Gale-Dragon: This is what happens when you love mysteries and the characters of Juuni Taisen. Oh well, enjoy.

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Juuni Taisen: CSI.

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Chapter 1; The Rat's First Day.

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Quick Note: In this world, people with animal traits (ie: ears, tails, horns, claws, fins, hooves) are pretty common.

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Sumino Tsugiyoshi, a teen that stood at 170 cm (5.577 ft), looked up at a rather plain building. His short grey hair (despite being in his teens) moved slightly in the light breeze. His grey eyes scanned the piece of paper in his hand, re-reading the address written on it. "I guess this is the place," Tsugiyoshi mumbled before walking into the building.

The teen walked up to the front desk and asked the receptionist "Ano, excuse me, which floor is the Juuni Taisen Crime Lab on? I'm the new Zodiac, ano, Nezumi the Rat..." Tsugiyoshi DID wonder why he was given a codename, but then again, this place WAS one of the best Crime Labs in the nation. "I'm supposed to be meeting with, ano, someone by the name of Sharyū the Monkey," Tsugiyoshi said, trying to suppress a yawn and then wondered why he even applied for this job.

The receptionist buzzed him up.

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The person by the name of Sharyū was a young brown (okay, very light brown that looks orange) haired woman that stood at 150 cm (4.92 ft) wore an olive green combat uniform consisting of a headset, an orange scarf, and a green combat jacket. She also wore an olive green skirt with black pantyhose, boots, and had a huge bag filled with camping survival gear (and possibly other useful stuff in there) on her back. She had a monkey tail poking out from under the hem of her shirt. She also told him that she was the Juuni Taisen's Negotiations Specialist and the Psychologist/Behavior Expert.

"Nezumi-kun, and let me the first to welcome you to our lab and congratulate you on passing the Juuni Taisen Application Test," Sharyū said happily as she shook Tsugiyoshi's hand. The grey-haired teen just watched and wondered how someone of the Monkey's stature was able to carry such a big bag on their back and without showing it. 'Come to think of it, why is she even wearing that indoors?' Tsugiyoshi wondered to himself. "I'll be giving you the grand tour of our lab and I'll introduce you to everyone. Please follow me Nezumi-kun" Sharyū said happily as she motioned for the teen to follow her.

Tsugiyoshi yawned and followed Sharyū. 'I'm going to have to get used to being called Nezumi here,' the grey-haired teen thought as they continued on their way. Sharyū glanced at the teen and wondered if she had met him before today.

}{

A barrage of sounds greeted Tsugiyoshi's ears when he and Sharyū arrived in front of a steel door labelled 'Weapons Testing'. The monkey handed the grey-haired teen a pair of earmuffs and said: "You might want to have these on when you meet Inounoshishi the Boar, she's probably going to be firing her beloved partners." Tsugiyoshi raised a brow and asked "Then... Shouldn't we meet her after she's done?" Sharyū sighed and said, "We could, but she gets huffy if she's not introduced first, even if she's busy with something." "So, she's one of those pain-in-the-ass Divas, huh," the grey-haired teen stated in a sleepy tone. Sharyū gave a nervous chuckle and said shyly as she scratched her cheek "I guess you can call her that, just not to her face unless you want to be on the receiving end of her two partners." 'Judging by the sounds coming from that room, those 'Partners' must be some type of gun,' Tsugiyoshi thought with a yawn as he put the earmuffs on.

When Sharyū opened the door, it sounded like there was a miniature war going on inside. Tsugiyoshi saw a woman with knee long blond hair (with two buns on the top, back, sides of her head that looked similar to pointed boar ears) that stood at 176 cm (Approx. 5.77 ft), she was wearing a white blouse that did little to hide he robust chest, a tight orange skirt that reached her knees, ruby red high heeled shoes that gleamed with each shot of the two very large, hand-held semi-automatic machine guns that she had in her hands. Seeing as she was the only one who was in the Weapons Testing area, the grey-haired teen could safely assume that the woman was Inounoshishi. 'She looks like she's enjoying this a little too much,' Tsugiyoshi thought as he placed his hands over the earmuffs, trying to block out more of the sounds of gunfire.

"Inounoshishi-chan!" Sharyū hollered, trying to grab the attention of the blond over the sounds of rapid gunfire. Tsugiyoshi wasn't all that well-versed in firearms, but he did know that guns eventually run out of ammunition. Especially since the blonde's index fingers seemed to be locked on the trigger, and considering that she's been firing those semis for well over a minute, she should be running out of ammo soon. But the boar didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

"INOUNOSHISHI-CHAN!" Sharyū shouted, her voice now being louder than the gunfire. Tsugiyoshi had to admit, he didn't think the monkey could shout that loudly.

The blond finally stopped shooting and turned to see who was calling her. Now Tsugiyoshi could see that she had ruby red eyes, a beauty mark under the corner of her left eye, bright red lipstick painted that seemed to be delicately painted on, and earring that had what appeared to be tiny dangling boar tusks. "Sharyū, why are you here? Interrupting my Special Time with Aishuu and Inochigoi," Inounoshishis said in a tone that was a mixture of Full-of-Herself, annoyance, and How-Dare-You-Bother-Me. Tsugiyoshi had a strong feeling that the boar and monkey weren't the best of friends. Sharyū smiled and said, "But isn't it impolite not to introduce someone to a Lady first?" The grey-haired teen raised a brow at that. Inounoshishi gave a smile that practically shouted 'Of-Course' when she asked "Oh? And whom are you introducing to me?" 'I'm going to have to keep this Lady thing in mind when dealing with her,' Tsugiyoshi thought, taking some mental notes.

Sharyū waved a hand towards Tsugiyoshi and said: "This is Nezumi the Rat, he's our newest member of the Juuni Taisen team." The grey-haired teen did say "Hello," in a bit of a tired tone. Inounoshishi looked him over and saying "I shall be honest, I did not expect our newest member to be so young." "I'm 15. I graduated High School early and I have a college degree due to having all my credits because of Dual Enrollment," Tsugiyoshi stated, not liking the Boar's tone. The grey-haired teen might have been a teenager, but he had a lot of achievements under his belt, all due to his "Special Power".

