FicWad

Chapter 3

Sweet Dessert

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Neji couldn't help but feel a little anxious as he traveled along the hallway, noticing Shikamaru walking leisurely from the opposite direction. They would soon reach one another on the second floor landing and, finding the younger man intriguing in more ways than one, trapped between apprehension and infatuation, the new Head of the Hyuuga Family was nervous. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to learn everything about Shikamaru and his connection to all this. But on the other hand, he was afraid that his feelings would get the better of him and impair his judgment.

As they finally crossed path near the top of the Grand Staircase, however, Neji knew that there was no choice but to do what he had to. He had to find out who Nara Shikamaru really was and the man's connection to his family. If it turned out that Shikamaru's arrival was connected to his father's murder or, God forbid, Shikamaru himself was the killer, he wouldn't have any idea what to do but at least he would know. He had to know.

"Shikamaru," Neji greeted with his usual proper demeanor.

"Neji," responded his guest with a nod. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm quite alright, thank you," answered the young Hyuuga before he glanced far behind Shikamaru, all the way to where three police detectives were engrossed in a whispered discussion. "I take it you've met the detectives?"

"That I have," Shikamaru said with a chuckle, also glancing behind him. "We had quite the conversation."

"Ah, right. They can be quite... intimidating, aren't they?"

"Yes, well, they have to be in their line of work. Personally, I can't blame them. Especially if being intimidating helps catch criminals faster."

"Too true," commented Neji without being able to stop a little smile from forming. Shikamaru seemed to have that effect on him. "Now what could they be whispering about, I wonder. They look more like gossiping maids than scary policemen."

The young Nara chuckled again. "I don't want to sound self-absorbed, but I believe they're whispering about me."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I can't tell for sure, but I think I may have become their prime suspect."

"Really now? How so?"

"Well, I am the mysterious guest that suddenly showed up without an invitation, right before your father was- Oh... I'm sorry. Really, Neji, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's alright," Neji said abruptly. There was awkward silence before he finally sighed. "To tell you the truth, I'm tired of having people being so careful around me... treating me as if I'm made of glass. Please, just... just treat me as you would usually."

Shikamaru still felt a bit embarrassed after his show of poor decorum. "Er... Alright... So... as I was saying, that's why I'm their prime suspect."

Neji tried to lighten the atmosphere by snorting his comment. "Funny, I was told that I'm their prime suspect, just for the fact that I'm Otousan's heir."

"I once heard that it's actually standard procedure, to suspect the victim's heir or other immediate family."

"But that doesn't make sense. No one could possibly harm their own family."

"You'd be surprised. A friend of mine once told me about a mass murder where a whole family was slaughtered, and the culprit turned out to be the oldest son."

"That friend of yours couldn't have been serious."

"Oh, I know that," Shikamaru chuckled yet again. "It was just one of those stories that usually come out while you're having drinks, an urban legend of sort. You know, the kind that gets more and more deranged as it drags on."

"More deranged?" Neji asked with an amused smile. This was quite interesting, seeing as he never had the habit of going out with friends with the sole intention of getting drunk.

"Extraordinarily so. In this particular story, it turned out that the oldest son killed his entire family just because he wanted to. And as if that's not far-fetched enough, it was said that he left his younger brother alive to witness everything for the sole purpose of torturing the child's mind."

The young Hyuuga actually laughed, though not too loud and still very proper. "Unbelievable. Where do people get these stories?"

"I honestly have no idea," responded Shikamaru, shaking his head in amusement.

Neji hummed his concurrence before letting comfortable silence fill the air. Funny how, no matter how he was feeling beforehand, when he was with Shikamaru he unconsciously relaxed. But then, of course, he remembered what he was supposed to do. "Forgive me, Shikamaru, but deranged stories aside, do you remember what we talked about this morning? You were telling me what you were going to talk about with Otousan? I was wondering... that is, if you don't mind..."

Shikamaru gave him an understanding look and nodded. "It's alright. I've been meaning to inquire some of your time so we can talk, actually. There are things I need to show you, matters we need to discuss... Significant matters. One of them is the reason I'm here, which I end up telling the police prior to you, the Head of this House. That was improper of me, Neji. I'm sorry."

