Author's Note: Hey there! This is kind of another spur of the moment story! Trying something a little different between updating chapters for my Harry Potter story I'm working on. I wanted to dabble in dark mystery, inspired very much by criminal minds...and a little batman if you could tell hahahhaa. Anyways, if you like the idea! PLEASE LET ME KNOW! And this may just keep going! :) thanks! Also, I used the last name of Rin Nohara for Tenten. In this story, they will be relatives of some sort! This will be full of action, mystery, and suspense! Yet, dark! So enjoy! PLEASE, PLEASE review if you like and I will not put this story down if you guys do! Thank you! Happy reading!
Also, special thanks to Princesshyuuga01 for re-inspiring this story and plot! Would not have happened if it wasn't for her! Thanks, girl! :)
"Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up."
~ Thomas Wayne in "Batman Begins"
"I'll ask you again...who do you think killed your parents, Miss Nohara?" Detective Kakashi Hatake intensely questioned. Carefully observing every inch of the young girl who sat across the table from him.
The detective narrowed his eyes as she stared back at him. The stare that was returned was equally as intense as his. Her chocolate brown eyes never showing fear or displacement. Something Kakashi found quite odd for a girl who just came home to her parents brutally murdered figures.
Tenten swallowed hard. She knew that not showing fear arose suspicion the minute the police arrived at her home. It had taken her several minutes to find the courage to pick the phone up. To actually dial the three little numbers without screwing up because she was trembling so furiously at the time.
But she knew the minute that law enforcement would arrive to her home that all had to stop.
The salty tears that had fallen the minute she saw her mother's lifeless body could no longer fall.
The stab in the chest she felt when she finally found her father, had to be fixed with wrap.
She always understood in the back of her mind...her parents were despised as much as they were loved...that they put their lives at risk every moment they still breathed the same air she did. Tenten had been warned that this day would come, but she never truly listened. She simply laughed through the preparation arrangements her parents guided her through, without a single care in the world.
Suddenly, reality had come crashing down upon her. She could no longer be the spoiled rich girl she always had been. She would no longer smell the aroma of baking when she came home every weekday. Or have the influence of her father to get her out of trouble with the cops when she drank too much on the weekends.
Tenten realized the moment this heinous act had been carried out she only had one option left.
Revenge.
The old Tenten had died along with her parents. And like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, she had been rebirthed into someone else entirely.
Tenten sighed, she knew what the detective was getting at. There seemed no getting around it.
However, the memory of her parents depended on upon her silence. She understood the corruption of Konoha knew no bounds, and the police department was no exception.
Tenten would never know who she could trust.
Her parents works, everything they worked towards achieving a safer Konoha by utilizing their multi-million dollar enterprise now rested heavily on her shoulders. Nohara Enterprises and all of the assets that came with that were now inevitably to be desired by many competing business sharks.
She was young, only seventeen. A perfect opportunity for money hungry businessmen to try to steal what was rightfully hers.
She would already be facing attacks on all fronts, and now this?
The audacity this man had, to sit there and question her like that. Surely this man couldn't be that ignorant; everyone in this town knew precisely who her parents were...who she was. What she was to inherit.
But, that seemed to be exactly the reason this detective thought she was a reasonable suspect; because of what she had to gain by their deaths.
However, what the fool had yet to discover, what her parents had many enemies. They were something of a cultural phenomenon in the city of Konohagakure. Standing side by side with political figures of the city, promoting justice and peace for the growing unrest and violence in the city.
Tenten continued to bite her tongue, hoping he would begin asking another question. Something, anything to move away from what had been done. The shock...it seemed postponed. She had been trained; advised if you will on what to do in the event if this was to happen. Her own pain had to be avoided for the moment.
For the sake of her parents, for the sake of her own life. Seeing as she was most likely to be targeted next.
"I don't know…" she finally murmured, her eyes beginning to roam away from staring at the detective. Her fingers began slowly drumming on the table, a slow hypnotic beat that put her mindset to ease.
"I think you do…" Kakashi pressed, beginning to slide photos of the crime scene towards Tenten. Intending for guilt to begin to eat at the young girls conscience; resulting in a confession.
Tenten's eyes widened, shock rushed through her veins as she fought her natural instinct to panic. She closed her eyes as she tried not to look at the horrific photos. She gulped, hoping her fear would start to subside as she tried not to remember.
It hadn't been expected, but how could one ever plan for an event such as this? Tenten had always believed that birthdays held some kind of exception; that nothing could ever go wrong if it was one's birthday.
That, even the universe would take a second and pause from the evil that ran rampant everyday. Tenten had learned the hard way that there were no special circumstances.
Tragedy would strike just as firm no matter the day.
She just never would have guessed the sight she would come to find the day of her seventeenth birthday. Never could have anticipated the sight that would be unveiled when she walked in just a few hours ago.
Blood had been smeared against the walls, yet no signs of a struggle were present. The house appeared as Tenten had left it earlier that morning. Nothing but the crimson stains distorting the home she had known for so long.
She remembered nearly vomiting when she saw her mother in a heap on the floor, drowning in her own blood. So brutal and aggressive; yet so organized and precise. She had clearly been slain as soon as she had answered the door, not expecting to be greeted by her end when she answered.
What irony that was...
She couldn't bear to progress any further into the house, she had fallen to her knees. Hyperventilating, the smell of death nearly clogging all her senses.
Now, here she was.
Pulled together and collected, trying her best to answer the constant questions she was being bombarded with.
Tenten winced as she caught a glance of the photo of her mother. Nausea came as eventful as it was the first time. She closed her eyes once again, the ill feeling leaving her slowly as she went to a more happy place.
