Chapter Twenty-Six
Brick by brick

The instant Sakura shifted her car into park, her phone pinged. Killing the engine, she pulled the device from her pocket and unlocked the screen before she pulled up her notifications. Her brow rose when she saw a new message from Itachi.

She hadn't heard from him in nearly a week. Which if she was being honest, she was okay with that. She still didn't entirely know what she was doing with him and the space had given her time to breathe. Something she suspected Itachi knew she needed.

Exhaling slowly, Sakura pressed the notification. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but she was relieved when all she found was the usual message: a single time and location. With the words "plus one."

Brow furrowing, Sakura wondered who he could be bringing. It didn't take her long to figure it out: Kisame. The Israeli agent was finally in the States. And judging by Itachi's text, he was able to meet. Tonight.

Glancing at her watch, Sakura realized she only had a few hours until the time Itachi had given her. She could only hope this meeting wouldn't take too long.

Without replying, Sakura darkened her phone before she slipped out of the car. Deep bass pounded through the parking lot. Its rhythm matched her footsteps as she approached the heavily guarded night club. Dressed in a black blazer and dark skinny jeans tucked into black, heeled boots, the bouncers took one look at her before they unhooked the red rope keeping the line at bay and let her pass.

Inside was even louder. The deep house music and flashing lights kept the crowd moving and the party going. Sakura took it all in. Eyeing the DJ booth as the musician spun the hot track to the bartender flipping liquor bottles before he poured a line of shots for a group of women at the bar. The floor was made of black marble, the sparkling tiles reflecting the artificial light while the crystal chandelier above made the tall roof glow. There was obviously a lot of money put in here.

Sakura smiled. That was a good sign.

Her gaze continued to wander. To the upper floor where partiers were dancing, to the VIP lounge where those with names or money or both could hang out comfortably.

Her second pass over the bar, Sakura realized she was being watched. In the corner, a man eyed her from over his drink. His gaze neither lusty nor dangerous. He was simply studying her.

This must be who she was looking for.

Crossing the room, Sakura sidled up to him, slipping in the vacant chair beside him. She didn't bother ordering herself a drink. She just turned to the man, taking in his bushy eyebrows and odd, bowl haircut. He was kind of a dorky looking dude in her opinion. But Sakura had learned long ago that weird didn't mean not-dangerous.

"You been waiting for me long?" she asked.

The guy finished his drink through his straw, the loud suction echoing at the bottle of his glass before he set it aside. "Not long."

Sakura just smiled. "Should we meet your friend then?"

"What's the rush?" he asked with a bold smile. "We have enough time for a drink."

Eyeing him, she reached across the bar to grab his glass and held it under her nose. She eyed him pointedly. "Coke with a squeeze of lime. You're not even drinking."

The man's smile held in place seamlessly. "Three years sober. I'm a recovering alcoholic," he admitted.

"I'm just an alcoholic," Sakura returned with a smile before she pulled out some cash and slipped it under his drink. "This one's on me. You can buy next time."

If possible, his smile widened. "Lee," he introduced.

"Tsunade."

He shook her hand before he slid off the barstool and gestured towards the far side of the club. "Let's go then. My partner doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Sakura shot Lee a mildly unamused look but decided against pointing out that it was him that kept them waiting. She followed him towards the far wall towards a set of stairs guarded by bouncers on either side. At the top was a door that he opened without knocking.

It led to a room that overlooked the entire club. Glass windows kept most of the music at bay, but the heavy bass still thumped beneath Sakura's boots. On the opposite wall from the windows was a full bar with a single bartender. He didn't glance in their direction as he mixed a drink for the only guest in the room.

A young woman only a few years older than Sakura sat behind the only table in the room. Even without the knife and sharpener in her hand, she looked intimidating. Her brown hair was up in twin buns, her eyeliner winged to a point and she was dressed in a black dress that made her look more dangerous than feminine.

Lee stepped off to one side while Sakura stopped some feet from the table. The two women eyed each other before Sakura nodded towards the stilettos laced intricately around her ankles. "I like your shoes," she said.

