A/N: So I actually took some time to format this better, I hope you all like it. Next-I must apologize for my looooooong absence. I had...trouble with this chapter (that's an understatement of the year, shi-eesh) so that's why it took so long. I AM SOOOOOO sorry! but, I just went and watched a bunch of myster-like TV shows and movies to help me get a better understanding of the way things work, but I'm mostly going to wing it. Why...because I like to, that's why! What...it's fun...
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
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The Haruno and Nara Series
Year One
Book One
A New Team: Murder Strikes Deep!
Chapter Three
Shikamaru.
She's actually not that bad, now that I think about it. After that, we got to talking really well during our drive toward Troublesome city.
Or so I call it.
She goes through a gate, and then we pull over and get out.
The next thing I know, someone's shouting in my ear.
"SHIKAMARU NARA! YOU ARE TWO HOURS LATE!!"
Ugh…let me introduce you to Elena Nara, my cousin…
…Also a detective.
"Hey Elena," Sakura says. "Please don't shout into Shikamaru's ear. I need him."
Elena does a double-take. "Whoa…Sakura…what are you doing here??"
"Troublesome. We got partnered together," I mutter, slouching my shoulders, stuffing my hands in my pockets, and leaning against the car.
Elena snickers. "Wow, I pity you Sakura."
"Eh, he's not that bad," Sakura says. "C'mon, Shikamaru, we need to do our job."
"Troublesome," I mumble, but push myself off the car and follow her.
"GOOD LUCK!" Elena cackles.
She walks with an aura. It's troublesome, but…
I might actually enjoy working with this woman.
Sakura.
OK, Sakura, I tell myself. So you got here without killing someone (namely…Shikamaru) so you can go throughout this whole investigation without killing someone…right…?
…Ugh, this was going to be harder then I thought.
I walk through the big gardens of the mansion, heading towards the murder scene.
"Hey, sorry we're late. We got…caught up in something," I say to the people processing the crime scene.
"Hey. No problem,' says one of them.
"Thanks Christian," I smile. "…Shikamaru."
No reply.
I turn around, and see he's staring at the crime scene, leaning against the wall.
I sigh.
"SHIKAMARU NARA! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!"
"Jeez. Troublesome women. You don't have to shout."
"Yes I DO, if you can't hear me! You're supposed to be with me, not MILES AWAY!"
"…Whatever."
I half-heartedly glare at him, then make my way over to the cops car. "Mind givin' me the run-down?" I ask, Shikamaru trailing behind me.
"Sure thing," says cop Genma, smiling at winking at me. I sigh irritably.
"Genma,' Shikamaru says lazily. "Get on with it. Before I die."
I glare at him. He ignores me.
"Her name's Tsuki Kin. She was found here this morning, dead, by a cousin of hers-Dosu no Sound."
"She's not main branch?" I ask, surprised.
"Nope. So the head, Orochimaru, really doesn't care if you guys solve this or not. But her cousins, Dosu and Zaku no Sound, do. As do some other members of the clan…and they want it done ASAP."
I look at Shikamaru. He's surveying the crime scene instead. I should've known he wouldn't have stayed, but instead went to go look at the scene. "Alright. Anything else I should know?"
"Actually…yes…our vic (1) was going to move in a week."
'Move? As in…leave?" I ask, surprised once more.
"Yup."
"Where was she going, do you know?" I say, scribbling all of this down furiously in my notebook.
"No clue. But you can ask the cousins. They're over there," he says, gesturing.
"Alrightie…thanks a bunch, Genma."
"No prob."
"Hey, if you think of anything else, call me."
"Will do."
I walk over to Shikamaru and crouch down beside him. "Guess what?"
"…What?" He murmurs, brow furrowed, deep in concentration.
"Our vic was going to move in a week."
He looks at me. "Where was she going?"
"No clue. But we can ask the cousins, and I bet we'll find out."
"…Troublesome."
"Which first? Crime scene or family?" I ask.
"I'll take the crime scene," He says.
"Alright. If you insist."
He looks at me.
"What?"
"…Before, everyone else pushed me to work with them on everything."
"…I don't always work that way. Not saying it's a bad way to work, or anything."
"Hmm."
Shikamaru
She was efficient, I'll give her that. She didn't care, as long as she got the job done. And she didn't push me to do the same thing as her. I watch her walk towards the family for a second, before looking back down at the ground.
Something was wrong about this crime scene. What was missing?
It hit me almost instantly. Blood.
"Oi, Genma!"
"Hmm?"
"Where's the blood?"
"…I didn't…" He says.
I sigh. "Looks like we got ourselves a body dump (2)."
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End A/N: Er...a cliffie...ish? Anyways, I inserted footnotes to give y'all a better understanding of some vocab I might be using. So those will appear after I finish with this end A/N. ...Shika and Saku are starting to get along better! Yay! Lol. Next thing you know, they'll be making out a crime scenes... O.O The images...Lol.
Footnotes:
(1). Vic: Short for victim.
(2). Body dump: Quite literally, a place where a body has been "dumped", "discarded", left. Not the original crime scene...which makes it hard for detectives to do anything until they find the original crime scene.
Please review, but no flame!
Ja ne,
Lady Maybelle of Confusion
