Uzumaki ~ Detective Chronicles
Chapter Five: Case Two - A Lost Friend
Kamaboko Crescent, Evening
Night had fallen over the streets of Konoha. A little girl was making her way home from a friend's house, thoroughly regretting not taking up their mothers' offer to walk her back home. It was only a short way from her friend's house to her own, but still...
The streets were silent and dark, the moon hidden behind thick storm clouds ready to burst at any moment. The little girl shivered as she began to run, sprinting past the dark patches in between the rows of street lights, lingering in the pools of light that they made. About twenty meters away she could see her apartment block. She sighed with relief.
Crack! Lightning split the sky, thunder at its heels, tearing through the dark clouds and forcing them to release their watery cargo. The rain poured down heavily and within moments, the girl was soaked. Her black shirt with the red spiral on the front clung to her body, making her feel even colder as a strong wind began to blow through the streets.
She increased her speed, her destination just five meters away. Daddy wouldn't be happy that she was out so late in the rain, but she knew he would be waiting for her on the couch with two mugs of hot chocolate and her favorite book.
Her feet struck the pavement in front of the entrance to her apartment building. She stopped to quickly check her pockets for her keys. One hand closed upon a laminated card, a gift from her nii-chan while the other found her elusive keys. Removing the keys from her pocket, she proceeded to unlock the front door when a black sedan pulled up behind her, windshield wipers working furiously against the now torrential downpour.
The little girl paid it no mind, returning her focus to the door. Finding the key hole was difficult in the dark. The sound of a car door opening reached her ears, and she began to turn around when something solid impacted with the back of her head. Her head jerked forward and she cried out in pain, dropping her keys as she clutched her aching skull. A final blow to the top of her head sent her to the ground, cracking her left cheekbone as it hit the pavement.
The pain didn't register in her mind as the little girl slipped into unconsciousness. "Father... Nii-chan... Help..." her amber eyes closed as two pairs feet stopped by her head. The two people were dressed in white cloaks, one wearing boots while the other was in high heels. The one in boots, the taller of the two, knelt down and placed their fingers to the girls' neck.
"She's alive." the gruff voice of a man who smoked regularly replied.
"Idiot!" the shorter of the two, the woman in high heels slapped the kneeling man on the head. "I wanted you to knock her out in one strike, not use her head as a piñata!"
The man stood up and casually tossed a plank of wood onto the front steps of the little girls' home. "She's out cold isn't she?"
"Bastard! Just help me get her into the car!" the large man easily scooped up the prone girl into his arms, tossing her unceremoniously into the backseat of the car. The woman glared angrily as she entered the vehicle after the girl, slamming the door behind her. The man sighed and sloshed his way over to the driver's side. As soon as the door closed, the black car took off into the night, a spray of water flying from the back wheels.
As the car disappeared around a corner, the front door of the apartment building opened. Light spilled out onto the pavement as a man in his forties stuck his head out into the rain. His grey hair quickly plastered to his head, as he squinted though the nearly solid wall of rain. "Where is she?" he muttered to himself. As he was about to close the door, he noticed the glint of silver coming from the path. He stepped out into the rain and knelt down, eyes widening in horror.
He grabbed the keys, checking the little plush animal on the key ring. As he feared, the animal was a very soggy orange fox. He clutched the keys tightly in his hand, quickly rushing inside the building and up the stairs to the highest apartment in the building. His little girl was missing and there was only one person who could help him. He reached the front door and banged on it desperately.
A few moments later, the door slowly creaked open. "Hey, hey, what's the big idea?" said the blonde haired young man behind the door, rubbing at his eyes exhaustedly. The man wasted no time with greetings. "Naruto-san, Reiko is missing!" The detective's eyes widened and he gestured for the man to enter.
"Tell me what happened."
Uzumaki Naruto's Apartment, Early Morning (Ten Hours Earlier)
Uzumaki Naruto was lying on his couch, sprawled out across all three seats. He groaned as his eyes once again sought the three communicators waiting innocently on his coffee table. Each one looked the same, a small black box with a screen, keypad and a large red button on the side. Once again he had gotten them mixed up and was unsure of which two-way communicator was connected to one of his three contacts.
One was linked to Hinata's, another to Sakura's and the last was a direct connection to Takami Sayu. 'It's 8am on a Saturday, I should be relaxing until Hinata picks me up at 9 o'clock but... I promised Sakura-chan and Sayu that I'd schedule a day out with both of them! What do I do? I can only make time for one of them; the next time I can afford to skip a day of work will be in a month!'
