T/W for implied sexual assault.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
In a bizarre way, Sakura was actually very grateful for Suigetsu and his disgustingly inappropriate comments. Running tests on him was giving her something to do and he was highly distracting. And distracting was what she needed at the moment, because otherwise she'd work herself into an anxious mess over Ageha.
She hadn't lied. She didn't know the girl particularly well. They didn't talk very much, most of the time Ageha was unconscious and Sakura would just sit with her while she slept. But she still felt responsible for the child. She'd been the one to accept her as a patient, she'd been the one in charge of her health and medical care, she'd claimed the responsibility of being the girls emergency contact.
Like she was prone to do, her mind was plagued with "what ifs." What if she'd visited her more? What if she'd been there, stayed with her that night? She could have protected her. What if she'd figured out a cure for her sooner? Ageha would have never been in that psycho's cross hairs in the first place. What were they doing to her right now? How much pain was she in? Sakura felt so guilty, they never would have gone after Ageha if it wasn't for her. Consciously she knew it wasn't her fault, but her emotions couldn't seem to grasp that.
So, yeah, Suigetsu and his lascivious flirting were actually proving to be a wildly helpful distraction.
"You sure you don't want to test anything else out?" Suigetsu asked with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.
"Yup. I don't think anything else will be all that interesting." Sakura tossed back lightly. As much as she wanted to deck Suigetsu in the face, he might still spill some useful information if kept in his good, flirty, mood. But there was still only so much she could take.
"You sure? Cause I'm totally fine with you grabbing my balls and asking me to cough."
"Yeah, we're not doing those kinds of tests."
She began running an analysis on Suigetsu's blood. There was a reduced number of regulator enzymes, which made sense given his assertion that he could consciously regulate his own biochemistry. She didn't even want to imagine what had to have been done in order to allow that to happen.
"Why do that?"
"Do what? Grab my balls?"
"I was actually talking about Orochimaru."
"Oh you mean his experiments? He's trying to figure out how to be immortal. Some kind of body reinforcement or something. He was real interested in body switching too."
"I stand corrected. He's not just a little insane. He's really fucking insane. Good to know."
Suigetsu snorted. Sakura eye'd Kakashi, sitting in the corner, his nose shoved in his small orange book—Icha Icha paradise was an interesting choice given their current setting, but it always had been his preferred "literature." Despite his focus never leaving the page, she knew he was listening intently, making note of everything being said.
"Body switching…that's not—he's a brilliant scientist. He has to know that's impossible…"
"That's not my problem. Something to do with genetic mutation—matching codes or something."
"…matching codes…" Fuck. That's what he was trying to do?! The insertion of new, different genetic codes, that was a preamble experiment. So there was a purpose to these experiments past just science. And it still fit the profile. Egotistical narcissistic megalomania. It was a horrifying premise. And brilliant. But it assumed that a human's entire identity was rooted in their genetic code. So, Orochimaru had apparently decided to discount nurture in human personality development.
But you couldn't just replace one genetic sequence with another. That was what the curse mark experiment had to be. Testing how the body would respond to the introduction and binding of an entirely new genetic strand. But what was the perfect test subject? And who was the main goal? Was it her? Was that why he was targeting her?
"So. You and Sasuke? You two fucking?"
That broke her out of her thoughts. She choked on her own saliva.
"Wh-why would you say that?"
"Please. You think I didn't notice how he wanted to take my head off every time I looked at you? Possessive bastard, isn't he? So. You two fucking?"
"No…" Not yet.
She was acutely aware of her highly intuitive captain listening intently behind his literary porn.
"I only ask out of concern for the bastard. That guy needs to get laid. I told him that daily. He had women throwing themselves at him but he never even looked at them. Lucy ungrateful prick. You're the first woman I've ever seen him so protective of—not that I can blame him. You're quite easy on the eyes."
"Gee…thanks…" Her mind was reeling.
"Don't worry. I won't try anything. Getting on Sasuke's murderous side isn't exactly topping my todo list. But if you two ever want to make it a threesome, hit me up." He said with a shark like grin.
"We don't."
His grin widened. "Gotcha."
Clever snot. Sakura turned away, her face flushing in embarrassment. Suigetsu laughed.
"Yeah yeah. You both strike me as the monogamous type."
This time Sakura wasn't gonna fall for it. She kept her mouth shut and her back turned, making Suigetsu laugh harder.
"Well, I think my work is done here. Or do you need to look at anything else?" Suigetsu asked, grin still in place.
"Nope I've seen more than enough. Please go and while you're at it, do me a favor and never say anything about this ever again…"
"You got it Doc." Suigetsu laughed, strolling out the door.
Sakura turned to Kakashi.
"I don't want to hear a word from you either."
"Sasuke's hard enough to order around as is. He'll listen to me even less if he knows how much I let that pervert say to you." Kakashi looked up at her from his book, "Congratulations by the way. Glad my ship's finally sailed."
Sakura sighed tiredly, face flaming.
"You knew I still liked him all that time?"
"Why do you think I paired you two together so often?"
"I guess you'll be adding matchmaker to your resume, then."
"Nah, I'll just gloat in private."
At the very least, she could always count on Kakashi-sensei to be discreet.
Squad 7 sat in the conference room with Hinata, who was representing Squad 8. Sakura chewed on her lip nervously. She wanted to know if they found anything about Ageha. Despite knowing that odds were she'd never see the girl alive again, she still couldn't help the hope that she would.
"Alright, let's begin. This'll debriefing won't take long, since we all heard Suigetsu's statements, this is more just so we're all on the same page." Kakashi said, standing at the front near the board.
"Yeah, where'd you pick up that asshole anyways, Bastard?"
"That's not important right now." Sakura cut in. "He gave us a vocal profile to work off of. Hinata-chan, have you guys found anything? Any updates?" Sakura managed to keep the anxiety from her voice, but there was edge to her tone that she knew Sasuke and probably Kakashi caught.
"Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun narrowed it down to fifteen who match the vocal profile. We're bringing them all in now, Shino's questioning them and checking their alibis as we speak. An APB has gone out to all KPD checkpoints and an amber alert has been sent out to all phone numbers registered to the greater Konoha region. I have a press packet put together which I'll be delivering later. Kiba is out with the K-9 unit…but we haven't found anything yet. I'm sorry Sakura-chan."
"It's ok…It's roughly what I was expecting."
"How severe is her condition?"
"It's bad. She didn't have much time left, and that was with full, proper care. Assuming the guy who took her is a doctor, and not some auxiliary staff, and that they're definitely in league with Orochimaru, they might have the ability and equipment to keep her stabilized but…" She really didn't want to finish that thought.
"…But it's unlikely he'd utilize them for that purpose." Sasuke finished grimly for her.
"Naruto-kun's caught me up on the details of your case." Hinata nodded, her expression serious. Despite her normal shyness, the pale-eye'd woman never stuttered or faltered when it came work.
"Did you get anything from Fishdick's tests?" Sasuke asked, Naruto straining to hold in his laugh at the nickname.
"Suigetsu," Sakura stressed, "has a lowered level of regulatory enzymes, which makes sense, given his…abilities. Brain scans indicate that there was tampering with his pituitary gland. There also seems to have been some pathways that were created in his brain that hadn't existed before, connecting his frontal lobe more directly to his brain stem and cerebellum. He has elevated plasma levels—which is odd. The average human adult body is 60% water. Suigetsu seems to be 80%. I'm currently working on sequencing his DNA and analyzing his blood to see if there are any traces of chemicals he may have been treated with left there. Hopefully we can find a compound in common with Shiin and Tatsuyu's blood."
"Uh, that wouldn't give us a location, would it Sakura-chan?"
"No. But it might give us a chemical signature or an ingredient pool. It can be indicative of the creator's education, background, and region."
"But there's nothing as of yet, right?"
"Unfortunately."
"Suigetsu did enlighten us to Orochimaru's possible motives in all this. I'll let Sakura explain." Kakashi chimed in, stepping back to allow her clear access to the board. The truth of the matter was, Kakashi didn't fully understand how this worked himself, so even if he wanted to explain, he was at a loss.
