Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

My Brother's Keeper	By : PhoenixInnocence Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1720 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters. I do not make profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and I make no profit from this story.
This story was Beta'd by the amazing MisatosPenPen. This story is also dedicated to MisatosPenPen.
Thank you for the review SMINT45! :D

The sun warmed Kakashi’s face as they exited the apartment building, causing him to shiver. The temperature of the apartment hadn’t been cold, but the atmosphere inside had been chilly. It was no wonder he was shivering.
“Do you really want to walk away right now?” Asuma asked.
Kakashi slowed. “Does it feel like I’m walking away?”
“Honestly, it looks like you can’t get away from this case fast enough.”
Kakashi took a deep breath and turned back towards the apartment building, squinting against the afternoon sun’s reflection off the glass as he looked at the Uchiha’s penthouse. If he was honest with himself—and he was making it a point to be as brutally honest as possible these days—he didn’t want to be there. Maybe it was just the day; it was exactly five years since Naruto died, but Kakashi couldn’t shake the feeling that things were going to end badly if he stuck around. “Maybe you’re right,” Kakashi said.
Asuma frowned. “Are you hitting the bar tonight?”
“No,” Kakashi said. “I’m going to do the proper thing tonight and have dinner with the family.”
Asuma nodded. “Well, if you change your mind, give me a call.”
“I won’t change my mind, but—” Kakashi shrugged his shoulders, not completely disregarding the offer for a drink. If dinner was a bust, he might just need that drink to lift his spirits. Jack Daniels always dulled the pain.
.
.
Kakashi studied himself in the rearview mirror, silently bolstering himself just to open the car door. He was regretting turning Asuma down, feeling the need for a stiff drink like a fire in his blood. His throat burned for the taste of whiskey. The urge was strong just to turn the car back on and leave.
The passenger door opened, Minato slipping into the seat. He leaned over and pulled the keys from the ignition, palming them. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “I know this is probably the last place you want to be right now—heaven knows I’d rather not be here either. But it means everything to us that you showed up. It means even more that you’re giving Kushina one night where she doesn’t have to worry about you.”
“She shouldn’t worry; I’m an adult now.”
“You know what I mean. She worries about the drinking—”
“I’ve haven’t touched a drop in a year—”
“And about your job.”
“Kushina doesn’t have to worry about my job.”
“I worry about your job,” Minato said. “I’ve always worried. It’s a completely different thing, enlisting and being deployed. But it’s also not a good time to be a cop.”
“When has it ever been a good time? It’s what I want to do, I like doing it,” Kakashi said.
“I know. I know,” Minato said.
Kakashi looked straight ahead, down the street at the row of cars parked in front of him. It was always a relatively quiet neighborhood, with relatively quiet neighbors. This was the neighborhood Kakashi had called home for ten years. h.Minato and Kushina took him in after his father, a friend of their family, committed suicide. They treated him like their own son and never stopped, even after Naruto—their natural son—was born.
“There was something that I wanted to mention before you go inside.”
“I won’t drink anything tonight, so you don’t have to worry—”
“I’m not worried about that. It’s Kushina…” Minato said.
Kakashi thought Minato seemed unnaturally nervous; it set the hairs on the back of his neck on end. “What’s wrong?” he asked, feeling a twinge of apprehension in his gut.
“She’s been off all day; ever since we returned from visiting Naruto. It’s like she’s checked out emotionally and that’s never happened before.”
“What do you mean ‘checked out’?”
“Distracted. I talk to her, but she doesn’t seem to hear me. I can’t rouse her attention for nothing. She’s worrying me today.” Minato put his hand to his forehead and rubbed, closing his eyes for a brief moment. “You’ll see what I mean soon enough. Ready to go in?”
Kakashi gave Minato a look that asked: Do I really have too? Minato laughed and clapped him on his shoulder.
“Believe me; if I thought dinner didn’t help, I wouldn’t make you. I never want to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. But, it really does help. Being together and just remembering the good times; it comforts us. And maybe it could help you, too.”
“I don’t need help,” Kakashi said, opening his door and exiting.
Minato sighed and followed, his hand coming up around Kakashi’s shoulder as they walked up the garden path.
Kakashi took a deep breath as soon as he entered the house, enjoying the scent of lilacs in the foyer. It was familiar, it was home; it was splashed around the bathroom of his apartment and always drew strange comments from visitors.