The woman paused her sharpening as she looked Sakura over once. Then a smirk curled in the corner of her mouth. "Likewise."

Smiling, Sakura approached the woman as she gestured for Sakura to join her. She lowered herself down in the plush chair across the way and leaned against the comfortable high back as the club lights flickered across the wall above the woman's head.

"You must be Tsunade."

Sakura nodded. "I am."

"My name's Tenten. But I think you already knew that."

"Your reputation precedes you. They said you were smart."

Tenten's gaze flickered over Sakura's shoulder, likely to Lee before returning to her, her face a cool mask. "Empty compliments won't get you far here," she warned.

However, Sakura just shook her head faintly. "It wasn't a compliment. I was simply stating a fact."

Tenten eyed her for a moment. When she found only truth, she sat back and waved her hand at the bartender. He appeared beside the table in an instant, sliding a martini glass into Tenten's waiting hand.

"Can I get you a drink?" she offered.

"A peach drop."

With her order given, the bartender returned to the bar. Tenten took a long sip, her perfectly manicured, black nails grasping the delicate stem of her glass, before she set it down on the table.

"So, what can I do for you then, Tsunade?" she asked. Then she continued before Sakura could answer, "You know, you've actually been a massive pain in my ass the last year."

Sakura couldn't resist smiling faintly. "All unconsciously done. And I'm hoping to right that by this meeting."

"Oh?" Tenten asked, her frown fading.

"You've been in the Underground here for a long time. Longer than anyone. Your knowledge of the area is unmatched."

A small smile began form in the corner of Tenten's mouth but before it could fully form it was gone. She reached for her drink again. "What is it that you want?"

"I'm hoping I can borrow some of your expertise," Sakura said. She accepted her drink from the bartender as he returned with it before he made himself scarce again.

Tenten raised her glass to her lips, her eyes never leaving Sakura's over the rim. "And why should I help you? You're in league with Hashirama and Madara. Those two have been giving me grief for nearly a decade. The last thing I want is my guns going into their hands."

"I'm not looking for weapons," Sakura told her.

The brunette arched her brow curiously. "You want information." She went quiet when Sakura nodded. Then she shook her head. "I'm still not interested. Simply your relationship to them could threaten my own business and my relationships–"

"I understand you have a reputation and image to uphold, but what would you say, theoretically of course, if I was to help you with your Hashirama problem?" Sakura interrupted quietly.

This time, Tenten's drink stilled just before her lips. She cocked her brow curiously. "What did you have in mind?"

"There's a small warehouse to the North Hashirama owns, guarded by a handful of men with some crates that may be of use to you." Then Sakura smiled. "Or so I hear."

Tenten peered at her for a long moment before she gazed over Sakura's shoulder to Lee. There were no words exchanged between them and with Lee still somewhere behind Sakura, she didn't know what might have passed over his face.

Then Tenten's gaze returned to her. "And what would you want in return for this information? Theoretically."

"Nothing. Consider it a show of good faith," Sakura said. And in her tone, there were no lies or ulterior motives. Simply truth.

Tenten must have realized that for a smile began to curl over her lips. "Then perhaps there is a future business relationship between us after all."

Sakura's answer was a pleased smile before she raised her glass to cheers it against Tenten's. "I sincerely hope so."

xx

Sakura was late. She glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time, only to sigh when she found she was nearly half an hour behind schedule. She checked her phone again, ensuring she was in the right place before pocketing it once more.

This late at night, the streets outside the abandoned shipping yard were empty. The warehouse just inside the chain-link fence was dark. Only a stray, flickering streetlight to give her at least a little light to see.

She doubted she had anything to fear by this meeting, but she felt for her guns again, double checking that they were in easy reach. All three of them. One on each hip and another in the pocket of her jacket. Though it was Kakashi that gave her the most comfort. She knew he was somewhere nearby keeping a close eye on her. Very close.

