041 - Among Us

LAND OF WAVES

In the heart of Wave's now bustling commercial district, amidst the labyrinthine streets lined with wooden facades, stood a discreet yet imposing building. Haruki, the lanky lackey of the greatest man alive, stood silently across this miracle before resolutely marching in. It had quickly become something of a ritual to observe a moment of respectful silence before entering; some claimed they did this to reorient their minds for the world within. Others did this simply out of reverence to its owner.

For Haruki however, the office of the renowned business tycoon—and his direct superior—Jinrui Tanaka, was not a place one entered all willy-nilly. After all, one does not enter a dragon's lair, all willy-nilly.

It was simply common sense not to.

The building's elegant architecture—a testament to the craftsmanship of the era—exuded an air of sophistication. A pair of sliding doors opened to welcome him into a world where tradition melded seamlessly with commerce. The tatami mat flooring felt cool beneath his socked feet, and the soft light filtering through shoji screens cast a serene glow on the space within. Paintings depicting sweeping landscapes adorned the walls, while a delicate bonsai tree graced a corner, its branches meticulously pruned.

Clerks and bookkeepers, dressed in attire that mirrored his master's sense of refinement, moved with grace as they attended to their tasks. The rhythmic sound of brushes meeting paper created a gentle backdrop, punctuated by the occasional rustling of sliding doors as clients entered and departed.

Haruki walked into the designated social space, separated by a beautifully adorned shoji screen. Apparently, just behind the paper screen—soundproofed by Fūinjutsu seals—his master hosted a meeting. The lanky lackey sat patiently, waiting until a stately group exited with Master Jinrui in tow. Noble guests—local lords—dignified in their traditional attire, exchanged respectful bows with the Shinobi-cum-business man before taking their leave.

"Come." Was all the boss said before disappearing back into the room?

Haruki rose, exhaling as he followed, shutting the Shoji behind himself.

At a low wooden table, Jinrui Tanaka sat in his impeccably crafted kimono, a glaring symbol of his status. A calligraphy scroll hung behind him, its brushstrokes embodying the essence of harmony and success. By his side, a gold-glided typewriter rested atop a ledger, a subtle allusion to the Shinobi's impossible financial success.

Although a lacquered tea set occupied the centre of the low table—a clear invitation for the revered tea ceremony, a bridge between business and culture. A bridge that facilitated a delicate dance between tradition, commerce, and the cultivation of relationships that went beyond mere transactions—Haruki had no delusion of partaking in such a luxury at the moment.

He was here to fulfil a much graver task.

"Boss," he said, extending a scroll to his superior.

Jinrui received the reports in his hand with a frown on his face.

"...They turned us down?" he asked moments later as he rolled the scroll up, laying it gently on the table in front of him.

"Yes, boss," Haruki replied carefully. "Our contact in the Land of Water said the Water Daimyō's stance on non-intervention in foreign politics remains unchanged."

"Foreign politics!" The larger man scoffed. "We are asking for a partnership to stabilise the trade routes through his country and the fool spouts this bullshit? Forget him. Any update from the diplomatic team we sent to meet the new Mizukage? They ought to have finished grieving the fourth, no?"

"Yes, boss. Kento and his team should have reached Kiri, yes. Although they haven't sent any message back so I can't say for certain."

The boss chewed on the insides of his cheek as he digested the news.

"...So, in summary, because of this fool's cowardice, we are still stuck with only the Suisen-Benisu-Frost chain, the Sekai-Sabaku sea routes, and a handful of lanes in the Nagi sea? It's been three weeks and we still haven't made any progress out of these regions. That's poor form."

"...But boss," Haruki replied hesitantly, "we already have the majority of Gatō's assets, Wouldn't it be better if we consolidate our gains rather can continue expanding."

Jinrui scoffed again in response. "Consolidate, he says. With the risk of important assets and routes falling into the grasp of our newfound competitors? We've already lost Yanwu and Sunafuki islands. Our access to the Glacier passage north and the dozens of lands beyond remains uncertain, nor we can't guarantee the security of our vessels should they attempt to venture into the Chiguri sea, and you are here suggesting we consolidate?"

"...I spoke out of turn boss. Forgive me."

Haruki winced as a tired sigh leaked from Jinrui's lips. "What about the agents from the Land of Fire? Have they started giving us any trouble yet?"

