Coffee spilled down the cup, leaving a rich brown line on the paper cup. Tension surrounded the room, as the powerful woman glared at all four of them.

"It's unfortunate that my faith in each of you is slowly diminishing." She closed her brown eyes, clearly disappointed, "The best detectives I have can't even solve this simple case."

The silver-haired man stood up in defense, "I've known you for a very long time, Chief," He began, "You know of the dedication I have for my job. I could say the same for all three of these young and talented detectives."

The sun-kissed blonde smirked at his fellow detective's words.

Tsunade sighed, "I'm aware, but we are on a time limit. . . You know that. One month and this case can be pushed aside, which means more lives will be taken. Your efforts aren't enough." She looked around the room, "Perhaps strategy is not apparent enough in this group. And that's why. . . There will be a new addition to this team."

A yawn interrupted Tsunade, and everyone darted their heads at the doorway. The man put his hand in front of his mouth, and let out another yawn, then scratched the back of his head.

"You called me here?" He said lazily.

The chief smirked, "I'm surprised you actually showed up at this hour, Nara."

He snickered, and looked around the room, "Is there a purpose for me to be here? Otherwise, I'm going home."

The blonde woman turned back towards the four, "Nara will be a part of the Uchiha case from now on. You could use him."

Shikamaru groaned, "Tsk, how troublesome. I wasn't looking to get my throat slit by that Sasuke guy."

Tsunade groaned as well, "You'll do as I say. I don't give a flying hoot how troubled you are by this. This team needs you, otherwise Uchiha will successfully outsmart them."

He out his hands in his pockets, "I don't get it. Haruno is known for her logical thinking and analytical skills. There's not much else I could do."

"Your strategy almost always works, that's what this team needs." She retorted.

The lazy Nara sighed, "Alright, but you want this case to be over quickly. I like to take my time in thinking up a tactical strategy. Time management has never been in my favor."

"You're their last hope. Now get to work." She snapped, then walked out of the room.

Shikamaru groaned again, and looked at the group, "Thanks a lot guys. This is the most troublesome case ever."

Naruto growled and pointed at the lazy detective, "Shut your trap! I want to take down this bastard and you're our best bet!"

"I just want to go home." He complained.

Kakashi looked at him, "Quit your whining. You signed up for this job, so you're going to have to do the work."

Meanwhile, Sakura was staring at the wall, with her heart pounding.

If Shikamaru is a part of the Uchiha case, then that means they have a chance of finding him. I don't want to go against my co-workers, but I want Sasuke to achieve his goal. He's under the impression that the only reason for him to live, is to kill his brother.

"Sakura." The lazy-ass said.

She looked at him and he continued, "I'm surprised this case isn't already over, considering you're a part of the team."

The pinkette frowned, "You guys overestimate me. I can't always succeed."

Naruto stared at her in bewilderment, "Sakura. . ."

Her eyes began watering, "All of you expect me to be the one to solve every case. I've put my full heart into everything I do, yet it isn't enough to any of you. I've lived my few adult years putting my analytical thinking to the max, and haven't even had time to see my parents or do my own hobbies. Yet that's still not enough."

Everyone stared intently at her. A tear left her emerald eye.

"I'm relied on too much."

Naruto frowned, "The last time I saw tears in your eyes was when that little girl died."

She bit her lip and shivered at the thought. She looked up at Kakashi.

"Hatake?" She asked, "May I be dismissed."

He gave her a close-eyed smile, "Of course."

The pinkette nodded and left the room, leaving everyone in surprise and awe.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Panting, the man stood in front of the large house and closed his eyes. Biting the inside of his cheek, he suppressed the urge to scream.

I never thought. . . I'd come back to this place.

Indeed, too many painful and dreaded memories were buried deep inside of this specific house. Memories that made this man who he is today. Dark, emotionless, troubled, and scarred. There was still old police tape in front of the property that mostly laid on the ground. He walked through the narrow gateway and looked around the property. It was completely rundown. No one wanted to buy this property, considering the terrible things that happened around and within this house.

Once he reached the steps, there was flag with half of a symbol of a fan. The emotionless icicle put his fingerless leather-gloved hand on top of the flag, and put his head down, memories coming back to him. Taking a look around outside again, he put his hand on the door. It was locked. The Uchiha circled around the house, and fortunately found a broken window. Entering inside, he found himself standing in the kitchen. His whole body shook. Dreaded nostalgia was all he felt. A fuzzy image of his mother cutting vegetables with a close-eyed smile popped in his mind, and he grabbed his head with one hand.

