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Madara sends Itachi and Izuna home sometime around midnight. Shisui stays at the station with him, studying the photos from the crime scene and autopsy. Madara looks exhausted – Shisui isn't even sure when he got back to Konoha, but it had to be right before the body was discovered. "Have you tried dental records?" Shisui asks, glancing up at his uncle.

Madara sighs and runs a hand through his wild hair. "Nothing came up." He leans back in his chair, pinches the bridge of his nose. "What the hell could have ripped fingers off like that? The only damage is to the face and hands, we're not even sure of cause of death yet. If the body was more damaged, I'd say animal attack, but this is too calculated."

"Has Tsunade screened for toxins yet?" Shisui shuffles through the papers in front of him, as if he hasn't been staring at them for the past three hours.

"She has. There wasn't anything there, either." Madara hands Shisui the toxicology report. "Maybe he died of blood loss. He didn't have any water in his lungs."

Shisui frowns down at a picture of the dead man. "What about strangulation? The throat is slashed, but Tsunade said that was done post-mortem. It could have been done to hide strangulation marks."

"It's possible." Madara stands and peers over Shisui's shoulder. "The throat is shredded. I'll ask Tsunade to take a closer look tomorrow morning." He glances at his watch. "Or later today, I suppose. Whoever did this was thorough. It'll be a miracle if we can find out who did it, or even who the victim is."

Sighing, Shisui rubs his eyes. "I'll ask around this afternoon, see if anyone saw anything."

Madara is silent for a long moment. Then he asks, "Did you and that girl see anything? You weren't too far down the beach, and Tsunade put time of death within an hour of us finding the body."

"I don't remember hearing anything. We were up at the tide pools." Shisui yawns, and Madara sighs.

"Get some rest, kid." Shisui is too tired to protest – he stands and grabs his jacket. As he's headed for the door, Madara says, "That girl – Haruno Sakura. Is it possible she knows something?"

Shisui turns. "What do you mean?" Madara looks so, so tired. And – defeated. Shisui hasn't seen him like this since… Since Mito disappeared, and Izuna took a turn for the worse.

"We don't get visitors here, Shisui. And for a girl like that to show up just before this happens?" There's nothing accusatory in Madara's tone, but Shisui bristles anyway.

"A girl like that? You mean because she looks like an Uzumaki? I thought you of all people were above that, Madara. You and Mito –"

"Never mind about me and Mito," Madara interrupts. His shoulders slump, and he runs a hand down his face. "I didn't mean anything by it, Shisui. We're grasping at straws here, and you know Hashirama will be out for blood if we don't find anything soon. Things like this don't happen in Konoha."

Shisui snorts. "No, here we keep our skeletons in the closet, not on the beach. God forbid Konoha owns up to its dirty secrets."

"Shisui –"

He slams the door shut behind him.

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Obito at least has the decency to wait until Shisui is out of sight before he turns on Sakura. "What the hell are you doing here, Sakura?"

"Obito!" Rin exclaims. She looks around, then takes both their wrists and tugs them away from the main road, into a shadowy alley. "Keep your voice down," she chides. Obito doesn't even glance at her, just stares at Sakura, his brows drawn together.

Sakura tugs herself free from Rin's grip. "Your scars have healed well," she says.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Obito asks again. "Have you lost your fucking mind?"

"I'm here cleaning up your mess!" Sakura hisses. "Mito vanishes and you do nothing, now there's a mutilated body on the beach! Have I lost my mind? What have you been doing here?"

Obito clenches his jaw. Rin steps closer to him, pressing herself into his side. Her hand slips from his wrist to his hand. When he speaks again, he's calmer. "Do you think it was easy for me to do nothing? You're not the only one who cares about Mito. But things are different here. I'm just an Uchiha bastard. There's no way in hell Fugaku lets me anywhere close to the police station, let alone case files. And with Hashirama as mayor…"

Sakura takes a deep breath. "I understand that you're in a difficult situation, Obito. But the situation in Uzushio isn't exactly the best right now, either. Nagato is getting worse, Yahiko is still dealing with problems in Ame, and Akatsuki…" She trails off. Even if they're alone, she doesn't want to reveal too much. Kushina always said even the wind has ears in Konoha.

