A man with black hair and eyes to match walked around the now empty hotel room surveying the area.
"Any word from Kiba?" The man asked.
"No, sir. I'm sorry." A woman replied.
They had passed through the yellow police "caution tape" barrier and had been looking for clues as to the whereabouts of the man's associate. He looked around and saw blood splatter on the carpets and walls. He saw the sheets had been violently disturbed and the room looked as if a potentially life-threatening fight had taken place here. Towards the entryway of the room, he saw what looked like strands of pink strings. He kneeled to inspect them further, they were actually strands of hair. Pink hair? It was unusual. He stood up and spoke.
"He's playing a dangerous game evading me like this. He's lucky my temper isn't what it used to be."
The man stated. He was a man of his late twenties. He stood at a height of six feet and two inches tall. He had long slick black hair and a soft voice that carried a definitive tone. The man being Uchiha Itachi was a man of action. He couldn't have one of the men disappearing on his watch.
"What have your contacts found, Tenten?" He asked the brown-haired woman.
"Nothing solid. My sources place him with the owner of that pink hair you're holding, Uchiha-sama. I've been keeping tabs on her." Tenten replied.
"What do you know about her?" He asked.
"She was Kiba's latest fling. She'd been following him around like a lost puppy. I don't have too much more information on her. I deemed her a non-threat to you, Uchiha-sama. I only know where she frequently shops at." She spoke to him.
There was a pause. Itachi closed his eyes for a moment then looked at the woman before speaking.
"Hn." He replied. This wasn't a simple acknowledgment; this was a command. A command to bring this woman to him.
"I understand Uchiha-sama." Tenten replied and with that she left.
Whoever this mysterious pink-haired woman was, she held the answers to a lot of Itachi's burning questions. Itachi continued to survey the room looking for anything that could give him more answers. He saw broken glass near the door as well. Something rather interesting took place here and soon he'd have all the answers he craved.
Sakura was leaving the grocery store that night after going shopping. She was now undercover and trying to find her first clues to Itachi's whereabouts. She was now walking through the parking lot when she was a woman trying to load her vehicle with groceries as well. She was parked next to Sakura. Undercover or not, Sakura was a nice person. Sakura stopped her cart next to her car and offered to help the young woman who seemed to be struggling.
"Do you need some help, miss?" Sakura asked.
"Oh. That'd be great!" replied the woman. She had beautiful brown eyes and her hair so elegantly styled into two buns on her head. She had such a wonderful smile to match.
"I dropped some potatoes under the car, would you mind grabbing those for me please?" She asked.
"Sure thing," Sakura said. She began to crouch down to grab the missing vegetable. She didn't see it. She noticed the woman had stopped moving as well. Sakura stood up to inform her she didn't see the vegetables underneath her car. When Sakura was back at eye level the woman was no longer smiling. She held a gun in her hands and point it at Sakura.
"Don't try anything funny." She said in a low tone to Sakura.
Sakura slowly raised her hands in response.
"Good. Now get in the trunk." She commanded.
"Why?" Sakura questioned.
"My boss wants to meet you." She added.
"Who's your boss?" Sakura asked.
"What is this? 20 questions? Get in the trunk bitch. Or I'll shoot your knees out from underneath you." The woman commanded.
The woman stepped back enough for Sakura to get in the trunk while also being far enough away from Sakura so that she could not reach the gun either.
"Good." The woman replied. "Now If I have pull over at all because of you. I'm going to shoot you. Got it? Don't open the trunk, don't signal for help, and don't think anyone is coming to save you." She added.
"Oh and one last thing, don't squish the food, ok?" She stated.
Sakura only nodded in response. Her face remaining calm. The trunk slammed shut and Sakura took a deep breath.
After what felt like a 30-minute drive, they arrived at their location. The woman opened her trunk remotely standing at least 5 feet back and at an angle.
"Don't try anything cute. Get out of the trunk slowly and keep your hands raised." She commanded.