Kakashi entered the kitchen, Kushina sitting at the table and staring off into space; preoccupied with her thoughts. She looked up momentarily, staring through Kakashi, but not seeming to see him. He now knew what Minato meant and it was slightly alarming.
“Kushina,” Kakashi said, softly, coming up to her and kissing her temple.
She seemed to regain herself momentarily and smiled, before her eyes glazed over again and she was once again to her thoughts.
He gave Minato a look and shrugged his shoulders, worried as hell.
“Let’s check out the barbeque and get dinner started. We’re dining on the back patio tonight.”
“Kushina’s not making dinner?” Kakashi asked, leading the way outside.
“Do you really trust her to make anything at the moment?” Minato whispered.
Kakashi looked back at Kushina, noting the preoccupation again, and nodded. “It’s probably best, wouldn’t want to have to call the fire department. I like this house too much.”
Minato smiled and started up the grill.
A half hour later, they were seated around the table, enjoying dinner under the stars. The night was warmer than the day had started and it was comfortably quiet. Kakashi was slightly surprised that they weren’t eating any of Naruto’s favorite foods; he’d thought for sure they’d be feasting on ramen. He and Minato talked and laughed, something they’d not done for a few years, and Kakashi regretted that now.
Kushina was unusually quiet and barely eating. It looked like she didn’t know they were having dinner, that there was even food in front of her. Minato touched her on the arm and she stirred, blinking into her surroundings. She gave Minato and Kakashi a smile, looked at her plate of food and once again slipped into distraction.
Minato shook his head.
“Let me help you clean up,” Kakashi offered. He rolled up his sleeves and carried the dishes inside. Minato wrapped Kushina’s plate for later, the food barely touched. “Will you let me know if Kushina continues to act this way?” he asked, placing the dirty dishes in the dish washer.
“I’m hoping she snaps out of it soon and tells me what’s going on in that head of hers. She’s never done this before.”
“When you find out?”
“Sure, sure. I’ll let you know.”
Kushina walked inside, stopping in the doorway and leaning against the doorjamb. She smiled again, seeming herself. “Have I ever told you how amazing a big brother you are?”
“Uh, sure,” Kakashi said, not recalling anytime in particular Kushina had ever said that too him. But he knew it was true. He’d loved Naruto like his own brother and for all intents and purposes, Naruto was his little brother.
Kushina smiled again and wandered away. Kakashi raised an eyebrow toward Minato, who shrugged and shook his head. “Could she be drunk?” Kakashi whispered.
“All day? She hasn’t been alone long enough to drink a glass of wine. No, it must be something else.”
“Is it possible she’s on something? Maybe she’s popping pills?” Kakashi thought that was very unlikely.
“Do you think …?”
Kakashi shook his head. “Not really, but something is going on.”
“I’ll talk to her tonight. I’ll get her to talk to me and if I can’t …” Minato let the thought drop, worried that he might have to admit his wife to a psychiatric ward if this continued. “I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know.”
Kakashi nodded, closing the door to the dish washer and hitting the cycle button.
“Be safe,” Minato said, following him to the door.
“I will,” Kakashi promised and slipped into his car, heading for home. He sent a text to Asuma saying he wasn’t going to join him for a drink tonight. He didn’t feel he needed too. Minato had been correct, dinner had made him feel better and it was a relief not to be confronted by a meal of Naruto’s favorites.
He stood before his front door, looking for his apartment key. The neighbor from two doors up jerked her door open and looked out, staring at Kakashi in judgment. He gave her a smile and waved, opening his door hurriedly and entering. She never forgave him for traumatizing herself or causing her kids to miss a day of school.
Kakashi sighed and leaned against his door, his apartment dark and quiet. Not that it shouldn’t be; he was single. But he did miss having someone to come home to. He walked through his apartment, stripping as he went, his thoughts on his last boyfriend.
They’d met while deployed. Stationed in the same unit; they’d kept quiet about their relationship lest they be separated. They’d spent every leave together and spent every night of their deployments together; until their unit was struck by a roadside bomb on their way back into camp. Kakashi was hit by shrapnel and near death’s door, but he’d managed to live. His boyfriend had not been so lucky. It was a whole month before Kakashi had learned the truth. He’d sunk himself into physical therapy just to ward off the thoughts of his lost love; the man he was planning to marry after their last deployment. And there had been Naruto, a ray of sunshine during those dark days.
