Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and gain nothing by writing this.
Kadouzeki was the largest town on the Kourigawa River which was the largest river on the continent. It snaked its way through several countries in a lazy fashion and only just barely went into the Fire country before curving back out. That little detail provided one substantial benefit to the country.
In the past there had been three small waterfalls in the area which had prevented ships from traveling freely up and down the river. To solve this problem locks had been constructed to allow ships to traverse the length of the river for a small fee. That alone would have made Kadouzeki a substantial settlement but, because of the town's location it had also become a significant manufacturing base.
The town which was usually a hub of activity was as quiet as any town in the hours before dawn. That was until a bell rang out from the top of a watch tower. These towers were manned by sharp eyed individuals who kept a constant vigil for fires. The single ringing bell set a series of events into motion. Dozens of people were woken from a sound sleep and rushed to put out the fire.
This time it was in the market district and it was quickly extinguished with practiced ease. They had been so efficient that the building may not even be a complete loss and as they trudged home they ran into something that was not part of their routine. Blockades had been thrown up on the streets and the firefighters cursed as they had to prove who they were. Many muttered darkly what they would do to the arsonist when he was caught.
Shikamaru leaned against the boat's railing soaking in the early morning light and trying to indulge in his old hobby of cloud watching. Unfortunately, nature was choosing not to cooperate providing him with only one wispy cloud. He was regretting his decision to travel by water instead of land.
The twenty-two-year-old had skipped dinner to catch the last ferry for the day. At the time he thought he would catch something on board but had quickly abandoned that idea and retreated to his cabin. Apparently being promoted to Jonin did not bring with it an automatic immunity to motion sickness.
A man joined him on the railing and inhaled a deep breath. "I swear you can smell Kadouzeki, it smells like Ryo. Am I right or what?"
The Jonin didn't notice a change in smell and had no interest in the conversation but, this man seemed familiar with his destination. "I've never had a reason to go there before."
"Oh it's a special place. I came here twenty years ago and within five years I owned my own business and was moving to the capital," the man boasted proud of his achievement. "Hardest five years of my life but, it was worth it," he gestured to his clothes which probably cost what Shikamaru made in two months.
He also noticed the distinct smell of alcohol on the man's breath which explained his gregarious nature. Sipping at his ginger tea he winced at the strong taste of lemon that had been added to it. "So, what brings you back here?"
"I'm into all sorts of things but, business in this area's a little down. My entertainment ventures in the city are just barely making a profit. Considering this is Kadouzeki there's no excuse," he slammed his hand on the railing for emphasis. "I think it's time for a little shake up." The man waved his hand dismissively, "Listen to me go on, never mind that, why are you going there, to make your fortune?"
Given the nature of his mission Shikamaru knew he could discuss it but, it was against his nature. Instead he turned revealing the Hitai-ate he still kept around his arm. The man seemed to sober at the sight of it. "Business," he kept his tone conversational.
"Right, I um-mum need to go check on some things," the man dismissed himself almost tripping over his own feet in his haste. Shikamaru smiled. Interacting with civilians was always interesting. Most of the time interactions between a ninja and a civilian were uneventful but, there were always some people that assumed they were targets for assassination. Sometimes those people did have their reasons but, most of the time their fears were groundless.
Minutes past and the small boat moved from the center of the river to the side and began to slow down. Over the loudspeaker the captain announced that they would be docking in five minutes. Shikamaru frowned into the distance. He could barely make out the city and the river ran right through it so, why were they stopping now? His question was answered even before he could finish it as a small cement dock seemed to emerge from the tree line. Within moments the ship had docked and with a loud clanging sound the ramp was connected on the far side of the ship.
Wanting to avoid the rush Shikamaru stayed where he was for a minute. That was until he heard a ruckus that couldn't be explained just by disembarking passengers. Curious about the noise he left his post at the railing and cutting through the small restaurant emerged on the other side of the boat.
At the bottom of the ramp was a crowd of maybe twenty people, all of them were accosting the passengers as they stepped off of the ramp. From the shouts he could understand they were offering everything from palanquin rides to maps of Kadouzeki. Shikamaru had no interest in running that gauntlet and chose to jump ship while nobody was looking.
Leaping over the railing was simple enough for him and the ten foot fall was nothing. Although his unorthodox departure from the ship went unnoticed by the crowd it did draw the attention of another man. Before Shikamaru had straightened the man had darted out from underneath a small pavilion. He was dressed in what passed for a traditional policeman's uniform. Loose jacket along with loose fitting pants for ease of movement and of course the two swords.
The man himself appeared to be middle-aged with a salt-and-pepper colored beard. However, it was his eyes that drew his attention. They were sharp as a predators and Shikamaru was confident that every concealed weapon on him had been noticed. He prepared himself for a lecture over proper disembarking procedures. Police and ninjas had an antagonistic relationship as members of his profession could be as much of a force for good as evil in their community. It was understandable but, was generally troublesome.
The man came to an abrupt halt just out of arm's reach and bowed, "Nara Shikamaru I presume."
"Yes," he answered hesitantly.
"I am Officer Yui. I have been asked to escort you to the briefing with the governor as soon as you arrive. Please follow me sir."
An escort, Shikamaru was impressed. Of all the missions he had ever been on this was a first. "Lead the way."
The samurai escorted him to the road which was overhung by trees. Diffuse light shone through the branches creating little puddles of light like rain after a storm. It would've been a pleasant walk if Officer Yui didn't insist on talking.
