Chapter 2: Rules and Regulations

"Learn the rules and then break them."

|Sakura|

As I clicked through the multiple series Netflix had recommended, I glanced at the clock. With the time reading 9:50 p.m., it was safe to say that Sasuke had reached the precinct by now. However, his departure tonight had felt off. For one, we hadn't gotten into a heated exchange as he was getting dressed, something that hadn't happened in Kami knew how long, and two, he actually responded to my goodbye.

Part of me wanted to believe that, by some miracle, he was trying to show me that he cared, and that he had forgiven me for my mistake all those years ago. But the quiet voice in my head wouldn't let me settle into that hope.

'He's probably found someone else.'

I shook my head at the thought and clicked on Criminal Minds, 'Impossible.'

'Really? Why do you think that?'

'Sasuke-kun would never.' I countered as I raised the volume, 'He…He loves me.'

'Love? You?' She laughed, 'How can he love you? After what you did?'

'It was an accident. I didn't mean—'

'You never mean anything. And somehow when things go wrong, it's never your fault, right?'

I held my head and shut my eyes. If I could've shrank myself and crawled into the crack between my bed and the wall, I would've. But I couldn't.

'Oh, poor Sakura! She's so kind and so perfect, why is her life so horrible?'

'Stop it.'

'Why doesn't her husband love her? Oh, it's just not fair! Boo-hoo!'

"Shut up." I quietly told off the voice in my head as it continued.

Suddenly my phone rang, and I was quick to answer it before I could hear anymore abuses.

"Hello?" I accidentally answered softly.

"Hey, Sakura?" Ino's voice immediately flooded with concern on the other end, "You okay? Why do you sound like that?"

"I'm…" I hesitated before deciding to be truthful, "I'm not having the best night."

Ino whistled, "I feel you there. Wanna come over? We can drink and complain about our lives together!"

"Uh, I don't know." I sighed as I swung my legs over the side of my bed, "I can't leave Sarada home alone, and no babysitter is gonna be available this sudden."

"It's past 10 o'clock right? Peek into her room and see if she's awake. If she's knocked out, just go!"

"What teenager would be asleep by 10 p.m.?" I questioned, feeling some of my usual vigor returning.

Ino scoffed, "Would you just go?"

"Fine, hold on." I opened my bedroom door and made my way to her room.

Carefully turning the knob, I pushed her door open and stood in the little space I had created. For ten seconds, I held my breath and listened for the slightest abnormality. Instead, all I heard were soft snores.

Shutting her door, I returned to my room, "She's asleep."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Ino whistled in celebration, "Now make sure not to wake her as you sneak out. If she gets up and finds out you're not in the house, who knows what she'll do?"

"No, no." I shook my head as I changed out of my pajamas, "Sarada's not like that. Honestly, I'm not even sure what I'm so worried about. Maybe I should just wake her up and tell her I'm heading to your place."

Ino laughed on the other end, "And when you get back and find the entire high school at your house, I'll say I told you so."

"Alright, alright." I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I descended the stairs, "I won't tell her. Happy?"

"Not as happy as I'll be once you get here." Ino's smile radiated through the phone, "I got a brand-new bottle of Umeshu I've been waiting to pop."

"I am not drinking when I get over there." I warned her, "We're just gonna talk."

Ino laughed again, "Yeah, okay."

|An Hour Later|

I hiccupped and quickly patted my chest before downing the rest of my glass.

"Whoa there." Ino turned to me tipsily, her emerald-green eyes now shining with a glassy glaze, "What happened to no drinking?"

"Shut up." I remarked playfully as I set my glass down, "You think I'm gonna just watch you knock back bottles on your own?"

"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes, "Just admit that you wanted to. Kami knows you don't need an excuse to drink."

After a few seconds of fake brooding, I nodded my head in acceptance of her statement before attempting to get up. The floor wasn't spinning beneath me, but it took some mental effort to force strength back into my legs. Ino jumped up beside me and was quick to place her hands on my shoulders and keep me grounded.

"Easy there." She only let go of me once I had stopped swaying, "You good?"

I waved my hand as I moved past her, "Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine."

It took me a second to locate the stairs but once I did, I was on my way up them. Ino and I had spent the past thirty minutes downing the liquor she had stashed in the wine cellar under her house, and while my New Year's resolution had been to cut down on my alcohol intake, it was becoming increasingly clear that due to occurrences in my life, that resolution would be hard to stick to.

Ino's cellar being tucked away from the ruckus of the surface world didn't help. It wasn't until I reached the top of the stairs and pushed open the cellar hatch that I was reminded of the outside world. Ursa Major shined brightly overhead but I didn't stick around too long to admire it. The cold winter air practically sobered me up, and I raced to Ino's front door before rubbing my arms and yelling for her to hurry up.

"HAHAHA!" Ino snorted as she came up behind me, fumbling with her keys in the door, "YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN YOURSELF RUNNING, OH KAMI!"

When she finally got the door open, I pushed past her and gave her a dirty look as she stepped inside, still cackling.

