Disclaimer: The truth is I don't really own the characters...Just messing with you! Haha. Them allll mine. Just check my bed. ;)
Warning: It says it in the summary and I'll tell you again here. Yaoiiiiiii. BoyXBoy. It's sexy no doubt, but if ya don't like it then please leave.
Plushie StickyNote: Alrighty my beautiful fans...However many or whoever you may be. I'd like you to pay close attention to what goes on here. It's important. You'll see when the trail starts. Any questions, please message me. Oh! By the way, before I forget. In this chapter you met Sarge. She's an OC character that I based off a friend so yeah...Just letting you know. Gah...Is there anything else I'm missing? Uhh...Oh! Sorry this took so long. x.x Lol. That's all!
Happy Holiday's everyone. Enjoy!
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Time Table
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---FlashBack---
In an office all on its' own, separate from the rest of the departments, a shrill ringing could be heard. "New York Police Department. How may I help you?" the operator asked quickly as she answered the phone, her fingers posed above her keyboard, ready to take down all the information she needed.
"Yes! My son! He hasn't come home! Please help!" the woman on the other line sounded hysterical.
"Ma'am, I'll have to ask you to calm down. Now can you please tell me why you think your son might be missing?"
There was a deep intake of air, an extended exhale, and then, "I told him to call me earlier this evening and I never got the call. He's been gone way to long. Something happened to him, I know it!" Well. She was at least trying to calm down.
The operator's fingers slid rapidly across the keyboard, gathering and storing the data. Tap tap tap. A missing child report loaded up on a blank window and the information was put in.
"How long has your son been missing for?"
"Almost nine hours now! Please stop asking me these questions and find him!" Oh no.
"Ma'am, please. I need to ask you these things. Now do you remember where your son said he would be?"
"H-he said he was going downtown to do some shopping for a friend and then he never came home!" Tap tap tap. Downtown, okay.
"And how old is your son?"
"Twenty-three."
Hold on a second. "Ma'am- I'm sorry to ask, but are you sure your son isn't out with his friends somewhere? Maybe he just lost track of time and forgot to call and let you know." This was a totally different situation, now. Usually a missing person report could only be filed if someone was missing for more then twenty-four hours. Only a call about a child missing would change that.
"No! Listen here, girlie. I know my son, he's very close to me. We don't exactly live a safe life so I know he would never worry me like this! Now please help me or I'll go look for him myself!" She sounded so sure of herself, like she could already see the trouble her son was in. The desperation in her voice made the operator sigh, pressing the 'enter' key to send the file down to Investigations.
"Alright ma'am. We'll be sending someone down to meet you, just stay where you are."
"Thank you."
'Click' and the line went dead.
At that same moment, another operating station rang with news of the untimely death of one Abumi Zaku.
xxxxxx
Shaking his head, Kakashi walked up to his favorite K-9 and bomb squad agents and poked them both in the cheeks, causing them to growl rather angrily in his direction. "Hellooooooo. Stop sucking face and get to work!"
Oh hell no! Not another case!
Slowly breaking away from their breathing contest, an irate Kiba turned sharp eyes to his captain and scowled. "Can't you see I'm busy here, chief?" He motioned to the flushed woman on his lap and held back the urge to strangle the smiling man. If he didn't get to finish what he was doing, he was going to one very angry puppy. "Why don't you wait twenty minutes for the shift change and give it to Iruka?"
Kakashi just smiled wider and shoved two files in the couple's face. "Because not only is Iruka coming in two hours from now, it's a lot more fun to annoy you both. Now hurry up."
Reluctantly, the pair untangled and straightened themselves before each snatching a file from their superior.
Ugh! Noooooo! They groaned mentally and looked forlornly at their respective cases.
"A missing person's? C'mon chief. You know I'm not good with the grieving family thing. Give it to Kiba!" Sarge whined and tried unsuccessfully to switch files with her boyfriend. He just shook his head and scanned his own, frown deepening.
In response, her eyes watered and her lip quivered in a broken attempt to guilt the K-9 investigator into changing cases with her. "Please hun? I can't deal with all the tears and the insanity. 'My baby. Oh no, where are they? Help me!' If I go, then I'll start crying, too. You don't want that, do you babe?"
"No, I don't, but I'm less inclined to let you go see a dead body so just don't make a big deal about it. Okay, hun?" he sounded exhausted, undoubtedly disappointed in having to do even more over-time. Understanding that her boyfriend wasn't in the most pleasant of moods at the moment, Sarge gave him a quick peck on the cheek and headed off to get their coats. "I'll meet you at the car."
"Okay. Be there in a sec." he replied, and she was gone.
