Chapter Text
“And that’s another win for Team Uchiha-Uzumaki!”
Ugh. Sakura looks up from her desk and sure enough, there they are, strutting into the bullpen like they were the two best detectives to ever serve in Konohagakure PD. Well, they like to believe they are. As Sasuke and Naruto stand in the middle and bow dramatically, the entire floor erupts into applause and hollering. Sakura rolls her eyes. She’s too sleep-deprived for this. And it’s only 11 AM. She can’t imagine what the rest of the day will be like.
“Can you believe these jackasses?” She aggressively whispers to her partner Ino, as she settles in her desk next to Sakura’s.
Ino glances at the ruckus and lets out a little chuckle, to Sakura’s great frustration. Would it kill her to be petty? Just for once?
“Oh let the little boys have their moment, Saku”, she says breezily, flipping her long blonde hair, “And it is a big deal. Yakushi is Orochimaru’s right hand man, after all. With him behind bars, that slippery bastard is not getting away from us this time."
Sakura sighs, it's not like she doesn't know it's a big deal, she just hates the smug look, the carefree hair, and those annoying eyes that make her want to shoot him.
"Sakura, Ino! How's my favorite pair of detectives doing?"
Naruto's voice brings her back to reality.
"Yes, Naruto."
She braces herself for an extremely overenthusiastic report from the sugar-rushed kid of a detective when --
"Hey Naruto, stop wasting time, we've got an interrogation ahead, let's go."
Great, Sasuke's already being a bitch.
Ino winces, she knows Sakura too well to know she's already triggered.
"Of course by wasting time if you mean, informing your own comrades then, yeah sure, go ahead."
Ino knew it. "Hey, Saku? Umm, let's just go to the break room...." Her voice trails off. There's no use anymore, because now they're glaring at each other with everything they have. Damn this rivalry.
"Sakura, don't you have a fuck up to fix? I mean, mislabeling evidence sure isn't a waste of time, right?" God, one day Sakura is going to break those perfect, white teeth of his.
Mislabeling evidence? Why you… Sakura pushes aside Naruto.
"I guess everyone makes mistakes, but at least I didn't have to run after the same guy for years, with him outsmarting me at every turn."
Naruto digs a little deeper into his seat. That had to hurt. But Sasuke seems unfazed.
"At least we got him."
"And yet, he seemed cockier than you as you guys brought him in. Didn't know if that was even possible. But it seems like Yakushi's got a trick up his sleeves. Tough luck, Sasuke."
Silence. Her words are left hanging in the air, as they stand with their faces almost meeting. It's this silence that brings the whole precinct to a standstill, the Haruno-Uchiha standoffs were pretty legendary.
"Ah, Uchiha, Uzumaki."
Ino jumps up, thank God for Captain Hatake. Standoff over, the rest of the precinct returns to their activities once again.
"Good work on the Yakushi case. We finally have him just where we want him." Kakashi Hatake, their precinct captain drawls lazily. The world could be on fire right now, and Kakashi would still have that unbothered, glazed look on his face.
"Thank you, Captain." You can hear Naruto's excitement in his voice.
"Thanks", says Sasuke shooting a smug look at Sakura as she rolls her eyes and sits down next to Ino.
"But the job isn’t done yet. We need a confession, boys, and we need it quickly. It's going to be tough. So brace yourself. Get a plan in place, first. The top brass is watching closely on this case."
Kakashi looks around him, and says, "Consult the rest of the squad if you have to. I hope that won't be an issue. We need to work together on this."
Sakura beams when she hears this, shooting a defiant look at Sasuke. Sasuke doesn't turn, but she knows he can see her perfectly well through his mess of a hair.
"Get a room, already".
Sakura shoots a dirty look at Ino, and laughs. "Hah, he'd be so lucky."
_____
They let Kabuto stew in the interrogation room for a few hours before going in for questioning. It’s not an easy task. Naruto keeps bouncing around the precinct, a bundle of nervous energy. Sasuke hides it well, but Sakura can sense him getting antsy.
“Uchiha, Uzumaki” Kakashi finally calls. ”Step into my office please. Haruno, Yamanaka you too.”
Sasuke turns his head so fast that for a moment Sakura is hopeful that his neck would break. Before he could open his mouth to protest, Kakashi shoots him a dangerous look.
“My office. Now.” He repeats sternly.
The four of them follow Kakashi into his office. Sasuke is silently fuming.
“So”, Kakashi begins, “Kabuto’s not going to talk easily. I assume you boys have a plan?”
“ Yes sir we do! Sasuke and I have agreed on it on the way here. A plea deal. Reduced sentence, if he gives up his boss. Kabuto still goes away, and we get the mastermind.” Naruto says.
The captain nods. "Not a bad plan. Play it right, and this could work. We have the evidence and Yakushi knows that. Still, he’s smart. He’s going to try to squeeze himself out of this. We can’t afford to mess this one up. I’m going to question him as well. Haruno, Yamanaka you guys come along too.”