"Oh..." Neji trailed off, rather taken aback by Shikamaru's willingness. Apparently, the man wasn't trying to hide it as he had thought. "Oh, /no/, no, don't be. It wasn't your fault. After what happened this morning I was... busy, I guess. I had to take care of... things."

"Yes, I can imagine. Which is why I thought it would be inappropriate to suddenly come to you and ask for your time."

"Well, it's lunchtime now but I'm not doing anything afterwards. Maybe we can talk then?"

"Of course. The sooner the better. Er... where should we talk? The issue I'm about to present you is fairly... distressing. I'd rather we talk in private."

Neji was struck by a sudden inspiration. From the moment his father said "Cloud Room" last night, he had been dying to see what it looked like on the inside. That room had always been locked. There were times when he saw his father enter that room with some new books -- of what, he never knew and never asked -- that had just arrived, only to come back out again within minutes and relocked the door. And now, now was his chance.

"We can talk in your room," he said casually. "You'll be most comfortable there, and you won't have to carry those... things... you need to show me."

Shikamaru's face brightened. "You're right. That's very considerate of you. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now, I believe we're expected at the Dining Hall."

"What about Three Musketeers over there?" the Nara asked with a conniving smile, moving his head a little to gesture at the police detectives. "Shouldn't we invite them to walk with us?"

"They're policemen," Neji scoffed. "Surely they can take care of themselves."

"You don't like them very much, do you?" Shikamaru laughed.

"Was I being too obvious? Oh, my. Whatever am I to do?"

"Arrive at the Dining Hall before they do so they'd be even tardier than us?"

"I like how your mind works, Nara Shikamaru. Please, lead the way."

So down the stairs they went, still bantering comfortably, Naruto following quietly behind. Shikamaru noticed how the detectives watched them, but he pretended not to. He didn't know if Neji noticed it too, but he decided not to ask.

"Good day, everyone, and please forgive me for the delay," Neji declared demurely as he entered the Dining Hall. He was welcomed by exclamations of pardon and understanding from everyone there. The young Hyuuga went to his seat at the head of the large dining table, fighting the urge to cringe at the fact that, just the day before, it was his father's place. He stated, "Do pardon the absence of our Lady of the House and my younger sister, Hinata. They are both quite shaken by the situation and in need of some peace and quiet."

Again, the host was answered by appropriate responses from around the room as people followed his lead and took their seats. The servants started to move around in a flurry, placing bowls of light soup and pouring water in all the glasses. Neji was in the middle of inviting everyone to start, one hand gesturing to the whole table, when the so-called Three Musketeers entered the room. With the stares they were getting, it was unbelievable that they didn't end up scorched. But then again, maybe those stares lost all their momentum during impact with Sasuke's glare.

"Forgive us," Sasuke said sternly. "We were... occupied."

"Of course, Detectives," Neji responded accordingly. "Please, have a seat. I trust you're making progress with the investigation?"

"Yes," answered the Uchiha as they took their places at the table. He discreetly caught Shikamaru in the eyes before saying, "We've made quite a considerable progress."

"Really?" said the host noncommittally after sipping his soup. "That's excellent."

"I take it you've identified the killer," Zabuza's deep voice came. "When are you going to make an arrest?"

"Now, now, Zabuza-san," Suzume chimed in. "That's not really an appropriate topic for the dining table, now is it?"

"I was not asking for gruesome details, Suzume-san," answered the cold man. "I was merely wondering when we can all go home. We do have our own matters to attend to, don't we?"

"While I know this might be inappropriate to discuss on the dining table," Sasuke affirmed. "I suppose all of you deserve to know that no, we won't be arresting anyone any time soon. We're still in the early stages of our investigation, which begs the question: Why are you in such a hurry to leave this mansion, Zabuza-san?"

The tension suddenly rose but Zabuza wasn't perturbed. "As I said, we all have our own matters to attend to back home."

The sound of Neji clearing his throat made everyone froze. "Gentlemen," he said with a neutral tone, "your sensibility please."