Inside the warehouse, in the back near the empty offices, Sakura found Itachi and Kisame. They were speaking quietly, the soft rumble of their voices reaching her ears. It was only when she drew closer that she could make out their conversation.

"You're sure she's coming?" Kisame grumbled.

"She's never not shown before. Just give her a little longer." That was Itachi.

Sakura couldn't help her small smirk as she listened to Kisame mutter under his breath. No doubt complaining about her tardiness. It stopped the instant he heard the heels of her boots.

"Evening, gentlemen," Sakura greeted with a smile as she rounded the corner.

Kisame was leaning against a desk, dressed in a warm coat while Itachi stood some feet away beside him. He looked good in his own dark grey, hooded jacket, the material emphasizing his broad shoulders. He looked relaxed, almost bored with his hands in his pockets, but he straightened slightly when he spotted her.

Not that she could blame him. She had chosen her outfit carefully tonight from her deep purple blouse and leather jacket to her tight jeans and three-inch heels boots. It was an outfit that demanded attention and respect.

Turning her gaze from him, Sakura glanced at Kisame only to realize he had been eyeing her as well. His eyes narrowed as he looked her over critically. "You kill someone tonight, little viper?" he asked suspiciously.

Sakura resisted her frown at the nickname. Instead, she simply shot him a look. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to."

His eyes narrowed briefly at that but didn't press further. Instead, he crossed his arms, making his large form seem even bigger. "You're late."

"And you didn't tell us that the port in Old Town is under Akatsuki's control," she countered.

"I didn't know about that," he said with a small frown. "Itachi caught me up on what's been going on here. I even looked into it when I returned to Israel. I don't have any information on the port, so whatever Pein has been planning there, it's been kept quiet."

Sakura frowned, not entirely happy. "So, you didn't know that Uchiha Madara works for Akatsuki then?"

"Uchiha?" Kisame repeated, his gaze flickering to Itachi. "I don't know a Uchiha Madara."

She glanced at Itachi only to find the corners of his mouth turned down in the barest hints of a frown. Apparently he hadn't told Kisame that part. And judging by the look on his face, he hadn't been wanting to go into that much detail just yet.

"Madara is one of my distant cousins," Itachi said when Kisame continued to stare at him. "He turned traitor against the CIA nearly five years ago by selling information to a lot of people that can cause us a lot of harm. My company and I have been trying to capture him ever since without success."

"He's an asshole," Sakura added. "But worse, he's powerful and dangerous and smart. He's turned traitor against the people I'm working with to join Akatsuki."

Kisame's eyes drifted between the two of them as they spoke, a thoughtful look on his face. "Is that why you two are working together? You're trying to combine forces to take this 'Madara' down."

There was something almost nonchalant about Kisame's tone. It made her eyes narrow minutely, her tone come out a little sharper. "I don't think you realize how much of a threat he is. It's going to take all of our resources to bring him down."

"If he's such a threat, how come I haven't heard of him before now?" Kisame asked, still not entirely convinced.

"Because he uses other aliases outside the States," Itachi interjected before Sakura could speak. "Perhaps you've heard of 'Susanoo' and 'Shakujo'? We have information from a source in Egypt that says Madara has been sending shipments to the port in New York Tsunade's been watching."

"Susanoo," Kisame repeated slowly, his brows drawing in. "I have heard that name. I delivered weapons to someone using it nearly two years ago under Pein's orders."

Both Itachi and Sakura stared at him. "You're sure?" Itachi asked.

Sakura frowned when Kisame nodded. "That means Madara has been working for Akatsuki longer than he has Hashirama."

"What else do you remember?" Itachi asked.

Kisame only shook his head. "Nothing. That was it. As soon as I got payment, I delivered the store and I never heard the name again. But now that I know that's who you're looking into, I can try and dig up more information."

Itachi nodded but said nothing, his gaze distant.

However, Sakura turned back to Kisame as he continued, "There's one other thing. In the last week, Pein has been gathering more men. I don't know what for, but if I were to guess, he's building an army. A huge one."

"He's planning to expand his territory," Itachi concluded.

