Chapter Eighteen
Curiosity killed the cat

The wind blew a strand of hair into Sakura's face. Without lowering her binoculars, she pushed it back as she scanned the port below the warehouse she was perched atop. Silently she observed the vans that pulled up outside and counted the number of crates that were traded between hands.

Just as Naruto had said, Akatsuki was definitely using the abandoned shipping yard to store and move their drugs and weapons. And not just a few here and there. But many. A little disconcerting. Considering one of Sakura's own ports was less than a mile away.

"What do you want to do?" Kakashi asked beside her.

Lowering her sights, Sakura sat back, weighing the decision. "Nothing. Yet," she added when he cocked a curious brow. "Have someone keep an eye on the place, but I don't have time to deal with it now."

"Oh, busy day on the town planned?" Kakashi asked.

She ignored his sarcasm. "I'm heading to Israel."

"You're going to Tel Aviv?" he repeated, all previous humor gone. "When?"

"This afternoon."

He canted his head pointedly. "Were you planning on telling me?"

"I just did, didn't I." When Kakashi shot her a look, Sakura sighed. "Don't look at me like that. I've had a lot going on lately, okay."

He sighed. "Guess I'll book myself a flight."

"I already did," Sakura told him as she returned her attention to the activity below. She pretended not to hear his soft laugh of amusement as he peered through his own sights again.

Sakura left Naruto in charge of surveillance while she and Kakashi flew out. They landed in Tel Aviv the next morning with the sun still rising and the streets humming with rush hour traffic. They dropped their bags at the hotel before the pair wandered to a nearby coffeehouse.

Kakashi waited until they both received their orders before he spoke, "You still haven't told me what we're doing here."

Sakura swallowed another mouthful of coffee slowly. Biding her time to find a way to tell the man across from her what she was doing. A way that wouldn't immediately get her a chiding. "You remember that CIA agent?"

"Itachi?" Kakashi clarified. A moment later, he connected the dots. "You're still working with him?"

Sakura didn't have to look to see his disapproval. "Yeah, he wants me to meet one of his contacts. Says the guy can help me with Akatsuki."

"You've got to be kidding," Kakashi murmured. "And you trust him?"

"To a certain extent, yes," she said. When he just stared at her, she sighed. "Look, if it wasn't for him, I would probably be in federal custody right now. He was the one who picked me up after the whole Grand Lotus Hotel incident."

"That was his house I picked you up at?"

Sakura hummed an affirmation as she sipped her coffee. She set her mug down again before continuing. "Look, this isn't my first choice on how I wanted things to play out, but if getting rid of Akatsuki gets me closer to Hashirama, I'm willing to take the risk."

Kakashi sat back with a deep sigh. He stared down at his coffee for a long minute before looking back up at her. "You're sure about this?"

"No," she shook her head. "No, I fully anticipate this blowing up in my face eventually." Then she looked at him with a placating grin. "But that's why I have you, right?"

Kakashi's answering sigh and eventual smile was enough to put her misgivings to rest.

xx

Itachi texted Sakura a few hours later. He sent her a time and an address to a warehouse still under construction. That late at night it would be completely abandoned. And with so many hours to spare, it gave Kakashi plenty of time to scope out the perfect spot to oversee everything.

It was well past sunset when Sakura arrived at the location. The lights inside were off and the windows were dark. She followed the building around to the back, where a single side door was left unlocked.

"How many?" she murmured into her phone.

"Only one for now," Kakashi answered. "Whoever Agent Uchiha is having you meet isn't here yet."

Sakura didn't reply as she approached the entrance. Merely tucked her phone into her pocket before she took a deep breath. With one hand on the weapon on her hip, she hauled the metal door open. The hinges groaned, conventionally alerting anyone within the building of her arrival. She assumed Itachi had done it on purpose.

The doorway led to a small hallway with wooden walls, the insulation and paint not quite finished. At the end of it was a large room. It was completely empty except for a single table with a desk lamp. It cast just enough light to illuminate the lone figure inside.

Itachi was leaning against the desk facing her, his legs crossed at his ankles and his arms folded over his chest. He looked up upon her entrance. She couldn't quite tell if she saw the corner of his mouth curve up upon sight of her or if it was just the trick of the light.

"You made it," he stated needlessly.

Even with Kakashi at her back, Sakura gave the deepest corners of the warehouse a careful onceover as she ventured further inside. "Where's your contact?" she asked, finding the place completely vacant. Not even a lonely rat scurried in the cracks in the walls.

"He'll be here soon," he said, briefly glancing at the watch on his wrist.

"He better be as good as you say."

Itachi smirked at her mildly threatening tone. "I promise, you will not be disappointed."

A frown crossed her lips but it faded when her phone chimed once. Her signal from Kakashi that another was approaching. Sure enough, she heard the heavy stomp of boots come down the hall she had entered through a few moments later.