The police took all of the furniture out of the house. The table Sasuke once sat at was gone. As well as drawers, couches, shelves, and many more. All of that, except a picture that was hung on the wall. He took long strides towards the picture and slightly widened his eyes at the image.

His mother, father, brother, and a younger version of himself stood in the picture. The Uchiha took a good look of his younger self. So innocent and naïve. A smile was visible on his lips. It made him want to puke. Young Sasuke never expected what came soon after the picture was taken. Sasuke quickly grabbed the picture off the wall, and his thumb traced the top of the dusty photo, making his brother's face visible. He shut his eyes and grit his teeth.

In a way, Sasuke was thankful this picture was still there. He assumed the police left it there for a reason. Someone had to be insane to even think of buying this house, and perhaps the police knew that, so they kept the picture there for remembrance.

The Uchiha looked in all of the rooms in his childhood home, but was hesitant to go into one room. His hand gripped the handle to the room. Holding his breathe, the raven-haired man slid open the door, revealing the familiar room. Once he was fully inside the room, he closed the door behind him.

Just like the night everything was taken away from him, the moonlight shone perfectly through the window, illuminating the spot where his parents were laid on top of each other like rag dolls. He stood above the spot and looked down, his bags covering his face. His thoughts clouded him from reality, and his knees dropped to the ground, and his palms slapped down on the floor. Drops were heard, as the ground beneath him held uneven circles of moisture. Tears kept trailing down his face. That was when Sasuke realized. . .

This was the first time he shed a tear since that day.

For the longest time, the Uchiha has hid his emotions. Despite everything that has happened in his life, for years his emotions were never shown to anyone, except Sakura. It's true he refuses to show too much of how he feels around her. Sasuke's never been the type to do that, but this is his downfall. Touching the ground where his parents took their last breathes were what broke him. This is Sasuke Uchiha's weakness.

"Mother. . . Father. . ." His breathes were shaky, and he went to a kneeling position. Taking his katana out of it's sheath, he twirled it with his fingers and put the tip of the sword into the ground, holding the handle, "I promise. . ." The Uchiha's eyes opened, "I promise I'll avenge you."

~*~*~*~*~*~

That feeling of guilt still lived in the core of Sakura Haruno's emotions. Sitting on her couch, she stared at her feet, thinking about Sasuke. She was hopeless. The talented detective wants so badly to help him reach his goals, but then again. . . Her career is counting on the case. It's not even the obligation that was put upon her to catch this criminal, but the words of her co-workers that are making her hate herself. She hates how much she cares for the emotionless Uchiha.

Out of nowhere, there was a slight peck on the door, and Sakura darted her head towards the noise.

"S-Sakura." The familiar voice said.

She sighed, "It's open, Naruto."

He walked in and gave her a wide grin, and scratched the back of his head, "I brought you pizza."

A chuckle escaped her lips, "I appreciate it, but you didn't have to do that."

Giving her a warm smile, the goofy blonde sat beside her, and put the pizza box on the coffee table in front of them.

"You seemed uneasy at work today. I just thought I could cheer you up."

She smiled at him, "Thank you, Naruto."

His smile faded and he stared intently at her, "Listen Sakura. It's not that we overestimate you. Actually, we are aware of how much talent you have."

Her emerald eyes stared back at him, and he continued, "The reason why everyone relies on you so much, is because you've accomplished more as a detective than any of us has combined," His eyebrows furrowed, "You were made for this job."

"I just-" Her eyebrows turned upright in sadness, "I just don't want to disappoint anyone."

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder, "No matter what you do, you could never make us lose our faith in you. You always do the right thing. Even if something you do seems completely wrong and risky, we trust your judgement. That's what makes you so reliable."

Sakura's lip quivered, "Thank you, Naruto."

He put his signature grin back on, "Don't mention it," Naruto looked at his watch, "I should be going now."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I should be going now."

The Uchiha waited on the rail of the fire escape. Finally, he heard the door close. Without hesitation, he slowly entered the studio apartment, making sure Sakura notices him. She stared at him, but soon looked down at her lap in sadness. Sighing, the raven-haired man took a seat next to her, and opened his black satchel. Putting the frame in front of her face, she slightly gasped, and hesitantly grabbed the photo.

