~March 12, 11: 57 pm~
Gazing up at his ceiling, the young raven haired boy watched the fan above him went around in circles like black smoke trying to cover the darkened skyline. His thoughts often drifting in and out as he heard her sweet words whispering in his ear. Or with the smell of her skin alongside his, like an angel, sent shivers up his spine.
Sasuke Thinking: Sakura, where are you…?
With his hands behind his head he rolled over to his side and placed the large black sheeted pillow over his head. Feeling the sensation of fire in the pit of his stomach; stood up from his bed and went to his closet. Slipping on his black pants over his boxers her strapped on his old pair of combat boots and his black shirt.
Closing his bedroom door with a loud 'boom', he walked down the long and curved stairway and into the kitchen. It was where Naruto was with Hinata working on their semester project for science class, due later that week. Clutching a bottle of water from the refrigerator he shut the door and began to walk of the room once more.
Naruto: Hey? Where are you going?
Sasuke: Out.
Naruto: "Hinata, I'll be right back." He said walking into the living room next door.
Hinata: A-Alright Naruto-kun…
Sasuke: What?
Naruto: Where are you going in your training uniform?
Sasuke: What's it to you?
Naruto: Not getting in trouble with Kakashi, that's what.
Sasuke: I'm going out to train to clear my head. Happy?
Naruto: Very.
Getting into his automobile he drove twenty-three miles north and the town's border. Stopping at a dead rode, he constrained a silver button under the dashboard of the passenger side an apart came a large bolder that lay in his way. Driving through the pillar Sasuke pulled into an empty parking space. Stepping out of his car he heard an all too familiar voice speak his name.
Kakashi: Sasuke? What are you doing here?
Sasuke: Training.
Kakashi: I can see that, but what led you to came and do so?
Sasuke: Can't I just train once in a while?
Kakashi: Well, come with me. I need a sparring partner and you and I haven't gone toe-to-toe for some time now.
Sasuke: Fine.
The two men walked off to the right and into a white room. It was filled with a control box in the far left corner.
Kakashi: So where would you like this battle to take place? Perhaps the jungle, desert, city, country, or maybe the ocean even? And if any what combat?
Sasuke: City, and for combat, I'll leave that one up to you.
Kakashi: Alright then, hand-to-hand and weapon with both be allowed.
Sasuke: Fine with me.
Changing into the required uniforms for the Battle Simulation Field or BSF, they finished loading their guns and went to each side of the four entrance gates. Fighting the man who had taught him all the things from the years in the academy and the first three real years of missions, he knew it would be a real challenge. It had been years since they had their last fight.
Graduating in the top of class both Sasuke and Kakashi, although many years apart were so much alike, wither they wanted to admit it or not. Branded as a mastermind at the age of six Sasuke was always the best. Kakashi was the one and only willing to take him under his wing for the remainder of the next few years. Just once until he had the proper training to live for himself.
Overhead: You may begin.
Running into the computer-generated city, Sasuke took out his gun in the firing position and began off rounding a darkened corner. Not hearing any footsteps he preceded into the filled city with caution. Passing by an old uninhibited factory he spotted a misty figure fly past the window. Opening the rusty door into the building he heard a chain move, the sound was coming from his right. Then from his left. Running, he pressed his back behind a metal pole on the outer ends of the room.
Kakashi: There's no use in hiding Sasuke. It will do nothing more than postpone your death.
Sasuke: Don't get to cocky Kakashi, isn't that what you always told me?
Kakashi: When have you ever listened before?
Sasuke: I have selective hearing.
Kakashi: Whatever you have, it's not fully skill.
Sasuke: What?!
Kakashi: "Even in a conversation with your opponent, you must never let down your guard." He said as Sasuke turned his face back in the direction of the voice.
Gawking into the eyes of his adversary he saw the gun rise straight to his face. Seconds felt like minutes as he was captured by looking down the barrel of his 45 handgun. A single second before the trigger was pulled he dropped his body and forced his leg underneath Kakashi's. It was just the right amount of force to knock him off his feet and delay the gunfire. Pushing to his feet Sasuke took off in the other direction to replay another theatrical plan in his mind.
Sasuke Thinking: Damn…Why the hell can't I seem to focus?!
Kakashi: What's wrong Sasuke? Something clouding your thought process?
Sasuke: Kakashi…Let me ask you something.
Kakashi: Go on?
Sasuke: What was your first body guard mission?
Kakashi: Hm, what are you thinking?
Sasuke: Just curious maybe.
Kakashi: She was murdered.
Sasuke: "…" Had said nothing and he felt his heart sink to the floor. His hand felt numb, he didn't even realize the gun had slipped between his fingers.
Kakashi: It's over.
With Sasuke's eyes locked on the gun the trigger was pulled within an instant. Coming back to his scenes moments after, he was lying face up on the white floor. He could still feel his body, it was like a rock. Heavy and motionless.
Kakashi: "Alright gets up." He said lifting Sasuke up off of his back.
Sasuke: ….
Kakashi: What's gotten into you? You're usually much harder to beat.
Sasuke: How did she die?
Kakashi: Huh? Oh, you mean the woman I was meant to protect.
Sasuke: Yeah…
Kakashi: Well, It was a few months into the mission when I realized that it was not only a mission that I was a part of anymore.
Sasuke: Hm?
Kakashi: Her name was Ami, a lovely girl, one who was content with her surroundings.
Sasuke: And?
