Naruto looked at the woman in front of him, standing in the house's doorway, and nodded slowly.. Her dress of mourning was a long, simple affair, touching her ankles. The contrast of her black dress and her long black hair to her pale face made her seem more like a ghost than a woman. Her face had traces of recent tears. At his nod, however, she smiled slightly and opened the door, gesturing for him to come in.
This should be Riku, Sakujna's mother. The Kameno clan was famous for it's hunter-nin's, but she had married into the family. Her husband, Kaoru, was the ninja. Her parents were wealthy Kuroko jewelers, who had sent her up to Konohagakure for a summer 'so she would get some fresh air'. That was where she'd met Kaoru, and they fallen in love. The parents had not only accepted but encouraged the two, through their marriage at nineteen and when their first daughter was born at twenty.
"Kaoru-san! One of the ones investigating Sakujna's death has come!" she called, then looked back towards him. "I'm so glad you came..."
"Naruto..." Naruto said quietly, nodding.
"Ahhh, hai, I know you! You are that boy..." Naruto braced himself for a harsh word. "The one everyone treats so unfairly. It's really sad how society has degenerated, ne, to be so fixated on a poor young boy?"
She smiled then, and Naruto smiled back. Not full, happy smiles like they might have once done, but more as appreciation of eachother. Naruto nodded, and she brought him inside.
"Poor Kaoru-san has mostly locked himself in his training room. I'd hate to be that poor piece of wood he calls a training post. It's a wonder if he hasn't shattered it by now. Poor Okami's going to be shattered, once she finds out... She went on a singing scholarship to a special two-week course in Sky Country, up in the east mountains. She may have gotten the letter by now, but she won't be home for a few more days, minimum... I'm so sorry..." She shook her head, leading him into their living room.
"Ehhh, it's okay... I'm so sorry for your loss, Kameno-san, and I'll try my best..." Naruto bowed his head, and sat down. "I still need to ask you a few questions... Would that be okay?"
She nodded, and said, "We should wait for Kaoru-san and Kimiko..."
"Ki-miko?" Naruto asked, confused.
"Our maid," she said, nodding. "You know, sometimes I'm worried that Kimiko and Kaoru-san-"
"Hello, sir. Can I get you anything?" A woman with long brown hair streaked with blond, stood in the doorway. She couldn't be younger than twenty, but definately not older than thirty. She wore rather loose pants and shirt, making her seem like a young girl wearing her mother's clothes. Her bright colours and fresh face made a strange contrast to Riku's pale complexion and mourning.
"Kimiko, this boy is investigating Sakujna's death. I believe he'll want to ask us all some questions. Could you get Kaoru-san?" Hikari looked over to the girl, her kind voice taking a clipped, impatient tone. "And please don't chew gum near the carpet, thank you. Do I smell coffee? Might I have a cup? Thank you, Kimiko."
With that, the girl disappeared down the hall. Riku turned back to Naruto.
"Now, shall we get down to business, Naruto-kun?"
-
Fade to Black
Chapter Two: The Lonely Fox
Alden-san
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, etc. All of the characters not belonging to Masashi Kishimoto etc., likely belong to me.
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"So, Kameno-san was asleep during the murders. Kaoru-san told her he was out on a mission, but the Hokage's office says he wasn't really. Kimiko, the maid, had also gone to visit sick relatives, apparently, but none were sick. The rest of the family were at home, either asleep or working..." Naruto said, nodding. "Kameno-san also told me that Kimiko had a fight with Sakujna a week ago about makeup..."
"Eugh, that's not a motive to kill a whole genin team..." Sakura waved her hand at Naruto's offerings. "What confuses me is that the father was out while his daughter was being killed... Could he have killed her?"
"I dunno, Sakura-chan... I could never think a dad would kill his daughter... I mean..." Naruto looked lost. "He looked so sad..."
"Trust me, Naruto... Murderers come in all shapes and sizes. He seems to be a good lead, if only he had any sort of motive... I think the lead's in Mitsuko-san, personally. I know something's there... If I can just look at it the right way... It's like I've got mostly the right pieces of a puzzle, except the ones that connect them all..."
