FicWad

There's this old PS2 game called Glass Rose (I think it came out around 2003) that I played when I was staying at my best friend's place. It's about several murders that happened in this mansion where all the rooms are named after a flower and decorated with the flower's theme (i.e. Orchid Room has purple color scheme and orchid-shaped lamps). The game reminded me of Agatha Christie novels and somehow, I was inspired to write this fic. O__o Crazy, I know.

Kudos to my best friend SV. ^_^ If it wasn't for her, this story would remain inside my own head, locked away with many other insane ideas that would most likely never see the light of day.

Anyway, this story takes place in late twenties Japan, so there are no such things as fingerprints and DNA. I've never tried writing a complicated "mansion murder mystery" before and this is also my first try at a full-blown AU, so please be gentle looks at readers with puppy eyes Give it a try and let me know what you think, okay? Love you!




Prologue

The Uninvited Guest

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Hyuuga Neji never thought that a single flutist accompanied by a string quartet would be enough for a grand celebration in the magnificent Great Hall of his family's mansion. But as he watched his father, his two younger sisters and the tens of honorable guests mingling and dancing along, he was pleasantly surprised that the music was perfect.

He always wondered why his father, exactly fifty years old now as his speech before dinner early on pointed out, could still be so adventurous as to hire a young, avant-garde composer like Tayuya and his posse instead of a full orchestra. God knows the hall was big enough, and it wasn't like they couldn't afford it. Funny how everything his father preferred, no matter how bizarre, always turned out good in the end.

Speaking of the birthday boy, Neji saw one of their house staff came to his father and they talked quietly for a moment, the security guard showing something to Head of the House. Then they both stepped out and disappeared in to the Entrance Hall. The young Hyuuga heir thought nothing of it and continued playing the good host, even more so than before in the momentary absence of the Head of the Family.

It didn't take long before he saw his father enter the gigantic hall again. Only this time, he was accompanied by a young man he had never seen before. The man didn't wear formal attire; his clothing consisted only of black pants, turtleneck pullover and jacket. His black shoes were definitely made for everyday use instead of gala attendance. Had he come here unknowing of today's celebration? Neji wondered. From the man's demeanor, it was obvious that this new guest was a person of proper decorum, not one who would be so crass as to come to a party -- especially one that was held by Hyuuga Hiashi, the most prominent noble in Tokyo, at his famous Hyuuga Mansion -- in such inadequate apparel. That fact was also made obvious from that man's wear that, although very simple, were of expensive garments and most certainly tailored. They fit the man all too perfectly to be otherwise.

Neji strode towards his father and the mysterious guess immediately, curiosity getting the better of him. As he approached, he could hear their conversation slightly.

"Well, here we are," Hiashi said as he gestured as if showing off the extremely large room while his young guest took a moment to scan their surrounding, where people with suits and gowns mingled and danced. "I call this room the Great Hall. What do you think?"

The answer was a deadpan, "I think I'm underdressed."

Hiashi chuckled. "Nonsense. I'm sure you'll fit right in."

The much-younger man just smiled good-naturedly. Hiashi gestured for his charge to follow as he walked further inside and intercept his son who was already heading towards them.

"Shikamaru, I'd like you to meet my oldest son Neji," the older Hyuuga started an introduction. "Neji, this is Nara Shikamaru. I think he would be much more comfortable if you're the one who takes him around to mingle. Youngsters have a language of their own, after all, one that an old man such as myself can barely understand."

Neji nodded politely to the new guest before smiling at his father. "You're not that old, Otousan."

"But I am, Neji. Those candles on my birthday cake earlier said so. You should've seen it, Shikamaru. The cake was bright enough to light up this whole room."

Shikamaru joined the bantering easily. "Really, Hiashi-san? I hope nobody mistook it as the table catching fire."

Hiashi laughed. "Goodness, no. I think Jiraiya came close though. He actually asked me whether or not he should call the fire brigade."