"Ha-ha-ha." I enunciated each laugh flatly, "I'm glad you found me freezing so funny."

She held a hand up as she shut the door, curling over as she continued to howl. Try as I might, the sound of my best friend's laugh, so full of genuine happiness and delight brought a smile to my lips, and I hugged her as she straightened up.

"I love you, Ino-*buta." I told her as I kissed the side of her head endearingly.

Ino reciprocated the gesture, her laughter dying down, "I love you too, Forehead Girl. Especially after that little run you just did, oh Kami! Please, I can't, I'm gonna pee on myself!"

I rolled my eyes as we separated, "Okay, okay, enough of that."

Ino nodded as she wiped at her eyes before heading into the living room, "So, how's Sasuke-kun doing?"

I followed after her but at the mention of Sasuke, I felt my body stiffen.

"He's fine. You know how it is." I said the latter part after a moment of silence, sinking into her sofa.

"Don't I?" Ino sighed as she plopped down beside me, "At least you get to see him. I haven't seen Sai since…you know."

"Any word from him?" I asked tenderly, turning to her, "Did you ask about the pictures?"

She shook her head, "The last letter I got from him was sometime in November. He was in Greenland then. Now? I couldn't tell you."

I kept quiet as I thought about the photos Ino had shown me a couple of weeks ago. In the first, Sai was holding a dark-haired woman provocatively, and a wide smile was on his face as the two maintained heavy eye contact. While I wasn't too quick to jump to conclusions, after looking over the other four pictures, even I knew there was no way to work around the truth. Every picture after that was just adding wood to the fire but the second photo was the most damning piece of evidence.

In it, Sai and the woman shared a passionate kiss, and his hands were firmly planted on her hips while her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck. The third photo seemed to have been taken moments after the second one, as Sai and the woman's positions hadn't changed much. The only difference was that their mouths were no longer joined, and their foreheads were pressed together as smiles laced their lips. You can guess what the last contained.

Needless to say, Ino was devastated, and I did my best to console her about her husband's infidelity. As I remained by her side as a shoulder to cry on, I couldn't help but project her hellish reality onto my own marriage. What would I do if I suddenly received photos of my husband happily smiling with someone else?

"But I've just been telling myself," Ino's voice brought me back to the present, "He has to come back sometime. And once he does, I'll get some answers out of him."

I nodded in understanding, "I know our situations are nothing alike but…I'm so proud of you, of your strength. I'm right next to Sasuke-kun and I can't even begin to think about asking him why he wants nothing to do with me."

"Is this…?" Ino pursed her lips before continuing, "I mean, how long has this been going on for?"

I tried to think back to the last time Sasuke had shown some interest in me, and my spirit faltered as I realized I couldn't recall it.

"For a while." I finally answered, my voice incredibly faint.

Honestly, for as long as I could remember, if Sasuke was in the house he was either asleep or in the study. Nighttime was reserved for work, and I didn't dare to call him during his shift. Whenever he came back, he was never in the mood to talk and if I asked any questions that weren't surface level, he would get in a mood and distance himself. Our sex life was also nonexistent…

"…Sakura…Sakura?" Ino shook me, "Hey, hey, what's the matter?"

It was only at her inquiry that I noticed the tears slipping down my face. I swiftly wiped them away with my hands, but the torrent continued, my efforts proving to be in vain.

"Oh Ino…" I cried, "What if he is cheating on me?"

"Sakura, please, Sasuke-kun would never." She immediately assured me, "You said it yourself, our situations are completely different!"

"But he hasn't been paying any attention to me!" I bawled, "He doesn't want to talk, doesn't want to be near me, just being in his presence is like breaking the—"

She cut me off with a warm embrace, locking her arms around my back, and I sobbed into her chest. We remained that way for some time before she released me as my tears came to a slow.

"Better?" She asked tenderly, handing me a tissue.

Still sniffling, I took it and blew my nose, "A little. Sorry about your shirt."

I nodded my head at the bits of snot, and she laughed as she grabbed some more tissues to wipe herself clean, "Don't worry about it."

After Ino's laughter faded, we sat in silence and I looked down at the floor, taking a deep breath to fight off the rising urge to cry again.

"Y'know," Ino's voice interrupted the beginnings of another cry, "We really shouldn't be feeling this down. So what if our husbands are being dicks? We've got each other, and we've got our kids. That's more than enough to make life go 'round."

"Our kids." I nodded, remembering Sarada at home, "Your son…"

"Inojin." She filled in the blank.

"Right, where is he?"

She nodded her chin at a clock on the wall, "An hour before you came over, he told me he was heading out and he said he'd be back by midnight."

"And you just let him leave?" I looked at her like she had three heads.

"Why not?" She shrugged, "The kid's got good grades, a level head, and he's street smart. Even though that mouth of his makes me want to squeeze the life out of him, I'd say he's as responsible as they come."

"Yeah, but what about his safety?" I propped my head up with my arm, glad to have something else to discuss.

