...
Naomasa sighed fondly as he drove Izuku back to his apartment. The kid was dozing lightly in the seat next to him. His breathing was slow and even. It had been a long day for both of them and he was emotionally drained. It was good that he was getting some rest.
On the head rest of the passenger seat Aiden was watching Izuku with an equally fond look. If Naomasa didn't know better he would have thought the bird was almost human. Maybe he had a quirk. Animal quirks were extremely rare but odd things did happen to Izuku.
He was startled by the ringing of his phone a few inches away. Naomasa grabbed the phone and checked the number. Hmmm what did Chief Tsuragamae need?
He accepted the call with a curt, "Tsukauchi. What can I do for you, Chief Tsuragamae?"
There was a sound of relief on the other end of the phone. Before the Chief asked, "Detective, I am sorry to bother you given what's been happening at home. However this is an emergency and I need your help with something. Where are you?"
Naomasa glanced at Izuku to ensure he was still asleep before he answered, "I'm on my way back to my apartment with, Izuku. Why? What's happening?"
There was a muffled curse from Tsuragamae as he said something to someone on the other end. A reply was given but he couldn't make it out. Worry filled his gut. The Chief wasn't one to call him over something insignificant.
He asked again, "Chief, what is it?"
Izuku tiredly turned about in the seat. He opened one hazy green eye to look at Naomasa. Not fully awake then. Naomasa gave him a smile trying to put him at ease. That had the boy shifting to sit fully up and rub at his eyes tiredly. It made him look much younger than he actually was.
"I'm sorry, Naomasa," finally replied Tsuragamae, "I need you to come to a crime scene. It's important that you see this so we can prepare properly."
"What is it?" He questioned eyeing Izuku.
"Okami has come to Musutafu," stated Tsuragamae without preamble.
In Naomasa's shock he slammed on the breaks. This caused the cars behind him blared their horns angrily at him. Naomasa pulled over to the side his hands clenching tight on the steering wheel. The jolting must have woken Izuku up fully for he was now starint at Naomasa uncertainly.
"Repeat that," he demanded a thrill of fear going down his spine, "Tsuragamae please tell me you are just telling a bad joke."
"I'm sorry," replied the Chief, "Kirukuru was the one who targeted. It's not a pretty scene."
Kirukuru? What had he done to catch the eye of a serial killer? Especially one as bad as Okami. He had been a good man and more often than not had looked after the homeless.
They had been friends for years. His heart ached at the thought of the death of his friend. Has anyone told his wife? What about his children?
Through clenched teeth he said, "Send me the address."
"Will do."
With that said he ended the call and leaned his head against the steering wheel. His phone pinged with the location but he was reluctant to move. He was reluctant to go see the body of his friend.
There was a gentle prodding to his ribs from next to him. Izuku asked in a quiet voice, "Are you okay, Naomasa?"
Naomasa raised his head to look at his little ward for a moment. Green eyes were still a little hazy from sleep but they were still honest.
"I'm okay just hurting," he answered which brought about worry in the green eyes, "It's not a physical pain. My friend and coworker has been found murdered. I have to get to the scene but I have you with me."
Naomasa looked away from Izuku. He regretted that he had to do this. He had a job to do even if it meant he had to leave Izuku in the car. There was another gentle prodding to his ribs.
He looked back at Izuku. There was a keen understanding that gave him a nauseous feeling. What all had Izuku gone through in his short life? Would he ever be trusted enough for Izuku to tell him everything?
Naomasa said, "It'll be okay. You will stay in the car while I gather my evidence. Will you be okay with this?"
"I will."
...
It was a chaotic scene that he arrived at. Officers were everyone and half a dozen were trying to keep out reporters. Naomasa wasn't in uniform but he was immediately recognized and allowed inside. The scent of blood and death hit him like a ton of bricks.
At the back end of the alley in a dead end lay a body. The body was that of a man whose height couldn't be determined even knowing his identity. The reason for this was the fact that he was missing his head and a leg. Guts were scattered all throughout the alley. If he didn't know of the serial killer he would have thought a large animal had killed him.
Sad onyx eyes trailed over to the body ingraining the scene in his mind. He would not forget what happened to Kirukuru. This was his friend and comrade.
Sansa was taking notes off to one side when he caught sight of Naomasa, "Evening, Nao. Sorry we had to pull you away from your kid. It's just... This is a bad situation."
"It's understandable," sighed Naomasa knowingly, "Do we know why, Okami decided to go after Kirukuru? He doesn't usually go after just normal people."
Sansa's ears folded back as he replied, "He was arrested a few weeks back and was awaiting a court date."
"For what?"
Sansa sighed, "Domestic violence."
Damn it. That explained a lot. Still Okami was in his town and he couldn't allow this to continue. They had to catch him before he killed again. Protect the city and their people. No matter how much they disliked some of their choices.