Silence reigned for a while, everyone concentrating on their appetizer in their effort to forget what just happened. Both Asuma and Kakashi were eyeing their soup with a non-expression, wishing they had politely declined the offer of having lunch there and eat at the ramen stall across the street they had spotted earlier instead. Really, they both pondered, among all those shiny spoons, knives and forks lined up in front of them, why couldn't someone place a pair of chopsticks?

Almost at the same time, they glanced at the people in front of them to see which spoon they were supposed to use. Oh..., both men murmured inwardly, that one.

"Ahem," Suzume tried to start a civil conversation. "By the way, Neji, I'm terribly concerned about Kurenai-san and Hinata. I do hope they're alright, especially Kurenai-san since she's very... delicate."

Neji forced a smile. "They're quite alright, Suzume-san. Thank you for your concern."

"Really? That's splendid then. I'd hate to see such fine ladies wither away after being hit by such tragedy, especially Hinata. She's still so young. And I really do worry about Kurenai-san. Hopefully she didn't have any of her... relapses?"

Asuma took note of every action and reaction of the people in that room. He watched as Suzume's eyes gleamed at the chance to badmouth the Lady of the House under the pretense of being concerned, how Hanabi's face hardened even more at the question, and how Neji superbly kept a cool façade in front of his guests.

"She took the news quite hard," answered Neji calmly, dabbing his lips with a napkin. "But our doctor said she'll be fine. So please, don't be too concerned."

"By the way, Shikamaru-kun," Temari's cheerful voice entered the fray as she addressed the young Nara sitting in front of her, rescuing her childhood friend from the nosy woman's grilling. "Have you had the chance to explore the whole mansion?"

The conversation then shifted to the peculiarities of the mansion, where everyone had the chance to comment and even laugh. Of course, Asuma didn't miss anything. He studied how Ebisu could almost never say anything without his wife butting in. He saw how Iruka bemoaned the difficulty of catching Kenji whenever the child tried to escape his studies by hiding somewhere in the mansion. He noticed the way displeasure flashed in Neji's eyes when Temari offered Shikamaru her company should the man want to walk around the gardens. He analyzed how, when the servants moved almost without a sound to replace their bowls with plates of their main course, Zabuza was served by Haku who never left his side the entire time.

Yes, he also watched the servants, who were considered invisible creatures by everyone else, as they move about to attend the table. He watched Anko, in particular, who stooped considerably lower when placing Kankurou's plate in front of him or refilling his glass with water. So yes, Asuma also saw the way Kankurou's eyes unconsciously flicked time and again towards the breast presented to him though he didn't react anymore than that, and the way disappointment flurried across the maid's face after each try.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was memorizing everything he saw and heard. Zabuza was left-handed. Haku looked like a young woman dressed in a butler suit. The servants called Kotetsu and Izumo had the exact same height and built, it was almost difficult to tell them apart. Shikamaru cut his steak in precise, bite size squares. Ebisu's smile looked more perverted than polite, and he always stole a glance whenever Anko was attending Kankurou. Gaara had big eyes, no eyebrows, and calluses on his palm and fingers similar to those on Shikamaru's. Hanabi's hair kept falling to her face, making her look like a ghost, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it. Iruka looked very cute when he laughed. Uh... What?

"So that statue was built five years ago?" Ebisu asked when they were discussing the statues in the South Garden. The Dining Hall had its own terrace facing that garden, with glass walls and doors that allowed them to enjoy the view, including the three statues decorating it in different spots. The Publisher was referring to the furthest one from them, the one portraying a male character.

"If I remember correctly," Kankurou said. "It was built around the time Kenji was born, right, Neji?"

"A few months afterwards, yes," answered the young host. "It was another one of Otousan's spontaneous decisions, just like all the statues decorating our gardens."

"Ah, yes. I remember when those two other ones were built," Iruka joined in, referring to the two female statues in that very same garden. "One was built about eleven years ago, I think, and the other one was built around... seven, eight years ago?"

"Eight," Hanabi suddenly spoke. "I was ten."

"Right," the teacher confirmed with a grin. "Eight years ago. We never knew when Hiashi-san would unexpectedly build a statue, or where. One day he would just look at a garden and said, 'I'm going to have another statue built.'"