"Are you sure it wasn't his way of asking whether or not you'd be able to blow out all those candles?"

"Hmm... Why didn't I think of that? Maybe I should've let him call the brigade, after all. I almost blew my lungs out instead of the candles."

Neji watched as his father and this man he just met joked around. He wondered who this Nara Shikamaru was. None of their employees call his father 'Hiashi-san' and only a few of their business partners did so, all of which he knew personally since he'd been greatly involved with the family business for the last two years.

Shikamaru couldn't be a family friend or a relative since he had never heard of the man before. His father was usually reserved and quiet, only smiling secretively whenever he found something amusing without sharing what it was that he found amusing, but now he was laughing with this man like old friends -- which also couldn't be possible since this Shikamaru was no older than him. Besides, if this man was so close with his father, how come he didn't remember seeing the name in the guest list?

"Oh, my. Even your sense of humor is exactly like your father. I haven't laugh like that since Shikaku and I parted ways years ago." Hiashi's voice shook Neji out of his ponderings. Then he heard his father said, "Well, then. I guess I should leave you two for now. I need to see to my other guests. Neji, if you please?"

"Of course, Otousan," Neji answered obligingly. In truth, he couldn't wait to get to know Shikamaru better and find out who he was. And no, the fact that this man looked very pleasing clad in all black was of no consideration.

"Oh, and you should know that he's staying here with us for as long as he deems necessary. The servants are preparing the Cloud Room as we speak," Hiashi added.

Neji gave his father a puzzled look. "Excuse me, Otousan, I think I've misheard. Did you say the Cloud Room?"

"Yes, the Cloud Room," Hiashi smiled reassuringly at his son. "Shikamaru is not a guest, Neji. He's family."

It took everything in the young Hyuuga to not gape at his father who just walked away without anymore explanation. He quickly gathered his composure and addressed the young man beside him, "Please, Nara-san, this way. You look like you've come a long way. Have you had dinner?"

"I've had dinner in the train, thank you," Shikamaru said as he followed. "I'm sorry, Hyuuga-san, for not being properly dressed for the occasion. I have no knowledge of this celebration when I came here."

Although he noted the fact that this person apparently just arrived from another town, Neji also swore inwardly at the return of formality. He was hoping he could talk with this man the same way his father did. He couldn't tell if it was because Shikamaru didn't know him as well as his father or if he was the one who unconsciously turned the temperature down. He does that a lot. His youngest sister, Hanabi, said that he was too stiff.

Damn. He had been meaning to change that. "You shouldn't call me by my last name when you address the Head of the Family with his first name."

Shikamaru looked at him. "I didn't mean to be rude... Neji-san. You called me by last name, so I was just returning the courtesy. I'm sorry if I've offended you."

"It's alright," Neji smiled awkwardly, "I'm not offended at all. I guess we should just play it safe and call each other by our first name. That is, if that's alright with you, Shikamaru-san?"

The other man seemed to study him for a moment before he finally smirked. "Why don't we just lose the honorific altogether? My name is long enough as it is, it'll be easier to call me without adding any suffix, wouldn't you think?"

"I'd like that," Neji said before jumping in to his forgotten agenda. "So, where are you from, Shikamaru?"

"Nara."

"Eh? I'm sorry, I thought you said-"

"No, I mean I'm from Nara. I just got here in Tokyo this evening."

"Oh... Oh! I see..."

Neji swore inwardly again when his companion snickered. "Yeah, well, that's one of the reasons I don't like people calling me by my last name."

"Hm, yes, I can see how that could be confusing," Neji responded with a little smile he didn't realize he'd let out. "Are you, by any chance, from the Nara family that owns Nara Pharmaceuticals?"

"Yes."

"Hn," Neji actually frowned. He knew of the company, it being famous as the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan, but his father always turned down the idea of having a business partnership with the Nara family. Now suddenly it turned out that a man from that same family was a close friend? Close enough, even, to be given a room next to his sister's instead of one of the rooms in the Guest Wing or the annex? "That's odd."

