Once Naruto was at home, he looked for his wife. She was in the living room grading homework. Hinata was a fourth-grade teacher, she had to spend extra time at home grading students' homework.
"Hi honey." Naruto started.
"Hi." She replied.
They shared a quick kiss. Before they started speaking again.
"I have news." Naruto began with an exasperated sigh.
"I heard there was some drama at the station today." She stopped grading and gave her husband her eyes expecting him to go on.
"Yeah." He started taking a seat beside her on the couch. "I got suspended. 30 days and no pay."
Hinata reached out and placed a hand on his back.
"What happened?" She asked
"Well, you know how I was talking to you about this case Sakura's working?" He started. Hinata nodded in agreement. They often discussed work stressors from each other's lives.
"The captain just out of nowhere asked us to transfer him to a different county. It was totally unexpected. These things take plenty of planning and coordination that can take days even weeks to prepare for. Yeah, well it was just so sudden. The captain just came out of left field and put me in charge to transfer this man from the holding cells in the basement to the armored truck." He was starting to get upset again so he paused and took a breath.
"Do you know why they wanted to move him so suddenly?" She asked attempting to help him pick up the pieces.
"No. That's the weirdest part of it all. He gave no explanations." Naruto rested his face in his palms for a moment before sitting back up and continuing.
"So the captain just springs this on all of us and just leaves me in charge to move this guy from A to B. And I'm like 'ok fine' and then he just leaves. No rhyme or reason he just leaves!"
Hinata resumed rubbing Naruto's back in an attempt to comfort him.
"So then I go and get everything set up and as we've transporting him, a single shot rings out." He balled his fists up.
"Oh my God! Was anyone hurt?" Hinata leaned in.
"None of my officers were hit, just a single gunshot wound precisely laid into this suspect's head." He released his fists as he spoke. "It was terrible. He was dead on impact and it was just a blood bath. I showered and work twice and changed my clothes after it was all said and done."
Hinata gave her husband a hug. It was difficult to see her husband in such a state.
"Oh honey." She spoke as she embraced him.
"I know, but it gets worse." He pulled out of the embrace and stood. He began to pace the room. Hinata knew he was still shaken up.
"The captain blamed me for it all and then suspended me for 30 days. He called me practically called me incompetent!" Naruto threw his hands in the air as he spoke.
"That's awful!" Hinata added from the couch.
"Tell me about it." Naruto started.
There was a silence in the room as Naruto quietly paced the floor, studying it as he walked. Hinata examined the couch cushions for a moment before speaking.
"Honey if that's atypical to abruptly transfer someone like that, why did it happen?" She reasoned aloud.
"Beats me!" Naruto added.
Another paused followed his statement.
Naruto thought to himself for a moment before speaking. "We'd only abruptly move a person if there was some sort of natural disaster. Like if the building was falling apart or a massive flood." Naruto spoke.
"Well, I didn't see any flood forecasts on the news tonight." Hinata added with a chuckle.
"No," Naruto sighed "I don't suppose you did." Naruto stretched. "It's been one hell of a day." He yawned and sat back down next to his wife again.
"I mean the only other way that could be done is at the discretion of a high ranking official," Naruto added.
"Such as?" Hinata led with goading him to explain further.
"Like a division head, governor, or even a judge. Well, no, they'd need to present an official document of some sort. I mean if someone needed to be moved immediately without clearance from those who aren't in the field I suppose a commanding officer could make the switch."
"Like the captain?" Hinata added.
"Yeah like the captain," Naruto repeated back for a moment before springing off the couch.
Naruto's eyes expanded to the size of saucers. "THE CAPTAIN!" He sprang up and reached for his briefcase frantically dumping the contents out onto the table burying Hinata's paperwork.
"Honey." Hinata began "What are you looking for?"
"I swiped some files from my desk after the captain before I cashiered out of the building." Naruto said while frantically spreading out his papers. Once he found it he came back to the couch. Naruto began to lay the documents out on the coffee table in front of them.
"I have to be sure." He muttered.