"None of them seem out of place though," Shikamaru commented as he put his knife and fork on his plate, finished with his meal. "Even from afar, they seem to decorate the gardens nicely. But then again, I know next to nothing about the beauty of decorations so please, don't mind me if I sound ridiculous."

Neji chuckled. "You didn't sound ridiculous at all. In fact, I should thank you for the compliment. Otousan did have a knack in placing even the strangest items perfectly to adorn their surroundings."

"That he did," Zabuza said blandly. "I particularly enjoy the way he decorated the Lightning Room. Very... exciting."

"Lightning Room?" asked Shikamaru.

"It's the exercise room, Nara-san," answered the dark man. "Enter the side hallway and it's the only double door there. It's not that hard to find, really. Maybe we should try out our sword fighting skills there sometime."

The addressed Nara sipped some water. "What sword fighting skill are we talking about here?"

Zabuza remained expressionless. "Whatever you fancy, I suppose. The room is equipped with all the exercise instruments you may need, and I'm trained in most forms of the art."

"Ah, yes," Neji commented demurely as a servant took away his empty plate and replaced it with dessert. "We never did find the chance to finish our match, didn't we, Zabuza-san?"

Asuma caught something flashed in Zabuza's non-expression before the man answered, "Too true, Neji. It's quite a shame that we were interrupted that time."

"Oh, I remember that," commented Temari with a gleeful glint in her eyes. "In the middle of the match you suddenly suffered from an allergic reaction. It was because of the... pollen from the flowers in the North Garden, if I'm not mistaken. Thankfully you recovered very well that, even without the help of a doctor, come dinnertime you were right as rain again."

There was a subtle cough from Kankurou, and Asuma thought he saw a discreet smirk on Neji's lips as Zabuza gave the young lady a cold stare, saying, "It was... unfortunate. But not more so than the fact that I couldn't possibly bother Neji with such trivial matters as entertaining a guest with a fencing rematch in this time of crisis."

Temari answered the stare with a saucy smile. "Of course."

"Which is why I inquired our new friend Nara here if he would care for a match," continued Zabuza while shifting his gaze to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru swallowed his dessert before responding, "Fencing, was it? I'm sorry, Zabuza-san, but I've only learned fencing in the few years I spent in France to study in medical school. I can barely give you any challenge. Oh, and please, just call me Shikamaru."

"Really? France?" Temari jumped in again. "I've only been there once, and only for a short visit so I didn't get the chance to see much. What was it like to live there?"

"Not as comfortable as it may seem, I assure you," answered the Nara dryly.

"If not fencing, then, maybe I can entertain you in another form of sword fighting," Zabuza went back to the previous subject. "A more traditional one, maybe? Like Kendo or, if you prefer less constriction, Kenjutsu? I, too, am more proficient with a shinai or bokken compared to a rapier."

"Oh?" Neji reacted with the tiniest hint of amusement. "You never told me that. We should've sparred in Kendo instead."

"Yes, well, if you recall, it was quite a blistering summer day. I wasn't really in the mood to wear the elaborate gear at the time," countered the Momochi darkly. Asuma couldn't help notice that there must be an interesting story behind this conversation. Meanwhile, Zabuza shifted his attention back to the Nara. "So what say you, Shikamaru? As guests we have nothing to do here but wait around until these detectives finish their investigation. Surely you're interested in a little bit of entertainment?"

Asuma watched as Shikamaru took a second to study the older, bigger, much more intimidating man before he chuckled, "As interesting as it sounds, I still have to humbly decline. I've never been too inclined to sports and, as such, would barely able to entertain you in a sparring match."

"Yet last night you performed superbly on the pool table," Kankurou chimed in with a knowing grin directed to his sister. "Oneesan might be a woman, but she's really good at that. And she enjoys rubbing the fact to our faces, too. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw you bested her rather effortlessly."

"Billiard is a sport that incorporates computations," Shikamaru responded neutrally. "Angle, distance, trajectory, momentum, ah... well, let's just say that being more of a man of science has its advantages sometimes."

Zabuza was still itching for a sparring partner. "But surely you're trained in the art of sword fighting, being a male member of such prominent House. Kankurou could barely give me any challenge while Gaara never answer to an invitation for a sparring match, and we all know Neji shouldn't be bothered right now. So really, Shikamaru, you're my only hope in killing this boredom."