Not interested in small talk Shikamaru directed the conversation towards his mission. "So, this firebug is responsible for four fires, right?"
His companion was silent for a second before saying, "five. They struck again last night. Nobody has been hurt thankfully, but it's starting to put the citizens on edge. Some of the older folks are remembering the Great Fire."
"Great Fire?"
"It was before my time. If you want a firsthand account just ask anyone in the city over sixty or nowadays you could just stand next to one of them for a few minutes and they'll tell you all about it," his escort said dismissively.
That explains a lot thought Shikamaru. This mission was C-rank at best but, so much Ryo had been offer for its completion, it had bumped it up to B-ranked. Then he replayed the conversation and realized something. "You said 'they' do you believe there's more than one?"
"We know nothing about him. Arsonists act alone," the man's answer was sharp and killed any further conversation.
The Jonin gave a mental sigh as he saw a glimpse of what he'd be working with. He had a feeling he wouldn't be receiving much cooperation from the police. A few minutes later just before they were about to pass under the gates that led into the city the officer spoke to him again. "Watch your wallet there are a lot of pickpockets."
Yes Shikamaru thought to himself, this was indeed going to be a troublesome mission.
The governor apparently chose to work from his home or at least Shikamaru thought this was a private residence. There was a lot of security, but it was more of the mercenary type. They were competent though. Both his escort and he had to show identification to get past the gate and while they had been escorted inside guards were rarely out of sight. It was putting him on edge as it all seemed excessive.
Officer Yui seemed familiar enough with the layout of the house as he led him to an empty room with a small raised dais at one end. They sat in front of it wordlessly and Shikamaru passed the time by examining his surroundings. The most notable feature was the view. The house was built on a small hill which gave it an unobstructive view of the town and river.
It was not a view he would've paid for but, as it was the highest point in the city the land could not have been cheap. The artwork on the wall was a little more to his liking. It consisted of traditional scenes of nature and one of the birds a sparrow to be precise looked so real that it was easy to imagine that it would fly out of the open window any second.
After a few minutes of waiting a panel slid aside and an older man walked out. He paused and announced, "Governor Odawara." The man then placed a question on the platform before he retreated. The next man to enter was much younger and Shikamaru would've been surprised if the man was more than thirty years old. To be a governor at his age meant he was either very competent or knew how to play the political game.
Yui kowtowed before the man and Shikamaru merely nodded politely. Although it was not strictly enforced as a ninja of Konohagakure he was only required to show such respect to either the feudal lord of the Fire country or the Hokage. However, as a practical matter it was generally understood that high ranking clients deserved the courtesy but, he had made a snap judgment. This man was very conscious of his position and if he showed too much subservience now it may cause problems later.
The man stared down at him for a moment and realizing he was not going to get any additional signs of respect began speaking. "I have hired your village to assist me in capturing the arsonist who has now set five fires including one from last night. This individual is spreading terror through the city and must be stopped before they can strike again. Are you capable of that?"
Weary of agreeing to anything that would give the man an opening to renegotiate the contract later he simply replied with a noncommittal, "I will do my best."
The governor nodded acknowledging that Shikamaru had sidestepped that particular verbal trap. "This arsonist has now struck five targets and a pattern has emerged. Every time he has struck he has attacked one of my business holdings."
If the Jonin had been of a different temperament he would've snorted or at least rolled his eyes as the nature of his target had changed. It did not take five such attacks to determine such a clear pattern. This was why clients were generally interviewed. It was a precaution which had been learned overtime for the simple reason that civilians tended to leave out facts they thought were not important but, later turn out to be essential. It was rare but, on occasions clients did lie. Naruto could attest to that and now so could he.
It was clear why this client had lied though. If it was only his businesses that were being attacked the government would have asked him to pick up at least part of the bill for a ninja. "How many business holdings do you have?"
"Twenty-one within the city," the man responded with a touch of pride, "that doesn't include the sites the construction company are working on right now."
Well, at least he wasn't an idiot Shikamaru thought. The cheap bastard as he had decided to name him in his head recognized that just by having a connection to him made the construction sites at risk. "I'll need a map marked with the sites of the fires and the locations of your businesses including the construction sites."
The governor simply glanced at Officer Yui who wordlessly produced a folded map from underneath his sleeve and presented it to him. Apparently the hostility the other man had for him was not to be shown in front of the governor. Taking the map but, not unfolding it he asked, "Is there anyone that has a grudge against you?"
Without any hesitation he said, "The Mano," he said the name as if it was something vile. "They're the other large merchant family. They've hit a rough patch lately and are on the decline. In fact this house used to be theirs."
The obvious glee the man took in informing Shikamaru of that fact was not missed and coming from a government official it was a little disturbing. "Thank you. I shall get to work immediately."
He was about to stand to leave when the governor threw a small block of wood at his feet. Picking it up after a second he examined it. The wood was heavy oak and had an ornate crest carving on it. "That gives you the status of an officer. It's temporary of course. Still, it will allow you to pass through any checkpoints no matter the hour and everyone including the mighty Mano will have to answer your questions. Officer Yui will assist you in any way you request." With that he stood and left ending the meeting.
Shikamaru turned to look at his unexpected partner who seemed as surprised as he was. Mentally sighing he realized how complicated this mission had just become. It had started out as a simple mission to catch a firebug and now it had evolved into something more. Before leaving Konoha he had read up on arsonists but, now all that information was useless. This wasn't some random kid setting fires for kicks. They had a grudge and while that might make this easier in some ways it also made it harder in others.