"Of course I worry about him." Ino quickly added, "But locking him up and forbidding him from going out because I want him to be safe is just gonna hurt our relationship as mother and child. Sure, when he grows up, he'll understand, but during this age, doing that will just spawn a lot of hatred. And I'd rather not deal with an angry, sharp-mouthed teen."

I thought about Sarada and her upset expression when I had told her she couldn't go to the party, "So, by any chance, did Inojin ask you to go to a party sometime next week?"

"He did." She nodded, "Sarada asked you too, right? Are you gonna let her go?"

"I don't know." I admitted truthfully, "She said there are gonna be kids over 21 there; I don't want her to be exposed to liquor."

Ino stifled a laugh, and I trained my eye on her, "What's so funny?"

She waved her hand in the air, "Nothing, nothing. I just think that you're kidding yourself if you really believe Sarada hasn't drank before."

"How do you know?" I crossed my arms, worried that I was being left out of the loop, "Did she tell you something?"

"No but judging by your reaction I can see why she wouldn't tell you." Ino remarked shadily, "You remember what we were like as teenagers, don't you? Violating curfew, breaking rules, drinking with boys. Sarada's definitely done stuff like that, and if she hasn't, she's bound to. Let the girl live a little, she needs these years to experiment."

I sighed, "I experimented and look where it got me. In a marriage where my own husband doesn't even want me."

"Oh, that's not true." She quickly countered, "Sasuke-kun's always been the distant, handsome type. It's part of the reason I had that major crush on him in 8th grade. But anyway, you guys have Sarada. That's proof of his love, isn't it?"

I closed my eyes and tried to think back fifteen years, and my mind ended up digging up our wedding. Sasuke had never been a fan of large crowds, so we decided on a small wedding with only a few close friends and family. After a happy, memorable day, it was in the night after the reception that Sarada had been conceived.

I could still remember the taste of strawberry cake on his tongue as he kissed me, the concern in his voice at my pain, the strength of his grip on me in the morning after, not allowing me to roll away from his chest…

Opening my eyes, I leaned against Ino droopily, "That was so long ago. I don't…we haven't really done anything since Sarada turned six."

"Since she was six?" Ino patted my shoulder sympathetically, "What's that, nine years? Isn't that two years after—?"

"Yeah." I cut her off sharply, "Yeah, so don't…don't remind me."

"Gomen." She nudged me apologetically, "But still, nine years is a long time. How have you survived this long without…?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, eager to forget the painful memory that had surfaced, "I mean, I handle myself when I really need to but…"

"But you would prefer Sasuke-kun." She finished, nodding her head slowly, "Wow. And here you were saying you were so proud of me; you're the real trooper. Nine years? I couldn't even…eight months without Sai and I'm basically a ticking timebomb. Seriously, how can you stand it?"

"That's the thing..." I muttered, shutting my eyes, "I can't."

*Buta means pig, it's a nickname Sakura has used on Ino since they were kids

|Sarada|

I kicked an empty can into the gutter and glanced around before looking up at the street sign to confirm my location. Sure enough, I was at the intersection of Hokage Ave and Sage Street, right where I had been told to go.

'So where is that idiot?' I wondered to myself as I brought out my phone.

It was cold out, and a pair of jeans combined with a black hoodie didn't provide the insulation needed for this kind of weather. Not to mention the sidewalk was brimming with strangers on their way to various locations. I tried my best to stand as far to the side as I could, but it didn't minimize the chances of me bumping into someone to zero. Numerous apologies had been exchanged in the five minutes of my being here and I was getting sick of it.

The numbness creeping into my fingers was the final push I needed, but just as I was about to dial his number, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I immediately jumped back and turned around to face its owner, almost dropping my phone in the process.

"Sheesh, calm down." Boruto laughed, "If you're gonna sneak out, at least get your nerves right, ya know."

"Shut up." I punched him in the arm before slipping my phone back into my pocket, "And how do you know I snuck out?"

"I asked if you could make yourself free earlier in the day and you said no." He raised an eyebrow, "Randomly calling me at 10 in the night to tell me you're available? What other explanation is there?"

"I could've gotten permission." I argued, slightly miffed that he understood my life so well.

"From Sakura-obachan? Yeah right, and she also gave you the keys to her car." Boruto scoffed, "Still, when it comes to rules, you're more uptight than Class Rep. Who knew you'd ever break one?"

As he said this, he draped an arm over my shoulders and tugged me close, "My little Sara is growing up. Next thing I know you'll be chugging beers like a pro."

I shoved him off me before readjusting my glasses, "Enough. I came out here because you wanted to show me something. If that was a lie, I'm outta here."

"Slow your roll." He smiled again before holding out his hand, "It's not too far from here."

I glanced at his hand before raising an eyebrow, "What?"

"So you don't get lost, ya know." He continued cheesing at me, his hand still outstretched, "You've never been out this late, and Hokage Avenue isn't as clear-cut as you think."