Kakashi: There are many things that I could say about her, some good and some not so good. But because of my childish behavior I lost the first women who knew all my flatus and still was blissful with what I did.
Sasuke: Were you in love with her?
Kakashi: That is one thing that I noticed too late. She was gone by the time I went looking for her. Those words that I didn't tell her are the thing that I most regret in my line of work, and my life.
Sasuke: Then tell me this…
Kakashi: …
Sasuke: Did you find happiness again?
Kakashi: "What's all this about?" He began with a long sigh.
Sasuke: Nothing…but I think I'd better be getting back to the house. I have school in the morning.
Kakashi: Alright, but let me say this Sasuke.
Sasuke: …
Kakashi: When you see her, you'll know.
Sasuke: What do you mean about that?
Kakashi: Goodnight Sasuke. And have Naruto report to me in the morning, he still hasn't got his annual checkup, from last year.
Speeding back home, Sasuke's mind became to get fogged again. What if Naruto and Kakashi were right? He soon found himself in the same open space at the park's parking lot. Reopening the secret compartment inside the car he took out a flashlight and stepped out of the car.
Sasuke: It had to be around here somewhere…there!
He walked back over to the swing with the mark underneath. It had been roughed up a little but still partly visible. Inserting the flashlight between his teeth he grasped the pocket knife from his rear packet and began to dig up grains of sand at a time. Knowing any clue could lead him closer to Sakura.
Sasuke Thinking: Sakura, you need to give me a sign. Just let me know where you are.
Striking something with the tip of his knife, it was a shred of clothing. The fabric was damp, and covers with sand. Sliding on a pair of rubber gloves, he slid the scrap of sartorial into a plastic baggie and into the safety compartment in his car. He began to dive home, that piece of clothing had given him the hope to keep on looking.
~March 13, 1:17 am~
Naruto: Dude?! What the hell? Why are you just now getting home?
Sasuke: Chill.
Naruto: I will not chill it is almost 1:30 in the morning and we have school tomorrow.
Sasuke: "Stop acting like a baby and take a look at what I found." He said as he took out the baggie from his back pocket.
Naruto: So?
Sasuke: So? You dobe, this could be our lead to find Sakura!
Naruto: How?
Sasuke: I pulled his out of the sand where it was found. What if after Sakura hit the ground they took her, they scraped themselves in the bushes and their clothing tore.
Naruto: That's a longshot.
Sasuke: And? Isn't it the only thing we've got to go on?
Naruto: What will we be looking for on it?
Sasuke: Skin cells, blood, sweat, any type of DNA.
Naruto: Even if we get a hit off this, what good is it going to do if we can't even find the guy?
Sasuke: My thought is, maybe it wasn't a man who took her.
Naruto: Are you saying it was a woman?
Sasuke: No, I'm just saying 'what if'.
Naruto: I guess that would make some since.
Sasuke: And what if isn't just one 'man' who pulled his off. The job was way to clean for only one to pull it off.
Naruto: They are Akatsuki.
Sasuke: But how would just one man pull off a watch and a kidnap with driving if she were to wake up.
Naruto: You do have some good points, but it's still a longshot to go on. And is Kakashi or the boys back at the lab doesn't fine this evidence a reliable source, then it will all be for nothing and we'll go right back into square one. With nothing.
Sasuke: But is it worth the risk?
Naruto: Dude I don't know b-
Sasuke: What are you saying? You're the one who was all excited to get our own first personal case and were going to be screwing it up if we don't do what all we can. And Sakura, do you want her to just be killed because of what her father has been doing?!
Naruto: You didn't let me finish…
Sasuke: Hm?
Naruto: I don't know, but, to get Sakura back hell yeah let's do it!
Sasuke: Hm. Let's go and take this sample to the lab.
~March 13, 2:00 am~
Sasuke: So did you get a hit off the clothing?
Kurenai: Yep, lab results came back positive for DNA. Skin cells that were embedded into the fibers of the clothing were kept intact but the moisture of the sand. You were very lucky.
Sasuke: Who does it belong to?
Kurenai: His name is Sasori. He is also on the FBI's 'Top 10 Most Wanted'. He picks his pray by the age of the target. He kills them and then drains all their blood and carves out their insides.
Sasuke: What?!
Naruto: What kind of sick bastard could do something like that?!
Kurenai: Just like his partner.
Naruto: You mean there are two of them?!
Kurenai: Bingo! The other DNA I found was a man named Deidara. He doesn't have a way to choose his pray. But the way that he kills, I don't think her really needs to.
Sasuke: "What are you trying to say?!" He said while clenching his teeth.
Kurenai: He kills with explosions.
Naruto: Like…blowing them up.
Kurenai: Yea, he has a record all the way back since her was a student. The violence has seemed to have escalated over the years thought. It says that he bounds and gags his pray before he straps the bombs to them.
Sasuke: "Those sick BASTARDS!" He rolled his hand into a fist and held it tightly in place until his finger nails broke the skin.
Naruto: Where was their last known location?
Kurenai: I don't know what good it will do, but it's all the way over in Suna.
Naruto: That's like three hours away!
Kurenai: Sorry I couldn't be any more help boys.
Sasuke: Thank you. Naruto, let's go.
While driving home, the sun began to rise over the skyline in the promise of a sunny day. For the two boys, who sat in the front seats of their black car, they couldn't see any more hope. The chances of Sakura being alive were so slim to at least none. Second day on their first alone mission; had she disappeared before their very eyes.
*****To Be Continued*****