"No, sir. They still seem to be taking a wait-and-watch approach, sir. Although, we had some troublemakers harassing our ships docked at the Land of Noodle. Apparently, some local lord had been intending to fill the gap Gatō left behind after his demise and wasn't happy to hear we beat him to it. We could attempt to bring him in as we did the one from Benisu?"

"Yes, do that. Just make sure he doesn't cause any more trouble. We can't afford distractions. Especially not now; the Chunin exams would be commencing in a month and a half. We need to be prepared to move the moment an opportunity presents itself. Understood?"

"Yes, boss!"

***

Shikamaru exhaled as he stood before a door bearing a restricted area sign.

It was no big deal, he argued to himself, attempting to reconcile the fact he—a mere Genin—had, for the fifteenth time in the past seven days, been escorted by an entire squad of ANBU operatives to a restricted room in a secret underground facility that should not exist. The fact that he had been held in isolation—forced to undergo similar repetitive intrusive medical and psychological evaluations under constant surveillance—for the past three weeks, did not help ease his worries.

The heavy steel door creaked as it swung open. On the other side, Shikamaru's gaze met his father's worried one.

Opposite the Nara Patriarch were Inoichi and Princess Tsunade. In the centre of the room, Kakashi, his newfound comrade-in-circumstance, lay supine on a medical cot between the three. The masked shinobi donned a strange scientific ninja tool on his head. Shikamaru had long grown accustomed to seeing the device through which the Yamanaka clan head explored the psyche of his subjects. After all, since his arrival here, Shikamaru had repetitively found himself on the receiving end of the contraption.

"He is here," announced one of the ANBU behind Shikamaru. The Genin looked around the room as Tsunade waved her hand, dismissing his escorts. Soft, diffused light emitted from a single fluorescent lamp, casting an eerie glow across the room and its matte stone floors. A small handful of medic-nin, dressed in white overalls lingered, crosslegged, in the shadows of the room, all donning contraptions similar to the ones worn by Kakashi and Inoichi. Thick black cords connected their devices to a mainframe that towered in one corner of the room; from the computer a single, slightly thicker cord extended out, connecting the Yamanaka Patriarch—and subsequently, Kakashi—to the network.

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"Come," the Senju princess said to Shikamaru, gesturing to another cot parallel to the one the masked, white-haired Jonin occupied. "Get in."

Shikamaru looked to Shikaku. In response, the older Nara simply stared at him, his eyes squinted in silence.

Assent.

Shikamaru exhaled again as he made his way to the cot. He managed a stiff smile as Tsunade strapped one of the corded devices to his head. His heart sank slightly when she failed to reciprocate the expression, before turning to regard one of the screens on the table behind her.

"...Still nothing," Tsunade said after a few minutes of silence. "The read-outs aren't displaying anything out of the norm. I can't find anything."

Shikamaru tilted his head to look at his father. Grim. Shikaku's expression was grim.

"Nothing at all?" the older Nara asked.

"No," Tsunade replied. "It's as if it never existed. Shikamaru has no recollection of being terrified of the Uchiha boy; some envy existed before acceptance settled in, as well as self-doubt when comparing himself to Sasuke, but there is not a single length of memory suggesting he ever feared the boy."

"But he did!" Shikaku argued, much to Shikamaru's resurfacing horror; an emotion which he promptly suppressed and pushed back into the crevices of his mind. "I showed you my memories, didn't I? He was terrified of the beast, so much so that for a while I was worried it would affect his prospects as a shinobi … That does not just disappear!"

Tsunade sighed. "There is nothing there, Shikaku."

The room lulled into a foreboding silence.

"I still cannot find anything either," Inoichi said moments later, disengaging the scientific ninja tools connecting him to Kakashi. "No signs of tampering or whatnot … Although, I did notice an uptick in Kakashi's attachment to the Uchiha as well as a budding sense of disillusionment regarding the village's policies following his return from Wave. I am still not sure if I should take that as an indication of tampering or not."

Another pulse of foreboding silence ensued. The arrayed medics in the background exchanged worried glances.

"...So, theoretically, if what we are all most likely thinking is true, then Sasuke can seamlessly remove and modify memories… without leaving a trail? That's a level of Genjutsu proficiency that's simply unheard of."

Everyone looked to Kakashi who had just spoken.

"...Yes," Inoichi nodded stiffly, his face turning pale and expression distant. "Unheard of… but frankly, I am willing to consider anything as possible at this point."

