Encounter
Excerpt From Sasuke Uchiha's Diary
March 31st, 2008
“The answer lies with the bond of yin and yang. The bond stays with the crow who keeps the truth behind hidden doors within hold yet so far away."
December 30th, 2020
It had been an hour since Naruto left. Things at the police station cooled down and everyone went back to their regular schedules. Only Shikamaru was doing his own thing.
The lazy detective who wasn’t being so lazy for the day was sorting through all the paperwork from the Sasuke and Sakura case. Shikamaru’s desk had become a mess with papers all over the floor and stacks of unorganized paper.
But at last, Shikamaru found the record he was looking for, the interviews from students who went to school with Sasuke and Sakura. One name stood out to Shikamaru, ‘Ino Yamanaka,’ his childhood friend that although he hasn’t been in contact with in over 20 years, Shikamaru’s son, Shikadai has.
The time read on the clock, 4:00 which meant Shikadai would be either out of school and at home or with his best friend Inojin Yamanaka. Shikamaru grabbed his work phone and dialed the numbers for his son’s phone.
Shikamaru leaned back in his office chair, swirling in a circle as the phone buzzed. He came to a halt when the buzzing stopped. “...Hello?” The voice of Shikadai came from the phone.
Shikamaru cut to the chase having no need for pleasantries, “Shikadai, I need something from you.”
“Dad? What is it? You never call from your work phone or you never actually call me.” Shikadai sounded like he was curious about what his father needed but played it off by sounding bored.
“Your friend… Inojin Yamanaka, I need to talk with his mother. She would be a helpful witness to an old case I’m doing.”
No voice came from Shikadai’s side of the phone as he was most likely talking with whoever was near him or contacting Inojin.
While Shikadai was doing whatever, Shikamaru glanced at the report for Ino’s interview. It was hardly conclusive on the two’s behavior before their deaths with it only talking about their behavior a couple of days before their deaths. It wasn’t enough for Shikamaru to compare differences and what had started this change.
The voice of Shikadai finally had come back on, “Dad. I was talking to Inojin and he agreed to send me his mother’s number. I’ll send it your way but if this case is old, then it’s gonna be hard so you should talk with Mom. I’m sure she would love to help.”
“Thanks, Shikadai,” Shikamaru's finger lingered over the end call button.
“Wait Dad before you hang up, Mom wanted to remind you that we are visiting grandpa and Asuma’s graves tomorrow.”
“Isn’t tomorrow a school day?”
“Dad it’s winter break. We have off until the fourth.”
“Huh. Could have sworn that you were going to school."
“No, Dad. I've been staying at Inojin's since you missed Christmas. By the way, Mom's pissed.”
"Shit. Shikadai I've got to go. Try to contain your Mom until I get home. See you."
"Bye Dad."
Shikamaru leaned back in his chair, staring straight up onto the ceiling of his office. “What a drag. Now I’ll have to wait days for this interview.” He muttered to himself, a hand over his eyes shielding them from the sun.
At 4:30, Shikamaru walked out of his office and left the police station, and lazily waved to the receptionist.
Shikamaru could barely hear what the receptionist was saying but somehow made it out, “B-bye, Mr. Nara have a safe trip home.”
His breath was noticeable as Shikamaru walked to the train station. Snow started to fall on top of the snow that had already been there from a couple of days ago. Boarding the train Shikamaru looked at his phone, he received a text from his wife asking him if he was hungry.
Shikamaru quickly replied with a short answer of yes. The detective put his phone away even though it was buzzing rapidly.
Shikamaru recalled the death of his father and mentor. It had been the first case he was ever assigned and Asuma watched over him, helping with the ropes. Shikaku at the time was the head of the police station.
The case was about a group of crimimals known as the Akatsuki. Well to be honest they weren’t exactly crimimals but two of the members committed the worse acts anyone could do, murder. To this day not all of the members have been caught. Hidan and Kakuzu were names engraved in Shikamaru’s brain, they were at fault for his father’s death along with Asuma’s.
...Sasuke Uchiha that had sounded familiar… Itachi Uchiha. The latter was part of the criminal group yet he was the least active, no one had actually seen him doing anything illegal. Rumors in the police station had said that he had a child and a wife and that was why he stopped.