Whatever hesitations I had were quite literally knocked out of me as a group of young adults brushed past us, snickering as I regained my balance.

"Fine." I mumbled, taking his hand, "Lead the way."

Boruto's playful nature subsided as he moved, navigating through crowds swiftly and silently. It was just sheer luck that I hadn't slowed him down or caused him to bump into anyone. Soon enough we were away from the busy city and in the quieter, more suburb-like area of Konoha. As we crossed a street, a glance at the street sign told me we had been on Kurama Road.

"Are we there yet?" I questioned, continuing to check the street signs with increasing anxiety.

Now that we were on Gama Road, which was more or less two hours away from home, the weight of my actions were really beginning to sink in. All I knew was that Mama had come to my room to check whether I was awake, and subsequently left after I had tricked her into thinking I was sleeping. I didn't have a time for when she'd be back, and the last thing I wanted was to get caught.

Relax." He grinned in that mischievous way of his, giving my hand a squeeze, "I know it's your first time breaking the rules, but you could loosen up a little, ya know."

"How can I loosen up if you won't even tell me what I'm gonna be seeing?" I hissed, my anxiousness getting the best of me, "I bet it's something illegal!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Boruto raised his free hand, "Not illegal, just against the law."

"Same thing, baka."

He shook his head as he faced forward, "You must be fun at parties. Speaking of which, are you going to the one on Wednesday?"

"Ugh." I rolled my eyes at his reminder of my problem with Mama, "Mama said I can't go."

"Just sneak out." He shrugged, letting go of my hand, "You're doing it now, you can do it again."

"Can't." I shook my head, "Tonight I was lucky, there's no way I'll be able to do this again."

"Aw come on Sara, at least try." He whined as we approached a dark grey house, "You never know, maybe something will come up and Sakura-obachan will be gone for the night."

'Or with my luck she'll be hunkered down and wide awake for the night.' I thought to myself as I kept quiet.

But Boruto wasn't one to give up so easily.

"Hm, Sara?" Boruto jolted me out of my thoughts as he pinched my cheeks, "Pwease? Will wittle Sawada twy and go to the pawty for me? Pwease?"

I slapped his hands away before glaring at him, "I'm not making any promises."

He lowered his hands and nodded slowly, "Fine by me. Now, welcome to homebase. HQ. The hideout. Uh, we haven't really decided on a name, ya know."

His gestures directed my attention to the building before me and I looked it up and down. While it wasn't a run-down shack straight out of a horror film, it definitely wasn't a top-notch abode. With a rusting metal front door and tightly drawn shades, the whole place screamed go away. I stared at the place carefully, wondering if I really wanted to see whatever Boruto wanted to show me.

"Scared?" He nudged me with an elbow, "Don't be, the house won't bite."

That comment was enough to put a battery in my back, and I nudged him back before continuing up the front steps, "Shut up. This thing open?"

"Try it and see." He grinned, crossing his arms.

I turned the doorknob and, as surprised as I was to find the door unlocked, pushed forward. What I saw was a sight for sore eyes.

"There you are, Boruto. What took you so—" Shikadai stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening as he recognized me.

Crowded in the living room were the friends I had known since I was young: Iwabe, Inojin, Denki, Metal, Sumire, and Chōchō. The fact that they were here didn't bother me, their surroundings, however? Completely unexpected.

My eyes moved from Shikadai to the large table in front of them. It was littered with empty glass bottles, cutting boards, juicers, blenders, and fruits of all sorts. On the floor beside the table were liquors I could've sworn Mama also kept in the dining room. After a few seconds of looking back and forth, it didn't take long for me to put everything together and once I had figured it out, I couldn't stop my mouth from dropping open.

"You guys are making alcohol?!" I exclaimed.

Shikadai facepalmed, before turning an angry scowl on Boruto, "Damn it, Boruto! Why'd you bring her here?"

Boruto put his hands up, "Relax. I figured if we explain the situation to her, we can—"

"Denki? Sumire? Metal?!" I turned to the people whose involvement shocked me the most, "Even you, Chōchō?! I would've expected this from the rest of them, but how could you get wrapped up in this?"

"They needed a food expert," Chōchō shrugged, "And who better than me? Besides, once you hear them out, it's kinda hard not to be persuaded."

"A-*Aa, Sarada-san." Denki spoke up, voice trembling, "If you let us talk, you'll definitely—"

"What's there to talk about?" I crossed my arms, remaining unconvinced, "What you guys are doing is illegal! And there's nothing you can say that'll change that."

Iwabe muttered something under his breath, and I immediately turned my eyes on him.

"What was that?" I questioned, raising a hand to my ear, "You're not usually the quiet type, Iwabe. I'm sure you can speak up."

He looked away, "I didn't say anything."

"Oh really?" I kept him in my sights, "I guess I must've been hearing things."

"Must have." He agreed, nodding.

"He called you Police Princess." Inojin revealed, and Iwabe turned to him, infuriated.

"Inojin!" Iwabe grabbed him by his collar, tightening his fist, "I swear, you and your mouth…!"

