Foreword
This will be something of a side project while I work on my main fanfictions. I point this out because at the end of my last story (Isn't It Obvious) I claimed that my next piece would be a different series than Naruto, as I need to spread out a little. However the only inspiration that has hit me at all since then is the idea for this collection. As I was typing the notes for the first case, I recalled that I had once had an idea for a Mahou Sensei Negima fanfiction, which I will once more attempt to write. Any regular readers may have noticed that I removed "Lillies"; that story will return in this collection eventually, and hopefully in a much longer and fuller way than before, as originally intended. So on to the details of this collection. I had the idea to write crime stories in the Narutoverse a while back but never bothered with it. In these one-shots and short stories I will hopefully be able to emulate some fragment of the skills of my favourite authors; Sir Arthur Doyle and Dame Agatha Christie. But that's a very ambitious goal to set, so I will be happy enough if they entertain you enough that you aren't begging for the time you spent reading them back. The first couple of stories will feature Shikamaru and Kiba as the detectives/sleuths/gumshoes/nosy buggers. However if enough reviewers want to see a different pairing solve a particular crime, I would not be difficult to persuade. In the absence of public opinion, I will revert to Shikamaru and Kiba; unless I decide on a whim that another pairing would make more sense. The initial decision of Shikamaru and Kiba was based on the "Good Cop, Bad Cop" paradigm; with Shikamaru as a level-headed, logical counter to Kiba's brash "my gut says guilty!" attitude. The setting between each story may differ, and by no means are all the stories connected. One could be set in a 40's film noir style, another in a futuristic Konoha, another where ninjutsu doesn't exist and they are all just normal human beings. In short, no continuity unless another story is explicitly mentioned. They style of writing may differ between stories as well. Some might be fully written in third person with plenty of detail. Others might be written more like a transcript. Depends how lazy I am feeling. Well I hope this gives my followers something to look forward to and doesn't offend anyone due to it's lack of actual content. As tradition dictates I will leave you with a glimpse of the next chapter. ~K
"Cut the crap, we know it was you" Kiba grunted impatiently, "Who else would-" he was cut off as the young man groaned at him, flinging the door wide open and looking ready to explode. Shikamaru took a moment to scan the apartment, it was a mess. Dishes were piled up on almost every surface and empty ramen boxes littered the floor. There was a small television half-buried under discarded laundry and some large boxes were piled in a corner, looking like they hadn't been touched in years.
"Hey dog-breath, try listening for a goddamn change" he snarled angrily, "I. Have. An. Alibi."