"Hmmm... This is so stupid! Why did someone kill them! It's so..." Naruto searched for a word.
"Irritating? I know... I read mystery novels by the ton when I was a kid, so this should be a piece of cake compared to those, right?" Sakura smiled wanly. "I just...I wonder if Sasuke-kun has any leads... Anywas... Was there anything else?"
Naruto grinned. "Mhm! Her sister works at the same place... ummm... I'm not sure who it is, but another suspect does..." His face fell.
"The Lonely Fox, where Suiren-san works?" Sakura perked up. "What sister? What about her?" She snatched up the folder wuith the Kameno family files.
"She's away in the mountains for a singing scholarship..." Naruto lead off when he noticed Sakura wasn't listening. "Sakura-chan? What?"
"I just find it a weird coincedence that this place employs one of our suspects and one with a family connection to a victim... Wait! That Urake kid..." She pulled up another folder, opening it to the page of another older girl. "Uta Hikari, Urake's sister, works at the Lonely Fox! Wait a second... And Ikari's mother, too! One sec... Okami, that's Sakujna's sister, and Hikari, Ukari's sister, are both waitresses at the Lonely Fox. Both are trying to get a steady job singing, which is what Suiren-san does there. Ukiko Aoi, Ikari's mother, is a steady waitress there also. I wonder what the connection is..."
"That's... really weird, Sakura-chan..." Naruto looked at her oddly.
"All three of them got their jobs in the same few months! Hikari, last Febuary, Okami, last March and Aoi, last June. Suiren-san got her job there the year before her son was born, 11 years ago, when she was sixteen... Hmmm, this isn't a coincidence, there has to be a connection, whether to the murder or just to the team."
"Hmmm..." Naruto bit his lip.
"I think we'll have to visit it. It's a major spot of activity... One sec..." Sakura leaned over to the phone, and dialed something in.
"Kakashi-sensei? You noticed the many appearences of the Lonely Fox in the suspect sheets? I think it's be a good idea- Oh, you've been there? The Jounin hold thier parties there? Wow... Anyways, we should check it out, right, Kakashi-sensei? Tomorrow? Okay..." Sakura put the phone down.
"We're going to go there tonight, okay, Naruto? Kakashi-sensei said he and Sasuke-kun will meet us there..."
---
"Kakashi-sensei! I thought this was a small place, maybe a grungy little side-bar... Not a great big place like this!"
The Lonely Fox was huge, at least for a club in Konohagakure. It was in the heart of the Konoha's downtown-ish area, the one mostly populated with non-ninja. The bright neon signs and the people streaming into the double doors that led into the building. The building was painted black, with a mural of a fox attacking a wolf over the sign, clearly winning. Strains of a pretty voice came over the noise to tickle Sakura's ears.
"No, Sakura, this place is a pretty popular place. It's been around forever... Your own parents probably went to it when they were young..." Kakashi ruffled Sakura's hair.
"Yahoo! Kakashi-sensei, do we actually get to go inside?" Naruto grinned, looking up into his sense's face, clearly excited.
"Hn..." Sasuke said, looking at the place with disgust. "A building filled with drunks and half naked women, I bet. If they have any clothes at all."
"No, no Sasuke, heheh. Just because I come here regularily doesn't mean..." Kakashi gave a nervous laugh. "It's completely kid-safe! We better get in the line..." Kakashi nudged them forwards.
"Anou-sa, Anou-sa Kakashi-sensei! Do they have ramen here?" Naruto asked, jumping up and down.
Kakashi frowned... At least, Sakura thought so. She couldn't really tell. "I don't really know, Naruto... Oh! Suzume-chan!" Kakashi waved at a woman his age, and caught the bottle she thrown (rather forcefully) towards his head as she stormed off.
"Was it something I said?" Kakashi murmured confusedly, before pulling his young charges inside.
All three were surprised. The room was big, or maybe the flashing lights just made it seem bigger. Except for these lights, oddly couloured party lights shining in dirrent directions, the room was dark. There were a number of tables with people, in either groupd or couples. A few sat alone, even. Incense burning in steel braziers eliminated the smell of the smoke drifting around, either for effect or because of cigarettes from the odd smoker. A bar was to the side, with a door in the back, which Sakura assumed led to the kitchen.
The biggest attraction, though, was the stage. A large piece of floor was set aside for dancers (it was full) and there was the live music Kakashi had mentioned in passing - A black haired woman in a floor-reaching, glittering red dress, murmuring a soft, slow song to the crowd. Sakura smiled, and she hugged onto Sasuke.
"Sasuke-kun, let's dance!" She said, pulling him closer.
Kakashi shook his head and waved a finger at her. "Tsk tsk, Sakura. forgetting the mission so quickly?"
Sakura's cheeks turned red instantly... but she didn't let go of Sasuke, evenas Kakashi led them to a door on the back wall. Two big men were guarding it.
"We're here to see Itachi-san and Reiko-san, if you please." Kakashi nodded respectfully.
"Back again, Hatake?" One of them punched Kakashi lightly on the shoulder. "Couldn't keep yourself away for long, ne?"
The other rolled his eyes. "Geez, Ochi! He's brought his team, you idiot! It's gotta be business this time..."
Ochi froze, smiling nervously. "Ahhh, I see. I'll go get Reiko-san and Itachi-san, right away!"
The other man opened the door, saying, "You know where to go, Hatake. And don't do any ninja stuff, it creeps Itachi-san out. And Reiko-san barely kept her for charging you for that vase..."
Kakashi nodded, pulling the three (Sakura looking disgusted, Sasuke rolling his eyes and Naruto looking confused) into the corridor. Going a bit of a ways, he knocked on the first door.
"So, Kakashi-sensei... what happened to the vase?" Sakura inquired, grinning.
"I melted it with a fire jutsu when showing Reiko-san something. And about the comments earlier, it wasn't what it sounded like," Kakashi smiled and sighed. "Stupid Ochi... I have a friendship with the women who own this club... You'll be able to tell why his joke's stupid in a few minutes..."
Sakura smiled and nodded. Sasuke shrugged. Naruto blinked, confused.
"But wha-" He was interrupted when a woman opened the door. She had a rough, weathered face. She'd seen things over the years that any resident of Konohagakure who's lived through the war had. Kakashi had told his team that neither owner had been ninja, but it was hard to believe this woman had never fought a ninja at least. Something was vaguely familiar about her, but none of them could really place it. Her chestnut hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and glasses (sunglasses, Sakura assumed. The woman definately had 20/20 vision) with green frames, resting on her head and facing upwards. A white shirt with frilled laces and a tye-dye skirt showed she had an odd sense of style. It actually looked good on her.
"Hey, gaki. How you doin'?" She smiled when she saw Kakashi. She looked at him odd. "Didn't I just see you yesterday? And who're the kids?"
"Morning, Reiko-san. Guys, this is Umino Reiko, the head of this club..." Kakashi started to explain to his students.
"Umino Reiko? Are you related to Iruka-sensei?" Sakura asked, nodding to Kakashi to apologise for interrupting him. The woman grinned.
"Oh, these are Ruka-gaki's kids... Look a bit old for the academy, but...Oh wait, these're your squad? Anyways, I'm his aunt. Glad to meet you, miss. And you two gentlemen... Hoy, Ita, we got company!" the woman offered Sakura her hand as she yelled over her shoulder inside the room. Sakura shook it, smiling, and the woman nodded.
"Come on in, make yourselves at home..." She said, moving inside and gesturing vaguely at the couch. Sasuke sat down, Sakura grinned and sat beside him... And Naruto sat beside her. Kakashi just stood against the wall.
'Damn it!' Her inner voice raged, but she just smacked it away and smiled. 'Oh well, I'm beside Sasuke-kun at least...'
"So..." Reiko leant against the wall opposite Kakashi, grinning. "What're you kids here for? Run outta crayons or somethin'?"
"Actually, Umino-san... Our latest mission is a murder investigation case-" Sakura leaned forwards, smiling hopefully as she was cut off.
"You got kids doin' a Jounin's job? Hatake, have you lost your damn mind? They're kids! This isn't a go beat'em up and walk off C mission? You now murderers always go after the investigators first! I'm not even a ninja and I know THAT!"
Kakashi sighed. "They can handle it. I have great faith in my team's ability to protect themselves-"
"Sure Uchiha-" Here Sasuke flinched, "-and the- the other one can, but the girl? Dealin' with your kind has taught me somethin' about how to tell the beaters from the thinkers, Kakashi! Do you even have anythin' to protect 'em if it gets outta hand?" Reiko glared at him and gave of a humourless chuckle. Her voice deepened in anger. "No wonder it took you so long to get a teachin' position, ne, Kakashi?"
"Reiko..." Kakashi's voice deepened. Sakura bristled... That was his dangerous tone. "I-"
"Kakashi-san! We didn't expect you until tomorrow... Is something wrong? Oh, hello children, I expect you are the genin squad we've heard so much about, ne? Kakashi-san is always talking about how proud he is of you! I'm very glad to meet you!"
A woman had come into the room from an adjoining hallway, speaking hurriedly. She seemed a few years older than Reiko, but that may just have been because of the clothing diffference. from her black skirt that reached her ankles to the blouse and crisp black vest, she was definately well-dressed. She had short-cropped blond hair and a very sculpted face. She wore glasses with thin metal frames on her nose, looking kindly though them at the group. She smiled.
"I love company... It's such a bore, living up here during the week. How I long for the weekend..." She said, crossing the room to close the door they'd left open. She turned around. "I'm Itachi, but you can call me Botan, my nickname. Now, what would you like of us? I'm sure it's very important, we shouldn't waste any time then, ne?"
"Mhm," Sakura nodded. "It's about a few of your employee's..."
"Yes?" Itachi asked, looking puzzled.
"We're working on a murder case, and there were four murdered. All four of them have a connection to this club, through someone close to them," Sakura said, pulling out profiles of the four.
"Who-" Reiko's breath caught in her throat. "Who was murdered?"
"Mitsuko Nori-san and his genin team," Sakura said, looking away. Tears trickled from both Itachi and Reiko's eyes.
Itachi turned away, grasping at a table for a handkerchief. "Nori-kun..."
Reiko bit her lip, took a deep breath, and asked, "Who... who are the employee's?"
"Kumono Suiren, Nori-san's girlfriend. Ukiko Aoi, Ukiko Ikari's mother. Kameno Okami, Kameno Sakujna's older sister. And Uta Hikari, Uta Urake's older sister," Sakura spread the papers on the table for the women.
"I don't recognise-" Itachi, turning back to look, was interrupted by Reiko's gasp.
"Yes, Umino-san?"
"I... I know those names! Suiren said that she'd met Nori-kun's team and gave them the business cards, because two had older sisters looking for a job, and one liked the picture on it. Then, those two joined within a few months, and the mother during the summer sometime... And the two teenage girls are both applying to become singers at the club. We get a wide range of talent agents from other villages, and the girls just dream of getting a chance here..." Reiko said, staring intently at the sheets.
"Yes, they are quite desperate to work here. It's really unfortunate that they don't know we're even hiring..." Itachi said, walking towards the group and looking around the room. "We really are in need of waitresses. Problem is, in a ninja capital, there are few who grow up not destined to be a ninja. Why stay here, most ask, and risk the danger of invasion if not to be a ninja in the only place you can in the country?" The woman smiled wryly. "I can never really answer that question, either. Why do people risk it here? Because businesses flourish, because the government requires certain shops to keep the village, its own base of power, running? I really don't know..."
"Anyways, back on task, yes, all four of these women work here. Suiren is our most popular singer, other than special guests, Hikari and Okami are two of the most promising possible singers, and Aoi is a dedicated waitress. All of these workers are our friends. As for any connection, other than Nori's team and workplace, I can't think of anything. Anything else?" Reiko asked.
"Mhm, Reiko. Can you verify that Suiren was between 1 and 1:30, and the validity of this workslip?" Kakashi pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her.
"Mhm..." Reiko grabbed the slip, checked it over, and handed it back. "Yeah, that's all okay. Don't worry about it."
Kakashi took the slip, thanked her, and motioned to the team. As he reached the door, though, Itachi cried out, "Wait! Kakashi-san!"
Kakashi turned, looking interested. "Hm?"
"She didn't leave at 1:30! I remember she slipped out around midnight!" She rushed over to him, pointing out the slip.
Kumono Suiren Sign-in: 8:00am Sign-out: 1 :30am
"The two rubbed off?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't I notice that..."
"I don't know, Kakashi-san... Is it important?" She looked hopeful.
Kakashi sighed, and smiled painfully. "Itachi-san, you just reopened Kumono Suiren as a possible suspect. Thank you... If it was her, you may have just helped us a great deal..."
"Oh no... I hope it wasn't her..." Reiko bit her lip. "I mean, the poor girl's like a daughter to me..."
Kakashi shook his head. "I do hope it wasn't her either... Though, this is very suspicious. It's not just the slip, she told us it was 1:30 when she left... Though, if it's true she lied, why would she mention two people who knew the truth? I think it's safe to say that she's innocent... But, I'll need her resume."
"Resume?" Itachi asked, walking over to a dresser. "Why?"
"A resume has information an official file might consider irrelevant and not have. Thank you, Botan-chan," Kakashi smiled at the nickname as he took the paper. Glancing down at it, he froze.
"Kakashi-sensei?"
"Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto... Suiren is an ex-ninja..."
"What?"
----
"So, Suiren-san was a genin until she quit when she was 16, when she started to work at the Lonely Fox. She never even attempted the Chuunin Exam. She entered it with her teammates, every time they graduated and she quit midways in. She soon became the oldest genin in each exam.. Why did she even become one, then?" Sakura looked at her sensei. "Kakashi-sensei?"
"Hmmm... Her parents died when she was 14, and she quit a year later... Hmmm... The Lonely Fox had an opening for a singer, and she knew it was a change for her to shine, I guess. Even though it took her a year to actually become a singer, she knew she'd have to start somewhere..."
"How is she relying on Nori to support her and her son, then? Isn't the position well-paid? I mean, if she's their best, and she's been there for so long..." Sakura looked puzzled.
"Mhm... That looks strange... Where is her paycheck going?" Kakashi mused.
"But, I don't see how this is so important... If she was out at 12:30, she could have been there, but I still don't think she could have killed those kids and the sensei. It doesn't make sense..." Sakura interjected.
"Especially since I've interviewed a few of Nori's friends and family - The two, when seen, seemed in perfect harmony. The two were a perfect match, and Yoshi, Suiiren's son, seemed the perfect thing to hold them together. Even though he wasn't the boy's father, he loved the little guy, apparently..."
"If, she was really after money..." Sasuke said, unexpectedly. "I'd seen many of my cousins married to other families with money, and girls nearly threw themselves at my brother and cousins. A woman was once stalking my father..."
"Wait a second... Suiren-san was having trouble with Social Services, trying to take her child..." Kakashi mused, looking over the papers. "Could the money be a bribe, to keep them away? Did Nori have a problem with this?"
"Hmmm... Kakashi-sensei! We should meet Suiren-san! It isn't fair that we should talk about her without knowing her!" Naruto yelled. Sakura bopped him.
"Not so loud! My neighbours will call us to shut us up , then ask all these nosy questions! Wait, Sasuke-kun! You didn't tell us about your interview with the gambler man!" Sakura said, rushing over. Sasuke frowned and turned his head away, looking annoyed and embarrassed.
"I didn't find out anything."
--- End Chapter Two ---