7. It Runs in the Family


"When faced with two equally tough choices, most people choose the third choice: to not choose."
Jarod Kintz, This Book Title is Invisible


April 1, 5.30 PM

For most people the first of April is a day for jesting – the matter of the quality of the jokes is irrelevant to the point, yet this time of the year Naoko always made sure to get a day off. For her this holiday represented the day her father's remains were returned to the family. Two years ago, as of today, marks the occasion when Shimotsuki Kino's body was returned to his family.

The soldier disappeared right here on Eden, just a few month before Naoko's graduation and acceptance to the military, only to have his body turn up on the first of April. Shot to the head, no signs of torture and no information about the motive for the crime.

Whatever resolve she had to investigate the Akatsuki was lying dormant for this one day. Today was about honouring the dead.

Time ceased to flow and she found herself reminiscing in places her father frequented – wearing a sweater in his favourite colour of emerald green, drinking a cup of his favourite coffee in a café early in the morning before taking a long walk around town.

This was a wound that had closed, yet each year Naoko found it being torn open once again. Only a few years had passed since her father's death, not nearly enough to put the matter at rest. Last year she had vowed to put an end to this, but when April was nearing she found herself entering a state of mourning once again.

And there she was, perched on a patch of grass in the cemetery and soaking up the remnants of the sun, with a copy of her father's favourite book on her side. On any other day this moment would be celebrated as an idyllic use of her vacation days.

Kino had been an old-fashioned man, preferring physical paperback copies of books and music. It was just after his death when Naoko finally realised the allure those books held – a physical remnant of her father. His hands had held this book, scanned the pages beyond count – this fragile pack of pages with ink blotches was her only real connection with her father.

Naoko had been avoiding this moment for the entire day. She knew that his headstone was just a little further in the graveyard. It felt as if her father's eyes were fixed on her, just beckoning for his baby girl to come closer. The fact that a slab of stone and a now-rotten corpse could invoke so much discomfort from her was disheartening.

Shooting a man in the head was perfectly accomplishable, but taking a few extra steps to a grave was beginning to prove to be a real feat – the irony…

She had been postponing the actual visit the entire day. There are only so many hours that long walks and coffee cups can occupy. It was inevitable that this old hurt had to be torn open once more, to be bled just a little bit more in order for her to move on.

Move on to what? Accept the uncertainty and put her father's death to rest, despite not having any knowledge about his passing? He wasn't KIA, and a military captain wouldn't be killed in a dank alley way by a civilian with a pocket knife and no combat training. Soldiers were tougher than that…

It was truly ironic. One would think that working in Intel would provide a person with permanent enlightenment about matters – the world's biggest databases at the tip of her fingertips. Yet…No information about the Akatsuki or details about her father's death was quite enough to make Naoko's trust in the system falter.

The feeling of power was all a lie. She was still living in the dark with her ears muffled and a thick velvet scarf tied around her eyes and keeping her being basking in the false warmth. Offer comfort so she would never leave.

Minutes ticked by and every second felt like a lifetime. The young instructor wasn't sure what caused her to get up, but before Naoko managed to regain control over her legs, they had already taken her there.

Hours of avoidance and procrastination, but now that she was finally standing in front of the grave it proved to be easy. Her rigid outer shell hid the little girl that was hiding inside - a silly naïve being who was dressed in her father's oversized sweater and carrying his books around as if they contained the holy word.

All day she had pondered and agonised over what to say and now all words had turned to ash. No combination seemed sufficient enough to convey the dull ache that was beating in her chest. Naoko felt her fingers clench tighter around the book, as if the pulp of dead wood could offer her some comfort or courage.

"Mom is doing fine. Though I think we are mutually avoiding one another for today."

The first four words were out. That's what she believed would interest her father the most. When was her mother coming for a visit?

"The Kingdoms are still at peace; my team is in one piece. We ran into some trouble on a mission, but I can't discuss this here. Though I would love to hear your opinion on matters, because I am running into brick walls here."