"There has to be limits to something like that!" Shikamaru interjected, feeling a dark churning in his guts. "Right?"

"...There might be," Tsunade replied. "We still aren't certain if he could tamper with the memories of a Jonin-level actor. The ability could be more effective on weaker opponents and the inverse the higher up the power scale one goes. Kakashi's attachment and subsequent sense of disillusionment could simply be a result of lengthened exposure to certain psychological triggers completely unassociated with the Uchiha. We can't just make assumptions without any concrete proof."

Shikaku scoffed in response. "In the same vein, we cannot be certain if Kakashi's mind wasn't simply tampered with. This could all be a result of that little bastard's second Mangekyo ability for all we know … If that's true, then anyone who has had prolonged contact with the Uchiha stands the risk of being compromised…"

"...Even the Second Hokage?" Inoichi asked, his left brow crooked.

"Possibly."

"...This does not leave this room," Tsunade ordered moments later, her stern gaze panning across everyone in attendance.

"But—"

"I know more about the Uchiha's Mangekyo than you do, Shikaku," the Senju Princess interrupted as she glared at the man. "Ignoring the implausibility of a Shinobi as competent as this using an ability as self-destructive as a Mangekyo just to simply make your son more comfortable around him, have you thought about the consequences of letting a rumour—confirmed or not—like this leak?"

Shikaku winced, suitably chastised.

Tsunade sighed, as she massaged her temple. "...I understand the reason for your antagonism, Shikaku, but that does not mean I would just stand by and watch as you help tear the village apart from within. I might bear little affection for my status as a Kunoichi, but this village is still, first and foremost, my home."

"...We cannot keep this to ourselves, Tsunade-hime," Inoichi said as he helped Kakashi to his feet. "To do so would harm the village even more."

"Fine. Inform Lord Third. He alone and no other. Not my grand uncle, not the council, and especially not Danzo. I recommend that everyone who has had significant contact with the Uchiha should be monitored for signs of foul play, and those—"

"Tsunade-hime!"

Shikamaru's gaze swivelled to the entrance. There stood a lithe, dark-haired woman, leaning against the door, panting, her forehead beaded with sweat. Behind her stood a single ANBU operative.

"What's the matter, Shizune?" Tsunade asked the newcomer.

"Trouble, Tsunade-hime! Big Trouble!" the young woman replied, unable to articulate herself.

"Compose yourself, Shizune!"

The woman nodded, inhaling deeply before attempting to speak again. "...The Uchiha Clan… the massacre," she said. "Someone has been distributing scrolls claiming it was orchestrated by Lord Third and his Council."

The room froze.

Shikamaru paled.

"What?" Inoichi and Shikaku exclaimed in unison.

"When did this happen? Has the one responsible for this slander been apprehended?" Tsunade asked.

The woman shook her head. "We can't. It's everywhere."

"...What do you mean "everywhere"?"

"The culprit gifted scrolls containing the supposed secrets anonymously to the Jōmae Village in the Land of Keys. The village, upon receiving the scrolls, proceeded to sell them to the Kumo, Iwa and Suna at the behest of the one who provided them.

"Apparently, the Fourth Raikage reached out to Lord Third in order to negotiate a deal to keep the scrolls from spreading, but before an agreement could be made, both Suna and Iwa had distributed copies freely to as many people as they could reach. By the time our agents caught a whiff of what had transpired, the scrolls had spread as far as North as the Land of Iron, and west to the Land of Peas. It's everywhere Tsunade-hime."

"...The scroll," Tsunade asked, "It's all just slander… right?"

The messenger fell silent.

"Shizune! Answer me!"

"...The contents are still being reviewed by the Hyuga, Akimichi and Aburame clan heads, but what information they have managed to verify is all accurate … There is a very high likelihood that the contents of the scroll are entirely true… and the Hokage and his Council were indeed behind the Uchiha clan massacre."

Although Tsunade's face had turned expressionless, Shikamaru could still acutely feel the anger and disappointment radiating off her. The two clan heads beside her wore disbelieving expressions on their faces. Kakashi sighed as he sat back into his cot, seemingly unwilling to involve himself in the matter.

"...Belay my previous order," Tsunade said with clenched fists. "Not a word leaves this room. Not until I say so. Shizune—"

"Yes, Tsunade-hime!"

"Find Jiriaya and inform him that I wish to speak with him. Before that, get me a copy of that scroll. Now!"

"Yes, Tsunade-hime!"