Interpol case no. 4418 report:-
Date: 05 April 2008
The victim was found in dead in his office at 7 in the morning by one of the cleaning crew. Preliminary reports suggested that the murder took place between 1 and 3 AM November 16. Autopsy reports put the death around 2 AM. The cause of death was determined to be poisoning by hydrogen cyanide traces of which were found on his glass of scotch. The victim was John Sullivan 29 years of age and the son of senator William Sullivan. John Sullivan was a suspected pedophile and was under investigation for over 50 cases of child molestation. The last person to see him alive was the doorman to his office. According to his testimony John Sullivan entered his office around 12:30 AM. He was not alone and was in the company of a 10 year old boy. The witness Blake Rogers the doorman was unable to give a description of the boy except his height which he indicated to be around 5 feet.
The local authorities has ruled the death as suicide.
Case Staus: closed
Chapter 1: A stranger in town
September 2011, Tokyo
A sea of humanity exited the train as soon as the door retracted, while another sea jostled into the train. In this ocean of regulated chaos a boy made his way out onto the station. Unlike everyone else he didn't seem to be in a hurry. His gait was relaxed and his pace sedate.
His blue eyes and Caucasian skin tone indicated him not being a native. Tufts of dark blonde hair peeked out of his gray skull cap. Dressed in a green T-shirt under a gray turtle-neck, with faded blue jeans and black and white sneakers and an orange backpack he looked like a regular teenager.
However a closer look would reveal that his eyes held an alert look darting all over the place. Making his way out of the station he casually handed out his train ticket. The ticket collector didn't give him a second glance as he punched it.
He had reached the city of Akiruno.
The place he was supposed to go to wasn't far from the train station and so he decided to walk. Half an hour later he was standing in front of a group of apartments which had definitely seen better days. The paint was peeling from the buildings and some even had blackened over time. A bunch of kids were playing in an equally rundown park. Taking a deep breath he made his way to what he deduced to be the room of the super. Knocking three times he stepped away from the door and began a backward count from ten. As he reached three the door opened to reveal a middle aged uncouth and unshaven man dressed in blue boxers and white vest, the door latch still in place glaring at him.
"What?" The man exclaimed rudely staring at him with suspicious eyes. It was obvious his experiences while dealing with teenaged kids had been anything but pleasant.
"I am here about an apartment. Teuchi-san must have mentioned me." If the boy was offended by his behaviour he gave no outward indication of it.
"You Uzumaki?" The man barked but his glare softened a bit.
The boy nodded.
"You don't look Japanese." he snapped
The boy now identified as Uzumaki simply shrugged.
He closed the door on Naruto's face.
After a minute or so the door reopened this time the man appeared in a yellow t-shirt and gray pants. If he was surprised by the boy's youth he didn't show it.
"Follow me."
He led him to an elevator and pressed the button for the 3rd floor while firing of a stream of instructions.
"Running hot water between 5 and 7 AM. So try and finish your...duties within this time frame. Your neighbors may get loud on occasions in which case you are on your own. I have better things to do than babysit you."
Keeping up his commentary he led him to an apartment numbered 306. Unlocking the door he led the boy into the room. The boy resisted the urge to sneeze as the super opened the curtains and aired the rooms.
The house consisted of a hall with a cooking platform, and a bedroom with an attached bathroom. Flicking on the switch of the bathroom he saw his reflection staring back at him from a dirty cracked mirror.
"...here are your keys and if you need anything else you know where to find me."
The boy nodded.
"See you around kid."
"Naruto."
"What?"
"Uzumaki Naruto. That is my name."
"Well in that case call me Kensei." the super said offering his hand. Naruto shook it once."Free advice Naruto. Don't get in trouble with 303 and you should do just fine."
Saying so he retreated out of the apartment not wanting to stay any longer than he had to. Maybe the tenant at 303 had something to do with that. Naruto mused.
Naruto dropped his bag on the couch in the hall and walked out, he had another place he needed to be, people to meet before he was done for the day.
As he was locking his apartment a voice greeted him.
"Hey there neighbor."
Turning to the source of noise he saw an attractive dark haired young woman in her mid-twenties in khaki shorts a fishnet under a pale yellow jacket. Her arms folded under her chest accentuating her assets.
"Hello" Naruto greeted back feeling a little apprehensive wondering if she really wanted his attention. Considering he was the only one in the hallway it was a safe assumption. Safe seemed an extremely relative term though.
Walking up to the boy she held out her hand. Naruto took her hand and held on to it just a fraction of a second longer than necessary.
"I am Mitarashi Anko." The woman introduced herself giving him a once-over.
"Uzumaki Naruto." He said trying to be polite to this 'forward' stranger.
"You don't look Japanese." The woman observed.
"I get that a lot."
