Chapter 2

The loud music in the bar banged in his ears as he served another beer, not understanding a word of what the inebriated man was telling him, and he wasn't even half interested in listening as the man thought he was, somehow being a bartender gave people the idea that he was interested in what they had to say, and had time to waste in listening to their problems. He didn't really care, the man was too far gone to notice, and Haku felt a little pity for him, it was too early to be in that wasted state, but for that area it wasn't that uncommon. Most people there didn't have a job or families, they were considered outcasts that didn't fit in with society, and he had seen a lot of them, ruining their lives with alcohol or drug abuse, it had become almost normality in that little piece of hell. Institutions didn't care about them, even police forces seemed to have forgotten them seeing as criminals walked freely in the light of day, acting as if they owned the whole place.

A lot of times, he had considered closing everything and leave, but he didn't have much options, he was lucky enough with what he had, and he would never leave Zabuza's side. They had gone through a lot of shit together.

Zabuza had found him in the period of his criminal life, when he had been part of a gang, "The seven swordman of the mist" that's how they were called because of their ability in wielding their strange weapons, and their use of them in their crimes. Haku had been a young teenager with no family living as a street rat, when Zabuza had found him, taking him under his wing and giving him a roof over his head.

Together they had gathered enough money to leave Kiri and their criminal life, transferred in Konoha and set up their little activity together, although it was mostly Haku that took care of it, Zabuza was rarely seen behind the counter, and only served as an accountant, handling the economic side of their business. It had been hard at the beginning, especially because of the gangs that contended the territory, there was always the risk that one or the other might destroy the activities in retaliation, so Zabuza, knowing well how things were in criminal areas, had decided to go and talk to the leader of one of the gangs, the Akatsuki, and made a deal with them. They would offer them protection, and in exchange the members of the gang could have free drinks and roam around the bar, obviously without disturbing the paying customers, although everyone knew to stay away from them.

Haku had been skeptical about the deal, but it had worked so far, although with some disturbance, there was nothing he could really say against it apart from the fact that he didn't really care for high ranked criminals wandering freely around his property, acting as if they owned the place, at least some of them.

His brown eyes caught some movement behind the counter, and a small line of smoke trailing up slowly, along with a very recognizable smell, although very faint, Haku's fine nose caught it immediately.

"Are you slacking off again Suigetsu? I can see you, you know"9

The white haired man huffed at him from his little hiding place, a puff of smoke coming out of his mouth, as he put off the cigarette he had been enjoying up to that moment, stomping on it with his foot, and throwing it in the bin next to the small sink, aware Haku would make him pick it up with his teeth if he dared leave it on the floor. The clean freak.

"What do you want me to do? there's no one around" he retorted, face scrunched up in annoyance, as he leaned his elbows on the counter giving a look at the almost empty room with a bored expression.

"It's not a good reason to smoke weed in my bar" his voice had an underline of anger underneath the calm tone, that put the man in alarm, the feminine looking man had a calm and angelic appearance, but Suigetsu knew very well how that façade could change if someone dared to anger him, and since it was him most of the times that caused that change, knew very well that it was best to keep his mouth shut tightly, so he didn't even bother defending himself, knowing well it would be worthless and a big waste of his precious time.

Haku looked satisfied at the terrified expression on the younger man's face, and threw a cloth at him with a smirk of satisfaction, knowing the victory was in his own hands, and he had the right method to rub it in his pale face.

"Very well. Now go and wash the dishes as punishment, we are running out of glasses" he knew he hated that particular job, the man hated getting his hands wet, and tended to avoid water in general whenever he could get away with it. Haku was simply aa sadistic man, using his phobia against him.

The other grimaced, he hated being ordered around, especially by the brown haired man. Their constant bickering had drove even Zabuza nuts, it was one of the reasons he avoided spending too much time there with both of them. He was lucky Suigetsu had got his own place to live, or he might have thrown both of them out of the house.

"But, I washed them all this morning!" he protested, voice raising of a few octaves, much to the brown haired man amusement.

Haku battled his eyelashes, concentrated on his manicured nails, a small wicked smile on his lips that made the other lower his head resigned, he was certainly punishing him for something he had done in the past, no one could be so evil for no reason, well he had a reason, lots of them actually, but to the white haired man the punishment was far worse then his crime, at least this time.

"What can I say, they get dirty really fast, it's almost as if they weren't even used"

"Damn bastard" the white haired man thought, sending Haku a nasty glare, the other didn't realize it though, he was used to his personality.

