A/N : I wanted to mention I update daily because really, there's nothing much to do. Because in my time period (I have no idea where most of you guys live), it's late when I update. So that explains it ^_^ Oh, and boredom. Plain old boredom!


Review Replies;

NoName- Thank you for telling me what you think! And I didn't notice. I didn't like Sakura when they were younger, but I love the older version of her. She's much better. I can't promise that I won't hate on her, simply because I didn't realize I was xD Thanks for your review :D

Lazy Gaga – I can't blame them for being jealous xD thanks (:

Roku-and-Saku – Shikamaru is intelligent, and this Killer doesn't even want him to die, yet. So we'll see what happens to Shika ;) Thank you for the review :D


Chapter Nine – Voices And Pain Medication


Uchiha Obito, eh? Well, I can't read his thoughts anymore. I can read others too.

Don't talk about him.

Do you ever just wonder how boring you can really be? Loosen up, forget about everything and life would be much easier.

I can't. I can't forget about everything. I have a team, friends, family. Or friends I consider family!

You never did grow up like the others did…


"Hello Gai," Kakashi murmured.

Gai fell out of the tree, landing on his head. Kakashi turned the page of his book and yawned, but you couldn't see it through his dark blue mask. Gai rubbed his head, but his bowl-shaped hairstyle wasn't a bit out of place.

"Kakashi, my rival! I have a question for you!"

"Shoot," Kakashi replied, scanning the page of his book, more interested in it than his 'rival'. Gai sat up and for once, the jumpsuit-wearing man wasn't sure how he should put his next question.

"Have you found the Killer yet?" he said eventually.

"That's all you had to ask? It took you like twenty minutes to form that, Gai."

Gai ignored it. "Well?"

Kakashi drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. It was true, they had gotten one tiny, miniscule step ahead. A hair. One single hair had been left at the crime scene, but knowing Naruto, he probably found Shikamaru's hair. But wait, wasn't it Shikamaru who had found the hair? Shikamaru wasn't stupid.

He would've known of this 'evidence' wasn't exactly right.

"We found a single hair."

Gai's bright face dropped. "A hair?"

Kakashi nodded. "Better than what we had before…"

"What did you have before?" Gai asked, watching Kakashi turn another page in his book. His rival sighed and dropped his book.

"Absolutely nothing."


Kinjo Mei. She's just like Takashi Aina, isn't she? She lives alone, you know? On her own. Thought Mei-chan has a reason for being alone. She pushes people away. You know from experience. 'Member, you asked if she needed help gardening, because she's old and has a hunch and she begins screamin' at you… No wonder her garden is over-grown. Crazy old bat…

Mei had a tough life. I can relate to her, but you wouldn't understand, would you?

Wouldn't understand? WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND? I'm stuck here with you, that's what I call tough…

Mei sat in a rocking chair in the front of her house and watched some kids run past. Unfortunately, ten year old Riku ran past without noticing the stranger standing at Mei's gate. He was too worried about being late for dinner, because his mom would absolutely murder him if he turned up even a second late.

Murder you for being late to dinner? You have no idea what's gonna happen to old Mei here.

What is going to happen to Mei?

I can tell you one thing. It'll be an event to remember.

The stranger opened the gate and stepped inside. Mei stopped rocking in her chair and cracked an eye open, carefully eyeing this strange up and down.

"What do you want, eh?" she screeched.

The stranger didn't reply and kept walking. Mei squinted in the sunlight and attempted to block the light with one old and wrinkled hand. It didn't work, but she got a look at this stranger.

"Eh…don't I know you?"

"Not for long, Mei."


"Hey Kiba?" Naruto called quietly, knocking once on the door.

"Oh…oh hey! It's Nawuto!"

"Huh?"

Kiba fell off his bed, giggling like a girl. Naruto glanced at Shikamaru, who shrugged and said, "Just the pain medication he's on. Makes him a little loopy."

"Ahah! Loopy…looooooppppyyyy," Kiba grinned, gripping his bed sheets and pulling himself back up. "Shikamawu, where is he?"

"Who?"

"The Kwiller!" Kiba growled, pumping his fist in the air. "I'll kill him for…for…"

"Almost cracking every bone in your body?"

"YEAH! For that…the little…"

Learn to make fun of me when you can form a proper sentence, Kiba.

Poor Kiba…

It's his own fault.

It's his own fault that you broke his ankle?

Exactly, you're learning.

"We found a hair," Naruto murmured.

"A hair?" Kiba exclaimed. He glanced at the sleeping Akamaru – who had to be sneaked into the hospital so the nurses wouldn't see him – and his eyebrows drew together. "Well Akamawu doesn't mean to shed his hair Nawuto. He's a dog, he's meant to."

"No, Kiba. We found a hair in one of the victims apartments."

"So we know who did it? I'll snap their ankles!"

Naruto chuckled softly. "We have to wait. Tsunade has some people doing exams to find out who it is. Don't worry, we should find them. I doubt the Konoha Killer is Akamaru."

Comparing me to a dog now are we?

After four hours of sitting around with Kiba, laughing at how stupid he sounded, Naruto decided to go and study more about this case. They said they'd have found out who it was soon. That seemed so far away.