Inounoshishi was only slightly impressed with that.

Sharyū explained to Tsugiyoshi "Inounoshishi-chan is our Weapons Expert. She knows everything from blunt instruments to firearms. Especially the firearms." That last part wasn't too hard to figure out. Sharyū then continued "She's the one to identify what causes an injury to a person or object." Tsugiyoshi nodded at that.

The Monkey and the Rat left the Boar to her "Special Time" with her "Partners". 'She's going to be a handful,' Tsugiyoshi thought with a yawn.

A minute after the two left, Inounoshishi stopped firing her guns and wondered if she met that teen before. She then shrugged it off and continued firing her guns.

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The next Juuni Taisen members that Sharyū introduced him to was a pair of identical twins sitting at a computer each. Both were in their mid-20s, had pale skin, grey hair, and golden snake-like eyes. One twin wore a grey single t-shirt and military khaki pants while the other wore a blue jacket and military khaki pants. "These two are Dragon and Snake, they're the Juuni Taisen's Forensic Accountants." "You need two Forensic Accountants?" Tsugiyoshi asked with a raised brow. One twin, the one in the blue jacket, said in an 'All-Mighty' tone "Ore-sama (1) and my younger brother checks all things dealing with money," than the other twin, the grey shirt, said in the same tone as his brother "And trust us, one person isn't enough to look through everything in a respectable amount of time."

"Dragon, Snake, this is is Nezumi the Rat, our newest member of the team," Sharyū happily told the twins. The two smirked at the grey-haired teen, stated at the same time "Alright," and went back to what they were doing. Hopefully, it was work.

Sharyū continued her tour/meet-and-greet with Tsugiyoshi. 'Now that I think about it, which one was Dragon and which one was Snake?' the grey-haired teen thought as they left the room (with transparent walls), then thought with a soft sigh 'I guess that's the problem with identical twins, and I'll figure it out eventually.'

Two minutes later... "Oi, Aniki (Big Brother), have we met that kid before? He looks familiar," the twin with the grey shirt asked the other, who replied, "Ore-sama felt the same thing, but Ore-sama is sure we haven't met him before today." The twins just went back to what they were doing.

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Sharyū and Tsugiyoshi then ran into two Juuni Taisen, who have just arrived back to the lab.

"Uuma, Tora, welcome back and just in time," Sharyū said happily, waving to the two as they walked towards her and the grey-haired teen. One was a towering strongman of a giant standing at 230cm (Approx. 7.54 ft), semi-long wavy brown hair, dark red eyes, wearing a tight sleeveless grey shirt, brown slacks, red boots, and a pair of red gauntlets around each of his lower arms (and above his wrists). The other was a Pettit sized orangette around 154 cm (Approx. 5ft) with orange cat eats on top of her head, emerald green eyes, wore a tiger printed shirt and slacks, a black leather jacket, black choker collar, an orange cattail with black stripes, and orange shoes (slightly heeled). 'Talk about a stark contrast,' Tsugiyoshi thought when he saw the two.

"I'm guessing that you're the Tiger," Tsugiyoshi asked the orangette, who smiled and replied as she wrapped an arm around the grey-haired teen "Yup, I'ma Tora tha Tiger." Tsugiyoshi quickly, and easily, realized that her breath reeked of alcohol. The giant then told Sharyū in a soft tone "We passed an open bar on the way here, and I couldn't stop her from getting a bottle." "No worries Uuma, you know how she is," the monkey said with a weak smile, knowing full well that no one got between Tora and a bottle of alcohol.

Sharyū then told the two happily "By the way, this is Nezumi the Rat. Nezumi-kun this is Uuma the Hoarse, he's the Enforcement Expert, and you've already figured out Tora is the Tiger. She's our Hand-to-Hand Combat Expert." Tsugiyoshi then said in a dizzying tone "Ano, that's nice. But, I'm starting to see doubles or triples... Ano, how many of you are actually here?" The smell of Tora's breath was getting to the grey-haired teen.

The next thing everyone knew, Tsugiyoshi did pass out.

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Tsugiyoshi slowly opened his eyes to see the white ceiling of the Med Wing of the Juuni Taisen Labs.

"My, my, how many times do we have to tell Tora about overdoing it with the drinking. Honestly, drinking so much that her breath smells bad enough to make the poor boy pass out." Tsugiyoshi heard the voice of an elderly man said. He turned his head to see Sharyū and an elderly man with greyish-white hair, full beard, and moustache of the same colour, red eyes, ram horns poking out from under that straw hat he wore on his head, had on a traditional light blue yukata with dark grey strips, getas (2), and stood at 140 cm (Approx. 4.59 ft). The elderly man noticed the teen was awake and said "Ahh, Nezumi-kun, glad to see you're with us again. I am Hitsuji the Sheep, or Ram, you can use whichever you'd like. I'm the current director of the Juuni Taisen, as well as the residential explosive expert."

"Ah, so you're the head honcho here," Tsugiyoshi said in a tired tone, before adding as he moved into a sitting position "I didn't think you would be that old though." Hitsuji waved a hand and said "I don't blame you for thinking that. I was supposed to be retired from all this, but things happened and I had to come back to the Juuni Taisen." "Oh?" was all Tsugiyoshi got out before yawning and thinking 'He's obviously too old to be going into the field, but he's bound to have plenty of experience. He probably uses that to help from headquarters here.'

That was when the grey-haired teen noticed a messy mop of short white hair poking up from the end of the bed he was on. "Ano, who are you?" Tsugiyoshi curiously asked the white-haired man, who stood up to see the grey-haired teen a bit better. The white hair belonged to a young man with a fit build, some of his hair covered his left eye while his right eye was red with a black sclera, seemed to have sharp teeth, wore a black rabbit-eared headpiece with one of the ears was droopy. What Tsugiyoshi couldn't miss was the attire the whitette was wearing. An odd and immensely revealing for a male (basically shorts that only covered his pelvic region), a collar with a black bow was attired on his neck, two black suspenders hooked over his shoulders to supported his black shorts, a large white rabbit tail on his back, and a pair of black high heeled shoes. 'Ano, is that type of clothing even allowed to be worn in a crime lab?' Tsugiyoshi couldn't help but wonder, but at least it wasn't hard to figure out that this guy was the Rabbit.