"He's done it once before, when he took over Cairo. If this port is under Akatsuki's control, it's possible New York City is his target," Kisame told him. Then he shook his head. "But I doubt it. I haven't heard anything about New York. Though I am curious, how much product has been moved into the States?"

Itachi said nothing as he glanced in Sakura's direction. She frowned, doing the math in her head. "In just the last month, there's been a dozen crates shipped. Perhaps more. I don't know."

"That's not enough for a raid."

"No, but Akatsuki is still planning something," Itachi said with a frown. "And we need to strike before they do. If Akatsuki does move in, it would take us years, if not decades, to bring them down."

"I'll head back to Egypt and see what else I can dig up," Kisame said, straightening from the desk.

Itachi nodded. "Just don't do anything too risky."

Kisame grinned at that. "I'm a double agent. Risky is the only word in the job description."

The Mossad Officer left after that. Sakura listened to his footsteps echo back at them through the warehouse. Only once it fell quiet again, did she turn to Itachi. "Do you think Kisame will find anything that can help us?"

He shook his head minutely. "I don't know, but we need him to. He is the only one that can find any information on Akatsuki's motives. If Akatsuki does plan to move in, the entire country is in danger, not just New York. I know you don't care about that, but everyone will be uprooted. Criminals and civilians alike. The entire Underground will change. It'll be a bloodbath."

That Sakura could agree with. Still, she said nothing. Merely frowned. It seemed like she had a lot more digging to do as well, not just Kisame.

"I should go," Sakura eventually murmured. "See what I can find on my end."

Itachi nodded but neither of them made any move to leave. They simply stared at one another. In that moment, she wanted to move towards him, but she knew she couldn't. There were other things she had to do first.

Forcing herself to take a step back, Sakura turned towards the door. Only to stop when Itachi called her name. "Sakura."

She glanced over her shoulder at him, finding his expression not quite blank but not emotionless either. He looked like he was warring with himself to not reach out to her. "Will I see you later?" he asked.

Sakura knew she should say no but she nodded before she could stop herself, a small smile curling in the corner of her mouth.

Then she was out the door as well.

xx

That night, Sakura went into the Underground alone. She dug for information, offering any money anyone had on Akatsuki or Madara's movements. And to her frustration, she found none. There were only vague rumors of new men in the area. Ghosts. Not even her best informants had anything for her.

With nothing to go on, Sakura slipped inside a bar and ordered herself a lemon drop. She sipped her drink slow, letting that sweet, sticky flavor cling to her taste buds before sliding down her throat. She stared at the wall, unseeing. Lost in thought.

She was restless. Like there was something just so obvious she was missing. A puzzle without all the pieces, a map with a hole cut out of the center.

Sighing, Sakura raised her drink to her lips again. She doubted she would be getting any sleep tonight. She thought about going to Itachi's but couldn't quite find it within herself to move yet as she wondered what the hell she was doing. Sakura kept telling herself he was CIA. That she shouldn't be sleeping with him. That there was no way this could end well.

But that still didn't stop her from wanting it. Wanting him. He was nothing like she had expected. He was uncommonly kind and honest in a world that was so cruel and full of lies. Like a breath of fresh air after being underwater for so long.

With another soft sigh, Sakura downed the rest of her drink. She was just about to order another, something a little stronger, when her phone rang. Fishing it out of her pocket, she stared at it when she found it was from Tenten. Strange, she hadn't been expecting to hear from the woman for at least a day or two more.

"Tenten," Sakura answered. "I hope you're calling me with good news."

Through the line, Sakura could practically hear her grin. "I am. I found the warehouse Hashirama was using to hoard his little collection. My men made quite a killing tonight," she said. "I admit I was doubtful of you but you held your word. And I accept your show of good faith."

"That's good to hear," Sakura said, sounding more enthusiastic than she felt.

"Which is why I'm calling you. A gift for a gift if you will. I hear you're in the market for information on a group called Akatsuki," she continued.

That made Sakura still. "I'm listening," she said slowly.