Kakashi stepped in to his shower, breathing in the scent of lilac and immediately reminded of Kushina and her strange behavior at dinner. She could be as spacy as Naruto had been, but this was different. Even in her spaciness she could switch to being the most attentive person in the world at a moment’s notice. Naruto had called it her Mom-mode and that he didn’t have that yet because he wasn’t a dad. Kakashi had laughed when he’d said that, imagining Naruto as a father. He’d have been good at it, Kakashi was sure of it.
He turned off the water and grabbed a towel. He sat at the end of his bed and rubbed at his dripping hair, the short strands sticking up at odd angles and giving him a shaggy look … a look that he found oddly pleasing. He closed his eyes and flopped back on his bed, his mind devoid of any thought at the moment.
It was something that Kakashi prided himself on, being able to shut out everything and just relax. It came in handy some nights, like tonight in particular, when he didn’t want to think of another missing boy. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He grabbed some pajama pants from his dresser and donned them, walking over to his sofa and turning the T.V. on. He wasn’t a huge T.V. person, but he did enjoy his football. He was looking forward to the game on Monday.
After an hour of watching nothing, Kakashi retired to bed, sinking into his mattress and shutting down. He dreamed of Naruto, the day he woke up in the hospital from a coma. He was sore and Naruto was being too loud for his sensitive ears.
“I brought you flowers. Orange ones! The lady at the gift shop downstairs called them tea roses! I know you’ll like them!!”
Kakashi groaned. “Not so loud.”
“Oh!” Naruto said, startled. His voice fell to a whisper as he laughed. “Sorry.”
“S’kay,” Kakashi sighed and opened his eyes. He tried to sit up, but thought better of it.
“Where’s mom and dad?”
“They went to eat,” Naruto whispered.
Kakashi groaned again, in pain from his head to his toes. “Why aren’t you with them?”
The look in Naruto’s eyes made Kakashi’s gaze drop. “Do you want me to go?”
“No,” Kakashi sighed. He tried to smile, but even that caused pain. “I just wondered how you could pass up food.”
Naruto laughed. “That’s what mum said! But I didn’t want to leave you.”
He sat down on the end of Kakashi’s bed, hands in his lap. “I’m glad you’re awake,” Naruto said. He bit his lip. “Mum was sad because you were sleeping a lot. I told her you always sleep late. But she only cried. Dad said to be quiet, but I didn’t wanna. You always wake up for me. See, I was right! You woke up!” Naruto laughed again.
Kakashi smiled at his ten year-old little brother—who didn’t quite get it.
“Can I push the button for the nurse?” Naruto asked. “They’ll be happy you’re awake too!”
Kakashi nodded and Naruto pressed the call button.
The nurse came bustling in with a frown on her face; like this hadn’t been the first time Naruto had pushed that button. Seeing that Kakashi was awake, she sent for the doctor immediately.
“I’ll have you know,” the nurse said, checking his vitals, “that your brother has barely left your side since he got here. He’s been a diligent little helper.”
“He’s the best little brother I could ever ask for,” Kakashi said.
The doctor entered and looked him over, declaring him in better health than he had been. There was a stern look on his face.
“Why don’t I take you down to the food court and get you some ice cream. Call it a reward for being such a wonderful little helper,” the nurse said. “It’s time for my break and afterwards, I can show you how to use a stethoscope.”
“Cool!” Naruto exclaimed and followed the nurse out while the doctor had a serious talk with Kakashi about his injuries.
Minato and Kushina returned shortly after Naruto left, while the doctor was still informing Kakashi of his multiple injuries and what it would take to get him back to his pre-injury state.
Kakashi tried to follow what the doctor was telling him. He’d been unconscious for a month. He’d need physical therapy to build up the muscle that had begun to atrophy. The deep lacerations from shrapnel were already beginning to heal, but the doctors feared for his left eye and referred him to the best Ophthalmologist in the state. They were optimistic of his overall recovery; now that he’d woken up.