"Usagi Rabbit, the Coroner of Juuni Taisen," the white-haired man said, leaning over the bed to get an uncomfortably close look at the grey-haired teen. "Ano, could you back up a bit Rabbit-san, you're too close and you reak of corpses and I already passed out once today due to a strong smell," Tsugiyoshi said, covering his nose. Sharyū pulled the mop-haired man off the grey-haired teen and said: "Usagi, this isn't what we meant by trying to get closer to the team!" Hitsuji then told Tsugiyoshi "That's Usagi, he's the coroner here." "Yeah, I kinda got that," the grey-haired teen said with a sweatdrop. The elderly man then added, "He's good at what he does and he's a good boy, but he's not exactly good at socializing with the living." Tsugiyoshi nodded and said, "I get it, I'll be patient with him during my interactions with him."

Sharyū quickly introduced Tsugiyoshi to Usagi and added "And Usagi, please keep Sangatsu and Shiro on their leashes during today's meeting. I know everyone loves them, but critters need to be kept on either a harness or a leash or in a crate when in the lab." "The Playpen's ok for them, right?" Usagi asked curiously. Hitsuji then said to the whitette "Usagi-kun, I already told you, the playpen is okay as long as it's completely closed when you're working, and that Sangatsu and Shiro are on their leashes when you're walking around the lab with them, and that you clean up after them." This made Usagi very, very happy.

Sharyū quickly explained to Tsugiyoshi that Sangatsu and Shiro were Usagi's Therapy Rabbits. "Actual bunny rabbits? Is that allowed here? I mean, with all the trace evidence stuff?" Tsugiyoshi asked with a raised brow. Sharyū happily explained "Yes, they're rabbits. Yes, it's allowed, long as the critters are trained, in a crate, or on a leash. And the two are brushed regularly so that their fur doesn't get in the evidence, and Usagi isn't allowed to bring them into any of the Trace Labs that have the red lights on. You saw those after you met Dragon and Snake, those lights are next to the doorways." Now that Tsugiyoshi thought about it, the monkey was right, he did see those lights, only a few of them were on though.

"Ano... Is that our new team member?" a voice from the doorway asked the individuals in the room.

"Ah, Niwatori-kun, good timing," Hitsuji said, motioning the young lady into the room. She had green eyes and short green hair that covered her ears with a braid tied on the left side of her head and a fan of feathers was on her right side of her head, a thick vermilion coated cape with a yellow heart shape located in the centrepiece covered her red top, a pair of red shorts, stood about 153 cm (Approx. 5ft), and a full-grown blue-and-yellow macaw perched on her left shoulder. Sharyū then told the two "Nezumi-kun this is Niwatori the Chicken, our Information Expert. Niwatori-chan this is Nezumi the Rat." Niwatori then said as she pointed to the parrot on her shoulder and said: "This handsome guy is Amour." The macaw whistled a "Hello, raawhk!" Tsugiyoshi gave the bird a small wave and thought 'That thing better be trained.'

Sharyū then said, "Alright, all that leaves are Ushii-san and Dotsuku-san to introduce Nezumi-kun to." Hitsuji then chimed in "Nazumi-kun will meet Ushii-kun during today's meeting, but Dotsuku-kun's going to be running a little late, something came up at his other job, but don't worry, it's nothing serious." "We're allowed to have other jobs?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously. Hitsuji looked at the grey-haired teen and said: "Normally no, but Dotsuku-kun's other job is a special case, plus it's an easy walking distance from this building." Niwatori appeared beside the elderly man and asked sweetly "Which is where exactly?" Hitsuji eyed the greenette and said "Nice try little missy, but it's going to take a lot more than that to pull the wool over this old goat's eyes," and then left the room. Tsugiyoshi raised a brow at that.

Sharyū asked Tsugiyoshi if he was well enough to continue the tour of the Juuni Taisen Labs. The teen nodded but did comment that he didn't want to go into any of the placed that had any strong smells.

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The tour ended at the Juuni Taisen's canteen, with Sharyū explaining how their food system worked.

"The members of the Juuni Taisen cook for each other?" Tsugiyoshi asked with a raised brow. Sharyū explained a little better "Yes, it's to help boost the team's trust in one another. We have a rotation schedule for each member *points to a whiteboard next to the door leading to the kitchen then walks over to the teen*. You'll get your chance to cook for everyone once you've acclimated to everything here. *Looks at the board* Oh, it looks like it's Uuma-san's turn to cook today."

Tsugiyoshi looked at the board, noticed something, and said: "Ano, I don't see this Ushii person's name on this." Sharyū then said honestly "Actually, Ushii-san is completely banned from using the kitchen." "Eh?" the grey-haired teen got out, then asked "How? And Why?" "He accidentally blew-up the kitchen when he tried cooking here," Sharyū said with a nervous chuckle. "What device did he blow-up?" Tsugiyoshi asked with a raised brow, thinking along the lines of a stove or an oven blew up. "No, he blew up the entire kitchen, literally. It took a good two weeks to fix everything," the monkey said with a nervous twitch of the brow. The teen's head snapped to the orangette with a shocked look on his face and asked: "What was he trying to make?" "I'm not sure if he even knew..." Sharyū said with a sigh, then added "Ushii-san's an amazing person and an even better leader, but his biggest flaw has to be the fact that he can't cook anything. Oh, that reminds me, please politely decline any of his offer to try anything he makes, none of it is edible."

'Definitely, need to keep that in mind,' Tsugiyoshi thought with a sweatdrop.

Sharyū then looked at her watch and said: "Oh, the meeting's going to start soon." This confused Tsugiyoshi a bit as Sharyū pushed a button that caused all the blinds to close on all the windows. "Ano, shouldn't we start heading to the meeting room? Or something like that?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously as Sharyū dimmed the lights a bit. The monkey then explained, "Our Meeting Room is under renovation, so we have to use the canteen for our meeting in the meantime."

