DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.

*WARNING! Slight bad content in this chapter.

**Pardon OOC's (come on it's AU and I don't own them.)

A/N: Review response at the end of the chapter. I'm back!

TOKYO TENTACLE 50
Gentrifrication Arc – EP1

One month later...

"One more order please!"

"Two Americans please!"

"Seconds! I need seconds!"

"The rugout rabbit sounds delicious."

"Can you hurry up and give me seconds!?"

Nishiki's had enough of this. While real customers have been ordering here and there, one waitress of Anteiku had been ordering as if she were a customer as well and she demands strongly than real customers does. It's about time he confronts this glutton to get back to work. "Stop ordering and help me work!" he shouts at the young woman who was eating, sitting down with one of the male customers she seduced.

"I am helping you! I'm distracting male customers!"

"No you're robbing them! Seriously, get up!" Nishiki grabbed her wrist but the man who was with her defended her by pushing Nishiki away.

"Sorry dude, you can't treat a pretty girl like her this way. She deserves respect." the male victim says and Nishiki growled angrily.

"Didn't you hear what I just said!? She's robbing you!"

"Didn't you also hear what I said? She's pretty and she deserves respect!"

Enji heard the commotion getting louder so he knew he needed to do something about it. He left his post at the counter and pulled Nishiki behind him, apologizing dearly to the male victim. "Come on Rize, I think it's time you get back to work as well." he says politely and she follows.

"See you later~" she continued to flirt with her victim and he completely fell for her beauty.

Rize runs back to the kitchen to refill the coffee pot she was in charge of, humming a tune similar to Kaneki's ringtone.

"Rize, you're not supposed to trick customers like that." Touka tells her when she heard from the kitchen what the Binge Eater had been doing. She finished washing the dishes to have a talk with the girl. "It's wrong."

"He was happy to treat me."

"You were abusing your beauty!"

"Don't be jealous that your charms doesn't effect anyone except that human boy I kissed~"

"Shut up!"

She pushes Rize out of the kitchen but was careful not to spill the coffee in the pot. Ayato was by the door, fixing his tie and trying to look presentable in front of the customers. Rize grinned at him. She knew that recently Ayato's been going to school as well that's why he can only work afternoon shifts at the shop. "Back from school?"

"Go away." he mumbled and joined Enji at the counter.

"Why is everyone such a grump?" she asked herself with a shrug.

After her recovery, Shachi asked for Yomo to keep an eye on Rize and ever since then, she's been staying and assigned to also work at the shop while Shachi was not giving her the go-signal to follow after him at the 11th Ward. The glutton was compliant to them as thanks for saving her from the suffering. She refused to thank the redhead who did most of the work though, part of what she tends to do until Roma gets pissed.

For some reason, Rize had other memories that doesn't belong to her that she has. She cannot point a finger to it, but she was sure she's never met Roma before and yet she feels like she needed to do this like it were normal. She subtly asked Kaneki if he knew the redhead but even Kaneki haven't even met this tentacle. Rize assumed it was an effect of the healing process.

One thing she retained is her strong appetite for almost anything and of course, her natural ability to beguile men.

"Rize," Yomo calls her from the office. She redirected her attention to him and entered the room with a smile.

"Is it because customers love me so much?"

"No. It's about your schooling." Yomo starts. "One of the people in your list, Matsumae, believes that you are a former student from Seinan Gakuin University, since you refer to her as 'sensei'. Do you have memories about that?"

"Ah the butler woman! Yes I remember Matsumae." Rize agrees. "She's the one who assisted Kaneki and I when we were applying for their college."

"Y- You really went to school!?"

"Of course not idiot." she shot at him and Yomo frowns. "The only memories I have is the one that started after I met Kaneki." Rize tells him in a matter-of-fact-way and sticks her tongue out. "Like I'd even go to school like that black rabbit kid!"

'Right, what do I expect?' Yomo kept his cool back. If he was going to stand as the new Manager for Yoshimura, then he needs to be level-headed and composed just like him. "So no school for you?" he asked, wanting to clarify. "You'll need to do something here other than be an employee. You're not old like Enji yet so schooling is possible for you."

"I think I can still manage to live without school or a civilized life. I can still live the way I do."

"That's what got you in trouble in the first place."

This time she was the one who frowned. Maybe because she lives her life alluring men, robbing them of their money and just enjoying the pleasures of life. If it were tentacles then she'd end up just using her beauty as well and using the male tentacles for her own benefit until they get enough of her... unfortunately they never get enough of her. They die for her.

