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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul Root A and Tokyo Ghoul:re and other products related to the TG Series are all owned by Sui Ishida, Shin Towada and Shueisha.

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Case 9: Monochrome Drop (2)

Even though I had given it a serious thought, I just couldn't find a way to interrogate Juuzou without putting myself or anyone in the flat in the midst of some upsetting conversation that would just funnel anger and none of what I really wanted. One thing that I did despite my inaction, was that I studied Juuzou and decided to pay extra attention to his pattern.

Something about it just was going to help me determine when and where I could manage to get him to give me a truthful set of info about what he had been holding inside. Instead of just pressing and poking at the sleeping dragon about this topic, I brought up something that would have gained his attention.

Juuzou was stunned at first, with eyes widening at the mere mention of Kurona and Nashiro as I explained to him that I now knew what happened to them and what they were trying to accomplish by Kanou's will.

"Are you sure it's them and not just… some Ghouls that looked like them?"

Considering the importance of the news, I decided to break it to him within the safe walls of the CCG headquarters. The place might not be the safest, but I really didn't need to entertain the idea of having to give explanations to Rize before I was certain these individuals could be saved. As much as I wanted this, there were so many variables that threatened this very idea. Starting with Kanou, and ending with the twins' legitimate worry in trusting the CCG in sparing them from death or, worse, Cochlea.

"It was Shiro-chan," I commented with a serious tone. "Not just face, not just physique, but also voice and memories. She remembered us and… she was reluctant enough to not attack me."

The young man nodded slowly, pondering about what I just told him and… sighing. "And what do you plan to do about this info?"

"I've already spoken with Akira. She said something about trying to give a look through her own sources but… it's not that simple," I started to reply, the chances of us finding more than what the Director was doing close to zero. "Kanou has erased any trace that could lead back to where he might have gone. While the laboratory that was found underneath the Yasuhisa Manor looked to be his main hideout, there were papers alluding to a second laboratory that had been set up for troubling times where he had to move away. No clues where it might be."

"And so we just know they are alive and… ghouls."

I nodded, expecting Juuzou to just add something more to that reaction instead of nodding grimly to it. I might have helped him sober up and behave more like a serious investigator, but this step up that literally crushed any previous emotional display that was part of his natural personality felt so artificial and fake. With the silence descending after just those words, I felt an unusual impulse coming out from what I felt a lackluster of a reaction from the young man, a sense of ire that was tied as much to his lack of commitment to this matter as his strange behavior. The words that left my mouth next were driven more by emotional struggle than genuine logic, yet I did allow some reasonable logic to persist with my mindset as I approached this topic with sharp caution.

"Juuzou-kun, I would like you to join me and Hairu today."

Simple, solid and curt. Juuzou's posture tensed at this sentence, with his head shaking at that affirmation.

"I'm working on a case that the Director has final authority about it-"

"Not if there is a case to invoke Article 23 clause B of the CCG's Laws and Regulations," I interjected calmly, gaining a confused look. "If an Investigator exhibits telling signs of stress tied to a case they are working on, it is compelling reason within absolute authority for superiors to interest themselves in making sure that the subject in question is provided with as many days of rest or a different case for a temporary time to quell the sense of stress and allow them to resume their regular missions."

His lips twitched in clear discomfort. "What? I don't believe it can't be enabled. I'm fine."

"Extreme forms of stress can be spotted quite easily on people like you, Juuzou-kun. Starting with the fact it's been a while since you took a moment to enjoy yourself and show genuine relaxation while away from work."

"It's… not like that."

"Either that or we can check by one of the few CCG-funded therapists that would be more than happy to go through a quick assessment to determine if you're stressed or not," I added with a slightly more serious tone, gaining a surprised and upset look from Juuzou. "But I think we will not since I know how much you hate that."

"I-I thought we agreed that you wouldn't be pressing me about this matter."

"I promised to not pressure you into telling me more about the mission, I never said anything about allowing you to work your butt into self-destruction," I explained calmly, my eyes narrowing at him. "As a friend, I understand you don't want to talk about it… but at the same time, I just can't allow you to be hurt through it. If I can see you suffering due to it, I will pull you out for a while just so you can charge up your batteries and focus somewhere else instead of working yourself to death."