"I see... Is the renovation of making the Meeting Room more high-tech?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously as he sat down at a table.

Sharyū sighed as she sat at the same table and said "No, Inounoshishi-chan, kind of sort of, ano... She broke one of the big Rules here and nearly destroyed the Meeting Room." Tsugiyoshi raised a brow and asked "Big Rules? Can you tell me them?" Sharyū looked uncomfortable when she nervously said "I, ano, don't think you need to worry about the one Inounoshishi broke. You're way too young to hear about it anyway." Tsugiyoshi raised a brow again.

After a solid 5 minutes, the other Juuni Taisen members were in the canteen. Usagi came in with two rabbits on harnesses and leashes, one rabbit was pure white and the other was completely cocoa brown. Neither rabbit seemed to mind being on leashes.

This also allowed Tsugiyoshi to meet Ushii the Ox. Ushii stood at 181 cm (Approx. 5.938 ft), had calved -long dark brown (so dark that it appears black) hair with red beaming from the underside, grey eyes, black oxen horns, wore a black matador outfit with gold trimmings, he looked thin but he seemed fit, a red tie, shiny black boots, and had a sabre (in a sheath) with Gyuubouken inscribed on it.

Ushii only glanced at Tsugiyoshi to know that he was the new member of the team. Sharyū happily did the introductions "Ushii-san, this is Nezumi the Rat. Nezumi-kun this is Ushii the Ox, he's our Leader and Blade Expert." The teen gave a polite bow and said "Hello." Ushii nodded and asked, "Has Sharyū given you the complete tour?" Tsugiyoshi nodded and said, "Yes, and I've met everyone but someone called Dotsuku-san." "Ah, I heard from Hitsuji-san that he'll be in after the meeting," the ox man said, before saying "Also, I do apologize for my younger sister's actions earlier today." Tsugiyoshi tilt his head to the side and asked "Sister? What are you talking about?"

Tora rested her right elbow on Ushii's left arm and said in a slightly tipsy tone "How many times do'I gotta tell ya? Yar an't responsible far me, I can take care ofa myself and apologize' far my actions."

"Not when you're drunk, as you usually are every day," Ushii stated in a plain, unamused tone. Tora tried to shove the taller man off-balanced (she was failing, obviously) and shouted in a bit of a drunk tone "Shat up! I don' get drunk sa easily! You! Baka brother!"

'They're related! They look nothing alike!' Tsugiyoshi thought with a dumbfounded shocked look plastered on his face.

Tsugiyoshi looked back and forth between Tora and Ushii and finally asked the two "Are you a blended family or step-siblings?"

It's a fair question. Individuals with animal traits can only have one type. Meaning a couple with two different animal traits will have a child that will inherit only one of the parent's traits, the child can't inherit both animal traits.

For example, a couple with a cat trait and a goat trait will have a child with either the cat traits or the goat trait.

Ushii and Tora eyed each other before the feline said: "It'sa bita bo-GAH?!"

The ox elbowed his sister in the ribs and stated coldly "You don't need to tell him. Nezumi-kun, we are merely brother and sister (3), that is all."

A sweatdrop appeared on Tsugiyoshi's brow when he thought 'They must be step-sibling... But, wouldn't nepotism be a problem with them?'

After that little thing, everyone sat down and Ushii started the meeting. (Which was informing Tsugiyoshi/Nezumi the rules of the Juuni Taisen, all the Rules of Juuni Taisen).

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After the meeting has ended, Tsugiyoshi learned that another flaw of Ushii's character was that once he made a decision, there is absolutely no changing his mind on sed decision. At least, it seemed like a flaw in this case.

You see, when Ushii was telling Tsugiyoshi the rules and why they were implemented, he told the teen about the rule that Inounoshishi broke. During this, Sharyū was doing her best to stop the leader from explaining it with non-verbal and verbal gestures but failed so very miserably...

Tsugiyoshi's eyebrow twitched when he thought 'She had sex in the meeting room with one of her boyfriends... Who had no authorization to be in Juuni Taisen... And fired her guns when some of the Juuni Taisen teammates showed up... Eesh, she really is a diva. Divas are nothing but trouble. Well, at least she got severely reprimanded for it.' Poor Sharyū was crying a stream for failing to prevent Ushii from "Tainting the Poor Innocent Child in the Room". 'I am not a child,' was the only thing Tsugiyoshi thought when he heard the Monkey say that.

"Alright, who "Tainted" Usagi this time?" a voice from the canteen entrance asked in an annoyed tone.

Everyone looked towards the doorway to see a man in his late 30s that stood at 177 cm (Approx. 5.8 ft) with short black hair and pointed dog ears on top of his head. He had black sclera with blue irises. He had skin that was whiter than pure, untouched, freshly laid snow. He was wearing a grey fur cloak with a black shirt, white pants with a black coloured design on the middle, grey leather boots, and braces in his arms.

Niwatori jumped up and cheered happily "Dotsuku-san! You're finally here!" Then practically lept towards the other cloaked individual, arms spread wide as if she were going to give him a huge hug. The man stopped the greenette's advances by slamming the palm of his hand to her face, squeezing it, and snapped "How many times do I have to tell you about Not doing that shit?" "Gomenasai (4)," Niwatori somehow managed to get out with her mouth covered. 'Guess he's not much of a hugger,' Tsugiyoshi thought to himself, then thought as he glanced at the other Juuni Taisen members 'And considering that no one is reacting to this, it must happen a little too often.'

Sharyū brought Tsugiyoshi to the man, who didn't seem to be loosening his grip on the girl. 'Can she even breathe?' the grey-haired teen wondered. "Dotsuku-san this is Nezumi the Rat, our newest member of the Juuni Taisen," Sharyū told the snow skinned man, then told Tsugiyoshi "Nezumi-kun this is Dotsuku the Dog, he's our Lab Tech as well as our Venom and Poison Expert." The man pushed Niwatori away, allowing her to breathe again.