She wouldn't cry and didn't felt the need to. Naoko had mourned and cried enough for one lifetime, there was no point to start wailing now. As the words started tumbling out it became easier to speak – all she had to was visualise her father sitting there like he used to.

"I mean…I'm trying to tackle something that's way over my head with just Kakashi on my side. Don't get me wrong, he's amazing, but this thing is bigger than any of us and there's not even much to go on…" Naoko looked down and stifled a laugh, "Sorry, forgetting your teachings – There's always something to go on; I'm just too blind to see it."

"You would like Kakashi, I think. He takes good care of his comrades, though he likes to pretend nonchalance. Absolutely brilliant in battle as well...He is, well…"

Naoko jumped when her ringtone disrupted the moment of peace. In her haste to silence the phone she dropped Kino's book on the ground, stopping her fumbling only when she saw the caller ID. Speak of the devil and he calls.

The redhead took a calming breath before answering, trying to sound cheerful. "Hey, what's up?"

She heard Kakashi sigh on the other end, "There's no need to get giddy. How are you?"

Of course her partner would remember this date. No doubt he had some elaborate prank planned to mess with their rookies, but the increase in his daily workload was most likely enough to serve as a reminder.

"I am…" Naoko's eyes trailed to the headstone and the letters carved into it. This was life – nothing stops with the death of one person. The gears will keep on spinning; even if Shimotsuki Kino is stuck in time then his daughter had no such luxury.

Until next year, dad.

She leaned down to pick up the book from the ground and turned away, walking briskly further from the grave before another change of heart.

"I am alright, thank you for calling."

"There's no need to pretend, Naoko, are you alright?" he insisted. Naoko knew that if she deflected his worry one more time then Kakashi would stop prying.

Yet there was nothing to avoid this time. Her chest still ached, but poking and prodding at the hurt wasn't going to make it go away any faster so there was no point to discuss it. "Really," she insisted, "I am serious as well. I feel okay, as good as one can feel in such a situation."

His relief was almost palpable over the phone and his tone lightened up considerably, "That's…good to hear. So hey, how about we meet for drinks? Unless you want to be alone tonight."

Naoko welcomed the distraction with open arms. At this point anything would beat sulking home alone over a bottle of cheap red wine.

"Sure," she agreed, "but I have some errands to run first." By errands Naoko meant changing out from her dead father's artefacts so the illusion of sanity would still be present. Not to mention it would make things unnecessarily awkward for both parties involved.

No, the day for mourning was nearing its end.

"Skelter's Den at nine?" he offered casually, as if the place was as familiar to him as Ichiraku was for Naruto.

That drew a cheerful bout of laughter from Naoko, "Well-well, since when did you start hanging out at underground clubs?"

"As of now, apparently. I saw an advertisement twenty feet back, it sounded like an alcohol serving establishment."

The redhead couldn't contain her smile. How typical of the man, to make up plans on the spot. It was helping her connect with reality again, and if it means drinking her grief away then she couldn't care less about their destination.

"Well, you're thoughtful as ever," said the woman charmingly, "I'll see you then."

"Take care." She heard him say before hanging up. Naoko stuffed the phone back into her pocket and, out of habit, took a quick look around, spotting only an old man trudging along the same path as her, moving slowly as he dragged his feet. It was drilled into their head every day in the academy – to always observe one's surroundings. Mark any escape routes, weaknesses, possible weapons, suspects, civilians – all this had to be achieved with one quick look.

On the battlefield there is no time to be mesmerised or unprepared.

There was still about two hours left, plenty of time to head home and change her outfit into something more pleasing to the eye.

Naoko quickened her pace, relaxing slightly only when the cemetery's gates were left behind her. Being alone in a desolate place was uncomfortable…That's how people get targeted, after all.