“You can’t be serious”, Sasuke says through gritted teeth.
“I assure you that I am.”
Sasuke’s handsome features twist in anger, and his dark eyes turn stormy. “With all due respect, sir, Naruto and I have worked our asses off chasing after Orochimaru for years. We have been through literal hell. This is our case.”
Sakura’s about to protest when Ino puts a hand on her should and shakes her head gravely. They all look at Kakashi, who’s staring unblinking at Sasuke.
“The case is still yours.” He replies coolly, not taking his eyes off of Sasuke. “They’re only here to help. If you two are too close this case, you are going to need help, detective. They’re not even interfering with the questioning. They’ll just stand in, keeping watch. The press, the top brass, they’re all breathing down on our necks, waiting for us to fail. There’s more than your ego that’s at stake here, need I remind you that, Sasuke?”
Sasuke doesn’t look very convinced. “I understand, sir.” He finally says in an icy voice.
“Good.” Kakashi gets up from his chair and begins to leave. “And detectives,” he turns back from the door and continues, “I advise you to put aside your childish squabbles and work together, really together on this one. Now take five, prep yourselves and meet in front of interrogation.”
_____
They reconvene in front of the interrogation room. The captain is late, as usual. Sasuke keeps shooting murderous glances at Sakura. Naruto tries his best to ease the tension by cracking lame jokes, poor guy. Ino’s busy texting on her phone, making plans with her boyfriend on what to do after she gets off.
What a team, Sakura thinks.
Kakashi finally arrives, to everyone’s relief. As planned, Naruto and Sasuke go in first, with Kakashi, Sakura and Ino taking their positions behind the glass wall, silently observing.
“Kabuto Yakushi” Naruto announces to the man sitting in an uncomfortable chair, hands cuffed to the rickety table. “Orphan, with no living relatives. Or at least, none that were interested in you. Grew up in the system. A quiet, bookish kid, with a squeaky clean record. One day, he goes missing. Nobody cares. So many foster kids go missing, after all. But then, a few years later, he resurfaces. As the human trafficker Orochimaru’s right hand man. Tell me, Kabuto, how does a nobody like you rise so high so fast?”
Kabuto looks up. At first glance, one can never suspect him for being a criminal, and such a heinous one at that. With a boyish, bespectacled face and shoulder length grey hair tied back simply, he could easily pass for a quiet, erudite academic. His face does not betray any emotion.
“Minato Namikaze.” He begins in monotonous voice, “Youngest person in the history of Konoha PD to make commissioner. Brilliant. Loved and respected by his subordinates. Killed in action, the very night his pregnant fiancée went into labor. Perp still not apprehended.”
Beside Sakura, Kakashi stiffens. “Shit”, he whispers softly. Sakura agrees. They were off on a bad start.
Naruto pales, but fortunately maintains his composure. “So you are aware of my tragic backstory.” He forces a chuckle. “It isn’t exactly a big secret. We expected that you’d do your own digging.”
Sasuke speaks up, “Trying to rattle my partner isn’t a good strategy, Yakushi. We’re your best chance right now. I suggest you start talking right now, to avoid spending the rest of your sorry life in prison.”
Kabuto eyes Sasuke slyly. A smirk slowly starts forming in his face. Sakura does not like where this is going. At all.
“Detective Uchiha, is it”, Kabuto bares his teeth in a predatory manner. “Must be a great burden to bear, to carry that name.”
Sasuke almost leaps out of his chair. “We’re giving you a plea deal”, he says with barely controlled rage, ”That is more than what a son of a bitch like you deserves. You’re going to tell us everything about Orochimaru and his operation. Starting immediately.”
“A plea deal?” Kabuto gasps in fake horror. “I see there’s been a misunderstanding. Oh no, detectives, I’m not going to prison. The confined lifestyle does not agree with me at all. I have valuable intel you see. Intel that can make or break your career. And your captain’s. But I’m only willing to share in lieu of immunity.”
Naruto breaks into a laugh. “You poor, deluded bastard.”, he shakes his head and continues, “You have charges of manslaughter, money laundering and human trafficking against you. Even if you were to pull Orochimaru out of your ass right here, you’re not getting immunity. Even with reduced sentence, you’re going away for a long, long time.”
“Orochimaru’s done for.” Kabuto snaps, looking mildly annoyed. “He’s a sick, dying man. I was the one holding everything together. Now that I’m gone, his operation is theirs by now. If you still want it, I’ll give him up right now. Go make the arrest, if he’s not dead already. It’s them you want and I know exactly how to lay the traps.”
“Enough.” Sasuke says in a low voice. “You’re not fooling us Yakushi, downplaying your boss and sending us on a wild goose chase after some mysterious ‘they’. Do you take us for imbeciles?”
“Is that so?” Kabuto’s grin has an odd serpentine nature about it, sending chills down Sakura’s spine. “Tell me detectives”, he coos, “How familiar are you with the name Akatsuki?”