UPDATE WOO!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own as well as the entire Fujiwara Family O:!
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Chapter Twenty-Eight: It's a Small World. Kidnapping!
Tick, tick… Tick, tick… The sound of the pendulum clock was the only sound in the old fashioned Japanese-style mansion made of easily see-through walls. Kotori, Sayuri, Mitsuru, and Nakusu merely sat silently as they awaited the mayor of this small river village. Overhead, thunder rumbled and rain pitter-pattered on the roof, followed by rushing water through the pipes.
Soon, the sliding door across the small desk set low on the floor opened to reveal a rather old and withered man. He was hunched over slightly, wearing a long and very elaborate samurai style kimono. His hair was as white as snow, tied up in a bun with a gold hair piece matching a pair of piercing eyes that almost reminded Nakusu of the toy shop owner. Nakusu frowned a bit, narrowing his eye in suspicion as the man came over, taking a seat with two young male bodyguards.
Very young male bodyguards, younger than the shinobi that were sitting before them.
"Greetings, Konohagakure shinobi," The old man greeted with a warm smile, lifting his head up high, "I am Fujiwara Kyoto. Welcome to my village of Rou. We focus on mostly tourism and building tools, selling objects of interest to many other villages. Somewhat like a trading post…. Unfortunately, we've encountered a very… Queer problem as of late dealing with the large population of children in our village."
"Problem?" Mitsuru asked curiously, cocking his head. Nakusu merely glanced at him sideways before looking back at the old man who sighed, taking a file from one of the body guards, opening it up and tossing out almost a dozen or more files with children's photos.
"These children have all been kidnapped and there is no trace of them anywhere, it's almost as if they have completely vanished. They're all within the age range of thirteen to sixteen. We don't even know if they're dead, but they're parents are a flurry with rage and grief. We called upon your help to find these children, save them, and arrest the person doing all this horrendous things." He concluded, looking up. Kotori frowned, pinching her chin between her thumb and forefinger.
"Between the ages of thirteen and sixteen? From the looks of it, they're equal of boys and girls too… I can't believe Naruto sent us on this mission if he sent three kids!" She added with a snort, folding her arms over her chest tightly. Sayuri and Mitsuru both flinched and glared at her.
"We're not kids! And you heard him, the ages are thirteen and sixteen!" Sayuri snapped in annoyance, then rolled her eyes as Mitsuru grumbled. Nakusu merely frowned, keeping his hands on his knees, though, they were covered by the abnormally long sleeves of his shirt.
"There may be no limit depending on the child. There must be something in common with them and if not, you have called us merely to catch some kind of pedophile." He drawled casually, picking up some of the files as he handed some down. Kotori glanced at Nakusu, then back down at the file in her hand. Her eyes narrowed curiously as her eyes scanned the young boy's profile and photo. He was definitely Nakusu's age with silky dark hair brushed loosely over his face and touching his shoulders, matching a pair of almost hidden gray eyes that stared up at her with a puppy dog look.
She felt a tug at her heart, making her grip the files tighter in pain. She set the file down quickly before the feeling overwhelmed her. She looked at Nakusu and wasn't all that surprised as he looked up, almost emotionlessly.
"From the looks of it, they were all from rich families as well. There's also no personalities list here, so it is hard to tell from the lack of details. Is it possible to get in contact with the parents?" Nakusu asked. Mayor Kyoto blinked, then nodded slowly.
"Yes. They all live in town in the condos. You may take the files with you as they have the addresses. If you get any information, please inform me immediately." He said, nodding his head and receiving several nods in return. The shinobi rose to their feet, filing out, although, Nakusu paused to glance over his shoulder at the old man.
"Excuse me, Mayor Fujiwara?" Nakusu questioned. The old man looked up, then smiled almost nostalgically as he hunched over, peering at the Anbu member.
"Call me Kyoto, young sir."
"Your surname… Is Fujiwara. By any chance are you related to the Fujiwara man who runs the toy shop in town?"
"Hm? Ah, yes… My grandson. A good boy he is, but it's a tragedy that he's shut himself in. He was such a happy man, but he suddenly began to change… Mostly after his brother visited with Ryuji's nephew, Tsukiya. It always made me wonder…" The old man sighed, shaking his head. Nakusu frowned, folding his arms over his chest.
"He told us his son drowned in the Red River…." His voice trailed as he saw the old man's face twist in confusion.
