In spite of the boy's best interest, and Narumi's complaints, Raidou once again found himself out and about the next day. Not at school like Narumi would suspect, or on patrol as his clan required, but rather doing a bit of legwork around town. His mission was clear; check up on Narumi Shouhei. His past, his reasons for the sudden career change, and just what the man was doing sneaking around shady corners. Gouto wasn't going to let his suspicions drop until he had cleared the man of all suspected wrongs. There were many places he could conduct research, some of which the boy was acutely familiar with like the police station, but so far he had only checked out some local shops. Like the woman who owned a traditional restaurant Narumi was apparently fond of and a few other local vendors. So far, the only crime he had been accused of was an inability to pay his bills. Apparently the woman who owned the Ryuuga was very interested in finding him to call his tab. The owner of the dessert parlor too. And Tawara-ya...

But thus far, for reasons Raidou wasn't apt to disclose, he hadn't done much in the way of actual investigating. Perhaps he was afraid of what he would find, that any discoveries would cast a bad light on the man he had managed to grow close to. This fact alone was beginning to grate on a particularly aggravated feline that followed him close behind. "You know where you should check, Jouhei... Why are you stalling?" Gouto had been at it since they had left that morning. With Raidou only going to places that can vouch for Narumi's character and not what nitty-gritty, probably grisly details the man was hiding in his past, or his underground operations.

Of course the boy would protest as best he could, plead his case. Narumi was an upstanding guy. He'd taken care of him, after all. So why would he be suspected of anything seedy. "There shouldn't be any need to go to the police station. Narumi-san just seems to be a good man that spends more than he makes."

"Jouhei..." The cat began, a tone of warning in his voice. "You know why I have my suspicions... And if he's pressed for cash that's even more reason to suspect he might be doing something shady." Gouto trot ahead, parking himself right in the boy's path to stop him. "Or have you forgotten that shady phone call?"

Raidou stopped as expected, frowning down at the feline. "I remember well. I'm just saying that there must be a perfectly innocent explanation for it."

"If there is, why beat around the bush?" His mentor scathed, leveling a glare at his disciple. "Go to the source and stop trying to find his innocence in the eyes of the local shop owners waiting to be paid."

Now, the boy wanted to protest further, wanted to declare that he himself also trusted the man. Just because of what he did for him, the way he'd helped him... He remembered those eyes that were always on him, deep honey brown and always worried when they were watching him. A man with those kind of eyes was a good man, a man that meant no harm.

He could get lost in those eyes.

But he was under orders from his predecessor. He had no choice but to follow those orders. Begrudgingly he agreed blank-faced and quiet. "I understand."

Finally somewhat placated, Gouto eased up, making two jumps from a nearby wall and then onto the boy's shoulder to perch. "Then let's speak with Waruo. He was around when Narumi was on the force, right?"

"Yes."

Raidou found himself inside the police station downtown, wandering around the homicide and vice departments attempting to locate the aforementioned man. Not as easy as it sounded. For a police station they weren't the best at organization. That, and for some reason not a whole lot of cops in the building wanted to talk to Raidou. Curious.

"Kuzunoha-kun?" A tall, slim man with chin-length chocolate hair and a pleasantly surprised expression approached him, a cup of steaming coffee (or black tar as Narumi would have described it) in each hand. He was dressed in his usual business casual attire, black slacks, navy blue button-down, and a conservative tie. "What are you doing here? Did you need something?"

Raidou stopped to face the man. "Futsuo-san." Just the person he needed to see. "Yes, I came to speak with your partner. Is he here?"

"Speak with Waruo?" The older man blinked. They were closer in age than Waruo, and he still very much had a baby face. It was no surprise that he still caught a lot of flak for being one of the younger ones in the division. "What did you want with him?"

Though they were closer in age, Raidou was by far the quieter one, more adult almost. He gazed at the other, pretty face blank as a marble slate. "I need to ask about Narumi Shouhei."