"Look kid," Yomo begins to say again, "you only have two choices here. You will live the same life you lived before your insufferable nightmare or you will live a new life with Anteiku under my wing." he gave her a choice, the same choice that the manager offered to him, Enji and Irimi in the past. (reference Days Gone By). "I will not stop you, but be sure to use your second life wisely."

"You're only acting like this because you turned down your returning girlfriend."

"I already have a girlfriend. And until I see Irimi's corpse or an investigator using her tentacles as quinque, I will be a loyal man in her life." Yomo states firmly.

"Or that's just pride talking." Rize said with a shrug. "No one stays in the lab for a month or so. And as far as I am informed, no one from Cochlea stays alive unless needed for a case. And if you want assurance, then by all means, you have someone like Kaneki, a man from the inside, use him to confirm what I said."

Yomo pondered on the idea for a moment, "Alright, I have an offer for you."

"Shoot."

"I'll call Kaneki, tell him to confirm what really happened. While you," he points at the young woman, "you're going to have to make a choice."

"If you call back that woman I'll leave my old life behind. Or at least I'll give it a shot." Rize added her own terms from the deal and offered her hand to Yomo who shook on it.

"Done."


"Ayato? Why are you still here?" Touka asked when she saw Ayato also at Anteiku. She was already familiar with his school schedule and she was certain that this hour he should be in school.

"I'm working."

"No, you should be at school."

"I never wanted to go, Touka."

"But you need it!"

"Give me a break, I don't think I can learn anything that will actually be useful in real life." Ayato mocked but Touka pinched his ear, "OW."

Enji heard their quiet banter at the back and smiled. He wanted to be Ayato's big brother and he is doing a pretty good job at it too. He was the one who got Ayato to school thanks to Matsumae's former students who were very supportive and are also pushing their petition to the government.

If life was going to change this year, Enji wouldn't want Ayato to miss it. He wants Ayato to experience going to school, meeting friends and hopefully meet the girl of his dreams the same way Touka met someone like Hide.

"Go. To. School." Touka emphasized every word, her eyes staring him down to intimidate him.

"Too late classes already started." Ayato wanted to reason.

"Yes late. Too late. But you can still catch up to your next subject." she pressed on the matter. "Go or you're on cleaning duty the whole week!" it was Touka's job originally. If Ayato chooses not to go to school, she will get the upperhand and pass her duties to him but if Ayato were to choose to go to school, it would still be her win since she was able to persuade him to go.

Ayato weighed the options he had. Homework and going to school is a kind of torture he could endure better than cleaning the shop. "I'll just get changed."

"Good."

When Ayato ran back to his room to get changed, Enji gave Touka a thumb's up. "Getting good at being a sister, eh?" he complimented.

Touka on the other hand sighed in relief, almost as if she were surprised herself. "Hide and I practiced how I can keep my poker-face on the whole time. And to be really intimidating as well." she says. "Trust me, I did not learn it overnight."

"Nagachika just knows the right words at the right time. That's talent."

"You bet he does."

"Where is he by the way? He didn't come by today even if you two don't have a class." Enji wondered.

Basically everyday Hide would be around to visit Touka, but not all the time Touka was allowed to date with him the whole day since she has responsibilities for Anteiku as well. But today, they did not even see a glimpse of where that human boy was. Touka shrugged, unaware of his whereabouts as well. "Usually he'd send a text. I don't know."

"You're not worried?"

"Hide may be human, but what makes him a clever person."

"Good point."


[CCG Headquarters - 20th Ward]

Arima had been having problems with CCG's reputation and workload lately. With the mass-raid operation's result of the Owl's death, instead of stirring the lower tentacles to fear CCG, for some reason crime rate rose to a quick 39% and it continues to increase every week. Also, the petition from Seinan Gakuin University's surviving students who wants the government to create a new rule within the constitution that protects good tentacles like their teacher, Matsumae, from CCG's reach. They've earned over 160 signatures for the past month.

Their testimonies were strong as a class, their parents and friends were not quick to agree but with the students' strong determination to push the new rule that benefits civilized tentacles out there, over 160 people are convinced to sign.

Even if they tried to argue that Matsumae may have killed one of the students during the mass-raid operation, the whole class have a straight story that someone else killed their classmate and instead, Matsumae protected them all, sacrificing herself for their sake. The same way human teachers would protect their students in times of need.

It was not good for CCG's reputation because it limits the things that they have to do from here on out. To be sensitive of what civilian's would see and think... moreover, Arima was troubled with Furuta who was causing mayhem whether or not his back was turned.