"Eh? Oh, no. Ryuji has never had a son. His late wife was infertile much to our disappointment…"
In Town, Sometime Later…
"All right," Kotori decided as they stepped onto the now more crowded streets of Rou, "It'll probably be easier if we split up, as much as I hate to say it, but if we want to get it done, we'll just split into groups of two-"
"Two," Nakusu stated with a cocked brow, looking a bit annoyed, "It would be easier if we all went off on our own. It would save time and effort as well. We will send one person off to the north, east, west, and south of the villages and meet back here." Kotori grimaced a little, shifting from foot to foot.
"I don't know about this, Nakusu. I really rather not have Sayuri-"
"Then Sayuri may go with you or with Mitsuru, but I prefer to work alone," Nakusu shrugged as he got a sort of parental glare from the woman, "I will get it done much faster and I will meet you here for dinner. We will then seek out a hotel and gather up all the information we have got. This is mostly a recon mission and there did not seem much warning of possible physical dangers until we actually find the mad man doing the kidnappings."
"Or murders." Mitsuru blurted, then blushed as Sayuri glared at him, giving him a jab in the ribs. Kotori flinched, then opened her mouth, but Nakusu had already turned around, shooting off with the files in hand. She rolled her eyes as she glance toward Sayuri and Mitsuru.
"Forget what I said, he's just like his daddy." She snorted. Sayuri smirked as Mitsuru merely huffed, opening the file folder, then stopping to stare.
"Hey… Hey, you guys better look at this." He managed, pointing.
"What's wrong?" Sayuri asked, peering over his shoulder, then her jaw dropped and her hand flew to the necklace around her neck, almost on the verge of ripping it off. Kotori frowned and looked over at the profile, her eyes widening as her face paled.
The boy in the photograph was definitely Nakusu's age with the same navy hair all disheveled, only slightly longer and both his eyes were intact and a very powerful bright green. He was all smiles for the camera, beaming as he clasped his hands around a man's hands in the photo. The boy in the photo was wearing a familiar necklace with the red human heart craft. The name was in bold print:
FUJIWARA TSUKIYA
"He looks… Almost exactly like Nakusu!" Sayuri exclaimed at last. Kotori took the file, her eyes flying over the words as Mitsuru and Sayuri shared looks.
"Do you think he's that toy shop owner's son?" Mitsuru asked, confused, but Kotori shook her head.
"No, it says here that his father's name is Fujiwara Reiyo… But! That toy shop owner's name is right neck to the boy's father's name… His uncle. Not his son."
"That's not right." Mitsuru rubbed the heel of his palm to his forehead in confusion as Sayuri merely rolled her eyes at him, turning to look at her mother with a deep frown.
"What does that mean then?" She asked. Kotori scanned the page some more, then looked up.
"It means we need to have a conversation with both Fujiwara brothers to find out what the truth really is," She stated, then turned to them, "All right… Sayuri is coming with me to talk to Reiyo while Mitsuru goes to chat with Ryuji. No arguments, now let's go!"
"Yes, ma'am." Mitsuru mused, getting smacked upside the head before he shot off with a groan about violent women."And you like him." Kotori huffed, shaking her head. Sayuri's face lit up like a red Christmas light bulb.
"I never said that!"
"You did."
"Did not! MOM, you're so embarrassing!"
"I'm so honest is what I am, now come on. We have a pedophile to catch."
"Way to sound heroic." Sayuri retorted, shooting off. Kotori sighed, but shot after her hurriedly.
North Side of Rou
Nakusu looked down at the file, frowning as he walked down the street thoughtfully after having another door slammed shut. The parents of one young girl refused to speak, only saying that their daughter was brilliant and playful… But most of the parents claimed they hardly knew a thing of their child.
How irritating! What sort of parent pays their child no mind? Are they blinded by all the wealth here that the children are merely here to carry on their pathetic linage? It is utterly insane. If you do not want children to spend time with, have none at all, I say… He thought, irritated as he headed to another home. He looked up at the old rickety black jagged gates of the mansion sitting just outside the village limits, basically almost in the river.
He walked up the path, approaching the looming doors. He frowned and knocked first, being greeted by a servant who told him to wait a moment. His eyes were scanning the sides of the doors and he knew he had to be cautious now. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as if someone was behind him, but a quick head check told him he was alone in the doorway.
He looked up as a woman in her thirties approached the door with red-rimmed gold eyes and ocean blue hair tied up in a curly bun, her kimono drenched in river water.