Boruto quickly pulled Iwabe off Inojin, before giving the former a look that was a mix of annoyance and…disappointment?

I furrowed my eyebrows at the interaction before turning to Inojin for more clarity on the moniker, "Police Princess?"

"Your dad's a police officer whose job is to uphold the law." Inojin explained, "And right now you're following in his footsteps and telling us we're committing a crime. Daughters are usually referred to as princess by their fathers, hence Police Princess."

My face became hot with angst as I suddenly felt everyone's eyes on me, "I am nothing like Papa!"

"If anything, you're his twin." Inojin quipped, "The way you pressed Iwabe just now is a lot like your dad questioning me about what I'm up to whenever we meet."

"I didn't ask for your input, Inojin." I snapped at his comment.

That was the thing with Inojin, sometimes his brashness could be helpful; I was able to learn of an epithet I had been given, and based on Boruto's reaction, it wasn't something thought up on the fly. But on the other hand, the guy's lack of social awareness could really hurt if you were on the receiving end of his cold analysis.

"Look Sarada," Sumire sat up, twirling her braid in her left hand, "You can either stand there and talk down on us like the cop that your dad is, or you can hear us out, as a friend. What's it gonna be?"

I opened my mouth to quickly attack the notion that I was a cop, or that I wasn't a friend, but under Sumire's glare I couldn't find my voice. Around school, I had heard the occasional whisper or two from underclassmen that I was scary and hard to approach. However, rumors and preconceived notions like that didn't phase me. Anyone who had been unfortunate enough to meet the eyes of the Class Rep when she wasn't exactly happy knew true fear.

"Okay." I crossed my arms once more, shrugging my shoulders, "I'm listening."

"Good." Sumire nodded, before turning to Metal, "Metal, you wanna tell us about your spectacular idea?"

"You came up with this?" I asked the exercise enthusiast, not prepared for my third shock of the night.

"Mhm." Metal nodded, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "In school, some of the upperclassmen were talking about h-how the cops are cracking down on liquor stores selling to minors. A-Apparently, it's gotten so bad that store owners won't have anyone in our age range even around the store. I f-figured we could make our own, charge a couple extra, and sell it."

"And how do you plan to do that?" I asked once I thought he was done speaking, "Walk up to them and offer it? Or maybe sell it out of this house? Who even owns this place?"

"Denki's old man has a few properties around the city." Iwabe slapped a hard hand down on the frailer teen's shoulder, "He won't mind us putting one of them to use, *ne Denki?"

Denki winced at the clasp before offering a light smile, "Yeah, he doesn't mind. If we're discreet about buying from here, tell people to come 'round the back—"

"You'll be in jail faster than you can blink." I cut him off, "And since you all are on board, I'll be refreshing Konoha PD's online records to save your mugshots the minute they get published."

"Well, what do you suggest, Princess?" Iwabe moved Sumire's legs before plopping down beside her on the couch.

I felt my lips twist into a smirk before I spoke, "You have to make it a mobile business, something that can't be pinned to one location. Or one person. Do that by selling it at parties, gatherings, functions…and at every big night, be ready to shell out inventory."

"Hm…" Denki hummed as he worked on his laptop, pressing his lips down with two fingers, "It sounds nice in theory, but we won't know unless we try it."

"The big party on Wednesday." I clapped my hands together, reminding them of the event, "That'll be our test run."

"Our?" Boruto raised an eyebrow from the other sofa, looking up at me with an upturned eyebrow, "I thought you said you couldn't come."

"And I thought you said this was illegal." Shikadai added in from beside him.

I turned to them both, pushing my glasses up on my face, "Oh trust, now I'm definitely gonna make it. If anything, you should be thanking me. Now none of you will be going to jail."

"You came in here talking a lot of legal shit but look at you now. That's my girl!" Chōchō whistled, holding her hand up for a high-five, which I happily accepted.

"Who's Police Princess now?" I jeered at Iwabe.

"Whatever." Iwabe threw an arm around Sumire, resting his head on her shoulder, "I stand by what I said. The police break the rules too."

Rolling my eyes, I went around the two sofas to join Denki on the floor, and only noticed Inojin had accompanied me when his arm bumped into mine. Turning to give him a quizzical look, he simply flashed me a short smile before nodding, and I didn't spend too much time lingering on the gesture.

"First things first," I watched as Denki opened up a brand-new Word Document, "We're gonna need at least three crates of Vodka."

*Aa is a vocalization equivalent to 'yeah'

*Ne means 'isn't that right?'

|Sasuke|

When I arrived at the precinct, I had barely sat down at my desk when Izumi appeared, snatching me up and dragging me down the hall.

"What is it, Izumi-san?" I questioned as I tried my best to keep up with her, "And could you slow down?"

She didn't answer my question or look back at me and continued to pull me through the precinct. To say that I was lost would have been an understatement. As far as things between Izumi and I were concerned, we had always remained cordial towards each other. Had I somehow offended her in the past few nights?