"What?" Hinata questioned as he flew through paper after paper. "Ok, so what are you looking for?" She added.
"Today's schedule." He stated without looking up at her.
Hinata looked down to see there was so much stuff he had in the briefcase sprawled across the table.
"What is all of this?" Hinata asked.
"Most of this stuff is related to Sakura's current case. I just have some peripheral files related to the case." He responded.
"Ok. So you're looking for the schedule…and a schedule is going to show what? How bad the captain is at sticking to a plan?" Hinata joked.
"No. No. It'll include anything pertinent. Personnel changes, building maintenance, scheduled hearings, meetings AND-"
"Transfers." Hinata concluded for him.
"Exactly." Naruto stated. He stopped once he found one piece of paper that stopped his searching. Today's schedule. He read over it twice.
"It's not here." He smiled at the paper. "The transfer wasn't planned. Just like I said!" Naruto laid back on the couch. "It wasn't planned!"
"Maybe that's why the captain was so flustered?" Hinata questioned.
"The captain is many things but flustered isn't one of them." He added. "It wasn't scheduled. The captain is the only one who could have known about the suspect we had in custody too."
"So he opted to move the man anyway?" Hinata questioned aloud. "and you said he wouldn't need a judge to sign off on that right?"
"Well usually he would, but he reserves the right to move anyone for nearly any reason." Naruto answered back.
Hinata furrowed her brow. "I'm still confused here. If this transfer was so important why wasn't the captain there to oversee it." It was a valid question.
"That's what I was thinking earlier!" Naruto said with enthusiasm. "It doesn't make sense! The captain is almost ALWAYS there for things like this!"
There was a silence.
"So, let me get this right. This man was killed during a last-minute transfer to somewhere for … reasons? And for this same set of mysterious reasons the captain wasn't there to oversee any of this?" Hinata added the puzzle pieces up rather quickly.
"Yeah…" Naruto drifted on.
"Ok, that in itself sounds like a Nancy Drew mystery." Hinata said sighing midway through the sentence.
"That's not the worst part of it all." Naruto spoke with a serious tone. Hinata raised an eyebrow.
"Where does this leave Sakura.." Naruto added.
It was a provoking thought. With Naruto suspended, Sakura didn't have any backup. And now that Naruto had her badge there was no way they could communicate. Furthermore, there was the entire issue of Naruto's suspension. The captain had basically locked Naruto out from all police-based matters. Without his badge and gun, he couldn't legally obtain information. Compounded by the fact that Naruto now had an even bigger mystery to solve. Why was the suspect being moved in the first place? Who authorized this transfer? And lastly, who took the fatal shot?
Naruto thought back to when it all happened. He made a mental note of everyone's movements and cataloging where everyone was at the time of the murder. Everyone was accounted for except for the captain. Where did he go and why?
Another long pause occurred as if they both were rethinking the series of events they'd discussed.
"Let's just watch some TV and go to bed. I'll worry about this in the morning. I think our minds will be more refreshed after some sleep." Naruto said to his sleepy wife.
She smiled and nodded. "Do you want anything to eat?"
"No. I think I'll be fine. I've too much on my mind to eat." He said to her standing to stretch in the process.
"Not even if it's ramen?" She attempted to entice him.
"No, honey. Not even if its ramen." He said in a slightly defeated tone.
"Wow." Hinata spoke. "You really feeling defeated." She joked. He laughed, she always knew how to cheer him up.
Naruto turned on the TV and began to separate his files from Hinata's. Couldn't risk her taking sensitive information to work. As he finished dividing her papers from his a breaking news report began rather loudly.
In a developing story, a murder occurred at the Konoha Police Department. A person was shot at point-blank range today leaving them dead on the steps of the building. The captain of the KPD had this to say:
On the screen appeared the captain.
"My dear citizens, we apologize for the disruption to your everyday lives. There was an incident involving a
A suspect. I have taken disciplinary action against the officer at fault. It seems like this officer took their aggression out on the subject. This officer took a vantage point and shot this suspect with a large caliber firearm weapon from a nearby hotel. That is all I am willing to say at the moment."