"I got wind of a location they're operating out of. An apartment somewhere in downtown. Though I can't tell you what you'll find there. The place is all hush-hush; anyone who knows something about it won't talk. But I can send you the address if you're interested-"

"Yes," Sakura said quickly. Then she cleared her throat, reigning in her excitement. "Yes, I would appreciate it."

Tenten texted the address to Sakura. It was close. Not very far from the bar she currently sat at, but she knew she couldn't go in alone. Her thoughts still swam with that dark night Kabuto's men had put their hands on her.

Sakura sat at the bar a minute longer, weighing her options. Then she set some bills down on the table and stood.

The street Itachi's townhouse stood on was still when Sakura arrived. Inside was even more so. She moved silently as she slipped her boots off, leaving them in the entryway, before she wandered further inside. It was the middle of the night. Closer to dawn than sunset, but she found Itachi in the living room. Sitting on the very couch they'd had sex on and wearing a simple t-shirt and sweats. He was reading a book but he lowered it the instant he heard her.

"Get dressed," she told him. When his brow arched, she explained, "I have a new lead on Akatsuki. And I want you to come with me."

Itachi didn't ask any questions. He headed upstairs and came back down a few minutes later with a jacket and jeans. It was only once they were in the car did he speak, "When I asked to see you later, this was not exactly what I had in mind."

She didn't look in his direction as she drove, fighting a small smile. "I know. But this might be important."

She felt his gaze linger a moment before he asked, "So, what's this new lead you found?"

"I got word of an apartment Akatsuki has been working out of in downtown. I'm not sure what we'll find there, if anything at all, but I want to check it out before the trail goes cold."

"And you trust this source?" he asked. "You're sure we're not walking into a trap?"

Sakura didn't think Tenten was setting her up, but she knew anything was possible. "No, I'm not sure," she admitted. But then she shot him a small smirk. "But that's why I brought you."

He stared at her. And a moment later, Sakura realized what she had just implied. That she trusted him. And not just the type of trust where she knew he wouldn't put a bullet in her back. But the kind where she trusted him enough to watch her back.

It hadn't been what she meant, but now that it was out there, lingering in the air, she knew it was true. She didn't quite know how they had gotten to this point, but she knew she couldn't take the words back. She wouldn't.

The look that passed over Itachi's face, something soft and understanding and mutual, made her warm with something she couldn't name. She couldn't quite bite back her smile this time and so she turned her attention forward once more. They had to focus.

It was still a few hours before dawn when they arrived at the apartment complex. It was a tall building, likely four units across and four or five wide. Itachi put in a call to Shisui to get the floor plan before they hunkered down in a hotel across the street, directly level with the apartment number Tenten had given Sakura.

They sat there all morning, watching through the windows for any movements within the unit. An hour after dawn, when the morning rush hour was in full swing and the streets were packed with commuters, they decided to make their move.

Sakura and Itachi slipped into the apartment building easily, trailing in after a woman who left to walk her dog before they took the stairs to the fourth floor. There, they found the unit number Sakura had been given.

She picked the lock in less than a minute before she carefully pushed the door open, her gun drawn as she listened for any sounds of movement within the apartment. When she found none, she slipped inside. Itachi was right behind her, sliding the deadbolt back into place.

They searched the place quickly, only holstering their weapons again when they found it empty. Sakura stopped in the middle of the living room, just taking a moment to look around. The apartment itself was straight out of a magazine. With its black marble floors and high, wooden ceiling, she guessed it was at least a few million dollars, if not more. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but she hadn't thought Akatsuki would waste money on granite countertops and gleaming, leather furniture.

Only when she heard Itachi's footsteps exiting the bedroom did she turn away. "Find anything?" she asked.

He shook his head. "The bedroom is empty. Though, someone definitely lives here. There are clothes in the closet and personal effects in the bathroom."

Sakura hummed at that but didn't reply. She thought it unusual someone would be living in one of Akatsuki's places of business. Perhaps Tenten had heard wrong. But the woman had been working in the Underground for near that of a decade. Sakura knew she would be able to weed out rumor from truth.