"And what about you?" Rin asks. Her voice is soft, hesitant, as if she knows what Sakura's thinking. "Are you…?"

"Stable," Sakura says, "for now." Her eyes find the ridged scars covering half of Obito's face. "We shouldn't have any more incidents."

Obito grazes his fingers over his scars. "Don't sound so guilty. You didn't do anything."

"It could have been me just as easily," Sakura says quietly. She looks down at her feet, blinking back tears. She's already cried enough for one night – she needs to be strong, for Mito, for Akatsuki. They're counting on her to set things right.

A warm hand squeezes her shoulder. Obito's hands are just as rough as she remembers, but they're also familiar. Comforting. "It's no use thinking about what could have been." His voice is rough, and Sakura knows that he's thinking of those blissful, happy years before he got his scars, before Kakashi lost his eye, before everything started to crumble. "Tell me about Nagato. You said he's doing worse?"

"Yahiko says he needs the surgery. That he doesn't have much time left. He wants me to leave Konoha to be with him." She squeezes her eyes shut. "For God's sake, I'm not even a real doctor, but he refuses to look outside the family."

"What about Orochimaru?" Obito asks.

"He's in Oto, working on the next phase." Sakura looks up at Obito, her eyes burning and blurry with unshed tears. "I'm afraid I'll never see him again," she whispers.

There's nothing to say, so Obito says nothing, just pulls Sakura closer and lets her lean on him. Rin steps forward and wraps her arms around Sakura. "It'll be okay," she murmurs against Sakura's hair. Sakura lets out a choked noise that might be a sob. Rin draws her away from Obito gently, pushes her hair back from her tear-streaked cheeks. "Sakura. Kura, look at me." Rin cups her cheeks and waits until Sakura's tears have slowed enough that she can breathe. "I'll go to Ame. I'll do the surgery for you."

"Rin –" Obito begins, but she cuts him off with a look.

"Rin, I can't ask that of you," Sakura says. Her voice is still wet with her tears.

"Kakashi knows me. He can vouch for me. Yahiko can hardly argue with both you and Kakashi. I'll go to Ame, and I'll make sure that you get to see Nagato again." Rin looks at Obito, soft and a little sad. She knows as well as he does that she won't be able to come back to Konoha, not until everything is finished. Yahiko won't allow it, won't put Nagato and Sakura and everyone else at risk. The fewer people in Konoha who know about Akatsuki, the easier it will be to keep the secret. "I'll leave tonight," Rin says, tearing her gaze from Obito. "And I'll see you when you get back."

"Rin," Sakura protests again.

"It's alright, Sakura," Obito says. Rin smiles at him, bittersweet, and kisses Sakura's forehead.

"I'll call you as soon as he's stable," Rin tells her. She steps back, presses a brief kiss against Obito's lips, and murmurs, "I'll be waiting for you." And then, before either of them can protest, Rin is gone, pulling the hood of her jacket up and walking away, leaving Obito and Sakura alone.

It's quiet for a long minute, and then Obito says, "Want to get a drink?"

Sakura lets out a startled laugh. "You know, I could use a drink."

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Sakura is woken up at an ungodly hour by the front door slamming shut. She groans and rolls over, searching blindly for Obito. "Fuck," he groans. "What the hell, it's six, where have you been all night?" Sakura forces her eyes open just in time for whoever just came in to turn the lights on. She shrieks, completely involuntarily, and Obito says again, more emphatically, "Fuck!"

"I've been working," an all-too familiar voice says. "Unlike my good for nothing brother, who's been out drinking." Sakura cringes into the blanket that Obito had thrown over her half-heartedly before they'd both passed out. Obito turns to her and squints.

"Well, shit," he says. There's no way out of this, and no easy explanation for Shisui.

