"...and that's about it" Sasuke says.
Everyone finishes announcing their investigation plans for the day. It's Kakashi's turn to speak.
"Sounds good. Everybody, keep up the good work," he says, "Remember, continue to take every precaution to ensure Sakai doesn't find out about this. He's in charge of all of the detectives in the MPD. his sphere of influence as Chief of the Detective Bureau is not to be underestimated. If he finds out about this investigation before we get the evidence we need, we're in trouble."
We all nod our heads in agreement, "Yes, sir."
Kakashi turns towards me, "Haruno, could you run down to the archives for me?"
"Huh?"
Kakashi was telling us just yesterday about how difficult it would e to access past case files.
"Can I do that?" I ask.
"Hm? Oh... No, not about Sakai's case. I would love nothing more than to be able to get some info on that, but... Unfortunately, it's about something else." Kakashi chuckles, and hands me a post-it-note, "Take out all the files I have written down here."
"Okay."
Kakashi turns to Naruto, "Naruto! You free for a minute?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Show Haruno the way to the archives, and explain how to check out files."
Naruto nods his head, "Got it. Shall we, Sakura?"
"Sure," I say and follow Naruto out of the room.
"Um, okay,so before you go to the archives, you have to go to the Records Department."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Show your badge, write down your name, unit, and the date on their check-in sheet. They'll give you a key number to write down. After that, they'll give you the key and a permit to enter the archives. Even if someone's already in the room and the door's unlocked, you can't go in unless you have a permit.. Do you have your badge?"
"Of course."
"Then, once you fill out the file's check-out log, and get a stamp from Records, you can check out a case file."
"Whoa... They do not let go of those files easily!" I say surprised.
"Well, they are case files. They're kind of essential if you want to prosecute a criminal," he says matter of factly.
As we walk, we hear the voices of two other detectives walking down the hallway.
"Huh? What happened to your morning meeting?" Detective 1 asks Detective 2.
"Already over. Without the Chief here, we finished up in no time," Detective 2 replies.
"Hah. Lucky you. Sakai sure is long-winded..."
"Tell me about it! His secretary was saying he won't be in until the afternoon. I'm free as a bird until then!"
"Do your job!"
"Haha... Yeah, yeah..."
The two detectives walk off cheerfully. According to those two, Sakai isn't in the Metro PD building right now. He won't be back until this afternoon.
"Hey, Naruto..." I start to say.
"Yeah, I heard. Let's just go to the archives for now..."
Maybe... If the key isn't checked out and no one else is in the archives right now, we might be able to look at some old case files. Hopeful, we head towards the Record Department. We check out with Records, no one's in the archives right now.
"So we'll be able to get a look at some old files?"
"Probably, if we go right now."
"Let's run back up to Special Investigations and check with Hatake."
"I'll lock the door to the archives once we're inside. That way, no one else will be able to get in," I say.
"No can do, the door can only be locked and unlocked from the outside," Naruto says.
"Oh..."
"There's got to be something we can do..."
We think for a moment. Kakashi said he'd, "Love something more," than to be able to read some old case files. He said it like he was joking, but I bet that's how he really feels. I can't let this chance pass me by.
"Naruto, I'll go into the archives. You lock the door from the outside," I explain.
"Uh..."
"Then, I want you to go tell Hatake what we're doing. When you come back to the archives, bring a camera.. That way, even if we can't check out other units' files, we can have some semblance of a record of what I find in there."
Naruto nods his head, "Got it. Sounds good."
I hear the click of the door being locked from the outside. With the door locked, I should be able to look at some old files without being seen. When Naruto comes back with the camera, I'll quickly photograph some files, grab the files Kakashi wants, and bring them to Records to get stamped. Even if it takes a little while, I can use that fact that this is my first time in the archives as an excuse. That should be believable. I go over my plan in my head, and search for drug-related case files. It looks like they're stored in C-4, C-5 and C-6.
Found them!
I push the button to open C-4, and a light comes on. The bookshelves move to the side, creating an aisle for me to walk down.
Sakai has been Chief of Detective Bureau for four years...
I have to check cases that happened in the last four years.
This is the wrong bookshelf...
A quick look reveals that the most recent files here are dated six years ago. I push the button to open up C-5. There's a beeping sound. The bookshelves slide down to open up an aisle for C-5. I feel like I hear a click coming from the opposite direction of the beeping.
"Naruto?" I ask.
There's no answer. I don't hear anything.
Maybe it was just the AC or something?
I stand in the silent room and let out a little sigh. All this secrecy is putting me on edge. But Naruto is the only person with a key. I shouldn't have anything to worry about.
I can't just stand here freaking out! I've got to hurry and find those files!
I shake my head, and look back at the shelves. There are files from five years ago. I find files from four years ago when I walk a little farther down the aisle.
What am I going to do? There are so many files. I don't know which one to look at first...
There are way more files from four years ago than I expected. I randomly pick up one case report. I quickly flip through the file.
"Looks like we've got a thief on our hands," someone says.
I jump at the sound of someone's low, cold voice. I turn around. It's Chief Sakai. I'm too shocked to speak.
"It's not very nice to secretly root through another unit's cases," Sakai says.
What is Sakai doing here!?
The door should've been locked. I should've been able to pull this off without anyone finding out.
"I'm sorry. I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say," I respond stiffly in an effort to hide my panic.
"Who sent you here?" he asks.
"No one. More importantly, may I ask what you're doing here?" I ask, "I was under the impression that you would be out of the office until this afternoon."
"I was, but I came back early when I heard some idiot was poking through all the old drug-related case files," Sakai explains, "An idiot like you, apparently."
"These files are relevant to an ongoing investigation," I explain.