Hinata fell silent.
"I don't care what he has to say. I didn't hurt that man. I've just got to prove it."
"Honey I know." She added.
"That interview was BULLSHIT. I did not do ANYTHING to that man. I-"Naruto stood and resumed paced around the room.
"The nerve of that piece of shit. Accusing me?!" Naruto ranted.
Hinata sat silently as Naruto expressed himself.
"I have given YEARS of my life for this city. This man thinks he's going to smear my reputation?"
"On the Brightside," Hinata began. "At least he didn't mention your name."
Naruto paused.
"Yeah." Naruto started "He didn't mention my name did he? He lied about everything but didn't mention my name." Naruto repeated.
"Why did you say it twice?" Hinata questioned meekly. She was still expecting him to lash out verbally.
"That might come back to bit me in the ass. The captain is crafty. He rarely ever does anything without reason." Naruto reasoned.
There was a silence.
"I'm going to bed. I'm too upset to think any further." Naruto started.
Hinata turned the TV off as Naruto walked upstairs to the bedroom.
"I wonder where Sakura is." Hinata said softly.
Impressed would be an understatement to describe how Itachi felt about tonight's dinner. Sakura was amazing. He'd spent the majority of the ride home from dinner revisiting the way she carried herself. Who was he kidding her looks were show-stopping. In a perfect world, she would share his name. However, the reality was a different beast altogether.
"I have the reports from your men, Sasori and Deidara." Tenten began "Doesn't look like they found anything special in her car."
"Hn." Itachi replied.
"Seems like she's been telling the truth so far." Tenten added.
"Hn." Itachi replied again. He was sitting the back of the limo with his eyes closed as the ride continued.
"I too believe she did well tonight." Tenten started again. "Judging by your reaction she's been acclimating well to your impromptu tasks."
Itachi remained still only raising an eyebrow as to ask Tenten to explain further.
"I mean, she hasn't squealed yet. She's had a stressful few days with us in her pockets. I think she's doing well…so far." Tenten was always the hopeful pessimist.
"Agreed" Itachi added lowering his eyebrow and opening his eyes. "Most of the women I've brought into the fold can't handle themselves. She has proven herself well so far."
"Uchiha-sama, was there a point to having her car searched?" Tenten began again.
Itachi raised an eyebrow after closing his eyes. He was asking her to explain.
"I'm not sure what you were expecting to find, Uchiha-sama." She added.
He did not respond. Sasori and Deidara are some of his more talented spies. They were known for being able to kill without leaving a trace not even one iota of evidence. He did not have her car searched to exclude the possibility of treachery and disloyalty to him, he did it for another reason. A selfish and unfounded reason. He did not want to risk his heart being broken if she was involved with another man. Her car was clear, a good sign. He'd have to see if her house was clear next. That of course, could wait a day or two.
As she lay in bed, head resting comfortably against the pillow, she found herself unable to relax her brain. It continued to re-run the events of the past few days. Kiba's arrest, interactions with her father, conversations with Naruto, the intransigent final words of Kiba, the cold exterior of Itachi, the witty and painfully weaponized Tenten, the murder of Kiba.
It seemed like every other thought just kept coming back to Kiba. Why was he still in her mind? He is dead. She had zero feelings for the monster, but she now working with the monster's master. A man who seemed rather powerful in his composed reserved nature. Itachi. He was the person she needed to focus on taking down.
Her mind wouldn't stop. She rolled over to see what time her clock read. 11:12 pm.
"UGH!" She yelled.
Sakura reached for the remote and turned on the TV. The 11 o'clock news was on. They were re-running a piece from earlier. Sakura laid back down and began to rest. The ambient sound of the TV helped soothe her mind as she drifted off to sleep. As Sakura fell into a deep sleep, the news re-ran a story from earlier. It was the story about Kiba's demise; however, Sakura was already asleep before she could even process what was playing on the TV.