"Orochimaru is interested in gaining immortality. He's experimenting with a couple different routes to accomplish this goal." Sakura said, drawing a bulleted list of his different routes up on the board. "The two big name categories are 'Body Reinforcement,' and 'Body Switching.' These are the two base approaches he's working from." She said, underlining the two on the board.
"He's fucking crazy! That's not possible!" Naruto interjected.
"We passed possibility two bodies back, Naruto." Sakura sighed.
"Howe's Egg Theory…" Sasuke muttered. "How exactly might these work?"
"Well, body reinforcement is easier, since it already exists to some extent. It involves biohacking specific bodily systems to incite beneficial change. HGH is a controlled, regulated, example of that. Suigetsu's biology would be an uncontrolled example. It focuses on surgical or chemical ways to change particular aspects of the body. Increase muscle density, toughen skin, allow conscious control over biochemistry…Even Sasuke-kun, Hinata-chan, and Naruto's genetic abilities could be classified under bodily reinforcement—although yours all developed through a natural mutation process generations ago…It's likely that avenue isn't so much for achieving immortality as it is a power increase. The only way I could think of that possibly leading to immortality, would be to mess with the telomeres, which is risky cau—"
"What are telomeres, Sakura-chan?" Naruto interrupted, his hand in the air as if this were a school lecture.
"In order for a cell to divide, it needs to read and copy the DNA. The DNA is condensed and stored as a chromosome. For protection, and division regulation, the chromosome is wrapped in a long protein sequence know as Telomeres. Every time a cell divides, the telomeres around the chromosomes shorten a little, marking cell age. Cells can only replicate so many times in a human lifespan. When the telomeres get too short, the cell is no longer able to replicate. In other words, telomeres are responsible for the body's aging." She drew a diagram on the board for visual aid to accompany her explanation.
"Isn't that the answer to immortality, right there?" Sasuke asked.
"There is a natural enzyme that extends it called telomerase. It's only active in germ cells, and some types of stem cells and white blood cells. However, telomeres are cancer preventatives, since they keep the cell from endlessly replicating, so the introduction and activation of telomerase in the average cell is a risk."
"And splicing in a sequence of animal DNA isn't?"
"No. My guess is that he tried it, but when his test subjects kept developing cancers, he shifted gears. Besides, telomeres/telomerase experimentation is known about, and while not wide spread and done often, there are people looking into it. This guys trying to make himself out to be a god, remember, so that road, while more within the realms of possibility, might seem too pedestrian to him. Which brings us to option two." She tapped the board with her marker.
"How exactly would body switching work? Theoretically. I'm assuming it's not possible." Kakashi asked.
"It's not. There are a couple ways he might be looking to try. Gene matching, gene splicing, and gene implanting. The bodies we've got, are the results of a gene implanting experiment."
"That third strand of DNA…I thought you said that was gene splicing." Sasuke looked troubled. They all did. No one had completely gotten over the fact that Orochimaru had changed the species of two humans into something completely new.
"It utilized splicing. In this case, when I say gene splicing, I mean literally adding parts of his genetic sequence to someone else's." She turned back to the board.
"Let's say this," she said, drawing a double helix in black, "is Orochimaru's DNA. And this," she drew another double helix in red, "is the DNA of some unfortunate person who's become his test subject for his immortality project. Gene Splicing would look like this…"
Sakura drew two dotted lines between a section of Orochimaru's DNA and the red DNA. She then erased the red section, and redrew it black.
"Clipping sections of his DNA and stitching them into someone else's, that's gene splicing. Gene Implanting, is what we've seen with Shiin and Tatsuyu." She drew another red double helix, but this time added a black line running in-between the two.
"And Gene Matching?" Hinata asked quietly.
"This one's the most theoretical of the three." Sakura answered, drawing another set of red and black double helixes. "Gene Matching would be taking the sequence of this," she said tapping the red helix, "and mutating it to match the sequence of this." She tapped the black one. She dotted black over the red helix until it looked like the black DNA strand with little bits of red peeking out here and there.
"We know for a fact he's using the Gene Implanting method." Sasuke stated.
"But according to Suigetsu, he's definitely looking into Gene Matching." Kakashi added.
"My guess is he's testing all three. We just happen to have found a Gene Implantation experiment, so he let us find another."
"But you said Shiin and Tatsuyu's DNA had an added strand of animal DNA, not human." Sakura's diagrams had helped Naruto follow her explanation, roughly, but there was a lot about this that was still confusing to him.
"Right. Since it's just an experiment, not the final project. He needs to be sure of how the body will react first. And he probably wouldn't want to use just anyone, when it comes to his potential immortality. He might be looking for someone specific, who meets certain criteria."
"Do you think that's you?" Kakashi asked, a sharp edge in his tone.
Sakura saw Sasuke stiffen, his fist tightening on the table. Hinata's jaw clenched, and Naruto's expression grew stormy. Her friends cared about her deeply, and the idea that some psycho would try and implant himself into her to take over her body wasn't sitting well with them. Especially not with Sasuke, whose eyes promised murder if that creep got within twenty meters of her.
"Honestly, I can't imagine why I would be. I still stand by the posit that this is a game and he thinks he found a suitable opponent. If he does want me, I don't think it's for the final project…more likely it'd be as a final or semifinal test subject—slowly refining his process on a body, close but not exact, to the one he wants." She turned back to the board, trying not to show how rattled her own words made her. It was unnerving to think or refer to herself as a future test subject for a maniacal psychopath. Sakura labeled the Gene Implantation diagram with Shiin and Tatsuyu's names, for the sake of thoroughness, but more just for something to do to justify her having turned around. She capped the marker and sat back in her chair next to Sasuke, acutely aware of his penetrating stare the whole time.
Kakashi broke the tense silence that fell.
"That's all we got from Suigetsu. What do we have on the Akatsuki?"
"Not much. They're a criminal organization that deals in just about everything. Weapons, drugs, poisons, people…"
"They're one of the most successful human trafficking operations for both sex and labor. They are the prime suspects is 90% of Missing Person's unsolved, cold cases. We've never once been able to catch them, not even in joint operations with Suna. They're Interpol's most wanted, though it's hard cause there's never been a single identified member…until now, that is…" Hinata explained.
"Yeah they're the biggest bads. Shiho, from data analysis and cryptography, said they were active on every layer of the dark web…but she can't trace 'em cause they apparently have some crazy skilled tech guy who covers their tracks."
"Shino-kun's also skilled with tech, and he said the same." Hinata added.
"We're searching the names Suigetsu mentioned. Sasori, Kakuzu, and Konan. We haven't found much yet. From what we've been able to find, Sasori defected from Suna. There isn't a lot of record of Kakazu, although there is a record of a Kakazu from Takigakure attempting to assassinate the first Hokage. This guy may have adopted the name, or be a descendant. Nothing on Konan so far. The only other thing we have one them is that they apparently wear black coats with red clouds on them to deals, according to Suigetsu." Sasuke reported.
"I put in a request with Gaara for any files or info Suna's got on Sasori. He said he'd send anything they had along soon. We should probably have it in the next day, day and a half. He says hi, by the way, Sakura-chan, and wants to know how you're doing."
Sakura felt a smile tug at her lips, despite the grave situation. She missed Gaara and the sand siblings. It had been a long time since she'd seen them. Temari was a good friend—mature, tough, and witty—Kankuro was like an older brother, obnoxious but funny and well intentioned. And post psychotic break, Gaara had been exceptionally kind to her, surprisingly warm despite how he appeared on the outside.
"It's been a while. I'll have to call him later…Sasuke-kun…did you call Karin?" She couldn't help the wave of insecurity that crashed over her. She tried to take comfort in Sasuke's earlier words, but her lack of self confidence on this front was deeply rooted. Women had always thrown themselves at Sasuke, even back in the academy. He'd never acknowledged any of it—but he also hadn't acknowledged her at that point. On one of the worst nights of her life, the night he'd left, she'd offered to go with him. To help him track down his brother. He'd knocked her unconscious and left her in her borrowed car. She'd tried to tell herself that it was just something he felt he had to do alone. He wouldn't accept help from anyone, not even Naruto. Learning that that wasn't the case, that he'd recruited Suigetsu stung. Learning that he'd actively sought out help from another woman, given her the acknowledgment he'd refused Sakura, felt like a punch to the gut from Tsunade.