Shikamaru had no care for Itachi nor any of the other members since they hadn’t been the ones doing anything too illegal. Only Hidan and Kakuzu had been murders but the other members stole somethings, hacked data, and other offenses.
The sound of a voice came out from the speakers that layed just above Shikamaru’s head. Whatever it was saying wasn’t clear to Shikamaru so instead, he read the sign the was above the door. Finishing reading it, the doors of the train opened and people began to get on and off.
Shikamaru was included in this crowd. The detective almost blended in perfectly if not for his hair the stuck out in a crowd. Almost everyone Shikamaru passed was wearing heavy coats and scarves.
Shikamaru had arrived at his home the pathway to his front door filled with snow that hadn’t been shoveled. Trudging to the door, as Shikamaru was about to open it his wife, Temari slammed it open.
“You dick! I texted you what you wanted for dinner and when would you be home. You know what I got?! No reply.” Temari glared at her husband and in the background, Shikamaru could see his son smirking at him.
“Uh? Sorry?” Shikamaru tried to enter his house but was blocked by Temari to kept him outside standing in the snow.
“Sorry? I get a sorry? You worried my ass off. I thought you might have run into trouble at the police station. Don’t ever do that again!” Temari sternly scolded Shikamaru before allowing him to enter the house. “Don’t forget to take off your shoes!” Temari closed the door while yelling after her husband.
“Right. Right.” Shikamaru sighed pulling off his shoes and laying them on a towel that had been set off for the sole purpose of keeping shoes that had been in the snow. Shikamaru walked over to the table with his son who was peacefully drinking his water. “Temari, why isn’t the path to our front door cleared of snow.”
Temari walked over and sat down, looking toward her husband with a fake smile, “I don’t know. Why didn’t you reply to me? Plus clearing the snow isn’t my job.”
Shikamaru would have retorted back but when he looked at his son who was shaking his head rapidly, he didn’t reply. The detective guessed that tomorrow he would have to shovel the snow and maybe he would get help from his son.
The family quietly sat and eat dinner but a conversation started up when Shikadai spoke, “Dad, you called me over talking with Inojin’s mom. Saying it was some sort of case your doing. Are you able to tell us what’s about?”
Temari raised her eyebrows a glanced toward her husband, Shikamaru shallowed his remaining food and spoke to the two of them, “I could talk about it although it may frighten you Shikadai. Especially going into your highschool years.”
(Oh how Shikamaru didn’t know how right he was.)
Shikadai rested his head on his hand, “Not like I care. You’ve never asked me for help in any case but this one. So my interest lies in it now.”
Temari although curious interrupted whatever was happening between her son and husband, “Shikadai, once I get to hear the case then we can have you hear it. Understood.”
Shikamaru found himself shivering even though he wasn’t the one for once being scolded. Feeling no need to get his wife more upset, Shikamaru took it upon himself to clean the dishes and put them away.
Temari had demanded everyone go to bed early since the family would be staying up for new years eve. Shikadai went to bed at 9 while his parents were watching tv on their bed.
Temari turned the volume of the tv down they were watching some unimportant news, “Shikamaru. What’s this case about? You never take on cases if they don’t interest you so what’s the interest in this?”
“You see these people may have known what happened to Asuma’s father.” Shikamaru laid his bed back on a pillow and closed his eyes.
“That’s odd reasoning. Who are these people?”
“Two people. Killed themselves. Names were… Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. I’m pretty sure that they were dating, so double suicide. This one kid thinks his friends wouldn’t do that. I did get some money though which may be one of the reasons I took this case.”
The blonde turned her body to face toward her husband, “Shikamaru! Whatever but those names seem familiar… Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha? I’ve heard about it from students when I drop Shikadai off at school. Something about ghosts haunting the school and every year a student would die if you pissed off their spirits.”
Shikamaru paused for a moment, processing what Temari had just said, “...Wait, I thought they died in high school. I get that Shikadai goes to a private school that has grades 1 to 12 but I hadn’t realized that school was the same one that the couple went to.”
The two sat in silence together. The only noise that could be heard was the sounds coming from the television. Temari made no response, maybe as if she was thinking over what to say next.
Shikamaru turned off the television right after putting his hair down, “Hold on, you spoke like other people than the headmaster died when Sasuke and Sakura went to high school.”
