from her desk and standing up. She followed the nurse out of the room, grabbing her white jacket along the way.
"The chart?" Sakura asked as they walked down the corridor to the patient rooms.
The nurse shook her head and Sakura looked at her, a confused expression gripping her features. She'd always read the patient's vitals and general reason for visiting before seeing them.
"I'm not sure if there's anything wrong. He just asked to see you. I told him he could wait out front, but he insisted a visit would be necessary."
Sakura could feel her heart beating a little faster as she put the pieces together. Oh God, she thought, He probably wants his jacket back. I knew it looked expensive!
"Did he give you a name?" Sakura asked, wiping the sweat that had suddenly formed on her palms along the side of her jacket.
"He filled out the intake paperwork, it says here his name is Naruto Uzumaki." the nurse said as they came to a stop near the patient hallway.
"Right, thanks. I can take it from here" Sakura said, smiling at the nurse and eager to see what in the world was behind the door. She waited until the nurse was out of sight before knocking and entering the small room.
There he was, sitting there on the medical bed in the center of the room, patiently waiting. Dark eyes— The same eyes that Sakura thought she would never see again— greeted her as she walked into the room.
She blinked once, twice, as if her own eyes were deceiving her. He remained stoic as he watched her every move.
"Hello" was all she managed to force out. Memories flooded back into her brain at the sight of his face, and butterflies invaded her stomach.
"Hello" Sasuke responded, echoing her tone of surprise, although he knew exactly what he was here for. There was a tense pause. Her posture was straighter than an arrow, and her hands were clasped in front of her, knuckles turned white from the grip she held on her fingers. Sasuke blinked. Is she… nervous?
"You lied on your intake forms?" Sakura started, breaking the short silence.
Sasuke inhaled and tilted his head slightly, trying to hide his frustration. Damn.
"I did."
"Why?"
"Well..." Sasuke hesitated, "I guess it would make Tsunade mad. She hates it when I come here, and to be honest, I like to keep the peace with her as much as possible."
Sakura barked a short laugh. She'd experienced the wrath of her superior firsthand on many occasions. What he could have done to get on her shit list was beyond Sakura, but she had a feeling that it was more than just the most recent incident.
"Well, I can understand keeping the peace… You know, you could have skipped the intake forms and just asked the receptionist to come and get me."
"I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me," he admitted, standing up from the bed. "And I needed to speak with you privately."
"Oh," Sakura breathed, eyes following him as he stood. He stood taller than her, and she had to incline her head slightly to look at him.
"Is there something wrong?" She asked, eyes searching for any visible sign of injury or illness. Her light pink hair was tied in a loose bun, and a few escaped strands framed her face. She had delicate features, high cheekbones and stunning jade eyes. Her skin was delicate and pale, but did little to hide the dark circles that had formed under her eyes.
"No, have you slept?" Sasuke asked, eager to change the subject.
"A few hours, then I had to come here."
Sasuke nodded, feeling the heavy weight of guilt set itself upon his chest. He used his left hand to pull open his gray overcoat, and reached into the silk lining to pull out an energy drink. She appeared amused when he stepped closer to hand it to her, at least that's what he observed when the corners of her lips twitched upwards and her left eyebrow arched slightly.
"It's my fault you're tired, so I brought you this."
"You know," she said as she examined the can,"these are terrible for your health."
"I figured you may make an exception, just this once."
Joy tugged at the corners of Sakura's lips as she fixed her gaze on the nutritional facts on the back of the can. "I suppose I could, since you've come all this way to give it to me."
"Not just that."
This time, he pulled out a cell phone, the same one he had gone searching for after he'd dropped her off. Sakura's face fell when he handed it to her.
"Where did you find...It's crushed," Sakura said, voice layered with disappointment. She removed her phone from the case and ran her fingers along the screen, tracing the rough spiderweb of cracks along the glass surface.
"It was on the floor when I found it. It may have gotten stepped on when things... Went the way they did."