After announcing that Kijima accidentally killed Black Dober in Cochlea during one of their sessions to extract information, half were relieved that the killer who murdered Kureo Mado was finally gone while half were not satisfied that the tentacle did not suffer enough, not knowing the truth behind it all. Akira on the other hand had been on sick-leave a lot and Juuzou visiting her from time to time and paying Shinohara a visit as well. Too many workload for only one him. 'Even Kaneki is being troublesome to handle...' he thought. Arima was having suspicions that Kaneki asking Hairu for favors and being caught sneaking into off-limit file rooms is not a coincidence. He was researching for a reason.

But the question is... what does Kaneki know?

Hairu knocks on his door, interrupting his train of thought. "Yes?" he responded to his secretary who opened the door, just enough space for half her body to enter.

"Washuu wants to talk with you."

"I'll be there in a minute."

"With Investigator Nimura Furuta."

"What?"

Furuta revealed himself beside Hairu and waved at Arima. Arima did not like this. If Furuta was being summoned at the same time as him, something must be up. It can only be good or bad, but if it's Furuta then it would always be bad news.

Arriving at Washuu's office, Tsuneyoshi Washuu was sitting in his chair, intertwining his fingers as the the investigators entered.

"You asked for our presence, father?" Arima asked, dropping the act since they were all family within the room.

"News have reached my ears. You can't keep it from me, Arima." Washuu says, his tone impying that he was not happy with the news he's been hearing. "CCG is being controlled by tentacles and human civilians alike."

"I am working on it."

Furuta sits down one of the chairs in front of Washuu's desk to relax and he motioned that Arima sits down as well. "Are you also working on Subject XIII as well? News spread like fire."

"She claimed sick but I am keeping tabs on her. It's normal for humans to get sick." Arima justified.

"It's not normal for humans to get sick for almost three weeks now. I mean for something like a fever, right?" Furuta wanted to point out. Of course it was not normal. Ever since Kureo had been buried, Akira never went to work. Juuzou and Kaneki said that she got sick because of the rain but Furuta believes otherwise. "It must be tentacle manifestation already."

"Then why take this long?" Arima shot back at him.

"Because she was not able to get the nutrition she needed when she was young. Kasuka was getting in the way of it so probably the A-cells are battling with her. Perhaps even killing her... slowly."

It was known for a fact based on previous experiments that when A-cells are incompatible with humans, the tendency to happen is for that human to die. And if it were the case with Akira, then the reason for her sick leave is because she's dying. Arima however, refused to believe that. Washuu cleared his throat to get both of their attention back. "Sit down, Arima." he commands. Arima did so. "So while everything else is not being properly managed, Furuta was able to send off 5258 with a good start. Crime rate rose as expected, victims increased, fear was once again seized both humans and tentacles. However, while this was successful, the Binge Eater remained missing."

"She could be dead." Arima said bluntly.

"Or Kamishiro took her and is probably attempting to restore her to her normal state." Washuu guessed. "It's entirely impossible to do. Every human and tentacle only have a certain limit of endurance until they lose their self."

"I can add Kamishiro to the list if you want." Furuta offered.

"No." Washuu did not allow it though. "If we change the list, 5258's misguided grudge will falter because she's never even met either of the Kamishiro. The first batch of names is the one we'll wait for her to kill before giving a new list."

"You do know that it literally took Jason so many years to hunt everyone in his list right?" Furuta reminds him. "In the end, he was not able to kill two."

"We made a mistake with Jason before, but we're straightening out those mistakes now." Washuu imparts. "7612 never mentioned 5130 or 5258's names. Because we added those names in the list, Jason faltered to kill 5258 in the end. Even admitting defeat and allowing himself killed in the process, just to prevent himself from hurting her. But we will not commit the same mistake this time. 5258 said those names herself, so let her do what she needs to."

Furuta and Arima nods in compliance.

"Furthermore, Kaneki Ken," Washuu opens another topic. "He's been snooping around CCG more than he used to. What does he know?"

Furuta was not sure, but if he were to guess then... "Kaneki is in 5258' list. If he knows her personally then 5258 must've gave him instructions to follow." he shared his thoughts to the two. "If not then Kaneki is doing these things by his own volition."

"Find out the answer to that." Washuu ordered. "And as for you, Reaper, the petitioning students must stop. Do whatever you can in your power to stop them. Unless of course you're too soft to do extreme things to put their petition to an end?"

"No."

"Good."


[HySy ArtMask Studio - 20th Ward, rainy late afternoon]

Hinami was happily leaping outside of the studio, holding a red umbrella and her red backpack hanging on her back. She was waiting for Uta who promised to take her to Anteiku today. Ever since the Binge Eater had joined Anteiku, Hinami was staying over at Uta's to be mentored by Itori when it comes to Academics and Uta when it comes to art.

This will be the first time she'd come home after a month. She was really excited to see them. To see her home again.

But while she was waiting, she sees a tall woman with long black hair calmly walking towards her. Sure she was wearing a black coat but it did not scare Hinami. What bothered Hinami was the hockey mask that the woman was wearing. Rumors had been spreading in their neighborhood that a female Jason was lurking in the alleys. And if this is the one they're talking about then Hinami's first instinct is to run.

"Uta-san.."

When the woman was getting near, Hinami ran back inside the studio and immediately attempted to lock the door. But the door wouldn't close as she pulled on the knob as hard as she could. She looked up to see the woman's fingers were blocking the way, it was bleeding and squeezed between the wooden frame and the side of the door and yet the woman was so calm as she pulled it open.

Hinami releases the doorknob and gripped on the umbrella, preparing to use it as weapon.

"What do you want from me?" she asked. She honestly didn't wanna know, but she needed to stall time until Uta comes back.

"Hinami... Fueguchi..." the woman growled under the mask. "You deserve to die for kiling an investigator."

The brunette shivered at the mention of her real and full name. She did not tell anyone her full name except her family. Moreover, no one knew what she did at the tunnel. Only Touka was a witness to the incident and they did not tell anyone the specific happenings. So who was this?

"Stay away from me!" Hinami screams.

The moment Hinami screamed, a black tentacle strikes the woman from the side and she staggered to the side to keep her balance. Hinami traced back where the black tentacle came from and sees Uta.

"Uta-san!"

"Hinami, stay in your room." he ordered and puts himself between the woman and Hinami, in a protective stance. "Looks like we got a trespasser here."

The woman however did not wait for Hinami to escape. She chased Hinami and Uta took advantage of the opening she left behind. He slammed both sharp tentacles into the woman's body, impaling her but she was still after Hinami despite the two holes in her body. Uta used his two remaining tentacles to wrap around her waist and neck to keep her restrained and a chance for Hinami to lock the door behind her.

"I think you're not aware that this is the Clown's territory." he bellowed. His tentacles squeezed on her neck and injured stomach.

"No Face," she calls to him even if he was not wearing his mask that time, "you're in my list too." she says, cracking a finger before grabbing the tentacle on her stomach and using it to pull Uta close to her.

Before Uta could make contact with her, he releases her and allowed the blood to drip from her wounds. He needed to maintain distance until he knows what exactly she can do. "Your smell..." he says when he was able to get a closer sniff, "..your voice.. don't tell me you're-"

This time, the unnamed woman was the one who landed an attack on him, stabbing him on the chest with one tentacle and using sheer force to push him until his back hits the wall. And she was inches away from him, the blank emotions seen clearly in her eyes under that mask. "To be fair, I'll let you watch that kid die first." she says while Uta was examining the mask she was wearing. He was certain that mask was no doubt Jason's and yet...

"You care about Hinami. You can't possibly allow yourself to hurt her." he says to test his theories.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE."

"Hinami is like a little sister to you. You told me so many stories about her. And I took the responsibility to look after-" *stab* *STAB* *STAB STAB STAB* maybe he was wrong... but the fact that she knows his weakness, his name even without the mask, only Renji and the rest of the Clowns knows how to injure him in his weakest point. And her.

'Crap, so Yomo is waiting for nothing. You were long gone, aren't you? But I can bet you did not go down without a fight.'


[Mado Apartment - 20th Ward]

Thanks to Juuzou and Kaneki's help, her apartment was scrubbed clean. It was a better environment to stay in. However Akira could not enjoy that because the terrible headaches she'd been feeling never left her. There was also a constant pain in her back that she could not explain, she could not bring herself to move much.

Once again, she owes Juuzou for looking after her. Because right now sleeping in peace wouldn't be possible if Juuzou was not by her side.

'Her eyes earlier... was that my imagination? Or was it... changing?' he wondered while watching the blonde sleep.

Before he put her to sleep, he was able to gaze on her purple eyes that were changing color. Almost similar to an activated tentacle's eyes. Also, he was certain that the pain in her back was similar to the location where the tentacles would manifest. But what could it mean? He refuses to believe that a human like her will manifest one in the first place. It's way passed the manifesting stage for tentacles.