Dotsuku raised a brow at Tsugiyoshi and said as he folded his arms "Oh, so Sharyū was talking about you. Let me guess, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were the ones who "Tainted" you?" "Oi! How come you always blame us when something bad happens here?" the twin with the grey shirt snapped, annoyed with the accusation. Rubbing her sore nose, Niwatori said: "Because it normally is the two of you." Realizing that that was true, both of the twins blushed red at that. 'Now I know who the troublemakers are here,' Tsugiyoshi thought as he watched the brown and white rabbit hopping (both still on their leashes and with Usagi) over to Dotsuku, who knelt to gently stroke their ears. This allowed Usagi to glomp on the dog's back. "Usagi, please get off," Dotsuku said with a sigh as the whitette grinned like a mad-man as he nuzzled the soft cloak the other was wearing. 'That is a pretty drastic change of reactions,' Tsugiyoshi noted.

"Usagi-kun has the mentality of a child," Sharyū explained to Tsugiyoshi, then said "And Dotsuku-san has a bit of a soft spot when it comes to kids, so he tends to be a bit more lenient with Usagi-kun than he is with Niwatori-chan. But he is serious when it comes to working." Tsugiyoshi raised a brow and asked "Then how can Usagi be the coroner if he has the mind of a child? I don't think that's a good idea to mix those two together." Sharyū gave a small, sad smile and said "That's... A very sad and complicated story. And I'm not just saying that because you're a child, it really is..." 'Okay... I guess that's something I shouldn't bring that up again,' the grey-haired teen thought before wondering if Dotsuku was going to be lenient with him since everyone here (minus Ushii) seem to see him as a kid.

Tsuyoshi looked down to see the two rabbits curiously sniffing his shoes. 'Well, can't say this place won't be boring. The people here are weird but they're alright,' the grey-haired teen thought with a small smile, then thought 'And I like this branch the most out of the 100 paths; although, I wish the fainting because of the alcohol breath could've been avoided... Lock-in.'

~}i{~

Tsugiyoshi was on the roof of the Juuni Taisen building, (after asking for permission first), so he could make a call.

"Tsugi, how's the Juuni Taisen? Was it everything I said it would be?" the person on the other end of the call asked the teen. "It's a lot more high-tech then it was in your day, Nana," Tsugiyoshi said into the cell. 'Nana' chuckled and said, "I expected it to happen." "By the way, was there a Hitsuji the Sheep at Juuni Taisen when you were there?" the teen asked, remembering the elderly man. "That old goat's still there? I thought he retired?" Nana asked curiously. "Yeah, but it seems like he had to come back, but he's not going into the field anytime soon," Tsugiyoshi said with a yawn.

"Tsugi, don't overdo it with the 100 Paths, you know what happens when you use it too many times in one day," Nana told the teen in a serious tone. "I know, and I've only used it once today," Tsugiyoshi said through the cell. The line was quiet for a bit before Nana finally said: "Okay, but don't use it more than six times per day." "I understand, Nana," Tsugiyoshi said as a breeze flew by, then asked, "Should I tell Hitsuji-san about it?" "If he's anything like I remember, it should be alright, but I rather you not tell anyone there unless it's completely unavoidable, even with your 100 Paths," Nana told the teen in a sad but serious tone.

Tsugiyoshi didn't need to use his 100 Paths to know that Nana would've said that every time.

~}i{~

"So, you're going to be my charge until you get used to working here," Dotsuku said as he swapped his cloak for a lab coat that was a rack next to the door. Tsugiyoshi only nodded at that as the snow-skinned man handed him a lab coat that looked to be a size too big for the teen. Dotsuku noticed how the teen was looking at the coat and said: "Just try it on, if it's too big I'll get you a smaller one." Tsugiyoshi took the lab coat and slipped it on. 'Huh, guess it wasn't as big as I thought,' Tsugiyoshi thought as he noticed that the lab coat seem to fit him pretty well.

Dotsuku looked the teen over and said: "Hmm, the lab coat seems to suit you." Tsugiyoshi looked up at the canine man and asked in a perked tone "You think so?" Dotsuku folded his arms and said, "Yeah, makes you look smarter and a few years older." "That's a good plus," the grey-haired teen mumbled.

Dotsuku ruffled Tsugiyoshi's hair and said: "I'll show you where everything is here in my lab, but I'm telling you now, you're not going to touch any evidence I'm working on until you get you're cleared to do so." "Understood," the grey-haired teen said with a nod and thought 'I never expected to start working on the major stuff here on day one anyway.'

~}i{~

Ushii was sitting in Hitsuji's office, looking over a file as the Sheep sat behind his desk and asked: "Well, what do you think of our new Rat?" Ushii continued to read the file and said: "I'll admit, I never expected anyone to get a perfect score on the Juuni Taisen Application Test, especially someone so young." "That's one of the reasons why he was accepted here," Hitsuji stated folding his fingers together and resting his chin on them. Ushii looked up from the papers and asked "One of the reasons? What are the other reasons?"

Hitsuji took a deep breath and said: "He's got a lot of good accomplishments, good education, quick learner, and I'm pretty sure he's the grandson of one of the Juuni Taisen members from my day." Ushii said nothing as he continued to read the file. Hitsuji sighed and stated, "If he's anything like Her, I'm sure he can help you with your little romance problem." "I do NOT have any romance problem," Ushii said calmly but a little too quickly, eyes still on the papers. The elderly man raised an amused brow and asked in an amused 'I-know-the-Truth' tone "Oh? So you told the person your admirations?"

Ushii was very, very silent at the moment.

Hitsuji sighed and said, "I thought as much." The elderly director knew that the Ox of the Eastern Juuni Taisen was a genius and led it better than anyone, but when it came to some personal matters (pretty much when it comes to romance), he was practically in a dark cave with a bulbless torch. 'Now I'm hoping that Nezumi-kun is like his grandmother. Ushii-kun needs the help with confessing his love for that person,' Hitsuji thought as he looked at an old picture of him when he was younger (late 20s early 30s) and the Juuni Taisen team for that generation.