"I can hear you thinking, you know"

Unfortunately though, Suigetsu's cockiness couldn't be contained entirely, so he huffed, taking the piece of fabric in his hand, and aware of the danger, started to walk towards the back room.

"Fine evil godmother I will go and do my chores now"

He ran inside, before risking to be hit by a bottle opener directed at him, that banged on the door, probably leaving a dent in the wood, in the same exact position Suigetsu had been standing in a couple of seconds ago. Haku had an incredible aim after all, and could kill him with a toothpick if he so wished to, with his knowledge of the human body, it was best not to anger him further.

"Damn brat! You should be thankful I had a bit of respect for you brother or I would have already booted your ass out of this place"

"You keep promising that, but you never do it" the other yelled, from behind the closed door. The brown haired man felt the sudden urge to strangle him, and would have probably managed to accomplish it if a blonde blur didn't interrupt his evil plans, bursting through the door, slamming it almost against the opposite part of the wall, rushing through the few customers as if she was in a race, almost running them over with her impressive force, managing to curb a few centimeters from the brown haired man's feet, that was already bracing himself from the impact with his arms stretched in front of him and eyes closed, but maybe he should have just used his hands to cover his ears.

"I'm completely sorry for being late! I know it doesn't make a good impression! Especially on my first day… but I had to find my clothes through all the boxes, you know I just moved in today, and I just couldn't remember in which one I had put them, I forgot to mark them as I put the stuff in, but it's really the Teme's fault, he was in such a hurry! And when I found them I had to shower, and eat, and I couldn't leave Kurama without food, so I had to search the boxes for cat food an-"

"For fucks sake stop!" Haku opened one eye, meeting his new employee's blue curious eyes staring back at him, her blonde hair tied up in a high ponytail, dressed with an orange track suit jacket with a black shirt underneath, it was short, right above the belly button, revealing a good portion of bronzed skin and her flat abdomen where a tattoo that represented a sun like design was located, right in the center where her navel was and a pair of dark tight low waist jeans

He was glad he wouldn't have to make her change, she had remembered his instructions.

He sighed as she quieted down, she was still bouncing on her feet, but at least she had stopped talking. He lowered his hands, and finally spoke, after clearing his throat.

"You aren't late, you are perfectly on time, now, take off that jacket, and put this on" he handed her a small black apron that would serve as uniform, and she started to tie it around her waist, before Haku stopped her.

"Tie it on around your hips, our customers like seeing a bit of skin" his lips hinted a small smirk and she raised a brow at that, the thing was short, it would barely cover her upper thighs, and left her stomach completely exposed, now she understood why Haku wanted her to wear a short shirt. Were the customers of that place perverts? She wasn't sure, but she was starting to regret a little bit not listening to Sakura, she could picture her saying 'told you so' in that irritating tone she would use when she was proven right on something, and being the competitive person she was, she heard that quite often.

"I know it might be uncomfortable, but it will get you higher tips. In case you're wondering, I will make sure they don't touch you, now follow me, I will explain you how things work around here"

Naruko did as she was told, and tied the apron on, taking her jacket off, she fought off the uneasy feeling of being so exposed. She had never walked around like that, no one had ever seen her with such a skimpy shirt on, she usually covered herself from head to toe, exactly like Hinata, the shy girl she used to go to school with, she wasn't the shy type like her, but she did prefer baggier and more masculine clothes.

Haku looked satisfied though, and if she wanted to keep her job she would have to get used to it. The man was now behind the counter, and called her with a quick movement of his hand, his eyes staring at her body in a pensive way, and she wondered what the hell was going through his mjnd.

"Hmm, I thought your chest was bigger, guess we'll make do with what you have"

Haku concluded with a hand on his chin, looking as if he was deep in thought, and the blonde's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she uttered a strangled yelp of surprise as she stepped closer to

It was true, she didn't have a generous bust but she wasn't as flat as Sakura either, and that was saying something!

She was average and that had never been a problem for her but now, she almost felt like a cow at an auction, and that uneasy feeling washed over her again, her whole face as well as the tips of her ears felt red and hot and she covered her chest with her arms in an embarrassed stance.

She was glad Haku had declared himself as gay, or she would think he was hitting on her or something, sure, it would be a weird approach, but she wasn't an expert on the matter, it's not like she had an interesting love life, it was rare she found someone that looked past the scars on her face, they seemed to scare guys away, and Sakura had once wondered if that was the reason why the bastard had marked her in such a way.

"What does that have to do with my job?" Maybe that was a stupid question, just looking at how he was dressed made it obvious they weren't in the classy Konoha area, where more respectable people resided, not that he wasn't a respectable person, but no one would dare being seen in such an eccentric attire, and no one could pull it off as graciously as Haku did, she had to admit, he was a pretty handsome man, despite his feminine features.