"Why?"

"Oh, nothing. My mind was somewhere else," the young Hyuuga tactfully killed the subject. He would ask his father regarding the matter later. "So, uh... how long have you known Otousan?"

"A few minutes, at best," Shikamaru said dryly.

Now what was that supposed to mean? Neji thought. This person was getting more and more intriguing by the minute. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I," the young Nara snorted while taking a glass of wine from the tray a servant held out them. "Tonight is the first time I've met Hyuuga Hiashi but, apparently, he had known me since I was born."

As he also took a glass before the servant disappeared in to the throngs of people again, Neji was about to ask more. However, they stumbled upon another guest and he abruptly remembered that he was supposed to be playing host. The Hyuuga heir made a mental note to save that topic for later before beginning introduction.

The young host took his new friend around the large hall, careful not to disturb the people dancing in the center, stopping here and there for introduction. He managed to introduce Shikamaru to his younger sisters before the older of the two went to the grand piano to play with the band, obliging the request of some of the guests. He was beginning to get sick of saying, "This is Nara Shikamaru. He just arrived from Nara," when they reached an opened door.

"This is the Wind Room," he said as they entered the room that, to Shikamaru, although it was no more than a third of the Great Hall, was bigger than the biggest room in his house.

True to its name, the room was made to make those who entered felt like they were in breeze, sweeping across plains, forests and hills. While the Great Hall had the natural color of its wooden floor and decorations preserved, this room was beautifully decorated in soft colors. The walls were blue before it somehow morphed to green, the blending of the two colors creating a soothing gradation, with almost-transparent lines of white curving along it in a wide, infrequent pattern. The furniture was carefully chosen -- or maybe ordered specifically, Shikamaru noted -- to accentuate the theme. The wooden parts of the chairs and sofa were in that natural, cream color of wood, seemingly bright against the dark green cushions, making the simple yet elegant carving noticeable. They matched perfectly with the tables, the bar, the chess table, and even the pool table in the middle of the room, all arranged comfortably on the slightly dark, dirt brown carpet covering the floor.

"Do all the rooms in this mansion have names and themes?" Shikamaru asked with an amused smile, seeing as most people would call this place the lounge or recreation room.

Neji chuckled. This was hardly the first time a guest asked that. "Except for the dining areas, bathrooms, kitchen, pantries and the rooms in the Staff Wing, yes, they do."

Shikamaru just gave him an amused look that asked him to elaborate, so he did. "The mansion as a whole was designed in Art Nouveau style. It was all the rage in Europe, and Otousan is nothing if not novel. Most of the furniture he ordered from France."

"How interesting," the Nara finally commented. He took out a cigarette from a slim metal case and lit it up before gesturing to a large portrait on the wall. It was of two young men that looked exactly alike, and looked almost exactly like Neji. "Is that Hiashi-san?"

"Yes, that's Otousan and his twin brother, Hyuuga Hizashi."

"Ah, twins. No wonder they look like they're the same person. I guess this explains the statues at that garden out front."

"You've been to the East Garden?"

"No, but I saw two statues when I came in, one at the north side and the other at the south side, both facing east towards the front gate. I only caught a glimpse and they were too far away for me to see the details, but I could see that they were exactly the same. I found it strange at the time, but now I know what they meant."

"Yes, Otousan told me he and Ojiisan had those statues made for their own amusement," Neji said while inwardly wondering about his companion's acute awareness to his surroundings. Usually a guest wouldn't have noticed that until they took a stroll around that garden. "They were very close, you see. They built our company from the ground up and turned our family's estate in to this mansion together, with the intention of raising their families and grow old together also. However, Ojiisan died not too long after this mansion was finished."

"I'm sorry," Shikamaru responded appropriately.