Kakashi, who had watched the whole the scene as a father would watch his children, came up behind the moody investigator and placed a hand on his shoulder in a kindly fashion. "Don't look so down, pooch. A little over time never killed anybody."
Luckily for the police chief he had quick reflexes and was able to flinch away before Kiba turned and bit his head off. "A little overtime?! God dammit, chief! I was a few minutes away from going home and being able to spend some time with her for the first time in almost five months! Why are you doing this?"
Unfazed, Kakashi picked up the case file and waved it mockingly in Kiba's face. "Because, I know how much you care about her and being the generous person that I am, I'm giving you endless amounts of overtime so you can finally afford to get her that 'present' you've been complaining about."
Suddenly, Kiba's demeanor shifted and he grazed the older man with an apologetic look. "I understand. Thanks chief." But even though Kiba was grateful, he still couldn't keep the beaten aura from pulsing around him. He missed his regular hours and the time spent away from his girlfriend was torture. At least in the end it would be all worth it, though.
"Okay. I'm out of here, then. See you later." Kakashi started walking away after handing the folder back to his subordinate.
"Right." Kiba sighed and headed out the door dejectedly, making his was to the parking lot where Sarge was waiting patiently with his coat in hand. Grabbing his coat, he shrugged it on and unlocked his car, motioning for her to get in.
"Let's go."
xxxxxx
A small vibration from the inside of her right pocket gently shook the female investigator from her displeasing thoughts and, with an almost comical flourish, she pulled her cell phone out, flipping it open without even knowing who the caller was.
"Hey babe." Oh good, it was Kiba.
"Hi hun." She smiled, greeting him back
"How's it going?" Aw. Sometimes Kiba was just too sweet. Calling up randomly to see how she was doing had to be one of the most lovable things the dog-lover did. Some would call it clinging, but Sarge just soaked up the attention, falling even more deeply in love with him after each passing moment.
"Could be better. I have to go searching for some twenty-three year old who forgot to give his mommy a call. It's scary to see how worked up the mom is about it." she joked with a small laugh despite the uneasiness in her stomach.
"I'm sorry hun, but at least you're not sniffing around a dead body."
"That's true..." she agreed reluctantly.
But—Unable to complete her thought, Sarge paused and searched her mind a little for her next words. She was deeply worried and confused, but decided that it was better to share her uneasiness then to keep it in.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" she spoke softly, in her mind, hoping that she was very wrong about her suspicions.
"Sure, what is it?"
"I heard somewhere that the FBI's doing an investigation on some kid named Abumi. Supposed to be an informant for Ataksuki's drug cartel, right?" Please say no. I don't want to have to tell his mom that her kid's missing because he's part of a drug ring!
"I heard something about that. Why do you ask?" Kiba was skeptical. What on earth could have brought up such a random question?
Sarge's heart fell. "Well, the missing person's is for a kid named Abumi Zaku. I'm just worried that it could be the same kid. I hate the thought of telling his mom any of the details." she clarified.
Oh.
Kiba gave a small sigh, biting the inside of his cheek in repressed frustration. He should have just let Sarge go home after her shift instead of roping her into doing some over-time for his shift. She didn't deserve to be working so late, especially on a case that would most likely make her cry. If it wasn't for Za-
Wait. Something in the back of Kiba's mind click and in an instant, he was kneeling next to the other officer who was doing the evidence bagging. "Hey, you. What's the stiff's name again?"
Hearing the question, Sarge's ears perked up, her heart pounding in her chest. Why had he asked that?! Please-please don't be what I think it is!
"Kiba? What's going on?" she yelled, caught in a hysterical mind set much like the woman inside the house.
"One sec, Sarge." he replied quickly, instantly doubling her worry. No 'one sec! 'Tell me now! She yelled mentally.
Unable to hear what the mumbled conversation on the other end of the phone was about, Sarge distracted herself by nibbling away at her bottom lip, almost drawing blood as she bit down hard in response to the curse her boyfriend had practically screamed in her ear.
"Kiba! Are you okay?!" She became increasingly worried when Kiba stayed quiet for several moments. What the hell was going on?!
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Kiba spoke again, his tone one of uncomfortable reluctance.
"I found Abumi Zaku."
Wait...What!? No. He couldn't be serious. Right?
"You don't mean—? Baby, this isn't funny, I'm begging you to tell me that—" Her voice shook as she unconsciously brought her hand up to her mouth. She felt like she was going to throw up.
"I'm sorry, hun. He's dead." Waiting for the inevitable horror-filled gasp, Kiba muddled ruefully over the unexpected turn of events. Starting now, there was going to be a lot of problems.
With a heavy heart, Kiba turned back to the conversation at hand and muttered softly into the receiver "Sarge, I need you to tell his mom and get her down to the precinct to identify the body. I'm really sorry." And there was never a more heartbreaking apology ever heard in the world.