She was surprised, when she turned to him, her gaze locking with his, to see traces of insecurity, mirroring her own, peeking through his magnet-like eyes. What was he insecure about?
"Ah…She'll be here for interrogation in two days."
"Suigestu indicated that she is a center point for knowledge in the criminal underworld." Kakashi cut in.
"She is." Sasuke verified with a nod, making Sakura's heart jolt painfully.
"Ok, good. Be sure to include Sasori, Kakuzu, and Konan in your questioning, as well as any other information she might have on the Akatsuki…There is one name we haven't talked about yet…" Kakashi's tone was calm, though the look in his sole visible eye was tense.
The subject of Itachi sat on the table like a loaded gun. Sakura felt Sasuke tense next to her, the aura rolling off him dark and troubled.
"We have his file prior to his defection. Former KPD and ANBU member. The record and case report of his crime, and that's it. There's no record of him since. He went completely off the grid. We've got as many leads on him as we do on Konan." Sasuke ground out, his tone deadly.
"You didn't find anything on him while you were gone? This Karin girl didn't have anything?"
"She had one lead on him. A location for a deal near Kumo he was supposed to be at."
"And? Was he?" Naruto asked, excitedly. Sakura really wanted to punch him in that moment, but held herself back. She had to be professional…
"I wouldn't fucking know. I missed it. Someone got in my way." Sasuke answered tightly, glaring murderously at Naruto.
"Oh that's where you were going?!" The blond's eyes widened.
"Did you miss the part when I said I didn't have time for you, Moron?!"
"You said that a bunch of other times too! How was I supposed to know you actually had a lead on him at that point?!"
"Would it have changed anything?" Sasuke asked quietly. There was a weirdly conflicted look in Sasuke's eyes, that Sakura couldn't figure out.
Naruto deflated a little.
"Probably not…I might have gone with you…"
An odd tensed silence fell around the table.
"S-Sasuke-kun, do you know what the buy was for?" Hinata asked quietly, the uncomfortable atmosphere bringing out her stutter.
Sasuke shook his head.
"Do you know the date?"
"June 9th." Both men answered. Even Sakura could have answered that. It had been the date Sasuke had returned home.
"We should look into deals in Kumo that took place on June 9th. See if we can gather why he was there…alright. Well, that just about sums up everything. If no one's got anything to add, then dismissed."
Sakura stared at Ageha's file, chewing at the tip of her pen anxiously. Suigetsu's lab work hadn't come in yet, and she had nothing else to do. So naturally, Sakura's mind took it as the perfect opportunity to worry. Her eyes were growing itchy and tired. She hadn't slept very much or very well the night before, woken up very early to bad news, and continued through a very long, anxiety inducing day.
"I didn't know pens were such a rich source of nutrients."
Sakura jerked up at Sasuke's smooth voice.
"They're an excellent source of micro-plastics." She answered evenly.
"Didn't know carcinogens were so desirable."
"Ever heard of nicotine? Wait, have you been reading my medical textbooks?"
"Why? Cause I know what a carcinogen is?"
"Maybe."
"I'm not the Dead Last, Sakura. I paid attention in health class."
"Fair point."
Sakura suddenly felt rumpled and out of sorts at the long studying look Sasuke was giving her.
"Come on. Let's go." Sasuke said, standing up and grabbing his bag.
"Where?"
"Home."
Her heart pounded erratically in her ribcage. Home. She was going home with him. They were going home together. Hearing him say it like that, it really did almost feel like it was theirs. Something they shared. Of course, she knew she was staying at his apartment. His home. And when he said it, that's probably what he meant. For him, they were going to his home, how else would he address it? But there was still something so intimate and fluttering about the way he said it, that she couldn't fight the heat rising to her face.
"There's nothing else I can do right now, but I don't mind waiting if you still have work you need to do, Sasuke-kun."
He just shook his head. She knew that meant no matter what, he was clocking her out, here and now.
"Okay then." She flipped Ageha's file closed and shoved it in her bag, before following him out to his car. He stopped short at the car door.
"Ah…we need to go grocery shopping…do you mind?"
"No. Why would I?"
"You're tired."
"It's not a particularly draining activity."
"Hn…" He opened the door and got in.
She slid into the passenger seat.
"Besides, how else am I gonna cook dinner?"
"You don't have to do that." He answered quickly.
"We talked about this, remember? Let me earn my keep."
"Whatever." Sasuke said with a put upon sigh.
Sakura laughed. Sasuke's version of pouting was so uniquely his, it was endearing. Besides, who else would be so frustrated by someone's offer to cook for them? He really was independent to a fault.
Grocery shopping with Sasuke was surprisingly intimate. It almost felt like a date. It wasn't that he said anything in particular or held her hand or anything, but just walking down the food lined isles together, pushing a cart in front of them, debating over food items, brands, and prices—the domesticity of it all struck Sakura as something deeply private, just between the two of them.
Sasuke wasn't very specific in the way he shopped, dropping in whatever food items caught his eye with no attention paid to brands or sizes. Sakura found it a little surprising. She'd always thought he was careful and precise with everything. Apparently she was wrong. It was very different from the way Sakura shopped, always buying the store brands, checking the costs per unit for the best deal and frequently only getting what was on sale. Of course, Sasuke didn't have to worry about those kinds of things, and he finally brought it up after she'd switched the fifth item for a cheaper version.
"You don't have to do that, you know."
Sakura blinked, a little embarrassed by her actions.
"Oh, um. Sorry. It's sort of a habit."
"Doesn't matter. I don't care one way or the other. Just…this isn't something you have to worry about. So don't. You have enough going on as is."
She became distinctly aware of her pulse picking up speed. It was a little frustrating, how easily he destabilized her standard heart rate. Her lips reflexively twitched into a smile.
It also didn't escape her notice that after that, with the exception of tomatoes, Sasuke picked the cheaper versions of various foods.
"Sakura."
"Hm?"
"Have you told your parents yet?"
Sakura stopped short. No she hadn't. She hadn't told them anything. In fact, she hadn't spoken to called either of them since the previous week—before any of this started.
"Uh, about you? No, not yet…since it only just happened and all…"
"Sakura." His tone more pressing. They both knew that hadn't been what he'd meant.
"No. I haven't told them about the case…or anything…" Partially because she hadn't wanted them to worry and it hadn't been confirmed that she was being targeted. But more because she didn't want to hear them go off on her about how they knew it was dangerous all along, and how could someone like her be on the force, and why would she go back when she had a perfectly safe job as a doctor, and how she wasn't up to handling this kind of danger and was going to get herself killed. She loved her parents dearly, and knew they loved her, but her self esteem issues hadn't come from nowhere. Still, she knew she had to tell them. They'd already gone after Ageha. What if Orochimaru went after her parents next. They needed to know to be careful. That didn't change the fact that it was a conversation Sakura really didn't want to have.
She screwed her eyes shut and let out a groan.
"Ugh! I'm a terrible daughter."
"No you're not, or you wouldn't be buying the cheapest options."
She shot Sasuke a look of gratitude before taking out her phone. She knew if she didn't do it now, she'd keep putting it off, but it didn't stop her from dreading the conversation. Steeling her resolve she dialed her parents number. Her mom picked up immediately.
"Oh so you finally remembered you have a mother?"
Well this is off to a good start, Sakura thought dryly.
"It's only been a week, mom."
"Kaede, from the yarn store, her daughter calls her every day."
"Sorry. I've been busy."
"I know dear," her mother's tone softened, "being a doctor is hard work. Are you eating enough? Have you kept your apartment clean? I know you usually leave your clothes around everywhere—"
"Mom!" She could tell Sasuke could hear both ends of this conversation—damn him and his perfect hearing. "I'm fine and I can take care of myself, but about the doctor thing—"
"Is that my Sakura-chan!" She heard her father yell from the background.
"Hi dad!"
"Your daughter says hi!" She heard her mother shout. "…No! I'm not telling her that, you can say it to her yourself—your father wants me to tell you some silly pun or someth—than why don't you tell her!" Her mother shouted, going back and forth between yelling at her dad and talking to her.
