A/N: Suspend your expectations for realism...my knowledge of law and medicine are tidbits picked up from the stereotypical Hollywood-stylized shows.
After preparing her revenge on the snobby bastard that was lacking in common decency, she made her way to Konoha hospital while eating her third tasteless muffin. She believed that almost all her taste-buds were shot and began to doubt if she'd ever be able to enjoy a nice chocolate brownie ever again.
Sakura brushed her hair out of her eyes as she approached the hospital and grimaced when it came into view. It was far from the homey feel of Tsunade's Slug hospital.
Konoha hospital was as advanced and modern as it came, getting constant grants which allowed them to update regularly. When she entered the blindingly white building that smelled of anesthetic from a block away, she was assaulted with hushed whispers of people in the waiting room. Everyone's eyes traveled towards her and she gracefully avoided them by quickly made eye contact with the desk nurse. Her pink hair was a curse sometimes.
Tsunade had informed her that she would be over looked by a doctor named Kabuto for the first few months and that the Dean of Medicine was already aware of Sakura's desire to work alone. The young doctor was friendly, but she was far from a people person when it came to her professional life. She walked towards the long black haired woman behind the registry counter, "hello, I'm –"
"Sakura Haruno," the woman smiled, "I'm sorry, we've all just been really excited to meet you. My name is Gilee, erhm, Kabuto will be here shortly to show you around."
"Nice to meet you Gilee," Sakura smiled warmly back. The revenge she got on Itachi had turned her mood for the better. Revenge tasted sweet and she didn't need actively working taste buds to know that.
After a few moments of small talk with the nurse, a man with light tinted blue hair approached her. He was about a foot taller than her, but had an extremely warm and kind expression on his gentle face that kept him from seeming overbearing. He wasn't intimidating at all and for that, Sakura was grateful. Too many doctors tried to act all high and mighty around her. He offered Sakura a smile as he reached his arm out to shake her hand.
"Sakura, I presume?"
"Mmm hmmm, nice to finally meet you, Kabuto."
"Shall, I show you around? I'm sure you will absolutely adore your laboratory. We just received the last of the specimens you asked for this morning so you can start your research this afternoon, after we make rounds to introduce you to this week's surgery patients, of course."
"I have a brain tumor removal Sunday, right?" Sakura asked as she fell into step beside the man.
He fixed his glasses on his nose as he responded smoothly, "yes brain tumor removal in the morning, and then there is a child flying in from a desert village – she has Wa-Lu disease."
"Oh my," Sakura replied sympathetically as he handed her the print-out version of her schedule for the week.
"If you find anything over whelming we will be more than happy to accommodate you with any changes," Kabuto added quickly as they walked into the elevator.
"No, no – please, I worked during the last great war. There is absolutely nothing I can't handle after that."
"Very well, I'll take you through the departments…we'll start with forensics, alright?"
"Mmm hmm," Sakura smiled warmly as she finished looking over what the rest of her day entailed.
.
…
.
Itachi walked into the police precinct that his current team of detectives were waiting in. Shisui and he were asked to overlook an interrogation, and more often than he'd like to admit, Itachi had stepped in and turned the suspect into a pleading criminal begging for the death penalty – anything to get the demented Uchihla lawyer away from him.
"Hey, Itachi!" his cousin, Shisui with wild black hair that looked like it would break a comb, greeted him with a smile. He had been waiting for Itachi.
"Your tie is crooked," the younger man replied as the elder Uchihla let out a half chuckle.
"I hate suits; I have a stupid court case at 2."
"The embezzlement man?" Itachi asked. Most of Shisui's cases dealt with theft and white collar crimes but since he was dating a detective in the homicide department, he often overstepped his boundaries. The prestige of being an Uchiha meant that both men had more perks than they'd be able to take advantage of.
"Mmm hmm," Shisui said leaning off one of the detective's desks, "shall we?"
"How long has he been in there?"
"Fifty minutes, Iruka and Anko are waiting in the watching room for us."
"Who brought him in?" he asked as they walked past the messy desks towards the interrogating rooms.
"Anko."
"I assume he has a black eye?" Itachi asked. Anko was known for giving every suspect a black eye, and that included an eighty year old Amish grandmother.
"Of course," Shisui said laughing, "and she's threatening to give him more. She's convinced he murdered his own daughter."
"Who's interrogating?"
"Ibiki," Shisui said opening the door for his younger relative.
"Good," Itachi said.
"Hey Shisui and Itachi," Iruka greeted and Anko did a lazy wave from the corner of the room as she licked on her purple Popsicle.
"Hey," Shisui responded moving towards his girlfriend, "hey, there gorgeous."
"Hey pumpkin, ditching work?" Anko greeted back while she sucked on the Popsicle provocatively.
"Anko, don't give him a hard on, he can't win a case when he has blue balls," Itachi deadpanned as he turned his attention to the two way mirror.
Iruka chuckled under his breath as he caught an appreciative sideways glance from the lawyer that had helped bring down criminals who didn't deserve to walk among civilians.
"Soo, grouchy pants," Anko called to Itachi, "when are we having your housewarming party, eh?"
"I have a pest I need to get rid of," he replied smoothly as he watched the criminal twitch and glance left to right anxiously.
"Dude, a roach? In the Glass Buildings? That's –," Shisui began but his lover interrupted.
"Woah, you got an apartment in the Glass Building? Damn, I'm jealous," Anko muttered with a prolonged slurp.
"Shhh," Iruka hushed everyone up as Ibiki entered the room with a stern look on his face that made the man in custody quiver in fear.
Itachi smirked.
"He hasn't asked for a lawyer?"
"Nope," Iruka answered as Ibiki slammed the door.
"Interesting."
After an hour of grueling interrogation by the dark skinned bald headed man, the criminal begged for a lawyer and began to place substantial blame on his wife for all the wrong he "had to" do, yet he refused to name said wrongs.
"Bastard, I should have given him another black eye," Anko muttered as the detectives and lawyers walked out of the observation room.
"Will you take it from here, Itachi?" Iruka asked as he shifted his gun holster slightly to the side.
"Yes, keep grilling him – I'll get a search warrant for his apartment after the hearing and once you find the body, I'll schedule a court case."
"You da man," Anko said and quickly added, "So when are you throwing a house warming party?"
The dark haired girl was never good with nos. "I'm not," Itachi replied grabbing his brief case, "Shisui lets go."
"Have a good day you guys!" Shisui shouted over his shoulder as he grabbed his suit jacket off Anko's seat and followed Itachi out.
"Hey, bro, I need a favor," Shisui said putting on his jacket as they walked out onto the busy streets of Konoha.
"Two favors in one week, did you break a mirror?" Itachi half muttered as he put on his sunglasses.
"No…but Maria is coming in a week to visit and you know how Anko…well, wants to bash her face into a spike rock and all."
"I'm well aware of Anko's feelings towards your sister."
"Listen, we made plans for next week, and I would owe you big time if you went out with Maria."
"You already told her I asked her out."
"To the Opera," Shisui admitted.
"I'd like to cash in one of the favors you owe, right now."
"Consider it done."
"You tell a single soul about this, and I will rip your tongue out with rusty pliers…"
"Woah, secret time?"
"Do you still keep up with real estate laws?"
"Yeap, and if anything my mum's the head-honcho when it comes to that stuff. She's my Sparknotes."
"I need you to look over these documents, tell me if there's any way to make it obsolete and kick the other person out," Itachi said handing him over a packet of papers.
"This is a lease agreement," Shisui said scanning the paper, "this is your lease agreement…this is your and Sakura Haruno's lease agreement. Woah…you lucky bastard."
"Find a loop hole in it; I'm not familiar enough with real estate legalities to be able to dissect it professionally."
"Dude, why would you want to find a loophole, Sakura Haruno…dude, I love the chick."
Itachi glared at his older cousin with narrowed eyes, his over use of the word dude had gotten old real fast.
"Anko and I made a threesome list; Haruno is on Anko's list. I have been trying to track down all the chicks on the list but Temari is busy becoming the richest person in the world and Kurenai is doing movie after movie and, well…Karin's just pathetic, I think Anko just put her on the list so she could wear a strap on and butt eff the girl to death…"
"Who is on your list?" Itachi asked, not even fazed by the insanity of Shisui or his lover.
"You'll have to deposit another favor for that answer."
"I'll pass; I need you to find a way to get rid of the Haruno girl," he reminded his sometimes irresponsible cousin.
"I'll see what I can do, no promises – I haven't been on any real estate cases since Anko shot me."
"Don't let anyone know."
"You have my word."
"Good."
.
…
.
After Itachi's two hour court case, and six minute jury deliberation, he headed to see Judge Hiruzen Sarutobi. On the way he got a phone call from Anko informing him that they got the man to crack and admit to the crimes. Perfect timing.
He entered knocked on Hiruzen's office.
"Come in," the old man muttered and Itachi walked in, "Ahh, Itachi…what can I do for you, dear boy?" the old man asked.
"I need a search warrant. Man has admitted to murdering his child, he is blaming wife. They own four properties on this coast; I'd like to be able to give the detectives clearance to search all."
"Ahhh," the old man rubbed his goatee, "where is his wife?"
"Missing, officials are looking for her, if we discover her inside any of the properties we will be bringing her into custody."
"Hmmm, approved…..now," the judge said shuffling his papers, "how have you been, boy?"
"Fine," Itachi answered handing over the search warrant form.
"You are a good liar… but I'm too old to be lied to."
"I have some troubles at my new apartment," Itachi said honestly – the judge was a walking lie-detector.
"Oh? You have taken my advice and moved to the Square?"
"Yes."
"Where?" he asked signing the document.
"Glass Building in the center of town."
"Very, very nice – what troubles may you be having?"
"I'd like to keep it private."
"My boy, haha," he handed Itachi the signed warrant, "I do not gossip."
"There has been a document mishap; I am currently rooming with another person – Sakura Haruno, she seems to be quit famous, apparently."
"Ahhh, yes I know off her, she's Tsunade's apprentice…a feisty girl that's for sure…" the old man mused.
"Yes, well I'm trying to get rid of her."
"Legally?"
"I have given the lease agreement to Shisui to see if legal action can be taken, but so far…I'm doing so by other means."
"Other means," he chuckled, "be warned, I'm sure Sakura inherited Tsunade's backbone…you may be the one kicked out."
"I doubt it, thank you for the warrant; I have some more work to do."
Hiruzen waved him off, "go, go."
.
…
.
Itachi returned back home well past midnight, and went straight into undressing, showering and changing into his sweat pants to prepare for bed. He knew he should probably look over some documents before going to sleep, but he was too exhausted by the paperwork he had done.
When he entered the bedroom, he saw Sakura already lying in her mat sleeping peacefully by the window. He had expected her to have moved out but it seemed as though the judge was right – she had a backbone, he just had to see if it was made of steel or glass.
.
…
.
Itachi's internal clock had never failed him and everyday he was awake at 5:30 in the morning without the assistance of an alarm clock. The next day wasn't any different, except when he opened his eyes and sat up – the pink haired girl was gone. He raised a suspicious eyebrow; he could have sworn that he hadn't heard her movements and that agitated him. He was a very light sleeper.
Then he stood up – the floor was frozen. Not cold frozen like he had done to her, but ice frozen. When his sleepy eyes adjusted, he saw a sheet of ice across his side of the room. She must have chilled the floor temperature to the lowest degree and then poured water on the floor.
She was creative; he had to give her that much credit. Itachi ignored the cold sensation as he went to place his feet in the comfort of his slippers only to find them gone.
She had just gone from creative to very annoying on his Haruno scale.
"Damn, bitch," he muttered under his breath as he carefully made his way to the door, he had no plans of tripping or slipping.
Thankfully the sheet of ice stopped at the threshold and he made his way towards the kitchen to corner easily, but much to his surprise she wasn't there either. She must have left for work, he deduced as he ran his fingers through his hair, it was for the best anyway. He was not one who enjoyed sharing breakfast with others and with her those breakfast pleasantries would turn into World War Three by lunch.
So he went through his early morning ritual; he brushed his teeth and changed into his basketball shorts, muscle shirt and went downstairs to the 2nd floor where there was a top of the line gym and spa for all Glass Building tenants. After forty-five minutes on the treadmill and twenty-five minutes of stretching, pushups, sit ups, pull ups, weight lunges and squats he returned back into the apartment. Still no sign of Haruno.
Itachi took a shower, then put his hair into a loose pony tail and dried his torso off with a towel while the other hand went to open one of the walk-in closets.
His eyes widened, jaw dropped, and towel fell in one fluid motion.
Every single one of his very very expensive suits and collared shirts that he had brought into the apartment were dyed bright pink with visible bleach spots all over. His rack of silk ties was all cut in half and all his shoes were missing.
The last time his level of anger rose so high was when he was interrogating the mass murderer Mandora back in his detective days.
He quickly attempted calmed himself as he walked back into the bedroom, snatched up his phone and dialed his cousin.
"Ughmhp," was the greeting on the other line.
"You have ten minutes to get here with one of my spare suits, shirts, ties, and shoes," Itachi demanded coldly as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Here? Where? Who?" the voice seemed to be muffled into the pillow.
"I will tell Anko about spring break of '91."
"I am on my way!" A loud and awake voice yelled through the line.
Then he called the lobby to inform them of his cousin to be sent right up, and ordered a breakfast cart with two meals of scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, fruit cups, tea, and bottle of whiskey.
It's never too early for whiskey when a psycho bitch ruins over fifty grand worth of clothes.
A/N: Thank you for reading, alerting, and favoriting. Special thank you for any comments/reviews you leave...they make me really happy. :)