…

"I… I suppose that wouldn't be a terrible idea."

"Plus, you would get the chance to be a babysitter for a couple of Investigators in the making. They are really socially inept when it comes to modern society so… I wouldn't mind having someone like you to help me with it."

He frowned at this request. "What do you mean?"

"It's tied to the director somehow, and I can only say that one is Hairu's young sister."

"She has a sister?" Juuzou asked with pure surprise. "But wait, I thought that Hairu was… oh."

I nodded, no more words needed for the young man to connect dots on what exactly this mission was all about. With this conversation ending with Juuzou joining my current case and with me having to call Shinohara to alert him that their case had to skip for just one day since I had the 'main element' of it supporting me with a case of mine, I proceeded to give the young man the chance to take the lead early on and test the four half-humans through some simple questions. Nothing private or invasive, but the context of each question painting a few routes to take during the day.

Things went fairly smooth on that front. While the outward appearance of the mission suggested a focus on entertainment, Juuzou cleverly crafted a few scenarios where he explained a few details about Japanese modern culture he was familiar with. Something that was sponged unconsciously by the four teens as they felt particularly awed and intrigued by someone like Juuzou. In these moments I also felt relief as I saw the young man smile genuinely after so long and during a mission.

For about half a day, Juuzou Suzuya was back working at maximum amusement and happiness. The seriousness was still present at times, but it wasn't as controlling over his other emotions as it had been before the case started. I also took this chance to finally study another thing that I had to research for the sake of the twins. While Juuzou was the focus now, that didn't mean I was just stopping thinking about the two girls.

They were our friends back at school, close ones at that. I just felt compelled to invest more of my sources into it as I knew that this situation wasn't going to be solved until Kanou was tracked down and killed. I thought about the possible individuals I could have checked on that had a good footing in Tokyo's ghoul society and… the answer was simpler than it sounded.

Calling before visiting was a must, and I contacted Matsumae before walking up to her employer's home. The woman responded politely, yet her tone lacked major restraint in showing some relief in hearing my voice 'after so long'. I was sure that a week wasn't that long, especially since I had to call Mirumo to check how the situation was going for the Ghoul Food project.

Despite that curious shift in our relationship, still formal in most part, I went through with the formulation of that simple request. Much to my surprise, the female Ghoul gave me an hour to check, mentioning how Mirumo had made plans to invite him at his home for a while now and was just waiting for me to be free from my cases instead of pulling me out of my business so suddenly.

It was an interesting info that left me perplexed. On one hand, that meant Mirumo knew when I was busy at work and that meant he was aware of what was going on in the CCG and, on the other hand, he was 'kind' enough to not interrupt me during work hours. What one could easily confuse as mere kindness, it was clear that it was just a practice to avoid suspicions being put over me and my contacts with him.

Still, considering the circumstances, I didn't have much to lament about and with the call with Matsumae concluding without any bad news being delivered, I made preparations to go and check at the Tsukiyama Manor and see if the man was going to help me with that new situation. It was going to be complicated since he would want something in return but… I decided to still try. After the case for the day was over and I had checked back home to make sure everyone was doing well and had some lunch to eat, I took a 'simple walk' to check on Mirumo and see how the man was doing right now. What I hadn't taken into account was the reason why the man had been planning to check on me and why he was interested in inviting me to his home so suddenly.

Something that definitely was going to leave me speechless from how it was being worded...

"Good news, mon ami. Good news!"

Mirumo Tsukiyama looked overjoyed for some reason as he greeted me. The way he was so at ease from standing so close to him a sign of relative friendliness but also of happiness clouding his natural instincts. Something big had happened and I knew it wasn't tied to the reason why I was there. There was definitely something I wasn't noticing at first glance, something that just got the prominent businessman to that degree of confidentiality without reclaiming something in return to give answers to it. Within that room, there was also a third occupant that shared a good part of the president's emotions.

Asaki Fueguchi was happy himself, but not to the same degree as the more flamboyant Ghoul. The doctor actually greeted me with an elaborated thank you regarding my efforts to put him and his family under the protection of someone that genuinely guaranteed them a safer and happier life for them all to enjoy. He told me how this situation allowed his wife to finally take a break from constantly watching over their daughter and how little Hinami was being homeschooled by tutors hired by Mirumo himself. It didn't take them too long to finally give me a glimpse of what was leaving both men in such a positive mood despite my unmotivated visit.