"I'm trained in sword fighting, yes, though I wouldn't call it an art. Forgive me, Zabuza-san, but I never find slashing and thrusting a fake sword entertaining. Offer me a game of chess or two, and I'll be happy to oblige."

"What about a real sword, then?" Gaara suddenly spoke, which made almost everyone froze. Asuma caught that and guessed Sabaku Gaara must not speak much.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"Gaara?" Neji called with a subtle tone of disbelief.

"You said slashing and thrusting a fake sword isn't entertaining," answered the redhead, totally focused on Shikamaru and ignoring Neji entirely. "Would you find it entertaining if we use real swords?"

"Sparring with real swords is even less so, actually," answered the Nara. "Unless you take pleasure in stopping your sword before it reaches your opponent, which is... troublesome. So much so, in fact, that I can't even imagine where the fun lies."

"I didn't say anything about stopping the sword."

The temperature seemed to drop with that statement. Even Shikamaru looked perturbed as he asked, "What are you suggesting here, exactly?"

"Surely, as trained individuals, we can tell the victor from the looser after some number of moves. If one were to fail in dodging or deflecting an attack and were cut, it would be nobody's fault but his own."

"You're suggesting an old fashion duel, then? First person to draw blood wins?"

"No. You said so yourself you're no good with a rapier, and I have to admit I'm just the same."

"So then, you're proposing a sparring match with katana? You do realize that, with katana and the way we use them, the proper term would be 'killed', not 'cut'?"

"Yes."

"And you find sparring with that kind of risk entertaining?"

"Yes."

"Well," Shikamaru sighed. "It was a gracious offer, Gaara. Thank you. But I'm afraid must decline it nonetheless."

"Why?"

Shikamaru looked a bit dumbfounded and Asuma wasn't the only one who could relate to him. Everyone on the table was more or less thinking along the same line of: Is this guy serious?

The young Nara then gave a smooth smile and said, "No offense, but what you're offering seems a bit too dangerous for my taste. I'm sorry."

"Pity," murmured Gaara in toneless finality. "I was hoping you could help me kill this boredom."

"If that's the case, then, since both you and Zabuza-san seem to share the penchant for killing boredom with sword fighting, why don't the two of you have a match? I'm sure it would be just as entertaining."

"As I said earlier," said Zabuza. "Gaara never accepted any offer for a sparring match."

Gaara remained expressionless. "Like Shikamaru, I don't find slashing and thrusting a fake sword entertaining."

"I didn't mean it as an implication that we should use real katana," Shikamaru stepped in with a chuckle to alleviate the tension around the table. "I was merely pointing out the fact that I prefer activities with less physical challenge, like chess, as oppose to sword fighting."

"That he did," Temari helped him, still with her usual chipper tone. "You two just took it the wrong way. Hmph, men. Always so violent. If you ask me, I'd rather dance with a fan than playing with a sword. It's entertaining, and it poses no danger to anyone."

Kankurou snickered. "Oh, I don't know, Oneesan. I'm not sure those men who have suffered the sting of your fan would feel the same way."

Temari sniffed. "They deserved it, if not more."

"Now this is interesting," commented Shikamaru with a slow smile. "What's this about?"

"Temari's dancing skills are quite renowned in Kyoto," Neji answered him, also looking amused. "There are times when, after a performance, some gentleman would approach her with a proposal that's... quite indecent."

"And Oneesan would slap that gentleman soundly with her fan, right on the face," Kankurou added.

"No gentleman would ever treat a lady with such disrespect," Temari said sternly before her cheeky grin returned and she looked at Suzume and Ebisu, "especially one who is happily married. Don't you think so, Suzume-san?"

By that time, it was obvious that the couple was uncomfortable with the conversation. Ebisu looked cowed, and Suzume was a bit red when she answered, "Of course, Temari. Although... no lady should behave so crass as to slap another person either."

"You're right," the blonde agreed with a wicked smile. "Maybe in those instances I should just run home and cry to my younger brothers. They've mentioned time and again that I should let them take care of anyone who offends me. Gaara, in particular, is very enthusiastic about it."