Futsuo cast him an inquisitive look, perplexed. "Shouhei-san? Well..." He seemed to consider this for a second before nodding in agreement. "Come with me. Waruo is in the rec room." The officer pointed towards the opposite end of the hall with an almost nervous look on his face, as if he was doing something he ought not to. Was this even allowed? Regardless, Raidou was thankful. With this information he would hopefully be able to clear Narumi's name. Waruo was a friend of his from his police force days, wasn't he? He couldn't have anything bad to say about him. Raidou nodded his thanks, following close behind, cat in tow.

At the time Waruo was slouched over a card table with a few other uniformed men, neck deep in what looked to be a very competitive game of poker. A thick cloud of cigarette smoke hovered in the air above their heads, mocking the very clearly posted "Thank You for Not Smoking" sign on the wall. When the door opened, however, the five officers seated quickly snuffed out their smokes, one getting up to dart for the window to vent the place until he realized who it was that walked in. Everyone collectively relaxed when they saw it was just a fellow officer and not someone in power.

"Kuzunoha." Waruo regarded the boy over his square glasses, setting his cards down.

The boy stepped into the room, eyes slowly moving back and forth to give it a once over. Once he'd assessed the current situation and determined what was going on the curious blue-grey orbs drifted back towards the officer. Raidou nodded once in greeting.

Futsuo was first to speak after that, "Waruo, Kuzunoha-kun needs to talk to you about... someone." The older officer quirked a brow, pushing away from the table. With both hands in his trench coat pocket he approached the young summoner. "Yeah? About who?"

"Narumi Shouhei." The name alone brought an eerie silence to the room. Even Waruo looked shocked, but it was more directed to his partner. "Futsuo..."

The younger detective immediately threw his hands up in defense, "Hey, I can't say anything! If there's any info we can give, you know what can be given." Futsuo quickly explained, backing up a step. The expression on Waruo's face clearly showed he was not amused.

"Giving information about an officer, even an ex-officer, can get you canned, Futsuo." The spikey haired man whispered harshly, glancing to the side, wary of a few people who were listening in. "Why do you need to know anyway, Kuzunoha? Is he giving you trouble?"

The younger one watched the exchange between the two officers, taking all this in. Clearly there was more that met the eye if the man was getting so worked up about it, and it wasn't just because he wasn't part of the force. Fortunately because of the affiliation with the Yatagarasu, Raidou could acquire any information from any government facility in league with them. A cushy gig, really.

To the almost guarded question Raidou shook his head slowly. "Nothing like that."

Waruo once again looked to Futsuo, casting him what could only be described as a "pissed" look. He sighed, shrugging with his hands still tucked in his pockets. "There isn't much we can say that's not public, Kuzunoha."

"I haven't been made privy to any information about him besides him being an ex-officer." Raidou replied, staying firm. Seeing this the older man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, we can't just-"

"Did you say you wanted to know about Narumi Shouhei?"

The three turned to look at one of the men at the table. He was older, probably in his late forties, with short cropped dark hair and a bit of five o'clock shadow on his chin. The man's eyes looked worn under his bushy brows, clearly someone who had been in the game for quite some time, yet he seemed to light up at the thought of an information exchange about Narumi. When the two younger officers noticed who had spoken, they both exchanged worried looks. "Kazama-san...!"

The boy's attentions were instantly drawn the older detective's way. Could it be that he knew anything?

"If you're looking for info on Narumi Shouhei, I'm up for a little discussion." The man stood, rounding their small playing table to join the group by the door. Waruo cast the man a disparaging glance, frowning deeply. "Kazama-san, you can't-!"

A hand was brought before his face, effectively stopping him mid-sentence. The man extended a hand to Raidou, an almost malicious glint in his eye. "Kazama, I'm a detective here, and I'm... familiar with Narumi Shouhei."

Raidou almost arched backwards a little, not trusting this man an inch. Not with that look in his eye. Even Gouto muttered something about him being up to no good. But ever the polite boy and wanting that promised information, Raidou shook his hand with a little nod. "Kuzunoha Raidou. I'd like to know all I could, please."

Kazama looked delighted at the opportunity, "Come with me to my office, we'll talk." He clapped a hand on his shoulder, leading him towards the hall door.

The boy had to hold back a flinch, following as requested. "And you said you had information on Narumi-san?"