Before I could pick my brain for any transgression, she came to an abrupt stop, and I almost smacked right into her. She opened the door of a room I couldn't recall ever seeing and turned on the lights before yanking me inside. Once she shut the door behind us, she glared at me, and I made no efforts to conceal my confusion.

"What is going on?" I quizzed her again as she crossed her arms.

I watched as her eyes wrinkled before she burst into laughter, "I–I can't! I don't know how I managed to go this long without—"

She cut herself off with another laughing fit, and I stared at her like she had gone crazy. As Izumi regained her breath, I took the chance to get a look at my surroundings. Except for a folder on a small table that was surrounded a couple of foldable chairs, the room was empty, which was a shock. Stacks of cold cases, reports, and leads filled up every room available. To find one as spacious as this, and on the first floor no less? You had a better chance of winning the lottery – twice.

"Enough is enough." I clapped my hands as her laughter finally died out, "Why did you bring me here?"

She turned around and plopped herself down in a chair, "Surely you didn't forget about your mission."

"It doesn't start until Monday." I replied, taking a seat.

"Right but you don't think you'll be getting briefed the day of, do you?" She raised an eyebrow, "Come on Sasuke, your focus needs to be here. I don't need to remind you that not everyone is confident in your ability to handle this."

I hmphed as Sakasaki came to mind. Izumi opened the folder on the table and handed me a thin packet.

"This is your profile." She explained as I read the first page, "You'll be going by Fujikage Toshiaki during the duration of your mission."

"Which is…three months?" I looked up from the sheet to give Izumi a quizzical look, "And that's the minimum time recommended. I should actually be aiming for six to twelve? How am I supposed to explain this to Sakura?"

"You won't." Itachi's voice cut in, and I watched as he and Shisui entered the room, "It's even better that you haven't told her, saves us a lot of trouble."

I didn't bother to hide my confusion from my brother, "What do you mean?"

"You can't tell Sakura." Shisui placed an elbow on Itachi's shoulder, "Or anyone for that matter. The only people who are aware of this mission are The Six, Izumi, and your partner. Even the brass are in the dark about this one."

I rubbed my forehead, "But Sakura wouldn't—did you say, partner?"

"Yes." Itachi nodded, crossing his arms, "Sakasaki wasn't convinced you could handle it alone. He spoke to Commissioner Kakashi and persuaded him to add someone else to the mission. Regardless, she'll be there to provide assistance. You're still running point on this operation."

'She?' I thought to myself, wondering who this person could be.

I didn't have to spend too long guessing, as they entered the room soon after.

"After all these years, we're finally working together." She held out her hand, "Let's make this a success."

"Karin." I slowly nodded as I shook her hand, "So you're my partner."

Karin gave me a light smile before releasing my hand to take her own packet from Izumi.

"That won't be a problem, will it?" Shisui asked, looking between us skeptically.

I quickly waved a hand, "Not at all. I'm just…surprised."

Karin took a seat across from me and Izumi rapped her knuckles on the table before standing up.

"Well, good luck to the both of you." Izumi stopped by Itachi and pinched his cheek, "Itachi-kun?"

Itachi nodded, smiling slightly, "Aa, *arigato. We'll take it from here."

Once the door clicked shut behind her, Itachi and Shisui slid into the remaining free seats. We went through our packets page by page with diligence, learning the various quirks and details of our assumed personalities. Karin and I were to play the Fujikages, a married couple struggling to stay afloat financially. The informant would recommend us to Akatsuki, and we would join under the guise of wanting money for stability.

For the most part, my personality was kept the same, and I was glad I wouldn't have to force myself to be peppy or overtly excited. However, Karin was not as fortunate. Shisui explained that we couldn't both be cold loners, and they figured Karin would be better suited to be the happy-go-lucky partner.

"Gomen." I offered Karin an apology.

She shook her head, "It's fine."

Once we had absorbed all the specifics, Itachi and Shisui threw us into random scenarios to gauge our familiarity with each other. At first, it was difficult; while Karin was easily able to switch into the role of a wife, according to Itachi I "had no idea how to act like a husband." With a grumble, I took that to heart and did my best to be as affectionate and casual as possible. After getting past the snickers and scoffs from Shisui, I began to melt into the role, and soon enough I was comfortable talking to Karin in a pseudo-endearing way.

Time flew by and, had Shisui's watch not beeped, we would've sat there for hours perfecting our craft.

"Okay, I think we've managed to get you guys to 83%." Shisui clapped his hands as he stood up, stretching, "You two should head home, take tomorrow as a rest day, and be ready to give this thing a go on Monday."

With a nod, Karin and I stood up at the same time. Itachi patted me on the back, and I elbowed my older brother before exiting the room.

Karin followed me quietly and I felt the need to say something in order to dispel the silence. Unfortunately, nothing sensible came to mind. We ended up at our desks relatively quickly and I tried not to make too much noise as I wore my coat. Once I was done, I looked up and found Karin's eyes on me. How long she had been staring, I couldn't be sure, but she immediately looked away, prompting me to be somewhat confused.