Sakura clicked her tongue and sighed. Her phone didn't appear to be in working order. She could deal with a cracked screen, but it was beginning to look like she was headed to the store after her shift ended.
She heard the sound of Sasuke stepping closer, and she looked up. He presented her with a small white box— Sakura's eyes flashed between his gaze and the box, not quite sure what to think.
"I mean, you didn't need to—"
"I did." He said, interrupting her. After all she had done, Sasuke promised himself that he would make it all up to her. He wasn't able to get her phone fixed, but buying her a new one was the next best thing. He figured it was the least he could do. Sakura turned the box over in her hands, feeling the warmth rising behind her cheeks at his thoughtful gesture.
Sasuke was surprised; she seemed flustered. This is not how he imagined this situation would unfold. He had put genuine thought into how he should act and what she might say. He'd replayed the situation in his head a hundred different ways, laying on top of his bed covers, staring at the ceiling, her shattered phone on the nightstand next to him.
After ensuring that yes, it was no problem, no, he didn't go out of his way, no, she wouldn't be paying him back, and yes, it really was fine…. She finally accepted his peace offering.
"Well, I've got to run some errands around town," Sasuke said. As much as he would love to stick around and chat all night, he had things to do.
Errands? Sakura thought, checking her watch.
"It's almost midnight," she remarked.
Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, sliding his hands into his pockets. "You're not the only one who works the night shift. Besides, I slept all day."
"Right," Sakura muttered, following him outside of the examination room. "By the way, how is your friend doing? Naruto? Have you heard anything at all?"
Sasuke turned to face her then, dark eyes and stoic expression making the butterflies rage inside her abdomen.
"He's fine. Tsunade called to let me know."
Sakura sighed, smiling. "Good, no permanent damage. He's really lucky, and I mean it" she said, expression turning serious. "Not every gunshot victim gets to walk away."
"So she keeps reminding me."
They began stepping idly down the hall towards the door that led to the waiting room, neither in a particular rush to get there.
"Do you know what happened, was he able to tell you?" She asked, wanting to put the pieces together to quench her curiosity. Sasuke's jaw clenched.
"Ah, no. I haven't had the chance to talk to him yet." Not a total lie, Sasuke mused as he looked down at her.
"Well, I hope he recovers quickly. I mean, under Tsunade's care I'm sure that he will."
"She's the best doctor in New York. Which, I guess, makes you the second best doctor in New York."
Sakura burst into a fit of laughter, gripping his arm to steady herself. The sound of her laughter and the joy in her features caused his lips to curve into an unconscious grin.
"You're too funny," Sakura said as her laughter died down, "Tsunade is the best, but I have a lot to learn. Thank you though, for the compliment."
"Sure," Sasuke replied as she released her hold on his arm. He found himself missing the warmth of her touch.
"Duty calls, I'm afraid," Sasuke grumbled as the pair came to a stop at the end of the hallway. He was surprised at his own reluctance to leave her company.
Sakura nodded in understanding. "I hope you have a good night. Be safe."
"I will," Sasuke promised, placing his hand on the door handle. He hesitated. He knew what he needed to ask of her next, and the feeling of guilt once more settled in his chest.
"By the way," Sasuke started again, "I meant what I said about Tsunade. She really is mad at me, so if you could…"
"I got it. Don't worry, I won't say anything."
"Thanks, Sakura. See you."
His onyx gaze lingered before he turned and opened the door in a swift motion. Sakura blinked at the sound of her name in his voice, something about the way he said it sent an odd feeling down her spine. He was already out the door by the time she could mutter a goodbye.
She stared at the door for a little before walking slowly back to the examination room. She wondered if he really meant it. 'See you' felt more like a promise and less like a goodbye.
Wait a second, Sakura thought, coming to a stop in the middle of the hallway. He didn't ask for his jacket back. She groaned loudly and palmed her face. What am I going to do now?