"I've been investigating that man for seven years. I've definitely got information." The man grinned. Investigating? Investigating him for what?

"Hm... Looks like we've found our guy." Gouto mused, sticking close to Raidou without getting underfoot.

The office was anything but clean, case files piled up on the desk, the table to the side, and on top of the filing cabinets. For anyone remotely involved with the cleaning staff it must have been a nightmare to dust around. Raidou looked less than interested in being in the small, somewhat musty room. But he was interested in the information Detective Kazama provide. He stuck it out for that.

The man pulled up a chair for Raidou to sit at, taking his own squeaking leather lounger behind the worn cherry wood desk. "So... I'm assuming you have a reason for wanting to check up on Narumi Shouhei, right?" As Kazama spoke he took a key from his pocket, unlocking a desk drawer to his right and pulling out a single, if not thick, manila file. Across the front it read Narumi's name in red ink, and sloppily at that. From the condition of the folder, it had probably been used since he began investigating him. "Whatever findings you'd like to share, it'd be helpful to our cause."

The boy took a seat across from Kazama, more than wary now. So this man was intending to get him to sell Narumi out. Not a chance. He leveled a look with the older man, all business. "I'd like to hear all you have to say. Please tell me what you know."

"Well, he's been under investigation for seven murders for seven years now."

Both the cat and kid stared, taken aback. "Murders?"

Kazama nodded, leaning over his desk to pull out a set of photos. "You know the ones I'm talking about? Ah, you were just a kid then..." Several snapshots were dropped onto the table, all of them young men, all of them marked as being from ages fourteen to twenty. "It was all over the news as a cult killing. Seven kids over the span of seven weeks. Narumi and a few others were lead on the investigation."

"I knew it. Jouhei, I told you he was no good!" Gouto hissed, his point seemingly proven.

Raidou ignored the cat, looking over the pictures. What was there was enough to make any normal kid his age's stomach turn. But not Raidou. He regarded them like a seasoned homicide detective coldly. "And you suspect Narumi-san did this."

Kazama nodded sagely, scooping one of the many yellowing papers up to examine. "The investigation team was chasing a solid lead when Narumi derailed them and sent them in another direction. Thanks to his shenanigans, our suspect got away and remains free today." The edges of the paper crinkled as the old detective gripped it in his fist. "And now we can't even haul him in. The guy sure knows how to keep his nose clean."

Of course that was more than enough to convince Gouto. As far as he was concerned they had just proven Narumi was dangerous. But not Raidou. He kept that stone face, eyes turning up towards the older man. "If you suspect Narumi-san then there must be a reason. What's his objective in this? His motive?"

It looked as if the man had hit a mental hurdle and tripped, "Well... That's it, I—We can't figure what angle he's got, only that he was solely responsible for stopping the investigation, and now we have seven cold cases on our hands." Kazama shuffled through some more papers, as if looking for an inkling of proof that he could pin any of the murders on Narumi. "Our suspect was yakuza head, and from what we've learned Narumi is a close contact of his."

"Yakuza?" Interests piqued the summoner eyed Kazama questioningly. "Tell me about this Yakuza suspect."

"Him?" Kazama shuffled through some more papers, pulling out a suspect profile complete with snapshot. "Satake Kenzou..." He motioned to the snapshot of a smug looking tattooed man. "He's head of the Haguro-gumi."

"Haguro-gumi..." Gouto repeated, "They're pretty prevalent in this area. They've been suspected of organizing underground drug and skin trades. If Narumi is involved, then that would explain the shady phone call."

"Where can he be located?"

Another sheet of paper was pulled out and placed in front of Raidou. It depicted a map pinned with a few photocopied snapshots of an old bathhouse. "He frequents this place, but it's nearly impossible to get close." He pointed to another section of the paper; handwritten names hastily jotted, some ink running from a water stain. "He keeps his finest in the bath with him at all times, and I don't mean women. Hardened thugs, Kuzunoha-kun. Dangerous folk."

"I see." Raidou took in all this information, formulating a plan of action. A moment later he was getting to his feet. "Thank you for your time, Kazama-san." The boy muttered almost dismissively, turned and walked out of the office, making his way to the station exit.

