The Uchiha family was all dressed up, the plan was to arrive to the memorial service as a unit. Even if the Haruno's and Uchiha had not gotten along well in the last two years, it was important for them to be there. They were invited because Sakura cared for them, and because of her they were going. "Remember," Fugaku said as he pulled into the parking lot, "no matter what all those people say," those people being the media and everyone in the car knew it.
Over the years the Uchiha's relationship with news media had gone through so many ups and downs and more downs that Fugaku now saw the media as the enemy. "No matter how they poke and prod we say nothing. We will walk in," already camera's were directed at their car. "We will give our condolences to the family. We will not give them anything to talk about. In this setting not even Mebuki can say anything."
"We will be here one hour minimum, Sasuke," Mikoto added, "You will remain by Itachi's side. Understood?" Sasuke agreed, not really caring either way. His mind elsewhere, for the first time in years he would be in the same room as Sakura. What's left of her. He ignored his mind; these last few days of no sleep were making him more morbid.
His nightmares were worse than before, the cause of death had yet to be determined and Itachi had warned him that it was unlikely to go public for the sake of the investigation. While the lead investigator had publicly denounced the rumors of her being pregnant that did not stop the rumors from being prevalent. It didn't help that the person who found her was adamant that she was pregnant.
Sasuke did not know what to believe, he, and the whole of his family, learned early on that the man had no interest in helping find Sakura. It was too bad her family could not see it; it was worse knowing that Danzo had wormed his way to Mebuki's Haruno's side. He was like a leech, and while Kizashi did not fall quickly in line with Danzo, his resolve did eventually weaken.
While once Mebuki had asked with a kind desperation for him to remember, now she blamed him. She accused him of faking amnesia, her husband had at one point defended him, now he would silently watch as she accused him of horrible deeds. The invitation to the memorial had been completely about Sakura's affection for him before she went missing. Sakura's mother would burn him alive if she knew that he was currently wearing Sakura's necklace. In hope of her not finding out, he had switched the chain, but he did wonder if wearing it was the right course of action because regardless of everything it felt disrespectful to her parents that he now had it in his possession.
The necklace had been a birthday gift to Sakura from her parents. It had originally belonged to her great-great grandmother, she had passed it down to her daughter, who passed it down to her daughter, who passed it down to her son. Kizashi had then gifted the necklace to his then girlfriend, and once Sakura had been old enough, they passed it down to her. In another life, Sasuke thought, he would have been embarrassed or laughed at how both he and Sakura had been so absurd in their romance. He had given her a ring that had been passed down through his family for so many generations no one recalled the origins, and she too planned to give him a family heirloom. Really only thirteen years old would love like that. Since he in fact lived in this life, he had no shame for a memory he did not have, and he would give up all his family heirlooms, all his family fortune for that one memory.
Now he wore the necklace, but the ring was lost, but more important than the ring being lost, was the simple fact that Sakura was gone. His thoughts must have shown on his face because Itachi but his hand on his shoulder and said, "let's go." He didn't want to move, getting down meant accepting what he had considered a foreign concept Sakura's death. It didn't matter what he wanted, he had learned that the hard way, so he did what he did best pretended that he wasn't walking on shattered glass, even as he felt like the chain around his neck was tightening around him, even as the cherry blossom burned his skin.
His family moved as a unit, questions were sent their way, some clearly meant to get under their skin. Still, it wasn't as many cameras and questions thrown at them as he had expected, for a moment he was confused as to why. Then he looked at his parents walking ahead of him, he had always known that as a child his father had been raised to be the heir of the family's less than legal activities. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately when his father was about twelve years old it all crashed down. His father truly looked the villain, there were only few brave enough to ask the questions, fewer who would dare approach them with the camera. All because Uchiha Fugaku's tall imposing figure, in comparison Sasuke felt like a wounded puppy. Just one hour, he thought and repeated the thought with every step if only to force the other thought away. Before he knew it, he was by the door, within seconds of entering passing the threshold all hell broke loose.
The family had been warned in advance, but that didn't make his guilt go away, or their anger. Still, he told them they would get one hour before everything began, before he brought to them a storm no one deserved, specially them. Kakashi put aside his guilt and sent Shisui and Obito a simple one-word text, Now. It was both an announcement of his arrival, and an order: leak the information. The plan was for Kakashi to make himself known, with how many different news agencies were around it would not be difficult. His presence would cause speculation, he hated to be vain about it but his reputation preceded him. They will begin to question his presence, and come to only one conclusion he is working, he is going to arrest someone.
They just had no way of knowing who the target was until Obito leaked that information, which he was doing now. The only one that would know just based on Kakashi's presence would be the man himself. Danzo made aware that he was under investigation he had too many sources. It had been a miracle in itself that they were able to keep it a secret for the eighteen months they did. Now Danzo was planning on using the memorial as an escape plan. Danzo was not counting on one crucial fact, just as he had spies, so did Kakashi, and Kakashi was certain he had the advantage.
Danzo would no doubt begin to panic, and try to make his escape, Shisui's job was to do the actual job of arresting him. Kakashi was just the distraction, but the media shit storm was going to happen the moment the various news team got wind of the leak. From his view point he could see many on their phones already receiving the breaking news.
Danzo posed no danger now, he would be well behaved, claim it was a misunderstanding that he did no wrong. He had the reputation of a war hero and of aiding in the destruction of the Uchiha Syndicate decades prior, a man who planned to run for Hokage on the next elections. He planned on his reputation to save him, but his reputation would be ruined the by the time he would exit the building.
Kakashi never wanted to play to the media's hands in this fashion, it was undignified, dirty, and worse still was the timing of it all. It was truly a slap in the face to the Haruno's, a dead daughter was not enough, now here he was to ruin the memorial service. It was unfortunate that it needed it to be done, it was horrifying for Kakashi to realize that without Sakura's death Danzo would already be out of the country. Sakura's death had drawn too many eyes in his direction and delayed his escape plans. He planned to use the attention of the girl's memorial to run away and hide.
Kakashi exited the car, already hearing the different news anchors begin their speech, "breaking news, we are now getting word that there is a warrant for the arrest of Danzo Shimura. While not everything is known he is being accused of selling state secrets to foreign powers." The closer he got the door the more of the same he heard. "As we all know by now, he is also the lead investigator of the murder of Haruno Sakura. Not many know this, but Danzo volunteered himself to be the lead investigator, he said he felt he needed to this. We see now, live Hatake Kakashi has arrived at the scene."
The many voices felt like an echo, except one that added, "it feels insensitive for the police to act now. Have they no consideration for this young girl's family and friends?" The hypocrisy of that man was truly astounding, it was unfortunate he could not say anything on the matter. As much as he wanted to get a message across all Kakashi could do was scowl. Unfortunately for Kakashi it only drew more attention to him, and questions were being directed more aggressively.
All he cared to say was the simple, "at the moment I have nothing to say, any questions you may have will be answered with time."
By the time the crowd of cameras had moved enough to give him space to reach the door, all he had to do was open the door to let Shisui and a handcuffed Danzo out. "Good work."
A/N: I can't let this idea go