Neji shrugged. "It was a long time ago... when I was three, I think. I don't remember anything about him or how he died, and Otousan never wanted to talk about it. I don't know why, but it's considered a taboo topic in this household."

Shikamaru gave an understanding smile as he blew out a bit of smoke. "I'll keep that in mind."

"This painting is one of my father's masterpieces," a new voice suddenly entered the conversation. Both young men turned around to find a long haired, blonde man accompanied by someone about their age who had short, dark hair and a serene expression.

"Deidara-sensei," Neji greeted. "I'm sorry. I didn't notice you were here. Shikamaru, I'm sure you've heard of Deidara-sensei, a very famous painter specializing in abstract and surrealism. His late father, who specialized in portrait, was the one who painted nearly all the portraits in this mansion. Oh, and this is his apprentice, Sai."

Shikamaru nodded. "How do you do?"

"This is Nara Shikamaru, who just arrived from Nara."

"A pleasure to meet you," Deidara responded before launching in to artist-mode. "So tell me, Shikamaru-san. What do you think of this painting?"

"It's fine, I suppose," the Nara answered obligingly. "Very... lifelike. I'm sorry, Deidara-sensei, but I'm all about business and medical science. I've not been blessed with any taste at all when it comes to art and beauty."

"Yes, I figured as much," the blonde sighed while looking at Shikamaru's clothes disapprovingly. Not because it wasn't the appropriate attire for the occasion -- the man just arrived from another town, after all -- but because the dark and colorless scheme actually offend his eyes. "Anyway, young Neji, I'm here to bid you goodnight as I'm about to take my leave. It's almost midnight and I'm scheduled to leave for Hiroshima early tomorrow morning. Please tell your father as such and that I thank him for inviting me to this grand celebration."

"Of course, Deidara-sensei. Thank you for coming. But why do you need me to tell Otousan of your leave? I can go find him for you."

"Oh, no, it's alright. He's currently engaged in a very serious conversation with that energetic fellow, Gai. He has that stern, no-nonsense look of his, and Gai is actually talking calmly instead of exclaiming things. I wouldn't dare to interrupt them."

Neji pondered that fact. What could so urgent that it had to be discussed with their family lawyer right now instead of waiting until tomorrow? Whatever it is, he decided, it had to wait until later when the party is over and he could talk to his father. "Alright then, Deidara-sensei. Have a safe trip, both of you."

After a few added pleasantries, the artist and his apprentice were gone. Unlike the Great Hall, there were only a few people in that room, mostly just drinking and chatting while sitting down. Suddenly a woman approached them and gave an all-too-friendly greeting.

"Neji!" she exclaimed with a wide grin. "Isn't it my turn to be introduced to this gentleman? It's not polite for the host to keep the finer things to himself, you know."

"And I have no intention of doing so, Temari," Neji grated, trying to hide his annoyance. Temari was a refined woman, but her remarks could sometimes be -- at least to him -- improper. Sometimes he wondered if she really knew about his well-hidden sexual preference, something that even his father didn't know. "This is Shikamaru. He just arrived here from-"

"Nara," Temari cut him off with a wolfish grin. "I've heard. How do you do, Shikamaru-kun?"

Shikamaru nodded politely but smirked nonetheless. "I'm fine, thank you. And you are?"

"I'm Temari," the woman held out a hand for Shikamaru to take and kiss, which he did for the sake of courtesy. "Sabaku Temari."

"The Sabaku is a noble family from Kyoto," Neji tried to run interference, "as I've told you earlier in the Great Hall when you met Temari's younger brothers, Kankurou and Gaara. We've known each other since childhood because our families have been close for a long time. Temari here is a dancer."

"Traditional dancer," Temari added. "My family is now using the ways of European nobles, following the trend of the world, but my grandmother insisted that I learned our traditional art forms. I usually dance with a fan, but I know all of them."

"That's lovely," Shikamaru commented rather disinterestedly.

