"Bang… thump…"
Sounds echoed from within the room, striking fear into the hearts of the servants gathered outside. They had all seen the horrifying state Lord Keita was in when he returned. They didn't know who could have injured their master so grievously, but all they could do was wait fearfully outside the door, listening to the muffled sounds of anguish from within, terrified that their master's wrath might fall upon them, costing them their jobs.
Honestly, working for the Tanii clan was quite comfortable. The pay was good, and the work itself wasn't demanding. For young women without specialized skills, finding such employment was undoubtedly a fortunate circumstance.
"Hm? What's going on? Why are you all gathered here?"
A smooth, magnetic voice reached the servants' ears. They turned quickly, saw the newcomer, and bowed hastily. "Lord Ryuta."
"What has happened?" Ryuta asked, a faint, roguish smile playing on his handsome features as he looked at the young maids.
A blush crept onto the faces of the younger servants. One whispered, "It's Lord Keita… He appears to be injured."
"I see. You may all leave now," Ryuta said, waving a dismissive hand.
"Yes, sir!" The maids felt a wave of relief as they scurried away.
Ryuta bore absolutely no resemblance to his older brother, Keita. Ryuta was strikingly handsome and lean, while Keita was coarse-featured and obese. Yet, they were indeed blood brothers. The Tanii clan had voluntarily relocated to Konoha about twenty years after the village's founding, seeking refuge from the wars ravaging the lands.
They were among the very first non-shinobi families to settle in Konoha. Primarily merchants, their family had no history of producing ninja. However, to secure their footing in a village dominated by shinobi, they consistently sent their children to the Ninja Academy.
Lacking hereditary techniques or secret arts common to established ninja clans, most Tanii graduates lingered at the Genin rank. For the Tanii, raising ninja wasn't about military strength but about facilitating their business endeavors within Konoha.
Over several decades, this strategy proved remarkably effective. The Tanii clan rose to become Konoha's largest construction contractors and landowners. In a village structured like a military base, the most crucial connections were with ninjas. Thus, they took great care never to offend shinobi, even offering substantial bribes to the Uchiha-led Konoha Military Police Force in the past.
However, the Uchiha clan was incorruptible and wouldn't grant the Tanii special favors merely due to bribes; if the Tanii broke the law, they faced punishment like anyone else. This naturally bred resentment within the Tanii clan, though they remained outwardly compliant. This status quo persisted until two major events occurred: the Uchiha clan's annihilation and the unexpected emergence of Ryuta – a Jonin – from within the Tanii family ranks.
After the Uchiha clan's fall, the village's higher-ups seemed to neglect the formal policing structure, instead establishing numerous patrol teams to maintain public order. Ryuta, being a Jonin, was appointed as the captain overseeing these patrols. From that point on, the Tanii clan began acting with increasingly unchecked impunity.
Ryuta pushed open the door and entered the room. It was dark inside. He could make out a large figure lying motionless on the floor – unmistakably Keita.
"Why are the lights off?" Ryuta frowned, reaching for the switch and flicking it on.
"Keita, what in the—" Ryuta's words choked in his throat, his expression freezing in horror. Illuminated by the electric light, Keita lay broken on the floor, possessing only his left foot. Both hands and his right foot were gone, the raw, cauterized stumps still slowly oozing blood. "WHAT HAPPENED?!" Ryuta roared, his voice thick with fury. "WHO DID THIS?! Brother!"
Keita's previously vacant eyes seemed to regain a spark of life at the sound of Ryuta's voice. He turned his head weakly towards his brother, his voice a hoarse rasp. "Brother… avenge me… I want to kill her… No… I want to torture her… torture her horribly…"
"Who is she?" Ryuta demanded, his face cold and hard. Despite their vastly different lifestyles, the bond between the two brothers ran deep.
Hearing Ryuta's question, Keita paused, then shook his head slightly, his voice trembling. "I… I don't know." Only now did Keita fully realize – he didn't even know her name. From beginning to end, she had never introduced herself, and he had never thought to ask.
"What did she look like?" Ryuta's eyes burned with rage. "As long as she's still somewhere in Konoha, I will find her!"
"Pink… long hair…" Keita recalled slowly, piecing together the image. "Green eyes… Looked about twelve… thirteen years old. She's a ninja… Probably a Genin."
"A ninja?" Ryuta echoed, surprised. "What exactly happened? Brother, tell me everything, slowly."