Eventually, Sakura made her way back to her office. She figured the best thing to do was to activate her phone and see if there was some way to contact him. Either that or the Goodwill, she thought. Sitting down at her desk, Sakura plucked the brand new phone from its packaging. A small piece of paper bounced from the desk onto the floor as she sat.
"Oops'' she mumbled, reaching to grab the piece of paper and unfolding it with her fingers.
She sucked in a sharp intake of air and dropped the paper as if it had scorched her fingers. Perfect angular handwriting greeted her, staring up at her from its place on her desk.
Call if you have any trouble
212 555 0176
Sasuke U.
Sasuke walked into the dry night, dialing a series of numbers into his cell phone.
"Nara" a voice answered.
"Did you check it?"
"Hello Shikamaru. What's up Shikamaru? I'm doing fine, thanks for asking."
Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"Hello," He said begrudgingly. "Did you check it?"
"Yes, like every 5 minutes. The money isn't there. Nothing has been wired."
"I haven't been contacted at all. He's not planning on meeting me––Fuck!"
Sasuke stopped short of his car, his own words ringing through his head.
'If I don't have the rest of what you owe me in my hand by tomorrow, I swear to fucking God I'll be visiting you in a very different way.' Tomorrow had come and gone. Now, it was time to deliver on his word. Sasuke felt the anger flare up from his core. Naruro was hurt, and now this.
"Fuck" Sasuke repeated, frustration leaking into his voice. He ripped open the car door and slammed it as he climbed inside.
"Yeah, fuck is right. He wants you to come and find his ass. You know, he always seemed like kind of a masochist to me. He might like, get off to getting his shit kicked in."
Home was close, thankfully. It wasn't long until the clank that echoed from Sasuke's keys hitting the granite countertops of his kitchen alerted Shikamaru of his arrival. He glanced up at Sasuke, muttered a quick hello, and went back to organizing the mess of papers that covered the kitchen table.
"This looks complicated," Sasuke said, frowning and trying to make sense of the information in front of him.
"Hardly."
The plan was simple. Break into Orochimaru's home, take the money, hopefully beat the shit out of him and whoever else got in the way…Then deal with the rest on another day.
"Orochimaru lives at the top of a high rise building in upper Manhattan" Shikamaru started, waving his hand over the mess of papers. "Convenient, because all residential buildings in New York have public floor plans, but inconvenient because one, they knew we're coming and two, we could attract a lot of attention there."
"The truck bay is the best bet," Shikamaru explained, tracing his finger along the floor plans, "It's in the back. We'll take the service elevator. It'll run without interruption." Sasuke nodded, trying to absorb as many details as possible. Shikamaru scrambled to find the right papers now, sifting through them before finally pulling one from the pile.
"The 40th floor, that's where he is?"
"This door here. It's room 4048." Shikamaru pointed once again to a section of the page. "The 40th floor is the last floor on the elevator, but there's one more floor. I told the lady at the county clerk's office she must be missing a page, but this was all they had. Each floor has 8 units, but this one has 9, and the one in the center here is considerably smaller, not even big enough for a studio. It's probably like a stairwell or something."
"You're positive this is the way to get to him?"
"Well, no," Shikamaru said indignantly, "I've never had the pleasure of visiting, but it's obvious."
"It looks like a maintenance closet."
"Yeah, that's what I figured at first. But it's in the middle here," Shikamaru pointed out before the sound of shifting papers once again filled the kitchen. Eventually he lay two side by side, pointing to two smaller, separate rooms on either end of each floor. "Here, these are maintenance closets on the ends here, they're on just about every 5th floor. And they're labeled. So yeah. A weird inconsistency, a 'missing page'… obvious."
"Yeah… Right" Sasuke mumbled, taking his hand through his black tresses. It still felt like a pretty risky variable.
"Bring your silencer, and knives. Lots of knives, they're quiet. Really anything you can use to harm someone and not create too much noise, it is a residential building. A crowbar or a bat might be helpful. Do you have a crossbow?"
