|$| Target: Sasuke Uchiha |$|
Slim hands stroked one hanger aside after another. For over three weeks they had already worked on the case Uchiha and there was no development. Izumi took one last look at the evening clothes for the undercover action and turned to Shino. He was still sitting in front of his PC and groaned continually. It looked like he wasn't able to put up something particularly new.
Izumi's eyes wandered through the big room that was used as their base. She stepped to the bulletin boards and took a look at the information. Six other corpses had joined the 178 dead people during the last days. Five of them were junkies. One an innocent citizen.
The young FBI agent spotted the big map that showed the U.S. Different places were marked, however, she wasn't able to figure out some sort of pattern. She sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Slowly I really ask myself what kind of person this Uchiha is."
Shino looked up from his PC and Izumi sat down on the big table that was about break under the weigh of the mass of papers that was on it. "I mean, he disappears as if the earth had swallowed him up and nobody seems to take knowledge of it, only the dead people."
Shino sighed quietly, he understood his teammate only too well. "The junkies make you nervous," he commented and took a gulp of his already cold coffee.
Izumi sighed once more and supported her head with her hands. "Yeah but they aren't the only problem. I worry most about Ino. I think that we should collect information about Uchiha only from the background for now and not start that undercover action immediately."
The computer specialist lighted himself a cigarette. Silence filled the room. A heavy silence until Shino decided to break it: "I don't know … think about it, if Ino is able to work it out somehow today, we have direct access to him. It would be an immense development."
Izumi knew that, but, nevertheless. Till present she had never worked together directly with Ino in such a bombastic case. She only knew from other colleagues that her friend was an ace in undercover actions. The thought that Ino would get involved on a dangerous triad boss made her fear, because one mistake and the life of her best friend wouldn't be more worth than nothing.
"Who keeps an eye on Ino?"
"Kiba," Shino hummed. "We will hold ourselves ready in a car far away from the street edge."
Sighing Izumi stepped behind her colleague and saw that he was dealing with the newest newspaper articles. "I have a bad feeling about that."
"Izumi!", a disapproving voice sounded through the room and they turned round. Immediately a wide grin crept on the face of the young FBI agent.
"Is this the worst dress you were able to find?"
Ino wore a long red dress that had a huge slit. Her back was naked and the slit came dangerously close to her butt. Her long hair fell down in thick locks over her shoulders. Once again Izumi realized, why women relied on their feminine charms. Ino had the luck that she belonged to the classical beauties, every man would break their neck, only to look after her.
"Don't you like my outfit or why do you make this sick grimace?", the blonde haired girl commented dryly as a foreign man entered the room.
Shino groaned quietly and Izumi let out an annoyed sigh: "Sorry Mr, but unauthorized have no admission to enter here. I must ask you to leave our office."
The swarthy man with a half-bald head looked at her surprised, then he gave a laugh Izumi stared at him unbelieving. In a white shirt, red waistcoat and black trousers he looked like a waiter, however that Kiba would hide behind the whole costume, was really unexpected. "Hats off, my disguising is perfect.", Kiba chuckled and Izumi let one of her hands run through her hair, now she knew, why one had put the Inuzuka in the team, his ability to pretend to be someone else was great.
"We must renounce a cabling.", Shino murmured and rose from his desk. "Uchiha's people will check through Ino if he shows interest in her."
Ino nodded, she was aware of the seriousness of her situation. Should today's little game work, she had to reach for the identity that has been prepared for her. Her whole life would be turned up.
"There is no need to be afraid," Kiba said grinning when he noted Inos tense look. "Should Uchiha come close to you and do something what you don't want, we will blow his head off."
"With the certainty in the back of our head that we only are able to live for two more hours", joked Izumi and received a brainteaser.
"How moving."
Shino took a look at the clock and the small group knew that it was time to prepare everything. Only three hours were left. According to the information they received from a contact person Uchiha would have dinner tonight with one of his suppliers. Both men wanted to meet in the cocktail bar Star Rose. As soon as they had regulated their business, Ino could get down to work.