Sakura hears Shisui sigh. "Can't you drink at Rin's apartment? Why do I have to deal with your hangover?" Sakura pulls the blanket higher over her face. It's useless; Shisui steps into the living room and pauses. Then, "You said you were taking her home, not to get drunk." He sounds more tired than anything else as he half-sits, half-collapses on the floor beside Sakura.

"She was traumatized by the body," Obito says. It comes out almost as a question.

Shisui snorts. "Bullshit." He leans back against the couch and lets his eyes flutter closed. Sakura studies his face, the dark line of his lashes against his cheeks, the bruise-colored bags forming under his eyes. "Sleep it off. I'll deal with you when I'm awake."

Obito grumbles but rolls over and pulls his own blanket over his head. Sakura tugs half her blanket over Shisui. He looks younger like this, more vulnerable. It makes something in Sakura's chest tighten. Put the mission first, she reminds herself. She can't afford to care about Shisui. She's already made too many mistakes: crying in front of him, kissing him, and now, this. Still, she can't resist the urge to reach out to him. Her fingertips have barely brushed his cheekbone when his eyes open. Sakura freezes, her hand still stretched out, her eyes wide and focused on his. They're so dark they're nearly black, and when he smiles at her, the corners of them crinkle. "Hello," he says quietly, still smiling, soft and sweet. Smiling like it's just for her. Sakura can feel the red spreading across her cheeks, down her neck.

"I thought you were asleep," she whispers, and lowers her hand. He catches it in his own and presses her palm against his cheek. Sakura's breath catches. She's hyper-aware of his skin, hot against her own. And of Obito, asleep only a few feet away.

Shisui doesn't answer, just turns his head so he can press a kiss to her palm. He looks up at her through his lashes. "Madara asked me if you might know anything about what happened on the beach."

"Oh?" Sakura's heart stops. She hadn't even considered the possibility of blame falling on her.

"I told him there's no way," Shisui continues. He takes her hand again, draws his lips across her skin. He nips at her fingertips, and Sakura's breath leaves her lungs all at once. "But I do wonder…" He intertwines their fingers, brushes his thumb across the back of her hand. Sakura's eyes dart between their hands and his eyes. "It doesn't seem like you just met Obito. And Itachi knows you – was willing to lie to me for you."

Sakura doesn't look away, even though she wants to. There's no accusation in his voice, not even a question, but shame burns through her. She's no stranger to lying, she's good at it, but this… This feels wrong. "I hadn't met Itachi until I came to Konoha," she says.

"And Obito?"

At that, Sakura does look away. "Some secrets aren't mine to tell," she murmurs. "Obito and I are… We've known each other since I was young."

There's a hand beneath her chin, and Shisui tilts her face up so she's looking at him again. "I'm not asking you to tell me all your secrets," he says softly. His lips tilt up into a half-smile. "We've only just met. And… Even if you're not Haruno Sakura, well. I'd like to get to know you anyways. Secrets or not." He leans in, his nose brushing against hers.

His lips are centimeters away from hers when Sakura breathes, "Wait." Shisui stops, leans back enough that he can see her eyes. "Shisui, I…" She falters. "I wish I could tell you everything. I will tell you everything, as soon as I can." Truth, truth, truth. Sakura's playing a dangerous game; she doesn't need Yahiko here to tell her that. But there's something so earnest about Shisui, something so soft and welcoming while still being completely unfamiliar. Sakura has given her whole life to Akatsuki. Just this once, can't she be selfish?

"Sakura." Shisui smiles. He rests his forehead against hers. "You don't need to tell me anything. Not now, not ever, if you can't or don't want to. Alright?"

"Alright," Sakura breathes. She closes the distance between them and presses her lips against his. He leans into the kiss, wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her closer. Her hands slide into his hair, and she can't help the soft noise that escapes her when his tongue brushes the seam of her lips. She pulls back, just barely. Her cheeks feel hot. Shisui smiles and brushes his thumb across her lower lip. When he kisses her again, it's open-mouthed, with a hint of teeth and tongue. Sakura tugs on his hair, and Shisui groans against her lips.