Sasuke arched his eyebrow, throwing Shikamaru a questioning glare.
"No. I'll put it on the list for next time," Sasuke said, words dripping with sarcasm.
"It's quiet, long range, and unexpected," Shikamaru said as he pulled his backpack over his shoulders.
"I'll make do," Sasuke said, sighing deeply and closing his eyes as he leaned backwards onto the kitchen island. "I'd rather be doing so many other things right now."
"Well, you need the cash right?"
"Itachi was already calling about it this morning," Sasuke grumbled.
"Heavy is the head that wears the crown, or so they say" Shikamaru said, laughing as he walked out of the kitchen and into the living area.
"So they say, yeah…"
"Well, I'm ready, should we go in separate cars?"
Sasuke nodded and started towards the staircase, taking the steps two at a time towards his mezzanine bedroom and into the large closet adjacent to his bed.
He immediately began throwing open several drawers, first pulling out a pair of black tactical pants and a matching polyester long sleeved shirt. After dressing, he reached back into the drawers to pull out stacks of clothes, placing them onto the ground. Once he had cleared the drawers, he pulled out the false bottoms of each one and dropped them to the floor.
Knives, definitely have a lot of those... He wasted no time picking and choosing, grabbing several sets at once and placing them into a backpack he had pulled out of a cabinet below. Stepping to the next drawer over, Sasuke reached in for a black pistol with a silencer attached and placed it in the holster sewed onto his pant leg. Wire, rope, a flashlight, brass knuckles, ammo, a bat and a crowbar all made their way onto his person or into his backpack.
Sasuke checked his watch as he shoved boots onto his feet. It was nearly 1 in the morning. Time to get going. Leaving the mess of his closet for another time, he shuffled into the living room where Shikamaru sat, lounging on the dark green couch occupied with his phone.
"Don't you need to go get your stuff?" Sasuke asked as he shifted his backpack onto one shoulder.
"Well, I never really unpacked my trunk from the last time."
Sasuke grimaced.
"That's risky."
"Yeah, well," Shikamaru grunted as he stood from the couch, "I knew this shit was going to happen, so really I'm just more prepared than you."
.
.
.
Once Sasuke reached upper Manhattan, he parked in a quiet, dark alleyway not far from where he and Shikamaru planned to meet. The sound of his footsteps echoed off of the alleyway walls and into the night. It was absolutely freezing, and the ground was covered in icy sheets of snow that crunched under his feet. The temperature didn't bother him however, because adrenaline was already coursing hot and heavy through his veins.
His footsteps slowed as he approached the end of the alleyway, and Sasuke peered around the wall as his breath floated into the air in transparent clouds. Shifting his gaze upwards, he followed the pathways of steel and shimmering glass that reflected the glow of the city back at him. The back of the skyscraper was surrounded by a black fence, after which there was a sharp drop to the loading bay below. Sasuke raked his eyes across what he could see from the alleyway. He was unable to spot a single soul.
He heard Shikamaru's crunchy footsteps behind him, coming to a stop on his right.
"I don't see anyone."
"Me either."
"Alright. Let's go."
Shikamaru watched as Sasuke got a running jump on the fence. He gripped the frosty metal and swung himself to the opposite side, careful to keep hold on the frigid iron bars. He peered down. His eyes scraped over the concrete that glowed in a hue of orange courtesy of the lights positioned around the bay, and deciding that it wasn't too far of a jump, released his grip on the fence and dropped several feet. The shock of the impact vibrated painfully through his shins and a pained grunt escaped his lips. Farther than I thought…
"Too far?" Shikamaru quipped, already hanging from the fence above.
"Why don't you try and find out?" Sasuke snapped.
Shikamaru groaned as he too fell from the fence, perhaps a little more graceful than Sasuke.
"Fuck" he muttered as he stood up, brushing the debris from his palms.
