Notes:
Obligatory grammar warning.
—oOo—
The morning is cold and chilly. The frigid air stubbornly clings to the surroundings, unaffected by the newly emerging sun on the horizon. Mist persistently drowns the village under its rule, ignorant of how it should have gone a long time ago the moment sunlight took its seat on the ever-burning throne and started a new day.
Leisurely walking on the beaten dirt path, Toji and Itachi begin to investigate this new case of freak phenomenon. Well, Itachi begins to investigate while Toji accompanies him—lest something unfortunate would happen to him. Or so the clan elders said. They speak of this sentence frequently enough that Itachi doesn't even bother to be offended because of their assumptions.
It's for the best, because Itachi is still unfamiliar with how the transportation system work. Too many people at the same time. It makes him uncomfortable and feels somewhat suffocated.
"Brat, are you sure you're gonna leave them be?" A sudden voice from his left interrupts the comfortable silence that grows between both of them.
Itachi doesn't immediately answer the question. Instead, he thinks about his previous deeds a few minutes earlier.
"It should be fine." Itachi murmurs his answer. A deliberate action, in case they somehow create a slightest disturbance, thus disturb the occupants of this village that currently moving around—seemingly working—mechanically without paying attention to both of them.
"Heh, should be…?" A sneer appears on Toji's face as he drawls his words. "Is our goody two shoes young master starting an early teenage rebellion?" A mocking dry laugh comes from Toji, for sure that he is referring to the memory erasure he did earlier this morning.
Pondering about his answer, Itachi takes the older man's hand beside him, as if it is something that he always does every day. "There would be no other aftereffect besides mild confusion." A firm answer, considering that this is not the first time he has done this, he is quite sure of his answer.
"Third Brother, since when do you care about people you don't even know…?" Toji's sudden question is indeed out of the ordinary. Usually, he never comments on how Itachi solves the case. As long as the work is done, he wouldn't pay much attention to others. Toji prefers to immediately return home, no matter how detestable that home might be.
As if receiving sudden enlightenment, Itachi once again speaks, "Brother, are you perhaps – "
Presumably aware that Itachi would say something unpleasant, at least according to his standards, Toji cuts him off. "Speak less."
Itachi huffs—it's childish, he knows—and drags him towards the house he saw in his vision just now. He walks in front while Third Brother almost soundlessly follows him. If he doesn't hold his hand and doesn't have his previous shinobi experience, he would believe that no one is following him. For someone of his stature, Third Brother does have a pair of light feet.
Perfect for assassination, if Toji is more discreet, but Itachi also knows that Third Brother could be patient if he wants.
During this round of walks, they don't encounter any children of Itachi's age. Considering that the weather is relatively mild this morning, aside from the excessive presence of mist, it is quite unusual.
"Where are we going?" After several minutes of him patiently enduring Itachi's pull, Toji grumbles and tugs his hand, forcing Itachi to stumble backward and look at him in mild disapproval.
"Where are you dragging me?"
"To someone that probably is helpful."
"Oh? You can use your foresight inside this barrier?"
"Not really, it's… unclear." The vision Itachi saw was foggy, but it is still a lead no matter how insignificant and small.
Toji hums and shifts through his hair using his left hand's fingers. He looks up towards the sky, as if questioning why he bothered to accompany this little cousin of his. It's not like they could force him if he really doesn't want to do it. Those geezers would send another unaffiliated Zenin sorcerer in his place if he refuse. They don't want anything bad to happen to their golden goose—well, mostly.
Everyone already considers the brat as the future clan head, bypassing that pretentious bastard. Toji snorts unkindly remembering that prick bootlicking charade. What a try hard.
Naoya looks up and Toji comes back to his original thoughts before he got side-tracked.
Finally, he put the blame for his current predicament on his momentary lapse of judgment when he thinks that the kid is an acceptable person in that hellhole.
Lowering his gaze, Toji glances at the kid in front of him, "well, Nao… keep moving."
Itachi accidentally shows a sign of surprise and hurriedly removes it from his face. It wouldn't do for him to look ruffled. No one can blame him, for the years that he has known Third Brother, this is the second time he speaks of his new name. Toji's usual favorites are 'brat' or 'kid', as if it would stain him if he accidentally spoke of his name out loud.
Watching the kid's reaction is amusing. After all, it is rare for him to show genuine surprise, considering foresight as his technique. Everything in his life would no longer be unpredictable.
Perhaps there is nothing wrong with his judgment. The kid is practically an angel when he compares him to the other fools in the main house.
—oOo—
Naoya said that the man would be somewhat helpful. He is not wrong.
Among all the villagers he had seen before, this man is much more responsive to their presence. A flighty little thing, like a mouse scurrying while it hides from a predator.
