The Case-Book of Kakashi Hatake

The Murders of Silver Blaze {Part 2}

To my utter shock, we were not just on time for our train, but early enough to get good seats.

The world flickering by the window, the dense buildings of Konoha dissolving into sprawling townships then rice patties until we turned north, heading into a deciduous forest, and coming out the other side as the trees slowly thinned to plains and the rolling hills were covered with grasses and low-growing bushes with pointy rock outcroppings looking skyward, the moor continuing off into the horizon, proof that we had crossed into Kuromoor. This was a part of the Land of Fire that I had not visited since putting on my army doctor's uniform and riding a train to the border and then getting carted back three long years later, broken and frail in a hospital transport.

It had passed well into midday and was fast approaching sundown when we disembarked from the train at the proper stop, barely a whole word being spoken the entire journey as we had simply enjoyed the silent companionship.

A young teen approached us, brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and eyes far too serious beneath scrunched up eyebrows.

"Mr. Hatake?"

Said man walked over to the boy who barely came up to his slouched shoulders, "A pleasure, and you are?"

"Colonel Wasabi told me to come here and fetch you for Inspector Gai."

What a brat. I decided immediately that I didn't like this smart-mouthed kid.

"Well then," Hatake smirked as he pushed his luggage into the boy's chest and subsequently unwilling arms, "fetch away."

With a huff, he led us to a fine looking coach, placing Hatake's case and mine securely on the roof before sitting in the front, reins in hand. With exaggerated movements, Hatake opened up the door to carriage's seating and swept his arm to the side as if he was the footman to a daimyo. With matching grins, I stepped in past him and he followed shortly after, swinging the door closed behind himself.

Unable to bear a second journey in complete silence, I cleared my throat gently, bringing Hatake's attention away from the window to me, our knees almost touching as we sat across from one another in the rattling box.

"Is there a reason why Inspector Gai reached out to you specifically?"

Scratching his neck with a heavy sigh, my companion went back to staring out the window. "I've known Gai since we were quite young. We went to the same primary school, and, uh, he claimed that we were eternal rivals in academia or something like that since I always got top marks. Truly, it made very little sense, but then again, he always was quite exuberant and eager for a challenge. After Gai had heard that I'd retired from the ANBU and had taken up detective work as well, he declared that our rivalry was back on." He sighed again as his head swung back to look at me, planting his elbows on his knees, "I've been waiting for something like this to happen for some time now."

The letter's enthusiasm was starting to make more sense once one knew a little bit more about the writer.

"How can it be an eternal rivalry if it was put on hold for years?"

"You should ask him that; I really have nothing to do with this. Actually, don't because you'll get a long lecture about youth that's filled to the brim with 'hot-blooded passion' and man tears."

I nodded slowly, "Yes, I'd certainly prefer to avoid that at all possible costs."

"Certainly," Hatake's mouth lifted to one side in a devious smirk that had me chuckling for no apparent reason for several minutes.

Breathing deeply for a second to regain my calm, I smiled widely, "I'm sure Inspector Gai is a wonderful person, though."

My roommate dragged a hand across his eyes, "So long as you like green."