Sarge nodded and bit her lip, holding back tears. "Alright. C-could you tell them to send in a car to pick us up?" Her voice broke. This was the part of her job that she hated. Amazing that someone with her sensitivity to human life had chosen a life surrounded by nothing but death.
He assured her that he'd be down in ten minutes to pick her up, and after a pitying farewell, the line went dead.
Kiba could swear that he heard the sound of a heart shattering quietly in the distance.
---End FlashBack---
"Okay, gang! Everyone settle down and let's get down to business." The yell commanded obedience, bringing the chattering around it to a steady halt.
The collection of officers in the room seated themselves at the conference table, silent and with their full attention turned to Raidou Namiashi, chief of investigations for the Abumi murder, who stood at the front with an air of heavy urgency about him. All who where were there were the finest the NYPD could offer. Kiba Inuzuka, K-9 squad. Sarge Lomak, bomb squad. Genma Shiranui, Iruka Umino, Izumo Kamizuki, and Kotetsu Hagane; all part of the criminal investigations unit.
It was a chilling feeling that circulated the room. Everyone knew Naruto, and everyone knew the danger that he was in. What a grim day it was when innocents suffered so in the name of greed. At this point, not one person could find a reason to smile, all their fears for their friend weighing heavily on their hearts as they contemplated the twisted drama they'd been thrown into.
Raidou studied his colleagues solemnly before clearing his throat and looking down at the notepad in front of him. "Alright. As you all know, our victim was Zaku Abumi, age 23, unemployed and still in school at Daemen College. He was murdered last night roughly around eleven; a slice across the throat seems to be the cause of death." Raidou paused briefly, taking a sip of water before skimming his notes again and continuing where he left off. "He's got some relatives in Manhattan. Mother, brother and sister. Dad died a few years back. He's got no priors, but we do have sources that confirm that he was a part-time seller for Akatsuki. Any questions so far?"
Raidou paused again and was unsurprised when Kiba's arm shot up first, his loud voice calling out before he was even given permission to speak. "Yeah. Why are we sitting here going over information that everyone is familiar with?! Let(')s get out of here and find the people who did this!"
Everyone sighed. As expected, Kiba was being irrational. They could not move without a plan, but to ease his friend's worry, Raidou calmly replied, "Kiba, he's only a suspect for right now, witness statement or not. Until we have more evidence, we need to keep up with the investigation on Abumi only and let Iruka take care of Naruto. So please, calm down. You should be happy that we have nothing to do so far considering we're all hoping he doesn't get charged with anything."
Crest-fallen, Kiba shrank back against his chair and looked almost as if he was fighting to keep from pouting at the situation. "I know. I know, but this is all just so—unfair! I wish we could do more for him." He ran a nervous hand through his unruly brown hair and sighed, feeling a comforting hand settle on his shoulder moments later.
"Don't worry, babe. Everything is always okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end. We'll save Naruto and get the bad guys, too." Sarge sent her boyfriend a reassuring smile and leaned closer, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to provide him with extra comfort. He smiled and grasped her hands softly, drawing her nearer and closing his eyes contently.
Everyone else in the room nodded in agreement at the statement, gaining new hope from it and turning back to Raidou, allowing him to finish his report.
Taking his cue, Raidou started his report again. "Alright. Well, I'll split you all up and we're going to try and cover every angle today. By the end of the day I want a list compiled of possible suspects so we can start figuring out what the hell is going on here. Kiba, Sarge!"
Both detective jumped and called out a collective 'yes'. "I need you both to go back down to the crime scene and see if you can find anything new. I want the whole surrounding area covered…"
"And take Akamaru with you this time." he added as an after-thought.
Nodding in understanding, they both stood and saluted the chief, grabbing their respective coats and excusing themselves from the room to carry out their orders.
After they'd left the room, Raidou continued to another group, giving them their assignments. "Izumo and Kotetsu. I need you both to go down to the parent's house and question them until they can't think straight. Understand? I want to know everything they know about the kid and everything that was happening with him for the last six months. Get going."
He then turned and addressed his partner next, ignoring the others who were also leaving to do as instructed. "And Genma, you're with me. We're going down to get the kid's autopsy report and see if we can't dig up some information around town. C'mon." Nodding, Genma lifted himself up with a grunt and, chewing on one end of his toothpick, walked up to Raidou, slinging an arm around the other man's waist and tugging him towards the door. "Let's get going then, handsome. The faster we get work out of the way, the sooner I get you home."
Raidou growled at the comment, almost dropping his papers when Genma tugged him forward again. What that hell! They were at work…Why did Genma always have to act like this at work?! A wink and another tug, and Raidou was knee-deep in his 'bad place'.