Without a word, Sakura went towards the tall, wooden corner cupboard in the corner. She pulled open the doors and began rifling through the things stored in there. She went through it drawer by drawer, only to find it mostly full of useless trinkets and extra blankets. She searched it thoroughly before moving onto the small desk beside it. Somewhere behind her, she heard Itachi doing the same. Searching for any clues, any hints of Akatsuki's operation or anything having to do with Akatsuki at all.

A few minutes passed before Itachi spoke again. "You need to see this," he said softly.

Sakura glanced over her shoulder to find he was standing in front of the tall, towering secretary in the corner. He had pulled the long, double cabinet doors open and was staring at whatever he had found there.

It wasn't until Sakura was beside him that she understood what had grabbed his attention. There was a map of New York City taped to the inside of the wooden doors. Cut in half with the west side on the left and the east on the right. There were two major colors filling in the streets: one red and the other black with a few other miscellaneous shades scattered around.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's a map of the Underground," Itachi told her, looking at the small key in the corner. "The Senju's empire is in the red and Akatsuki is in black."

Sakura blinked. "That's not possible. That would mean Akatsuki has control of a majority of the South side. There's no way they've expanded that much that quickly."

He didn't reply as he folded down the middle section of the desk. Inside, there were dozens of papers. Invoices and emails and receipts of payments. They shuffled through them, reading and absorbing everything they could reach.

Beside her, Itachi paused on one page in particular. Sensing something was wrong, she stopped her own reading to look at him. "What is it?"

"You said Akatsuki had shipped in dozens of crates," he said slowly, scanning through the numbers. "But if this is accurate, it must be closer to hundreds, if not thousands."

Sakura said nothing as she accepted the papers from him, the furrow between her brows growing deeper and deeper the more she read. "What would they need that many guns for?" she asked. "Hashirama's influence is strong, but they wouldn't need that much firepower to take over his territory."

"Unless Akatsuki is planning more than just taking Hashirama down," Itachi suggested quietly.

Sakura turned her gaze from the documents to stare at him. "You think they plan to take over New York completely?"

He didn't immediately reply as he reached for another paper he had already read through. "Look at this. They have paid off politicians, stock brokers, lawyers, high ranking officials," he listed.

She took it silently, reading through the numbers carefully. "How is it possible they have this many resources in New York? All without the CIA or the FBI or anyone knowing about it?"

"Because look at the date," Itachi said, his voice deeply troubled. "These pre-date Madara's betrayal from the CIA. He paid most of these people off long before he even left the company."

Sakura opened her mouth but nothing came out. It felt like a bomb had just been dropped on her and she was watching the mushroom cloud grow larger and larger above her. She couldn't speak, she could barely think as she stared at the massive amounts of documents spread out of the desk before them, wondering how it was possible they could have missed so much.

No one would believe this. She barely believed it herself. But the evidence was laid out before her.

On a whim, Sakura pulled out her phone and began snapping photos. Taking pictures of the map, the emails and invoices scattered about. Anything and everything she could get her hands on.

Until she came upon another stack of papers. A number of emails between Pein and someone referring to themselves simply as "Leader". A lump settled in the pit of Sakura's stomach as realization dawned on her. It suddenly made sense why it had been so hard to prove Madara was in league with Akatsuki, why Kisame had never heard his name used before even between other members.

"Pein isn't the true leader of Akatsuki," she murmured.

Beside her, Itachi stood just as still, his eyes glued to another document. "No," he murmured, so softly she nearly missed his tone of quiet apprehension. "It's Madara. And this is his apartment."

That's when they heard the unmistakable sound of the deadbolt sliding out of place.

to be continued…

Sorry for the upload and deletion. This chapter had to go through some major edits, but it's all good now (also major editing and my brain is mush so if you see any major errors please let me know). For those of you who left comments today, you guys are great! I tried to reply to everyone that I could.

Hope you enjoyed! #sorrynotsorry about the cliffhanger!