His hands gripped the sides of his head in frustration, his indecision and panic growing with each passing moment. 'I have to spend time with one of them, I promised! But how do I decide? Besides, how do I know which communicator contacts which girl? I know Hinata won't pick up when she's driving,' he shivered unconsciously before continuing. 'So I can't use the process of elimination on at least one of them, and I still haven't decided who I want to spend the day with in the first place! Plus, if Sakura finds out I ditched her for Takami Sayu, well...' he gulped loudly as he thought of all the pain he would undoubtedly go through.
"Ngh!" he sat up and rested his head on his hands, elbows digging into his legs. "Shikamaru is so right, women are troublesome!" a small grin crept onto his face as he noticed a certain copy of Police Precinct Weekly sitting on his coffee table from the corner of his eye. 'Still, the world wouldn't be as fun without them.'
He rapidly shook his head, clearing away the unwanted thoughts. He was not going to be like Ero-Sensei. That washed up old pervert of a detective had tried unsuccessfully to bring Naruto to the dark side many times during their three years together, but Naruto had stood firm. He was not about to go down that road and be branded as super perv's 'assistant researcher'.
Naruto was shaken from his thoughts when the screen on the middle communicator began to flash, as a simple ringtone began to play from the small speakers. He picked up the small device, pressing the red button and holding it to his ear. "Hello?" he said, a small amount of trepidation in his voice.
"Good morning, Naruto-kun." said the voice of Takami Sayu.
'-Kun? She called me 'Naruto-kun'?'
"Ah, hi Sayu-chan. How are you?"
"I am fine Naruto-kun. I was just calling to enquire about our little date. You have not contacted me since the night of the arrest of the ramen waitress nearly a week ago."
'Date? That was very forward!'
"Uh yeah, sorry about that. I have three communicators and they all look the same and I wasn't sure which one was yours and-"
"I see. So why didn't you call each one to find out who they were linked to?"
Naruto chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, it's a little more complicated than that... Anyway, are you free today?"
"Why yes I am, right now in fact. So shall I pick you up in an hour?"
"Generally the guy picks up the girl for a date you know."
"While that may be true, you are the only guy who doesn't know how to drive."
"Hey!" Naruto replied indignantly.
The sound of Sayu's laughter echoed through the speakers. Despite the slight against his manliness, Naruto found himself laughing as well. That was the melodious laugh of the girl he knew twelve years ago.
"Sure thing, Sayu-chan. I'll see you in an hour."
"I look forward to it, Naruto-kun." the line went dead as she hung up. Naruto removed the communicator from his ear, placing it firmly in his back pocket. That call sorted out both of his problems. He just had to figure out which of the remaining two were connected to Hinata and Sakura and then he could place some identifying marker on each one. He felt a little bad for Sakura though. He'd have to wait a month before he could take her out to lunch or something. He and Hinata had some catching up to do with their case files and evidence bags from previous cases; the paperwork was steadily building up. Between that and the next case, of which Naruto was sure was around the corner, there simply wasn't any time to be hanging out with Sakura.
'Ah well, that's the way it goes.' with that, he picked up one of the two communicators and steeled himself for what could be a very awkward call. He'd tell Sakura the truth though; he just hoped he'd be allowed to live the next time they met. With shaking hands, he pressed the red call button and waited, hoping against hope that his cute assistant would be on the other end of the line.
Outside Uzumaki Naruto's Apartment, Morning (Nine Hours Earlier)
Hinata parked her small silver hatchback in front of the door that led to Naruto's apartment. She glanced around surprised. Normally, there would be a fair amount of traffic on the road, but this morning Kamaboko Crescent was empty, devoid of life save for her.
She unbuckled her seat belt and checked her communicator. She never noticed Naruto's calls when she was driving since she was 'in the zone', nothing but herself, her car and that delicious sense of speed. That rush when she was driving at ridiculously high speeds couldn't be matched by anything. 'Well, except for a date with Naruto-kun.' she thought with a blush.
As her fingers pressed the power button and the screen lit up, she was shocked to find two missed calls and a message. She quickly selected the scroll icon and it unfurled, filling the screen and revealing the messages. Pressing the 'Select' button, a scroll marked 'Naruto' unrolled and expanded to fill the screen. The message was short and rife with errors.