Just as she grabbed her handbag and turned to leave, I called after her.

"Karin are you…going home?" I winced silently at the stupidity of my question.

She glanced back and pushed her glasses up on her face, "Maybe. Follow me and you'll see."

She didn't bother waiting up for me, and I quickly snatched my satchel off the floor before rushing out of the precinct. Once I was on the street, I looked both ways and barely caught her turning down the corner down Namikaze Road. I broke into a sprint to catch up to Karin and watched as she brought out a set of keys to unlock the door of a small corner store.

As I approached it, I could tell that it had been closed for a while based on the accruing dust covering the outside window. However, when I entered inside, the sight that met me was not what I had been expecting. Kneeling by the counter, Karin was scratching a tabby cat's ear, and smiling lightly. The windchime jingled as the door shut and when she spotted me, her smile faltered. No, a more accurate description would be that her smile morphed. It was no longer genuine, and there was even a hint of sadness behind it.

"What's…?" I let my question die in my throat as a little boy ran out from the room behind the counter to hug Karin.

He looked no older than six, and I couldn't help but be slightly alarmed by his outward appearance. Aside from the literal rags he wore, his protruding clavicle was an obvious sign of malnourishment, and as Karin placed an affection hand on the boy's head, I couldn't help but wonder what their relationship was.

"Hirako, is she awake?" Karin's smile became more genuine as she regarded the child.

He nodded as he released her and turned to look at me. When his eyes drifted to the badge on my hip, I watched with a bit of pain as his face immediately lit up with fear, and he began to edge back.

"Don't worry." Karin assured him, grabbing his hand before he could slip away, "Inspector Sasuke is a nice man."

'What does that mean?' I quietly asked myself, but I refrained from stating anything that would convey the opposite and allowed the scene to play out.

Once I nodded to assure him that Karin's statement was true, I watched as his body relaxed and he faced Karin again. She brought out a mini-Ziploc bag with white powder and carefully pressed it into his hand before leaning close and whispering into his ear. Once she was finished, he returned to the backroom, and she dusted off her skirt before standing up.

"…What was that?" I asked warily, hoping my suspicions were false.

"You'll see." She responded curtly, keeping her eyes trained on the door.

She didn't look at me.

When the backroom opened again, instead of the young boy, a sickly thin woman came out wiping her nose, and I noticed a bit of white residue on the corner of her nose and on her right hand.

"Karin-san!" The woman came out from behind the counter and hugged Karin, "I haven't seen you in a while! Thought you'd forgotten about me."

"Of course not, Hiwa-san. It just took a little longer getting it this time." Karin hugged her back, "Are you feeling better?"

"You bet!" Hiwa grinned, but her reaction was similar to the boy's as her eyes drifted to me, then to my badge, and she stiffened, "Hello Inspector…Sasuke?"

"He's not here to make trouble." Karin touched her shoulders, looking back at me quickly, "Right, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes, that's right." I nodded, surprising myself with how quick I had spoken.

Something was going on here, and the more I saw the more worried I became, but I wouldn't allow those feelings to settle without seeing or hearing the conclusion of this interaction.

Just like the boy, Hiwa's body slackened, and she continued her small talk with Karin. As much as I wanted to listen, I could tell by the way Hiwa leaned towards that Karin that she wasn't fully comfortable in my presence so with a silent sigh, I began to drift around. Other than snacks and supplies, there wasn't much to look at. The usual things that one would expect to find in a corner store were stocked on the shelves, and I could see no reason for Karin to have a connection to the shop.

'But that white powder…' I let my thoughts run quiet as I returned to Karin's side, nudging her lightly and indicating it was time to go.

"Hirako-chan!" Hiwa called, shifting uneasily as I came around, "Aren't you gonna say goodbye?"

The boy came out from the backroom and hugged Karin tightly, rubbing his face against her affectionately. Karin affectionately placed her hand on his head like she had done before, the only difference being that she lightly ruffled his hair.

"*Ora, ora." Hiwa grabbed the boy by his shirt, yanking him off her, "Come on now, they have things to do."

Hirako pouted and Karin offered an apologetic smile before looking back up at his mother.

"Remember, I'm going to be gone for a while so please, try to get better." Karin placed a hand on Hiwa's shoulder, squeezing slightly.

"I've got no choice." Hiwa chuckled, "If I don't, you won't be here to rescue me."

After a long last look at the two, Karin exited the store and I followed suit. We retraced our steps back down the street before heading for Hyūga Boulevard's train station. As we trekked, I stole continual glances at her, waiting for her to explain what I had witnessed, and hoping that my own judgements were inaccurate.

It wasn't until we were near the station that she began to speak.

"I've known Hiwa for a long time. You might've guessed it by now but…she's a drug addict." She told me, confirming part of my suspicions.

"So that white powder…" I left the rest of my words hanging in the air, not wanting to say it.

Karin nodded, still refusing to look me in the eyes, "Cocaine."