The streets were bustling with people, no doubt eager to get home after a long day of hard work. She ducked and dodged their shoulders, skilfully making her way through the throngs of people and ducking into a nearby alleyway for a shortcut to the station.

When she was halfway through then Naoko allowed herself another glance over the shoulder, only to see the same old man. He was still some distance away, but the fact that the same man who had struggled to maintain a relaxed pace had caught up with the soldier was alerting enough.

Naoko's hand slowly reached into her bag, replacing the book that she was holding with a gun instead. She turned around, gripping the gun behind her back. The trouble that might arise if this is in fact just a mere civilian…But her gut feeling wouldn't let up, especially after the broker's warning. Could this be an agent of the Akatsuki, sent after her?

The proposition seemed unreasonably impossible. She had only discussed the matter with the broker, Tsunade-sama and Kakashi, and in secure locations. There's no way they would've found out anything! Not to mention the Akatsuki wouldn't even target her. She was being paranoid at this point.

But this man was clearly not who he pretended to be.

The elder wasn't dragging his feet any more, instead he walk straight towards her with his back erect. Naoko noticed that his hands were stuffed into the pockets of his coat and out of instinct drew her weapon. Strange how much comfort a piece of plastic can provide a lone woman.

"Hands where I can see them!" she called out. This day she may be a daughter in mourning, but civilian clothes were not enough to make the soldier disappear.

He followed her orders, slowly taking his hands out from the coat pocket with his palms turned towards her, "I suggest you put it away, Shimotsuki Naoko, before someone witnesses you threaten an unarmed, old man. Causing another scandal is unwise."

Naoko's gaze didn't waver even for a moment and her muscles tensed at the mention of her name. "In case you didn't notice, we're in an alleyway. Now tell me who sent you and what do you want with me."

Reason had not abandoned her and a few polite words were not enough to make her lower her guard. It was clear enough that this may well be a disguise, and a well-planned one at that. An onlooker would only see a skirmish between a respectful elder and a girl in her twenties; no doubt the octogenarian would garner more sympathy.

"I am not your enemy. Last time we met you witnessed me as a young blonde man in a white suite. Now stop scowling, Shimotsuki."

The familiar wording made Naoko remove her finger from the trigger. "Broker." She acknowledged him finally. "Hard to distinguish you from a crowd, when you keep changing faces." Noted the soldier dryly, though her displeasure seemed to bounce right off the man.

"A necessity. Revealing my identity would be unwise."

Just like back in the embassy, his manner of speaking was polite and strangely void of any feeling or bias. Only this time instead of looking like prince charming, the man's face was marred with countless of wrinkles that spread like spider webs.

"Yet now I know for sure that those two are not truly you."

"Do you?" he asked pointedly, sounding almost amused. The corners of his eyes crinkled when his lips twitched into a small smirk, but they disappeared quickly.

Naoko aimed another deliberative look at the broker before lowering her pistol and returning it to her bag. He seemed to be unarmed and she was fairly confident in her abilities to best a man in hand-to-hand combat...and she did have an army knife strapped to her ankle.

"How did you find me?" She asked, directing the conversation to a more practical angle. There was no point in wasting her time and running in circles just to amuse the broker.

"You're asking all the wrong questions." He remarked, causing a surge of anger in Naoko. She was in no mood for chit-chat, but at least this encounter would save her the trouble of looking for him. That's one lead off her hit list of three possible roads.

Wait…

"How can I find you again?" she asked, turning the question around instead. True, the broker's intentions, identity and loyalty were all unknown variables in the current equation. After all, information brokers were fickle in nature and her broker's eagerness to sell out the Akatsuki could end up with him feeding the organisation valuable information about her investigation and motives.

This question seemed to suit the broker better, "I'll provide you with the necessary means, eventually."

"Then why corner me here today? Unless this is an ambush?"

A well placed shot or a heavy rock from the rooftops would be enough to finish her. Had the broker been sent here to divert her attention?

