Purpose and Expectation

Chapter 1: Cover-Up

A/N: Hello there! If you're here and new to my works, please note that this story is a spin-off from the start of my crime AU, Happy Accidents, and its first spinoff, Who Am I. If you haven't read either of those stories, please note that some details in this story may not be explained as they have been covered in the other stories, which are happening simultaneously with this one; they all exist under one large, overarching main plot with character-focused romance stories. I highly recommend reading the other stories before reading this one. Happy reading!

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Naruto had never been a religious man, but today, he was praying. He was praying to whatever god, deity, or otherworldly being would hear it, begging for his best friend to be okay, begging for him to escape, raying that he'd done enough to help Sasuke Uchiha go on the run as a wanted criminal. It was better than the alternative.

After making the call, he'd decided to take a walk, taking a roundabout route to make sure he wasn't followed before tossing the burner phone he had on the ground, smashing it to pieces. He found a large rock near one of the parks and picked it up, smashing the phone even more, ensuring if anyone came across it, they would find nothing on it. No serial numbers, no saved numbers, nothing. He'd pick up a new one and contact Sasuke by that one.

After his brief stroll, he made his way back to the hospital, a sad look on his face as he stood outside the patient room. He'd never seen Ino in such rough shape. He couldn't help but reminisce about their usual office banter; their habit of prankish one another back and forth was legendary. They were always minor, harmless pranks, but it was a bit of excellent office fun to lighten the mood where they worked.

"What's her status?" He asked, looking to the dark-haired male who stood just as vigilantly outside the room.

"They... don't know yet. She's stable, but they said tonight is going to be the hardest. The next twelve to twenty-four hours are going to be crucial in determining whether she'll make it or not." For someone usually devoid of emotion, Sai seemed deeply troubled. He'd always seemed so aloof and detached, more so than even Sasuke was.

"You... gonna be okay, man?" Naruto asked, concern rising in his gut. "You were right there when it happened, weren'tcha?" That had to be hard to see. Naruto had seen the sight of Sakura's place after she'd been shot, and that had been hard enough. Ino was in worse shape by comparison.

"I... said something that I should not have," Sai remarked, a remorseful look on his face. "I said that it was a mistake for Detective Uchiha to have allowed Hidan to escape when Dr. Haruno was injured. I didn't understand why Miss Yamanaka—why Ino was so upset by my words. Then the house exploded, and I... there I was, in the very same position he was."

"Hey, listen. Hindsight is 20/20 when it comes to words sometimes, especially for you. Look, you just aren't used to how we do things around here, ya know? It's tough sometimes and all. Ya just don't know until you're in that position." Naruto shrugged and laid a hand on Sai's shoulder. "Listen. I know... that ROOT is involved in this, but I trust ya, all right? You can help us get to the bottom of all this." Sai had more than proven himself to be a trustworthy comrade, even if he was a ROOT member.

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Hinata had spent the entire evening baking up a storm, humming away in her kitchen. There was cause for celebration today; Detective Uchiha was back from his administrative leave, and DA Yamanaka had returned from her vacation. Hinata always found a reason to celebrate, which also meant she always found a reason to bake.

And, of course, she was making cinnamon rolls. It was a recipe she'd perfected over the years, given they were her favourite. With the warm rolls packed into a storage container, the bluenette made her way out of her house, hopping in her car and plugging in the directions to Ino's house. The two weren't best friends like Sakura and Ino, but they were incredibly close; they worked on many cases together and had an excellent silent rapport in the office that allowed them to communicate efficiently as partners.