"H-hey wait! Hold up!" Kazama pursued him, almost in a panic. "Just what are you planning to do with what I told you?" He received no answer besides that of a hissing cat, making him jump. He watched the cat run off after the black clad boy, scratching his head. A seasoned and experienced detective getting played hard by a child. He'd never live this down.

Kazama could hear the snickers of his subordinates as he moped his way back to the rec room.

"Jouhei, you're not seriously considering speaking with that Satake fellow, are you?" His mentor sat on his lap as Raidou rode the city bus towards Fukugawa. Given the time of day no one was around to complain about a feline being on board, so Gouto didn't feel the need to keep it down nor hide away under the seat.

"We only have part of the story," he replied, watching the world go by out the window. "If Narumi-san is involved with Satake-san then he would be the next person to see to learn more."

Gouto glared up at his student, as if to ask if he was joking with his gaze. "You hear the man is under suspicion of seven murders of high school boys and you still need more convincing?"

"Without a motive or evidence leading his way there isn't much of a case. My guess is what we heard today was nothing more than that detective's personal beliefs and nothing more."

Not even Gouto could disprove that theory. Kazama did seem to have some sort of vendetta against the former officer, and a large one at that judging by the size of his investigation file. Still, something seemed off. "You best come to a proper conclusion soon, Jouhei. And please be careful. Yakuza are not your average thugs."

"I've heard." Cold, a little distant. He was thinking up a plan, a way to speak with the Yakuza boss. Did anything scare this kid? He was either very brave, or very naïve.

"Just don't get hurt when you're investigating the man that sews you back up." Was Gouto's last warning for that leg of the trip.

"I'll be fine Gouto."

A connecting bus ride later and a short walk on top of that, Raidou arrived at the bath house mentioned by the old detective. An old-fashioned bath house still in production; It was nice to see, and a little nostalgic. Save for the clientele that apparently frequented there. The outside seemed tame enough, but one peak in and you could see at least half of the patrons on the male side were tattooed beefcakes. One even glared when Raidou tried to enter fully clothed.

The boy noticed and frowned. He wasn't getting in that way. But then he had an idea. He began undressing as he walked towards the changing area, looking for a locker to stuff his clothing in. "Uh... Jouhei?" Gouto followed, avoiding every water puddle he could. "Towel?"

"No time." He found an empty one, tossing his folded clothing into the locker and shut it. He turned and left for the men's bathing room, sans clothing with hat still very much in place. He had his sights set on the muscled man with short black hair sitting at the end of the row, most of his body covered in tribal tattoos. From what he remembered about the details of the tattoos he could determine it was a rather high percentage of a chance that man was Satake.

Eyes were on him the entire time, some wandering in less than scrupulous places, pausing at the still healing stitched gash on his leg. The collection of muscled men surrounding Satake glowered up at him, sizing him up. He didn't get less than ten feet away from him when his path was effectively blocked by two men a good foot taller than him, and probably twice the mass each. "This isn't the place for schoolboys. Go on back to class, little man." One threatened, the other cracking his knuckles.

Raidou's eyes narrowed as the boy looked up at the two, effectively sizing them up as well. He hadn't expected this to get physical. Not this fast. "I'm here to see Satake-san."

The two before him collectively laughed in his face, crossing their arms. "No one gets to see Satake uninvited, and certainly no kids."

But the boy was insistent, standing his ground. "I have to see Satake-san."

Their expressions collectively darkened, one taking a half-step forward, "Are you deaf kid? No one gets to see Satake!"

"What business do you have with the boss anyhow?"

Only silence followed, the summoner tight lipped and frowning. He was going to see the man no matter what. He could hold the information that was key to clearing Narumi's name. Unfortunately, it looked like his stubbornness was seen as a threat. "Not budging, huh? Are we gonna have to throw you out?"

Refusing to budge, Raidou insisted once more. "I need to see Satake-san."

It was then that Raidou got pushed, and hard, nearly enough to knock him over. "Beat it, kid!"