Temari laughed. "This chitchat is very boring, isn't it? Tell me, Shikamaru-kun, are you any good in playing pool?"

The Nara chuckled. "I like chess better but yes, I'm quite a fighter on the pool table."

Neji had to hold back from rolling his eyes. It was just like Temari to boldly advance on the first high-quality male specimen she saw and have said male specimen flirt right back. She was the kind of woman who could have men wrapped around her fingers with less effort than taking a breath. "Shall I leave Shikamaru to your capable hands then, Temari?"

"That you shall, my good friend. I'm tired of waltzing and my brothers could barely give me any challenge when it comes to playing pool."

"Alright then. Shikamaru, you're probably tired after your travel. When you feel like retiring for the evening, your room is up the grand staircase, third door to the right. Just ask a servant to take you there."

"Thank you, Neji," Shikamaru said with a genuine smile, and Neji berated himself inwardly for letting the man fall in to the clutches of Sabaku Temari without at least a bit of a fight. Sure, the odds of winning were about a million to one if only for the fact that he was the wrong gender, but a man could hope, couldn't he?

Neji couldn't stop thinking about the uninvited guest that turned out to be... 'family', as his father put it. Who was Nara Shikamaru? If his father was good friends with the Nara, how come neither he nor Shikamaru himself knew about it? His sisters also didn't seem to know anything. To make things more bizarre, his father had that discussion with their family lawyer. What was going on?

Questions swam inside the young Hyuuga's head. They followed him until he and his family bode their guests good night and walked them to the Front Vestibule one by one. They assaulted him as he frowned at the second floor hallway when his father quickly disappeared in to the Leaf Room, claiming he was tired and they will discuss this tomorrow. They nagged at him as he paced in his room while his personal valet watched curiously, even when he finally decided to let said valet help him get ready for bed and be relieved from duty for the day.

The questions were still there in the morning, when he woke up and called in his valet again to help him get dressed, right until he went down to the first floor to greet the guests that stayed there because they were from out of town. He could see the mysterious man that had been plaguing his mind standing by the terrace doors, laughing with Temari.

Nara Shikamaru was still wearing black, although he wasn't wearing a jacket. At first Neji thought the Nara was wearing the same plain turtleneck pullover from last night, but when his quarry turned to face him, the sun glinted on the fabric and showed that it had some sort of texture, an elegant pattern. The young Hyuuga knew this was hardly the time to think this, but the man should keep wearing a jacket. Or, at least, have a bodyguard. That body shouldn't be paraded around unprotected.

Neji then had to stop a victorious smile from splitting his face to two, when Shikamaru excused himself from the Lady and walked towards him with a smile. Temari was practically pouting at the man's back -- which he found strange because, if it was him, he would've drooled.

"Good morning," Shikamaru greeted.

"Good morning," Neji said before he, ever the polite host, proceeded with standard morning pleasantries. "I trust you sleep well last night?"

"Surprisingly so."

"Surprisingly?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I was a bit anxious. Your father had promised that he will talk to me today and I couldn't wait for it. But apparently, I was more tired than I thought."

"You were anxious about your talk with Otousan?" the young Hyuuga asked. This could be the leeway he had been waiting for. "What is this talk about, if I may inquire?"

"It's... quite a long story."

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me. I really didn't mean to pry."

"No, no, I don't mind. It's just that... Well, about two weeks ago my father was-"

"Neji-dono," another voice cut short the guest.

Neji turned to look at his personal servant disapprovingly. "What is it, Naruto?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, sir, but Jiraiya-san said this is urgent."

The young Hyuuga shifted his attention to his father's personal servant, who was also the Butler. "Jiraiya? What is the matter?"

"It's past eight o'clock, sir. Hiashi-sama should've been in the Dining Hall right now so breakfast could start, but he hasn't even called me to his room. I asked Shizune if Madam was also absent, but she said Madam slept in the Rain Room last night with Kenji-dono and is having breakfast in the Rain Anteroom as we speak."

