Chapter Twenty Four

The Best Laid Plans

'And in business news, Oto Corp shares continue to drop. With a legal case pending against the corporation's pharmaceutical division, and criminal charges levied against the CEO of the company, it seems that investors have lost faith in the conglomerate. Shares in the company were down by seven points by the end of the day. Our business correspondent in Otogakure has the latest-"

Sasuke turned the television off, throwing the remote control down on the sofa next to him. Weeks had turned in to months, and Orochimaru had remained nothing more than bad taste in Sasuke's mouth. The man may have dropped off the planet entirely - no one could find any trace of him.

"Even I can see you're scowling right now."

Sasuke glanced over at Sakura, sat at the opposite end of the sofa with a ball of yarn in her lap. His mother had sent her a parcel full of crochet hooks and wool, along with stitch markers embossed in braille. The two women had taken up the craft together, sharing their progress via weekly calls. Sakura was most of the way through a slightly wonky scarf, though Sasuke thought it was impressive for her first project.

"I am not." Sasuke's scowl deepened.

"Liar." Sakura sang, finishing another row on the scarf. "He'll turn up eventually, he can't hide forever. And you've pretty much destroyed his company."

"He's still out there though. He should be behind bars."
"Yes," Sakura nodded. "But he's not walking free. He's creeping around in the shadows, probably looking over his shoulder all the time. I think in the grand scheme of things, he's lost."

"Maybe." Sasuke sighed. "But it doesn't quite feel like enough."

Sakura nudged his leg with her foot. "All this brooding is going to age you."

"Well you wouldn't care if I get wrinkles, would you?" Sasuke smirked, feeling the dark cloud begin to dissipate.

"Rude." Sakura sniffed, returning her attention back to the pile of wool in her lap.

Sasuke watched her for a while, admiring the crease between her eyebrows as she counted stitches with her fingers, and finding the way her tongue poked out in concentration nothing short of adorable. His stomach gave an odd, though not unpleasant, jolt as he observed her.

"When are you going to move in here?"

"Hmm?" Sakura tilted her head but continued to crochet. "Isn't it too soon?"
"Not to me." Sasuke frowned. "I feel better when you're here."

Sakura stilled her hands, and gave her full attention to Sasuke. "I feel better when I'm with you too."
"Then move in?"

"I just worry I'd intrude. Or you'd get fed up of me being here." She chewed at her lower lip, only stopping when Sasuke placed a hand on her ankle and rubbed back and forth.

"Not gonna happen."

"Let me think about it?" Sakura said softly. "Besides, I have to consider Metsuki's feelings on the matter."

"Hn." Sasuke smirked at her joke. "I'm sure I can win him over."

"Christmas shopping?"

Sasuke almost dropped the ring he was holding at the familiar voice and the jeweller gave him an unimpressed look. Mumbling an apology, Sasuke placed the ring down on to the felt mat and turned to the grinning face behind him.

"Dobe. Don't you know how to behave in public?"

"Yeesh," Naruto waved a hand dismissively. "Just thought I'd say hello. Don't often see you out shopping. What are you looking for anyway?" He craned his neck to look over Sasuke's shoulder and his mouth dropped open. "No way! Engagement rings?"

"I think there's some people in Suna that didn't hear you. Why don't you shout a bit louder?" Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed at being caught looking at rings by Naruto of all people.

"This is big, Teme! Huge even!"

"I swear, if you mention this I'll-"

"Hey," Naruto held his hands up. "Even I know to take stuff like this to the grave." He grinned at Sasuke then. "So, how are you gonna pop the question?"

"I haven't-"

"I imagine you won't go for the public route." Naruto continued, ignoring Sasuke completely. "Maybe the ring in a glass of champagne? Oh, no that won't work will it? Sakura wouldn't see it and you'd end up making her choke."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Enough. I don't even know if I'm going to propose, Dobe."

Seeing his sale evaporate, the jeweller began returning the rings on the counter to their rightful cases, muttering lowly to himself, and Naruto frowned right back at his friend.

"Why wouldn't you? I mean you're here looking at rings!"

Sasuke sighed and brushed past Naruto, heading towards the chilled streets. "Just a dumb idea."

"Dumb?" Naruto sounded scandalised as he followed after the dark-haired man. "You don't think Sakura is it for you or somethin?"

Sasuke threw a glare over his shoulder, coming to a halt at the corner of the street. "Of course she's it."

"Then I don't get why you wouldn't ask. God knows no other woman could put up with you the way she does." Naruto scratched at his temple as he watched his friend. Sasuke avoided his gaze, instead glowering at the shops on the opposite side of the street, and Naruto had a rare moment of clarity. "You're afraid that she'll say no."

"Naruto." Sasuke growled in warning, but the blonde persisted.

"That's it isn't it? You're afraid of a woman telling you no for the first time in your life."

"I'm not doing this with you, Idiot." Sasuke stalked off down the street, but the blonde man trailed after him regardless.

"You're the idiot! No way would Sakura say no. You'd have to be the blind one to not see how much she loves you. Don't know why she does though, seeing as you're a complete bastard."

Sasuke drew to a halt again, turning to face Naruto. The pep talk was far from standard, but a (very small) part of him appreciated the other man's words. "Just keep it under your hat for now. Besides, I need to get her to agree to move in with me first."

Naruto laced his hands behind his head and fell in to step with his friend. "Right, my lips are sealed."
"That doesn't fill me with much faith."

"Teme!"

"My mother tells me that you and Sasuke are going to be visiting them in Suna for the new year?"