"What? What do you wan- You…" She whispered. Nakusu stiffened slightly as the woman reached her hand out toward him shakily. Her eyes welled up once again.
"T-Tsukiya!" She cried, reaching out, but a pair of hands caught hers and tore them away. The woman screamed immediately as a man stepped in front of her, shoving her back almost violently.
"Kia! That is enough! Retreat immediately or I will have you sedated!" He snarled almost viciously, making Nakusu cringe. The woman wailed, pointing a finger frantically at Nakusu, who grimaced as the servants rushed to escort the woman out.
"NO! He is my son! He's my son! Tsukiya! He's back!" She shrieked, clawing and racking her nails at the servant's faces before the man whipped around and shut the door behind him after stepping out. Nakusu immediately jumped back as the man had by far passed the one foot proximity limit.
"Uh, my apologizes for causing such a ruckus." He murmured, feeling a little embarrassed as his cheeks colored. The man, tall and dark haired with gold eyes, stared at him, then blinked.
"By the gods, you do resemble him…" His voice trailed. Nakusu frowned."Tsukiya… That was his mother?" He asked. The man nodded with a wistful sigh, his eyes drifting off to the side. A very odd smile spread across his lips.
"Ah, yes… Beautiful, she is, but after her son was kidnapped, she's been a wreck. She refuses to let even her husband speak with her. She's hardly spoken a word until now, but you truly do resemble the young lord Tsukiya."
"And you are…?"
"Hm? Oh, I'm Hideo. I'm the household butler. I do apologize for milady's antics… You wear a headband, you must be a shinobi. So young." He mused, tilting his head. Nakusu frowned."Ah, yes. I was summoned to investigate the kidnapping of the children. What do you know about Tsukiya?" He asked. Hideo blinked, then shifted a little with a crooked frown.
"Tsukiya? Well… He was usually pretty happy, he always smiled, around me and his uncle at least. His parents sort of pushed him out of the picture after they invested in a large shipping company. Tsukiya moved onto making more friends. He may have seemed happy, but I think the lack of love from his parents was what caused him to become a bit reckless… It led to his kidnapping, I'm sure of it. I last saw him playing on the docks. According to the children with him, a man dressed in a black cloak approached them and took Tsukiya away without a word." He explained thoughtfully. Nakusu frowned, looking down at the file.
He studied them closely and the notes he took. Most of the stories were like that, parents rejecting their children for money. How obnoxious, Nakusu noted as he scribbled something down. He let the information play out in his head.
A dozen children kidnapped, all ignored by their parents. Ryuji lies about his son drowning and never mentions an infertile spouse, but he seems to think Tsukiya was his son… Or maybe he meant his nephew, but since he spent so much time with Tsukiya, he called him a son.
"What happened to your eye?" Hideo asked suddenly. Nakusu jerked his head up, frowning deeply.
"Nothing. Is there any possibility that I may speak to his parents? Or maybe his friends?" He asked. Hideo blinked, then cocked a brow the corner of his mouth twitching into a taunting smile.
"Not his parents, never. They're much too busy… Only the mother grieves… And Tsukiya's friends were also kidnapped." He answered. Nakusu frowned, averting his eye thoughtfully, but he was snapped out of his thoughts as Hideo reached up with a finger, pushing Nakusu's headband up and ready to reveal what was underneath if Nakusu hadn't of immediately leapt back."Do not touch me." Nakusu commanded stiffly, adjusting his headband back. Hideo shrugged before smiling lightly.
"Sorry… I'm too curious sometimes… Anyway, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Uchiha Nakusu." He bowed at the waist before turning and swiftly entering the mansion again. Nakusu sighed and turned, but immediately stopped.
How did he-
CRACK
Toy Shop, West
Kotori approached the front door of the toy shop, frowning as she peered inside. Sayuri came up beside her to press her face on the window, looking around before pushing away, glancing up and down the streets.
"He's not there. It's closed." She muttered, putting a fist on the window and another on her hip. Kotori nodded, pushing away from the door and turning her back to it. Her eyes drifted up and down the streets before her eyes landed on an alleyway that led between the toy shop and the clothing shop next door. She looked at Sayuri, who followed her gaze, then nodded. The kunoichi walked into the alley and found the back door to the toy shop partially opened.
Kotori held a finger to her lips, making Sayuri roll her eyes, but nod as they crept closer, both taking up a position on either side of the door with weapons in hand. Kotori looked at Sayuri for a moment, then swung herself in the doorway, kunai held up, but it lowered slowly as her eyes widened before narrowing in disgust.