Sasuke began striding towards the back entrance, eyes searching his surroundings, taking in as much as possible and committing it to memory. There was only one exit from the bay, a winding ramp that wrapped around the side and led to the main road. He spotted several loading dock doors, but all of them were closed and most likely locked.
Once he had made it across the concrete platform he jumped onto the loading dock, turning his attention to a smaller metal door located on the far end. He jogged over, reaching for the handle of the door. Locked. He slowed his breathing and listened carefully… No noise escaped from inside.
He looked back and nodded at Shikamaru.
The clang of metal on metal pierced through the silent night as he slammed a crowbar onto the door lock. Eventually it gave way and Sasuke was able to push the door open.
Their flashlights clicked on, light shining throughout the room. It was a large L shaped space, filled with a complicated tangle of pipes and shelves stacked with various tools and parts. Sasuke stepped forward with care, but so far it didn't seem like there was anyone in this room. Rounding the corner, he spotted a concrete ramp leading up to the doors of an elevator.
"There it is," Sasuke said, jogging up to the silver doors. Shikamaru examined a panel of buttons along the right side, pausing before pushing one deliberately with his index finger. The elevator groaned to life. As they stepped in, they looked at each other, and a tacit understanding passed between them:
There's nobody here. Why is there nobody here?
The elevator lurched upwards.
"Do you think it's a trap? Like they meant for us to get this far?" Sasuke asked, rooting through his backpack for the set of knives he had packed earlier. Shikamaru mirrored his actions, familiarizing himself with the placement of his equipment and arming himself for the inevitable. They shifted to either side of the elevator as it slowed.
Ding!
The elevators slid open, and Sasuke's hands tightened around the knife in his right hand.
"How much of a trap could it be if nobody is here?"
Sasuke peered around the corner, jamming his hand in front of the elevator doors to prevent them from closing.
Empty.
"You underestimate too often, there's definitely something fucked up going on here."
"Hey," Shikamaru said, stepping out of the elevator along with Sasuke, "either of us could be right, I'm not too proud to admit it."
They stepped carefully, checking around corners, hallways, the stairwells, and even the floors below. Eventually they stood outside of room 4048, weapons drawn. Sasuke tested the door. It was unlocked.
He gave Shikamaru a scathing glance, as if to say I told you so. It was too late to leave now, and he pushed the door open and walked in pistol first to the entryway. It was a simple room, with a short landing and a set of stairs which led to a second door. Shikamaru was both glad it wasn't just a maintenance closet and apprehensive towards what he knew was a certain trap.
Sasuke took the lead up the stairs, walking slowly and listening for movement. As he approached the door, he could see it was ajar. A sliver of light pierced the darkness within, and Sasuke, eager to get things over with, pushed his way through the threshold.
The space was large; after all, it was a luxury apartment. The short hallway opened into a room with floor to ceiling windows, and even through the darkness Sasuke could spot the expensive lighting and lush furniture. Shikamaru whistled.
"Help me check around" Sasuke ordered, pulling the flashlight from his pocket and shining it around the large space. It was silent, minus the sounds of their footsteps and the creaks and thumps of various doors opening.
"Nobody!" Shikamaru shouted from one of the bedrooms. He laughed as he walked back into the main living area, admiring the fine art lining the walls. He found Sasuke standing in front of the kitchen island, clutching a piece of paper which he had pulled from a large black duffel bag.
"Bitch" He muttered, passing the note to Shikamaru as he ripped the duffel bags open.
Sasuke & Friends,
So sorry about your friend, I'm afraid Kabuto tends to get excited. Next time we meet, feel free to deal with that how you wish. The money you came looking for is here, my regrets for not being there to give it to you in person. Business calls, I'll be away at the Hamptons for quite some time.
O
"What the fuck" Shikamaru muttered indignantly, "I told you this guy is a masochist. What the fuck did we go to the club for? What was the point of that? Why make you come here… Just to give you the money? To be a dick?" He tossed the paper to the floor and scowled at it as if it had insulted him personally.