Sakura held on to Metsuki's lead as she and Itachi walked through the meandering paths of the park during lunch, taking in the soft warmth of the winter sun and the brisk air. "We are. Sasuke is going to take more than just a couple of days off work for once. I thing the break will do him some good."

"Are you looking forward to it?" Itachi looked down at the girl and smiled when she sighed happily.

"I am. And Sasuke is too I'm sure."

"But?" Itachi could hear that she had more to say.

"But Sasuke is not happy that Orochimaru and Kabuto still haven't been caught. It's been a while and still no sign. I think it will bother him until they're caught."

The park they were in was in the shadow of the KPD complex and Itachi turned his gaze to it now, imagining his brother hunched over his desk behind one of the building's many windows. "They'll get there eventually. Some things take time but the results are worth it in the end."

"I wish Sasuke would think of things like that. I think it's all become something of an obsession with him. Though I can't really blame him; Orochimaru definitely doesn't deserve to get away with any of this."

Itachi placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "He'll get there, he just-" Itachi's words were lost as the sound of a motorbike ripped through the air. He looked up in confusion – they were a fair distance away from any road. He pulled Sakura back slightly as the bike tore down the footpath towards them.

"Itachi?" Sakura didn't hear Itachi's reply but instead the unmistakable sound of a gunshot and felt the loss of contact with Itachi as he staggered backwards. Sakura screamed as the engine of the motorbike sounded right next to her and someone grabbed her roughly. She pushed and kicked against the solid figure that held her but it was a losing battle. She guessed it was a man, based on his height and heavy build, and he held on to her with bruising force. She dropped Metsuki's lead in the tussle, swinging her right hand towards where her assailant's head should be, but she swore fiercely as her knuckles connected with the hard visor of a helmet. The person holding her took advantage of the momentary distraction that her pain caused, and Sakura found herself shoved over the man's lap on the motorcycle. A cacophony of noise overwhelmed her; Metsuki was barking and snarling as he tried to attack the now-moving target, and she could hear people yelling in the distance, though the actual words were lost to her.

The bike rumbled beneath her and her stomach lurched as she and her attacker sped away from the park. The sound of Metsuki's barks faded rapidly as Sakura was carried away. Though the fact that she had been kidnapped was clear to her, she found that the overwhelming horror lay in the fact that Itachi had been shot right in front of her, and she had no idea whether he was still alive.

The bullpen was sluggish that day – apparently the criminals were taking a day off. Kakashi's team and a few others were still gathered by in the centre of the room brooding over the lack of progress with tracking Orochimaru. Genma was fiddling with the police scanner on a nearby desk, most obviously bored.

"Wonder what the street patrols are getting up to? Got to be better than sitting here staring at that." He pointed to the pale face or Orochimaru staring out at them from the 'persons of interest' board.

The scanner provided much needed background noise, but the officers didn't pay much attention until a familiar address caught their ear.

"All units in the vicinity of the KPD Complex, we have gunshots fired in Hokage Memorial Park."

Naruto looked up. "That's just outside."

They turned their attention back to the scanner.

"Witnesses report a black motorcycle fleeing the scene. Ambulance is on its way. All units respond – what is your position?"

A few of the responses came through the scanner as nearby patrols answered the request for assistance.

Naruto hopped off the desk he had been sitting on. "Seeing as we've got nothing better to do I'm heading out there." He was off before anyone could stop him.

Genma scratched his ear distractedly, toothpick hanging out of his mouth. "What kind of fool shoots right outside the biggest police station in the city?"

The rest shared a brief look before getting up and following after Naruto.

The section of the park had been cordoned off quickly, leaving a large group of interested passers-by to mill around the police tape. Some of the civilians were talking to officers, giving statements and descriptions of the events.

By the time Sasuke and the others arrived, Naruto was already stood by the tape, talking to a uniformed patrol.

"Hey guys." The man greeted as they approached.

"Kotetsu." Sasuke nodded his head. "What you got?"

Kotetsu shrugged. "GSW to the shoulder. Paramedics are patching him up for the ride to the hospital but they say he'll be okay. He's been shouting something about the motorbike getting away, so that's probably a good sign."

"You ID'ed the victim yet?"

Kotetsu opened his mouth when another one beat him to it.

"Got the wallet right here."

"Izumo..." Kotetsu grumbled. His partner ignored him and flipped open the fine black leather wallet. He withdrew a driving licence and his eyes went wide.

"Well?"

Izumo flicked his eyes up to Sasuke. "Itachi Uchiha."

Sasuke was under the police tape like a shot. He found his brother being loaded on to a gurney, his voice raised as he argued with the paramedics.

"You don't understand, I need to talk to the police. Now!"

"Itachi!"

The paramedics looked up, annoyance clear on their faces. "Sir you can't be here."

Sasuke flashed his badge quickly. "I'm his brother." He grabbed Itachi's hand and frowned. "You okay?"

Itachi nodded, gritting his teeth. "I'll be fine but-" His eyes focused over Sasuke's shoulder and the man turned around.

"Metsuki?" The black lab was sat obediently a few feet away, his ears lowered sadly. Sasuke whipped back around to his brother. "Where's Sakura?"

Itachi grimaced, his jaw clenching in pain. "Took her. They shot me and took her on the bike. I don't know where she is, Sasuke"

Everything from Itachi and Sakura's walk in the park onwards was written soooo early into the writing of the story. Same goes for the next couple of chapters. I'm glad I finally get to share it with you!