"For fuck's sake," Obito snaps. Sakura flinches, startled. She breaks the kiss and looks over her shoulder at Obito. Obito glares back. "I'm right here."

"And that matters why?" Shisui asks coolly.

"Look, if you want to fuck around like two horny teenagers, go ahead. But you have a bedroom, Shisui. Jesus Christ."

"Christ, Obito!" Shisui flushes. He stands and pulls Sakura to her feet. "I'm not – we're not going to… to do that with you here! Or at all," he adds quickly, glancing back at Sakura.

She rolls her eyes. "Well that's disappointing." Shisui chokes. Obito smiles, just barely.

Shisui clears his throat. "My room is the room on the left; the bathroom is right beside it. You can take my bed. Obito and I can sleep out here." He smiles despite the blush still staining his cheeks.

Sakura is half-tempted to ask him to join her, but… She glances at Obito. He hasn't gone back to bed. He nods, the barest incline of his head, and Sakura understands. There are things they need to talk about – she'll leave it up to Obito to decide how much he tells Shisui. She knows he won't say anything about her family, and that's enough. She leans down and kisses Shisui's cheek, then shoots a smile at Obito. "Goodnight, boys," she says, winking at Obito before she walks into Shisui's room and closing the door softly behind her.

She sits on the bed and dials Yahiko's number. He answers on the first ring. Sakura keeps her voice low. "I met up with Obito. Nohara is headed to Ame to take care of Nagato."

A pause, and then, "I'll let Konan know to prepare everything. Make sure Obito doesn't rush things just because he misses her."

"Of course," Sakura says, smiling. It fades as she thinks of what Shisui had said about Madara earlier. "Yahiko, there's something else."

For once, Yahiko doesn't remind her to call him Pein. He must hear something in her voice. "What's wrong, Sakura?"

"A body washed up on the beach last night. Mutilated and unidentifiable."

"And you think it has something to do with Phase 1?" Yahiko asks slowly.

Sakura bites her lip. "It could. It's bad enough that Madara is investigating personally."

"Shit," Yahiko swears. "Is it –?"

"It's not Mito," Sakura assures him. "It's a man, killed recently if the wounds are anything to go by. But it could be connected."

"Sasori is in Suna; he can get there fastest." Sakura groans, but Yahiko keeps talking. "I'll tell him to keep a low profile."

"Hidan is with him," Sakura argues. "There's no way he'll keep quiet."

"I'll handle it," Yahiko says. "Besides, Obito is with you now. Even Hidan respects Obito. He can keep them in line. And Kakuzu and Sasori will be there." His voice softens. "Sakura, the mission comes first, but we need you safe if this is going to work. I know you can take care of yourself, but Konoha is a dangerous place. This is too important to risk just because you and Hidan don't get along."

Sakura closes her eyes and counts to ten. "I know," she says finally. "I won't disappoint you, Yahiko. Give everyone my love." She doesn't wait for a reply before hanging up.

Hidan in Konoha. God help them all. Sakura sighs and lays back on the bed. She's half-asleep when her phone buzzes. Groaning, she raises her phone and squints at the text.

[7:00 am]

Hidan:

c u soon princess xxx

Sakura sends back a middle-finger emoji, tosses her phone across the room, and falls asleep.

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Eyyyyyyyy it's been literal years (months) but I'm back! & very sorry for being gone for so long. Talk about an unplanned hiatus. I had finals, and I moved, and then I went to Greece for the summer, and then I had a bunch of mental breakdowns. Am having. It's debatable. Anyways, I'm back and have ~ideas~ so this might actually update semi-consistently? Also I'm upping the rating to M because I really wanted Obito to say fuck and also Hidan is coming in and you know homeboi swears like crazy. Also I'm toying witht he idea of gettin steamy but we'll see. Aslo I'm aware that this is shitty and it's not even late so I can't say "omg its 3am and this is shit bc im sleep deprived" but let's pretend I have that excuse anyways.

Thanks to everyone who followed/etc. while I was MIA, I'm glad you didn't give up on this fic because I didn't (and won't, even if it takes me TEN YEARS to update, which it won't)