Sakura turned just in time to watch a large bulky man slip into the room. His shoulders so broad he nearly filled up the entire doorframe. The instant he stepped into the light, Sakura's adrenaline kicked into gear. She withdrew her gun, all of her senses on high alert.

The man stopped short. "Woah there, little viper," he said, his voice full of humor rather than concern.

Her eyes narrowed, her grip on her weapon tightening. "This is your contact?"

"You know him?" Itachi asked, mildly surprised.

"Hoshigaki Kisame," Sakura named him. She knew almost every major member of Akatsuki by name.

Six-foot-four and nearly three hundred pounds of pure muscles, Kisame was not one to underestimate. Physically, he was a powerhouse. But he was more than that. He was cunning and highly intelligent. Able to single-handedly gather and distribute all arms for Akatsuki in multiple countries. He was not someone to be taken lightly.

Down the barrel of her gun in the lowlight, Kisame smiled a smile that was more threatening than friendly. A little sadistic, a little full of dark promise. Her gaze didn't waver from him. Her finger one twitch away from ending him forever.

"I know of him," Sakura said, her voice full of distrust. "And that's enough."

"I must say that I'm disappointed we haven't met before now, Tsunade," Kisame said casually, as if he was completely unaffected by the fact she still had a weapon trained on his head. "You've been a pain in the ass for my company far too long."

Sakura half-shrugged, her hand steady. "Well, anything to annoy Akatsuki."

"I'm not talking about Akatsuki," Kisame said.

Her eyes narrowed, not fully understanding. She glanced towards Itachi when he straightened from the table. "Kisame is a double agent for Akatsuki," he told her. "He's a federal agent for Israel."

It took a second for Sakura to connect the dots. Another for a new wave of adrenaline to pulse through her. And a third for her to pull a second weapon and train it on Itachi. He stopped dead in his tracks. This was beginning to sound more like a trap than a meeting.

"You're Mossad," she hissed at Kisame. "Israeli National Intelligence."

"We've had you on our radar for the last five years," Kisame said, crossing his arms over his chest.

It didn't escape Sakura's notice that he didn't reach for the weapon strapped to his hip. Still, she didn't lower her own guns. "Then why not take me out?" she asked.

"Because you're as smart as a fox and as slippery as a snake," Kisame told her, his tone somewhere between annoyed and entertained. "Believe me, little viper, we've been watching you. The only reason you're still walking is because Akatsuki is a bigger pain in the ass. So, are you going to shoot me or are we going to talk?"

Sakura eyed the Israeli agent, half taking in his words, half wondering why he kept calling her that. It didn't take her long to realize with her stance and weapons at the ready she resembled a viper. Poised and ready to strike.

Even so, Itachi and Kisame remained outwardly relaxed. As if Kisame was used to having weapons trained on him. As if Itachi had expected her reaction.

At that moment in time, Sakura didn't trust either of them. Still, it occurred to her that escalating the situation was likely not the best idea. It was one thing to kill a criminal. Another entirely to take out a federal agent. The last thing she wanted was to draw even more attention from Mossad.

Slowly Sakura lowered her weapons, not bothering to holster them. She still didn't trust where this conversation might go.

"So, what happens now then?" Sakura asked Kisame. "I help you take down Akatsuki and then you come after me?"

"We can offer you immunity."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll take my chances."

"You really believe you can take Akatsuki down by yourself?" Kisame asked, his tone suddenly sharp. Like she was a toddler that wouldn't listen. "They're a budding organization. Each day, their influence spreads. They've already taken over the west coast of Africa. And I know you can see how quickly they're building in America."

When Sakura didn't reply, Itachi approached her. He stopped a half-step beside her, just close enough so he could whisper. "Akatsuki for Madara was the deal I promised you," he told her quietly. "We all have the same goal here."

Except Akatsuki wasn't her goal. It was a rash deal she had struck to take out the man who had taken everything from her oldest friend. The last thing she wanted was to get tangled up with another federal agent. Still, Kisame could get her information she couldn't get on her own.

A long moment passed in silence before Sakura gave the barest of nods. "Fine, I'll work with you to take down Akatsuki," she said. Then she fixed Kisame with a pointed look. "But I'm not taking immunity. If you still want to arrest me afterwards, you'll have to come and get me."

Kisame didn't reply to that but his answering smirk was enough.

With that cleared up, Sakura returned her weapons to their holsters.

Kisame approached the desk after that. From inside his jacket, he pulled a tablet out and brought up a file before he set the device on the table for all of them to see. It was a complete list of profiles on active Akatsuki members. With the three of them shoulder-to-shoulder, they went through them.

Most of the members Sakura recognized. A few she didn't. Kakuzu, in charge of all finances. Deidara, bomb technician. Sasori, intelligence – now deceased.

"Akatsuki is still looking for someone to replace him after his death," Kisame said. "He was found stabbed to death in a bar in Cairo."

Beside her, Sakura felt Itachi's gaze shift to her. She didn't look at him, just continued to stare at Sasori's mug shot. It must have been taken a few years before her run in with him.