While Suzume's eyes widen, Ebisu actually paled at that last comment. It wasn't hard for the three policemen or Shikamaru to guess what was going on, especially with the way Neji, Temari, Kankurou and Gaara kept quiet with mirth dancing in their eyes. However, everyone was finished with their meals and before they knew it, lunch was over, pleasantries were exchange, and they were filing out the Dining Hall without a fuss.

The three detectives took their time, waiting for the others to go first as the servants began clearing the table. Before they got out the door, however, the Majordomo came to them.

"Excuse me, sirs," Tsunade said with a polite nod. "Your rooms in the Guest Wing are ready. Would you like me to take you there now?"

"Yes," Sasuke answered her sternly. It would be better to take care of this little detail before the three of them split up again.

So off they went, through the main hallway and up the Grand Staircase, before turning around on the second floor landing and entered the door that led to the Guest Wing. They turned left from there, and Sasuke remembered that the first door to his right in that hallway led to the Grass Room.

"Here you go, sirs," Tsunade said as she stopped. "These three rooms to your left are yours to use for the duration. I hope they meet your expectations."

"Right," Sasuke grunted as he approached the first door. "I'll take this one. What's it called?"

Tsunade handed him the key. "It's the Dragonfly Room, sir. The next one is called the Smoke Room and that last one is the Snow Room."

Kakashi snorted. "Smoke Room? Asuma, that's definitely yours."

Asuma just rolled his eyes in retaliation as he took the other two keys from the Majordomo with a mumbled, "Thank you, ma'am."

"Your very welcome, sir. That second door at the other side leads to the Guest Wing Bathroom. Now, if you won't be needing anything else, I should-"

"Actually," Asuma piped up before Tsunade could make her leave. "I need to ask you some more questions shortly after this. Where can I find you?"

Tsunade eyed him warily before answering, "I'll be eating in the Servant's Dining Room, sir. Would you like me to wait for you there?"

"Yes, please."

"Alright, sir. I'll take my leave now. Excuse me."

After Tsunade was gone, Asuma realized that he was alone in the hallway and that his colleagues were most likely checking out their respective rooms. With every intention to do the same, he entered the so-called Smoke Room and looked around. Just like the Cloud Room, although not as big, it has a sitting area consisted of a round coffee table and several chairs. He felt somewhat amused to find an ashtray on that table, looking like it was made specifically to match the room's décor.

The sun came not from a window but from a skylight in the center of the room. As Asuma walked further inside, he noticed a pole with a hook at the end that he guessed was to open the skylight, leaning against the wall near the fireplace. That was a good thing, he supposed. He couldn't possibly smoke there without opening the only source of air in that room. The large detective was still perusing his grey surrounding when Kakashi's voice came to him.

"Ah, an ashtray," said the Hatake as he closed the door behind him and sat at the coffee table. "And I was so afraid you didn't get one that I came here to offer you the one in my room."

"I think I'll take it anyway," Asuma chuckled, joining Kakashi at the table. "So what's your room like? Wait, let me guess, it's white?"

"Overly so. It's very beautiful though. It doesn't give that sterile and dull sense of a hospital. In fact, the room is quite soothing. Oh, and it has another door that leads to a passage. And if my field orientation hasn't deserted me, that passage leads to the Staff Wing."

"So your room also doesn't have any windows facing outside?"

"No, but it has a skylight. It was opened like this one here. The staff must've done that to let the air in. I wonder what Chicken Butt's room looks like."

"It's nice," Sasuke's growl came from the door. "And it's your Commanding Officer's room."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "Ahahah... Sorry about that."

"Hn. Aren't you supposed to be proceeding with the investigation instead of sitting around admiring a skylight?"

"Huh? Oh, right. I just want to know what Asuma thinks about what happened during lunch, how he profiles the people there."

"They sure had interesting conversations," Asuma said while lighting a cigarette.

"Only if you like gossip," Sasuke scoffed. "Knowing that Ebisu is a pervert won't help us solve this case."

The bearded man chuckled. "Don't be too hasty, Sasuke. Believe it or not, it's conversations like those that usually reveal the facts that will bring us closer to the truth. Small facts that seem to have no meaning could be the key to everything."

"Was that how you solve that mansion murder case you got a few years ago?"