"So what is a kid like you doing here alone and where are your parents?" She enquired.
The conversation was going into uncomfortable if not dangerous waters and the woman looked suspicious. He hadn't expected to be answering these questions so soon after getting here. Thankfully Naruto had his story covered.
"My guardian trusts me enough to live on my own."
"Mighty responsible of your guardian to leave a 10 year old to live on his own." Anko retorted. "You aren't here to vandalize this place are you? That sorry excuse of a super really isn't much good."
Naruto was liking this woman less and less.
"I am fourteen." He said in a tone suggesting annoyance. "And I just moved in."
"So who is your guardian kid?" Anko continued not giving any indication she heard him.
"Teuchi Ichiraku"
"The one who owns the restaurant down the street?"
"The very same."
A smile broke on Anko's face.
"Well in that case welcome neighbor. Hope you settle in here fine."
"Thank you." Naruto muttered slightly bewildered at the woman. She seemed to turn from an interrogator to a friendly neighbor in the blink of an eye.
"Well off you go then. I have kept you long enough."
Waving at the blonde the woman unlocked her apartment (303) and walked in and just like that the advise of the super made a lot more sense. Anko was someone to be wary of.
He sighed heavily. Just his luck running into someone like her.
Deciding to forego the lift Naruto made his way down the stairs. He was a creature of habit and even if the elevators didn't look like they would break down any minute he would have still avoided them. Just as he had been taught.
Checking the address once more he made his way down a couple of blocks coming face to face with a sign proclaiming
ICHIRAKU'S
Pushing the door to the restaurant he walked in ringing the bell in the process.
A young woman in her early twenties with black hair and brown eyes approached him.
"Welcome to Ichiraku's. How may I help you?"
She said in a practised manner but the exhaustion colouring her tone implied that the smile she wad greeting him with was more for cosmetic purposes than genuine pleasure.
"I am looking for Teuchi san. Iruka sensei must have mentioned me. I am Uzumaki Naruto."
At this the girl's eyes widened fractionally before breaking into a genuine smile.
"Yes of course we have been expecting you. You are cuter than I thought you would be. I am Ayame, his daughter."
If Naruto had been capable of blushing he would have. As such he stood around awkwardly not sure what to do next. The woman taking pity on him just beckoned him struggling to hide a smile all the while.
She lead Naruto to the kitchen area of the restaurant where he saw a balding middle aged man bent over a pot stirring some concoction.
"Naruto is here Dad."
Hearing this the man looked up from the pot and approached Naruto wiping his hands on his apron before taking off his head cap.
"I am Teuchi. Iruka spoke about you. Why don't you join me for a bowl of miso ramen and we can talk." The man said in the same breath.
Naruto nodded his assent he was hungry and the ramen smelled heavenly.
Leading him to a booth Teuchi faced Naruto while Ayame placed two bowls in front of them.
Teuchi stared at Naruto his gaze fixed. Naruto gazed back not unnerved by the man's scrutiny.
"Iruka said you were his student." He finally said breaking his chopsticks before digging in and Naruto followed his example.
"Yes I am...was." Naruto replied.
"What was he teaching you?"
"Psychology."
"A little young to be learning psychology aren't you?"
"He didn't seem to think so."
"Two weeks before his death he contacted me and asked me to be your guardian as a favor to him."
"Yes, he told me to look you up in case something happened to him."
"Was he expecting something to happen?"
"I don't know. But he knew I had no family and i guess he wanted to look out for me." Naruto replied.
"He was a brilliant man Iruka was. Even though he was an orphan his drive to succeed got him where he ended up. Though I never imagined his end to come this way." Teuchi reminisced
"He held you both in high regard." Naruto offered to the conversation before polishing off his bowl.
"So what do you plan on doing kid?"
"I was hoping to join a school." That's what Iruka would have wanted him to do. "and I would like to work for you."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes I am."
"Well in that case come here at 8 tomorrow... I will get you admitted in the local school and you can help out afterwards.
"That will be acceptable."
Teuchi nodded once, waving the boy off as he exited the restaurant. As far as first impressions went, the kid could have done worse. A bit on the quiet side perhaps, but he didn't look like a troublemaker. Then again, it was always the quiet ones wasn't it? He shook his head as he banished those thoughts.
He was doing this for Iruka.
He would do as he was asked.
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Story notes: A modern day AU with Naruto as a main character. Its probably the grittiest of my stories with a lot of intrigue, espionage and mystery elements. So enjoy and don't forget to leave a review.
Chapter end notes: Well that's that. A sort of slow beginning with no clarity as of yet what the story is about. The Interpol reports are indicators and will play a big role in the story. Since its a modern AU requires some build up. But rest assured things will get intriguing and when it does U promise it will be... explosive for the lack of a better term. Until next time.