He sighed and leaned on the wall, about to rest when Akira's phone rang.

Juuzou sits up and takes a peek who the caller was, seeing that it was 'Haise Sasaki' calling and their picture from eating curry was flashing across the screen. He chuckled and reached for the phone. "Kaneki!"

"Ah Juuzou? Why are you the one who picked up?" Kaneki answered on the other end.

"Akira's sleeping, don't wake her." he says. "What do you want to say?"

"She called me! It's the fifth time this month. I just, I always didn't get the chance to answer but now I decided to give her a call." he explained. Juuzou somehow felt something that he never felt before. A green monster called Mr. Jealousy. "I swear I am not going to ruin the good thing happening between the two of you but Haise Sasaki still exists in her life." he added.

"Fine I'll forgive you if you do one thing for me." he decided to redirect the jealousy someplace else.

"What is it?"

"I think... I think Akira is manifesting her tentacles. But she's not pushed enough to actually trigger it. So I need you-"

"Wait wait, Akira's what?" Kaneki wanted to clarify. The first time they met he was SURE that Akira was human. But what was he hearing? Was she half-tentacle as well? All along? Or half-tentacles are everywhere and he isn't aware?

"I don't know yet, okay? I just noticed today." Juuzou countered, refusing to finalize anything. "That's why I need your help. I overheard that they will use Mama's body for some sort of experiment. If CCG do things like that then... then maybe you being a half-tentacle and Akira's... well, sickness, could be done by the tentacles in return."

"What do you want me to do exactly?"

"Go to the tentacles' side to investigate."

"EH!?"

"I need confirmation how this works. If by a slim chance I am even right, then it means we'll need to push Akira to express strong emotions, whether positive or negative, so she can fully manifest these tentacles and end her pain." Juuzou said but suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth and glanced over at Akira who was still asleep. "You hear me?" he whispered this time.

"Y- Yeah."


[Park - 20th Ward]

"Are we really going to join this Anteiku group?" Naki asked while they were walking at the park. After all the help they've done and the information they gave, they easily earned Anteiku's trust. But they haven't officially joined the gang just yet.

Tsukiyama had been teasing them to join and said he would if he could but he had to go back to the 11th Ward with his family for the meantime.

"We have nowhere else to go, don't we?"

"True but, if you see them it's nothing but memories of your friend."

"I'd actually like that." Mayu says. "Mori-kun and Mi-chan left memories with people, so I want to meet them and be close with them as well. Don't you want to settle down? I mean, you did promise me we'd see the sky again and that we'd be free. Now it's my turn to offer you a part of life so we can both enjoy living it. What do you say?"

Naki chuckled and pats her in the head. "I'd say you improved your persuasion skills since then."


Review Response:

Scattershot98: Yes a special chapter haha. Yep, that cat is memories. Although I just made that up to put significance with the cat xD in the manga she seems to really care about that cat. Hehe finally they developed xD and yep Kurona is back! Potential girlfriends lol. A harem would be okay buuut I don't think I can write it in this genre xD. Kurona will get a partner soon I guess lol. Marude is best man for these kind of situations Ahahahahaa. Oh yes she's fine. And since everyone already adjusted to living a civilized life, it's her and Ayato's turn to learn it too. The sad cycle... let's hope Hide and Touka succeeds! And yep Koharu shows up! She has returned! Yomo is tempted to come back of course but since the majority would claim Irimi's dead, there was no point to keep Koharu waiting right? lol. Yep Rize too innocent for that. Haha I am glad. Thank you again, here is the next chapter my friend!

The True E.N.D: I guess I'll see what I can do with that. Kaneki is going to be paired with Rize but I will still do small scenes with Nutcracker since the fic somehow turned ecchi/harem lol.

Guest1: Yep Koharu has returned! And the real one too. Buuut what I can hint is that, Koharu was gone for years and Yomo even changed since then. So of course, chances of Koharu also changing is there right? Or did she remain the saint that Yomo remembers? Ahahaha, I swear I am sorry how Rize is written. Since she didn't get much screentime, I have a Rize in my head that I wrote instead. Hehe :D. Marude lol rip. The bike is there thank goodness xD. Ahahaha, I am not sure about that. What I can assure you is that Kurona will get a partner of her own :D. And yep yep. For Akira supposedly Haise(who is Kaneki right?) buuut since Rize showed up the idea got removed. Shuu/Rize and Haise/Akira was the original one buuut things did not work out xD soooo this is the result instead lol.