'But I also hope that he has his own quirks as well,' Hitsuji thought with a small smile, knowing full well that the individuals make the team.

~}i{~

Dotsuku gave a whistle when he saw the Trace Lab completely organized and said: "Wow, and I only showed you how to do it all only once, Nez." "Thanks," Tsugiyoshi said in a plain tone but thought 'You actually explained it 65 times, showed me 33 times, and helped me 2 times, but you don't need to know that.'

That was when a growl filled the lab.

Tsugiyoshi assumed the sound was his stomach, considering he hasn't eaten anything since this morning. "You hungry too, Nez?" Dotsuku asked the grey-haired teen with a small crooked smile, then said "I haven't had lunch yet either. Follow me, we'll grab some grub. Sharyū told you about how our canteen works, right?" Tsugiyoshi nodded and said, "You take turns cooking for each other, minus Ushii-san who is banned from the kitchen, and today's Uuma's turn." Dotsuku nodded and then told the teen "Good and you're not going to start cook here yet, but I'd suggest you start practising at home so you'll be ready, some of the people here are a pain when it comes to food." 'Okay, that's good to know... I better keep watch on everyone's behaviours in the canteen,' Tsugiyoshi thought as he followed Dotsuku out of the lab.

}{

Tsugiyoshi was pleasantly surprised by how much food the towering giant was able to make in a short amount of time, but then again, none of the dishes made were complicated. The teen chose the dishes he recognized and knew he liked, looked up at Uuma and said: "Thank you for the food." The towering giant only gave a nod. At first, Tsugiyoshi thought he might have accidentally insulted the giant, until Dotsuku told him "Don't worry if Uuma doesn't talk to you, he's the Strong Silent Type. He'll talk to you once he's gotten to know you better. *Looks up at Uuma* Right Big Guy?" The towering strongman only gave a silent nod, then went back to cooking more food for the other Juuni Taisen members. Tsugiyoshi then thought 'Ah, ok, so Uuma isn't much of a talker... Good to know.'

As the two took their seats (at the same table), Tsugiyoshi asked Dotsuku "So is there anything else I need to know about the others? So I don't step on any toes." "Good call, kid. Some of the people here got some crazy peeves," the dog-man said with a bit of an uneven smirk, showing the teen his dagger-like teeth to the teen. Tsugiyoshi frowned and said, "Speaking of peeves, I'm not a child, so can you stop treating me like one." Dotsuku snickered and said "I get it, you're a teenager, but you're still pretty young. Anyway, you were asking about the pet peeves of the others?"

Tsugiyoshi nodded and said "Yes. Is Tora really an alcoholic? And doesn't that, I don't know, compromise herself when it comes to her job?" "Ah, I understand your concern and normally you'd be right, but Ushii-san somehow managed to convince her to only drink after a mission has been completed. Also, despite how she can act after a drink, she's not really that drunk," Dotsuku said before biting into his sandwich. Tsugiyoshi then asked, "Speaking of Ushii-san, isn't it a conflict-of-interest for his sister to work under him?" Dotsuku swallowed and said "You would think, but no, he treats her as he would the others, absolutely no leniencies. Although, he does scold her a lot for drinking too much, but the scolding is pretty much a standard procedure. I guess that's kinda the only nepotism that you're going to see between them here." "I see, any other peeves of Ushii-san I need to know about?" Tsugiyoshi asked, before taking a bit of his food. "Yeah, he's an understanding leader, but if you do go against an order or a protocol, make sure you explain why you did so in a calm, logical matter, he'll give you a lighter punishment if you do." Tsugiyoshi took note of that fact.

"I'm pretty sure those twins, Dragon and Snake, are the residential troublemakers. Anything I need to watch out for from them?" Tsugiyoshi asked the lab tech. Dotsuku nodded and said, "They have an annoying habit of trying to scam people out of money, not like they're successful at it or anything, well, here at least, but it's better to be aware that they might have something planned." Tsugiyoshi then muttered, "So they like money, no wonder they became accountants." "They can be annoying, but they're good at their job, when they do it at least," Dotsuku said before taking another bite of his sandwich. "By the way," Tsugiyoshi pipped up, then asked, "Which twin is which?" The lab tach answered by saying "Dragon always wears something blue, keep that in mind, alright." Tsugiyoshi nodded.

"What about Hitsuji? Does he have any peeves?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously, then added, "I think he doesn't mind being called old." "True, but don't do it too often, okay. He may be twice as old as some of us, but he's certainly not a senile old man," Dotsuku said with a small snort. "Alright," Tsugiyoshi said with a nod, then asked, "Sharyū told me not to call Inounoshishi a Diva to her face, but is there a good way to deal with her? I know I need to call her a Lady to get her cooperation." Dotsuku gave an audible sigh and said with an annoyed tone "Unfortunately, the "Lady" thing is the only thing that works the best with that trigger-happy, pig-headed boar." 'Oh-kaaaay. Major tension,' Tsugiyoshi thought, then said: "I take it you're not on good terms with her."

Dotsuku gave out an annoyed growl and said: "Between that gun-crazy pig-head and that birdbrained brat, I don't know who's the bigger pervert." 'Birdbrain? Does he mean Niwatori?... Hold on,' Tsugiyoshi thought before asking "Ano, what do you mean by perverts?" and then thought to himself 'And is there anything I should be worried about?' The Lab Tech eyed the teen and said "Don't worry, Nez, neither of those two go for minors. Thankfully." Tsugiyoshi grumbled a "That's a good thing..." then asked "Ano, I think I might understand how Inounoshishi can be considered a pervert, but Niwatori? Ano, you do mean Niwatori when you said 'Birdbrain', right?" "Yeah, that's her," Dotsuku scoffed sourly. Tsugiyoshi raised a brow and said "No offence, but she doesn't seem like she's a pervert..." The lab tech eyed the teen and said "You've heard the old saying "Never Judge a Book by its Cover", right." Tsugiyoshi nodded, getting the hint. "Don't fall for that birdbrain's cute-and-innocent act, she's anything but," Dotsuku growled out. Tsugiyoshi couldn't help but think 'That's good to know...' then asked: "Please tell me that those perverts get dealt with." "Yeah, they see Sharyū every week because of their perverted behaviour," Dotsuku said, before adding with a sigh "I do feel sorry for her though. Having to deal with those two all the time with the same lectures."

