He looked back at the man standing behind him in a Jounin jacket, and sighed. "What?"
"No underage kid's allowed. Out," The tall man said, gesturing over his shoulder to the door. Sasuke just glared.
"I'm here to see Iwamoto," he said simply. The man nodded and gestured for Sasuke to follow him, going through a number of doors, halls, gambling rooms, etc., etc. Finally the reached a heavy looking door.
"Wait here," The man said simply, walking in. A moment later, he came out and murmured, "Go."
Sasuke slipped inside the room, looking around. This was a fancy room, with gold all over the walls, with plaques etc. Sasuke looked at the man sitting at the desk... or rather, the tuft of hair he could see from over the laptop he was typing at.
"Uchiha Sasuke, right?" He said suddenly. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. The man continued.
"Here investigating a murder? Murder of... Mitsuko Nori et team? Sorry, I don't know any Mitsuko except the ones who work at my club, and I have a feeling they aren't related. This Nori isn't even a one-time player, according to my database," The man said, flipping the top of the laptop.
The man couldn't be old. Maybe 25, 30, with brown spiky hair and a black headband with 'WIN! WIN!' scrawled in white on it. Black jacket, too, a bit ragged. This guy was a rogue. Why a guy like this was in a room covered in gold, Sasuke didn't know.
"So, then, Sa-su-ke, what the hell is the about?"
The man's blatant lack of manners annoyed Sasuke. Was this man trying to be offensive? "Uta Keru, a man who owes you a lot of money, had a son. His son, Urake, was killed this morning."
The man raised an eyebrow. "You mean, you think I killed the squirt? Gimme a break, I run a business, I wouldn't do anything shady like that. Plus, I like the ones that owe," he smiled nastily, "Because they end up spending everything they owe on the machines before they make it to my office, and we still have a reason to keep them under our thumb."
Sasuke seethed inside. This guy was disgusting, exploiting people for his own profit. He must have showed something in his face - the man
"Hey, it's not like every other damn casino doesn't do it! It's not my fault they're so stupid!" He said, leaning over the desk. Then he chuckled, staring into the depths of Sasuke's eyes.
"Kid? You better stay away from those machines, because you? You'll get addicted for sure. It's in your eyes, I've seen it a billion times or more," He said, smiling in a way that shook Sasuke's foundations, a smile that had been seen on missing-nin's and general villains everywhere. The famous sadistic smile. Then he pulled back.
"And kid? I have hemophobia, so I doubt I killed anyone. I have no reason, no 'motive', to kill the kid either. Now shoo, kid, I have a business to run. Maybe you could visit, when your old enough. Just another sucker, kid, another sucker."
Sasuke stood, and left. The man laughed as he closed the door.
"I'll be seeing you, kid! Except next time, it'll be your money in my pocket!"
Sasuke just swore inwardly as he burst out the door into the street. How had he let that guy affect him so much? He only had an hour to get to the Lonely Fox, now...
Fade to Black
Chapter Three: Uta, Keru et Hikari
Alden-san
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, etc. All of the characters not belonging to Masashi Kishimoto etc., likely belong to me.
"Nobody's gone to see two of the victim's families - Uta and Ukiko. Sasuke, you should see the Uta family, seeing as you already checked out their other lead. You're in charge of that strand. Naruto, you'll go with him-"
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whined, rolling his eyes. "I don't wanna go with him! What about Sakura-chan!"
"Sakura will come with me, Naruto, to see Ukiko Aoi. We'll split up, alright? Then, we can go see Suiren-san in the evening. Aoi and Keru need to know about what happened to their children yesterday morning. We sent them a small note with a messenger that we'd come and explain more today. Now, Naruto, Sasuke..." Kakashi made a shoo-ing gesture with his hand.
"Come one, Naruto..." Sasuke grumbled, dragging Naruto out the door as Kakashi and Sakura discussed their targets. "Do you know anyhthing about the Uta clan?"
"Ummm... The redhead's family?"
"Eugh, dobe... Yes, the 'redhead's family. Uta Keru, 38 year old rice merchant with a gambling addiction and his teenage daughter Hikari. Hikari's applying for the singing scholarship at her workplace, the Lonely Fox. I'm guyessing she's aiming for the trial run at the Lost Princess hotel. Even a trial run's pay there could pay off her father's debt."
"Really? Wasn't it really big?" Naruto asked, looking confused.
"Yeah, dobe, it was big. Probably more than your apartment cost," Sasuke said, walking ahead.
"Sasuke, you insulting my apartment, just because I don't have a huge lump of money? Excuuuse me for never having money!" Naruto yelled at Sasuke. "I'm sick of you being high and mighty, Sasuke!"
Sasuke moved slightly to the side as Naruto sprang past him, sighing. "Naruto, we don't have time for this...I didn't mean to insult your apartment, alright? Let's go!"
As Sasuke stormed off, Naruto stood still. Sasuke turned around and glared at him.
"Naruto?" He asked, annoyed.
"Sasuke... You just... That was... You apologised to me? That's... weird..." Naruto screwed up his face. Then he smiled, and bounded ahead. "Thanks, Sasuke, but I'll still beat you!"
Sasuke's trademark smirk appeared. "Yeah right, dobe!"
And he chased after his partner.
-------
"No fair, Sasuke!" Naruto crossed his arms and glared. "If I hadn't tripped..."
"Then I still would have won, Naruto. Now, let's get this over with..." Sasuke walked up the the red door with the paint peeling. Actually, the whole house's paint was peeling - It looked as if if hadn't seen a good paint job in years, decades even.
Sasuke brought his hand up, and knocked soundly, the wood almost giving out to the pressure. He raised an eyebrow, and looked over at Naruto.