"This was my family." Sasuke said quietly.

She took a moment to examine every single person in the photo. A small smile formed on her lips. She pointed at the woman in the photo, "Is this your mother?"

He nodded, and tears began to form in her eyes, "She's beautiful. I can see where you get your looks." Sakura looked at him, and noticed he was staring intently at the photo, yet emotionless.

He closed his eyes, "You remind me of her."

The pinkette's gaze shifted back to the photo, "Really?"

His eyebrows furrowed, "She was strong-willed, but innocent."

Sakura chuckled sadly, a tear drop fell on the photo, "I can't— I can't imagine ever going through something like that. The pain you must have felt-" Now there were numerous tears clouding the photo, "And you were so young."

Just looking at Sakura cry made something burn inside of Sasuke. He's seen many woman cry before he saved them from assault, but this was a whole new level of rage. It didn't show in his expression, but he doesn't want to see her cry ever again.

"Don't cry for me." He said.

Sakura sniffled, "I'm sorry, I just— God, I seem to always shed tears in front of you."

Silence surrounded the two, and she finally had the courage to look at his face, "You didn't deserve any of this. It's not fair."

The Uchiha could tell Sakura was trying to suppress her sobs. He's not the sentimental type of person, unless he's pulling off an act. You could say the kisses and the touches he's given Sakura were just an act, but only because he doesn't understand his emotions. Sighing, he put his arm around her, and pulled the emerald-eyed detective to him. After she calmed down, Sakura looked at him, his arm still around her.

"I care about you, Sasuke." The pinkette leaned closer towards him, and was inches away from his lips.

It surprises him, honestly. He's been the one to make a move on her, yet she's pretty much denied him. But now. . . Now she's the one who wants to be closer to him. Not wanting to wait for her, he closed the space between them, and lightly touched his lips to hers. Her slender fingers made their way to his face, and she deepened the kiss between them. He could tell she was desperate for affection, and Sasuke was willing to give that to her.

Sure, he's kissed many woman in his lifetime, but this was different. It lit a spark in him that he never knew existed. She triggered a hidden emotion inside of him, and that made it hard to imagine his life without her.

What is this emotion?

What is this feeling?

Her hand traced his jawline, and soon she stopped the kiss. Her forehead rested on top of his, her eyes were squinted tiredly.

Sasuke broke the silence between them, "You look tired."

She nodded, and looked at the coffee table, "Damn, I forgot about the pizza."

A small smirk crossed his face, "There's always leftovers."

Sakura chuckled, "Try not to steal it."

Moving a strand of hair from her face, Sasuke whispered, "Get some sleep."

She closed her eyes, as if contemplating, but finally opened them after a few moments, "Come with me."

"What?"

She smiled, "When was the last time you slept in a bed?"

He turned his head away from her, almost embarrassed, "A while."

The emerald-eyed woman giggled, "Don't make a big deal out of it."

He sighed, "Fine."

Smiling, she put the unopened pizza box in the fridge, and grabbed Sasuke's hand lightly, leading him to her room. Once they entered, she shut the door, and flopped down on her bed, back-first. She closed her eyes, but opened one eye, noticing Sasuke was looking around the room.

"Come on." She said within a yawn.

The Uchiha stared at her, "You sure?"

"It's just sleep. Relax."

Sighing once again, he laid next to her, and Sakura leaned over, and turned the lamp off beside her, darkness surrounding the room.

Sasuke stared up at the ceiling for what seemed like an hour. He didn't even notice the sleeping Haruno had her head on his chest, obviously in a sound slumber. Sasuke took off his fingerless gloves, and relaxed his body. Finally giving in, the Uchiha put his hand on her back, and closed his eyes.

He finally realized.

This. . .

This feels right.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Yes, I said I wasn't going to update, BUT I DID!

If you haven't read my posts on my message board, I have been having internet problems, but I stayed the night at my Grandma's house, which has internet access. I'm relying on my phone's data to read updates/communicate with people on Wattpad.

Shit guys, I used Naruto's best jutsu in this chapter. Yes, the talk no jutsu.

Anyway, criticism is VERY MUCH appreciated, so feel free to tell me your opinion of this story so far. What can I do better? I'm always open to suggestions to improve my writing.

Thanks for taking time to read this, and hope you enjoyed!

~Kit_Katzzz