"Speaking of Sharyū, anything I need to avoid with her?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously. He figured he might as well ask about her, just to be on the safe side. Dotsuku shrugged and said, "I guess the best way to explain her peeve is that it takes a whole lot to get her mad." Tsugiyoshi was surprised by that when he asked "Really? You're serious?" Dotsuku waved a hand and said "I know it seems strange, but that's who Sharyū is. Although I guess flirting with her isn't a good idea, she's in a relationship with someone. Five years I think, and I remember she mentioned something about them getting married one day soon." Tsugiyoshi gave a nervous chuckle and said: "That's good to know, but, even if I did flirt, I don't think she would take me seriously." Dotsuku chuckled and said "I guess you're right. Must be because you're a child in her eyes." Tsugiyoshi rolled his eyes at that, but he knew it was the truth.

"Any questions about Usagi?" Dotsuku asked with a bit of a smug smirk. Tsugiyoshi raised a brow and asked, "How did you know I was even going to ask about him next?" "Lucky guess," the lab tech said with a shrug and a smile.

The teen rolled his eyes at that and asked "Sharyū mentioned that he has the mind of a child, and he's like that because of his past. Ano, I probably shouldn't even ask about it..." "Nezumi, don't worry about it too much," Dotsuku told the teen, then added, "Listen, when you start picking-up evidence from him after he does an autopsy, pat him on the head when he gives you what he finds and tell him he did a good job." Tsugiyoshi raised a brow and asked "Really?" "It makes him happy, and as Sharyū told you, he has the mind of a child, and you have to praise children when they do a good job, to re-enforce positive behaviours," Dotsuku explained to the teenager. Tsugiyoshi then replied "I guess I understand that. You see, I have a kid sister I help care for." This perked Dotsuku's attention when he asked "Really? How old?" "She's six," the teenager said with a sigh, before adding "And she just loves being praised." Dotsuku chuckled and said, "Wow, nine years younger, huh, must be hard on your parents, taking care of a young child and a teenager at the same time." "My parents are out of the picture... It's just my grandma and I taking care of my kid sister," Tsugiyoshi slipped out unintentionally, and didn't realize it until Dotsuku said, "Whoa, sorry about bringing it up." "It's fine, Nana's an amazing caretaker," Tsugiyoshi said quickly, really wanting to get off this topic as fast as possible.

"Oi," Dotsuku said, getting Tsugiyoshi's attention, and added "Another thing about Usagi you need to know is he loves carrots. He cooks with them all the time." "He puts carrots in everything?" the teen asked with a raised brow, as the lab tech nodded and said "Yup, and it tends to alter the colours and taste of the foods he makes." Tsugiyoshi blinked in confusion and asked, "And no one complains about it?" "They have, but everyone quickly learned that Usagi doesn't cook very well when he doesn't use carrots," Dotsuku said with a sigh, then added, "Although, Sharyū has been trying to help him with cutting back on the number of carrots he puts into what he makes." 'Is there a possibility of overdosing on beta-carotene?' the teen thought with a sweatdrop.

"What about you?" Tsugiyoshi asked before sipping his drink. He figured he ask the lab tech. Dotsuku folded his arms and said, "Don't mess with my lab." The teen raised a brow and asked: "Can you be a bit more specific?" "Don't touch anything you're not supposed to, don't move any of the equipment, and don't even think about messing with MY collection," Dotsuku said sternly. "Collection?" Tsugiyoshi asked in confusion, then added: "Ano, I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to have any big personal items here, and I'm sure a 'Collection' counts as big." "Well, the collection I'm talking about here is a collection of Venom and Poison samples," Dotsuku explains, before adding "It's better off here at Juuni Taisen then that at my place." "You collect Venom and Poison? Actual samples of something that can and might kill you?" Tsugiyoshi asked in a disbelieving tone, wondering if the man was telling the truth or not. Dotsuku waved off the comment and said, "None of the samples I collect can kill me, but they'll kill everyone else here if some idiot messes with them."

"Wait, you're serious! You collect and store those here?!" the teen asked in utter shock, and who could blame him. Dotsuku gave an uneven smirked and said, "Yes, and I'm the only one who's authorized to access that storage unit." Tsugiyoshi couldn't help but ask nervously "Ano, is that wise?" "Don't worry Nez, I only use those when I need to match it to a cause of death," Dotsuku said with a small crooked smile, then added, "Besides, as much as I want to use some on those perverts, it's ultimately not worth the hassle." "In a way, you're right..." Tsugiyoshi said softly. Dotsuku noticed the teen's tone and said "Don't worry, there's no way I'm letting you near those experiments. I don't care how careful you might be." Tsugiyoshi was relieved to know that, but couldn't help but remember what the lab tech said about not being able to be killed by his collection of venom and poison and wondered 'What did he mean by that? Hmm... I know I shouldn't but... Lock-in.'

~ Path 1 ~

"Ano, what did you mean by you can't be killed by your own collection?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously.

~ Path 25 ~

"Do you have some kind of high immunity, so you can work with that collection?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously.

~ Path 48 ~

"Do you have some kind of super hazmat suit that you use when you're with your collection?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously.

~ Path 62 ~

"Do you have some sort of device that protects you from your collection?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously.

~ Path 87 ~

"Do you collect samples of Venom and Poison? I mean, those can't be real, right?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously.

~ Path 100 ~

"*Sigh* Why do you collect such deadly stuff without being affected?" Tsugiyoshi asked curiously.