Naruto returned an hour later with a stethoscope of his own, bragging that he knew how to take a person’s blood pressure. He had to show Kakashi how it was done, using their dad as a guinea pig since Kakashi’s own arms were too heavily bandaged. Kushina smiled with pride as Naruto squeezed the bulb of the pressure cuff and turned the valve slowly to release the pressure, listening for the thump of Minato’s heartbeat to start and fade out. “120/90,” Naruto exclaimed. “You’re normal!” And he laughed, because the thought of his parents being normal was funny.
Naruto had visited every day and every day the nurses would show him something new, all of which he shared with Kakashi. “I want to be a doctor, ‘Kashi! Do you think I can do it?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” Kakashi asked. “You’d make a fine doctor.”
“Really?” Naruto looked completely awed by the thought.
“Really,” Kakashi said, laughing.
Naruto had sung all day that he was going to be a doctor and save soldier’s lives when he grew up.

Kakashi started at the sound of his phone. Blinking sleep from his eyes and thoughts of Naruto, he focused on his clock as it flashed 12:36 before reaching for his mobile.
“Hatake,” he mumbled.
“The FBI fucked everything up!” Itachi screamed at him.
Kakashi sat up in bed and turned on his lamp, wide awake.
“I can’t believe you left these incompetent fools in charge of finding Sasuke,” Itachi continued. “Kuso*! How could you just leave something this important to hacks?! I can’t believe that the FBI employs such incompetent idiots. Do you even have to graduate high school to join the Bureau these days, or do they let anyone in? One would think that you’d need a higher level of competence and common sense to work for the Federal Government! This is entirely your fault! How are you going to fix this, yarou*?”
“Itachi,” Kakashi said, out of bed and quickly dressing. “What’s happened?”
“I’ve been trying to tell you that! Weren’t you listening?”
“No, I stopped listening after the second ‘incompetent’. Of course I was listening! I’ve heard you raging, but you’ve left out everything important. ”
“The FBI screwing up isn’t important enough for you?” Itachi demanded.
“I need specific details. Now, tell me what’s happened,” Kakashi said, grabbing his car keys and slipping into his shoes.
“I’ll tell you when you get here.”
“No, you’ll tell me now!”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re an ass?” Itachi asked.
“I’m well aware of that. Details, Uchiha; leave nothing out.”
“Fine.” Itachi took a calming breath. “The kidnapper called back at midnight like he promised. The demand was that we divide the ransom into quarters and gave us the first location. Chichi was told to take the money to the Great Bay Bridge and drop it into the river, then leave. Everything was fine up to that point. The incompetent fools insisted on adding dye packs or a tracker. Chichi refused.”
“Go on,” Kakashi urged, when Itachi paused.
“They didn’t like that, but it’s not up to them. We don’t care about the money. We only want Sasuke back,” Itachi said.
“So Fugaku left for the dead drop?” Kakashi prodded.
“Dead drop?” Itachi asked. His voice waived.
“Cop terminology,” Kakashi said.
“Ah,” Itachi said, sounding shaken. “Chichi left with the money; another thing those morons didn’t like. Do you know that they’d rather us not pay the ransom? Why would they insist that? And they didn’t want Chichi to go alone, they insisted that he be tailed or carry a tracking device of his own. Why are they making this more complicated than it has to be?”
“Itachi,” Kakashi said. “Stay on topic here. What happened at the drop?”
“Right,” Itachi said, taking a deep breath. “Nothing happened there; Chichi dropped the bag of money into the river and returned home.”
“Everything went smoothly then?”
“Yes, but—” Itachi said. His next words were barely above a whisper. “The rest of the money’s gone.”
Kakashi’s mind went blank, working on autopilot as he drove to the Uchiha’s apartment. Never, had he ever heard of ransom money disappearing. “Explain—what do you mean by ‘gone’?”
“Stolen! Someone’s taken it!” Itachi screamed. “$750,000, just gone and no clue who or how it was done. Why would someone do this? Why would they take money that doesn’t belong to them? Don’t they realize that we need that money for Sasuke?”
Kakashi pulled up outside the apartment and threw himself out of his car, flashing his badge as he rushed past the doorman and nearly tackling him when he didn’t move fast enough. The man was forced to jog to catch up to Kakashi and open the express elevator. Kakashi cut across Itachi’s second tirade, “I’m hanging up now. I’m in the elevator.”