Sakura winced. This call was already a chaotic mess, which didn't bode well for the future of this conversation.
"Actually, mom there's something I need to tell both of you so if you'd just put this on speaker phone—"
"Sakura-chan! How's my precious daughter doing in big bad Konoha proper?" Her dad must have grabbed the phone.
"Hey dad! Can you put the phone on speaker?"
"Which button is that?"
"The…the one that looks like a megaphone." She had to keep telling herself that this wasn't mortifying. Maybe if she thought it to herself enough, she'd believe it.
"Riiiight. Right, right, right. Let's see here…megaphone, megaphone. Oh found it!"
"You both there?"
"We're both here, Sakura." Her mother answered.
"Alright good. Listen. There was an incident that happened a couple days ago. I was removed from active hospital duty to consult on a case with the KPD…so I'm uh, I'm temporarily back on the force, and—"
"What do you mean you're back on the force?!" Her mother snapped.
"Why'd they have to call you in, Sweetie, wasn't there someone more qualified?!"
"Wai—Mo—what do you mean more qualified? I was a member of the force for a year an—"
"But you weren't, like, a real member…"
"I was a homicide detective!" It was taking all her effort not to yell.
"But why did they need you? Aren't you more useful at the hospital?"
Sakura bit her lip and exhaled deeply.
"The case they have demands a skilled medical and forensic expert, and since I worked both on the force, and at the hospital under Lady Tsunade's tutelage, I was the one most suited for it—"
"Don't they have their own M.E.s and forensic experts? I know they do! I've seen those true crime shows!"
"Mom they needed the best—"
"Then why would they need you?"
Sakura's lips pursed tightly. She couldn't bring herself to glance at Sasuke.
"I don't know, mom, maybe cause I'm the best—"
"Then wouldn't they want Shizune-san instead?"
"It was a direct order from the Prime Minister, mother, and I trust Lady Tsunade to know who's best for the job." Sakura nearly snapped, her patience straining.
"It's alright honey, she said she's just a medical consultant. That's just a desk job, nothing to worry about." Her father soothed, not realizing how his words were yet another blow to Sakura's pride.
"Actually, not quite. This case is bad and there is field work involved. And the guy we're after might be threatening me, so just, be extra careful and if you see anything weird, or start getting strange calls or something, go to your local precinct immediately."
"What do you mean he might be targeting you?! Why's there field work involved in the first place? You should have just stayed at the hospital! Why would you go back there?! It isn't safe!"
"Why you?! If it's such a bad case, why are you on it?! They couldn't find anyone else for this?! You were good at being a doctor! Why'd you go back to playing detective and getting yourself into trouble like this?! You should come home right now! Konoha city isn't safe for you!"
Her parents were both shouting at the same time, making Sakura wince and hold the phone away from her ear. Unfortunately, she still caught every unintentional barb her parents threw, and holding the phone away from herself made it even easier for Sasuke to hear. She knew he heard everything, even though his attention seemed to be on paying the clerk for their food items.
When her parents settled a little, Sakura brought the phone back to her ear.
"I didn't have a choice. It was Lady Tsunade's orders. I'm not playing detective, I'm working a really bad case and they need me, so even if I could, I wouldn't drop it. I have no idea why I'm of interest to this guy, but apparently I am, so be careful incase he goes after you. Ok?"
"You shouldn't be staying alone."
"I'm not. I'm staying…at a teammate's…"
"Oh? With Naruto-kun?" Her dad asked excitedly. He always liked the blond.
"No…Sasuke-kun…"
"Sasuke-kun? You don't mean the Sasuke-kun, do you?"
"Yes, I do."
"Weren't you pissed at him?"
"As well she should be!" Her father countered.
"I was, but I've forgiven him and—"
"Wait are you two together right now?!"
"Yes actually, since I can't—"
"Are you two together? Like, dating?"
"Well, uh…yeah actually we kinda—"
"Sakura-chan! You can't do this to me! A dangerous case and a boyfriend?! That's too much at once! How many times have I told you to never trust men?!" Her dad was starting to go down the never date boys rabbit hole.
"Dad, please. I'm 26, not 12…" She sighed and passed a hand through her hair. "Look I gotta go. I'll talk to you guys again soon. Just take care of yourselves, alright?" Her mom and dad huffed their affirmatives, and she quickly hung up.
She grabbed one of the grocery bags from Sasuke, following him silently to the car. Once inside the privacy of the vehicle, both sat in silence for a second before Sasuke broke it.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Saying you should call them."
"It's not like you were wrong. I should've told them before this."
"…Are they always like that?"
"Yeah…They got a bit better when I left the force…but yeah, they're always like that."
"You never said anything."
"I mean…I sorta did once, but it didn't exactly go well. I learned pretty quickly not to talk about family around you guys. It would have been unfair to you. Besides, you never talked about yours and Naruto never knew his, so there weren't many natural openings to bring it up."
"…my father…he always favored Itachi…he'd compare us all the time…nothing I did was ever good enough next to Itachi…no matter how fast I learned something…or how good my grades were, it was never as fast or as good as him…"
Sakura's eyes widened. His face was turned away from her, but she knew exactly what he was doing. What he was pushing himself to say. He was trying to give her an opening, remove the guilt from venting about her parents.
"Hey, Sasuke-kun you don't need to talk about this with me if—"
"My father…was very stern and strict. He demanded a lot from us…expected us to be mini adults instead of children…and we were reprimanded if we acted too wild…I frequently felt like his love was conditional…and I hadn't earned it…My mother was the opposite. She was sweet and warm. Caring and affectionate. Always told me how much she loved me. She liked it when we acted our age…to an extent at least…but she and my father were such opposites in the way they approached me…it was confusing…I wasn't sure which to believe…my mother who said I was smart and skilled and good enough…or my father who said I wasn't…"
A lot of things fell into place about Sasuke. She felt like she'd just managed to connect a chunk of puzzle to the border. Sasuke had always been both exceedingly arrogant and assured of his skills, but also so uncertain. Kakashi had once said he had both superiority and inferiority complexes. He had always been so confident in his skills and abilities, thinking himself better than others, but when faced with a stronger opponent, he'd obsess over it, beat himself up over the loss and think himself weak. She'd seen the cycle time and time again. It seemed that the contradicting influence of both his parents seemed to be at play in that push and pull.
"Sasuke-kun…" She didn't have any other words for him, so she simply reached for his hand, gently entwining their fingers.
Sasuke looked down at their joined hands, squeezing lightly, before looking up at her, expectant. He'd made the opening and now he wanted her to take it.
"My parents…I don't really know what to say. They're just like that. It's coming from a good place. I don't think they realize they're being offensive. They just…I was bullied as a kid and was always shy until Ino came along. But it's like that's what they see when every they look at me, all through school, the academy, and still now. That small shy bullied little girl who couldn't stick up for herself. And that kind of person isn't someone who'd do well in a dangerous job like the police. So they worry about me, always try to talk me out of it, or downplay my ability, and hope I'm on some safe easy desk work. They never tried to make me quit, or stop me from doing it. They worked their asses off to be able to send me to the academy—they didn't leave me high and dry just cause they disagreed. But they definitely weren't happy about it. They were thrilled when I left the force and became a doctor."
Sakura looked out at the grocery cashier through the store windows. Was that the kind of job her parents had expected her to have? Probably. It was the kind of job they had. Maid, pre-school teacher, and waiter. So why couldn't they be proud of her for all that she accomplished? Why did they keep refusing to acknowledge her hard work and skill level?
"What you said about never being enough…I can relate. Except it's like my parents don't expect anything from me. There's no bar for me to reach. No matter what track I go down, it's like they only think I'll end up in the middle. Never at the top. On the force, they expected I'd be on perpetual desk duty, or a meter maid, or something easy and simple like that. At the time, I thought it was just because they'd never wanted me on the force in the first place. But then I became a doctor, studying under the best medical specialist in the world—I even became surrogate head of the hospital. But they treat it like I'm low on the pecking order—I don't have a good simile or anything because all doctoral and medical practices are important, but I guess the closest would be like a nurse. They're super important and capable but they're looked down on for some reason or viewed as 'less than,' and that's how my parents seem to view me, as a doctor…like the incorrect view people have of nurses. It's not that they don't know about my title or rank, but it doesn't seem to factor in or change their view of me…Jesus, I shouldn't even be thinking of this right now, I should be focused on trying to help Ageha-chan."
