The morning sun bled through the blinds, a lazy haze of gold stretching across the small apartment Naruto called home. His living space wasn't much—bookshelves cluttered with case files, maps pinned to corkboards, a few framed photos tucked away in corners where they'd gather less dust. A kettle hissed on the stove, filling the air with the rich aroma of coffee.
Naruto sat at the kitchen table, shirt half unbuttoned, hair a mess as usual. A cigarette smoldered in an ashtray near his elbow—not his, though. It was Susan's, from last night when she'd dropped off some paperwork. He never smoked; said it ruined his sense of smell, and in his line of work, that was one sense he didn't want dulled.
Instead, he nursed a steaming mug of coffee, eyes half-lidded as he flipped through yesterday's notes. Disappearances at the stadium, seven people missing over three weeks. No ransom calls, no bodies recovered. Police blamed gang violence, of course. They always did when they didn't want to admit something worse prowled their streets.
Kurama's voice rumbled through his mind, low and steady like a tide brushing the shore.
"You're obsessed again. You've been on this case three days without real rest."
Naruto smirked faintly, lifting his coffee. "You sound like Susan. Don't worry, fuzzball. I'm pacing myself."
"You say that every time, yet here you are, bags under your eyes, notes stacked like a fortress. Mortals will think you're losing your mind if you keep muttering at shadows."
Naruto chuckled into his mug. "Lucky for me, I don't care what mortals think. Besides… if I don't solve this, no one else will."
Kurama grumbled but didn't argue. It wasn't his place to stop Naruto anymore—only to growl warnings when death drew too near.
The shrill buzz of the doorbell cut through the quiet. Naruto didn't even look up. "It's open."
The door swung wide, and Susan stepped in like she owned the place. She was sharp as always, business suit perfectly pressed despite the morning hour, short auburn hair pulled back in a practical style. In her hands were two paper bags.
"Breakfast," she said flatly, setting the bags on the table. "You look like hell."
Naruto glanced up with a grin. "You're a real romantic, you know that?"
"Eat before you collapse," she shot back, sliding into the chair opposite him. Her eyes flicked to his notes, her lips tightening. "You've been chasing ghosts again, haven't you?"
"Not ghosts." Naruto reached into the bag, pulled out a still-warm pastry. "Demons. There's a difference."
Susan's brow furrowed. She'd long ago stopped dismissing his words as nonsense; too many jobs had ended with her seeing just enough to realize the world was darker than she cared to admit. Still, she kept her doubts tucked behind professional detachment.
"Tell me what you've found."
Naruto leaned back, chewing slowly, buying himself a moment. Then his tone shifted, calm but serious: "The disappearances aren't random. Every victim was either training late at the stadium or cutting through the grounds on their way home. That field is the hunting ground."
Susan crossed her arms. "And you confirmed this last night?"
"Confirmed enough." He smirked, brushing crumbs from his chin. "Ran into a pack of low-levels. Nasty things. Didn't last long."
Her eyes flicked to Purgatory, strapped to the chair's backrest. The demonic blade caught the light, its grotesque craftsmanship seeming almost alive. "You fought them with that thing again."
Naruto tilted his head, amused. "Would you rather I used a baseball bat?"
Susan didn't rise to the bait. Instead, she leaned in, voice low. "So what's your plan now?"
Naruto's grin faded into something colder. "The demons are nest-building. That means there's a gate. Small, unstable—but growing. If I can't seal it, this city is finished."
The silence stretched, the weight of his words hanging between them. Susan's hand tightened around her coffee cup. She hated this part of their work—the realization that the line between the mundane world and the demonic was thinner than paper.
Finally, she asked: "When do we move?"
Naruto looked out the window, where the city stretched under the bright morning sun, ordinary and unsuspecting. He reached for his jacket, slinging it over his shoulders with practiced ease.
"Tonight. If they're hunting at the field, that's where I'll be."
Kurama stirred again, a growl rumbling faintly at the back of Naruto's thoughts. "Careful. Where there are scavengers, there is often a predator."
Naruto's lips quirked, though his eyes stayed serious. "Thanks for the warning, partner."
Susan rose, gathering her files. "Then I'll set things in motion. I'll keep the police off your back, but you'd better not make a mess this time."
"Me? Make a mess?" Naruto grinned, strapping Purgatory to his back. "You wound me, Susan."
She shook her head, already heading for the door. "Just don't get yourself killed."
The door clicked shut, leaving Naruto alone in the quiet again. He stood there for a long moment, hand resting on Purgatory's hilt, gaze distant.
"Another night, another job," he muttered, before draining the last of his coffee.
.....
please vote and collect this fiction