"Daddy! Spin me around! Fasttttt!" a six-year-old Tenten giggled, her little arms extended as she waited anxiously for her father to pick her and spin her around like he had so many times before.
"Alright kiddo, give me a sec here…" her father mumbled softly as he continued working on his computer. Utterly lost in what he was doing.
"Daddy, Daddy now!" she whined loudly, jumping into her father's lap.
He laughed in surprise, tickling her stomach as she ached with laughter in response. "Daddy!" she giggled.
"Daddy…" she murmured to herself.
"Excuse me?" Kakashi asked, growing more irritated with how unresponsive this girl was being.
"May I use the restroom?" Tenten asked quickly. She needed to get out here, she needed to escape.
The detective nodded silently, escorting her out of the interview room.
"Where-" she started, trying to look as innocent to avoid any more suspicion in Detective Hatake.
"Down the hall…" he answered bluntly, pointing down the hall to where the bathrooms were.
"Thanks…" she muttered, beginning to slowly walk down the halls. She watched all the officers and detectives walking around the hallway, none seeming to really take any notice of her.
She quickly stole a glance from behind her, checking if Kakashi was still watching her.
She saw no sign of him.
Tenten picked up her pace when she realized how close she was to becoming home free. She saw the double glass doors.
The glowing red exit sign brought great comfort as she felt relief rush through her muscles.
"Have a good night!" someone shouted.
Tenten froze, stunned. She turned swiftly on her converse heels, praying it wasn't an officer who would recognize her.
It was the lady at the front desk. The older blonde woman smiled and waved as she quickly turned her attention back to the ringing phone.
"Thanks…" Tenten breathed. Relieved it was a false alarm.
Just a little further she chanted to herself.
By the time she reached the door, she erupted into a sprint. Running for her life.
Her freedom.
She felt the cool, autumn air rush against her cheeks as she dashed out into the night. Tenten quickly strode across the empty road, facing such a bleak future she was. Never daring to turn back to the life that had been left behind.
She finally stopped running for a moment, catching her breath as she stared out into the cool night.
She paused as she fully realized the weight that was now on her shoulders. She was now wanted...for the murder of her parents...at only seventeen years old.
o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0
Naruto Uzumaki was never one to take notice of detail. But, he couldn't help but know something had gone horribly wrong when his childhood friend, Tenten, showed up at his apartment doorstep.
She had been pale and shaking. The look of trauma on her face couldn't be avoided either.
Naruto knew something had happened, he had immediately ushered her in. Making her sit on his couch, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. Tenten had stared into space for a while, no words were spoken as Naruto took the moment of silence as an opportunity to make hot tea.
"Tenten…" he finally stated, handing her the steaming cup of tea.
"Huh?" she muttered, her eyebrows wrinkling in confusion. Accepting the cup, she sipped slowly. The herbal tea was topped off with fresh squeezed lemon, calming her nerves as the hot liquid went down her throat .
"What happened?" Naruto asked, taking his own seat next to Tenten on the sofa.
"My parents were murdered, Naruto...murdered…" she stammered, the words finally escaping her lips.
Naruto felt his jaw dropping to the ground, disbelief filled his heart as he placed his cup on the side table. Too shocked to drink the tea.
"Murdered?" he managed to ask.
Tenten nodded, "Yes...they are gone...and the cops think I did it!"
"They can't be serious! Why on earth-"
"I have no idea, Naruto! You don't think I haven't already asked myself these questions?" Tenten shouted, finally having enough. She was angry...angry and afraid.
Tears finally fell from her eyes, unveiling her true emotions. She could no longer hide behind her mask. Not while she was here with her best friend.
"I'm sorry...so sorry...I didn't mean to yell." she stammered, suddenly regretting her outburst.
Naruto shook his blonde head furiously, "You have nothing to apologize for...I understand what you're going through...all too well,actually…"
Naruto stole a glance at the old photo of his parents that hung on his wall. They too had been murdered when he was only a child. Taken so unfairly from him.
Their murder had never been solved, deemed just a home break-in gone bad. Deep down Naruto knew there was more to what had happened, but with so little information attainable there wasn't much he could do to have the case reopened.
Tenten sniffed, "You gotta help me, Naruto...I know you have connections...with Mayor Tsunade being your Godmother you-"
"Tenten, this is dangerous! The people who killed your parents are probably already planning on how to eliminate you! Hell, how did you get away from the cops?"
Tenten chuckled darkly, "I ran, of course! I'm not going to let myself go to jail and be a sitting duck! My parents left the company in my hands! I have to do something!"
Naruto nodded, seeing her point. Taking a deep breath he finally seemed to have a resolution in mind.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do on my end...I'll loan my hacking expertise to you as well...but, someone else needs to help us. An old friend of ours to be exact…"
Tenten nodded, anxious for Naruto to carry on with his thoughts.
"Sasuke Uchiha...he can help provide you with cover…"
Tenten finally understood. Continuing to nod she thought back to their old friend.
"Sasuke Uchiha…" she murmured.
The raven haired boy had been a good friend of theirs when they were younger. The Uchiha family had been great friends with her parents. As well as with the Uzumaki family.
All families were connected somehow by their separate companies. The only thing Tenten knew for sure was the mysterious murders did not add up, not only had Naruto's parents been victims first. But, Sasuke's as well it appeared.
Now her parents were gone too.
It was all too convenient and twisted. Something that they were all involved in caused these tragedies, and it was all but her duty to find out the how and why.
And bring these horrors to justice.
"Can we go now?" she said firmly, her mind now set on talking to Sasuke.
"You read my mind," Naruto smirked, already dangling his car keys in front of her.