"You're off the clock, Sakura. You're allowed to focus on yourself for five minutes…What about gymnastics? You were a regional champion."
Sakura obeyed his prompting and turned her thoughts back to herself. It was kind of a relief, actually. She'd been so anxious about Ageha all day, it was nice to just not think about it for a second. Even if the distracting topic was her and her parent's debatably toxic relationship.
"Mm. That was the only time I remember them being proud of me…they always said they were about my grades and stuff, but the only thing they ever really bragged to others about was my gymnastics. I never saw them more disappointed than when I told them I was tired of it and quit."
Was that why? Did they think that her accomplishments wouldn't matter anyway because they expected her to end up caving under pressure and quitting?
Sasuke's eyes narrowed a little.
"Were you actually?"
"What?"
"Tired of it?"
"No. I loved gymnastics. And competing. I didn't mind the judging or critiques. Loved the praise. And most of all I loved the feel of moving like that." She wasn't even sure why she told him. She'd sworn to herself that she'd take that secret to the grave. But it felt so good to have someone—sasuke—just listening to her rant so intently. His presence was so soothing to her, that she felt compelled to finally say it all.
"So why'd you actually quit?"
"I found out how much it was costing them. Coaching, gym time, leotards, travel…they were working too hard to pay for it all. They'd have never accepted that reason though. So I lied and told them I didn't want to anymore…and after that, no matter what I did, they never truly praised anything…"
"You shouldn't have had to do that…they shouldn't be holding it against you."
"And you shouldn't have been made to compete with your older brother, and constantly question whether you're the best or the worst in any given situation. No parent gets it right. All of them scar their kids one way or another." It's why mental health was so important. There wasn't a single person without some level of damage, and everyone needed someone who wasn't their parents to talk to.
Sasuke was silent for a while, staring down at their intwined fingers.
"You're more capable than you realize, Sakura. You just…fix people. Very few can do that…" A soft, beautiful smile played on his lips that made Sakura wonder if she was suffering from respiratory failure.
Who cared if her parents thought she was a quitter who caved under pressure? She knew she wasn't. On the force she'd always seen cases through to the end. In the hospital no matter how high the pressure, she never backed down. And she'd never given up on loving Sasuke either. She never gave up on trying to help the people around her, and for many, she had truly helped or saved them. It didn't matter whether her parents acknowledged it or not. Sasuke did. He validated all her efforts. He knew how skilled she really was. And so did she.
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She smiled gently, finally remembering how to breathe.
"Hn." Sasuke, smirked, finally pulling the car out of the grocery store parking lot and driving back towards his apartment. "I take it you won't be in any hurry to introduce me to your parents, then?"
Sakura laughed, the serious atmosphere inside the car lightening considerably.
"Hey, boyfriend or not, you probably should meet them at some point, as my current and former teammate. But no, I'm in no hurry for that meeting."
"Has Naruto?"
"Yeah, while you were away. And Kakashi-sensei."
"How was it?"
"Naruto and my dad got along great. They're both the goofy type…I don't think Kakashi-sensei liked them very much though."
"Do you think…they'll approve?" She didn't think she was imagining the slight strain of anxiety in his voice.
He wasn't actually worried about this, was he? It was kind of surprising. She'd never thought he'd be the type to worry over a relationship to this extent. She'd never thought a relationship would matter to him enough to worry over it. How wrong she'd been. It seemed he worried a lot about their relationship, and that made her body warm with her quickening pulse, because that meant he truly cared about it. For someone who didn't know what it meant to be in a romantic relationship, Sasuke was awfully good at it. He was good at everything, damn him.
"Did you miss the point of my whole rant. They don't fully approve of anything. It'd be nice, but it doesn't have any baring on my decisions one way or the other." She told him firmly, her hand tightening around his. Besides, if anything, they'd think he was too good for her, probably.
Sasuke smiled again, small, genuine and beautiful, and squeezed her hand a little tighter.
He didn't let go once until they'd arrived home.
Two days passed with no new developments, which statistically meant that they'd never find Ageha-chan—certainly not alive if they did. In kidnapping cases, there was a limited window of time. 48 hours. Once those 48 hours were up, chances of finding the victim dropped to less than 3%. Sakura had let go of her small hope of seeing the little girl again. She didn't feel grief, or crushing sorrow—she hadn't been close enough to her for that. But she did feel like an utter failure, and incredibly guilty.
She knew consciously she shouldn't. None of this was her doing. It wasn't her fault. She hadn't actively been Ageha's doctor at the time of the kidnapping. It hadn't happened on her watch that she somehow failed to catch. She wasn't on Missing Persons. Wasn't a specialized tracker. It technically wasn't even her case. There had been no failing, on her part. Mentally she knew that. But there had always been a disconnected between her cognition and her emotions. They were always at odds with each other, and it took much longer for her to bring her emotions up to speed with her mind.
Hinata and Kiba kept apologizing for not finding her yet, promising her they wouldn't rest until they did. As much as Sakura would have liked to blame them for their failing, she couldn't. Ageha had disappeared without a trace. There were no leads at all, other than this possibly being connected to Team 7's case, and they hadn't made any progress on finding Orochimaru either.
She glanced at the clock on her screen and felt a wave of apprehension crash into her. Karin would be here soon. Sakura would be involved in the interrogation again, to handle any of the sciencey questions. If this Karin knew Orochimaru's location, she probably had some connection to him or his experiments. Based on Suigetsu's description of her, she'd made her interest in Sasuke very clear, and Sakura didn't want to see it. Mentally she knew she was the one Sasuke cared for, the only one he'd shared so much with, the one he'd entered into a relationship with, despite not knowing how that even worked. But once again, her emotions were slower than her mind, and this woman had already beaten her once. Sasuke had trusted Karin with helping him find his brother, over her. That had been the most important thing to Sasuke—it probably still was—and he'd shared that with Karin of his own volition, while when Sakura had offered as much, he'd knocked her out and left her for three and a half years.
"Sakura-chan! She's here! Let's get some answers!" Naruto smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah. Answers would definitely be good." She stood and followed the cheery blond towards the interrogation room.
When she walked in, she felt her self confidence plummet. Karin was unquestionably sexy. Her long, shiny, vibrant red hair was cut shorter and choppy on one side, which somehow managed to look both stylish and rebellious. She had an excellent physic, and dressed herself well to compliment it. Her long legs looked longer thanks to her short shorts, and knee-high high heeled boots. Her high collared purple button down, was only closed half way, revealing her flat midriff. And her sleek red-framed glasses fit her facial structure perfectly and made her red-brown eyes look even bigger.
Sakura regretted not spending much time on her appearance that morning. Her oversized green sweater and faded jeans, bare face and unstyled hair made her feel visually inadequate next to the alluring woman. It certainly wasn't an unfamiliar feeling—she'd felt this way through all of high school with Ino, but it felt more high stakes than it had then. She had to keep reminding herself that Sasuke chose her, not this woman, to keep herself from spiraling. And even that felt ridiculous. She had to focus. This wasn't about Sasuke anyways, this was about finding Orochimaru. The case came before her insecurities. It had to. Too many people had already died.
Karin didn't even look up when Sakura entered the room, her eyes staying firmly planted on Sasuke. Sasuke, however, turned to her the second the door opened. The look in his black eyes was hard to read, but she thought she saw his shoulders relax just a little.
"Let's get started."
"So eager…it's been a while, Sasuke-kun." She said leaning in towards him. "I've missed you."
Focus. Don't let it get to her. Breathe in. Breathe out.
"Karin." Sasuke acknowledged, not backing away but not leaning closer either. "Please state your full name, for the record."
"Uzumaki Karin."
Sasuke looked up from his note pad. Sakura's eyes widened.
"Uzumaki?" She questioned.