They are currently sitting inside the man's house. Before this, he watched as Naoya knock on the man's door and forced some pleasantries upon the poor unsuspecting man. He watched as Naoya coerce the man into allowing them inside his house. Forcing themselves as a guest.
He also just silently watched as the man reluctantly treats them as guests and perfunctorily asked them if they had any breakfast yet, probably hoping that the kid would be polite and refuse. He was wrong.
Naoya said not yet and the man grudgingly prepared some meal.
Uhm, this Shigeo is really unlucky to be the kid's current target.
"Ahh… to think that you're actually like this. Who would have known." Toji quips while watching the kid sit in a proper posture as if the previously forceful person had not been him all along.
"Hm?" Naoya tilts his head slightly, causing some strands of his hair to shift and block his eye. The kid needs to cut his hair or tie them up. It would be an unnecessarily weak spot if he had any. Someone could have grabbed that hair and… Toji cuts his thought.
"Shameless."
Naoya's only response to this particular accusation is a faint smile. It does not bother him in the slightest.
"Brother, no, this is charisma." A bald-faced lie if he ever heard one.
Is the kid playing jest with him?
While dubiously thinking about what the kids said, Shigeo comes in and serves the foods like a dutiful and proper host.
Having done his part, Shigeo sits across them. Both sides are divided by a chabudai.
"Shigeo-san, can you please tell me about this village?"
Toji watches as Naoya begins to question the man, a man with an ordinary name and ordinary appearance, using that nasty technique. The kid doesn't even need to do much, he just asks, and the man would open his mouth, spilling all of this village's secrets while a subtle ecstatic sensation floods his brain, forcing his body to feel like he is doing the right thing. Considering their current predicament, perhaps he truly is doing the right thing.
"I–I'm sorry, I don't know much." The man is clearly nervous, his hands couldn't sit still and his fingers start to fiddle with one another. Sweats start to form on his temple. A clear sign of distress.
This behavior doesn't reward the man as Naoya keeps on pressing, "Shigeo-san, it's okay. Please tell us." A fake enthusiastic cheer is one of the best approaches to deal with a skittish person like this. If Naoya keeps on using his usual face, the man would surely clam up and refuse to speak because he would unconsciously feel threatened. He could even give false information.
"Well, I-I only arrived at this place about a few months ago. I got fired and thought, 'why not move to Mother's hometown and settle down'. When I arrived, all those villagers were already acting weird, though not as much as now, so I don't really socialize with them." Well, normal. Considering that the anomaly had already occurred before the man moved to this village.
"In the three months I've been here, I only interacted with a kid next door. The boy acted normal, unlike his parents. But then, all of a sudden, he disappeared alongside his sister. His parents didn't react much, so as an outsider I couldn't really say anything either – "
Itachi interrupts him, "three months ago?"
"Well, yes. I remembered that it happened on my second day here. There was no fanfare, there was also no search party, so…" He trails off while his eyes begin to glaze.
"Shigeo-san." Naoya wakes the man from his impromptu daydream and zeroes on the most important part of his testimony. "Is there still any other child in this village?"
Shigeo is startled and quickly answers, "There is one, the Kuroda family's youngest son." The man looks puzzled and wants to ask a question, but in the end, he decides against it.
"Oh, where is his house?" Toji looks at the hesitant man and guesses that the kid would do it again. "Shigeo-san, please tell me." He is correct.
"Ah–oh! His house is… It's directly in front of the big banyan tree beside the river. You won't miss it." The man pauses and repeatedly taps his index finger against his arm, "though, I heard that he's been wandering outside the house in the last three months and rarely comes home."
"What about his parents?"
"He is… an orphan. His neighbors usually take care of him." An unwelcome one, at least according to the kid, considering he's been outside and rarely home.
Naoya hums for a few seconds, but then suddenly claps both of his hands. "Well, this is certainly useful. Shigeo-san, thank you for your service." He politely thanks the man. Naoya looks sincere, but with that, the spell fades, and all the fake cheer melts from his face, revealing his usual demeanor. Shigeo is perturbed and excuses himself, saying that he has something to do.
Toji looks as the man quickly scampers outside the house. Those who don't know would think that he is a guest that has been kicked out.
"Well, aren't you polite." Toji dryly remarks with no real heat. The interrogation is fast, he has no real complaint.
"I learn from the best." He receives a cheeky answer.
"Brat–"
"Well, Brother. Hurry up and eat, so we can deal with this case quickly."
Toji picks up his chopstick and begins to eat. After a few seconds, he looks to the side, knowing that the kid has yet to touch his meal.
"You said you want to finish this quickly." With a silent question, why don't you eat?
Naoya only smiles and after a few seconds of silence, he picks up his chopstick. "Well, I want to test. Just in case the food is poisoned." Naoya doesn't elaborate, as if he had done nothing wrong.