The bar was big, you could look at the sky in the bar and exactly this is the uniqueness of the bar. By thick glass the guests were protected and had a miraculous view to the sky and town. Impatiently Shino and Izumi had placed themselves in a small Fiat. They stood about three cars away from the cocktail bar and could guard the entrance. Over and over again Izumi let her look sway over the area.
What if not they observed Uchiha but they were observed by his men?
Unconsciously she touched the weapon under her jacket. If it came hard on hard, she had to shoot. Undercover investigation aside, human lives were more important.
"Keep cool," Shino leant back calmly, he was connected with Kiba and listened in to the conversation that occurred in his ear. "Nobody observes us, Kiba has spotted the complete team in Star Rose. 12 people are stationed."
Izumi swallowed. So many? Nevertheless, it concerned an easy business dinner, didn't it? "His three hangmen too?"
Shino passed on the question and it took some time, until he got an answer. "As far as Kiba can judge, they are untraceable, as usual."
Damn it.
She clenched her fists as she would have known it. Organized criminals play their cards close to their chest. It already bordered on a miracle that Tsunade had found out that Uchiha was the mastermind. This information had probably cost some lives, however, Izumi didn't really want to know.
Inside of Star Rose Ino had to fight with something different. First she had proceeded very elegantly to the bar, during this her gaze had briefly glided through the big cocktail bar. Quickly she had spotted her target. The appearance of the young man would have drawn her in also if he had walked past her on a street. She had never met a person who exercised such an attraction on her. Only by his presence she became nervous and, still he was three tables away from her.
To take her mind of him and to give his guards the feeling that she was a normal woman who wanted to spend the evening in society, she looked around. Ino could not deny that she liked the bar. The floor was black and one of the most expensive marble, the pictures on the wall as valuable as a half museum and the guests were as rich as the least people on earth.
She ordered herself a cocktail from Kiba and crossed her legs. Immediately she noticed that she was observed. A smile adorned Ino's red lips. The blonde knew that she heated up the beating of the men's hearts and exactly this she wanted to use for herself tonight. Gracefully she stroked through her long curly hair and saw to the right from the corner of her eye.
Just in time she could see how Sasuke Uchiha said goodbye to his business partner. The men shook hands and then the black-haired man turned round so Ino could see his face for the first time. Her breath faltered, because she had never seen such a handsome man. She Sasuke's trains were steady and his skin was as pale as porcelain. At first Ino had difficulties to describe his eyes, they looked like black, but her common sense told her that black eyes don't exist.
She picked up her glass and took a big gulp. On the photo that had been shown to her Tsunade had told her immediately that he looked good, however, in the reality he excelled her images terrifically. To the fact came that the photo had to be quite old, because his features were more distinctive than on the photo. Her heart beat up to her neck when he positioned himself next to her and ordered something. Her heart skipped a few beats, Ino realized that this was nothing like the usual kick she always felt when she had to fulfil a mission of this kind. No, it more than bare excitement.
She saw that he took a box of cigarettes out his jacket pocket and looked for a lighter. Ino swallowed hard, then she turned to him. With an equivocal look she looked at him directly. Sasuke Uchiha felt her eyes on him and sighed: "What do you want?"
His rough voice hunted some creeps down her back. As calm as possible the blonde cast down her eyes. "What about a small chat for now?", she licked her lips and felt the black-haired man eyes on her as he turned his head to hers. His dark eyes scrutinized her and he blew out the smoke of his cigarette.
"For now?"
Ino smiled, now she was sure that she had him. "Yes, or you do you have no interest to deepen our acquaintance?"
She played with his tie and was curious how he would react. His face was hard to read but surprisingly he smiled. "I am surprised that such a pretty woman like you selects me for certain acquaintances."
"You would call me pretty?"
"Yeah."
Ino looked directly in his eyes and noted a light blue sting. "I think that you can keep up with me easily."
The Uchiha bent down to her, a smile still adorned his lips. Cold hands touched her shoulder when his face approached hers and he quietly breathed: "You know, your offer sounds tempting, however, I must confess, a pretty woman doesn't tempt me at all."
"Pardon?"
He stubbed out his cigarette and put the money for his drink on the table. "Pretty women are ten a penny. Try it once again if you have gained more level."