Hinata-chan, sorry about the mistakes, you need to show me how to type capital letters on this thing. Am spending the day with Takami Sayu. She is picking me up in an hour, so in case you're late, you know where I am. I know you won't see this until you get here so I hope you won't be mad. I've decided that today is a day off for us, so feel free to spend the day anyway you like. Will talk to you soon.
Naruto.
The heavy feeling of depression filled Hinata's mind. The feeling of rejection and abandonment was like a physical weight on her heart. What was she to do? Without Naruto, she... She couldn't enjoy any day without being at his side. And yet, he chose to spend the one free day they had with that... That criminal Takami!
An unfamiliar feeling of anger welled up in her chest. The thought of Takami Sayu stealing away her Naruto-kun got even her blood boiling. The normally mild mannered girl jammed her communicator viciously back into her pocket, and started her car. Hinata wasn't going to let that Takami woman corrupt Naruto and she knew exactly who to talk to about dealing with the situation. With determination and a steely resolve, she sped down the now traffic congested street towards the home of Officer Haruno Sakura.
Main Street, Morning (Eight and a Half Hours Earlier)
Naruto sighed and gazed out of his window. His arm rested on the door of the black limousine, and he glanced once again at the back of Saeko's head as she drove Naruto and Sayu to their destination. She hadn't said one to him, instead nodding silently with a polite yet empty smile when he greeted her enthusiastically.
Following the awkward exchange, Saeko rushed to open the doors, moving calmly yet quickly, revealing again a gracefulness that only she possessed. Sayu entered first, followed by the off-duty detective. As the car smoothly drifted away from the curb, Sayu pulled out a rather strange looking communicator and began a long but quiet conversation with whoever was on the other end of the line. Naruto noticed that the usual traffic on his street at this time was absent; Sayu must have blocked the roads for her own safety. There were plenty of people who were after her, and they could attack at any time. The blonde made note of the various armed guards hidden amongst the rooftops at strategic points, just another reminder that Sayu wasn't someone to be trifled with.
Naruto watched as they passed by Ichiraku's. Through the shops' curtain he could see Teuchi, polishing his countertop, looking wearier than the last time Naruto had dropped by. Ayame being locked up had hit both of them hard, but more so for the ramen chef. Watching their daughter being arrested and later visiting her in jail was something that no father would ever want to do. Plus, good help was hard to come by, and Ayame was the best. Not to mention she was probably the reason why most young males tended to drop by for a bowl of ramen, yet leave them almost untouched once they left an hour or so later.
As the limousine drove by, Teuchi looked up hopefully. Naruto waved, before remembering that the windows were tinted so that they were one way. He slumped back in his seat, the feeling of guilt that had been with him since the night of the arrest growing in his heart.
They travelled for a few moments in relative silence, broken only by Sayu's communicator conversation. They turned off Main Street and headed down one of its' numerous side roads, the sleek black car smoothly navigating through the narrow streets. As Takami ended her call, the car slowed to a stop in front of a rather grandiose restaurant. Sayu indicated for Naruto to exit the vehicle with an equally empty smile to that of her bodyguard and a wave of her hand, while Saeko opened her door for her.
As Naruto and Sayu headed through the sliding paper doors of the establishment, Naruto noticed Saeko standing to attention next to the car, her katana and wakizashi once again strapped to her back and waist. Her bright red scarf whipped about in the faint breeze, the only movement apart from her blinking eyes indicating that she was not a mannequin placed by the vehicles' side.
"Isn't Saeko joining us?" asked Naruto.
"She is not. Today, it is just you and me."
Naruto once again felt a feeling of dread settle in his stomach. He definitely felt safer with the blade wielding woman outside than the unarmed one leading him into a potentially dangerous location.
He sighed and readjusted his goggles. Since when did he get so paranoid?
Niwa no Momo, Morning (Eight Hours Earlier)
A smartly dressed waiter led the pair through what had to be the fanciest restaurant Naruto had ever visited. The wooden floors were polished until they shone, reflecting the light from the ornate lanterns above. Low tables were scattered around the restaurant, dark oak slabs that were sunk into the ground, with large cushions placed neatly at the sides for the patrons. The whole place was rather dim, lit by red and blue candles left on tables and in sconces on the walls.
The waiter stopped before a pair of wooden doors framed by two potted bonsai trees. A peacock had been carved into the wood, painted with subtle colours and polished thoroughly. The bird was centred between the two doors and was perfectly symmetrical. Even the intricately carved feathers on its wide spread tail had a perfect mirror image on the opposite door.
