Chapter 13

Cunning

"Wassup loser?"

"Nai-kun that's not a very nice thing to call me."

The young girl dropped her backpack in the grass and sat cross-legged next to it. "Do you have a preference?" She opened a pack of cigarettes, "Flea, maybe?"

"I had a feeling his little nickname would catch on."

She rolled her eyes and peeked through the bleachers at their classmates running around the track. Shinra fell on his face again, way behind the rest of the class. Shizuo doubled back and yelled at the boy for a bit before throwing him over his shoulder.

"Hand it over." The girl said when she was done spying.

"Can I not enjoy my gym period in peace?"

The junior flashed a roll of cash at the boy, "Is this peace enough?"

"That's perfect." Izaya tucked the money into his backpack and pulled out a stack of paper, "The answers to the next couple of tests and a full synapses on the book for that report due next week."

"Have you ever thought of getting a job in this?"

He was giddy at being talked to without her usual sarcasm, "A job in what Nai-kun?"

"Information."

He stroked his chin thoughtfully, "That sounds like a pretty good plan."

"I think they're over here."

Nai fumbled over her half smoked cigarette as she shoved the papers into her backpack. She could see Shizuo stomping over with Shinra behind him.

"What the hell are you two doing under there!" The blonde shouted. The bleachers were ripped from the ground and grass and dirt rained over the two. Shizuo held the metal over his head and breathed heavily.

"See ya!"

The blonde yelled in time with the girl still sprawled in the grass, "Izaya get back here!"

The teacher shouted across the field, "Heiwajima, Kishitani, and Hagane! Detention!"

"What's going on?"

Shizuo rubbed the back of his neck and sighed around his unlit cigarette. "Nai spent the night."

"Seriously? Way to go man."

The blonde grunted, "It wasn't like that. Nothing happened, and we stayed on the couch..."

"You want to know what it means?"

"I guess."

Tom chuckled as they crossed the street, "You guys were close right? In high school I mean. If I remember correctly there was never one of you without the other. Even when she was dating that guy..." He paused, pulling his hand from his pocket to scratch his nose, "I think your feelings are evolving."

"What the hell does that mean?"

The older man sighed, "It means that you like each other."

Shizuo chose to stay quiet. He didn't really need to be told that, he knew that already. But maybe it needed to be reaffirmed. "She said whoever marries her becomes head of the family."

"Whoa! I don't think we should be thinking that far ahead just yet!"

He blushed, "I didn't mean..."

"Sure." Tom interrupted. The blonde seethed next to him and he sighed, "You care about her wellbeing. But you also care that she's a criminal. Don't you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"The statement you made. Being head of her family, having anything to do with her family is not something you can handle."

Shizuo looked up at the tall buildings of Bukuro and the sky peeking between them, "I hate violence..."

"Have you ever thought that maybe she does too?"

The men stopped and looked at each other for a moment; Tom quirked an eyebrow in a knowing way. He remembered Nai from school just like he did Shizuo. She was ruthless when she needed to be. But she laughed and smiled like a normal teenage girl and the expression she made when she thought no one was looking was sad and contemplative.

They continued around the corner and Tom smiled, "Well speak of the devil."

"Hey you two."

Nai smiled back at the men and Shizuo adjusted his sunglasses. Tom grinned knowingly at her and she grinned back, "I take it you know."

"Yup."

"Nothing happened."

"I'm aware."

Her grin morphed into a know-it-all smirk and she adjusted her blazer as she glanced at Shizuo. "Sorry to ruin your work day but I need this one."

Tom looked up at the building they were in front of. It was the first name on the list of four high profile collections he had today. High profile being tied to this new drug that was going around. He should have known he's bump into the Yakuza eventually.

"You need him?" Shizuo questioned.

"He borrowed money from you guys so he could buy from my guys in large quantities and re-sell. It worked until my guys caught on and apparently he's been spending the money quite thoughtlessly."

The black car on the street jumped and pounding sounded from the trunk.

