(A/N: There are some slightly dark themes in this chapter, so don't be alarmed if you read anything unsettling. Personally, I think it's actually very intriguing, but whatever.)

If someone were to ask Kakashi Hatake how he were doing, he would say he was fine. But that's not what the lead investigator thought about him.

"Hatake-san, are you aware that it was your interference that caused the Chūnin Exams to be postponed? Because you failed to inform Genma that Sakura would be participating, we had to make the audience wait?" Inoichi Yamanka circled the man in question, while Shikaku and Ibiki watched from behind one-way glass.

"I was." Kakashi replies. "May I leave now?" He have a closed-eye smile before trying to stand. He was escorted back to his seat by an ANBU.

"You realize, Hatake-san, that when you take actions by yourself and without authority, you endanger others? You could be tried for insubordination."

Kakashi froze in his seat. "I'm the one that acts without orders?" His laughter grew from quiet and low to loud and almost hysterical. "I do what's right for Konoha, nothing else. And if one of my students is a danger, I'm obliged to take her out."

"This is more along the lines of treason, now." Inoichi shifted in his chair. "What is so important about Sakura that she had to be rid of?"

Kakashi mumbled something under his breath, but didn't speak any louder.

"What?" Inoichi leaned closer. "Repeat that, please." He watched in the corner of his eye as the ANBU stiffened.

"She's a spy. She's fake. She was planted here from the beginning. You weren't there. The night we found her." Kakashi rested his chin in his palm, the calm demeanor returning. "You would think I would have been used to it. But I wasn't. She killed him. I know it. Six years ago, one of our ANBU went missing. Cause of death was determined as strangulation."

On the other side of the room, Shikaku and Ibiki discusses his behavior. "He seems insane," the Nara said, leaning on the chair behind him.

"Not insane. Mentally strained. What I'm puzzled with is how this was undetected for all this time," Ibiki muttered. "It's definitely PTSD. Although here has to be a common link for Sakura to have been the one he was taking his anger out on. We'll have to go into his files."

"Already did." Shikaku dropped a thick manila folder on the table. "Rin Nohara. She was his teammate back when the Fourth was alive. She died at his own hands. And before that, he saw his other teammate killed after saving his life. Obito Uchiha. He pushed him out of the way when a cave was collapsing."

"That case. I remember now." Ibiki nodded. "Although I'm still not sure how the trauma was downplayed. What we can focus on now, though, is what trauma relates to Sakura."

"Hm..." Shikaku picked up the packet and flipped through it casually, as if he weren't reading confidential information. "Otogakure barely existed back then. Before Orochimaru picked the place up, it was a small farming town that turned to becoming militia because of the war. It was an advantage for them, I guess, since they were employed by other countries. Didn't their shinobi actually fight Hatake's team on that mission? Is it possible that Sakura may be related to someone from the village? Although, it is possible that this is entirely because she's Orochimaru's experiment. Maybe Hatake's doing this out of blind spite at this point?"

"We have to find her documents to be sure, which requires even more access to even more confidential information. But, let's assume she could be related to more than just the First Hokage. It's impossible for a human to be born unless there is a female counterpart. Could her biological mother have been from...?" Ibiki took out a notebook and scribbled down his notes.

"I heard that Otokagure back then was still a pretty nasty place to be. Human trafficking was and is still big there today. Is it possible Orochimaru went to Otogakure before being involved with the village and purchased a woman because it was such a small village?!" Shikaku nodded to the paper. "Write that down, too. The mother could've been a non-indigenous person brought as a slave from another country. Although...seeing how poorly-educated the majority of that village is, I would also reckon they wouldn't keep records for slave-trading from however long ago. Which means we're back to square one until we have access to more records. My question is, why didn't the Third look into any of this?"

:::

Naruto was too excited to even complain about the time, and bounded out of the room, followed by Sasuke, who had his hands in his pockets and was scowling. It seemed he was always scowling as of recently. "Hey, Teme, ya know what we should do? Throw a party, dattebayo! I bet everyone will come to see Sakura-chan!"

"To assassinate her," Sasuke muttered darkly, then stopped walking. "You realize you're the only one that sees her normally, right? They probably want to kill her. Literally. And you want to throw a party? What, so they can find her easier than before?"

Naruto stopped, then paused in the empty hospital hall to turn and look at Sasuke. "What do you mean I'm the only one? What about you, dattebayo? You like Sakura-chan too, don't you?"

Sasuke looked away, most likely because he knew he would see betrayal in Naruto's eyes. "She's a traitor, Naruto. How can you act like nothing has changed? She tried to kill the both of us."

"Before she was a traitor, she was our friend. Sakura-chan is a part of Team Seven! She's a part of our family!" Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. "Let me get his straight—you don't trust her? She's been with us for six years. And what has she done for us all these years? I'll tell you, Teme, she was my first friend, and yours, she defended us from the villagers, she lied for us to Iruka whenever we pulled a prank, she took in a homeless boy, she protected us in the Chūnin Exams...what else do you want from her?!" Naruto breathed heavily, angry at the fact that Sasuke wasn't even listening to him.

"I guess it hasn't gotten through your thick skull, Naruto, but she was never our friend. She was a spy, you fucking idiot, so if you ever thought for a second that she was really our friend, you're wrong."

"You thought so too," Naruto accused. "You cared about her just as much I did. So don't go saying shit like you don't care, Sasuke."

"That's your problem, Naruto. You always look past all the negatives. You filter everything you don't want to hear out, then keep spouting your opinion without regard for anyone else." Sasuke looked around the hall, noticing a few staff that had appeared and were now watching cautiously. He clenched his hands into and fists and turned away from Naruto. "I'm leaving. And don't expect me to be there tomorrow, either."

"Sasuke, wait! It's okay if you don't want to see me, but Sakura-chan... she's your family...we're your family! Sasuke—!"

"My family is dead," Sasuke said coldly, then turned away. "The rooftop. Five minutes. We'll settle it there." Then he disappeared, leaving behind a few leaves.

Naruto and Sasuke are about to fight! Who will win? Will Sakura be able to stop them?

Where do you think Sakura is from?