The waiter slid the two wooden doors apart, splitting the peacock in half. He then moved off to the side and bowed respectfully until Naruto and Sayu had entered the wide booth. He closed the door behind them and made his way to the kitchen.
Naruto eyed the closed portals. They didn't look too heavy, and if the worst was to happen, he could always smash through the delicate door should he need to escape in a hurry. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. That peacock on the door must have taken a lot of effort to design and carve.
Sayu cleared her throat, instantly regaining Naruto's attention. She flipped her long cocoa brown hair over her shoulder, her hazel eyes meeting his blue ones unblinkingly. "Naruto-kun, you must be wondering why I asked you out to brunch."
'There she goes with the '-kun' suffix again! Does this mean she's acknowledging our childhood friendship? She almost seems to have forgotten how close we once were.'
Naruto nodded once, a slight movement of his head indicating his agreement. "Yeah, well, I was planning to call you some time and arrange something but there was the problem with communicators and well... I was a little worried."
"Worried? How so?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Well Sakura-chan doesn't seem to trust you, and I think she's convinced that you've manipulated me during our previous meeting in some way. I believe she thinks that you've managed to get me on your side, and that she needs to keep an eye on us."
"Really? Well I could always have her dealt with, should you require it."
"NO! You can't kill her!"
"It was a joke Naruto-kun."
Naruto crossed his arms and pouted childishly. "I think your sense of humour is twisted, Sayu-chan!" he grumbled.
Sayu placed her delicate fingers on her lips as she laughed at his antics. "Ah, Naruto-kun, how I have missed you!" a genuine smile formed on her lips, prompting a wide grin from Naruto.
"Yeah, I missed you too; life wasn't the same in the orphanage after you left." Sayu hesitantly reached over the table and placed her hand over his, staring into his eyes with an apologetic and sympathetic look. He smiled back warmly until she quickly wrenched her hand from his, sitting up straight and resuming her former coldness. Naruto blinked in surprise, feeling slightly hurt.
Sayu's icy shell of indifference had broken for a moment, and it was strange to watch her abruptly return to her emotionless state. Sayu turned to the door and rung a small bell she had produced out of thin air. The peacock doors slid open and two waiters walked in, bearing trays laden with various bowls and platters of steaming ramen and sushi.
The pair of waiters arranged the bowls in the centre of the table, bowing respectfully to Sayu as they backed out of the booth and slid the doors shut. Sayu returned her attention to Naruto, relaxing and smiling casually. "My apologies Naruto-kun, I have to maintain appearances. You understand do you not?"
"Y-yeah," said Naruto, "I see you haven't forgotten my favorite type of ramen."
"Of course. I saw you eat miso ramen nearly every day for three years, how could I forget?"
Silence fell over the low table as they quietly whispered "Itadakimasu!" and began to eat. Naruto took his first bite and his eyes widened in surprise - this was a bowl of ramen that could contest with Ichiraku's!
Sayu delicately maneuvered a piece of sushi into a bowl of wasabi with her chopsticks. She glanced up at Naruto after consuming the fishy treat. "Now Naruto-kun, as I said before, you must be wondering about my true intention behind this date."
Naruto's mouth was full to bursting so he simply nodded. Sayu smirked before continuing. "I want you to work for me."
Naruto, who had been in the act of swallowing his mouthful of ramen, began to choke. After a minute of coughing and spluttering, he managed to regain his composure. "What? Why do you need me? I work on the other side of the law!"
"I'm not asking you to join my organization, I'm asking you to fulfil your promise to me."
"My promise?"
"Do you remember the day we met Naruto?"
"Y-Yeah..."
Konoha City Orphanage, Morning (Fifteen Years Ago)
Uzumaki Naruto was not having a good day. Once again he had tried to join the other orphanage kids in their games and again had received a severe pummelling for his troubles. "Traitor!" "Scum!" They had yelled at him, before knocking him to the ground and kicking him repeatedly in the stomach.
He was currently situated in a tree that stood just outside the window in his room. His room was on the top floor of the orphanage. Though 'room' was too kind a word. Naruto lived in the orphanage's dusty attic, the only place that the people who worked at the orphanage would give him. He sat there on the tree branch, wide enough to hold two children sitting side by side, yet he was sitting there alone. He sniffed and wiped the blood from his nose with his sleeve. The tears had stopped coming years ago, or at least, what seemed like years ago. Naruto had been forced to grow up in a short amount of time, as it was the only way for him to stay alive. Every time he tried to play with the other kids, it became more of a half-hearted attempt with each try.