"I can either get out slowly or keep my hands in the air. I can't do both." Sakura said trying to buy an excuse.
"Look Pinky, you got two options. Do as I say or die." She replied cocking her gun. "I'm sure you know which option I prefer." She continued in a hushed tone.
Sakura did as she was told nearly falling on her face in the process.
"Good." The woman said displaying her beautiful smile again. "Now march inside." Her smile disappearing again.
Sakura walked towards the front door of this massive house- or mansion- it could be either or at this point. She was looking around the entire time. The brown-haired woman followed her inside at decent distant closing the front door behind her.
"I've returned Uchiha-sama with the woman you asked for" She said in a calm speaking voice.
A simple "Hn." Was heard in response to Sakura's right side. She looked to her right to see a man.
"Ah. The girl with the pink hair. We've got business to discuss. Please come with me." He said. He was a strikingly handsome man. She couldn't deny that, but he seemed so familiar- THE PHOTO. That's who he was one of the men in the photo! And didn't that woman call him Uchiha-sama? Could this be?
He guided her into a sitting room and sat down on a loveseat and crossed his legs. He looked at her. She was still standing. He used his hands to point to a seat across from him in an armchair. There was a low and wide coffee table that sat between them. There was a fresh cup of tea next to her chair. He motioned for her to drink it.
"So. Tell me, you know what happened to an associate of mine." He said directly.
Suddenly finding her voice Sakura replied. "Depends on her person. This one has been with more for the last half hour" Sakura said motioning to the brown-haired woman who was still standing and pointing a gun at Sakura.
Her response annoyed and enticed Itachi at the same time.
"I don't talk to strangers." She started again crossing her legs in the process.
"But you will talk to me." He stated locking eyes with her.
"I told you not to get cute." The brown-haired woman started.
"Then introduce yourselves." Sakura countered.
The man and woman shared a look.
"She's Tenten and I'm a man who can make you disappear without a trace. Now talk." He said curtly.
Sakura paused for a moment before speaking again.
"Based on what she called you and my intel- you may also go by the name of Uchiha Itachi, correct?" She took a sip of her tea.
Now it was Itachi's time to pause. He took notice of her use of the word 'intel'. "Very good. I am Itachi Uchiha. Now that we've gotten our names out the way let me add one more. Inuzuka Kiba. Where is he." He countered. Again, not a question, but a statement.
Sakura had to make a choice and this one had to be a standout one.
"Decomposing in the ocean I trust." She said bringing the teacup to her lips again. Her eye contact with the Uchiha remained unbroken.
"I see." Itachi spoke. "How did he reach this fate?"
"He tried to rape me." She spoke. There was plenty of truth to this statement Kiba did try to sexually assault her earlier.
"Oh. So you had him killed? By who" Itachi asked. He took note of her calm and collected attitude it was … impressive. Most people cowered under his gaze.
"I did. A girl has got to take care of herself at the end of the day." She said,
There was silence. He took a moment to study her features. She didn't seem as if she was lying to him. But is didn't seem like she was being completely truthful with him either. All of that was secondary to the fact that she was drop-dead beautiful to him. Even in a situation when he may more than likely have her killed, she was cool under pressure. This got him thinking. She could be rather useful to him. A beautiful woman who could handle her own? Even better than Tenten. This was rather intriguing to him.
"Do you understand the ramifications of what you've done?" He asked. Probing her mind.
"Yes. I stopped a rapist." She paused to take a drink "Oh as well as killed one of the biggest drug dealers in Konoha." She had slight smugness to her that worked well in this situation.
The room was still. Tenten gave Uchiha-sama a look. Sakura held her eye contact with the man. There was an electric quality to the staring contest they were engaged in.
"I don't imagine murder is your primary hobby, so I must ask; what is your occupation?" He asked changing the subject.
Sakura's cover was always that she was a model. She could easily sell this with her looks alone.