'Damn, I really shouldn't use my 100 Paths on these things... That was a big waste of energy and I didn't even learn why Dotsuku-san can collect venom and poison without any threat to his own life in any of those paths,' Tsugiyoshi thought as he munched on his food, his eyes dropped a bit. "Nez, you okay?" Dotsuku asked the sleepy-eyed teen, then asked "Did you get enough sleep last night? You seem tired all of a sudden." Tsugiyoshi waved a hand and said, "I'm fine, I just suddenly get tired from time to time." The teen couldn't tell this guy about his ability, then thought 'I need to be a little more careful about who's around when I use my 100 Paths.' Dotsuku tapped his chin a few times before standing up and walking over towards the food.

Tsugiyoshi didn't give this much thought until a plate of an egg and spinach sandwich was placed in front of him. The teen looked up to see the Dotsuku with a soft crooked smile on his face. The lab tech then said, "This'll give you some energy, to help keep you awake." "You didn't have to," Tsugiyoshi said, a bit surprised that the dog-man would do such a thing. Dotsuku ruffled the teen's grey hair, said "It's no problem, besides, you're going to need the energy," then sat back down, and continued with his meal.

Tsugiyoshi looked at the new sandwich for a few seconds before finally eating it. The egg and spinach sandwich was surprisingly tasty.

"Ano, last question," Tsugiyoshi said, getting Dotsuku's attention. "Hitsuji-san mentioned that you were late today because of something at your other job, but he also told me that it was a special case because members of the Juuni Taisen aren't allowed to have more than the Juuni Taisen," the teen said, trying to see how the other would respond. The lab tech understood what the teen was asking and replied "And you want to know what it is. Sorry, no dice, I'm not telling you." Tsugiyoshi raised a brow and asked, "Why not?" "It's more of a personal choice," Dotsuku said, staring at his drink, then added, "Plus, I'll never hear the end of it from the Tweedle Twins or those perverts if they find out what it is."

Tsugiyoshi raised a brow and asked "Why? Is it embarrassing?" Dotsuku shook his head and said, "It's not, but the maturity level of those perverts and the Tweedle Twins is really low and I don't want to deal with that." "I see..." Tsugiyoshi said before asking "Is it a good job at least?" Dotsuku chuckled and said, "I enjoy it, and Hitsuji-san finds it important for society." This made the teen wonder when he asked: "How can managed both jobs?" The lab tech answered, "Good time management, for one, and I don't work mornings or the early shift here at Juuni Taisen." 'So this other job's a morning thing,' Tsugiyoshi thought as he sipped his drink.

It didn't take long for some of the other Juuni Taisen checked in for food.

~}i{~

"Tadaima (5)," Tsugiyoshi said as he walked through the door to his house. As the teen took off his shoes, a little girl rushed in chanting the lines of "Nii-chan (6) home! Nii-chan home!" The little girl happily wrapped her arms around Tsugiyoshi. He patted her on top of her grey head and asked: "Have you been good, Niki?" The little girl looked up at her older brother with her big grey eyes and said "Yup, and Sensei woved my drawing." "Oh? Can I see it?" The teen asked the child, who happily nodded and tugged on her older brother's hand, so he would follow her.

The two walked into the kitchen and Niki showed Tsugiyoshi her drawing, that was sitting on the dinner table. The teen looked at the drawing, smiled, and said: "Wow, this is good, Niki." The girl smiled, showing off the gap in her teeth where she lost a baby tooth, as Tsugiyoshi patted her on the head.

"Ne, Tsugi-nii," Niki pipped up, then asked, "You gunna stay at dat Juuni Tie-place?" Tsugiyoshi told the child "Yes, I'm going to be working there now." "But Tsugi-nii isn't gunna wive dere, wight?" The teen poked the little girl on the forehead and said "No, silly head, I'm not living there. It's a workplace. And besides, this place is my home, with you and Nana." Niki hugged her older brother.

Tsugiyoshi hugged his kid sister back. The teen now remembered why he applied for the position at the Juuni Taisen. Not only he could use his ability to help solve crimes and help people at the Juuni Taisen (without everyone knowing about his ability), but the Juuni Taisen had very good pay. Tsugiyoshi knew their grandma was doing the best she could to raise them, but she's not as young as she uses to be and had to limit her time at her workplace so she wouldn't overdo it. Tsugiyoshi helped out when he could while he was a student, and why he used his ability to get ahead education-wise.

'Don't worry Nana, Niki, I'll take care of both of you,' Tsugiyoshi thought to himself.

~}i{~

To Be Continued...

~}i{~

1) Ore-sama is both an overly-self-confident and narcissistic way of saying "me" or "I" in Japanese. This is how Dragon refers to himself in the Juuni Taisen anime (Jap dubbed).

2) Getas are a form of traditional Japanese footwear that resemble both clogs and flip-flops. They are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong to keep the foot well above the ground. They are worn with traditional Japanese clothing such as kimono or yukata, but (in Japan) also with Western clothing during the summer months.

3) I'm probably going to get some (or a lot) backlash for this, but I'm doing it anyway. Tora and Ushii are going to be siblings in this story. So don't expect anything romantic between to two here. They do care and love each other, in their own "Unique" way though, you'll be seeing this in the later chapters. And as you read so far, Ushii will be paired off with someone else, and Tora will pretty much "Help" with getting them together.

4) Gomenasai is Japanese for "I'm Sorry".

5) Tadaima Japanese for "I'm home."

6) Nii-chan is pretty much a childish term for "Big Brother" or "Older Brother". Usually, children use it with family members, but some older people use it to tease others.

~}i{~

Gale-Dragon: To all the people who ship Ushii and Tora together, don't flame in the comment/review, I will delete them. Yes, know it was hinted in the anime/novel. Yes, I know that this is the prefered pairing in Juuni Taisen.

But hear me out, to me, Ushii and Tora felt more of a brother/sister type of relationship in the anime. In the 2nd Tora flashback, Ushii acted like an older brother towards Tora, and Tora seemed to want to show Ushii how she's "Turned Her Life Around" so to speak, like how a younger sister wants to show her older brother that she can stand on her own.

Also, a lot of the chapters will be from Nezumi's viewpoint, since he's the newest member of the Juuni Taisen team.

~}i{~