"Got a problem with my sir name?" Karin responded, glaring at Sakura with unhidden hostility.
Sakura shared a brief glance with Sasuke. She could tell he wanted to ask about it too. Naruto had never known his parents or whether he had any relatives or not. It felt like a disservice to their friend not to ask. But it wasn't why they were here. And she was already becoming hostile. The case came first.
"Karin. Do you know the whereabouts of Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked.
"What? No foreplay Sasuke-kun? That's no fun." Her hostility dropping as she turned to face him, her flirty demeanor back, as she leaned in and lightly touched his hand. Sasuke's eyes lingered on her hand over his, before dragging his eyes back to her.
"What would you rather I ask?"
Breathe in. Breathe out. She was a little grateful that Sasuke wasn't particularly good at flirting. It would have made this harder to watch. Of course, Sasuke never had to be good at flirting. He just had to be Sasuke. That was enough to drive women wild.
"Well…you could ask me out to dinner…" She leaned in closer.
"He's a bit busy with a case at the moment. Or did you forget you were here to help him with that?" Sakura snapped, unable to hold it in.
Karin's gaze snapped to her and the full hostility was back.
"Who invited you to this conversation?"
"He did."
"What? Trying to ride on the tail of his success, little girl?" Karin sneered.
"It's Sakura." She growled. Little girl?! How fucking demeaning!
"There won't be success if you don't help me, Karin." Sasuke cut in, gently grabbing her wrist.
Karin's eyes dropped to his hand holding her wrist, before looking up at him with a coy smile Sakura wanted to punch off her face.
"Well, then, I guess I'll have to help, won't I Sasuke-kun?" She said sweetly.
Sakura wanted to gag.
"Do you know Orochimaru?" He asked.
"Will anything I say be used against me?"
"Of course not. I won't let anything happen to you."
Sakura knew he was just doing this for the interrogation, same as she had flirted with Suigetsu but Jesus did it positively suck to listen to.
"Alright then. Anything for you, Sasuke-kun. Of course, I know him. I work with him."
"Work with him how?"
"Don't worry, nothing too personal. That's only for you." She leaned in even more.
"Alright then what else is there? Secretary, Lab tech, warden—stop me when I get close." Sakura cut in.
Karin pulled away, her wrist tugging from Sasuke's grasp, leaned back in her chair and glared at Sakura. But the pink haired woman didn't notice. Her eyes had caught on the way Karin's sleeve bunched a little when Sasuke let go of her. Were those scars…? Bite marks? Had they been self inflicted or…
"Let's call it logistical management. He has many labs, clients, experiments, partners…I help keep things organized."
"You know what he's doing and you still work with him?"
"Listen, sweetheart, not all of us get to live in a happy safe little bubble where mommy and daddy take care of our every problem. Some of us get dealt shit hands and do what we gotta to scrape by, so I don't wanna hear any sanctimonious bullshit from you." Karin spat. She hadn't liked her the moment she laid eyes on her, all pink haired and soft smiled. She didn't know what it was like. How dirty it was out there. Yet she had the gall to look down on her. Prissy little bitch with her holier-than-thou attitude.
Sakura, on the other hand was too focused on what the woman's words had revealed about her mindset, then the insults they contained. She was someone who'd largely been on her own, had to solve her problems herself, and "scrape" by. Those were the words of someone who'd fought for their life and made compromises they probably hadn't wanted to make. Sakura was willing to bet she'd never once talked to anyone about those scars on her wrist.
"Karin, do you know anything about the curse mark experiment?"
"Mhmm. Orochimaru-sama's longest running project. It's to introduce a third DNA strand into the double helix. He's having a lot of trouble keeping the body stable."
"We know. We found some bodies recently."
"Hmm. He's not usually that careless…he did seem a bit weird the last time I spoke to him though."
"Weird how?"
"I don't know…he's always a bit weird. But he seemed more distracted than usual."
"So you're in contact with him?"
"He contacts me if he needs to…I'm more of a freelancer than an exclusive employee."
"Do you know of any assistant or lab tech he might work with, who also happens to work at Konoha Memorial Hospital?"
"Why? Looking for a hookup? Couldn't land a date anywhere else?" Karin wasn't stupid. She saw the way this woman looked at Sasuke when she came in. She knew what that look meant, and she wasn't about to take that sitting down.
"A child was kidnapped out of the ICU and we have reason to suspect it's connected to Orochimaru." Sasuke filled in swiftly. Karin caught how Sakura's eyes dropped to the table, her expression tightening. Was this kid a relative of hers or something? Her own brow furrowed. She had in depth knowledge of the worst walks of life, often organizing meetings, deals and buys for them. It didn't mean she liked doing it, or that her actions sat well with her…But she'd learned long ago this world was eat or be eaten. She'd been eaten too many times. She was determined to never let it happen to herself again. Still, kidnapping a sick hospital kid felt…
"A sick kid? That's unusual…If he needs more test subjects, he usually waits for a shipment. Although he did say once that the further he got with testing, the more specific he'd get about subjects."
"Did he give any more detail about what he'd specifically be looking for in subjects? A specific age range, gender, genetic marker…anything like that?" Sakura leaned in. This might reveal why he might be targeting her.
"What's it to you?"
"I'm a doctor."
"A real one? Or one men call to parties to fuck?"
"Karin. Did he give you any specifics?" Sasuke repeated, her gaze immediately becoming saccharine as he reclaimed her attention.
"No. He didn't give me any details about it. I don't know too much about the science or experiments he does. And no. I don't know of any assistants. He's the only one I've talked to. "
"Where's he keep all these test subjects anyways?"
"They all live on a commune called Oto. It's not far from Kusagakure."
"A commune? They live there?! No one tries to escape?" Sakura had a hard time grasping that.
"Most are there willingly. They want him to give them power. Make them stronger."
"What about the trafficked ones?"
Karin shrugged. "He doesn't get too many at once. He uses them first. Most of them never make it to the commune. The few that do…well Oto has it's own way of policing."
This was nauseating. Sakura thought she might end up puking on the table. The trafficked ones were guienea pigs. Sacrifices to his horrible scientific cause, while power hungry degenerates lived in their own little criminal run society awaiting their turn for enhancement. Disgusting.
"Have you worked with the Akatsuki before?" Sasuke asked, changing the subject.
"A little. I did know about that meeting with Itachi, after all." Karin leaned in watching Sasuke for any reaction at the mention of his brother. He gave none, but leaned in closer to her, reaching out and gently touching her forearm. Karin blushed, her cheeks matching her hair.
"I thought you might. Can you tell us anything about them?"
Sakura had vivid fantasies of amputating Karin's limb and beating her with it. And god damnit, Sasuke! Did he have to keep touching her? She knew Sasuke wasn't good at flirting. He couldn't exchange flirtatious banter with the woman, laugh at her crude remarks, or flagrantly praise her, the way she had done with Suigetsu. It wasn't in character with Sasuke, and it wouldn't be the correct way to respond to Karin's advances. What he was doing was the method that would work best—and it was needed, because she definitely wouldn't tell them anything without it. But it didn't make it easier for Sakura to sit there and watch.
"I don't know very much. I only have one contact in it—their leader. But I don't know his name. We only every email on a private self deleting server, and it's never anything more than logistical details. He signs his emails off with 'P.' I've never met any of them in person. And I'm not stupid enough to try."
"Do you know of any of the other members? You knew about Itachi." Sasuke probed. He was hiding it well, but Sakura caught the tiny hesitance and strain when he mentioned his brother, and reflexively shot him a concerned glance.
"You know I had to do quite a bit of digging for that information, Sasuke-kun. It was totally worth it for you, though." She said sweetly.
"When was the last time you corresponded with 'P'?"
"Not long ago. The Akatsuki and Orochimaru-sama have a buy coming up soon."
Sasuke and Sakura shared a glance.
"When?"
"October 24th." That was eleven days from now.
"Time?"
Karin didn't answer. Her gaze never left Sasuke. There was a spark of excitement and relief in his eyes that she'd never seen before.