With these words he said goodbye and walked away. Ino's yaw had dropped, she couldn't believe what he had said to her. During the last four years in which she worked for the FBI had never happened such a thing to her. Without exception every man could be wrapped around her finger, without doing something. And now in the case of her life, she couldn't count on her most dangerous weapon, the female charms. A little put off, she turned to Kiba who had observed the whole scene from distance. He gave a sign to his colleagues and then walked to Ino.
The Inuzuka leant against the bar and gave her a small smile: "Well, shit happens, although I don't understand, why."
The blonde stroke through her hair and thought sharply, the defeat was hard, but didn't obscure her mind. "Pretty women are ten a penny", she murmured quietly and Kiba looked at her puzzled. "What did he mean?"
She looked at her team mate confused and Kiba stepped in contact with Shino. Inside of the small Fiat Izumi had had been informed about the destructive rebuff. She groaned internally and sank down in her seat. "Great and now?"
"He will disappear through the back door and we stand at the beginning again.", Shino commented drily and Izumi open the door of the car. She was furious, damn it. However, it would have also been too easy if the little game would have worked. "Pretty women are ten a penny! Thank you also! What is up with this statement? An ugly woman wouldn't be recognized by him!" She slammed the front seat passenger's door with full force and turned her back to Shino.
"Where are you going?"
"I need a strong coffee!", she hissed. What should they do now? They might increase the team only under certain circumstances and if they requested for help already, she would only confirm Ibiki's suspicion that they weren't good enough. Furious about the whole situation Izumi crossed the street and stopped in a small cafe. There she ordered herself half a liter of the black coffee.
Shaking his head Shino observed her, no miracle that it had failed her undercover exam. He sighed and checked his clock, the sun would rise again when they would be finished to go through the new plans they had to make. Slowly they needed a success. He wanted to tell Kiba when his whole body cramped.
Not far away from him Uchiha left the cocktail bar however not as supposed through the back entrance. Probably he felt so safe that he even dared to walk without any further protection. This only showed Shino, how big his influence already had to be in the underworld. With a mobile phone on the ear he stepped to the edge of the street and looked around, carefully observed by Shino.
However he realized that something must have caught Sasuke Uchiha's eye. The eyes of the businessman stared over the street and didn't look apathetic at all, it was almost as if he liked what he sees. Shino followed his look and realized that the black-haired looked directly to the cafe where his team mate waited for her order. Shino hesitated. Did Sasuke Uchiha only pretend everything, or had really Izumi caught his eye?
A black sedan stopped and Sasuke Uchiha disappeared. The FBI agent still thought about what he had just observed. With every second he became more sure. Slowly the words of the Uchiha got a clear form. Shino leant his chin against the steering wheel. He let pass the events once again in his mind.
"Pretty women are ten a penny"
"Uchiha prefers unusual women, externally and internally."
Of course!
Internally he resounds to himself for his shortsightedness! Now it was clear to him what Tsunade had meant with the statement weeks ago.
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"Could you repeat this please once again?" Unbelieving Ino looked at her colleague, the team was again in their office. On the big table there were maps, pictures and lists of different names. The dawn has already arrived. Several boxes of pizza were lying on the ground and some pots of coffee had also been drank today.
"Uchiha loves women who are unusual," Shino explained quietly and leant back.
Kiba bit in his sandwich and looked at him from the corner of the eye. "Unusual?"
"Well, not only they should be pretty, but also somehow remarkable. A woman can be also pretty if she has, for example, a lot of freckles in her face or she weighs a lot of pounds and has nice curves. Got what I mean?"
"No.", Ino spat out. Izumi made a questioning face, she didn't know surely if she was right with her supposition.
Shino sighed out loud, however, his co-workers seemed to have understood what he wanted to tell them. "You mean, he wants something unique. Something what one doesn't see every day, as for example an albino or somebody who has tattoos all over their body!"
Ino trembled at this thought. "Great and where do we get such a woman? In the FBI everybody is 'clean' and none of my co-workers from the undercover part has the lightest resemblance with an albino."