"Whatever" Sasuke muttered, zipping the duffel bag and pulling it from the counter, "We'll deal with that on another day. We need to get this counted and distributed quickly. I need to call my brother, help me with this."
Shikamaru groaned as Sasuke passed him the bag. Nobody thinks about how heavy money can be, he thought as he slung the weighty bag over his shoulder, Third world problems I guess. They began to leave, but Shikamaru stopped just short of the doorway. Sensing this, Sasuke turned around halfway through fishing out his phone from one of his various pockets.
"We should really trash his place. It's only fair." Shikamaru said, mischief in his eyes.
Sasuke shrugged.
"Why not?"
He let Shikamaru do most of the work, but took part in some of the destruction; after all, there's just nothing like putting a crowbar through another man's flat screen. The joy was short lived however, as his brother had yet to answer or return his calls. Although this was not completely unusual, Sasuke suddenly began to feel out of place; like something was just not right. He tried his father's number. Nothing.
"Something's wrong" he said through the sounds of smashing glass.
Shikamaru paused, bat poised to swing at one of the hanging lights.
"Huh?"
"I said something's wrong," Sasuke warned, anxiety crawling up his chest. The adrenaline had long dissipated, leaving him with his full range of emotions. "Itachi said there was something weird today. Now he's not answering my calls, neither is my father. What the fuck is Orochimaru doing in the Hamptons, where my family is? What the fuck are we doing here?"
Shikamaru, sensing the edge in Sasuke's voice, stopped what he was doing and began to gather his items and the large black duffel bag. They shuffled their way through various wreckage and were soon in the elevator where they shared a brief awkward silence.
"What was it that your brother mentioned?" Shikamaru asked at last.
"He said that something was weird, that they hadn't reached a deal and it was like they were stalling, but I should get the money to be prepared."
"Are you that worried? They've done business before, I'm sure they're just bullshitting."
"I don't know. I've been hearing about their family for some time now," Sasuke explained as the elevator shuttered to a halt. "We don't see them, because of the agreement they have with my father. It's the nephew Neji that runs the syndicate now; Hiashi only had daughters and didn't really involve them in the family business. I don't think Neji and Hiashi see eye to eye, he doesn't approve of the current arrangement, so to say. Greedy fuck."
Shikamaru pulled out his flashlight from his pockets as the doors slid open, shining it around the maintenance room as Sasuke attempted more calls.
"Anyway, Orochimaru's our biggest partner, so if they were trying to make a move, they'd do it with him. They know we'd take the time to come find him—Jesus fucking christ pick up."
The brisk air greeted Sasuke's face as he pushed the door open to the truck bay, the orange glow lighting his angular features.
"Damn, it's still this cold" Shikmaru shuttered, "I guess I knew that things had changed hands on their side, but I didn't know it was like that."
"There's something there with the uncle. From what Itachi told me, he died. The coroner listed natural causes but he looked fucked up. The mortician could only do so much. Neji chose to do an open casket funeral though, I guess he blamed Hiashi. Wanted him to see what had happened to his brother."
They walked briskly out into the bay and up the ramp, eyes searching for any signs of movement. Shikamaru let out a sardonic laugh and adjusted the duffel bag on his shoulder as they walked back to their cars. "Thats fucked up! What is it with rich people and doing the most dramatic shit?"
"Wouldn't know," Sasuke grumbled as they came to a stop in the middle of a dark alleyway. "Take care of the cash and keep your phone on. I'll let you know how things go."
"Right" Shikamaru barked behind Sasuke, throwing him a mock salute as he walked away to call his brother once more. He clicked his tongue as it went to voicemail, then shoved his phone back into his pocket. The languor of the cold dry air and the unsettling silence around him did nothing to curb his anxiety. His car wasn't too far away, but a million thoughts raced through his head by the time he turned a corner to see the silver glint of the BMW.
Before he could reach it, he felt the buzz of his phone in his pocket and he reached for it immediately, stopping in his tracks.