His black sheer tank top, showed his nipples and the lines of his muscles perfectly, and his black leather pants were so tight, that should be declared illegal.

He noticed she was staring at him, and his expression changed from thoughtful, to playful, with a small smirk gracing his full lips, and his brown eyes narrowed, as he studied her figure

"Nothing. I'm just saying, more cleavage, more business, it's the way it works around here, but don't worry, you will be fine"

Naruko wasn't really sure if she should feel offended or not, but scurried up after the man behind the counter that was waiting for her with his elbows leaning on the counter as he leaned his back on the surface, in a resting pose.

"The job isn't difficult per se, but it can be a handful….we have some very peculiar customers" he started to explain when she reached him, and she wondered what he meant with peculiar

"For this area, we could be doing much worse, we have the occasional drunks, they usually come after dinner and stay here, till midnight, you shouldn't worry about them though, they are usually troubled people that just want to forget their problems for a night. Then, we have the regular drunks, those can give you a little trouble, they don't usually have an established time, they show up whenever they feel need to attach themselves to the bottle, give them a bottle of sake and they shouldn't bother you for an hour or so, they can become violent, so, in that case let me handle them." He stopped to look at her, to check she was all right.

"And then…we have the lowlives, criminals and prostitutes, the latter you won't see much, they are usually at work at these hours, if you know what I mean."

Naruko nodded, she wasn't surprised she knew where she had moved to, she didn't have prejudices about them. She figured they had to make a living somehow, she couldn't be the one to judge them, but she thanked the lord she had been luckier than those girls, and didn't have to lead such a life. She could have easily ended up that way with the life she had had after all.

" Last, and these are the ones you truly have to watch out for, are the guys from Akatsuki, a gang of high ranked criminals, you should recognize them by the black leather jackets with red clouds. Whatever they ask for, just give it to them, they're dangerous, and only bring bad news, listen to me, stay away from them"

Akatsuki, she wasn't sure why the name was familiar, she might have heard it from Sasuke or his parents, his father was the chief of Konoha's police department, and Sasuke himself wanted to enroll at the academy.

Haku sighed, as he pushed himself up and motioned for her to follow him again, this time to the little back room door she had noticed the other time.

"Come, I will show you around"

The blonde hurried behind him with a bright smile, and Haku couldn't avoid to answer her with one of his own. He had a good feeling about her, he was sure she was exactly the type of person they needed.

"You can leave your jacket in the back" he showed her a black small closet, it looked warned out, and she clutched her jacket, it was her favorite piece of clothing, and she didn't really feel like leaving it in that not very hygienic place, but she didn't have other choices, so she reluctantly opened the door hanging it on a hanger, feeling a little better since inside was an acceptable level of cleanliness, at least for Naruko, someone like Sasuke would never even walk in a place like that.

The back room was a little kitchen area, and she was surprised about it. She didn't know they also served food in there, she thought it was just a place to have a few drinks, t least, it had been her first impression.

"In case you're wondering yes, we make food here, nothing fancy, just simple stuff, a lot of people around here don't have families to go home too, so they come here to have some company, despite it's appearance, Kubikiriocho, has become a little center for them" his voice came from behind her, making her jump slightly in surprise, she hadn't noticed him move from his spot near the door.

"Kubikiriocho?" she asked with a frown, was that supposed to be the name of the place? It sounded a little creepy, but despite it's name, she had to admit, the reason behind the decision of preparing warm meals for lonely people was noble.

"I can understand, it is awful to be alone, if they can find some comfort coming here, then it's a good thing" she could understand that well, she had spent years, eating leftovers alone in the kitchen, without the warmth of a family, and anytime she could sneak out to go and eat warm ramen at old man Ichiraku's with Iruka sensei, it gave her a sense of happiness, and it made her understand what it felt like to have a family, and for those precious moments, she felt

Haku nodded, he too had suffered from loneliness, it was the main reason he had opened the small activity, and why he insisted with Zabuza for the restaurant, the older man had been against it, but Haku had won, and the results made him proud, when around seven o clock, the small dining area filled with customers.

"Juugo our cook should be coming in soon, and that's Suigetsu, if you ever need to know where something is and I'm not here, ask him, he's a pain in the ass, but can be useful sometimes, he mostly stays behind here to help Juugo."

Suigetsu groaned, and turned off the water, his expression wasn't that amicable, but the pink gloves and frilly purple apron he was wearing didn't let Naruko concentrate on his face. She was trying hard not to laugh, although there was really nothing wrong with a man wearing girly colors, looked his expression made him look like a stressed out house wife.