"Umm... E-Excuse me? H-hi." Naruto looked down. Below him, at the foot of the tree, stood a girl around his age, clutching a small, ragged, soft toy. Naruto looked at her curiously. Not many people voluntarily spoke to him, let alone were polite to him whilst speaking.
The girl blushed under the scrutiny of the boys' bright blue eyes, gazing at her with something akin to shock. She hugged the soft toy closer to her chest and spoke in a quiet voice. "This is Kitsune-chan. We're new here." Naruto regarded her cautiously. New or not, he'd better stay on his guard in case this was another cruel prank. But, for some strange reason, he got the feeling that it wasn't. The girl seemed... Too delicate... Too innocent... To be involved in such matters.
He jumped down from the tree. The girl gasped as he did so; the branch he had been sitting on was quite high. But the blonde landed silently, and walked towards her like nothing unusual had happened.
The girl was understandably nervous. This was her first time in a public orphanage after the private one her parents had funded was burned down. But she wasn't afraid. As the boy walked over, he had the widest, most sincere grin on his face that seemed to dispel any worries she had.
The boy stopped in front of her and clasped his hands behind his head. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! And someday, I'm going to be Hokage!" he struck a heroic pose, managing to look both serious and ridiculous at the same time.
The young brunette giggled and lowered her toy fox from in front of her face to speak. "I'm Takami Sayu..." she gazed about thoughtfully and then grinned widely enough to match Naruto's. "And if you'll let me, I want to be your friend!"
Naruto's eyes widened to comical proportions and his mouth dropped open in shock. Here was a girl that had just met him, and did not instantly hate him for something he had no control over. Instead she wanted to befriend him!
Naruto's grin returned full force and he stuck his hand out towards her. "I'd like that," he said. "I've got a feeling this is the start of a beautiful friendship!"
She hesitantly gripped his hand, and nodded happily.
And just like that, Uzumaki Naruto made his first friend.
A few days later, and it seemed Naruto's prediction was true. Sayu had turned out to be a wonderful person, and Naruto's life had turned for the better. Sayu too was happy, though she did not understand why the other kids ignored, and talked so poorly about Naruto, regardless if he was in the room or not.
She asked Naruto about it once before, but he was strangely evasive, instead distracting her with a joke. The blonde had decided that he wouldn't tell Sayu about his father, the very reason he was hated by so many. He would wait until she thought she could handle the truth. He didn't want to lose his only friend to the man who made his life miserable without even being in it.
Naruto didn't know his father's name, and no one was bothered enough to tell him. All he knew was that he had been the Yondaime Hokage and had betrayed Konoha. When Naruto was two, his father had called an emergency meeting with the City Council in his office. That meeting had consisted of the heads of the various clans of Konoha, including the leaders of the Uchiha, Hyuga and Takami clans. The Yondaime attacked and killed 22 members of the council, killing all but the Uchiha and Hyuga representatives, who managed to escape.
Sayu's father had been killed in the incident, and her mother, who had been accompanying him, had gone missing. The Yondaime Hokage stole vital documents containing a multitude of secrets about Konoha City and fled, smashing through the wide windows of the Hokage's office and vanished into the night, leaving poor Naruto on the blood stained floor of the office, surrounded by bodies. The blonde boy was found asleep and drenched with blood amongst the carnage the next morning.
When the boy was returned to his home, the investigators were shocked to find Naruto's home had become a scene of devastation. The back wall of the house had been blown outwards by some form of explosion, dried blood stained the walls in copious amounts and Naruto's mother, Uzumaki Kushina was missing, presumed dead.
The people of Konoha were outraged by the crime perpetrated by their beloved Hokage. The information he stole contained the very secrets that kept the city safe. Those secrets were now in the hands of a murderer, and could be changing hands with the enemies of the Land of Fire. There had been rumours that someone in the City Council was selling secrets to Iwa City in the Land of Earth. With the actions of the Hokage, the blame fell on him.
Initially, the citizens were unable to believe that the Yondaime Hokage, one of the kindest and most promising Hokage, could do such a thing. As time passed, reality set in and the man once known as the greatest Hokage there ever was became public enemy number one. The people were filled with hate and rage, and were unable to release it upon the one who deserved it. So poor young Naruto, as the son of the former Hokage, was forced to shoulder the blame.
As Naruto grew up, and proved his worth as a detective, the citizens realized that he was not his father, and grudgingly began to let go of their anger. However, those of the older generations, who were more set in their ways, never forgave Naruto for the crime he did not commit, still attempting to cause him grief even in his adult life.