Two tugs later found Genma in a pile on the floor, clutching at his head as he whimpered like a wounded puppy.
"Gosh, Raidou! If you didn't want to have sex with me anymore, all you had to do was say so. You don't gotta hit me!" Whine. Whine. Whine. Raidou started to twitch again, fists shaking.
"Yes I did have to hit you! Now is the worst time to be acting like a pervert! So shape up or you can just go home and make up the couch for the next week. Now let's go!" he shouted, yanking the door open and stepping out in a huff.
"Fine, fine. Jeez. I give you a compliment and a wink, and suddenly, I'm some kind of sex fiend. I'm insulted to say the least, babe. You should treat your boyfriend much better." Genma pouted and stepped out next to his lover, an amused Iruka in tow.
"Genma, don't play the saint. If Raidou didn't put out at least three times a day, you'd be in jail for rape right now, buddy. If anything you should treat him better." The sudden comment sprang from around the corner, revealing a cheerful Kakashi. He winked at Raidou, receiving a smile back in greeting.
"Don't lie, Hatake. Someone with my good looks doesn't need to resort to rape to get any, but then—you wouldn't know what I was talking about, huh?" Genma grinned and chewed smugly on the toothpick, watching as Kakashi and Iruka shared a greeting peck on the lips before the police chief's eyes locked back onto his.
"No, I guess not." Kakashi tapped his chin. "Oh. I wanted to ask. How are the ladies on 7th doing?(1)" Chuckling, he slipped an arm around his own boyfriend and grinned wider as Genma's eyes narrowed at him.
"Go screw yourself, Kakashi." And with that, he started down the hall with a very irate Raidou following behind.
"Why would I? I have a willing boyfriend!" was the smug reply.
"I'm just trying to keep you out of jail, too, Kakashi." Iruka spoke up, loudly enough for the other couple to hear, sending Genma into a fit of laugher all the way down the hall and out of the station, causing a very put out Kakashi to let him go.
"For that, Iruka—you're making dinner tonight."
After being doted on constantly for almost a day and a half, Naruto was just about ready to run away for real and become a fugitive. Luckily for him, mostly everyone he knew was away working right now so at least he got a small amount of peace. Cradling a steaming cup of coffee, Naruto sat down in one of the empty chairs in the hallway and finally, for the first time that day… relaxed. He didn't want to think about the murder. He would go insane if he did. Instead, he let his mind wander. He thought about his job, which most likely he would be fired from after the charges were pressed.
Closing his eyes and taking a sip of coffee, Naruto leaned back in his chair, slowly and steadily empting his mind of all the negative things that had plagued him from even when he was a child. It continued for several minutes, the hum of the air conditioner and the broken conversations around the hallway mute to Naruto as the inside of his mind began to turn a light hue of white. Unfortunately, there was one traitorous thought that would not leave. Naruto desperately wanted to calm down, but that face… That beautiful, pale face was burned at the very front of his mind.
Ever since that morning Naruto had been plagued by that unforgettable beauty he'd tripped over earlier. It was as if those endless ebony eyes had carved those flawlessly smooth features into his thoughts, left to peck away at him until he snapped from desperation. It burned inside of him. He needed to see that man again. He'd been stunning.
Now Naruto wasn't the kind of person to dwell on attraction very much. There was much more to people then just their looks, and since he didn't even know the man's name, why dwell? But there was something different in how he felt about the other man. It wasn't just attraction. It was an intense want to learn everything about him. Those eyes spoke of endless secrets and Naruto wanted to discover them all. He clenched his eyes shut tightly for a brief moment.
Ugh. What am I doing? I'll probably never even see him again.
This was getting him nowhere. Sighing, Naruto popped up from his seat and started down the hall again, throwing the rest of his cooled coffee into the nearest trash bin.
For Naruto, nothing was worse then being in a police station. It didn't matter that most of his friends worked here and even that his godfather did, too. If you were brought here, the next step was jail. And that was his biggest fear.
If you were brought here, you were a criminal. Scum, and you were going to prison. All your freedom was taken away. Naruto couldn't handle that. He knew what it was like, and it was the most horrible feeling in the world.
Now…
Now it was worse, though. He hadn't just stolen jewelry or gotten in a gang fight. No. He was looking at a murder rap. A killer. That's what they would call him.
His gut wrenched violently at the thought as he bit back the urge to vomit. What was happening to him? What was going to… to happen to him? He wasn't a murderer. He wasn't! He could defend himself if he needed to, but he didn't have the… -the inhumanness to kill anyone.
I guess—I guess that there isn't anything I can do.