"Kaizo-san, I'm sure you are aware that we've been working for a long while now to develop a solution to our particular diet through the blood samples we retrieved from little Emi," Mirumo pointed out calmly. "Something that would definitely solve the issue tied with the

I offered a slow nod at that comment, still unsure how this tied up to the situation, but definitely sensing that some progress had been done in that front. What I didn't know was how much progress that actually was. So I listened instead of pressing for the reason why I was there, feeling like this was also important to what was going on with Ghoul politics.

The first thing I noticed was… a single pill. It was red-colored, circular… it looked pretty normal, like something a person with allergies would take to handle their own issues from time to time by the standpoint of a clueless individual that didn't know its main purpose, and yet it gained relevance as soon as the doctor explained what it was.

"This, Kaizo-san, is the first step into the definitive solution for our diet. This pill, the RC Controller, will be the key to end the bloody war between Humans and Ghouls," Asaki proclaimed with a proud grin. "As you can see, the pill looks particularly normal and it wouldn't raise the suspicions of any member of society. This pill is… the result of a different approach from what many other researchers under Mirumo-san were working on."

"How so?" I asked curtly, my brain wrapping over the idea that this pill was actually meant to… do what exactly? It was clearly meant to allow ghouls to eat normal food but… how? Shouldn't something like this require more time and money to be available in such form?

"Until now, the focus had been tied to create food that would properly fit with the requirements imposed by the Kakuhou, which is the organ that not only produces the high quantity of RC needed for a Ghoul's body to survive, but also the element within our body that forces us to consume only those nutrients that contains RC Cells within them," The doctor further answered. "But I decided to try differently and actually work on how to alter the Kakuhou's requirements even for a short amount of time. It doesn't exactly make the need for flesh pass away completely, but it allows normal food to be digested by Ghouls without fearing the ill-taste and smell it would normally create. All for thirty minutes."

"So it makes the normal food tasty for ghouls… but does it help with the hunger?"

"Partially," Asaki admitted with a sigh. "Normal food technically allows us to bring energy to our bodies, but it does so minimally and it doesn't provide for what would normally be needed to develop a healthy Kagune. And while you, an investigator, might find this fact… a good thing since it would stunt a ghoul's capacity to fight, I would say it is also terribly unhealthy for the growth of the Ghoul."

That last bit got me frowning since I was sure I studied that wasn't the truth. Ghouls didn't exactly need Kagune to really survive. It was an extra tool used to fight off enemies due to the deadly nature those had. But as I finished that line of thought, the conversation shifted away to another part of the same topic.

"Considering the quality of the product, the material expended and the hours of work brought to create even a single one of those… I believe it will do well if sold for a couple of yen each so… a box of thirty pills of this kind would be roughly two hundred, maybe two hundred Yen."

My jaw almost dropped at this. "That's incredibly cheap."

"That's because it's not that difficult to produce, the quality is excellent despite the simple process needed to create them and… it's not that much of a hassle for my scientists to start full production of those and make a stream-lined process out of it without creating problems with the pills."

Mirumo's words left me still stumped at what I was hearing from him. These pills could actually be that cheap? This was the solution and… and it sounded so idealistically easy to acquire.

"You will use your contacts to spread it and-"

"Have it sold with the solid excuse of it being an allergy pill. It will solve for a while the main issue behind normal food and… I can say it works majestically having tried it myself together with my son," The businessman then added." Oh, the joys of cuisine have opened to the two of us!"

That was… nice to know.

"And I had the chance to try it myself and… see if it worked with my wife and daughter. They both were able to enjoy human food without any negative effects and… I believe Hinami-chan developed quite the 'sweet tooth' as soon as we let her try candy."

I smiled a little at the amusing image of the little brunette devouring her way through a massive amount of candy, with her parents trying and failing to stop her unstoppable hunger for the sweetness. I could see it become a problem if not brought under check… but I knew Asaki wasn't going to allow his daughter to be brought to unhealthy levels due to her hunger alone.