But during his painful, dark childhood, Naruto had one thing that stopped him from going insane. His one and only friend, Takami Sayu. Sure, since she chose to befriend him, she too was targeted. But Naruto was always quick to defend her, and would often find himself waking from unconsciousness after a beating cradled in Sayu's lap.
After the latest incident with the kids of the orphanage, Naruto's eyes opened slowly, and he blinked away the blurriness that was obscuring the face of his best friend. Sayu gently stroked his hair, supporting his head on her lap as he lay sprawled across the floor of their room in the attic. He sat up slowly, wincing as his various injuries sent sharp bolts of pain through his body. He maneuvered himself until he could lean back on the wall next to Sayu, and slowly turned towards her, expecting her usual barrage of questions. Surprisingly, none were forthcoming.
Sayu was studying his badly battered face, infinite sadness evident in her eyes. "Naruto-kun, why did you take that beating for me?" she whispered.
"Because you're my best friend! I'd hate to see you get hurt because of me." he grinned, wincing as a cut on his cheek reopened.
Sayu shook her head slowly. "Are you ever going to tell me why they treat you like this?"
Naruto leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. "Maybe someday, Sayu-chan, but not now."
She nodded again and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You don't deserve this."
"Neither do you. But until the day comes that they'll leave us alone, I promise to protect you, now and forever. Because you are the only good and precious person in my life."
Sayu blushed faintly. "And I promise to always be there for you, no matter what. But if we are separated, know that you are the only person in my heart, now and forever." Naruto smiled softly and rested his head on top of hers.
Sitting there together, finding peace in each other's presence, the two friends fell sound asleep.
Niwa no Momo, Late Morning (Present Day)
"Was that the promise you were talking about?" asked Naruto, gazing subdued into his empty bowl. Sayu too seemed faraway, lost in the memories of their past.
"I am surprised you remembered that one. But no, Naruto-kun, I'm talking about the one that came after. The promise of a life we made to each other on my sixth birthday."
"I remember. The promise we made to each find the other's mother and reunite them."
Sayu resumed her rather business like exterior, hiding that one moment of weakness. "Yes Naruto-kun. In your capacity as a top notch detective, finding my mother will be a simple task. Likewise, with my connections, tracing your mother from the time of her apparent death should be more within my capabilities."
"Why didn't you try to find your mother before? With your resources, you could have located her years ago."
"A part of me, one that is locked away deep inside my heart, remembered the blonde-haired, blue-eyed ball of sunshine that helped me through the darkest times of my life. No matter how hard I tried to be completely emotionless and distant, there was that one part of me that yearned to see you, so I could be the person I once was. Holding you to your promise gave me hope that I would see you again, since you never go back on your word."
"I'm glad you did. I missed you so much when they took you away. Where did you go?"
Sayu once again leaned across the table and held his hand. "The day that elderly man came to the orphanage and took me away, he introduced himself as my loyal servant. That was Saeko's grandfather. He brought me back to the Takami mansion and told me that I would be trained to take over the family 'business'."
"They started teaching you to be the head of organized crime at the age of eight?"
"Yes, they believed I was ready for what they called 'mental preparation'. In just three days, they ruined my childhood and forced me to grow up. In two years, I was the person you see today, ready to take over as head of the Takami family."
Naruto clasped her hand in both of his. "I'm sorry."
"Your sympathy is unwarranted. That was many years ago. Tell me Naruto-kun, what happened to you after I left?"
"When you left, life at the orphanage became unbearable. A month later, the Third Hokage moved me to my current apartment to protect me from the children and the citizens of Konoha. After three years of living by myself, with only the Ichiraku Ramen staff as my friends, I finally joined the Police Academy. But something wasn't right; I didn't feel like it was for me. The way the police solved crimes was different from how I wanted to. Naturally I didn't do so well, I was dead last in fact. But I made two friends, my teammates who would have been my partners at a precinct if we graduated together. Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. During our second year, Sasuke's parents were murdered by his elder brother Itachi. He wasn't the same after that. Sasuke defected from the Academy shortly after, saying that the police were useless and corrupt, after they failed to find his brother. Last I heard, he had formed a vigilante gang named Taka and is currently hunting down Itachi, to get revenge, though he calls it 'justice'."
"I see. Life didn't get much better for you did it?"