Engrossed in his own thoughts, Naruto absentmindedly threw an apology at the older gentleman he'd just bumped into and turned a corner, his face molded in the perfect shape of pure hopelessness. That was what he was. Hopeless. He'd never done anything with his life. Twenty-five, working as a mechanic for a privately owned car shop and the leader of the most feared gang in New York. He was a punk. He'd never even finished college. Pathetic.
How could he, though? After Iruka had adopted him it had taken a few years to undo the damage his parents' deaths had caused. He still hadn't really gotten over it. Coming home to the sight of both your parents murdered in their bedroom was not something easily forgotten. No, no, no! Stop!
His mind rattled from its stable base as the countless unsettling thoughts rushed back in a flurry of pain, sorrow, and miniscule fragments of happiness. Is this all he could do with his existence? He was trash! Utterly useless.
So caught up in wallowing in his own self-pity, Naruto didn't hear the distant calls of his godfather. It wasn't until the older man was right behind him that Naruto did turn to acknowledge him. It was a pitying welcome, to say the least.
"Hey, Iruka. What's up?"
His godfather's face twisted into a concerned look and Naruto winced. Even he could hear the dead pitch his voice held.
"You've been gone for a while. I was just wondering where you were, is all." The older brunette wrapped a comforting arm around his godson's shoulders and they started down together towards his office.
Several minutes of tense silence passed, Iruka sending a distant Naruto fleeting glances as they walked through the precinct halls. He detested seeing his godson so disheartened. What was worse, Naruto was a few hours from a murder charge.(2) There was no way to console him now.
And there was no denying it, either. Without the proper evidence to clear Naruto, by the end of the day, they were all going to be under a whole lot of drama. He sincerely hoped, though, that somebody found something—anything—to save Naruto.
Iruka himself didn't even know much about the crime. It was mostly due to the fact that Kiba and Sarge were the ones on duty when the call was made, but luckily for Iruka, the shift change was just in time to meet the witness. It was a disheartening experience, to say the least.
---FlashBack!---
It really couldn't be helped. Waking up at the ungodly hour of one in the morning to get to work at two was no one's idea of a perfect working schedule, but as some people knew, it couldn't be helped. At least today he'd been given an extra hour. Sleepy and bleary-eyed, Iruka Umino stepped into his office at the 27th precinct and flicked on the light at his desk, illuminating the room to a healthy glow that was just right so it didn't blind the poor man.
Allowing himself a small yawn, Iruka leaned back in his chair, waiting patiently for his computer to start up, thinking to himself about the upcoming day. I wonder what's going to happen today. Kakashi left pretty early for work today. Probably has something to do with that case the FBI have been looking into for the last few weeks. It was so unnerving having all those FBI agents crawling around their office lately.
There was urgent knocking at his door
Iruka was jolted roughly from his thoughts, almost falling out of his chair by the flurry of knocking. Sounds more like someone is trying to break down my door, he thought bitterly as he stood and went to the door, opening it to reveal a very excited-looking Genma. Groaning mentally, Iruka didn't even spare the effort to ask the insanely unstable man why he was there bugging him. Instead, he went back and started closing the door, hoping the other man would take the hint and just leave. It was just way too early to be dealing with him.
An inch from freedom, Iruka was shoved roughly back against the wall as his door went reverse into him, leaving him completely at the other man's mercy.
"Dammit, Genma! Ever hear of self-restraint? You almost broke my back!" Iruka sent the toothpick-chewing detective an angry glare and stood up, brushing the dust from his pants. Genma, though, was unaffected, so giving Iruka one of his winning smiles, he encircled the irate man in a bone-crushing hug.
"Awwwww. Good morning to you too, 'Ruka! How are you?" he asked innocently.
"I can't… breathe." Gasping for air, the dying detective struggled to free himself from the grasp of his insane colleague. "Please. Put me down, Genma." But the plea only prompted the overly-affectionate man to tighten his hold, cutting off all other demands for escape.
Anyone passing by would have found it odd to see the interesting shade of blue that Iruka was turning from the lack of oxygen.
Genma found it quite entertaining, and just for a few more giggles, he kept a firm hold on the squirming brunette, waiting until the last possible moment before dropping him back to his original position on the floor.
"Owwww." Iruka groaned and rolled up against the wall, wounded. Sometimes, Genma just went too far. That had really hurt.
Noticing the subtle mood change, Genma reached out a hand to help Iruka, feeling slightly less guilty when he pulled him back onto his feet and receiving a smile of gratitude. He may have been a little impulsive, but he also knew when to grow up and repair the damage he'd done.
"So, is there something else you needed, Genma, or did you just come to get in your morning homicide?" Iruka teased good-naturally, forgetting his abused state in favor of taking advantage of the more docile side to Genma.
"Actually, Kiba asked me to get you for an interrogation." Pulling out a neatly folded paper from his pocket, Genma held it out to his curious friend. "He wrote you down a list of questions he needed asked."