Still, this first half of the conversation ended with Mirumo giving me a box with sixty pills and asking me to have it sampled by other ghouls. There were no expectations for ill effects, and the reasoning behind that kind of request was tied to instill a sense of curiosity to some of the ghouls all around and see how they reacted to this.

With that topic coming to a close, it was my turn to finally bring up the subject that took me here and request a meeting with Mirumo. Asaki was asked to remain as I wished to ask him about any possible info he might have about Kanou and his work while I had the president elaborate what he could out of the situation I was bringing forth.

"So you require my assistance in finding Kanou. I thought I had already provided all I could about the man," The businessman argued and I nodded.

"And of that I'm grateful about, but right now I'm more interested in trying to find info about two elements that are tied to him. Twins, females, both artificial One-eyed Ghouls," I explained with a serious look, taking a moment to bring out the sketch I had drawn of Nashiro's mask. "Both are seen wearing masks like that, one wears a white robe."

The man nodded, reaching out and pulling the sketch closer to give it a better look.

"I believe… Yes, I've seen this mask before. Twins, I believe these were bodyguards to one of the members of the Ghoul Restaurant. Madam A."

I frowned at the familiarity behind his tone. "You know about her? An acquaintance?"

"We have… sparred a couple of times. Really interesting and impressive with her mannerism and her actions. She trusts her instincts and… I would dare say she is incredibly lucky about it."

"And I suppose I can't have her name because of the Restaurant's rules."

"Yes. But… I believe I can give you informants that would know more about it."

"I- I actually have one that should know more about her," I admitted, remembering about a certain bartender that had this kind of information available. "But I will ask for those names if my own possible source doesn't have much to offer."

"Understood and… I suppose you've heard of Kanou, Asaki-san," Mirumo commented, turning his attention to the doctor."

"I remember studying about him," The fellow bespectacled man pointed out with a nod. "He was renowned in the Ghoul-related studies and revered by the Medical Community as a pioneer of his genre. Sadly… he wasn't that much of a good man. His advances did give me some ideas tied to how the pill was developed, but the fact he gained this knowledge so heinously is… appalling."

"He will be captured and put to trial. A man like that isn't one devoted for the benefit of everyone, but the selfishness of his own depravity," I replied sternly. "Still, I've been thinking about this but… could it be possible for a Ghoul or an outcast in general to have the chance to be smuggled out of Japan without being registered."

Mirumo blinked at this last bit. "Beg your pardon, Kaizo-san?"

"It's something I've been thinking about but… I'm not certain about it since I found no proof suggesting this as a concrete possibility. Could it be possible for someone like Kanou, with his ties and connections, to be smuggled in a 'safe' place like… Germany?"

"He… he has a laboratory in Germany. One that should have been taken away due to the investigation," Asaki confirmed and I sighed.

"The GFG had formally started an investigation, but there were no hints that it had been shut down. Kanou did a lot for them, and… I would see them just accept him in their country in exchange for him working for them," I explained some more, the idea sounding as troubling as upsettingly possible. "I suppose it's possible, isn't it."

The businessman kept quiet for a while, evaluating all chances before letting out a slow nod.

"Yes."

I sighed, nodding back at him as I considered this circumstance. I would have to bring this up to the director and see if he could give a look to this matter himself but, as far as I could see, this could mean that Kurona and Nashiro might be the Kanou's 'men' in Japan while he is far away from any trouble and conflict. Before trying to capture him, I would have to deal with them before they could start something major to keep the CCG distracted.

If before I had thought Kanou had been weakened after being deprived of his privileges here in Japan, now I knew that this was the opposite. With a base of operations away from Japan and some trustworthy element keeping his agenda going here in the Home Islands, I knew the man just got more dangerous and more prone to toy with us all.

And as I pondered darkly on the matter, on the other side of the world a young woman stared with her blue eyes through the window of her room as her father spoke with the unfamiliar doctor.

A blink, her left eye started to display a Kakugan out of instinct but… it's iris was blue instead of red.

AN

Do I hear holidays in Germany in the chatroom? xD

But not soon enough. First there is the Twins' situation and the Juuzou's situation that Kaizo will have to face.