As if he sensed her unease the broker walked over to her, "Come, it's too easy for someone to eavesdrop." She tensed at his proximity, ready to dodge a knife or throw a punch at any second. They waked side by side in silence, until they reached the end of the alley and joined the slow trail of people.

"I had to verify that you're truly Kino's daughter," he said quietly, so only Naoko could hear his words.

"What has my father got to do with this?" She asked, her heart fluttering in her chest in anticipation. The broker may be untrustworthy as an ally, but if he knew any details about the circumstances of her father's demise then she was more than ready to buy the information off him.

"Everything, but this isn't the right place or time."

They were heading to the train station, taking the stairs underground. Naoko's fists clenched and she had a hard time biting back a snarl. As of now it seemed like the broker was there just to agitate her.

"If you know who killed him, or even why, then I'm willing to pay."

They had to part for a moment to get through the terminal gates when validating tickets and for a moment Naoko was panicked, thinking that the broker might use this chance to slip away from her grasp, but he appeared by her side soon after.

"You don't have the necessary funds, but it is not money I wish from you in exchange for information."

The broker led the way, heading towards Naoko's platform. By now she wasn't even surprised that he would know where she lived.

"What do you want then?" She asked, glancing at the billboard. Her train was just three minutes away - too little time to make any substantial progress with this man. With Kakashi three minutes was enough to cover world history.

"Your cooperation. Despite my profession, I am not without ulterior motives."

Naoko had to hold back an exasperated sigh, "I don't need vague answers."

"Quite the contrary, this is a straightforward offer. My intelligence and cooperation for your services to achieve a mutual goal."

All this secrecy and foreplay just for this moment. A simple offer that could've been settled back in the alleyway. Naoko didn't have a response straight away. The offer was dodgy and full of loopholes and variables that had to be taken into account, but most likely this would be her best chance.

"Why me?" she asked. As cliché as the question sounded, the thought was bothering the redhead. Why would the broker make contact with her personally and go through all this trouble?

"So you could finish what Kino started and couldn't finish."

She was glad that they were standing, instead of walking, because Naoko would've tripped over her feet and land flat on her face. The noise of departing trains and the crowd seemed to dim into the distance as Naoko was overwhelmed. The old wound was being ripped open again.

Start what her father couldn't finish. Was he digging into Akatsuki? What did he find? Were there any records left? There had to be. A man that loved books and everything antique almost religiously would surely have his investigation put on paper.

Just…where? If such records even exist.

"I understand you're grieving today. Take some time to think about my offer." She heard his words, but the meaning barely registered.

Like a shadow, the broker stood behind her as the train was nearing her stop, slowly removing his presence and melting into the background. It didn't occur to Naoko until later that he could've pushed her in front of the arriving train.

Perhaps this would have to serve as proof that he wasn't out to kill her. At least not for now.


8.14 PM

Even hours later Naoko was still in a daze. It was as if she was hypnotised, moving only because some program was moving her mechanical limbs for her. The address for Skelter's den was punched into her phone and she relied on the GPS to get her there.

Well, it seemed like Kakashi's lack of punctuality was rubbing off on her. But she got so carried away rummaging through her father's books and some of the stuff that was still in her apartment. Most of Kino's belonging had been moved back to her mother's house.

It dawned to her that she had arrived only when she heard the dark treble of hard bass reverberating. It didn't take long to spot Kakashi, dressed all in black with the mask covering his face. Even in his spare time Kakashi chose to conceal his face.

She made it over to him, stuffing her phone into her pocket and trying to mask her inner turmoil with pleasantries. It could all be postponed. Tonight she was going to do shots until the broker was off her mind.

Naoko barely recognised herself today - general tardiness, running amok with no clear plan - this was not like her at all. Frankly, she couldn't wait to return her usual life that was organised, clear-cut and certain.

It was clear that something was up the moment Kakashi opened his mouth.