“That did happen, you see most of them were murdered, it had been going for years before those two went there though. One each year the grade never mattered but they were killed. Now I wonder how this school remained open for so long.”
Shikamaru put his head in his pillow lying down to fall asleep.
“Shikamaru you are not. I repeat are not going to do this case yet. Since you were addicted to the last case you took on you missed Christmas with your family. So I’ve arranged for us to go visit my brothers in two days. We’ll be staying for two weeks, Shikadai can be emailed his work.”
“As much as I would like to, I have work to go to.”
“Not anymore. I called Kakashi to let you have off.”
“Fucking Kakashi.”
Temari chuckled a little, “It's time for bed."
By the time Shikamaru lifted his head from his pillow he saw his wife smiling at Shikamaru with her eyes closed and her arms out looking ready for a hug. Shikamaru accepted and fell asleep in the embrace of his wife.
December 31st, 2020
The next morning Shikamaru overslept but Temari hadn’t bothered him over the shoveling of the snow. The family left the house bright and early to visit the graves of Asuma Sarutobi and Shikaku Nara.
They had both died in the line of duty. Both being killed by Hidan when they had first gone on the case. Shikamaru in the end brought Hidan and Kakuzu to justice although to Shikamaru it had just felt like revenge.
Asuma’s pregnant wife, Kurenai Sarutobi, had contacted Shikamaru and together they were able to put the two graves near each other.
The Nara family entered the empty graveyard. A walked toward the area where the Nara family is buried specifically heading toward Shikaku’s grave.
Shikamaru had fallen behind when he noticed some blonde and black in near a grave. When the long blonde-haired female turned her head around Shikamaru realized that it was the Yamanaka or more specifically Ino Yamanaka's family.
Ino seemingly noticed Shikamaru as she came running over to him ignoring her husband and son’s calling out for.
“Shikamaru! Shikamaru!” Her voice now more matured became louder and louder as she got closer to him, “It’s been so long. It’s been almost 20 years. We have so much to catch up on. I know that our boys are friends but you are always busy and every time I pick up Inojin from your house you’re not there. I mean you literally missed Inojin’s birthday which is December 5th and I told him to invite Shikadai’s family but you were no show. So what else have you been up to?” Ino kept blabbing everything out of her mouth at once. This was one of the reasons Shikamaru wasn’t trying his best to get back into contact with Ino. She was as troublesome as always. Some things never change.
Shikamaru muttered, “What a drag.” But it couldn’t be heard over Ino chattering. Temari and Shikadai were nowhere in sight. Most likely they had left Shikamaru to his own devices assuming they believed he wanted to visit Asuma first. Inojin and Sai, the latter being Ino’s husband, were just standing watching talking to each other quietly. Maybe they were praying for Shikamaru hoping he would survive Ino’s loudness.
Ino continued, “—Right so after I had Inojin, Sai and I got married. The wedding was small, only my dad was invited so that’s why you weren’t invited. Sai didn’t want a wedding so we compromised. I now work in the family flower shop with Sai. It doesn’t actually pay while we have the rest of the money my Dad left behind which wow, I have to say is a lot. But what I’ve been trying to say is that I heard you need me from some investigation. Shit, I’m a suspect in some cases. Or is it about my high school days or—”
Shikamaru cut Ino off from rambling, “Ino. I get that we haven’t seen each other in over a decade but for now, I just need to talk with you.” Shikamaru paused. He had just remembered the commitment he made to visiting Temari’s family so the interview would have to wait for the next time he saw the blonde. “Actually Ino could you just put your number into my phone so I can contact you for the interview.”
Ino seemed to calm down a lot after hearing Shikamaru talk, “Sorry about that. I just ramble a lot when I see someone from my past. It’s sorta a thing I picked up after high school.” Shikamaru nodded and pulled out his phone and swiped to the Contacts app. The detective then passed his phone to the blonde who quickly inputted her number.
Ino quickly passed the phone back to Shikamaru who pocketed it and walked away. The latter headed to meet up with his family at his Dad’s grave while the former stood there with her family walking toward her.
“Bye Shikamaru!” Ino shouted out, “Text me about what you want to interview me about and I’ll prepare all the evidence you’ll ever need to prove my innocence. Oh. Happy New Year's Eve!"