Itachi met Kakashi as he was exiting. Kakashi stopped short, the familiar sight of personal anguish slicing through his heart. It was the same look Kushina had moments after she was told that her son was never coming home. Itachi was defeated. He’d given up hope.
“Did the kidnapper say when the next phone call would be?” Kakashi asked.
“2 a.m.,” Itachi said. “What will he do when he finds out there’s no more money? We don’t have that much just lying around. We could go to the bank as soon as they opened, but what if the kidnapper won’t wait? Do we even tell him that the money is gone? Would he wait if we did? Would he take it out on Sasuke if he wouldn’t? Would he kill—” Itachi choked on the words, a small fluttering of tears gathering in his eyes.
Kakashi laid his hands on Itachi’s shoulders, soothing. “Don’t give up, Itachi. Sasuke needs you to be strong right now.”
Itachi nodded and wiped at his eyes.
“We good?” Kakashi asked. “Now, show me where you were keeping the money.”
“Chichi’s safe,” Itachi said.
Kakashi was directed to the family room, the door to a hidden floor safe open and jewelry strewn across the floor. It was a small room belying the actual size of the apartment, with an intricate shrine taking up one wall. It held Kakashi’s attention for a moment, admiring the sheer beauty of it. “Has CSU dusted for prints?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“Get your father and SSA Marino,” Kakashi ordered, taking out his cell. “Asuma, I’m sorry to call so late, but there’s been a development in the Uchiha kidnapping. It’s a shitstorm. How soon can you get here? … I’ll be here,” Kakashi said, nodding. He hung up.
Kakashi noted the small relief that passed over Fugaku when he entered the family room and spotted him. The Uchihas no longer had faith in the FBI.
“What are you doing here? We have everything under control,” Ibiki said, following Fugaku into the room.
“I got a call about an interesting development in the case. I’m curious, were you going to bother to give me a call or wait until I showed up in the morning?”
“As I said, we have everything under control,” Ibiki said.
“Why hasn’t the safe been dusted? Where are the tech’s that were here earlier? Did you even trace the last phone call?”
“The safe hasn’t been dusted because that would be a waste of resources. There’s no way a stranger gained access to an apartment crawling with people—FBI included—and just happened across a floor safe, let alone knowing the passcode. No, someone in the family took the money.”
“Kusoyarou*!!”
“Itachi!!” Fugaku reprimanded.
Kakashi nodded, following the logic. “That doesn’t explain the lack of techs? Where are they?”
“We sent them packing.”
“Why?”
“Because we did a little more digging than your cursory inquiry and have concluded that there was no kidnapping. The missing money proves that.”
“So, I am to believe that you sent the techs away, didn’t bother to trace the next phone call, and didn’t bother to run any of this by me, all because you believe the family is faking a kidnapping? What the hell is wrong with you?” Kakashi demanded, seething with anger.
“We didn’t bother contacting you because there was no need to,” Anko said, joining them. “You were going to check in in the morning, anyway. That was soon enough for us. We plan to pack up and leave as soon as we find who took the money. I’m sure there will be federal charges pending for falsely reporting a crime.”
Kakashi felt his heart rate increase, he was beyond angry. Everything he’d seen from the family so far, the anguish and fear, indicated that the kidnapping was genuine. As for the missing money, he couldn’t be as sure. “And where do you suppose Sasuke is at the moment?”
“Who knows?” Anko said, shrugging her shoulders. “Probably off to Aspen or wherever the hell the rich kids go to blow off the stress of their privileged lives.”
Itachi stepped forward in anger, Fugaku thrusting out his arm to hold him back. “Anata wa meinu jigoku ni iku*!” Itachi yelled.
“And that’s another thing,” Anko said, “they’re constantly talking in a different language. Speak English!”
“I’ll give you English!” Itachi yelled. “Go to hell!! Get out!”
“Not until we know who took the money,” Ibiki said.
“I think it’s best that you leave,” Kakashi said, calmly.
“Get OUT!!” Itachi demanded, straining against his father who held him in a bear hug.
“Not until—”
“The family has requested that you leave,” Tsunade said. Kakashi turned in surprise. His captain rarely left the station—besides to go home—so it was unusual at best to see her at a crime scene. “Unless you want to explain to your bosses why you were arrested for trespassing, I must insist that you leave immediately. We no longer need the assistance of the FBI.”
“They’re wasting precious manpower that could be used towards investigating a real crime,” Ibiki said.