Sayu was surprised when Naruto suddenly grinned. "Oh it did. I dropped out of the Academy during my final year, when I was fourteen. The day I left, an old washed up detective named Jiraiya returned to the city. We met; he seemed convinced that I would make a better detective than an officer after one conversation with me and offered to take me on a three year training trip. I didn't have anything else to do so I said yes. He taught me so much and he was right - being a detective was my true calling. When we got back, the people weren't as angry at me as they used to be, and when I started helping them by solving crimes, most of the residents started to see me for who I was, an average detective, rather than the son of a traitor."
"You are too modest Naruto-kun; there hasn't been one case you haven't solved." Naruto smiled and scratched the back of his head.
"Aww, I'm not that good, my assistant Hyuga Hinata helped me solve nearly all of them."
"When did you start working with this Hyuga Hinata?"
"About five months after I returned from the training trip, I went to her house to ask if her cousin wanted to join my newly formed Detective Agency. I found her after her father had beaten her and took her in, to protect her. That's how she became my assistant, and she truly is the best assistant I could have ever asked for."
"I see," she locked eyes with Naruto, a genuine look of disappointment in her eyes. "I am afraid, Naruto-kun that our time is up. I must get back to a meeting with some potential clients."
"O-Oh, OK."
Sayu stood up from her seat, prompting Naruto to stand as well. "I enjoyed myself today Naruto-kun. We should organize another date soon."
"I'd like that. It's great to see you again, Sayu-chan."
Sayu smiled and clasped his hand warmly in a rare act of honest emotion. "Likewise. I am afraid I will have to leave you here; I will be late for my meeting if I drop you back at your apartment."
"That's alright, I'll walk."
After one last goodbye, Sayu drove off, leaving Naruto outside Niwa no Momo. He slowly made his way back home, a smile gracing his features as he watched the sleek black limosine vanish around the corner.
Uzumaki Naruto's Apartment Building, Afternoon (Five Hours Earlier)
Naruto and Hinata were making their way up the short flight of stairs to Naruto's apartment on the top floor of the building. Hinata had found him walking home when she had been driving slowly and aimlessly around Konoha City, a rare occurrence. After Naruto got in the car however, her daredevil instincts returned, and poor Naruto was left pale, wide-eyed and shivering once they arrived.
Hinata had been strangely quiet, well, more quiet than usual. Aside from asking if Naruto had had a good time, she barely said a word. Naruto knew she wasn't upset though, due the fact that as they neared the end of their ride, a small smile had appeared on her lips, and for some reason, he knew it wasn't because of the reckless driving.
'Hinata-chan is too dependent on me. While it's cute in a way, if something happens to me, I don't know what she'll do. I need to start building up her confidence, it's for her own good.' thought Naruto as he walked hand-in-hand with white eyed girl he worried so much about.
"Um, Naruto-kun...?"
"Yes Hinata-chan?" he could feel her hesitating, and squeezed her hand comfortingly. Hinata closed her eyes and smiled. She opened her mouth to speak as they reached the second to last landing on the stairwell.
'Is it right to ask him?' she bit her lip as she deliberated over the situation. 'Will he get angry if I ask him if he is in a relationship with Takami Sayu? But I need to know, and Naruto-kun is very open... Yes, I will ask!'
"N-Naruto-kun, I just wanted to know-" Hinata's timid voice was cut off by an excited squeal.
"Naruto-nii-chan!" the detective duo turned to see a girl of about ten years of age standing outside of an open door to an apartment. She had short black hair that reached her chin and a fringe that covered her forehead. Two long strands of hair jutted out at odd angles on top her head and she had bright amber eyes, positively glistening with happiness. Hinata noticed she was wearing a shirt that was similar to one that Naruto owned when he was young; a simple black t-shirt with a red swirl on the front.
The little girl rushed up the narrow corridor, arms outstretched. Naruto knelt down on one knee and held his own arms wide open, the biggest grin he could possibly manage nearly splitting his face. The little girl ran into his arms, laughing as Naruto picked her up and swung her around in circles, nearly knocking Hinata back down the stairs.
"Reiko-chan!"
'More competition? And they look like they're having fun too.' If not for Shikamaru's words of encouragement back at the precinct a week ago, she would have started to lose hope. Back when they were young, and only she could see Naruto for what he was, life was easier, even if she never had the courage to speak to him.
'But now that everyone knows how wonderful Naruto-kun is, it seems like everyone wants him. Oh, I really need to try harder or I'll never be with him!'
Oblivious to Hinata's troubles, Naruto set the little girl down, chuckling as she dizzily stumbled around.