"Where?" When she didn't answer, the light touch of his hand on her arm became more firm, imploring. There was a glint of desperation in his eyes that she also had never seen before. "Please, Karin…" He'd never said please to her before. Her heart drummed loudly. She wanted to tell him, answer everything he asked of her. So far, everything she'd given him would be potentially useful to him, but not incriminating to her. But the location of the Orochimaru/Akatsuki deal, that information could only be tied to three parties, and it would be her head on the chopping block from both groups. She wanted to tell him. But this world was eat or be eaten, and she knew if she shared this, several people would want to eat her. If she shared this, there'd be ugly consequences. If she shared this, all her effort to ensure her own survival, everything she'd allowed to happen to her, would be negated.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. But I can't tell anyone that, not even you." Sakura was caught off guard by how genuinely sad and regretful Karin's smile to him was.
Sasuke pulled away from her, the spark of excitement and relief dying, replaced by concern as his eyes briefly bounced to the pink haired woman sitting next to him. Sakura. Karin could guess why he'd wanted the information: a sting, or ambush or something. What did that have to do with Sakura though? Was it about getting to that kid they thought Orochimaru had abducted—clearly it meant something to her. But that meant that the relief and excitement had been on Sakura's behalf. That he'd be able to help her. And now that Karin had taken that chance away, he was worried. About her.
Karin wasn't sure how to feel about that. She was jealous. She wished he would look at her like that. But she'd never seen him with that much emotion. Only ever cold, steely, rage. For him to look at Sakura like that meant that the woman brought something other than rage out of him. And that was something Karin wanted for him…
"I understand. Thank you for your time, Karin."
Sasuke rose and went to the door of the interrogation room. When Sakura didn't follow him he turned to her. Sakura could tell that he was frustrated, his muscles tense, but the look in his eyes when they settled on her was so apologetic…she wasn't sure if it was because of his behavior towards Karin, or the loss of opportunity to put an end to this case. Either way, it made her vision tunnel on him and him alone, forgetting that they were in an interrogation room with another person, with surveillance cameras everywhere, in a busy police station. Her jaw reflexively relaxed, her lips pulling into a soft smile.
"You coming?'"
"You go on ahead, Sasuke-kun. There's something Karin and I need to talk about."
Sasuke gave her a curious look, but nodded none the less and left, the door snapping closed behind him. Sakura studied Karin with a guarded expression before pressing a button underneath the table.
"Is this the part where we get into a cat fight over Sasuke-kun and pull each others hair?" Karin asked with a cold smirk.
"If I wanted to fight you, I'd do something a hell of a lot more damaging then pulling your hair. I didn't cut the cameras. Just the mics. No one will hear what we say and it won't be recorded."
"Why? You afraid of the graphic descriptions of mine and Sasuke-kun's sexual encounters being on record?" It was a lie. They'd never done anything, but she was selfish and lashing out. She couldn't not, after witnessing the exchange when he'd left. He'd never looked at her that way.
"I saw that scar on your wrist earlier. It looked like a bite mark. I have a feeling you've never had the option of talking about it with someone, so if you wanted to talk about it, I can give you a referral, or, if you want to talk about it now, I'll listen."
Karin's smirk dropped, replaced by a myriad of emotions. Shock, horror, panic, pain, anger, and then a carefully blank, calculating look.
"How do you know it's not just my kink?"
"If it is, then have fun. So long as you're comfortable and safe, it's not my problem and not my place to judge. But based on how hard you work to hide it, and your reaction when I brought it up, I'm gonna go with it's not."
"Why would you listen to me?"
"I'm not exactly your biggest fan, but as a medical professional, I'd be ignoring my duty if I didn't."
Karin studied her for a long moment.
"What is Sasuke-kun to you? Why do you like him?"
Sakura was taken aback by the question. They were supposed to be talking about Karin not her and Sasuke's relationship.
"What's it to you?"
"I'm debating whether you're trust worthy enough to talk to." Karin leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. Sakura mirrored her actions.
"And my feelings about Sasuke-kun will determine that?" Sakura asked flatly. Karin nodded.
Fine. One of the caveats of their relationship was that people had to know it existed. Maybe if this little shit knew, she'd back the fuck off.
"Sasuke-kun is my boyfriend. I'm his girlfriend and I…" She swallowed hard. She may have been able to admit that she still loved him to Ino, but that was Ino. Her best friend since high school. This was some random, shady, woman with several ties to (and scary amounts of knowledge of) the criminal underworld.
"Why do you like him?" Karin asked sharply. She wasn't an idiot. She knew what the pink haired woman had struggled to voice. Even without her saying it, it was obvious how she felt about the man from the way she looked at him, like he was the only one she fully allowed in.
"Because…because he's Sasuke-kun. Because he saw my worth before anyone else did, even myself…because he saw me…because he was so alone and it hurt—I couldn't let him be in pain like that…" It was oddly hard for her to say. She'd never asked herself why she liked him. Not really. She knew why she liked him at first, but she'd never tried to place what it was that made her feelings grow from the shallow surface level emotions they had been to the deep…love… for him that welled inside her.
Karin continued to study her for a long minute.
"Alright. I'll trust you."
"So I passed? What exactly were you screening for?"
"To make sure you weren't just into him for his looks or using him for his status and money."
"I take it that's not why you're into him then?" She was genuinely surprised that Karin apparently had some deeper emotional attachment to Sasuke. She would have thought it was surface level fangirling with how much she flirted and threw herself at him.
"A while back I was in Konoha for a job—I didn't really want to do it but…anyways. I was at a bar and pretty drunk…I don't remember everything. These two guys were getting pretty handsy with me. Eventually they got me out back. I don't remember too much, just that one was kissing me, one was touching me, and I didn't want either to be doing what they were doing. They didn't get to do anything worse than that though, cause Sasuke-kun showed up. He beat the shit out of them and then asked me if I was alright. He called a car for me, waited with me until it showed up, smiled at me and said it wasn't my fault. No one had ever smiled kindly at me and no one ever told me it wasn't my fault…"
Karin sighed, before meeting Sakura's eyes. What she saw threw her off. There was no judgment, and no pity or fake sympathy. Just the profound empathy of someone willing to listen. This must be why Sasuke liked her.
"Honestly, I just want to see him smile again. What he did for me in that moment…helping me, waiting with me, asking me if I was alright, telling me it wasn't my fault…smiling at me. That was more than anyone's done for me my whole life. I owe him more than he knows. I just want him to be happy. If you make him happy…well, I would have preferred it be me, but that's fine. He seems more relaxed and at ease with you around. So I'll support it. If he trusts you, I will too." Her tone suddenly became catty again. "But I swear to god, bitch, if you hurt him, I will kill you."
Sakura smirked. "You don't have to worry about that. I'd rather die than cause him any more pain. He already carries enough…as do you."
Karin studied the pink haired woman again. She practically felt her dislike for her melting away. It was something about her eyes. Those spring green eyes shined with genuine care and worry. They were deep with a willingness to listen and understand. No one ever looked at her like that. No one ever gave her the option to talk. To tell her side of the story uninterrupted.
"That kid you said Orochimaru-sama took, do you know them? You looked pretty upset when talking about it."
"She was a patient of mine. I was her emergency contact, so I feel responsible for her."
"Why were you her emergency contact? I thought stuff like that wasn't allowed."
"She was a refugee orphan who had no one else…I couldn't just leave her alone."
Karin stared at Sakura in disbelief. Something in her shattered. Three thoughts raced through her head in rapid succession. Why hadn't she met Sakura sooner? This person was too good. She'd help however she could to save that little girl.
"A refugee orphan…that sounds familiar."
Sakura gave her a curious look. She sounded so heart broken and weak when she said it, and Karin had such a strong presence…weak was never something she'd imagine the woman sounding.
"Familiar?" She didn't use a gentle tone as was her instinct. She kept her voice neutral with light curiosity. Karin didn't seem the type to appreciate sympathy or coddling.
"My mother and I were refugees in Kusagakure. They took us in on the condition…My genetics are a bit weird, you see. When we're bitten, an enzyme is released through our skin. It speeds up the body's immune response, and increases a persons energy and stamina."
"So biting you is like taking a double shot of espresso."
"Yeah, if that espresso sped up the healing process." Karin answered with a short laugh. "But I don't have any control over how much of the enzyme in released. It's up to the person biting—how long they bite for, how much they suck out…the more they take, the more it drains me.
