The Three Elders

For a second, it was all black for a long time, then suddenly, the bag was lifted off his head and he was faced to face with an old man in a study. "Evening Holmes, I know it is quite a mystery to you as to where you are and who I am" the old man said.

Naruto just looked at him for a second, "As to where I am, I admit I was lost for a second there, but the family smell of Choji's family's bakery clued me in to the street. Also a left turn, then a right, then the tall-tell bump on 5th street places me smack dab in the large mansion in the center of London" Holmes said answering where he was. "As to whom YOU are, you have an ox ring on your finger indicate you're the head of that weird cult, and the letters on your desk are addressed to Homura which means you are one of those elder guys that old man Hiruzen always had to deal with" Holmes deduced about the old man easily. "You see the true mystery is: Why did you even blindfold me at all?" he sarcastically asked.

Homura didn't like this, he was instantly going to say Holmes was wrong about everything and lie through his teeth, being outwitted by a idiotic 19 year old didn't sit well with him. However, Tsunade instantly busted in blowing the covers of Homura and the other elders that were hiding. "Told you, he's the guy Hiruzen wanted" she said. She then forced the other two out of hiding, Naruto knew who they were, Koharu the women was no better than Homura, they were always scheming behind Hiruzen's back when he was alive and they undermine everything everybody does because they think they're better than everyone else since they're nobles. The last was Danzō, the Home Secretary and someone that everyone knew was the type of noble that killed people to "protect" the people. Naruto knew from Hiruzen not to trust them but Tsunade was there so it must be alright.

"What is this all about Granny?" Holmes asked her ready for something he probably already deduced.

Tsunade was a little peeved at the "granny" title, but she went on "It's Orochimaru, as you know, him, me, and your mentor Jiraiya grew up together. So I have some information that might help" she said. She handed Naruto a book, it was obviously occult style. "Hiruzen said if he ever tried anything, give this to you. He was always reading that in his youth" she said. Obviously Tsunade had to force the elders to give it to her; they didn't like a "street urchin" being famous. However she went on to explain everyone close to Orochimaru was killed, if not by him but accidents, proving death followed him everywhere he went however, Tsunade was never close enough to him to be targeted.

Danzō then interrupted her, "As Home Secretary I was considerable influence over the police" he said "He needs to be stopped, name your price" hoping to show Naruto was just a greedy brat that they thought he was.

Naruto looked at the book, "I'll see to it, I'll stop him" he said. "But not for you guys, and certainly not for a price" he ended placing the book down and taking Hiruzen's old pipe. "I do have a parting query elders" Holmes brought up "If everyone close to him is dead, why are you guys still alive? Food for thought" he ended as he left.

Elsewhere, Naruto had acted on Konohamaru's info and located Sakura's hotel, it wasn't her hiding place but this is where she was presently to keep Holmes from finding it. He slowly found her room and got to work at picking the lock. However, the door instantly opened revealing Sakura with nothing but a towel over her body and a smirk on her face. "Well perhaps you'll have better luck with this" she said handing him a bottle of wine.

Holmes looked at it as he took it from her, he was wary, could Sakura Adler have planned for his arrival? No, in the state she was in she most likely just heard him picking the lock, it was most likely safe...for now. However he instantly noticed that Sakura walked over to a divider but dropped her towel as she walked causing Holmes to shift a bit, he hated when she did things like that. "Why does she do that?" he silently asked himself as he put the wine opener into the bottle.

"How is our case you refuse to take?" Sakura jokingly asked.

Naruto, regaining his composure, replied "Oh I hit a dead end, literally. You can find him in Scotland mortuary, he was in Blackwood's tomb though" he tried to see her reaction but her shadow in the divider showed she stumbled a bit. "Doubt he'll be any use to you now" Holmes ended as he tried to get the wine bottle opened.

Behind the divider, the changing Sakura tried to keep her composure, "Oh, dear hope my employer doesn't come asking for a refund" he answered as she was picking out what outfit to knock Holmes even more for his game to wear.

"He's a professor isn't he?" Holmes asked. Now this shocked Sakura, she instantly realized HE was the hobo from before and silently cursed Naruto and herself for not realizing it sooner. "I couldn't see his face, but I spotted a bit of chalk on his lapel, and I've never known a professor to carrying a gun especially on a clever contraption like that wrist thing" he ended finally getting the wine bottle open.

"Let it breath" she said in a seductive tone, but Holmes instantly smelled it trying to see if she was once again messing with him. She put on a robe and put it just so much of her chest was exposed, but then she remembered Holmes's lover Hinata was FAR superior in that region than her. "Dammit" she slightly uttered, to compensated she opened the leg region to keep her left leg exposed. "Well then this is a social visit then" she said as she slowly stepped out. She noticed she made Holmes shake for a second, but that was all she really needed.

He once again regained himself in front of his obscene friend, "No this is a, "You're in over your head Sakura" visit. Whoever killed Reordan was covering their tracks which makes you next on the list" he said pouring the wine into two glasses. "Disappear, or lie, you're good at those" he sneered reminding her she didn't have the right to act like she was in front of him.

Sakura then picked up the glasses and handed Naruto one "I've never been over my head, but why don't we run away together? You are on that list too, what if we trusted each other?" she seductively said, she never acting like this knowing about Hinata, her past manipulations, they were going to undoubtedly make Holmes slip up.

Naruto was now annoyed with all the things she was doing, true he once had feelings for her, and she knew that, but he never got close to bat let alone first base. She always manipulated him though because deep down, beneath all the things she did, and her world class thievery, she was still his friend and Holmes never abandoned a friend. "I don't think you're listening to me, I'm taking you to either the rail station or police station" he said reminding her he is a detective. He then took the glass she handed him "What's it going to be?" he said as he drank it. However as soon as he drank it, he noticed she just put her glass down and had that smile on her face again.

"You really are easy to manipulate you know?" she jokingly said as Holmes was stumbling. He realized that she drugged the entire bottle waiting for him to find her. Once again, she used everything she had and made him slip, again. "Why can't you ever just do as I say" she asked as she hugged him until he quickly fell asleep. "Well, time to top "Most Embarrassing"" she said as she dragged Naruto to the bed.

Later that night back at Homura, he was bathing in a big bath tub and after noticing all the candles went out, he began he shake uncontrollably. Suddenly, Orochimaru revealed himself from the shadows and took his Ox ring as the water rose up and proceeded to drown the old man.

The next morning Karin entered Sakura's room after she checked out. She noticed all the clothes on the ground belonged to a man "Boy she's as much of a slob as she is a whore isn't she?" is all she muttered as she picked them up and slowly realized Holmes handcuffed naked to the bed with a pillow covering his privates. She just stared for a second.

Naruto then spoke up "Karin, good, I need you to remain calm, I'm a professional, professional idiot for letting my guard down around Adler" he explained. "Now, this is going to be awkward, but the key to my release, she placed beneath the pillow" he further explained hoping his friend would help him.

Karin still just stared; "I must have been a good girl" she began as she closed the door and locked it. "Santa came early" she ended as she began taking her maid clothing off.

"Not again" is all Holmes could barely get out.