Tom was slightly amused, "How did you really find out?"

"I have my source."

Shizuo balled his hands into a fist, "That damn flea..."

"He has his uses."

"Nai-kun! What a pleasant surprise!"

Namie looked over the book she was reading at the yakuza heiress. Nai waved to her in a bored manner, "Yagiri right?"

"Yeah. Hagane?"

"You got it."

Now that the women had their mutually bored greeting Izaya skipped back into Nai's view. "What brings you to see me?"

"I'm hunting." She smiled and reached into her blazer, she handed over the roll of money, "Know anything that could help me?"

The car jumped again and Nai waved her hand, asking for the trunk to be opened. She walked over to it calmly and leaned in. She spoke low but Shizuo could hear, her whole demeanor had changed, she was so menacing, "I will make sure to put a bullet through every joint in your body if you don't stop making a fucking racket."

His stomach turned as the trunk slammed closed.

"You ok?"

He unconsciously toom a step back from her, "I'm fine."

She stepped forward again and reached out. Touching his elbow and raising her eyebrows, "If you say so."

Tom wasn't sure what to say as she headed to the car, "Have fun?"

Her expression flashed to what might have been sadness or regret before she smirked, trying to cover it up, "I'll try."

The men just stood on the sidewalk as her escorts pulled away. Shizuo had already bitten off the filter of his cigarette in frustration and bent down to pick up the rest of it, tossing it in the paper pouch he kept on his pocket. Tom just sort of eyes him quietly. Wondering what the blonde was thinking.

"You flushed out a rat. Good girl."

She didn't smile at her father, she just stood as still as she could and tried not to shoot him in the head. Her gun shook despite her efforts, "Get out...of his chair."

Her father lounged in his brother's seat behind the desk. "Oh please. It's just a chair, and he's just a man."

"He's better than you."

"Not really."

He was too calm; he knew something she didn't. Nai stood her ground, narrowing her gaze. "Then why is he Ojo?"

Daifu sighed theatrically, "Well, he is the older son so it was supposed the that way.

But, I made a mistake. I met this girl you see. About 24 years ago? And I got her pregnant. Who would have known that my brother would have feelings for some whore's kid?"

She clenched her fists, "Why didn't he marry?"

He chuckled, "Loyal to the family..."

Her uncle saved her. She could be dead or addicted by now if she had stayed with her mother. He opened his family to her, brought her into the more noble part of her blood. She would always love him for that. "His heart is the reason why he's respected."

"Not for long oh-stupid-daughter of mine. You know the way of gangs and mobs are changing these days. It's much more brutal. I mean...you spent four years learning it all... The exact techniques you used on your rat today." He adjusted in the chair, "Did you get the bruise on your arm from him as you strangled him?"

The arm disappeared behind her back, "I used what I needed to get the information I wanted."

"You. Are. A. Criminal."

"I am yakuza dammit! The families want tough I'll give them lethal! No one is taking my family from me!"

He took his time standing from the chair and strode proudly across the office, stopping next to his daughter and whispering in her ear, "This is my family too. And it was mine first."

"What did you do?"

Nai looked up from the bruise to Shinra and frowned, "You sound like Shizuo."

The doctor kept a straight face his serious friend face. Nai chose to looked back down at her arm, running her thumb over the purple mark. His grip had been so tight. She thought he would never let go and when he did let go, she thought shed killed him.

"He's still breathing..."

He eyes were wide and she turned, heading for the car without a word.

"I almost killed a man Shinra. Strangled him from behind for information and he grabbed my arm."

"Nai..."

She picked up the envelope from the table, "Is this the drug test?"

Shinra didn't answer her right away and she asked him again. He sighed, "Yes. All the components and even dosage levels and their repercussions."

"Thank you."

"What will you do with it?"

"My uncle can probably look over it and figure that out. Get it to the hospitals or something." She straightened her blazer as she stood.

"What's happening Nai?"

Her face was very solemn when she met his gaze, "I think i'm losing my city... and my family."