And once more, another hard shove, backing him towards the door. "You think comin' in here with your goods showing is gonna convince us? The boss don't swing that way!"

Raidou gasped in surprise at the first shove. He didn't expect someone to really have the balls to lay hands on a student in a public situation. A testament to his naivety. The second one he was ready for. He rolled his shoulder with the motion of the hard shove, body following, forcing the large man off balance. His off-hand grabbed the thug's wrist in mid motion, pulling him along with him. And just when the man thought Raidou was intending to bring him to fall on top of him he had the boys free elbow slam into his nose, effectively breaking it.

Shouts of pain echoed through the tiled room, the brute stumbling back with his hands over his blood-gushing nose. "Agh... My nose! Stupid brat broke my nose!" He wailed, stumbling back, hunched over as his partner threw a punch, shouting slew of curses towards the boy.

The punch was dodged easily, the boy ducking to the floor. A second later the man was on his back with stars in his eyes wondering what had happened. Judging by Raidou's pose on the tiled floor it had been one of those thin legs sweeping him off his own feet with one swift movement that had done it. Kid was not without skills.

The two men groaned as they tried to collect themselves from the slippery tile floor. From across the room a deep, low chuckle accompanied a slow clap. The man seated at the end of the bath stood, grinning slyly. "That's the first time I've seen anyone get a move over on those two. You're tougher than you look, for a wiry guy." The way he spoke, that commanding tone. This man was no doubt Satake.

Raidou slowly got to his feet, still wary and watching the men from the corner of his eyes, making sure they weren't prone to attack again. After a moment he determined them not to be a threat and moved closer to the gangster. "Are you Satake Kenzou?"

The man returned to his seat, towel draped over his lap, arms crossed. "And what does a student want with me?"

Taking this as a 'yes', Raidou bowed his head a little in respect. "I need information. Something I'm told only you can provide."

Satake quirked a brow, tilting his head to the side as he spoke. "That's a bit of a broad spectrum, isn't it? Heh..." The man popped his neck with a click flick of his head, grinning. "Fine, I'll bite. I'll give you a freebie today, kid, for giving me a bit of entertainment." He motioned to the goons who were scuttling off to the side. The look in their eyes said they'd be getting a proper beating later.

With a nod the boy moved to take a seat on a nearby stool, completely unashamed at his nudity. He was more focused on the case than any wandering eyes. "Do you know someone named Narumi Shouhei?"

Instantly the man seemed wary, his humoring slouch straightening to something far more defensive. "Depends why you're asking." Noting this reaction Raidou continued. "Any information you can give would be helpful."

Satake rubbed his chin, not so amused anymore. "Kid, if you're after a debt he owes you, I'm not going to sell him out to you. He's one of the better guys I know."

A little taken aback the boy shook his head, perplexed. Did Narumi really have so many debts? "It's nothing like that. I'm not meaning any harm to him."

The yakuza member stared him down, as if looking into his very soul. This lasted a few seconds before he relaxed, "You look like an honest kid. Makes me wonder what you're after info on him for."

"If I wasn't under orders then I wouldn't bother." Raidou replied, stone-faced. Again Satake seemed to be set off, "Are you a cop?" He queried, looking as if he'd throw the boy out himself if the answer was yes, clothes or no. To this a look was aimed at him, one that said 'do you honestly think the police would hire a teenager?'. The gangster shook his head, chuckling. "You've got too cute a face to be a cop..." Satake rubbed his chin, considering the boy's words. "Look, I'll level with you. I don't sell out my guys and I don't take kindly to people snooping around for info without a proper reason. But if you really mean him no harm, then I'll tell you what you want to know... with discretion."

Raidou nodded his agreement, expression softening to its usual blank stare.

"So, what is it you want to know?" Satake began, motioning to one of his lackeys for something. Raidou paid this no mind, no longer expecting the men to go after him. Instead he kept his gaze with that of the gangster. "Many things. Particularly about a case from seven years ago, one involving seven murders of teenagers and young adults."

"That's a heavy question, kid." Satake shifted slightly in his seat as the lackey brought over a can of beer, offering it with a bow before he waved him away. "You're wanting to know what Narumi's involvement was?"