"Yeah, he was a tough son of bitch," Sakura said almost nonchalantly.

On her other side, Kisame stilled, his own gaze burning a hole in the other side of her head. "That was you?" When she said nothing, he whistled under his breath. "Damn, remind me not to get on your bad side, little viper."

Sakura hid her smile.

They moved on after that, reviewing the last few major members. She was somewhat surprised when Kisame went over himself as well. Discussing his arms dealing and how far spread his influence was. He had more contacts than Sakura did, his name spreading throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Sakura merely listened, absorbing the information like a sponge. It didn't escape her notice that he left out the finer details, as if he was aware she may use any information against him.

Side-by-side, Sakura realized how large the man actually was. He towered over her, the top of her head not quite reaching his shoulder. It briefly crossed her mind that it was a good thing they were on the same side – for now. Even with Kakashi's training, he could probably kill her with his bare hands in seconds.

"The last you'll want to know about is Pein," Kisame told them.

He swiped across the screen to reveal the next profile. In the corner was a picture of a man with wild, auburn hair and multiple facial piercings. Sakura would have guessed him to be in his early thirties if his profile didn't have him listed as forty-three. The rest of the information on him was mostly blank. Not blacked out like some of the boxes had been on the other members. Rather, they just weren't filled in.

"Not much is known about him," Kisame said. "He's the leader of Akatsuki. He's the one who organizes everything: where the shipments go, where the money gets transferred and where Akatsuki will move on next. But as far as his movements and personal information, we don't have anything. He's like a ghost."

With his briefing concluded, Kisame leaned back. Itachi did the same as Sakura tapped on Pein's picture to enlarge it. There were a few more photos of him. More grainy and less clear as if they had been taken from a distance and blown up.

"Do you know where he's based out of?" Itachi asked.

Kisame shook his head. "He spends most of his time in Africa, but we've seen him in America and the Middle East. We think he was born in Egypt and began recruiting Akatsuki there, but we're not certain."

Sakura glanced at the Mossad officer. "If he organizes the flow of cash and products, how does he communicate?"

"Phone calls mostly," Kisame told her. "But we've tried tracking them and we've been unable to come up with a location or anything."

Sakura hummed her reply as she mentally recounted everything Kisame had told them. It definitely gave her a better feel for who she was up against, but it still didn't answer one question she had been hoping to solve.

"You said you're in charge of moving arms in and out of Africa," Sakura addressed Kisame. "So, you know all the ports the shipments are being moved in and out of?"

"Theoretically," he said, crossing his arms over his broad chest. The simple act seemed to make him double in size. "I only know of the ports that weapons are being moved. Any drugs or human trafficking I'm not as familiar with." Then he frowned to himself. "Though I do try to leak the latter to my supervisors."

"Then you would know about the new port Akatsuki just starting using in New York to move arms," Sakura said.

To her surprise, Kisame's brows furrowed. "There's no new port in New York. Pein stopped all movement into the state after the run-in with the Senju brothers."

Itachi gazed at her curiously. "What do you know?"

Sakura shook her head with a deep sigh. "Nothing concrete yet."

"If Akatsuki is moving arms into New York without my knowing then there's someone else pulling strings for Pein," Kisame said. "Though I wouldn't count on that. I've been his chief exporter for years. He trusts me."

The three of them parted ways after that. Leaving no trace they had ever been in the warehouse. Sakura met Kakashi back at the hotel where she spent the rest of the night telling him everything she had learned. To his suggestion, she wrote everything down she could recall into a notebook. Adding every detail, least she needed it later.

By the time the sun began to peek over the horizon again, Sakura's hand ached and her eyes were drifting shut. In the other bed, Kakashi was snoring softly, having fallen asleep atop the covers some hours ago.

Even with her exhausted mind, she couldn't help repeating the end of her conversation with Kisame over. As Akatsuki's primary dealer, she would have thought he would know something about who had moved into her territory. Who was trading a large number of arms in and out of New York. The ship she had seen had definitely come from Egypt.

There was only one other person Sakura could think of that might possibly know more. The last woman in the world that Sakura wanted to talk to. Sekhmet was the name black market dealers had given her for her ferocity and unforgiving nature when betrayed. She was the eyes and ears of Northwestern Africa. A goddess in her own right. Never involved in trading or distributing herself. Instead making her money through information. Trading secrets in exchange billions of pounds. An invaluable resource.

If only Sakura hadn't killed her brother.

Well, if Sakura was going to visit Gaara's only sister, there was only one way she could think of to get out alive. And she wouldn't be going in alone.

Grabbing her phone from the nightstand, Sakura sent off a single text to Itachi before she finally fell asleep. Just a date and time to a club in Cairo. The entrance to the underground.

to be continued…

Sorry for the delay guys. Feeling incredibly rusty. That being said, we are planning to remain in the same place for the next few months so updates should hopefully be more frequent for a little while. Thanks for sticking with me - I can't wait for the drama I'm about to drop on you guys ha