"Wait. This is Kiba's case. I can't possibly interrogate someone for him." It went against logic to have a stranger to a case interrogate for someone else. Unfamiliar with the details, and probably unable to gather what was needed to help, it wouldn't do any good to have Iruka questioning someone in Kiba's place.
"He's really just looking for you to get a quick statement for him. You know, basic shit. 'Where were you?' 'What did you see?' 'Can you tell us what they looked like?' Stuff like that. Kiba got overtime again tonight, so after dealing with the stiff and doing all the street work, he got out of here as fast as he could." Genma shrugged, flipping the tooth-pick in his mouth around with his tongue.
Iruka sighed. Well, there was no way he could refuse, anyway. He understood that Kiba was having a tough couple of months, trying valiantly to get in as much overtime as he could. Iruka had to smile at how determined Kiba was in getting Sarge that gift. Ahhh. They are so cute together. It really reminded him of how he was with his own boyfriend. He would do anything for Kakashi, too.
Forgetting that he was in the middle of a rather important conversation, Iruka lost himself a little in the thoughts of Kakashi, only to be rudely shoved from them when he was given a swift kick to the shin.
"Ow! Genma, you're one bruise away from a restraining order. Jesus, you're so violent." Pouting, the abused brunette rubbed his throbbing leg, leaning against the desk corner for support.
"If you hadn't been spacing out, then I wouldn't have had to kick you now, would I? Who were you thinking about, anyway? You had this really dopey look on your face. I bet it was Kakashi. Wait till I tell him." With a gruff bark of laughter, Genma ruffled his friend's hair, messing up his neat ponytail and earning himself a very put out glare.
"You're beyond immature, did you know that?" Grumbled Iruka.
"It's what makes me so lovable!"
"No. It's the trait that has half of the precinct wanting to commit suicide. Or homicide."
"And you call me violent?" Genma laughed again, walking towards the door. "C'mon, pretty boy. Let's play some good cop, bad cop."
Shaking his head, Iruka walked past his friend and into the hallway, making his way steadily toward interrogation room six. As he passed Kiba's desk, he grabbed the file marked 'Abumi' without really checking the name and scanned it. Murder... Blah blah blah.
"Thanks, Genma, but I can handle this alone. I'll just see you later." He nodded towards the other man and reached out, grabbing the door handle to Room Six and started to walk into it, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"Wait." Leaning close, Genma whispered in Iruka's ear. "The FBI are watching on the other side." And with a meaningful look, he left, closing the door behind him, leaving a terror-stricken Iruka gaping at the door unattractively. The FBI?! What the hell were they looking over him for?! The only reason the FBI where were even there in the first place was—- No. It couldn't be! Checking the name of the victim, Iruka groaned. Dammit, Kiba!
Shaking himself from the shock, he turned slowly, eyes instantly landing on his supposed witness. Sitting at the metal table in front of him sat a young man who looked to be in his late twenties, hair dyed—or so he suspected—silver. At first glance, the man looked well-groomed and respectable, circular glasses framing his pleasantly handsome face and with his hair pulled back in a low ponytail. But first impressions aside, there was a hint, the barest whisper of malice that escaped the well-placed mask the man wore, putting Iruka on high alert.
Spine straightening from a barely suppressed shiver, Iruka calmly pulled out his own chair on the opposite side of the table, directly in front of the other man, and held out a hand in greeting, leaning over the table.
"Hello there. I'm Iruka Umino, pleased to meet you." He greeted in a falsely calm voice. He couldn't betray a single fear while in this man's presence. There was something just so—dangerous about him.
"A pleasure to meet you as well, officer. My name is Kabuto Yakushi." The introduction was given in a light voice, one that was deceiving to the true nature of the man as his pale hand rose up to grasp Iruka's in a firm greeting.
"Well, let's get started then, shall we?"
The other man nodded. "Of course."
Sitting down, Iruka scooted into his chair, flipping open the case folder and scanning it for the first time. There was doubt now, this was in fact the Abumi case and from the look of it the kid had gotten what he'd deserved. Oh hell. He was going to kill Kiba for sticking him in this situation.
He looked up, locking gazes with the mysterious witness. "So, Mr. Yakushi, could you explain to me in detail exactly what you saw from ten pm to around midnight tonight?" he asked.
With an index finger, Kabuto slid his glasses higher up his nose in a more comfortable position before answering. "I was walking home around eleven, maybe a few minutes before, when I saw this shady-looking man leaving the warehouse across from my building. I thought nothing of it considering the type of neighborhood I live in, but thirty minutes later, there's a swarm of policemen in the area, so I thought that what I knew might be important. I don't know if any of the information I'm giving is helpful, but I thought I'd share, just in case." With a smile that would chip the paint right off the walls, Kabuto ended his story looking for all the world like a saint.