[Maybe: Sakura] 3:32AM
Hey! It's Sakura. I forgot to mention
Earlier that I still had your jacket. I'm
on the subway home now, you can come
pick it up if you're around.
And that's when he heard it; the distinct sound of feet shuffling behind him. He listened for a split second… Three or four of them. The steps grew closer. He had no more time to think before the largest man attempted to grab him from behind.
The slap of skin on skin contact echoed through the night as Sasuke palmed the man's throat hard, both struggling to take control. They traded blows before Sasuke gained the upper hand, bringing his elbow down hard on top of the man's head. He reached for the knife sheathed in his pocket when he was tackled from his right side, seeing stars from the impact of his head against the cold wet concrete of the alleyway.
He let out a groan, opening his eyes just in time to see a silver blur descending down upon him. He wrenched his forearm upwards, suffering a deep cut but knocking the knife away and out of reach. It clattered across the ground and Sasuke put his legs underneath him to stand, but he was too slow and was knocked back into the brick wall behind him. The air escaped his lungs on impact. He wheezed and coughed, trying to block the blows aimed at his head.
They're not trying to kill me, Sasuke thought, bringing his foot down hard on his opponent's ankle. One, two, three hard stomps and his grip gave way. Sasuke pushed with all of his force, slipping on the ice but able to gain some distance between him and his mysterious assailants. His own hard breathing disturbed his thoughts. He could finally see all three of them. Nobody I've ever seen before.
His car was behind him now, just several feet away. Sasuke began to retreat slowly, ready to go on the offense once more if needed. The men continued to advance upon him. He decided he'd sooner get away to strategize than take the chance of being captured; he was outnumbered by three men who were bigger than him and seemed to be experienced with hand to hand combat.
"Who sent you?" Sasuke asked, trying to bide time to get as close to his escape as possible. They ignored his question as the one on the far right reached into his suit jacket. Sasuke reacted immediately, darting towards his car door and wrenching it open to shield himself as he crouched. Thunk, thunk, thunk, knives punctured the metal of the car door. He peered through the window just in time to see the largest fellow lunge forward, and Sasuke sent a swift kick to the man's abdomen, knocking him backwards a few feet. He scrambled into his car, throwing his backpack aside and turning the keys he left in his ignition.
The car turned over as his driver's side window exploded in a shower of glass. A pair of hands attempted to rip him from the driver's seat and Sasuke strained towards his backpack which was just out of reach. He was halfway out of the broken window when he brought his elbow down hard onto the man's forearm, a sickening crack splitting through the air accompanied by a loud scream. Sasuke sat down again, threw his car into gear, and stomped his foot on the gas. His tires squealed and the car ripped from the alleyway.
"Fuck!" He screamed as he slammed his palm on the steering wheel. The gash on his forearm left his sleeve soaked with crimson. He could taste the blood in his mouth also, courtesy of the cut on his cheek. He wondered if Shikamaru had met the same fate, if he too was able to escape.
He pulled onto the main road, speeding between the few cars that were out this early in the morning. Adrenaline scattered his thoughts. Slow your breathing. Think.
He checked his rear view mirror for a tail. Nothing.
He pulled his phone out, and was met with two messages:
[Maybe: Sakura] 3:33 AM
Let me know if you need my address.
[Itachi] 3:35 AM
If they've found you, go somewhere nobody would look. They will come looking for you.
Sasuke felt many things at once. Relief that his family was safe, validation that his instinct was spot on and not just baseless anxiety, and indebted again to Sakura for solving yet another very urgent problem.
Go somewhere nobody would look.
Sasuke's eyes danced from his phone, to the road, to his rear view mirror, and back to his phone. He dialed Sakura's number.
"Hello?"
.
.
.
A/N
Hey there,
Thanks for sticking around. I got a new job, moved, and got married. That was stressful, but things have settled down and I'm looking forward to the next chapter. See you then!