Raidou nodded once, very interested in hearing what the man had to say. The lackey quickly returned with a glass bottle filled with an amber liquid. Satake nodded in approval and took it from him, popping the cap off with his thumb. "Nasty case. He was the head investigator, and managed to clear my name of any suspicions. Good thing, too. I didn't want to take the fall for that one."

"What happened exactly?"

"You didn't hear?" Satake took a sip of the bubbling liquid. Cider, apparently. "They pinned the murders on my guys." A quick thumbs up to the lackey seemed to cheer the group up considerably. Apparently they had found the proper drink for their boss. "Same old, same old. Yakuza aren't respected anymore; any excuse to get us behind bars will do. But they had nothing but circumstantial evidence."

"What were the particulars of the case? Detective Kazama gave little to no information about it other than Narumi-san was involved."

Satake gave him a peculiar look, "And you say you're not from the police... Hm." He knocked back his drink, exhaling deeply as he chucked the bottle to his waiting henchmen. "He lead the cops in the right direction. That's all I know. You could say I owe him, so I give him discounts, if you catch my drift."

Discounts. Could that have something to do with the strange call he received?

This explained much. Letting the topic slip somewhat he asked a different question. "Narumi-san has high powered anesthetics and supplies. These are things a civilian outside of the medical field could not obtain on their own. Could it be he's been acquiring them from you?"

The gangster shrugged, "Not me, specifically, but a source. He's rather hush-hush, but yes, he does get them through a tie of mine. He's gotten a lot recently as well." If Gouto could hear this, he'd be making a fuss loud enough to bother the customers.

"I see." He didn't seem to be all that bothered by it. Almost like he knew more than he let on. Satake seemed to catch onto this as well, "Said he picked up a stray and had been tending to his wounds, so he ran out of supplies quickly." The look in his eyes said he knew more than he was letting on, but the info in his brain was all too obvious to the young man. Raidou could see it in his eyes, but he let it go. Instead he decided to give away a little information of his own. Even exchange. He was a polite boy after all. "Ah. Yes, Narumi-san has been very good to me."

The grin on the gangster's face could only be described as mirthful. "So you're here checking up on the guy who's been caring for you. Smart kid. I'd say with your strength and wit you'd go far in my crew." He quickly shook his head, laughing. "But I'll give you some advice. Don't join up, you're better off finishing school."

Raidou smiled just a touch, one side of his lips perked up slightly. "Not interested."

"Good." He hitched a thumb towards the two men the boy had beaten so easily, "The life of a Yakuza is only for those without futures. You got yours, so get out."

The teen smirked in reply, slowly getting to his feet. "One more thing," he requested, continuing before Satake could speak. "About the case... Detective Kazama tried vigorously to point out that Narumi-san must have been involved."

Satake didn't seemed surprised at all about this news, "That guy... Heh, you should ask Narumi himself about him. He's had a grudge against him for years."

"...Has he?" This was a curious new development.

A nod. "Ever since he outranked the old man in his own division." This piqued Raidou's curiosity. He waited for the man to explain more. "I think he said two years in he got promoted to second lead in the vice division? Kazama wasn't always in the position he's in now." So in other words, Detective Kazama held a long-standing grudge against Narumi over something so petty. Go figure. It made Raidou want to shake his head. What a silly thing; humans were so petty. "I see..."

"Anyway." The man paused to crack his neck again, something of a usual habit for him, perhaps even a nervous tick. "That's all for today. You got your freebie. Next time I'll charge."

"May I ask one more thing before I leave?" Seems the kid was as insistent as he was ballsy. At least Satake could appreciate that, "Yeah, what is it?"

"You know Narumi-san well. I suspect you are a good judge of character. So if that's true, would you say Narumi-san could be able to commit a murder?"

While most people would have recoiled at the question or asked just why the boy was thinking so morbidly, Satake simply shrugged. "Who knows. Desperation can do nasty things to a guy. If the need was there, anyone could turn on their fellow man... But..." His eyes leveled with Raidou, sharp and cold, the complete opposite of Narumi's eyes. "A guy who nurses strays back to health isn't quite the killer type, is he?"