Iruka, on the other hand, was not fooled. Keeping his guard in check, he continued. "I see. Considering the facts, you could have very well encountered our perp, but if you don't mind, could you describe him to me? This way, I could can get a list of suspects and have you choose from a set of pictures. In this type of case, whoever you saw might be a repeated offender.(3)" Iruka clarified, taking out a pen from his pocket and readying himself for some note-taking.
Rubbing his cheek thoughtfully, the sliver-haired man closed his eyes and pretended to think, making a mental picture of the suspected murderer.
"He seemed to be in his early twenties; about six feet tall, and he had a pair of the most stunning eyes I have ever seen. He was quite the looker." Kabuto answered moments later, and grinned.
Ignoring the
man's implied sexual preference Iruka trudged forward. "Could
you please elaborate? What color were his eyes? If you could remember
any identifying features, that would be a big help, too." In
asking these questions, Iruka's stomach gave a powerful lurch. For
some reason, he really didn't want to know what the rest of this man
looked like.
"Oh, well, he had blonde hair, spiked up in that regular bad boy look, you know. He had an impressive build, as well. Struck me as a man who liked the gym a lot. He was really tanned, too, though I doubt it was natural." he informed, watching Iruka with a gaze that said 'I'm about to ruin your entire life'.
Again, Iruka's stomach did a flip, unsettling the butterflies there and leaving them to fly around restlessly almost to the point where it was painful. This sounded way too much like someone he knew. Someone he loved. With a heavy heart, he posed his next question, clinging to the hope that this witness was merciful. "W-what color were his eyes? Was there anything else identifiable that you can remember?"
"Ah, yes, his eyes. He had the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen. It was literally like looking into the sky on a cloudless day. I've never witnessed such a captivating shade of blue in my life. But even for someone who had a body like his, he had the face of a child. These really adorable puffy cheeks, you know."
Letting out a breath that he hadn't even realized he was holding, Iruka leaned back in his chair, taking a second to calm himself. There where plenty of guys out there with blonde hair and blue eyes. If Kabuto had really seen who Iruka was thinking about, he wouldn't have forgotten seeing the—
"It's a pity, though." Kabuto spoke up, gaining Iruka's attention as he stared up at the ceiling with a contemplative look. "I wonder where he got those scars. They really don't suit him. Though they do add to the punk look he was trying to pull off."
Rushing to stand, Iruka slammed his hands on the table, his breathing labored as it struggled to escape his lungs, causing Kabuto to jump and to give the detective a curious look. Iruka paid no mind to it, though. He was too busy dealing with the pool of dread that was bubbling in his stomach.
"A-are you sure you s-saw scars?" Iruka stammered, his fury almost at its breaking point. Civil rights could kiss his ass. If this man didn't jump up and tell him right now that it was all a big joke for some TV show, Iruka was going to take out all his anxiety on him. In the most violent way possible.
Kabuto could either not perceive the danger, or he was just unafraid. In any case, his answer was the one Iruka had not been looking for. "I'm sorry officer, but they were unforgettable. Three on each cheek." He demonstrated, making three invisible lines across each cheek.
Jumping again, Kabuto was startled from his seat as the detective hauled him up by the front of the shirt and with a vicious tug, had him pinned up against the wall. Iruka's face had the most dishearten look of being trapped that at this point, Kabuto feared for his life. Survival was one's most basic instinct, and this investigator was determined to preserve the survival of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man he'd just described.
"Sir, I need you too to think very, very hard about how you answer this next question. Are you sure that everything you're telling me is true?" The question was snarled so viciously that Kabuto was caught in his own crushing bind of self-preservation. In the end, though, he was less afraid of what Iruka could do to him so, tensing up in an attempt to lessen the pain, Kabuto uttered the most damning word he could have in his whole time among the living.
"Yes—"
Before he
could complete the three letter syllable, a fist had connected hard
with his face, cracking the bones in his cheek with a sickening
crunch. Falling free from the enraged man's grasp, Kabuto landed
gratefully on the floor, rolling to the side with a pained groaned.
Ow. That had hurt.
Watching from the other side of the glass, Kakashi and Genma—along with two FBI agents—had rushed into the room, pulling a hysterical Iruka away from the now-bleeding man on the floor.
This was not good. This was not good! Embracing the crazed brunette, Kakashi let out an exasperated sigh, pulling him hard against him in an effort to relax him some. He led Iruka back towards the door, letting Genma and the other two deal with the cause of his new headache.