A flicker of rage ignited in Keita's eyes, quickly followed by stark terror as he began to recount the ordeal, his voice hoarse and strained. "It was at…"
Ryuta listened silently as his brother haltingly narrated the events. When Keita finally finished…
"Hmph. Just a mere Genin, yet capable of such cruelty," Ryuta scoffed coldly. "But ninjas who commit crimes face severe punishment too. Don't worry, brother. I will make her pay dearly for this."
"Wait!" Keita struggled to push himself into a sitting position. "You must bring her here! You have to bring her to me!"
"Rest assured, brother," Ryuta said, tightly reining in his own fury as he looked at his brother's pathetic state. "I'll go find her immediately! This is a matter where even the Hokage won't be able to intervene."
Since the Uchiha clan's demise, and especially since Ryuta became captain of the patrols, the Tanii clan had grown significantly bolder. They no longer treated ninjas from non-prominent backgrounds with the same cautious respect as before. They had even begun actively persecuting civilian-born ninjas who dared to interfere with the clan's interests. As long as they avoided offending the major, established ninja clans, Ryuta had no reservations about dealing harshly with ninjas lacking powerful connections. Arranging "minor accidents" for troublesome individuals during missions had become a regrettably common occurrence.
Looking again at his brother's bleeding stumps, Ryuta reconsidered. "Brother, in your condition… I should take you to the hospital first."
"Don't worry about me…" Keita rasped. "I'm not going to die from this."
Ryuta narrowed his eyes, thinking quickly. "No, I'll take you to the hospital. That way, more people will witness your injuries. A Genin attacking a civilian unprovoked… she can be immediately designated a missing-nin. Then I'll have grounds to apprehend her myself, conduct the initial interrogation… and take the opportunity to bring her here directly."
Keita's eyes lit up with malicious glee, but then a flicker of doubt crossed his face. "Interrogation… Isn't that usually handled by the T&I Department? Won't they just take her away immediately?"
"Don't worry about that," Ryuta dismissed the concern confidently. "T&I won't bother intervening over such a minor incident. Their focus is on interrogating individuals who pose a significant threat to the village itself. If they got involved in every petty squabble, they'd need ten times their current manpower to keep up." Ryuta clearly possessed a thorough understanding of Konoha's various departmental functions and limitations.
"Excellent!" Keita exclaimed, his mind racing with vengeful thoughts. "Let's do exactly as you say!"
Meanwhile, after leaving the balding uncle's cold drinks shop, Sakura had intended to report her findings to Tsunade-sensei immediately. However, upon reaching the Hokage Tower, she was informed that the Hokage had already finished work for the day. Reporting would have to wait until tomorrow.
Obviously, renting the shop was no longer an option after her violent encounter with Keita. Now, all she could do was wait and see what Keita – or rather, his brother – would do next. Sakura scoffed inwardly. She refused to believe she could be taken down by some corrupt civilian family. Besides, this situation presented a unique opportunity to significantly boost Tsunade-sensei's public standing.
From what the balding uncle had described, the Tanii clan had become a genuine menace, exploiting both civilians and ninjas without strong clan backing. Public resentment had been simmering for a long time, but the official complaint channels were effectively blocked (likely by Danzo). If Sakura could successfully dismantle the Tanii clan's corrupt operations, she might even get that desirable shop location for free, elevate her master's popularity among the villagers, and deal a blow to Danzo's shadowy influence within Konoha. Three birds, one stone.
As she walked, her stomach began to rumble. Glancing around, she noticed the lively glow and inviting sounds of the nearby night market. She decided on the spot not to head home for dinner tonight. It felt like ages since she'd last properly explored the night market; tonight was the perfect chance.
Spotting a deserted alleyway, she quickly ducked inside. Forming the necessary hand seals, with a soft poof, she executed the Transformation Jutsu. In her place now stood the spitting image of a mature, sophisticated beauty – the quintessential 'Onee-san' type.
A night market without a little alcohol just lacks soul, Sakura mused. Technically, she wasn't old enough to drink legally. Outside the village, nobody would bat an eye, but within Konoha's walls, it was better to be discreet. She could easily run into someone she knew. A disguise was essential to avoid any unnecessary complications or awkward questions.
With a faint, knowing smile playing on her transformed lips, Sakura emerged gracefully from the alleyway, strolling confidently towards the vibrant energy and enticing aromas of the bustling night market.