"My mother was the same way. Kusa took us in on the condition that they could use our ability to heal their troops—they were at war at the time. We were brought to a hospital full of wounded soldiers and…passed around. At some point it was too many or someone had taken too much from my mother and she died…before she did, she told me I had to survive, no matter what…I became an orphan…
"Kusa eventually drafted me, making me an agent. No one ever liked, trusted, or looked out for me since I wasn't a native. I was a disposable tool. It was during an attack that Orochimaru-sama found and saved me. He promised me he could give me power. Make sure I was never used as someone else's tool again, and I was so tired of it, and just trying to survive. Of course I went with him. And he gave me power. I have more knowledge of the criminal underworld than anyone. People come to me for help, and do me favors."
"So all those scars are from Kusa?" Sakura found it hard to believe that Orochimaru hadn't wanted to use her at all.
"No. I'd let some of Orochimaru-sama's test subjects bite me."
"Of your own volition?"
"Of course…I mean…Orochimaru-sama asked me to but…but I could have refused…" Despite her words, Karin's voice was losing confidence.
"Karin," Sakura interjected firmly, "are you sure about that?"
Sakura watched as the woman's red brown eyes slowly began to drain of all their confidence and assuredness, replaced by doubt, pain, and horrid realization.
"But…but he gave me power…he delivered on his promise…"
"Does he still ask you to heal his test subjects?"
"…"
"Do you still feel like you wouldn't be able to say no?"
Karin felt sick. The person she thought had freed her from a life of servitude had simply replaced her old master. She was still just a tool to be used. She was still being eaten.
"…I…" How had she let it happen? Had she really just blindly accepted that he was just the same as Kusa? Had she really just pretended like he was better? Despite knowing what he was doing to countless other people…they were people he was using and she…she knew it could have been her otherwise. She could have been the one strapped to a metal table or stuck in some tube. It was survival. She'd had more worth than them for once. She was safer than they were for once. So if letting some of them bite her when the person protecting her asked was all it took to keep her safe, then that was fine…that was…it was what she had to do…She…She was a monster. She never deserved Sasuke. She was tainted and dirty and she let people use her again and again—
"It's not your fault."
Karin's eyes darted to Sakura's lively green ones. There was no pity, or sympathy in them. There was no judgement or revulsion either. Just that open willingness to understand. "You were abused and manipulated since you were a child. That isn't on you. You were in a perpetually unstable and unsafe situation. You did what you could to survive. Anyone in your position would have done the same."
"You wouldn't."
Sakura shook her head. "Don't be so sure. No one ever knows what they'd do in a situation until they're in it. Morals are a lot harder to hold onto when it's them or your life."
Karin wasn't so sure. Sakura seemed like the type who'd fall on her own sword before ever agreeing to help someone like Orochimaru.
"Those marks…are they only on your arms?"
Karin shook her head slowly. "Some men are pigs no matter what state of health they're in…" Her voice had regained a note of her previous fierceness, which Sakura thought was a good sign.
"So what exactly is this therapy session gonna cost me?"
"Nothing. I made the offer. I would have told you upfront if I expected something in return for it."
"I've been a tool my whole life. I learned a long time ago nothing comes for free."
"You learned the wrong lesson then." Sakura answered with a shrug. "Listening is a free service if you find the right person. Here, I'll even throw in some free advice. When it comes to your own body, you always have the right to say no. No matter what you feel you might owe someone, if that's what they're asking for, and you're not comfortable, you don't have to give it. What's done to your body is entirely up to you—no one else has the right to decide that."
Karin stared at Sakura blankly. She really was impossible to dislike. People like her only existed in cartoons…yet here she was…
"That kid…the one Orochimaru-sama took, you said she was a patient right? What'd she have?"
"I can't disclose that. It's a HIPPA violation."
"What are her chances of surviving him?"
"…Not high." Sakura murmured sadly. For the first time since their conversation started, she looked away from the red haired woman. She was so worried about Ageha, and even though it was ridiculous, she couldn't shake the guilt she held. She knew it wasn't her fault and that there was nothing she could have done, but she still felt like it was and that she should have.
Karin was surprised by how much Sakura's worried expression bothered her. That little girl sure was lucky she'd crossed paths with the pink haired woman, instead of all the manipulative people refugee orphan's usually tended to attract. It was almost funny, how drastically her opinion of Sakura had changed.
"I'll do whatever I can to help get her back." She was tired of making choices solely based on her own survival, tired of ignoring her guilt and hating herself.
Sakura's head jerked up in shock. The woman across from her was looking at her with strength and determination—a complete 180 from how broken she looked only seconds before.
"I'll tell you everything I know about the meeting, wear a wire, help set up a sting or whatever it is you cops do. Whatever it is, I'll do it."
Sakura blinked at her. "You don't have to do that. That could be really dangerous for you."
"It's my choice. For once. I don't want that kid ending up like me if she survives."
"Thank you." Sakura murmured. Truly, deeply grateful.
Karin shook her head. The idea of Sakura thanking her for anything…it should be the other way around. She owed the woman a lot, more than she'd probably ever be able to pay back.
"If you hurt Sasuke-kun I swear I'll end you." Karin smirked.
"Yeah, yeah, I'd like to see you try."
Sakura found Sasuke pounding away at a punching bag in the empty basement gym of the station.
"Sasuke-kun?"
He caught the sand bag and turned towards her, his eyes immediately scanning her up and down with a look of concern.
"I'm fine. We just talked."
"I'm sorry."
"You don't need to be. You were doing what you had to for the case."
"It felt wrong."
"I know. It was gross giggling at Fishdick too."
Sasuke smiled softly, but his expression dropped quickly.
"I wanted to put an end to this." His blackhole eyes brimming with concern.
"We can."
"How?"
"She told me everything."
"…you didn't…Her bones are still intact, right?"
Sakura burst into laughter.
"I didn't attack or threaten her Sasuke-kun! We just talked."
His head cocked to the side curiously. It was seriously unfair how beautiful he was.
"…And she told you everything?"
"What happened to Ageha-chan didn't sit well with her. She'll give her full cooperation. Even wants to help with the planning."
Sasuke just blinked at her.
"…You're…you're something else…" He walked up to her, stopping in front of her.
"Meaning…?"
"Later." He murmured, tapping her forehead with his middle and index finger, rooting her in place and causing a flush to spread across her face. He brushed by her, her mind finally clearing enough for her to think.
"Where are you going?"
"We have to get clearance from Tsunade to set up a sting. You coming?"
This time, Sakura smiled and hummed her affirmation. Her mind buzzed pleasantly as she caught up with him. It felt like she'd finally caught sight of a light at the end of a very disturbing tunnel, and Sasuke marching reassuringly by her side made her feeling like they'd actually reach the end safely.
This nightmare was almost over.
Author's Note: I'm so sorry for how long this took. I got caught up with another story I was writing. But I swear to god I'm not abandoning this so don't worry.
Anyways, Karin. I really respected that the Manga didn't put Karin and Sakura at each other's throats at that they actually developed a sort of friendship. So I wanted to keep that. I also found Karin's backstory incredibly tragic and real. She's not ok with the world she's in, but to her, this is the only way she's got to survive. And it's super easy to say you'd maintain a moral high ground but when put in life threatening situations, many don't. I do think as a character both in this story and in the manga, Sakura would-especially from Forest of death on...but maybe not if her entire childhood was being abused, used, and manipulated.
Sakura's parents were interesting to write. I know several parents who genuinely do love their children dearly, but whether from just insensitivity or desire to keep them close, say horrible cutting things to their children. Parent child relationships are complicated. Even the best of parents do or say something that messes with their kid's mind at some point. No parents are perfect. And I think once Sasuke's receptive and open to Sakura, he'd probably understand that. I am legitimately mad that neither the anime or manga in any of Naruto or Boruto has given us an interaction between Sakura's parents and Sasuke. I wanna see that so badly.
Thank you so so much for all the favorites, follows, and especially reviews! They really mean a lot to me and motivate me to keep going, so please keep it up!
Thank you for reading :)