Shino grinned and looked to Izumi. "I know, but we have here somebody who steps out of line with her unusual color of hair."
When Izumi noticed what he meant with it, she tapped on her forehead. It was true that Izumi's hair was red like fire. Everyone would think that it is dyed but it wasn't. She was just a natural red-head.
Never!
However, the statement of her colleague seemed to make sense to Ino and her face brightened.
"No! Forget it!"
"But Izumi –"
"Why not?"
She refused and explained that she hadn't failed the undercover exam just for fun. At the latest after one week they all would be dead and now the price was too high to accept this kind of risk.
"Nevertheless, we don't have any proofs that this guy likes such kind of women. Only because he has rejected Ino. No this is no proof at all!"
Furiously she glanced in the round and hoped change their minds. However, Kiba's look made her uncertain. He grinned. "And if we can prove that he only likes unusual women, are you ready to take over Ino's work?"
She shrugged her shoulders and looked at him, finally, she agreed. "Alright, with real proofs I have nothing against it, but it will cost an amount of work and nerves of you."
Ino smiled as sweet as sugar and promised: "I guess we have to give you a small crash course in order to improve your flirting and to eliminate your insecurity in his presence."
With that her destiny was sealed.
Izumi knew that she had to reckon to give up her whole identity within the next three weeks. Someone would fake her occupation, her identity cards and her whole past. Nothing would become more like this before, until the case was concluded.
The hard conditions were a reason, why Izumi hated undercover work and had always hoped, it would be never used. "Show me three extra ordinary women and I'm in." she assured yawning. For today they were done. She took her coat of the hook and took her bag in her hand. "What about a small break? Is it alright if we meet tomorrow morning half past six?"
Her colleagues had nothing against it and Ino immediately joined Izumi to go home. Finally as both women had closed the door behind them, Kiba turned to Shino.
"What about you?"
"No." he spoke quietly and turned to his PC again. The Inuzuka took a look over his shoulder. "You want to prove to Izumi as fast as only possibly that she is the right person for the job."
"Exactly."
Kiba sighed, then he took the chair beside him. "I'll help you. The earlier we start, the faster we are able to approach him directly."
While both men were about to sketch a plan how they could inspire Izumi for the job, Kiba's gaze wandered over and over again to the shelve on the wall. There were four acts, they all were full with reports on victims.
Because of them they worked. They wanted to give their families peace, aveng the children, parents and other members. Dead people didn't come back again, but the souls of the surviving relatives would find peace again, because they knew that the torturer of their loved ones had got their fair punishment.
However, another point on their list was to prevent that even more people lose their life and which had only happened because of a change of power in the underworld. They worried most about the young generation. They often did not know what they got involved in. Since nobody could explain to them how dangerous Uchiha was for them.
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Heavy drops fell to ground, drops of blood. The ground coloured itself red, steps left traces. A man dressed in a black suit walked next to the big dark warehouse. In the edge of the hall there were several gigantic boxes, fully packed with an unknown product. Serene Sasuke stroke through his hair and stopped at the end of the warehouse. His hands were in his trouser pockets. An abusive grin adorned his lips.
"Well done."
The three hangmen stepped from the darkness, they all carried black jackets, everybody from another company. Gaara leant against a wall, in his ears he had his iPod. Under his eyes were dark edges, probably he had slept badly during some damn nights. Beside him stood Shikamaru who hid his face under a cap. Tiredly he yawned and scratched briefly the back of his neck.
"It was a pleasure!", Naruto grinned contently. "It was an amount of work though, but I am sure, our old friends will feel fine obviously."
Sasuke nodded and his friend laughed quietly. He shared the opinion of the blonde and reached in his jacket, then he threw a bundle bank notes to Naruto. "The reward."
A short look at the money let the hangmen relax. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the amount of money "Why so generous today?"
The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders, his facial play was expressionless, as usual and the hangmen knew that he wanted to thank them with the money indirectly for the fact that they had put his cruel imagination into action. Sasuke wanted to leave for his care when Gaara freed himself of the wall.
"We will get problems."
Immediately Sasuke stopped, without looking back at the red-head. Gaara looked at his boss, the redhead still did not know how he would react, because every action, every gesture and every facial emotion had a decisive meaning. Gaara didn't have the experience, so that he could estimate, when he had annoyed the Uchiha and when he just listened and showed thus that he was relatively in a good mood.
"I have got a hint that the CIS unites now with the FBI. That means double brains shoot against us. We should avoid acquaintances in the next time."
Silence.
He cleared his throat and spoke further. "As it looks, they have discovered the pure drug."
Calmly a cigarette was lightened by Sasuke, a malicious grin still adorned his lips. For his taste the state had used rather long to get that the rabbit now ran differently and now he was the one who played the game. Now they were probably investigating, however, they couldn't have discovered a lot, because, otherwise, his contacts would have given him a call. However, since no one decided to get in touch with him, he understood this as a good sign.
"Then keep an eye on it and have this avoided. Don't forget it is your job.", Sasuke spoke with a bored voice. He had no doubt about the fact that Gaara would do his job. Even if he was skeptical at the beginning when the redhead won the duel against Suigetsu, meanwhile Gaara's careful nose turned out as a real trump.
With firm steps Sasuke left the warehouse, nobody looked at him and he got in the silver Mercedes that was already waiting for him. Only when three hangmen heard the noise of a driving vehicle, they moved again.
"Why are you still here Naruto? I thought you are his driver", Shikamaru yawned with a bored smirk on his face, however, Naruto only threw him a bad look and crossed his arms in front of his chest instead of answering.
Gaara also grinned and explained: "That's easy, Uchiha wants to make an excursion to the female gender, and there Naruto would be only a disadvantage."
"Really?"
"Will you shut up, before I blow off your head?", he reached to his mobile phone, to tell his girlfriend that it will take sometime until he can be home. However, before he had finished dialing the number, Shikamaru took the mobile phone from him. "Forget about it, I can drive you."
The blonde nodded thankfully, then three hangmen left the warehouse. Carefully Shikamaru closed the gate behind himself.
"Since we are done, I simply suppose sometimes that I finally come to the pleasure to enjoy this.", Gaara held up the money and the other two grinned.
"Maybe you should go and get some sleep, than you hanging out somewhere." Shikamaru pointed at the rims at his eye. However, Gaara only declined and strode up directly to his motorcycle. He loved his hot little machine and the other two hangmen knew that, besides, most of his salary was invested in his motor bike. Seconds later the redhead sat up his helmet and turned his machine on. With a nod he said goodbye and drove away with a loud howl.
For a while Naruto looked after him and then opened the front seat passenger's door of Shikamaru's Jaguar. "Sometimes he is really strange.", commented the blonde, as a Shikamaru closed his door.
"You think so?"
"Yeah.", the carriage started and they left the area. "I mean, he works really well, but in my eyes a little bit too well."
Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders when he drove in the direction of highway. "In my eyes we are all strange somehow, because, otherwise, we would not work for Uchiha."
Grinning Naruto leant back and turned on the CD player. "It is just a hard job with an awesome salary."
Shikamaru accelerated, he saw it the same. "And what concerns Gaara's way of working, you are also not exactly a beginner. I mean who can shoot from more than 100 metres of distance that precise that you exactly hit your target?"
Naruto blushed lightly and let out a nervous giggle: "Did you do something wrong or why are you buttering me up?"
"It doesn't matter to me what you think of me, but this is just my view.", tiredly Shikamaru yawned and wished nothing more, than to arrive, finally, at home and to have his rest. Both hangmen fell in silence.
It was generally rare that they carried on a longer private conversation. Mostly they spoke only about work and how they could concern a bigger cup together. Since the more they knew about each other, the harder it would get to shove the others out of the way. t would become the heavy ones to remove the respective other one day sometimes from the way.
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On the next day Izumi tried as fast as possible, she had gone to the crime scene by car. Ino had called her to come here as soon as possible. Her voice had been quiet and slightly fragile. With a fast beating heart Izumi left the highway. She had slept relatively dreamless and firmly. Her What was even clear after the weeks ordeal. Their hands trembled when stopped her car. Actually, Izumi hated to go to crime scenes, because this was the area of the CSI and she didn't want to come too close to them. In addition she didn't know what she would expect. Everywhere she could member of the CSI, the whole area had been closed off. Izumis heart beat up to her neck when she got out of the car, a major operation approached her and exactly this was the things she was most afraid about; because major operation meant major cruelty.
"Sousei Izumi!"
The young woman winced lightly at the furious voice and could recognize her former boss next to her. Ibiki seemed to have had a hard night, because thick edges lay under his eyes. "It was about time! Your colleagues are already present. Come, I would like to show you something."
He led her in the inside of the warehouse and even before Izumi had done the first step in the inside, a strong smell confronted her. Till present nobody had entered the crime scene, because she couldn't see any blocks from the CSI. This fact allowed her pulse to accelerate.
The ground was drowned in red and at first she asked herself, where this came from, however, then Izumi noted that something dropped down. Izumi took a look upwards and her eyes widened. Her whole body hardened, she was incapable to say something, too terrible was the picture that was presented.
Dead people, strangled by cords hung on the beams of the warehouse.
The faces of the victims were stiff, expressionless and lifeless. In her entire life she had never been confronted with such a cruelty. Her whole body got cold and shortly after deaf. Izumi tried to control the shaking of her hands, however, it was helpless. More than 100 people had to hang on the cover.
Who took the right to judge over them?
These unknown people had family, friends and above all a right on life.
Why would somebody do such a thing?
"This is unambiguously the work of the Uchiha clan", she heard Ibiki's quiet voice. It was as if it was a kilometre away from her. "No traces … only the three hangmen are able to do something like this. Not a single fingerprint is here, or any fibers."
Izumi eyes fell down, her hands balled to fists. Without saying another word she turned round and left her former superior. An extensive fury climbed up in her, she had never been so angry.
This monster of Uchiha!
How could he do such a thing?
Was it pleasure to him to play with human life?
She answered this question herself. Yes!
Izumi strode up directly to her colleagues who were standing near a black car. Ino looked shocked, the blonde had probably vomited a few minutes ago. Even Kiba seemed to have lost his voice, he was strangely pale. The only one of them who looked somewhat content was Shino. He looked up from the ground when he recognized Izumi and pushed himself off the carriage.
Izumi searched for the right words to explain her condition, however, she was not able.
"There are a total of two women in Uchihas lives.", began Shino and attracted thus the complete attention to him. "Number one, Hateshi Chisaki.", he pulled out a photo of a woman with long black hair. Her face was average, however, her hair shone like silk. „Number two, Victora van Dixen."
Izumi took the photo from his hand and scrutinized the rather pretty woman. Her skin was so bright that she believed that she has never seen the sun in her life. However, her biggest recognition value was reflected in her eyes. Izumi had never seen such brown eyes, it was already almost as if they were golden.
"Do we still have to find a third one?", Shino's voice was clear and objective.
Immediately her colleagues looked at her questioningly. Izumi knew what he wanted. In plain English, the sooner she co-operated to work undercover, the faster they would get rid of Uchiha.
Silently Izumi opened the door of the car and got inside. When the others didn't mover, after she had turned on the engine, she gave them a look: "What are you waiting for? We have to go to the office."
Kiba looked at her quite irritated but soon a smirk crept on his face "You want to listen our plan?"
"Yes.", answered the young FBI agent shortly and Ino swung herself on the back seat.
A sigh of relief escaped her red lips "Izumi, you have no idea how happily you make us with that"
"Or how fast I will get you killed.", she commented with a sarcastic undertone, however, Shino who sat down beside her, ignored it. "We will prepare you perfectly, there won't be a possibility for you to fail at all."
"And, moreover, …", Ino subjoined. "You still can take the bull by the horns and driving a car is something you are very good at."
Both young women had to laugh and remembered the exam during which they had to hunt down their instructors in a car. For Izumi it had been very easy to follow them in her car then Ino only had shot to them from the sunroof in the tires. There had been a big sound, however, at last they had passed this exam with excellence.
When Izumi left the area and drove towards the highway, Kiba murmured behind her: "It is about time that we show the Uchiha clan what the FBI is capable of."
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