“If that is the case, then it will be up to the DA to press charges. Now, as the family so nicely requested, get out,” Tsunade said. “Or I will have you arrested.”
“I’ll be sure to talk to your DA real soon,” Ibiki said. He and Anko left, shaking their heads with a look of disgust on their faces.
“We didn’t … we wouldn’t,” Itachi spat, still struggling against his father.
“Calm down, boy!” Fugaku ordered. “They’re gone.”
“But to … and to accuse … and Sasuke!”
“I know, but you need to calm down,” Fugaku said, taking Itachi’s face between his hands and staring him down. “You’re rambling and incoherent; no use to anyone. Just be calm.”
Itachi nodded and took a deep breath; once, twice, three times. His shoulders relaxed and Fugaku pulled him into a proper hug. The way the normally stoic man was clutching at his eldest son spoke volumes to Kakashi. Fugaku was nearly panicked and probably cherishing the fact that he still had one son within reach.
“I’m sorry about bringing in Captain Tsunade without telling you,” Asuma whispered to Kakashi. “But you said it was a shitstorm and that’s a term you rarely use. I thought it wouldn’t hurt, considering the Uchihas’ social status. Sorry.”
“Only, you’re not sorry,” Kakashi said, smirking when Asuma shrugged. “It’s fine.”
“Ok,” Tsunade said. “Tell me what’s been going on here? Calmly,” she ordered when Itachi opened his mouth to speak.
The phone rang; shrill in the suddenly quiet room.
“Fuck,” Kakashi said, checking his watch and surprised to find it 2 a.m. already. “Put it on speaker.”
Fugaku nodded, answering the phone, “Fugaku Uchiha.”
“You did very well, Mr. Uchiha. You followed my instructions perfectly and your contribution to my pocket has been well received.”
“When is the next drop?” Fugaku said.
The kidnapper laughed. “You don’t have to pretend to have the money, Mr. Uchiha. I collected the remaining amount right out from under your noses. Consider your debt paid in full; you can have your son back tomorrow morning at 8. I’m sure the cops can track his cell phone to the location. Good night, Mr. Uchiha.” The phone disconnected.
“That’s it?” Itachi asked. “He took the rest of the money?”
Tsunade was on her phone, barking out orders, “I want CSU here immediately. I also want a reverse look-up of the last phone call placed to Uchihas’ number and start tracking Sasuke Uchiha’s cell phone. I want to know if it goes live before 8.”
Itachi sank to the sofa, dumbfounded and shaking. “8 a.m. and we’ll have Sasuke back.” He looked at the clock and noted the time: 2:03.
“Excuse me while I check on my wife,” Fugaku said. Asuma held out his hand, stalling.
“Where’s she been all evening?” Asuma asked.
“You can’t possibly think—” Itachi started.
“No,” Kakashi said. “We don’t think Mikoto had anything to do with this. But we will need to know the movements of everyone tonight.”
“What does it matter? The money means nothing and as long as we have Sasuke back, it’s pointless.”
“What’s to stop the kidnapper from doing this again?” Tsunade said. “To your family or another’s? The best way to catch him is to figure out how he entered your apartment and gained access to your safe. You may think it’s over, but it’s just beginning.”
“You’ll have our cooperation,” Fugaku agreed. “Now, I really need to check on Mikoto.”
“I’ll go with you,” Asuma said. Fugaku paused momentarily before agreeing.
Tsunade pulled out her ringing phone, following Fugaku and Asuma. Kakashi heard her barking more orders and winced; glad that he wasn’t on the receiving end of her verbal barrage.
Kakashi closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache creeping up on him.
“Haha was worrying herself sick,” Itachi said, quietly. “Chichi slipped a sleeping pill into her tea when she wasn’t looking. He didn’t want her to—”
“I understand,” Kakashi said, taking a seat next to Itachi and pulling out a little notebook. “Let’s go through what happened after I left, up until you called me tonight.”
“I’ve been shadowing Haha all night, trying to keep her calm and out of the way of those incompetent hacks. They had no patience, no compassion where she was concerned. I didn’t like that. She’s worried sick over Sasuke.” Itachi stopped and grabbed Kakashi’s hands in his, giving him a heartbreaking look. His notebook and pen fell without Kakashi perceiving it. Kakashi’s stomach fluttered, Itachi’s hands were soft and warm over his. “You can’t believe that Sasuke just ran off to Aspen. He wouldn’t do that; he wouldn’t worry Haha like that. He’s a good kid. He wouldn’t just disappear.”