"I model" She started, but something overcame her, and she added onto the self-description. "But Kiba was bringing me into his line of work. He said I had a knack for it. A beautiful woman who could hold and gun and get men to do what she wanted? It was like the stars aligned." She tacked on studying her nails as she spoke. Her words matched Itachi's earlier thoughts. Great minds…
Itachi pondered the implications of what she was saying. The chances of this woman killing and replacing Kiba was fascinating. Kiba was difficult to work with. He was hardheaded, impatient, a loose cannon. She, on the other hand, was cool, calm, collected, and not to mention easy on the eyes. Something about her drew him in.
"I can see why Kiba might have enjoyed having you around," Itachi added. Sakura picked up on his coyness and spoke.
"Oh yeah? Little known fact, I never slept with him. Had he been patient, he'd got what he'd wanted. Instead, he got what he deserved." She looked away for a moment to pretend to inspect the ceiling. No water stains she noted.
"Are you in need of money?" Itachi asked.
"I am at this moment. I'm thinking of leaving town" She said.
"Does the possibility of jailtime frighten you?" Itachi questioned.
Sakura scoffed before replying
"No. The possibility of being broke frightens me." She spoke with an air of self-importance. "But I am definitely in need of money. Since Kiba is no longer and I've just acquired some new skills, I thought I'd toss my name in the ring in another town." Sakura words were carefully picked to bate Itachi.
Itachi felt her words were just what he wanted to hear, but the also seemed so natural in their composition. It only added to her mystique.
"Well, consider this a job interview," Itachi said.
"Oh yeah? You need a model around here?" She asked in a joking manner. A small smirk on her face.
"No, I'm asking you to do much more than that." He said.
"I don't fuck for a living," Sakura added. The strong language help sell her point.
"That's not what I had in mind either." He responded.
Sakura peaked an eyebrow. "What is on your mind?"
"You created a vacancy in my organization by eliminating Kiba. I can't have that." He paused waving his hand in the air. Tenten signaled in another person. The person entered the room and refilled Itachi's cup.
Itachi continued speaking after the cup was refilled.
"I run a business. And in order to run a business efficiently, I cannot have a vacancy. Perhaps you could fill that void." He posed. He studied her response.
"So, you want me to take Kiba's place? You think his clients will buy it?" She questioned back to Itachi.
"That is a small concern that I can take care of myself." He countered.
"Ok, fine. Let's say I do take Kiba's place. Do I just perform his duties until you replace me?" She was risking inciting his temper; however, Itachi rather enjoyed this banter. She had a certain elegance to her.
"If you give me no reason to replace you, I won't replace you. Consider it, your motivation for job security." He said.
"Is that all?" She asked.
"No, there more." He spoke.
"Isn't there always" Her smile growing wider.
"I want you to gather intel from the KPD." He added.
Sakura paused for a moment before collecting herself.
"The police department? What makes you think I'd hang out with them. I just told you I killed a man." She posed.
"Policemen like beautiful women. It's as simple as that." Itachi said. He took a sip of his tea after speaking.
"That's a big ask." She was trying to pry just the slightest bit of information out of him. If there was a mole in the police department her operation was in jeopardy, but more importantly, so was her life.
"So, what's your answer" Itachi replied skipping over her question.
Tenten's gun hadn't wavered.
"Based on Tenten's reaction, I guess I only have one answer to give: yes." Sakura said sipping her tea again.
Tenten lowered the gun but remained still.
"I'm glad you're as wise as you sound," Itachi said standing. He walked over to her and rose to meet him. He extended his hand to Sakura. She shook his hand and he spoke again "Let's get to work."
Itachi was not what she had expected at all. When infiltrating Kiba's ring, he watched her constantly. Itachi was the opposite. He laid out all his ground rules and expectations to her after they shook hands.
