Shirakawa Village lay quietly beside the trade route in the early dusk. Neat wooden fences embraced the settlement, the heavy village gate currently standing open. Several villagers sat on stone stools beside the gate chatting idly. At first they paid no attention to the approaching figures, but upon clearly seeing the Konoha symbols and attire, their expressions immediately turned serious. The leading man quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully: "What instructions do you honorable sirs have for our village?"
Shūji's calm gaze swept across everyone as he produced a scroll from his jacket and slowly unrolled it: "Konoha shinobi, here on orders from the Daimyō of the Land of Rivers." His voice wasn't loud, but carried an official, businesslike tone. The villagers' expressions tightened as they exchanged glances. The leader immediately stepped back, saying nothing more.
Itachi keenly noticed that Shūji's demeanor now was completely different from his easygoing attitude in Koizumi Town's restaurant. He remained composed, maintaining the same calm steadiness as Shūji on his young face, quietly observing.
"Where is the village head now?" Shūji inquired directly.
"At... at home." The villager hurriedly answered, indicating the direction.
The two entered the village. Though night had barely fallen, Shirakawa Village had already lit scattered lamps, warm light filtering through paper windows outlining the dwellings' contours, displaying a carefully maintained comfort. The impressive inn at the village center was especially conspicuous, its upturned eaves and ornate brackets clearly visible in the lamplight, though the entrance area was quite deserted, forming a subtle contrast with the other dwellings' lights.
Walking along the village path, Itachi could feel gazes hidden behind latticed windows and fences. He maintained an outwardly relaxed but internally vigilant state, peripherally noting the surroundings. Shūji's stride remained steady as he headed directly toward the village head's residence.
An elderly man with graying hair and a slightly stooped form already waited before the door in the lantern's glow. Seeing the two, he quickly stepped forward several paces, respectfully ushering them inside. After host and guests were seated in the modest hall, the old man carefully ventured: "This old one is the village head, Shirakawa Kisuke. I wonder what matter brings you honorable sirs to investigate?" His calloused hands clasped together unconsciously.
"I assumed the village head would have anticipated this." Shūji leaned forward slightly, his gaze settling on the old man's face, lips bearing an extremely faint arc devoid of warmth. "Regarding the bandits causing trouble near the trade route, your village surely isn't unfamiliar with the matter."
"This... this..." Beads of moisture appeared on Shirakawa Kisuke's forehead in the lamplight. "Indeed, officials came to inquire... but this old one truly..."
"Oh?" Shūji's fingertip tapped the table once, producing a clear crisp sound. "Then let me rephrase. Are all of Shirakawa Village's registered residents currently in the village?"
"Of cour—" Shirakawa Kisuke started to speak.
"Senpai." Itachi's clear, youthful voice cut through the brief silence. "When entering the village, I noticed several dwellings with darkened windows, seemingly uninhabited."
The old village head's body imperceptibly tensed, hastily explaining: "There are indeed a few households... who left to seek their livelihood..."
Shūji's gaze slowly swept across several pieces of furniture in the room that, while not luxurious, were clearly made of solid materials and fine craftsmanship, his tone measured: "From what I observe, your village lives quite comfortably." He paused meaningfully. "When one's home is so stable and prosperous, young people choosing to leave home and wander surely can't be common?"
"Yes... yes." Shirakawa Kisuke dabbed his forehead with his sleeve. "Only because the trade route is busy, merchants often lodge at the village inn." He worked to maintain a steady tone. "Young people see the outside world, their hearts... inevitably become restless."
"Those bandits must have significantly impacted your village's livelihood." Shūji's gaze seemed to penetrate the paper windows, directed toward the silent inn. "Such a fine inn, yet now so desolate."
The old man lowered his gaze, voice becoming subdued: "Exactly so. That's why this old one prays day and night for you honorable sirs to eliminate this scourge from the trade route."