"Get off the railing..." Sasuke said, his tone like that of a mother to her hyperactive child, and turned back to the door.
"Awwww..." Naruto whined, in a tone like that of a hyperactive child told off by his mother, and got off the railing. Luckily, it had survived his weight.
The door was yanked open by a teenage girl with long red hair. "Mhm?"
"Uta... Hikari?" Sasuke asked, looking at his sheet.
"Yeah? What?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at something and wincing.
"We came to talk to you and your father... about your brother..." Sasuke said quietly, almost whispering. She froze, closed her eyes, took a breath, and looked at him. She had the most startling grey eyes.
"Alright... I'm really sorry about the mess, but the last while, it's been a nightmare. Even before what happened to Ura... Come in, come in,"She said, leading thm inside to a couch. The carpet, the walls, were speckled wth dirt and there was dust all over. Both boys coughed a little at the dust. The smell of alchohol was in the air, twinging on the scent of dust and, strangley enough, oranges.
"Dad's been on this diet of orange cream and three sandwiches a day, since yesterday... It's really weird. He drinks a little at night, a glass or so - Not enough to get drunk, just enough to ward off the pain, he says. My father has a... a problem with debt, and he gets more worried every day about it... Sit down, please."
The two sat down on the couch opposite her own, both a faded blue and slightly ripped up. The small table in the centre was only kept together by a good amount of duct tape. The light above swung dangerously.
"Your father's in debt... but you hoped to pay it off with money from the Lost Princess Hotel, the job offered to the best singer in the end of the Lonely Fox's singer training program?" Sasuke asked, leaning forwards.
She nodded. "Even the trial show would pay off dad's debt. A month, with one show a week, and we could spruce up this place - New couch, new furniture, new wallpaper. This is our chance! We... we could have sent Ura to his training camp! Dad could get some new clothes, maybe even start dating! Even I could have used a bit of the money! Now, though... Too much is riding on this show, now that Ura's pay isn't there to settle dad's debt. I need this job, we need this job..."
"Wow..." Naruto looked around the room, speechless. He'd never expected a family of three to share a space almost as small as his own tiny apartment.
"Since mom died... I mean, I was only nine, but it seems like forever since I've seen her... When she died in that accident, that's when his gambling started getting out of hand. Our house was so nice, then. Since then, between the rice drop-off and dad's debt, everrything's gone to hell. And now, Ura..." Her eyes clouded up. "My little brother... He was only fourteen...Just hit puberty, and starting out his first 'C' mission with his team that day... I still can't believe that this happened to him. He wasn't the best person, beat up a few kids when he was a brat. And now, It's just so hard... to really believe he's gone. Do you know what I mean?"
"Mhm... Sasuke said, nodding. "It must be hard to lose a- A brother you love."
She nodded. "And if there's anything I can do, to help I mean, I will..."
"I think... we should talk about your father, Hikari-san..." Sasuke said cautiously.
"Oh, dad?" She asked, surprised.
"Mhm," Naruto nodded. "This might've happened... Well..." He looked annoyed at himself for having to ask.
"You think... You think- my dad's debt- What? You think they killed her because dad didn't pay them?" The girl looked incredulous. "I doubt it. After two years, and they haven't even sent a letter about it to us? No... This had to be something else. My brother never told me anything, no worries, nothing about anyone watching them. I can't think he knew about this... That's why it came as such a shock to hear!"
"I see... And were there any other reasons anyone would kill your brother?" Sasuke asked bluntly cracking his neck to the side.
"No!" Hikari yelled. "We don't matter, to anyone! We're just your average crap family, with a gambling father, a deadbeat daughter and her drunk of a twin! We're just worthless pieces of junk, stuck in a tiny little house, that nobody cares about! And when you find whoever this thing was aimed at, my brother's name will be in small print, with about three words: Teammate, Uta Urake! Then. people will be sad for about five second, then throw the paper in the garbage! Then, when they see my dad's debt, they'll add a few words! 'Son of gambler Uta Keru' might work, or 'hopeless sibling of a drunk junkie and a struggling singer', possibly. Then people will sniff their noses at us, and ignore the name 'Uta' for months, offended by our family's 'lack of care' for my brother!"
Naruto's eyes were widened at this outburst, and he stopped leaning back on the couch. "You... I'm so sorry..."
"No, no, it's my fault... I have a lot of pent up anger and grief... You find the bastard who did ths, alright?" She stood. "Thank you for coming here... Sorry for the quick goodbye but I have work in an hour and I have to be ready... It's our family's paycheck, you know..."
"Alright, alright..." SAsuke said, standing. "Naruto, come on..."
Naruto followed Sasuke outside, shaking his head. At the last moment, he waved goodbye at Hikari. She smiled a little, and waved back.
-------
"Poor Hikari-san..." Naruo said, his face locked in a thoughtful frown as he followed Sasuke's rough steps.
"She's got it hard, but so do most people in Konoha. Get over it, dobe," Sasuke said balnkly, quickening his pace. Naruto was soon left behind
"Sasuke! Don't be such a bastard all the time! Even you have to care about that sort of thing!" Naruto yelled, running after Sasuke and tackling. The two rolled around the ground for a few moments, Naruto grabbing and tickling and hitting, Sasuke pushing his friend away.
Soon enough, Naruto was thrown into the wall, and sporting a large bump on his head. He frowned. "You'll laugh someday, Sasuke-bastard..."
"Yeah right, dobe... Let's get back to Kakashi's, see what they learned..."
Naruto smacked Sasuke over the head and ran off. Sasuke grinned, and took off. The chase was on...
"No fair, Sasuke! You tripped me!"
--- End Chapter Three ---