"Tenten, get her a cellphone." He commanded. The brown-haired woman disappeared somewhere in the cavernous house to complete his task as ordered. Itachi had led her down a hallway from the sitting room to another room. It was bright. He sat behind a desk facing a computer screen and with various neatly stacked papers strewn about his desktop. Tenten returned with the cellphone a moment later handing it to Itachi before leaving the office shutting the door behind her. Sakura took a seat across the desk.
"This is your cellphone now. If I call- you answer in less than three rings." He stated to her browsing through his computer. He passed the phone over to her. She accepted.
"If I call you and you do not answer, I'll take action from there on out." He added. Sakura lifted an eyebrow.
"Take action?" She asked.
"Yes." He replied
"What does that mean?" She pondered to him.
"You do as I say, and you won't find out." He said locking eyes with her. Itachi spoke more with his nonverbal cues than verbal language. This made Sakura's stomach drop for a moment. She quickly regained her composure.
"Acknowledged. I'll answer." She replied.
"Hn." Was the only response Itachi gave.
"I'll inform Kiba's client's to expect to see you from now on. Have you met any of them?" He asked her. Sakura could continue to lie or see how far he was willing to go.
"Yes." A truthful statement. She had met a good bit of them.
"Good you've got a handoff tomorrow around 3 pm. It'll take place at the supermarket. Be there and wearing a black t-shirt carrying a handbasket." Itachi spoke while typing into his computer.
"I have plans tomorrow." She replied testing the water.
"I know. I just gave them to you." He didn't even look at her when he spoke.
"No, I mean around that time." She added.
"Whatever you do on your own time is your business. I don't micromanage my associates unless they give me a reason to. But know this" he said looking intensely in her direction. His eyes looked like they were burning holes into her soul. "If I call you, you're now on my time." The meaning was clear as day, but she didn't dare speak it aloud.
"Ok." She spoke after a moment.
"Good. You know what needs to be done tomorrow." He stated to her.
Sakura left the large house that night was taken back to the grocery store by Tenten. In a strange way Sakura rather like the woman. She was rough around the edges and had the ability to care for herself. As the car returned to the grocery store Tenten parked next to Sakura again and put the car in "PARK" before finally speaking.
"I am tasked with ensuring the personal safety of Uchiha-sama." Tenten began. "It is a job I take very seriously."
Sakura only stared at the woman in response. Tenten continued.
"I will not let anyone or anything allow me to deviate from that duty."
Sakura spoke, "I believe you."
"In order to do my job, I mustn't trust anyone, but Uchiha-sama. Which means I will be watching you very very closely." Her brown eyes now held a new intensity.
"Got it." Sakura said matching her gaze.
"If you slip up, lie to him, jeopardize anything he does, or even look at him in a way I don't like. I will make sure you meet the same fate as Kiba." Tenten said. This was no joke. Tenten had been rock solid in the few hours they'd be acquainted.
"Let me make this clear to you then." Sakura began. "I'm here for the money. If working alongside Itachi is the best way for me to do that, then so be it. But just know this: my bite is a lot harder than my bark. You interfere with my cash flow and I'll interfere with your blood flow." Sakura ended. She doesn't normally talk like this but conversing with Tenten convinced her this was the only way Tenten communicated.
"I'm glad we had this conversation. Get out." Tenten deadpanned.
Sakura exited the vehicle and Tenten sped off.
Sakura's anxiety had been put on hold during the entire ordeal of the day. She'd noticed her grocery cart of purchased items was gone. She sighed, the store had long closed. She got into her car and started it. She hadn't driven away yet as she was still reeling from all that had happened. She nervously rubbed her arm where Kiba had hit her. She almost couldn't believe all that had happened. In one day she got a new job, gained a professional stalker, and solved one found one of the two men in the photo.
There were so many loose ends she needed to sure up before tomorrow's drop it was almost overwhelming to her. She needed sleep, her judgment wasn't the best after the hell she'd just put herself through and for that, she drove home to her apartment. Unbeknownst to her, Tenten had watched the direction she traveled in and had taken note.