Damaged Pieces (SasuSaku AU)

XXVIII. The Trusted Friend

"So I've been told," Itachi responded to their guest from Suna.

"Gaara, what the actual - !?" Naruto got up from his seat, staring in disbelief at the circular patch of blood in view over the bandage wound around Gaara's left arm.

"Got shot," the man shrugged as if it was sundry news. Pulling a chair by the table, he seated himself next to the blonde, right opposite the younger Uchiha.

"We don't have a lot of time."
The Sabaku's expression gave nothing away, except for the seriousness of the matter that they all understood.
Coming from a line of catatonic behavior, Sasuke could tell Gaara was tensed though.

Itachi tapped the ordinary appearing report that lay before him. Years had gathered on the file, changing the white of the cover to a faint yellow.
"If even half of this is true, no wonder they didn't want the police to get their hands on it."

"Before he died, Mr. Haruno had mailed a copy of his research to a trusted friend," Gaara informed, sparing the yellow folder a queer glance.
"As per Mr. Haruno's instructions, I burned the original ones."

"What!?" gasped Sasuke. "Why?"

Wearily leaning on the table, the redhead answered, "On his deathbed, Mr. Haruno had asked me to either destroy them or mail them."

"But, why you?"

"Simple. I was the only one there at the time. His wife was filling out forms. His daughter had yet to reach the hospital. Kizashi knew he didn't have time left. And he was right. He was gone before Sakura got there."

Taking a moment to compose himself, Gaara straightened.

"Back then, all my focus was on Sakura. She was in pretty bad shape after her father died. Her mother was little help. When I was unable to locate the files, I let it be forgotten initially, seeing as she needed me more then. I was an imbecile to not have understood the gravity of Mr. Haruno's demand."

Silence ensued following Gaara's pensive remark.

"She read the reports but, paid it no heed. To her it was just many of her father's incomplete cases. Then, the Akasuna incident happened. A week later, I get a call from Mr. Haruno's trusted friend, asking me to keep Sakura away from the matter, which was simple enough to do. He refused to reveal his identity saying it was none of my business. The man used the files as leverage to keep Sakura safe as well as prevent some political propoganda from bursting."

"No wonder," Itachi dryly commented, suddenly wary of the pages laid out before him.

"And it was working too. Until now. I don't know how, but they found out who he was. I received a call from him saying it was time for me to hand over the reports. I knew what that meant for Sakura."

"She is no longer under protection. They can kill her anytime," deduced Sasuke. Heaviness of his words settling into his heart. "Where is she?" He eyed Gaara.

"Baki took her from the cell last night. She's relatively safe."

Tension doubled at the table. The word 'relatively' rang in Sasuke's ears like a time bomb.

"This morning, I was supposed to meet the contact secretively. But they found us out. We were attacked. He urged me to leave with these and not return for him and I did as told. He seemed to know what he was doing."

A loud ring of a cell phone disturbed their contemplative silence.

"Excuse me." Itachi departed from the table.

As the rest of them dug into the files, their eyebrows raised higher and higher.

Returning to the table, a hand was placed on Sasuke's shoulder. "Sasuke, I will be back."