Chapter 1: No Clues, No Motive
"Oh it's so good to be out of the cold!" Tenten sighed gratefully as the door whispered shut behind them, securing the howling gale outside with the snow it carried. Melting clumps of it fell off them as they removed jackets and shoes.
"I imagine Leaf folk, even shinobi, must not be accustomed to the snow," offered the attendant with a smile.
He was right, but Neji wasn't about to admit to it.
"Does it snow like this all the time?" Lee asked.
"Often, but this is a little late in the year for the heavier storms. We're thankful you were able to make it before it got worse!"
"We're sorry for the late arrival," said Neji.
"No need - this way please. The General welcomes you."
As they were led through the General's house to the receiving room, seated, and provided tea, Neji reflected on what the Hokage had already divulged to them regarding their mission in the Land of Iron. It hadn't been much, really. A time-sensitive missing-person's case; Team Guy had just returned from another mission and were the only ones available. While none of them had ever been to the Land of Iron, the three of them had been briefed on its political neutrality and its preference for samurai over traditional shinobi. Beyond these facts, they weren't sure what to expect and were keen to absorb any information they could despite their tiredness.
"My apologies for having kept you waiting - truth be told I thought to expect you tomorrow on account of the storm," said the tall, regal man who entered, who could only be General Mifune.
The trio bowed deeply to the elder. "General," Neji greeted. They rose. "We were instructed that time was of the essence, so we came as soon as we can."
"The level of discipline I would expect from the Leaf," the General said as he sat across from them. Although the deep wrinkles under his eyes made his long face a rather stern one, it was broken by a warm smile. Light from the oil lamps in the corners of the room glimmered on the dark gray hair about his shoulders. "I'm grateful that you've come."
"Maybe you can tell us more about your request, General? The Hokage was...very brief," said Tenten and folded her hands in her lap.
The General took his own tea into his hands. "I should begin by saying that this mission must be treated delicately and, moreover, in complete confidentiality. And it is, as Lady Tsunade says, time-sensitive - I expect it to be accomplished as soon as possible."
"Understood," said Neji. This was nothing he hadn't expected.
"Who is it that's missing?" Lee asked.
The General finished a sip of his tea and, without opening his eyes, said gravely, "My granddaughter."
Tenten let out a soft, sympathetic sigh and asked, "How long has she been gone?"
"I'd say nearly two years, now." Following the confused silence in the room, the General added, "Of course we tried searching for her before, to no avail. Gone without a trace - unusual, knowing my granddaughter, which has led me to suspect she went willingly rather as a victim of a kidnap. No ransom demanded, no clues, no motive."
"Then, why the sudden request after two years? And why contract Leaf shinobi?" Neji asked.
"It has taken this long for rumors to emerge - first in the Land of Waterfalls, and most recently in the Land of Earth. As you know, the Land of Iron prefers to keep to itself and as such, does not like to be seen crossing borders, even for trade. Considering the nature of the mission we thought it best to contract the Leaf," said the General. He set his tea on the table.
"You said she may have left willingly?" Lee prompted.
At this the General shifted uncomfortably, which intrigued Neji. He disguised it somewhat by pulling a small photograph out of his robe and sliding it across the table to them. "Hitomi was not a difficult child, but she was given a difficulty by having a gift and the fierce drive to explore it. Although trained in the way of the samurai, she felt that her calling was that of a traditional shinobi."
Neji picked up the sepia-toned photograph, holding it with both hands in order to hold it taut, as it seemed even such a small photograph had been folded into a quarter of its size in the past. The girl pictured was maybe a few years younger than they were, unsmiling, with dark hair and her grandfather's long face, dressed in a formal kimono with a katana across her lap. On the back was written 'Age ten. My memory.' in faded ink. Neji passed it to Tenten.
"That was taken some years ago," the General noted. "I imagine she's about your age, now."
"So she may have left to train to become a kunoichi?" Tenten surmised. She passed the photograph behind Neji's back to Lee.
The General hummed an assent. "Early on Hitomi demonstrated an affinity for a type of senjutsu, in particular Substitution jutsu. But of course we lacked anyone to teach her, and furthermore, it is not our way. I tried to channel her abilities into our Samurai Way, but it doesn't seem as though it were enough."
Neji considered this. Although it had been a while since he'd read anything on the subject, from what he understood senjutsu was not something that naturally appeared in an individual without training. Furthermore, to have it then applied to Substitution jutsu, of all things?
