Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Maid in Akihabara ❯ The Undergound Otaku ( Chapter 3 )

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Chapter 3: The Underground Otaku

 

Iruka knocked on the metal door of what seemed to be a small abandon convenience store. The building's walls were chipping and the windows were tinted so that no one could see either in or out. If it weren't for the fact that Iruka had called ahead to find out where the building was, he would have thought the place was empty himself. The dark haired man knocked on the door again but like before the door didn't budge. The young male groaned in frustration.

 

“Open this door right now, Shino! It's nighttime for god sakes and you know this part of the town is not

safe.”

 

“Say the password.” Said a voice from behind the door.

 

“Oh, please Shino! Not the stupid password. You already know who this is, so just let me in.” Iruka begged.

 

“Say the password!”

 

Iruka sighed in defeat. “Cooking is so fun. Cooking is so fun. Now its time to take a break and see what we have done.” The dark haired man quickly mumbled across his lips.“Now are you going to let me in?”[1]

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

“Say it cuter.”

 

“Shino!” At the shout of the dark skinned man's voice, the door suddenly opened causing Iruka to squint his eyes at the intense brightness that was inside the room.

 

“Well, come in,” said a sunshade-wearing male as he stepped aside for Iruka. Iruka walked inside the room but not without giving the store owner a quick evil glare for leaving him outside for so long.

“I swear Shino, I don't know why you like picking the most dangerous and most secluded places to do your business in,” Iruka said as he glanced across the shop that was no bigger than his living room. Small circular tables were spread throughout the floor making it hard for a person to walk around the already petite room. On the tables were rare items ranging from digital camera to miniature robots that could perform the Para Para dance[2].

 

“My store, my way.” The scruffy headed owner said in a flat tone.

 

Iruka mumbled something that sounded very close to 'freaky hermit' before setting his eyes on a table stacked with tickets for varies concerts.

 

“So how much for these?” Iruka asked as he grabbed a ticket that read Tohoshinki on the front.

 

“14,085 yen[3].” Shino replied.

 

“Wow, why such a low price? Usually your items costs an arm and a leg.”

 

“Well, I'm trying to get rid of all my products before this town goes completely to hell.” The hoodie-wearing male said as he examined some of his merchandise.

 

“What?” Iruka asked as he looked at his friend in confusion.

 

“Don't tell me you haven't noticed?” Shino asked coolly as the dark skinned man still continued to look at the scruffy headed boy with a bewildered look on his face.

 

Shino sighed. “Akiba is being taking over.”

 

“Oh, don't tell me you've been listening to the stupid forums on 2chan[4] again.” Iruka said with a disinterested look on his face.”You need to stop spending so much time on that site and actually go outside and live a normal life once in a while.”

 

“Says the cross dressing otaku.” Iruka frowned at the comment but Shino ignored it. “I know the forums have come up with some bullshit rumors in the past, but this one is actually true. Haven't youbeen noticing some of the changes?”

 

“No, everything seems to be normal in Akihabara as far as I can tell,” the older man said after thinking about the recent days he spent in the city.

 

“It only seems that way, however I've been noticing that the average blue collar worker seems to be coming here more and more each day. Not to mention that some of Akiba's most popular stores are being bought out every day by big business companies.”

 

As Iruka listened to his friend he couldn't help but feel a bit skeptical. Iruka had known Shino for a long time, and while he knew the boy was smart and wise for his age, he also knew Shino had a tendency to become paranoid now and then.

 

“I'm sorry, I want to believe you but this sounds crazy,” said the dark haired man, “Akihabara is a city for maniakkus [5], why would a company want to set up in a city like this?”

 

“Don't fool yourself. Akihabara never belonged to us.” Shino said as he now held Iruka with an intense gaze, “Japan sees this city as a place where all the most advanced and rarest technology comes out first. Which means that it's the perfect place for a businessman to get a heads up on upcoming partner deals and get information on their rivals products.”

 

“Shino, are you sure you're just not being...” Iruka didn't bother finishing his sentence. He could tell by the detached look on the hoodie wearing boys face that he was far too gone in his own thoughts to listen to what he had to say.

 

“There have already been situations where otakus have been banned from certain areas.” Shino continued. “The authorities are keeping it private on why they are doing this. They only say it's to keep the public safe, but we all know the truth. They're trying to get rid of us. It seems like there buying out all the smaller stores first in order not to cause a big scene, however it won't be long before they make their presence known. But until then make sure to watch the city closely because before you know it…

 

“…Akihabara won't exist anymore.”

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The password is based off a song sung during intermissions of the popular anime Azumanga Daioh.

Popular dance in Japan.

About $135 in USD

Popular Japanese Internet forum. Inspired 4chan.

A Japanese word used in relation to specialist hobbies and interests.