Komainu had no fixed abode—never did, not now. Even as captain of Degarashi Port's militia, he changed lodgings daily, ensuring not even Chasan Group members could locate him before he chose to reveal himself.
"Just endure a bit longer…only until the end."
He fretted. Those Konoha ninja would depart soon—they were here merely for the escort mission.
That thought left him uneasy. The Wasabi family's enlistment of Konoha ninja, and the shinobi's return visit, were ill omens—but now was not the time to strike.
Komainu regretted not acting sooner. Waisuke Yūma had urged him to eliminate Wasabi Jirōchō when Jirōchō had been compliant. Yet Jirōchō remained dutiful despite hidden grudge.
He could not attack Konoha ninja rashly, nor remain idle.
He made up his mind.
The next morning, Shuji rose early and wandered the city.
By the time sunlight cleared the harbor mist in bright gold, Shuji returned to the inn. Hiroyama Makoto had waited anxiously and greeted him as a savior: "Captain Shuji! Great news! The port authorities have relented—my cargo can load today! Please, if you and your companions could—"
With permission granted, Hiroyama quickly marshaled his crew. He was desperate to leave Degarashi Port.
The docks bustled loudly. Hiroyama's men carefully moved the tarped silk bundles from the warehouse onto a merchant ship.
Those shady sentries merely watched, but Shuji, Anko, and Itachi sensed the guards' attention was drawn not to the cargo but to the ninja squad.
Shuji's steps were steady as he crossed the pier to Hiroyama and the port official deep in discussion. Anko followed half a pace behind, weaving through dockworkers and crates. In that instant, the Chasan sentries' gazes snapped to them.
Now!
Itachi, seated upon a crate, lifted his head. His scarlet Sharingan tomoe flickered in sunlight—rippling the sentries' unfocused stares like water disturbed by a pebble.
Just a momentary lapse.
When they refocused, Shuji stood beside Hiroyama, calmly pointing toward the ship with Anko at his side. The spot where Itachi had sat looked undisturbed, and the guards blinked, thinking they'd imagined it.
Using that cover, Shuji left a shadow clone behind and sped toward the Wasabi estate. Hiroyama's early departure proved local vigilance; Shuji knew he must accelerate his own plans.
The Wasabi rear courtyard remained serene. Tsunade leaned against the veranda, holding a sake cup, her gaze drifting over the patterned garden, lost in thought. The crisp sake scent mixed with the morning breeze, carrying a hint of languid melancholy.
Wasabi Jirōchō sat respectfully at a short distance.
"Lord Wasabi, someone is here for you." Shizune's soft reminder roused him.
Jirōchō blinked, then rose quickly. He guided Shuji through winding corridors and found him again in the reception room.
"I'll be direct, Lord Wasabi," Shuji began. "Have you discerned the Chasan Group's true significance?"
Jirōchō did not immediately reply but said: "My family formed to protect Degarashi Port's fishermen and merchants from bandit raids. We oversaw port safety and seldom faced ninja threats—thanks to Konoha's protection. The current chaos stems from opportunists seeking profit; Degarashi Port despises their greed."
"The Wasabi family is the port's indigenous faction," Shuji observed. "Meanwhile…"
"The Waisuke family thinks otherwise," Jirōchō completed.
"They are outsiders only interested in money," Shuji said. "And the Chasan Group's formal appointment as guards—surely they weren't truly eradicated?"
"Of course not!" Jirōchō's eyes flashed. "We have proof."
Shuji tapped his finger on the table. "Would you be willing to present this to the daimyō? Report your findings?"
Jirōchō frowned—report to the daimyō? The daimyō had tacitly approved the Chasan Group. What purpose would this serve? He seemed unable to fathom such intricate politics.
Shuji smiled and said: "Tea Country's daimyō never sanctioned bandits as port guards nor entrusted port security to a bandit leader."
"They won't accept that evidence," Jirōchō said with a hint of warning in his voice. "They may even accuse you of narrow-mindedness and move against the Wasabi family…if not for Konoha's involvement."
Silence descended in the reception room. Sunlight cast sharp patterns on Shuji's young face as he met Jirōchō's uncertain gaze. His words, clear and deliberate:
"You need only state in your report: 'With the assistance of the Konoha ninja escort squad led by Special Jōnin Shuji, it has been conclusively determined that the Chasan Group bandits at Yacha Slope were never truly eliminated. The Waisuke family, perhaps eager for accolades or misled by Komainu's deception, mistakenly appointed these ruthless outlaws as port guards, resulting in port disorder and merchant grievances. We respectfully urge the daimyō to rectify this injustice and restore security for the people.'"
Jirōchō's confusion, doubt, and hidden disdain melted into stunned clarity. He drew a breath and straightened. "You, Captain Shuji…are not like other shinobi."
He added: "At your age, devising such a strategy commands respect."
From Tea Country's standpoint, they would avoid direct conflict with Konoha. A native ninja village would be an asset to the daimyō by protecting interests. But from Konoha's perspective, small ninja villages rarely thrived when the Great Villages could monopolize missions. Now, with Tea Country's territory critical to Konoha's mission quotas, the village could not surrender this preserve.
The night wind drifted through the open window, ruffling the scroll's edge. Their three shadows stretched long and silent under the lamplight and sea breeze.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild