~Bulletproof~ SasuSaku Mafia Story

Chapter 43 ~No Body, No Crime

Loud banging on the front door woke Sakura up around 9 AM. Her body was still sore, eyes heavy. The bedroom smelled like sex, and all the bedsheets had been stripped, or half-hanging onto the floor.

Sakura sat up in her bed, and looked to her right. The bed was empty, as she had predicted. Of course he wouldn't stay. He said he had to go, so why the sinking feeling? Sakura grabbed a random oversized T-shirt from her closet and dragged her feet to the floor. She looked to the peephole to see Shikamaru knocking repeatedly. That sight quickly woke her up and snapped her into focus. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Shikamaru, what the hell?"

"We need to talk, Sakura."

"Is this a police matter?"

"Yes and no." He pushed his way past her into the apartment. Sakura sighed and closed the door behind him. This was not the right time. She still had a lot to process.

"I need to use the bathroom quickly." Sakura ran inside and locked the door behind her. She checked herself out in the mirror; her hair was a mess, her eyebags were defined, but there were no visible marks on her body outside what the shirt covered. Phew.

She sniffed herself. Cologne. Shit. Sakura quickly washed her face and sprayed herself with an excessive amount of perfume she stored in the bathroom. This was as good as it could get. She nodded at her reflection in the mirror, and joined Shikamaru in the living room.

"What is going on?"

"Sakura. I am coming to you as a friend first, and then as a cop. You can't keep this up."

"Keep what up?" Sakura crossed her arms and sat down on her couch. He stood by the counter.

"We lost contact with Kurenai."

"Oh? I hope she is okay, but what's that gotta do with me?"

"You know what, Sakura."

It took a lot for her not to grin at him. What had she become?

"Shikamaru, this is useless if you don't tell me."

"Kurenai was on an surveillance assignment to trail you."

"Oh, so Tsunade sent her to spy on me?"

"You know we had to, Sakura. You know our protocols."

"Tsunade does have some nerve pretending to be friendly with me by asking permission to tap my phone when she turns around and sends people to spy on me." Sakura's voice was precise, focused. She was done with this.

"This is not the point, Sakura. Don't victimize yourself. Kurenai is unreachable."

Sakura met his glare with one of equal contempt.

"And what do you want me to do about it? I hope you find her."

"Tell me what happened to her, Sakura."

She leaned back and shrugged. "Maybe you should have sent a better spy after me."

"What the fuck happened to you, Sakura? She could be dead! Tell me what happened, I know you know!"

"I don't, Shikamaru. I didn't even know she was trailing me. Maybe someone got to her?"

He gritted his teeth.

"You're working for them, aren't you? You need to come clean, Sakura. This will not end well."

"Is this all, Shikamaru? I don't know what happened to her, but I'd guess that she's alive. Don't see why anyone would kill her."

The calmness in her voice deeply concerned Shikamaru. He needed a different approach.

"Listen, Sakura. I don't know if they blackmailed you, or if the Uchiha bribed you with something, but you can not trust him. Whatever he promised, it will backfire. It isn't too late to turn on that killer. Come on, think straight."