"Shit…" She muttered. Sayuri blinked and followed her mother, then yelped, covering her nose and mouth.
"Ugh!" She exclaimed. The corpse of Fujiwara Ryuji was mangled and beaten to nothing, but a lump of blood, flesh, and bones, not even his clothes there. Blood was splattered all over the toys in the back room as a snow globe sat on the desk where Ryuji must have been sitting. A song gently played from it as the little boy and girl inside the globe held hands, swinging round and round a fire.
"Sayuri," Kotori commanded calmly, trying not to be sick, "Look through the desk drawers for anything that might help us find the children and the murderer… I'll cover the body."
"Got it." Sayuri nodded and walked over to the desk, listening to the sound of her mother rummaging for a tarp or blanket. Sayuri sighed as she flipped through business files in annoyance, opening and closing drawers until her eyes landed on a particular file, her face paling."Hey… Hey, mom… You have to look at this. All of this." She managed, taking out the files as she shut the door. Kotori frowned as she looked up from covering the body with a child's blanket. She walked over and looked down, her eyes widening.
A photograph of Ryuji, a lovely ocean-haired woman, and a boy very much resembling Nakusu (Tsukiya) standing in the photo with smiles painted onto their faces happily.
Underneath were a couple adoption papers signed with Ryuji's name as well as his brother's and grandfather's.
Kotori skimmed through them quickly, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Judging from these, Tsukiya was adopted by his uncle, Reiyo, by orders of their grandfather, Mayor Fujiwara Kyoto… In fact, there's a note here that Ryuji's wife, Kia, also fled from him to live with Reiyo. Sounds like shitty luck… But, this says Tsukiya is still alive, which means Ryuji probably just assumed since he was kidnapped." She explained slowly. Sayuri crinkled her nose up.
"Some confidence he had," She snorted, getting a scold from her mother before frowning, "But that's so weird… Ryuji seemed like a fatherly kinda guy. Does that make Reiyo the bad guy?"
"I don't know… All this information is jumbled and out of order, not to mention, written in a weird fashion so it makes things even more confusing… It's so annoying, but we should find Mitsuru and Nakusu to tell them." Kotori stated, turning to go. Sayuri nodded and went to close the drawer, but her eyes landed on a file that was sitting near a paper shredder.
She reached out and picked it up, her eyes widening at the order form.
"Mom…"
"What now?"
"This file… It says… Uchiha Haruke's been ordering materials from him for the last two years."
"WHAT?"
Center Rou
Mitsuru landed with a tak, frowning as he folded his arms over his chest. The house he'd visited had been abandoned for some time and it annoyed him. He looked up as he saw Kotori and Sayuri racing toward him at full speed.
"Mitsuru! Mitsuru, check this out! You're gonna love this!" Sayuri yelled, waving the order form files around. Kotori blinked, then reached out, snatching the files from her quickly."Hey, what was-"
"Not yet," Kotori commanded quietly, "Don't tell him yet. If you do that, he won't focus on the mission and he'll be out of here faster than you can say 'oops'."
"But, mom-"
"Just do what I say, Sayuri. If you don't want to hurt him, keep the information to yourself." Kotori ordered. Sayuri looked at her, her expression a bit hurt and confused, but she nodded at last as they approached. Kotori then handed Mitsuru the files of the Fujiwara family. Mitsuru scanned over it before his jaw dropped and he looked up.
"This is amazing, how did you find all this?" He exclaimed. Sayuri frowned a bit, folding her arms over her chest tightly and shuddering a bit as she stuck out her tongue, jabbing a thumb behind her.
"We found ol' Ryuji slaughtered at the toy shop. We alerted the authorities in the area, but whoever's kidnapping the children had to of killed Ryuji because of something he was about to do, something that was going to put a hole in their plans." She explained, making Mitsuru nod slowly. Kotori frowned before her eyes widened slightly and she glanced around quickly.
"Where's Nakusu?" She demanded. Mitsuru blinked, then looked up.
"I… Don't know. He wasn't here when I showed up and you guys are as late as it is…"
"You don't think…." Sayuri's voice trailed as she looked at Kotori's expression as it became paler and paler.
"We need to find him right now."
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A/B: A bit short, but oh well :D DRAMA! Ah, sorry if the mission is kind of confusing, but it'll make sense in the end… o-o I feel like it was explained weird, lol xD! Oh well. Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoyed it, and I hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are the greatest things ever to receive :D!