To this Raidou... smiled. Kindly. He seemed elated by the man's answer, yet so quietly so. Was this boy so emotionally stunted? It got his brain ticking. "Kid, who are you anyway? I know I've seen you around."

And suddenly the smile was gone, replaced by that stone face. "Ah, that's right. I haven't introduced myself. Forgive me." He lowered his upper half into a proper bow, arms at his sides, eyes lowered. "Kuzunoha Raidou."

Hearing that name seemed to set Satake on edge again. "Suddenly it makes sense. Well, if that's all your "boss" wanted to know, I guess we're in the clear, huh?" He spoke quickly, stiffly, and was that a note of negativity in his voice? Being head of the local Yakuza, he had surely heard of the Yatagarasu, and in turn the summoner's employed by them judging from his reaction to the boy's name. It really made one wonder what a normal person's reaction would be to dealing with "that world" for the first time.

Raidou righted himself and nodded. "You've guessed correctly, but the Herald wasn't the one who sent me to gather this information."

Again Satake seemed to guard himself suddenly, as if preparing for the boy to whip out a demon and slay him right where he sat. "And just who did?"

"A direct superior." That was all he would say about it. He nodded his thanks, turning and leaving the bathing room, heading towards the lockers. There he met a very anxious Gouto.

The cat stared at him, looking a mix of angered and worried. "You got into a fist fight with two Yakuza members." He stated flatly. Had he seen? Or maybe he heard the large fellow screaming about his nose being broken. "They engaged first," the boy replied, calm as always, and fished his clothing out of the locker.

Gouto pattered after him, still looking utterly shocked about the whole situation. "And Satake gave you the info you needed?"

"For the most part." came the answer, the summoner starting to dress quietly.

"And the verdict is?" The feline prodded, wanting to know what the boy found out.

The boy paused a moment midway to buttoning his shirt, looking thoughtful. It passed quickly and he was back to dressing again. "Narumi-san gets his supplies from one of Satake-sans men."

"I knew it!" The cat hissed, ears flattening against his skull. "So that's what the phone call was after all!"

"Gouto... these aren't bad people. The Yakuza may be gangsters but they are a highly respected group in society." So Raidou knew his history well. Yes, it was true. Yakuza were hardened thugs but they had honor and had even been known to help out during disaster. This had even been noted during the great Earthquake of Taisho 19 that ended that era.

Still, Gouto was not quite convinced. "That does not change the fact that he is illegally obtaining drugs, narcotics even, from unauthorized dealers." The cat yowled, tail swaying in the air. "It's for medical reasons. And since when have legalities been such a concern to you?" Finished dressing, Raidou began walking out of the bath house, feline in tow as he walked back towards the bus stop. The boy had a point; it wasn't like the Yatagarasu acted within the laws of society either, just those of the clans. "Then if anything, where are you heading now that you've gained this information? Back to the station?"

"I'm going to see Narumi-san."

Gouto thought to ask why, but he already knew the answer. "Going to confront him about what you found out, eh?"

"I'm going to ask him to finish the story." Not the expected response. Not at all. Raidou walked quickly through the streets, pulling out his bus fare from his wallet as he went.

"Even after everything you've heard, you're still giving him the benefit of the doubt?"

"I've yet to hear anything that would convict him."

"The drug purchases? The involvement with the Yakuza? Does that not worry you in the slightest?" Again Gouto was questioning his naivety.

"It doesn't prove any wrong doing. The Yakuza are honorable as far as criminals go. And the drugs are for medical purposes." Seems Gouto wasn't going to convince the kid otherwise. His mentor had to give him props for wanting to get all sides before coming to a conclusion. Any good detective would do the same, but he'd be lying if he said he hoped the conclusion was a good one. For all the head-butting he was doing with the kid on the subject, at this point it was apparent it was all out of concern. In spite of his own feelings for the older man, Gouto sincerely hoped the one person whom the boy had come to trust outside the clan didn't mean him any harm. It'd break the kid's heart and crush his morale...

"Let's get to it then, Jouhei."

"Yes."