“Sasuke is intelligent, no?”
Itachi withdrew his hands, looking and feeling betrayed. “You think Sasuke orchestrated this? I just told you he wouldn’t worry Haha like this!”
Kakashi shook his head. “Whether I, myself, believe that Sasuke could or would do this is irrelevant. Questions need to be asked, every avenue explored. And since it was brought up by FBI agents, no less, it needs to be investigated; if for the simple fact of debunking it.”
“But you don’t believe Sasuke is behind this?” Itachi asked.
“I haven’t drawn a conclusion yet,” Kakashi said.
“What is your gut telling you?” Itachi pressed, placing his warm hands over Kakashi’s again.
“My gut isn’t always reliable, but it’s saying that Sasuke is a victim here. He’s gone missing and not of his own free will.”
Itachi softened a little.
“Now, tell me, who all was in the apartment tonight that you know of?”
“Haha, Chichi, Oji—” Kakashi held up his hand, stopping Itachi.
“Oji,” he said. “Uncle?”
“Yes,” Itachi said, smirking slightly. “You were paying attention.”
“That would be your uncle Madara, the shut–in?”
Itachi nodded.
“And your uncle Izuna?”
“I’m not sure what time he left; for all I know, he could still be here.”
Kakashi nodded, making a mental note that Izuna made an appearance after he’d left. “And your oi?”
Itachi laughed and the effect it had on Kakashi was instantaneous. A face, lined with worry and anger and grief, was morphed into something ethereal and beautiful. Kakashi felt a stirring in his gut, listening to Itachi’s tinkling laugh. He always wondered how some people could laugh and make it sound like music.
“I’m sorry,” Itachi said, catching his breath. “I don’t have an oi.” Seeing Kakashi’s confused look, Itachi clarified. “Oi means nephew.”
“Right,” Kakashi said, nodding. “Shisui is the oi.”
“Not my oi. Shisui is my itoko; my cousin.”
Kakashi made another mental note to buy a Japanese-English dictionary before he returned home. He felt like he was going to need it.
“Was Shisui here at any time tonight?” Kakashi asked.
“No,” Itachi said. “He doesn’t like to come around the apartment much … not since he moved out.”
Kakashi noted how Itachi’s hands retracted from his own and sat fidgeting in Itachi’s lap. He picked up his note pad and made a note to look into Shisui.
“Was anyone else in the house that you know of?” Kakashi asked.
“I don’t know,” Itachi said, shaking his head. “Just family and the morons with federal badges, I guess. Can I lodge a complaint against them?”
Kakashi smirked. “Are there any staff that has access to the apartment?”
Itachi frowned. “That’s very stereotypical of you,” he said. “Just because my family is wealthy doesn’t mean we employ staff. We are capable of doing things on our own.”
“I meant no offense,” Kakashi said. “I just need to know who has access to the apartment and who doesn’t.”
Itachi continued to frown. “Every member of the family has a key to the apartment; only Chichi, Haha, and Izuna have a key for the express elevator, besides the doormen. There are three of them and they switch off every 8 hours.”
Kakashi made another note to talk to all three doormen.
“The doormen can let any of us or our guests up, but it’s recorded. All deliveries, unexpected visitors, or anyone else wants to come up, they’ll take the normal elevator and come to the front door. There are two penthouse suites, but the other suite is unoccupied at the moment. We all have keys to the door—well, everyone but Shisui.”
“Both of your uncles live here as well?”
“Yes, it’s me, Sasuke, Chichi, Haha, Oji, and Izuna.”
“What about the safe? Who has the passcode?”
“Chichi, Haha, Oji, and Izuna.”
“Not you or Sasuke?”
“No. Chichi mostly keeps important documents in there, nothing either of us would want except when we needed our birth certificates.”
“Was there anything missing from the safe?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
He paused when the CSU techs arrived and began to process the safe. Tsunade walked up to him, saying, “We’ve asked for the security tapes of both elevators. The techs were able to reverse-trace the call, but it came from another pay phone out in Lincoln’s Ferry. We’ve sent the local sheriffs out to process the scene.”