"More or less. I gathered more information from casual chats than from my preliminary interrogations. People tend to clam up under tense and unfriendly situations. I usually just let them talk. The more the better."

"Hn. Kakashi, what do you think?"

"I don't care about the fact that Temari once slapped Ebisu with a fan. But if Asuma picked up something else, especially in that conversation about sword fighting, I'm all ears."

Sasuke smirked. "You mean something other than the fact that a big, imposing man like Zabuza once threw a match by pretending to have allergies because he was loosing to a pretty boy like Hyuuga Neji?"

"Poor guy," Kakashi snickered. "Seriously though, I won't be able to sleep tonight unless I have an idea of what Nara Shikamaru is actually capable of. Not to mention Hyuuga Neji, seeing as he outmatched a guy much taller and with more muscles than him."

Asuma gave him a knowing smile. "And Sabaku Gaara?"

"Especially Sabaku Gaara," answered the Hatake. "He could be some sort of a maniac."

"We can discuss all that later when we convene in the Leaf Anteroom," Sasuke grumbled. "I don't trust the privacy of these guest rooms. Besides, I have to contact Nara Police Headquarters as soon as possible and visit my acquaintance in the army to ask about those people in the old picture."

"Hey, can you drop by our places and get our clothes while you're at it?"

Glare.

"You know," Asuma exhaled smoke, "Kakashi has a point there. You're going to our headquarters, right? You can just ask Konohamaru to do it for you."

"You mean that nephew of yours who just got out of police training?"

"Yep. He's still in that eager-to-please phase, so he'll do anything you ask him."

"Don't tell me you made him clean your bachelor pad."

"Actually, I did."

Sasuke decided he had heard enough. "Fine. I'll get that kid to bring our clothes here. Now go do whatever you're supposed to do before I kill you."

Both Kakashi and Asuma snickered as the door slammed close. But as the sound of Sasuke's footsteps went further away, they stood up and got ready to proceed with the investigation.

"Oi, Kakashi, you're going to see that tutor, right?"

"Yeah, why? Did you pick up anything from him at lunch?"

"Nothing bad. But I did pick up how close he is with this family. You know, from the way he interacts with everyone and the fact that he was already here when those statues were built. He's about our age if not younger, so he couldn't have been the other three's tutor."

"That's interesting. What else?"

"Well, I think you can get a lot of information about the Hyuuga family from him, just so we know what kinds of people they are."

"I see what I can do. You think he'll talk to me?"

"Sure. He's obviously the open, motherly, honest-to-God, loving type."

"Alright, I'll try to-"

"He's the cute and bubbly type."

"Huh?"

"Your type."

"Oh-ho, that's a good one, Asuma. Really. By the way, have you had the chance to see your ex-girlfriend yet?"

"You do realize that Kurenai is a common female name, right?"

Kakashi stared at his friend, face suddenly serious.

"What?"

"Asuma, when we were in the Leaf Room this morning, did you take a look around?"

"Not really. I knew you were going to turn that place upside down so I figured I'd wait for your findings. Why?"

"Uh, well... unless our Kurenai has a twin sister who happens to share the same name, the person I saw in a wedding picture there is her."

Asuma went quiet.

"Hey, look. I know how you feel about her, so if it gets too much maybe you should-"

"Nah, I'm fine. I'm not all that surprised, actually. When I learned that the Lady of this House is a young woman named Kurenai who married Hiashi six years ago, which was the same time my girlfriend suddenly disappeared, I knew it couldn't be a coincidence."

"I trust your professionalism and everything, but I still think you should pull out of this case. Conflict of interest, you know."

"What conflict of interest? She's somebody's wife- okay, somebody's widow, but that's beside the point. She no longer has any connection to me."

"I doubt Sasuke would think so."

"I doubt Sasuke would think of anything since he doesn't know. And don't look at me like that, Hatake. You would've told him about this from the very beginning if you didn't think the same way."

"No. I didn't tell him because I thought you would."

"Well, I'm not pulling out. You two need me here."

After a bit of staring contest, Kakashi finally caved. "Alright, fine. I won't say anything about this to anybody. But the minute I feel like you're starting to stray from the investigation-"

"I won't"

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