"It's been too long since I've seen Nii-chan! Where were you?" she crossed her arms and pouted. Naruto chuckled and ruffled her hair.
"I was out solving a case, and then I was trying to organize the cupboard where Hinata and I keep our case files and evidence this past week. It's been really busy, but everything's all sorted now! If you'd like, you could come by sometime and have another look at the cases we've solved."
"I'd like that! I love it when you tell me the stories! It's like being read a detective novel!" Naruto laughed before reaching into his waist pouch.
"Hey Reiko-chan, I have something for you!"
"Another gift? But you've given me so much already! This shirt for my birthday," she stretched the hem of her shirt before digging around in her pockets, pulling out a key ring. A little orange fox keychain dangled from the keys held in her small hand. "And this cute fox keychain! And all I give you are homemade rice balls." she looked down, dejected. "And they aren't even that good."
"Nonsense! They're delicious!" Reiko looked up at his grinning face. He was smiling widely, his eyes closed as he held out a small laminated card. Reiko took the small piece of plastic and studied it intently. Naruto's name was printed on the card, a phone number underneath it along with a small chibi Naruto flashing a peace sign drawn in the corner.
Naruto reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small black device with a red button on the side. "This is a communicator I use to talk with Hinata-chan when we're apart. I had it modified so that if you call this number on the card from a phone, you can speak to me through this two way communicator. So if you ever need help, give me a call!"
Reiko wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. "Thanks Naruto-nii-chan! You're the best!"
"Reiko! It's time to go! You don't want to be late do you?" a man called from the still open door of Reiko's apartment.
"Coming Daddy!" she turned back to Naruto. "I'm going to spend the day at my friend's house! Bye Naruto-nii-chan!"
"See you Reiko-chan!" she tore off down the corridor, waving at Hinata as she ran down the stairs. A man with grey hair and tired eyes stepped out of the apartment, locking the door behind him. He nodded to Naruto as he walked by.
"Naruto-san. Thank you, for looking out for her." Naruto smiled back.
"My pleasure, Murakami-san." Murakami slowly made his way down the stairs, calling out to his daughter, begging her to slow down for an old man like him.
"Come on Hinata-chan, we've still got some paperwork to do!"
"Uh, right! I-I'm coming Naruto-kun!"
They ascended the final flight of stairs and reached the familiar wooden door that led to the Uzumaki's apartment. "Um, Naruto-kun? Who was that little girl?"
"Huh? Oh, that's Murakami Reiko, my neighbour."
"Why was she so happy to see you?"
Naruto motioned for her to step through the doorway and into his living room/kitchen. "Isn't everyone happy to see me Hinata-chan?"
She blushed profusely. "I-I, no... I mean... Yes, uh..." he chuckled as she rendered herself incoherent.
"You're so cute when you're flustered." Hinata quickly moved to the couch, in case she passed out again.
'He said I'm cute!'
Naruto sat down next to her before continuing. "I rescued her from some kids who were giving her trouble about a year ago and we've been friends ever since. Her dad was very grateful; he never really bothered to interact with me before that. Every once in a while, Reiko-chan drops by and we go through the case file cabinet; she picks a case and I tell her the story behind it. She always brings rice-balls, since it's the only thing she can make and she wants to repay me. I always make sure to eat them all and compliment her on her cooking skills; since that's the reason those kids were troubling her in the first place."
"You are too kind, Naruto-kun."
He scratched that back of his head sheepishly. "Nah, I'm just doing what every decent person should." he clapped his hands together, suddenly all businesslike and serious. "Right, let's get to work on organizing those case files!"
"Y-Yes, Naruto-kun!"
Uzumaki Naruto's Apartment, Night (Two Hours Earlier)
Hinata left with the paperwork after a straight three hours of laborious signing and filing. She would drop them off at the Agency on her way home. Naruto stretched, popping the bones in his back before settling down to watch television.
An hour later, he practically inhaled three cups of instant ramen, took a long hot shower, and leapt into bed, falling into a deep sleep the moment his head hit the soft pillow.
After what felt like seconds, a loud banging on his front door roused him from his slumber. He grudgingly slipped out of his warm bed, barely noticing the violent storm raging outside his window. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he slowly opened the door. "Hey, hey, what's the big idea?" he mumbled.
At his front door stood Murakami, absolutely soaked and dripping water on his door mat. "Naruto-san, Reiko is missing!" Naruto was fully awake now and opened his door fully, motioning for the older man to enter.
"Tell me what happened."