Shaking violently, Iruka snuggled deeper into Kakashi's arms, surprised and relived that he was there. Kakashi would fix it. Kakashi always could. A gentle hand soothed back his hair and Iruka looked up, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Kakashi. Naruto didn't do it. You know he didn't do it." He couldn't even pretend to imagine his god-son being capable of killing someone.
"Shhh. I know. Calm down, Iruka. I know." Kakashi rubbed his hands up and down his lover's back, easing the tension as much as he could. Unfortunately, they didn't have long as both FBI agent came over, Genma hauling the semi-conscious Kabuto out of the room and down towards the infirmary.
"Hatake-sama? You know who it was that that man was describing? If you do, please tell us now, because we need to bring him in." The first man's voice was sympathetic, contrasting greatly with his outwardly gruff appearance.
Biting back on his urge to sigh, Kakashi held on tighter to Iruka, who had become rather still from the beginning of the conversation. "I'm sorry to say that we do, Yagami-kun. Our god-son Naruto is quite possibly the only man on earth with scars like the one's Kabuto described." He was reluctant to reveal the information, but it couldn't be helped. To spare Naruto and everyone else even more trouble, they were going to do this legally, and that meant that they would have to cooperate to the fullest extent.
Nodding, both agents, Yagami and Ryuuzaki(4), headed for the door. "We need to gather a team to go get him. If you could please get us there, we'd really appreciate it." Ryuuzaki said kindly.
Kakashi agreed quickly, knowing that they didn't have to let him tag along but were being understanding of the emotional attachment they he had to the situation. "Of course. Just give me a minute. I'll meet you and your men outside."
Grasping the unspoken request, they excused themselves, leaving to gather the men needed and allowing the captain and his boyfriend some privacy.
Once they were alone, Iruka broke down, slumping against Kakashi for support. "Please tell me this isn't happening! Please Kakashi." he begged desperately, knowing the answer he'd get and hating it even more when Kakashi stayed silent, opting instead to try and relax him. There was no way he was ever going to relax, now. Tears streamed down his sullen face as he clutched tightly onto the other man. This just couldn't be real. It had to be a dream. A nightmare!
"Ruka, I know this is hard, but please try to keep a level head. It won't help Naruto to see you like this." Kakashi's voice was firm, and in a valiant effort to follow orders, Iruka drew strength from it, sniffling a little while straightening up and letting the other man go. He rubbed under his nose sadly and locked his gaze with a mismatched pair to tell Kakashi that, yes—he could handle this. He could act in a clear-headed fashion, just like he needed to do.
Smiling in approval, Kakashi graced his lover with a small peck on the cheek. "Alright. I'ma go and get Naruto. Hold down the fort, okay?"
Answering with a small 'hai,' Iruka walked Kakashi back to his office and watched dejectedly as his sliver-haired lover shrugged on his coat and pocketed the keys to his car. Locking the door behind them moments later, Kakashi pulled Iruka towards him and into a loving kiss. Grateful, Iruka poured out all his emotions into the kiss, sharing with his soul mate just exactly how he felt and taking comfort in the reassurance that poured back into him from the other.
Kiss ending seconds later, Kakashi pulled away, placing one last fleeting kiss against his baby's forehead. "I need you to call Itachi while I'm gone. Fill him in and just have him ready in case this gets ugly, okay babe?"
"Alright." responded Iruka, biting his lip. "Just get him here quickly, and please don't let them cuff him. You know how he hates it."
Promising to take care of everything, Kakashi started down the hall, frustrated and helpless. knowing that Iruka was still watching him, even after he'd made it out where the other officers were.
Naruto. What have you gotten yourself into now?
(1)- It's probably confusing, but 7th is just a street where a lot of hookers hang out, if you get what I mean. Hopefully you get the joke...If not I'll explain it. Just message me please.
(2)-Reason I'm explaining this is because you guys need to know that in New York the police can only detain somone for 48 hours before either letting them go or charging them with a crime. Poor little Naruto-chan. He's only got a day left.
(3)- Okay. In a gang killing it's more than likely that whoever killed the dude was skilled or at least part of another gang which means that they've probably done it before. If you wanna kill someone you do it right. You do not send some inexperianced punk. XD So if you're wondering why Iruka said it..There's your answer.
(4)- If you've watched Death Note you'll probably get the pun. If not...Go watch Death Note!!!!!
Plushie StickyNote: If you have anymore questions please feel free to ask. XD I hope it's not confusing for people, but yeah. Better safe than sorry. Just to let ya'll know the next chapter will be very important as well. Info you'll need for the case and all. ). Anyway. I hope you enjoyed it. PLEASE REVIEW!...They make me smile. And if I smile then chapters get done faster. It's a vicious circle.
Quote: "No ones perfect. Well... there was this one guy.. But we killed him."
©2006 Ruby Plushie