“But if it was like the last pay phone, there will be nothing to find,” Kakashi said. “I want to speak with Mikoto and Fugaku.”
“Asuma is interviewing them now,” Tsunade said.
“Right,” Kakashi said. “I’ll talk with Madara then.”
Itachi looked taken aback. “Is it necessary?” Itachi asked. “I mean he’s a shut–in, what could he possibly have to tell you?” Kakashi gave Itachi a questioning glance. “Right,” Itachi said, “police procedure. I guess I never realized how extensive an investigation could be.”
“The paper work alone is horrendous,” Kakashi said laughingly, but his voice was tinged with real weariness.
“I’ll show you to Oji’s room, but don’t be shocked if he doesn’t answer. We can’t always get him to answer to us and we’re family.”
“Is he confined to the apartment as a whole or just to his room?”
“He stays in his room and rarely ventures out into the apartment.”
“Is he agoraphobic?”
“I don’t think it’s that so much as deep depression. Losing Obito was hard for him. It was hard for all of us, really. It came out of nowhere,” Itachi said, knocking on Madara’s door. “Oji-chan, there’s a detective here that would like to speak with you.”
Kakashi and Itachi waited a few seconds, listening. There was no sound from the other side of the door and Itachi knocked again. “Oji-chan, are you awake?”
The door opened a crack, but no one answered. “That’s Oji’s way of saying you can go in,” Itachi said.
“Thank you,” Kakashi said.
It was dark as he entered, no lamplight pouring from a bedside table. His only luminous guide came from the window’s open curtain and the waning crescent moon. Madara sat on his bed, looking distinctly shaggy and in total contrast to his neat and tidy room. He had the look of a man that barely ate and rarely slept. Kakashi would venture a bet that he hadn’t slept well or cut his hair since before his son’s death.
“You want to talk to me about Sasuke,” Madara said.
Kakashi nodded, thought better of it in the limited lighting and said, “Yes.”
“What do you want to know?”
“When was the last time you saw him?” Kakashi started.
Madara laughed and said, “Two weeks ago when he brought me supper.”
“You don’t leave your room very often, then?”
“I take a shower every day, does that count?”
Kakashi frowned. “Do you know who would want to target your family?”
“There are plenty of people who could be angry enough to kidnap a child. All it takes is planning, determination, and a bit of intelligence.”
“Not common sense?” Kakashi asked.
“Common sense would tell you not to kidnap a person,” Madara said. “And this kidnapper is lacking in any kind of common sense.”
“This may be pointless, but do you know who was in and out of the apartment tonight. Did you see anything?”
Madara shook his head. “I’ve only seen these four walls. As to who was in and out all day, I couldn’t say. There were a lot of voices, familiar and not-so-familiar.”
“Are you concerned about Sasuke?”
Madara stilled. Kakashi wished he could see his face clearly, to know what his exact expression was in that moment. But the moon was shining on him from the back, placing his face in shadow. “I love Sasuke. He reminds me a lot of Obito. And of Izuna, in our younger days.”
Kakashi noted the sad lilt in Madara’s voice; a lilt that only parents who’d lost a child could speak. Kakashi felt his throat close with emotion, choking him. He felt Madara’s eyes on him, piercing him.
“I wish I could help you,” Madara said. “But I can’t bring myself to leave my room. I don’t see the point of getting up and mingling with idiots and morons, pretending that my life is just fine when I know damn well that it’s never going to be the same. I don’t want their fake sympathy.”
“What about your family,” Kakashi asked.
“I don’t want to see their sympathy either.”
“Because it’s too real?”
Kakashi felt Madara’s piercing gaze again. “The struggle with grief is real and the road is long. And sometimes it hurts too damn much to be surrounded by the people who share your deepest grief. I think you can understand that.”
Kakashi left Madara’s room itching for a shot of Jack Daniel’s. The peace he’d gained over dinner had evaporated, replaced by a hollow pit in his stomach. He felt the tell-tale pinpricks of tears and closed his eyes, reigning in that unwanted urge to cry. He also felt angry for setting himself up. He should have had Asuma interview Madara Uchiha. He should have known the parent of a dead child could see the scarlet letter of grief.
*Fuck
*Bastard
*fucking bastard
*Go to hell you bitch!
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My Brother's Keeper