Sasuke had spent enough time away from home in the past few months that he probably fully deserved the raised eyebrow Fugaku had levelled him with when he was caught on his way out the door. He'd only been headed out for a run, information from his investigation team still trickling in from the field in confusing patterns, but Fugaku's pointed Your mother has gone to the market was clear enough.

There were plenty of shinobi already at the morning market by the time Sasuke spotted his mother's slight figure in the crowd, sidling past a pair of Inuzuka intensely debating the quality of soup bones to flag her down.

Fugaku truly had his number, Sasuke thought dryly; there were very few people he would have suffered a crowd for on purpose.