Obviously the white haired man noticed her trying to hold in her laughter, and although he appreciated her attempt, he growled in annoyance at Haku, he was the one that forced him to wear those silly garments, he was sure the man had a special place reserved in hell just for him.

"Hey, Haku bought them to mock me! You will learn with time what a sadistic bastard he really is! nice to meet you, by the way…ehm..this is embarrassing but, who exactly are you?

"I'm Naruko!" she said as if that explained everything, and he shrugged it off, Haku might have hinted he had hired some chick to help him out.

She smiled enthusiastically bouncing on her feet, she looked like a child on a sugar high, just looking at her made him feel tired. Haku behind her smirked, he was truly enjoying Suigetsu's distress, maybe a little more than he should.

"Nice to meet you too, and, don't worry, I think they suit you" she wasn't one to be intimidated, she was already starting to like that place and it's weird inhabitants. They made her feel at home despite having just met them, and if you looked passed it's shady appearance and it's name, Kubikiriocho wasn't that bad. It made her feel welcomed for the first time in her life.

"I think we'll get along very well" the brown haired man, patted her on the back, drawing a smile from the girl, and a big sigh from Suigetsu, that pointed a wet wooden spoon in their direction with an annoyed expression.

"Great, you two are going to team up against me now, who knows what other ridiculous stuff you're going to force me to wear" he rolled his eyes at the unfazed look on Haku's face. He couldn't be too surprised, the man was difficult to impress.

"They were the only color available, now stop moping, I need those dishes washed"

Suigetsu cursed under his breath, fishing for the gloves, and putting them on again, despite them being pink, there was no way in hell he was getting his hands wet.

"Only color available my ass"

Haku and Naruko left the room in a bout of giggles, and he ignored them, before the idea of retrieving Zabuza's old sword and committing a murder became reality, it's not like that thing could be easily snatched from wherever the man had wisely hid it, and he didn't really feel like going to prison over this, and he hated those Akatsuki guys too much to even think of joining them to save his ass. He would have to live with those two and their crazy ideas, because he was sure, Haku had just found a perfect partner in crime, and the feminine man was just as aware as he was of the fact, and would surely use it at his advantage.

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The sun was setting, and he was starting to feel to first bouts of hunger set in his stomach, as dinner time drew closer, but he ignored them, rubbing his sore eyes as he went through old documents and evidence of an unsolved crime he was investigating on, hoping to find something new, something he might have missed, despite almost knowing every little detail by heart, since he went through them almost every night, as an unhealthy obsessive routine.

He had started after the last unfortunate event that had occurred a couple of years ago, marking another heavy loss for the Police forces, disturbing Konoha's peaceful life once again, after the murder of their loved Mayor, Minato Namikaze and his wife Kushina a few years before.

His colleagues, along with the police's chief knew of it, and they had all given up trying to get him home at a decent hour, a long time ago. His friends and his partner had given up as well and they didn't even bother calling him anymore, knowing already he wouldn't pick up the phone.

His guilt ridden behavior, had took a toll on him, and on his relationship with Yamato, that he affectionately called Tenzo, was hanging by a thin thread, and he couldn't get himself to make an effort and pick up the pieces. He loved Tenzo, and loved what they had built together through the years. He had to thank Tenzo for helping him get back on the right track, after a life heavily marked by tragedies, he had been the one that had stood close to him, his will never faltering, always with his gentle smile even when he had tried to send him away, he didn't give up on him, but he was giving up on them. In his pained twisted world, he had convinced himself he didn't deserve to be happy, he blamed himself for the deaths of his friends and team mates, and that had caused

His guilt ridden behavior was something that no one could fight against, Yamato had tried and succeeded for a while, but his demons would not give him rest, and thoughts and memories ofhis team mate's deaths still haunted him.

"Still working hn?" a voice shook him out of his daze, and he battled his eyelashes as he teared his gaze away from the documents on his desk, to look at the tall man that had just walked through the door.

"Chief Uchiha, I was just going through some old files" he explained, trying to ignore the man's disapproving glare. If there was one thing that Fugaku Uchiha was known for, it was for his terrifying glare, although it didn't have any effect on him, he had been working with the man for years he had grown used to it.

"Old files? Would you mind if I look?" the man asked with a serious look, undoing his tie as he grabbed a chair from the nearest desk.