Toji's eyebrows involuntarily twitch, irritated. "Fuck, brat!" He really wants to throw something at that face.
"Ah Brother, don't be angry–" Itachi leisurely speaks while ignoring him, not even looking at his face, "I'm a child, it should be fine if it's you."
"Also… An elder must protect their younger." Naoya's tone becomes rather solemn.
What nonsense is that? "I have no such responsibility."
Naoya ignores his words and starts to eat. His movement turns rigid and his eyes also don't seem to be completely there.
What's wrong?
—oOo—
"Brother, something wrong with that tree." Toji feels continuous tugs from his pants and turns his head from the river towards the kid.
"Ignore, solve the root, and everything else will fall into place." Like usual. In silence, he adds.
Toji examines the tree and guesses that it must have been a few hundred years old at least. The tree is so lush and big that it overshadows everything under its cover.
They walk at a sedate pace towards the Kuroda family's home.
It does look empty.
Finally aware of their presence, the neighbors around this house all turn their heads and stare at them, with movement so simultaneous that it looks rehearsed. He glares at them back, but they don't pull away their gazes. A bunch of retards.
"No one's here." As if unaware of the neighbors' hostile gazes, Naoya moves away from the gate and approaches him.
"Next?" Toji gruffly asks, he doesn't want to stay here any longer, lest he beats them up. Even if he beats them up, it's unclear whether he actually beats up a person or a mere corpse. He is not actually eager to find out, with how much it stinks, he would like to believe that they are not human.
"Forest. Kuroda-kun wants to hide, it's the most likely place."
—oOo—
There is a trace of a recent human presence in this forest. He follows the trail and finally finds the boy, a thin and scared one.
The moment they find him, the boy's first instinct is to run in the village's direction.
After a bit of cornering and a bit of coaxing—threatening—the boy burst into tears. Toji looks at Naoya as if sarcastically saying 'good job' and just side-eyeing the crying boy. After a few minutes of choking and sobbing, the boy finally calms down and slumps on the nearest tree. He looks dead tired.
"Kuroda-kun, why are you here?" Naoya speaks with considerably less tact and deliberation if he compares how the brat handles that Shigeo guy and this crying kid.
Kuroda keeps sniffling and doesn't answer immediately. With an amazing amount of patience, Naoya waits. If they replaced the boy with the man from before, Naoya would probably already force an answer out of his mouth.
Well, the brat is not entirely heartless. He won't treat these two people in the exact same manner.
"I don't–I don't want to be taken away." The kid wails once again. With snot covering his face, the boy looks downright miserable.
Naoya waits until the cry subsides before he once again asks, "who would take you?"
Rubbing his tears with his dirt-stained hands, "everyone… They–they took the twins away three months ago." The boy hiccups, "when–when I asked where are they. They said that Ami and Asahi are happy."
The boy finally removes his hand from his face and clutches his dirtied yukata. "It's only me now, I don't wanna go." With that word, the kid cries once again. This time, he is even louder.
—oOo—
"Well, are you calm now? Please, don't cry." The kid's sniffles recede the moment Itachi speaks his words. The boy looks anxious, like he would bolt at any moment's notice, at the same time, the boy looks weary and tired. He really has no energy to move anymore.
"S-sorry." Kuroda stutters an apology, face red in embarrassment.
"Well, it's alright." He tries to reassure the boy.
Kuroda finally sees him properly and is confused, "Uhm, wh–who are you? I've never seen you before."
To be honest, the boy is timid, the fact that he manages to endure living in the forest for most time in the last three months proves that his terror towards what happened to the other children is very great.
"We are just visitors." Kuroda notices Third Brother and immediately stiffens. He scampers towards Itachi, putting distance between him and Third Brother, "my brother and I."
"I–I want to go back." The boy looks down and stares at his feet as if finding something more interesting than the current company. Well, Third Brother may look a little bit intimidating, but… he is not that scary.
"You said you're scared." Such a contradiction, why would he seek what could have been his own death when he admits to being scared a few moments ago.
"My mother's memento." The boy stops talking and wipes his eyes, "it's in the house."
Sentiments, which one is more important, a memento or a life?
Maybe putting him under the same Discipline as the other five visitors is the right thing to do. They look and feel human.
"Are you sure?"
The boy nods, "I–I will go back by myself." Itachi's movements stop. Why would the boy refuse their company? Itachi glances at the boy's eyes and sees it, distrust.
Should he put the boy to sleep?
Without waiting for Itachi's response, the boy starts to walk away, limping, he really is in no great condition. Away from these two suspicious people.
"Kuroda-kun."
Perhaps it is because of Itachi's tone, but Kuroda stops from his track. The boy turns back and looks at him cautiously.
Itachi slightly smiles and speaks, "Please be careful… and don't seek danger."
The boy stiffly nods, turns his back towards him, and walks away.