"Well, I thought you got hit by a bus. It's unlike you to be late." Said Kakashi casually, after a short fit of coughs. Naoko's eyes narrowed suspiciously at his behaviour and for the first time she allowed a glance over her shoulder.

In her stupor she hadn't paid much mind to her surroundings, besides staying out of the way of cars. The first impression wasn't enough to make her ponderings and worries disappear, but this blunder from Kakashi was enough to throw her into a fit of laughter. Oh, she was never going to let the captain forget this mistake. Never ever.

The front of the club was littered with smokers, but that wasn't the point. Their attire was what drew her attention – black leather, chains and piercings, cross dressers, you name it. Quite sexy actually…But only one club would have such an interesting dress code.

"Of all the bars in the world," she managed to gasp between laughs, leaning heavily on a light pole, "You find us a fetish club?"

Kakashi, trying to look unfazed in this situation rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "April's fools?" he tried, albeit unsuccessfully to turn the situation in his favour.

"Weak, Kakashi, miserably weak. Could you imagine if Gai were to find out?" She snorted at Kakashi's visible look of horror.

"Please don't." he said with genuine horror in his voice. The instructor in a green suit was a handful enough for Kakashi during business hours - make no mistake, Gai was absolutely brilliant and a worthy rival for Kakashi, yet the man had proven to be...eccentric.

After several more chortles, Naoko managed to get it together enough to straighten up and smack Kakashi, "Hey, I'm here to drink, doesn't matter where we do it." She said with feigned jolliness, trying to make light of the situation.

"Wait, you want to stay?" he asked, eyebrow raised. No doubt Kakashi was more than ready to go somewhere quieter, but Naoko grabbed his wrist before he could plot an escape.

"Hell yeah, come on, this could be so much fun. You've even got a mask an everything, we can pretend to be master an slave." She said, dragging him eagerly to the entrance and down the dark winding stairs.

Kakashi glanced up as if in prayer, "I'm going to pretend you just did not say that." But she did notice that he was smiling under the mask, probably biting back laughter.

The redhead grinned, "Exactly, one more reason to get wasted."

She stopped during their ascent and looked up to the man with a weak smile, "I'm glad you called, and invited me here. Now please, play along and get drunk with me?"

The broker, her father - it could all wait until tomorrow. A few more hours of obliviousness wasn't going to destroy Kakashi. They could discuss it all in the morning over a cup of coffee and a healthy dose of pain medicine.

As of late it seemed like Naoko was refraining from relaying news to Kakashi. Always she procrastinated, but the moment was never right. There's no way that she's going to keep on leaving him in the dark...yet how often was it that Kakashi could just relax, open up to someone and go grab a drink? She just couldn't bring herself to ruin this for him, or for her.

Naoko was desperately craving the distraction and all sense of duty went flying right out of the window. To abandon reason once a year - it isn't that unreasonable.

For now, the pair disappeared into the warm comfort of black leather gloves and cheap vodka shots. Skelter's Den was a pleasantly welcoming place, adorning Naoko with a chain around her neck and fishnet tights by the end of the night.


Pardon for taking this long! University has been taking up the bulk of my time, especially now that I'm getting more and more IT subjects that are simply devouring my attention (damn you Python 3).

I made a few alterations to the earlier chapters, revealing some information about Naoko that I was hoarding to myself for the time being, but thanks to Razhenshia pointing it out – the relationship between Itachi and Naoko wasn't making much sense. Luckily there is still time to mend this (which I did) :) On a side note, I usually keep editing the chapters after posting them, so I apologise if things don't add up. It may be that I've actually missed something, or I simply added something to the earlier chapters.

Davina also asked what does the title of this story mean. Zugzwang is a state in chess when the opponent knows that defeat is inevitable – whatever move they would make will still lead to a checkmate.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for all the favourites, alerts and reviews. Don't be a stranger to point out the good, the bad and the ugly! I'm always open for suggestions to improve this story. Until next time!

Lilyholics