Kakashi nodded, knowing well that his boss was trying to delay going home exactly like he was doing, it would have been nice to have some company, but he couldn't help but feel guilty, once more knowing the reason why Fugakuwas trying to buy some time before going home was explained in the folder he was holding. He knew the last thing his boss needed was the relive those terrible moments he and his family had to go through three years ago.

"Case number 21875, hn, I don't think I ever read the details of this case" he seemed surprised, he was the chief, so every thing regarding a case was always brought to his attention, and he always wanted to be informed on every case they got, from a simple claim of aggression, to murder.

The only times he would be kept out of it was when a family member was involved, and so, to avoid conflict of interest someone else would follow the case until it was closed and could be taken to the archives.

Fugaku though was a smart man, and there had only been one case he had to be kept out from.

His expression darkened, and he didn't open the folder, putting it back on the desk as if it was poisonous.

"Shisui's case I imagine" he stated dryly, and the grey haired man sighed, but wasn't intimidated by the now serious look on the dark haired man's face, taking the folder in his hands, shuffling it nervously.

"Yes sir, I am the one in charge of the investigations" Kakashi explained, he was ashamed to admit though

He knew it was still difficult for his boss to talk about it, although it had been three years since that fateful night, no one had truly forgot it, it was marked in everyone's memories, as they had lost not only a great agent as Shisui, that although was still alive, laid in a hospital bed in a comatose state because of his wounds. One of the bullets that had hit him, had reached the brain, and although the doctors had managed to remove it, it had damaged the tissues permanently, and no one knew if he was ever going to wake up.

"Hn. So you are the one that interrogated the suspect and concluded he wasn't involved in the shooting"

Kakashi rested his left elbow on one of his legs, prodding his head on his hand, his eyes inspecting his boss's face. He knew the man was obviously suffering, and although tried to hide it, he could see right through him. Still, he was a little shocked at the cold tone he used to ask about his own son, although he understood, especially after Itachi had left his family and his job as a police agent and gone rogue, leaving nothing but shock and confusion in everyone that knew him.

" With all due respect sir, I verified all the evidence we collected personally, and interrogated Itachi myself. I don't think he was the one to pull the trigger." He admitted, he was aware this wasn't news to the other man, the facts had happened three years ago, and Itachi had left the district since, but still, Fugaku had flinched when he had mentioned his son's name, it had been almost imperceptible, a very fast movement that he wouldn't have caught if he hadn't been studying the man's face. He was a very observant man after all, it came with being one of the best detectives in the district.

"I believe you are in good faith Kakashi, but don't mention that name in my presence ever again" The Uchiha stood, his mood had suddenly changed, and his tone wasn't as pleasant as it had been at the beginning.

"Sir, he might have made mistakes, but he is still your son" The Hatake stood up, his hands in his pockets as his eyes studied the man's body language, his fists tightened and body stiff as he listened. He was fuming, but it was notjing new to him, they had been working together for years, and Kakashi felt like he had the right to say what passed through his mind, aware his boss wouldn't punish him for it. It had been the Uchiha, to encourage him to always speak his mind.

Fugaku scoffed, as he reached for the door, turning his shoulders to the grey haired man. He was getting a head ache, and it was time for him to go home to a worried and fragile Mikoto and to his son, Sasuke.

"Mikoto still hopes he will come home one day." He paused, as he allowed a small smile to appear on his lips as he thought about his wife. She had been the one that had been more hurt about Itachi's sudden disappearance, only after a few months, news about him joining a criminal organization had leaked, making the situation worse. While she prayed for his safety, and for him to come back home, he wallowed in his rage and guilt for not understanding his son. He thought he knew everything about both his children, but he was proved wrong, and his pride couldn't take it.

"For me on the other side…" he paused for a second, his shoulders falling a little as if they were supporting a big weight.

"Itachi is dead to me. I lost him three years ago, and I will never forgive him for betraying everything we believed in"

He closed the door behind him, leaving Kakashi alone with his thoughts.

The man, sighed, opening the folder that had been forgotten on the desk, and he smiled sadly at a picture that he had slipped in there, although it didn't belong, and it represent himself, with Shisui and Itachi, on the latter's first day on the field. He studied the young face, and then he slipped the photo in his pocket, a wave of nostalgia washing over him.

"Maybe he is right, it goes to prove that I really didn't know anything about him"

Author's note!

First of all, thank you for the reviews and for adding the story to your alert list, I truly appreciate it!

So, let me know what you think of the new chapter, any type of constructive criticism are always well accepted as well as your thoughts and opinions on the story! Just no flames, I don't find them useful, and I always think there are nicer ways to share an opinion, so, guys see you mext chapter!

Darkshadows92