There are definitely pieces missing. Either the General does not know himself, or he is not telling us everything, he thought.
"Those rumors you talked about - could you tell us more?" Lee asked. He passed the photograph back to the General.
"We received word that she had been seen in a small town near the Earth/Waterfall border - Yatsu - wearing a green kimono. It appears also that she has at least one other person with her, possibly a retainer of some kind, though no other members of our household or indeed of the capital are missing to our knowledge. It did not seem as though they were simply passing through," the General said.
"So then we look there first," Tenten said to Neji and Lee.
Neji nodded.
"Please rest for the night before you begin. Yatsu is at least a couple of days away," invited the General. He stood, and they took their cue to rise and bow.
"One other thing, General," said Lee. "It's possible that she may attempt to disguise herself. Is there anything telling about her, would you say?"
The General considered a moment. "I suppose she wouldn't be able to change those green eyes of her father's. Otherwise, she took nothing with her, and wasn't one for sentimental objects, unlike me." He glanced at the photograph one more time before concealing it in his robe again.
The four said their goodnights, and an attendant led the Leaf trio away through the house to the guest quarters for the night while the wind continued to howl outside. Neji listened to it while Tenten slept and Lee did his end-of-day lifts.
The Hokage must have known to one extent or another that we would potentially be tracking down a senjutsu user - I'm sure that's another reason for the Land of Iron to involve traditional shinobi, Neji thought. But such specialism usually denotes a higher level of expertise. Unless she and the General expect Miss Hitomi to be agreeable, this mission could become a B-rank or higher. He glanced to his left at Tenten and Lee. We've improved much over the last year or so, but they're still only Chunin. We have no sure way of knowing what we're up against.
For so blustery a storm the previous night, the following morning was remarkably calm. The temperature was mild enough to sit on the veranda overlooking the courtyard garden during breakfast and a few small drifts of snow edged the firs; the sound of their gradual melting was a pleasant drip-drop in the sunshine. The sun itself had only just risen above the crest of the roof of the General's house and steam from the food and the tea rose to meet it.
The housekeeper placed the last of the bowls on the table in front of them. "The General sends his regrets that he could not join you for breakfast," the older woman said. "He had something urgent to take care of this morning." She stood upright. "It's fine news that you'll be bringing Lady Hitomi back to us. We have missed her singing. Thank you from all of us." She bowed and left them.
Tenten said, "I gathered a little more information earlier from one of the housemaids, in case it was useful. Seems Miss Hitomi was fairly accomplished in both her studies and swordsmanship; the katana in the photograph was hers - she must have left it behind deliberately, for some reason - and the maid showed it to me. Her parents died when she was ten, but weren't shinobi. The maid said despite losing them Miss Hitomi never seemed unhappy or out of sorts, though she wasn't exactly cheerful to begin with. Superstitious, too. Everything was normal until she disappeared a few days after her thirteenth birthday. She had a good life here, even if it wasn't what she wanted."
Neji mulled this vague information over. "'Is accomplished'," he said at length.
"Eh?" Tenten repeated.
"She's not dead," Neji said.
There was a moment of awkward quiet, which Lee then broke with, "If she was good with a katana, perhaps you'll get along, Tenten!"
"Yeah, maybe."
"It still seems strange that Miss Hitomi would suddenly leave on her own without warning and get so far by herself without leaving a trace," Lee said.
"We're all more unpredictable when we're young," said Neji, "it could have been a passing whim."
"But she was so confident that she didn't take her sword or any other means of arming herself with her?" Tenten countered. "She wasn't a kunoichi of any level when she left, and training as an Iron samurai relies on weaponry."
"What bothers me more is who she may have met, who is with her now," said Neji.
In the contemplative minutes that followed they finished their breakfast of rice and grilled fish. Crows called overhead, but Neji was soon distracted from them by soft footsteps approaching. Another servant had appeared carrying a katana in its scabbard. He knelt in front of Neji and raised it between them; steam from his rice bowl fogged on the oxblood-colored lacquer and bronze ginkgo-leaf inlays. A green tassel swung from the white braided hilt.
"The General feels it may be useful for you to take Lady Hitomi's sword with you," said the manservant. "Remind her of home, perhaps."
Neji was doubtful it would do any good, but recognized the hope in the man's voice and, not wishing to slight their client, accepted the sword. "Very intuitive of him. We will keep it safe." This servant, too, bowed and left, and once he was gone Neji set the sword beside him. "We should hurry."
