Whoa, this chapter was longer then I thought it'd be. So far, 44 hits on this story. I'm getting closer to one hundred! :D
So, this is rated M for a reason.. But just a warning: MILD GORE. Or lots of it. Depends on how sensitive you are I guess. Anyway, enjoy.
Sasuke met up with a group of police ninja in the middle of the forest. He was handed a mask that he put on immediately, mostly because despite the fact he was a good hundred feet away fromt he crime scene, he could already smell a hint of rotten flesh and blood. When he arrived, it was truly and eyesore. It was something, even as an active ninja, he had never seen before.
There, a few feet in front of him, laid a mass of internal organs- most likely kidneys, a heart, and intestines- spread out on a blanket of torn flesh. A spine stuck out from the head, and other bones were seen in various areas surrounding it. An amputated arm and leg were completely drained of blood and looked to have actually been placed against the tree. Pieces of the other arm and leg were simply scattered about. Sasuke looked down, trying to give his eyes and mind a break, but instead, was greeted by a terrified face, which surprisingly enough was still intact to the rest of the head.
"Who the hell would do this?"
Sasuke and the rest of the crew began to bag and label the evidence.
Sakura was taking a stroll through the town after her shift ended. She walked into her favorite restaurant, Ichiban, and saw a familiar face towards the back. She stood infront of the seemingly stressed man.
"Sasuke-kun?"
His mind was brought back to reality when she said his name. He raised his head from his hands, blankly staring into the pinkette's emerald green irises.
"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked coldly.
"I always come here."
"Oh, that's right."
"You mind if I sit here?"
He sighed, and closed his eyes once more.
"Yea, whatever."
Sakura could tell her was deeply bothered by something. He may have been there physically, but his mind was still somewhat drifted.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked in a stern and serious tone.
He glanced up at her for a moment.
"It's none of your business."
"Hey, don't pull that with me," Sakura said as she stood in, leaning her forehead against his.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Not letting you win. So I'll ask once again, what's wrong?"
Sasuke looked up at her again.
"Hn. You're annoying."
"I know, you've told me. Now tell me what's bothering you."
He released an annoyed sigh.
"I handled that murder case today."
"The one in the paper?"
"Yea, that one. We had the 'honors' of cleaning up the scene today. It was... Horrific. To put it mildly. I can see why Hinata was in such a state now..."
Sasuke buried his head in his hands.
"The damn image is just burned into my head."
Sakura stroked her hand through his hair, and leaned against his forehead again.
"It'll be okay...," she whispered softly to him.
"It'll be okay."
Sasuke arrived at the police station the next morning, exhausted from lack of sleep.
"Hey," the man behind the desk said.
He struggled to do a slight wave back.
"We have something for you to do."
"Hn. Already?" Sasuke said with irritation overflowing in his voice. He rubbed his head.
"Yea, it has to do with that massacre case. Find Neji Hyuuga."
Sasuke arched an eyebrow down, confused by his co-worker's statement.
"Neji? Why?"
"We think he may be a witness."
A loud tap was heard on the door. Neji glared at it, trying to determine whether he should open the door or not. The taps became louder, then were followed by muffled yelling.
"Neji! Open the damn door!"
Neji walked over to the door, opening it just enough to peek at who was standing on his doorstep.
"Oh, it's you. Why are you here?"
"They want me to take you down to the police station."
"Why?"
Sasuke sighed.
"They think you're a witness to the recent murder."
Neji remained silent.
"Just come, this is just as annoying for me."
"Alright, fine."
He followed Sasuke out of the house, forcefully closing the door behind him.
After Sasuke finished interviewing Neji, he decided to roam around the village. His mind flooded with question about the case. He began to group answers together with evidence, even though it seemed he was only creating more loose ends. His thoughts were interrupted by an annoying tone that called out his name.
"Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kunnn!"
A red haired girl came running to him. He glared at her at first, then released an annoyed 'hn'. She pouted, tilting her head and placing her hand on her hip.
"What? Hello to you, too."
"You interrupted my train of thought."
"Oh, I'm sorry! But how was I supposed to know?"
"Hn."
Silence lingered in the air for a few moments.
"So, how's the job at the police academy?"
"Alright, kind of hectic. How's the research?"
"It's great!"
Karin looked at a clock hanging off of one of the shop walls.
"Oh! I need to get back. Hey, let's go out somewhere this weekend. Hmm.. How about this Friday? Meet me at the Aruko bar!"
She ran off back to her job.
Finally... he thought to himself.
He continued to tread through the village.
Karin took a seat on the cold bar stool, placing her purse infront of her. She fixed her glasses so they were no longer close to the tip of her nose, then looked around to search for signs of Sasuke. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into what seemed like hours. She sighed, finally deciding to order a bottle of Sake. A bottle or two later, she caught a familiar face sit down a few seats down. She looked over and smiled.
"You're... Neji Hyuuga, right?"
He looked up, a bit confused and leery of what seemed to be a conversation starter.
"Yea... Why?"
"Oh, wow! I've been doing research on your family's chakra ever since I started here. It's so different and interesting!"
Neji, somewhat intriuged by the fascinated girl, decided to partake in the conversation.
They continued to talk for quite a while, until Karin felt herself become tired. She stood up and shook his hand, secretly somewhat glad Sasuke never arrived. She said her goodbye and exited, thinking about Neji as she walked home. Her cheeks were dusted with a soft pink as time went on. She continued to smile and giggle to herself, until she sensed an eerie, dark chakra close to her.
Chills ran up her spine.
She remainded frozen in place, frantically thinking of what to do. She began to walk once again, quickening her pace. Unfortunately, it seemed the chakra was following her.
Something then sparked in Karin's mind. Even though it was much more sinister, she felt a sense of familiarity in it. She spun around.
"Don't tell me...!"
The man charged into her, pushing her into a dark alley. His arm pinned her neck into the wall. Her eyes widened, recognizing the face. His eyes screamed bloodlust, despite the rest of his calm features. Her knees trembled, and tears found their way down her cheeks.
"To think... I ever admired you..."
Those were the last words she was allowed to say.