I stopped in my tracks and stared at her, appalled at how easily she had admitted it. It was only when she realized I wasn't by her side that she too stopped and finally met my eyes. Try as I might, her crimson eyes were shielded, neutral and unrevealing to whatever she was feeling.

I walked up to her and grabbed her arm before tugging her into a narrow alleyway by the station, "Tell me the complete story."

"There's no story to tell." Karin said as she freed her arm from my grasp, staring at me incredulously, "I knew her before the addiction completely took over. At first, I encouraged her to give it up; I helped her toss her stash and tried to spend as much time with her as I could to take her mind off the drug, but when I saw how nonfunctioning she became without it, I…lost conviction."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, "Do you understand what you're saying? You, as an officer of the law, knew that someone had possession of a criminal substance and decided to give them more instead of arresting them?"

"Of course I know what I'm saying." Karin pursed her lips together, and for the first time Karin's eyes revealed a hint of emotion: sadness, "Sasuke-kun, if only you had met her in the early days. Hiwa was—"

"No doubt a nice lady that would melt your heart." I cut her off, "It doesn't change the fact that your attempt at helping her is going against the law. If anyone finds out, you won't just lose your job, your life as you know it will be over!"

"…What does it matter to you?" Karin replied after a moment of silence, looking at the ground.

"Or is it because I made the mistake of showing you?" She laughed uncannily, "Gomen, I guess I've turned you into an accomplice. Don't worry, if anyone catches me, I'll swear you knew nothing."

"It's not about me knowing." I contended, squashing her assumptions, "I just don't want you in jail."

"Why?" She pressed me, her eyes flicking to my own as she raised her head, "Me being in jail wouldn't change your monthly electric bill."

"Karin—"

"It wouldn't cut into your check or affect your household." Her crimson eyes became glassy, "It wouldn't hurt you in any way, so why do you care?"

"Because we're friends." I stated definitively as she put a hand to her head.

Right after I answered her, she laughed, and this time it as a genuine, lung-heaving laugh. I couldn't tell whether it was a good thing or bad thing, so I waited till she calmed down before searching for a clue in her eyes.

"Buddha be merciful." Karin chuckled as she wiped her eyes, flicking away tears and looking at me, "That was a good one. I haven't laughed like that in a while."

"And what was so funny about what I said?" I questioned as I crossed my arms, eyeing her warily.

Karin rolled her eyes as she began to exit the alleyway, "You don't have to lie, Sasuke-kun. We're not friends."

"Yes, we are." I immediately responded, following her, "We've known each other since high school. And we even—"

"Dated?" Karin looked back at me, a smug look on her face, "Really? You actually count those two confusion-filled weeks?"

I looked at her and answered carefully, "You mean you don't?"

"What came out of it?"

"Well—"

"Exactly." Karin smiled lightly, climbing up the train station steps.

Something about her response rubbed me in a wrong way, and I was eager to rid myself of this feeling.

"What about Suigetsu?" I reminded her, "Are you saying you don't count him either?"

At the mention of our close friend's name, Karin's smile depressed into a line, and she turned forward, leaving my questions without answers.

'Good job.' I commended myself, 'Quite the conversationalist, aren't you?'

With a silent sigh, I reached the top of the train station and paid my way through the turnstile before glancing at the virtual schedule. When I saw that the train I would be riding was eight minutes away, I wasted no time in plopping myself down on a bench and stretching my legs.

Karin opted to stand and I mentally frowned, but before I could comment on it and somehow worsen things, a different train slid into the station and Karin stepped onto it. I mentally scolded myself for ending things on a bad note but as the doors slid shut, I watched her turn and face me. As the train began to move, she held up a peace sign and flashed a quick smile.

Feeling a similar smile break out on my face, I nodded my head and returned the gesture. Although I had made her uncomfortable, she took the first step in ensuring that our departure wouldn't end so sourly. It touched my heart, and I couldn't help but wonder what she would spend her day off doing.

For a second, I considered inviting her to Ino's dinner, which I would no doubt be forced to attend no that my schedule had cleared up, but I quickly dashed the thought.

'She needs a break from you.' I chided myself as I sat up, checking my phone for the time.

"1 a.m. on the dot." I murmured, "Sakura won't be expecting me this early."

As I thought about her, Itachi's criticism came to mind.

"Are you sure you're still married to Sakura?" Itachi teased, "Because it seems to me that you have no idea how to act like a husband."

My train pulled into the station, momentarily tugging me from my reflections, but once I was inside and seated, I mulled over his words. The things I was reading, flirtatious quips and romantic statements…was that how other husbands acted? I couldn't see myself ever saying such things to Sakura, and she didn't seem to hope for such interactions. The only thing she seemed to be really pushing for these days was intimacy.

'And if you're a decent human being, you'll hold back.' I cautioned myself as I leaned my head back, 'You have no right.'

"You have no right." I repeated quietly, staring out the window.

*Arigato means thank you

*Ora means "look!" or "come on!" it's a call to attention of sorts