Neji frowned. "Have you checked on him?"

Jiraiya was apprehensive. "I knocked a couple of times. There was no answer so I got worried. I looked inside the room and it turned out he was sleeping, but..."

"But...?"

"I called to him and he didn't wake up. I really think you should see him, sir."

"I'm on my way," Neji responded sternly. "I hope he just had too much to drink at the party last night, but call our doctor just in case."

"Yes, sir," Jiraiya said before hastily removing himself so he could make the phone call.

Neji turned to his guest. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru, but I have to see to this."

Shikamaru nodded. "Of course. Would you like me to see him with you? If it turned out that Hiashi-san is ill, maybe I can help whilst we wait for your family doctor to arrive and give him the proper treatment and medication."

"You're a doctor?" Neji asked, barely covering his shock from that particular revelation.

The Nara seemed uncomfortable with the title. "I'm an entrepreneur, but I do have a medical degree. I don't work as a physician but I'm certified to be one."

"Ah... well, I guess there's no harm. Otousan said you're family, so your help is more than welcomed."

The Nara gestured his host to walk in front of him back up the stairs. "Lead the way."

The two of them walked up the grand staircase, Naruto following a few steps behind, before turning left on the second floor hallway. They stopped in front of a door that looked deceptively plain but if one would pay attention, the outline made the center of the door shaped like a leaf. Both the golden handle and keyhole also had a leaf ornament. Shikamaru noticed that the door to his room was also like this, only with curves that made the center shaped like a cloud and cloud-shaped ornaments on the handle and keyhole.

Neji knocked and waited a few moments before opening the door. They entered the anteroom and the young Hyuuga didn't even stop to look around before knocking another door that led to the room itself.

"Otousan," he called. "Are you awake?"

There was no answer.

Finally Neji opened the door and walked in. Both Naruto and Shikamaru knew better than to follow so they waited. It didn't take long before Neji came out again and gestured for them.

"I shook his feet slightly but he wouldn't wake up," he said with a worried look. "He didn't even move. He's... stiff. I don't like this, Shikamaru. Can you...?"

Shikamaru didn't say a word and strode quickly towards the bed, Neji following anxiously behind him. Hiashi looked like he was sleeping comfortably on his back, covered by the blanket up to his chest, but the Nara knew what he was seeing. Just to be sure, he touched the seemingly-sleeping form in front of him and frowned.

"Well?" Neji asked somewhat impatiently.

"Neji... I'm so sorry... your father is dead."

"What? No. It can't be. He was still dancing and entertaining guests just last night! How did he... when...?"

"Rigor mortis has set in, so he must've passed away hours from now."

"Wha..." Neji trailed off in disbelief. Then he stepped closer and reached out a hand to touch his father's face. It was cold. Unnaturally cold. "Oh... Oh, God. He's..."

Naruto watched with a mixture of sorrowful and stricken look as his charge stepped back and turned away towards the window, taking deep, shaky breaths to gather some composure. Shikamaru opted to examine the body further.

After a few moments, Neji turned back to them and addressed his valet, "Naruto, tell my sisters and Kurenai-san to gather in the Leaf Anteroom and- and- Ah, what am I... Jiraiya! Tell Jiraiya to call Kakuzu-sensei's house again to check if the good doctor has left and to tell him to do so quickly if he hasn't yet... oh, God... what else..."

"Neji, does Hiashi-san have an acute asthma?" Shikamaru's voice cut off the ranted order.

Neji snapped his attention to the other person in the room. "Acute... No. No, he doesn't. He doesn't have asthma at all, much less an acute one. Wait, isn't that hereditary? There was never a Hyuuga with that illness."

"Then you should also call the police."

"Call the... What for? Shikamaru, what are you saying?"

"Your father died of asphyxiation, Neji," answered Shikamaru with a regretful expression. Both young master and servant could only gape as he continued, "Hyuuga Hiashi has been murdered."

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