Disclaimer: Slam Dunk is not mine. Go ahead and sue. You won't get anything from me anyway.

Summary: someone (or something?) is killing the SD gang one by one...guess who doesn't get killed -- and read his thoughts as he tries to find out who is doing the killing...(and why)

Genre: Mystery/Supernatural

author's notes: i reposted this chapter. this was supposed to be a one-shot fic but i liked the idea so much that i changed the plot to accommodate a few more chapters. when you get to the end, you'll realize how silly and stupid the plot really is. Not joking. the killer's crazy. but nice. ^o^ By the way, I'm going to remind you, people are going to get KILLED so if you don't want to read about it, then don't! (or better yet, you could give me a review to discourage me from making these kinds of fics...tell me i suck at making them and i won't mind, i swear!)

Killer, Killer

Chapter 1: Sakuragi Hanamichi

[6:30 pm Monday]

Sakuragi Hanamichi was whistling a happy tune while walking home after practice. Before he could cross the intersection, he heard someone's sobs...and that "someone" sounded awfully like Haruko.

He looked around and after a while, spotted "her" sitting on a bench almost hidden behind a gnarled tree. He sat down beside her and whispered, "Haruko-san, what's the matter? why are you crying? is it because of that rukawa?"

She kept on crying, almost oblivious to Sakuragi's presence. She didn't just sob; she wailed loud mournful ones (loud enough to wake the dead, Sakuragi thought) however, everybody else near the intersection was going about, as if they didn't hear the sobs.

"H-Haruko-san...please tell me what's the matter..."

She stopped sniffling but she still covered her face with her hands. She whispered something unintelligible; to Sakuragi's ears, it seems as though she said, "rukawa kaede." (or maybe it was just sakuragi's overactive imagination)

"Why that Kitsune!" Sakuragi said, his hands closing into fists. "Just what did he do to you?"

She started to cry again.

"Haruko-san," Sakuragi said, patting her back.

At the first pat, she stopped crying and stiffened. Sakuragi, surprised, moved his hand away.

"Haruko?"

She uncovered her face and slowly looked at him.

Sakuragi was frozen, shocked to see a gnarled and distorted face staring at him.

He started to scream but...

He slumped back on the bench, lifeless. She stood up; the old tree disappeared and she walked towards who-knows-where.

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[Tuesday 7:30 am emergency meeting at the shohoku gym]

Kogure froze. "Nani?"

He looked around and saw the faces of his teammates. All were shocked; it was apparent.

Akagi shook his head sadly. "He was found yesterday at about 7 pm. Evidently he was walking home from practice. No one saw what happened. They said it happened at about a 6:40."

"Do they know who killed him yet?" Mitsui asked, his hands trembling.

Akagi shook his head again.

"How is that possible? It was 6:40! There are hundreds of people walking out there!" Mitsui waved his hands angrily.

"Her okaasan said the burial would be on Saturday. We had all better go," Akagi announced, patting Haruko (who was crying) on the back consolingly.

Kogure's eyebrows furrowed while he was in thought.

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