"Yeah, right! If you were really looking at these for an ongoing investigation, why would you have locked the door?"
"And how exactly were you able to open that locked door?" I ask.
"How did I open it? There's no reason for me to share that information with an amoeba like you. You've got no right to be digging around here."
"Is my research inconveniencing you in some way?" I ask.
Sakai scowls at me, clearly annoyed, and grabs me by the collar, "Look here, Princess... If I ever catch you snooping around again, I'll..."
"You'll what?" a quiet, but powerful voice speaks up from behind me.
"Hatake!" I exclaim.
Kakashi and Naruto stand behind me.
"Hatake... It was you!" Sakai shouts.
Kakashi gives Sakai a dirty look, "Could you please take your hands off my subordinate?"
Sakai lets go of my collar and turns to face Kakashi.
"Were you the one who sent her here?" Sakai asks Kakashi.
"Yes, she came here under my orders," he replies.
"No!" I protest.
"Sakura..." Naruto says.
I shake my head no. The look Naruto gives me says, "Let Boss handle this."
"What were you thinking?" Sakai asks.
"Well, we're working this case, and there's this one thing that I just can't seem to wrap my head around... Can you guess what that is, Sakai?" Kakashi asks.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sakai replies and twists his face into something resembling a smile, "Understood, Hatake?"
"Yes, sir."
"I told you guys to investigate the names on that dealer's list," Sakai says.
"Yeah."
"You'd be wise to do as you're told. It would be nothing for me to destroy you. Got it?"
"If you weren't the Chief of Detectives, I would say that sounds almost like a threat," Kakashi says.
"A threat? No, no, just a well-intentioned reminder," Sakai says and laughs contemptuously, "Remember, if it suited me, I could dissolve 2nd Unit in a flash."
He wouldn't!
Powerless, we watch as Sakai slowly walks out of the archives.
That afternoon...
I take a break from work and look for Kakashi. We keep missing each other. I want to apologize for this morning, but I haven't gotten a chance to talk to him.
Found him!
I see Kakashi. He's leaning against the vending machine, drinking coffee. He looks like he's thinking. He hasn't noticed that I'm here.
"Um... Hatake..." I start saying.
"Oh, Sakura. What's up?" he asks.
"I'm really sorry about what happened in the archives." I apologize and bow deeply, "I don't know if I have any right to apologize or not... If 2nd Unit was disbanded..."
It would be all my fault...
"Don't worry, that's not going to happen," Kakashi says confidently, "I would never let that happen."
"Hatake..."
"We've been canvassing that neighborhood. It was only a matter of time before Sakai found out. I just didn't expect him to find out today, that's all."
"But... for me to act on my own, without orders..." I trail off.
"What are you saying?" he asks, "He got wind of our investigation, that's why he showed up in the archives. It wasn't your fault. There's only supposed to be one key to that room. No one would've imagined that he would be able to find a way in."
"Maybe. But still... That doesn't change the fact that I acted on my own, without orders from you."
"Geez... What am I always saying? I always tell you guys to conduct your investigations in whatever way you see fit. Or did you forget that?"
"I didn't forget..."
"Then you know that you effectively had my permission. You guys aren't my pawns. You're fret to think for yourselves, and investigate your cases in whatever way you think is best. That's the way I run my unit, and I take responsibility for anything that happens as a result of that. Okay?" Kakashi says.
"But you'd be blamed for anything that goes wrong..."
"Yep, but I'll also get my fair share of the glory when things go right!" Kakashi laughs.
He couldn't have less interest in getting any kind of glory.
"We're a team, everybody's got their own role to play," Kakashi says, "Don't feel bad about what happened."
Every word out of Kakashi's mouth has me feeling more and more overwhelmed.
Oh no...
I hurry and look down at the floor as my eyes well-up with tears.
Kakashi pats me on the head like he's trying to soothe a crying child, "You didn't do anything wrong."
I can't let him spoil me like this for forever. I can't let him waste any more of his energy on trying to cheer me up. I fix my face into a smile.
"Got it! I won't quit until we solve this case and you get the glory you deserve!" I say cheerfully.
"Even if you don't mean it, it sounds better if you say something like, 'I won't stop until justice is served!'" Kakashi says.
"Oh, okay, let me try that again... I won't quit until justice is served!"
Kakashi laughs, "That couldn't have sounded faker if you wanted it to!"
"Hey! You just said I didn't have to mean it!"
"True."
We look at each other and smile. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
"Haruno, don't worry about staying to work overtime tonight. It's okay if you knock-off a little early. You should go on a date. I'll help you relax," Kakashi says.
"What? A d-date?" I say surprised.
Unfortunately, I don't have anyone to go on a date with...
"You spend too much time cooped up in this office. You should get out and have some fun with your boyfriend."
"I don't have a boyfriend..."
Why is he bringing up this boyfriend stuff all of a sudden?
I don't have a lot of experience with relationships.
"Oh, I guess you're too busy with work to have a boyfriend..." Kakashi looks my way, his eyes warm and understanding.
What?
He just doesn't get it. I feel a tinge of sadness. I don't care about going home early.
I want to be with Kakashi... I know that, to him, I'm just another detective in his unit...
How depressing. I shake my head, trying to push negative thoughts from my mind.
"Haruno. What's up? Why are you shaking your head 'no' like that?" Kakashi asks.
"Oh, uh, it's nothing... What were you going to say?"
"How about a date with me?" he asks.
"What!?" I exclaim.
"Let's go!" Kakashi gives me an eye crinkle grin.
He stops leaning on the vending machine, stands up straight, and walks off. A date with Kakashi...
"You mean... Wait, what!?" I exclaim as I comprehend what he just said.
Kakashi quickly walks off.I follow after him, my heart racing faster than ever before.