Shūji suddenly withdrew that invisible pressure, his tone mild: "If that's the case, does the village head have any clues to provide? In this matter, our goals are aligned." He watched the elder's eyes. "Any minor detail might prove valuable."
"Yes, yes, only... this old one truly doesn't know anything useful..." Shirakawa Kisuke's voice carried helplessness.
Hearing this, no ripple showed on Shūji's face. He merely asked routine questions about village population, recent outsiders, and other standard matters before rising to take his leave: "We'll temporarily stay at the village inn. If you discover anything, please inform us immediately."
Inside the inn room, lamplight steadily filled the space. Itachi carefully confirmed the doors and windows were properly closed and the surroundings quiet before turning to Shūji: "Did senpai discover some lead with the village head?"
Shūji had already returned to his usual gentle demeanor, sitting on the tatami with a slight smile, asking back: "What does Itachi think?"
The eight-year-old genin pondered briefly, answering with clear logic: "Senpai believes the bandits are connected to this village, and that the village leadership knows about it, possibly even participating. This explains why senpai changed his attitude at the village entrance and before the village head."
"Since you made that judgment, why not pretend ignorance upon entering the village, but instead first adopt a stern posture?" Shūji looked at him with interest. "Wouldn't quietly investigating be easier for discovering clues?"
This was precisely the doubt still lingering in Itachi's mind.
Shūji had analyzed two possibilities at Koizumi Town's restaurant: bandits lingering for important lost property, or them being locals all along. Now it seemed senpai leaned toward the latter.
"Initially displaying a difficult attitude is groundwork." Shūji explained. "Being too accommodating sometimes invites unnecessary probing and trouble. After entering the village, the attention villagers paid us—far exceeding normal merchant visitors—itself conveyed information. This village has such a luxurious inn; presumably guests are common. A village accustomed to receiving travelers from all directions shouldn't react so tensely to unfamiliar shinobi."
"Therefore I decided to apply some pressure on the village head, showing we've grasped some of the situation. If too mild, given that village head's experience, he'd likely use more tactful methods to deflect without revealing any flaws." He paused. "And from his reactions, those young people who left the village, and the bandits' appearance—the village can hardly completely disassociate itself."
Itachi nodded thoughtfully. These observation and judgment details weren't taught at the ninja academy.
"So what does senpai plan to do next?" he asked.
Shūji didn't answer directly, instead looking at him: "If Itachi were leading, what would you do?"
The young Uchiha thought seriously for a moment, answering: "If it were me, I'd try using genjutsu to extract more definite intelligence from the village head, such as the bandits' possible hideout. Once I obtained their location, I could proceed with elimination."
"Excellent tactical thinking." Shūji nodded approvingly, then changed direction. "However, after using genjutsu, what situations might we face?" He raised a finger. "First, the village head genuinely doesn't know core details, so genjutsu yields limited information. Second, the bandits are hiding somewhere within the village. Third, they're concealed in the forests outside the village."
"The latter two situations are especially complex." Shūji straightened, his gaze calm. "Without solid evidence, when the other party hasn't actively shown hostility, those so-called 'bandits' are very likely just ordinary neighbors or relatives in the villagers' eyes. As the mission brief emphasized, even the Land of Rivers' pursuit teams failed to capture their specific appearances. This means even if we find the target location, what we see will very likely be people who appear to be ordinary villagers working from dawn to dusk."
He watched Itachi's clear yet precociously deep eyes: "At that point, how would you proceed? Direct action would very likely provoke strong reactions from local villagers. Without ironclad proof, people often choose to believe and protect those they know. How they might question, argue, or even obstruct us—all unpredictable variables."
The room fell into silence, only the occasional soft crackling of the lamp wick. The young Uchiha genius frowned slightly, sinking into deep contemplation. This problem involving human hearts and rules clearly exceeded his past scope of executing missions purely through force. The lamplight cast his contemplative profile on the wall, stretching it long.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild