"Master Hanzo! Master Hanzo!" A messenger frantically sprints through the courtyard of a temple and roughly opens the sliding door to find a man in a blue and black ninja attire standing in front of a woman with pink and red attire.
"What is it?!" Hanzo asks in surprise as he and Kuma look back at the man panting at the doorway.
"The-there has been another murder!" The man informs the ninjas as he attempts to catch his breathe. "Near the river of Imashima."
"How long ago?" Kuma asks the man, taking a step towards him in interest of the news.
"A boy found the body this morning. And the wounds were fresh."
"Get the horses ready. We're leaving now." Hanzo orders the messenger with a wave of his arm before he left in a hurry.
"You think it may be the same man who had committed the others as well?" Kuma asks as she follows Hanzo through the temple.
"It could be, Kuma. But we won't know until we see."
Grabbing their weapons, Hanzo and Kuma quickly rode out on horseback to the nearby village where the murder happened. A crowd was surrounding the body of the victim near the riverbank as Master Hanzo and Kuma arrived on horseback. Dismounting and handing their horses over to a samurai, the ninjas made their way through the crowd towards the body before being greeted by a familiar figure.
"Master Hanzo, seems like you got the news." The doctor, Rennoshin, comments as he looks up to find him walking towards him with a stern expression on his face. "I know what you will ask; and yes. The victim is a male. He is in his thirties. His ranking is a nobleman samurai. And like the rest of the men; he is a single man with no family or marriage affairs." Rennoshin explains to Hanzo the detail of the man before standing from the ground and looking at the ninja.
Hanzo stares at the body in silence for a moment. "Is there a signature?"
Rennoshin gazes at Hanzo for a second before leaning down and opening the man's kimono; revealing a symbol for the meaning "Corpse" engraved in the dead man's breast. There was silence between the two men as they take the long look of the signature this murderer has been leaving with all of the dead men around the Mikawa province. Rennoshin finally hides the marking of the murderer under the kimono and stood up next to the ninja.
"Just like the others." He mutters to him.
"Have any of the dogs found a trail or clue?"
The blond shook his head.
"Tch. How is this guy getting away?"
"Well," Begins the doctor. "These stab wounds are clean and swift. If someone would have killed him with any weapon, my best guess would have to be with a katana. And if this is an instant kill; than the killer would have to have some type of background with sword fighting."
"That may narrow the list down. But we still need to know one more find until we can look for someone specifically." Hanzo shook his head slightly before letting out a small sigh.
"I'm not down yet." Rennoshin bluntly states. "This man's wakazi and katana haven't been touched and there are no signs of bruising or scratches on his hands or wrists; meaning the man must have known the unsub. Similar to the other victims."
"Rennoshin, what's in his hand?" Kuma points to the man's left hand.
Rennoshin looks at the hand in confusion before gently picking it up from his side and examining it. To his surprise, he missed something. Opening the man's hand, he delicately pulls out long strands of hair of an odd color. Bringing it up to the sunlight, he studies the hair strand before placing it in a small bag and hiding it in his bag.
"A hair sample." He tells the two ninjas.
"You think we would be able to find the killer with a sample that small?" Hanzo asks as he eyes Rennoshin's bag.
"No." He answers simply. "But I believe I know a way of finding this unsub." Rennoshin stood up and grabs his shoulder bag before leaving the scene of the crime without another word to the confused ninjas.
~*~ Yagyu Criminal ~*~
Rennoshin strolls through the nearby village until he found what he was looking for. And what he was looking for was a certain mountain man. Tall, jade mane, jade eyes, and swords at his sides. Doesn't take him long to find the man he was looking for through the crowd.
"Musashi Miyamoto!" Musashi looks back in surprise for a moment before seeing the doctor walking up to him with a blank expression.
"Well, if it isn't the doctor. What brings you here?"
"The fact that there is a dead body on the other side of town?" Rennoshin stares at the tall swordsman and frowns.
"I heard. He looks like the other men that have been murdered." Musashi looks back at the vendor and asks for some rice triangles. "How far have you gotten this time?" He asks as he is handed his food.
"That's why I need to speak with you." Rennoshin pulls out the strand of hair and reveals it to Musashi, who looks down at it with a blank expression as he notices the emerald glow to it.
"You have me as a suspect?" He questions.
"You are on the list, but I also have others on it."
Musashi picks up the strand of hair and looks up at it as he brings it up to the sunlight. As he stares at it, a sudden smile appears on his lips before it disappears. But it stayed long enough for Rennoshin to notice.
"Do you think you know who it would belong to?"
Musashi hesitates. "Not a clue."
"Then why did you smile?" Musashi gives a little grin again before shaking his head.
"The feeling of the hair reminded me of someone." Rennoshin nods his head before putting the evidence away in his bag again. "Are all the suspects men?"
The blond looks up at the ronin in confusion as he catches his narrow gaze.
"So far, yes."
"Change that."
"Hm?"
"The reason why your victims didn't have any defensive markings on them was because they were around someone who was able to keep their guard down. And the hair that was found, the man got close to the killer and attempted to be intimate."
"Are you under the impression that," Musashi finishes.
"Your killer may be a woman."
~*~ Yagyu Criminal ~*~
Hanzo sat in his office as night fell over Japan and dreaded to get some sleep that night. But the evidence from today's crime has been haunting him and he wishes he could just catch the killer already. But he lets out a sigh in exhaustion, figuring it might be later than sooner.
"Hanzo," Kuma walks into the office with some scrolls in her hands for him to look at, but she halts halfway as she notices his worn out look on his face. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, just tired." He answers. "What are those?"
"The duties of the last victim. A recorder at the temple handed them over after finding out that he has been murdered." Kuma explains as she sets them down on Hanzo's desk.
"We should continue this tomorrow." Hanzo exclaims after a second of silence. "Let's get some rest, Kuma."
Kuma nods at him before the two leave the room in silence and head towards their sleeping quarters.
Hanzo had a hard time falling asleep that night. He continually stared up at the ceiling in confusion and restlessness. He had this nagging feeling in the back of his head, wondering if he should really go with the idea of it.
He sighs. "It's the only idea I have left."
Sitting up from his futon, he walks over to the desk on the other side of the room and pulls out his brush, ink, and a stack of paper. He sat staring at the blank piece for a minute before figuring what he wants write.
Dear Loyal Ninja,
As rumors has spread through Japan of the assassinations of high ranking samurais, our evidence keeps shallow. Dogs unable to find trails. Little finds on the body. Sooner to later, this shall become something unaccountable and the slaughter shall continue behind our backs. I hope to have you join forces to be a help to unearth the man who is committing these unlawful acts and bring him to justice.
Hattori Hanzo
Hanzo copies the letter four times before allowing to dry and tying them separately. Walking out of the room, he makes his way down the hallway until he found a pupil. Handing over the letters, Hanzo names off the ninjas he wants to receive the letters and watches him off.
Standing in the crisp night air, Hanzo felt some tension release from him before he makes his way back to his room in silence.