"Halt! Identify yourselves", a guard yelled out as our group approached the main entrance. The combination of an eyepatch over his left eye and militant crew cut added to his air of authority.

I stepped in front and introduced myself, "I'm travelling on business, and these are my bodyguards".

His colleague, a pale-skinned man without any memorable features, tsked loudly. "It's past the cut-off time for arrivals. Can't you see that it's nearly midnight?"

"There's a cut-off?" I blurted out unthinkingly. Was there such a rule when I last visited? Granted, it had been five years.

He glanced at me with a sneer as though I was a mere country bumpkin. "Of course, there is one", he enunciated slowly and derisively.

Before I could hit back, Itachi deftly interjected, "There was a blizzard earlier and it delayed our travel. Could you make an exception?"

"No. There are no exceptions", the one with the eyepatch bluntly replied, his face was contorted into a fearsome scowl.

"Leave now before we make you–," the unremarkable one stopped mid-sentence. His mocking façade was wiped clean and in its place was a vacant, unsettling stare. It wasn't just him; his coworker was similarly slack jawed. Their once-vigorous energies had fizzled into a murky, subdued state.

What is going on?

I made the erroneous decision of tracking the object of their gaze. His charcoal eyes had turned a vivid scarlet with three black comma-like shapes circling each pupil. Looking into his red gaze was like plunging into a whirling vortex, terrifying and magnetic all at once. For one reason or another, I couldn't look away.

A firm tug on the back of my jacket snapped me out of the trance. Turning back, I saw Kakuzu tightly gripping a piece of my jacket between his thumb and index finger. His glare was aimed squarely at Itachi.

"Don't look into his eyes", he quietly ordered, releasing his hold on my jacket at the same time. Detecting an undisguised chill in his voice, I obeyed and looked down at my snow-smeared boots instead.

"You may enter. Please hand over your documents", the plain one suddenly blurted out. That is a complete turnaround, I noted with some astonishment. With their frozen expressions and pliable nature, the two guards resembled marionettes that were dancing to the young man's command.

Was this perchance genjutsu? One of the books from Fuyuta's dusty pile described at-length how that ninja art distorted its target's sense of reality. If it was, Itachi must have been a master. His chakra remained serene and undisturbed, even while casting the illusion.

What was he making them see so effortlessly? A cold shiver skated down my back, and I shuddered involuntarily. Whatever it was, I never wanted to be on the receiving end of it.

My so-called bodyguards wasted no time in handing over their papers for stamping. I was almost certain that these were not genuine. When it came to my turn, I fumbled around in my travelling bag before handing it over with a trembling palm. Completely trapped under Itachi's spell, the guards overlooked my suspicious behaviour.

"Enjoy your stay in our nation's capital", the one with the eyepatch stiffly wished us.

…Thank you?

"They have anti-vagrancy laws here, we have to find accommodation tonight", the younger man cautioned.

"The only places open at this time are right next to the pleasure district", the much older missing-nin gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Why is that an issue?" Itachi tonelessly countered.

"Do you know how expensive it will be?"

The disagreement continued for a few more rounds until both men finally reached a compromise, which ended with Kakuzu cracking an alleyway wall.

Having very little interest in their kerfuffle, I took in our new surroundings. The capital's vivacity was a sight to behold after having lived in quieter villages for most of my life.

As we ventured further into the city, my senses were flooded with a blend of sounds and scents –late-night vendors were still vigorously hawking their tantalising meals to passersby, the faint tang of alcohol glided from the bars and their slightly rowdy clientele, and sweet perfume wafted from the courtesans calling over customers from the second floor of their establishments. The distinct varieties of music drifting from the open windows only added to the district's liveliness.

On the boundary between everyday life and the pleasure district stood an unassuming inn; its exterior was unadorned except for a finely engraved, chestnut wood name plate hanging over the door. While this street was thronged with all sorts of lodging, only this inn had a vacancy left. And it was priced accordingly – far beyond what most would consider reasonable.

While we waited at the reception for staff assistance, I scanned a board displaying the room prices. My eyes widened at the price of a single room – at least five times the cost of one at my (former) inn! How was I supposed to pay for this?

I whipped around to voice my worries, but it was too late. Kakuzu was already engaging with a portly, well-groomed man in his forties.

"We only have one room, good sir", the man explained courteously.

"Yes, we'll take it for tonight", Kakuzu replied icily, already irritated that the owner was clarifying about useless matters. On the other hand, I (and my wallet) heaved a sigh of relief that the cost was going to be split three-ways.

"A-all of you?" He stuttered in shock.

Kakuzu turned a piercing glare on him, Did I say otherwise?

Perhaps it was his sixth sense, or the sensation of goosebumps raised all over his body, the owner understood that his life was hanging in the balance. Out of self-preservation, he handed over the room keys and unquestioningly accepted a stack of cash from Kakuzu. He didn't bother to count it and plastered an insincere, nervous smile on his face.

His congenial expression remained while Kakuzu and Itachi ascended the stairs first. When it came to my turn, the man frowned deeply. Going from his earlier shock, I gathered that he highly disapproved my overnight stay with two men.

My temper started to flare. What the hell did he think was going to happen? One of us is a minor! Keeping my disgust to myself, I angrily stalked up the stairs. Such an atrocious bedside manner was hardly befitting for this classy establishment. Prick.

Putting aside his inhospitable demeanour, the room itself was stunning. The tatami was finely textured and incredibly soft to touch. A paper lantern hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, demure light on the room's timeless furnishings. I begrudgingly acceded to the owner's exceptional taste, even if he had a garbage attitude.

My eyes flickered to the solid wood, low table that occupied the centre of the room. There was just a single legless chair. As the receptionist hinted, the room was prepared for a single occupant. While the staff were kind enough to bring two additional futons upstairs, having all the bedding and furniture in this small space made it awfully claustrophobic.

"I'll keep watch tonight", Kakuzu abruptly announced with his back turned to us. He didn't bother turning around before leaping out of the open window. I unintentionally gasped and reached out a hand, but quickly retracted it in embarrassment. He was a shinobi, of course he could leap out of windows.

Itachi didn't comment on my naïve reactions. He crossed the room and firmly shut the window closed to keep the cold out. Feeling some heat rise in my cheeks, I recused myself to the adjourning washroom to clean up and change into a fresh set of nightwear. After mumbling out a quick good night to the younger man, I collapsed into a rolled-out futon.

God, this feels amazing. Where did they buy this…

Whether it was fatigue or Itachi's unobtrusive nature, I found it easier to ignore his presence and succumb to sleep.

He hoisted himself onto the roof with practiced ease, settling in a spot that gave him a view of the street below and shielded him from prying eyes. From the roof, he could peer directly into the brightly illuminated pleasure district.

Skimming past the huddled patrons, Kakuzu's eyes eventually wandered over to the courtesans calling over clients from their brothels. Their colourful, nearly garish kimonos betrayed their profession. One courtesan's outfit caught his eye, the colour seemed awfully familiar. The innkeeper's orange blanket suddenly filled his mind's eye.

Fuck. Stop that.

He tightened a fist. Why was he thinking about his subordinate again? It was embarrassing enough that he needed to sleep on the roof. At that moment, a woman's piercing laughter pulled him out of his reverie. Through an open window, he spotted an older courtesan ostentatiously laughing at client's jokes while tenderly pouring a drink for him.
Was that it? Did all this bizarre behaviour boil down to such an unimaginative primal need?
It would make sense, and he would have liked to believe that as well. The last he enjoyed the company of a woman...Well, he couldn't remember. It had been a while. When it came to satisfying such urges, he was willing to open his wallet on a very seldom basis and visit the higher-end brothels.

With cheaper establishments, he risked troublesome venereal diseases and spending valuable resources on inexperienced novices – such unnecessary and avoidable headaches. Satisfied with this justification, he decided to revisit the thought after this expedition ended. For now, he just kept watch.

The night passed without incident. When dawn approached, Kakuzu returned to the room. The brat was already awake and quietly gathering his things. The innkeeper stirred as he entered the room, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Time to go," he ordered.

By the next morning, most of last night's fallen snow had melted away. We left the inn shortly after dawn, opting to skip breakfast. I gathered that the men were in a haste to leave before any of the other guests caught a glimpse of them.

The town was bathed in a golden hue from the early morning sun when our trio decided to split up. After last night's argument, Kakuzu went off on his own to pick the new inn without his colleague's input. Itachi opted to explore the town by himself, whereas I planned to visit my supplier.

I navigated the winding streets, passing by a few bustling markets and the occasional shrine. It took a few wrong turns and asking passersby for directions before I found the supplier's headquarters, tucked away at the edge of a busy commercial district.

Compared to the large distribution floor, the office was considerably small with only two chakra signatures. Only a single staff member was in plain sight – a middle-aged secretary sitting behind her desk. After introducing myself and the reason behind my visit, she briefly opened a binder to jot down my particulars.

"I'm sorry, but uchino Kasegi is unavailable today", the secretary replied after a pause.

Nonsense. He was alone in his office. But without a reasonable way to call her bluff and hide my unusual skill, I left it alone.

"I see and when will he have time?" I asked politely.

The secretary offered a small, apologetic smile, "As we were not expecting you, I can't provide you with an answer right away".

After some additional back-and-forth, where I unsuccessfully pried for more information and she skilfully deflected my attempts, I decided to leave and return the next day. My stomach was growling after the whole exchange. Being some distance away from the city centre, only a teahouse was open this early.

To my surprise, Itachi was already standing outside of the establishment. Was he following me? Fine, whatever.

I hadn't eaten breakfast and wasn't looking for a fight. I greeted him and we entered the teahouse together. With one foot through the door, my mouth started watering from the aromas of freshly made dango and piping hot tea.

To my surprise, Itachi seemed to enjoy eating hearty sweets for breakfast. He ordered two plates of tri-coloured hanami dango. Whereas I settled on the regional speciality of denpun dango and paired it with green tea. When the dishes hit the table, I was salivating. My sweet treat was lightly browned on both sides, warm, and deliciously soft to bite into. If the younger man was intrigued by my choice, his poker face revealed nothing.

It was hard to get a read on Itachi, he didn't strike me as misanthropic as Kakuzu but he wasn't a small talker either. After devouring my meal and waiting for Itachi to polish off his second plate of dango, I invited him to join me to take in the sights. It was implied that we could skip the awkwardness of shiftlessly sitting here and making tedious conversation. He agreed.

I wasn't sure how, but the miser found us a couple of hours later. I idly attributed it to a ninja's sixth sense. He led us to the new accommodation a couple of kilometres away, all while communicating with minimal words. This new inn was far less luxurious than the one we had stayed in the night before, but it was still tidy and much more affordable. A stout woman with kind eyes checked us into our rooms without fuss.

Before I could thank Kakuzu, he had disappeared into his room. Come to think of it, Itachi had vanished as well. I stifled a sigh. Was all ninja-kind this dreadful at communication?

Dumping my belongings on the floor, I plopped down onto the single bed. It wasn't even noon, and I was exhausted.

In the following days, I visited the supplier's office every day, sometimes even twice a day. Each and every time, I was met by the same secretary who, with a forced smile, turned me away.

My patience was wearing thin and several days later, my wallet and I were at our respective breaking points. My budget was slim and ill-suited to stay any longer in the capital. The fifth day was when I lost my cool.

"How can he still not be free to meet me!"

Uda, I learnt her family name on day two, showed no interest in my outburst. "He's a very busy man and simply cannot accommodate this last-minute request. Perhaps we can schedule a meeting in a month?"

"That won't work, the price hike will already be in effect. We must speak beforehand", I stressed.

Without letting the mask of politeness slip, she opened her drawer and slid a large envelope over to me. "Even though his schedule is extremely packed, uchino Kasegi has written a brief response to your concerns and has even offered a three-month postponement to the price change".

"I see", my tone hardened, "And what's the catch?"

"Nothing. You can either sign the new agreement or terminate our relationship", she replied cooly. "This offer has a time limit, so please inform us of your decision before returning home".

To say that I was seething with rage would be an understatement. But further shouting would only lead to a dead end, maybe with me being thrown out on the street.

"Understood", I replied in a clipped tone and left.

With my heartbeat thudding in my ears, I teared open the envelope near the main street. Opening it was redundant at this point; I could already guess its contents. Of course, the first few pages espoused the same things as Uda and seemed too good to be true.

And it was. The fine print was cleverly tucked away in the middle of the contract. While the new agreement promised a generous deferment period, the shop was liable to pay an exorbitant fine if I renegaded on it within the next year.

…What the actual fuck.

What was I going to do?

Any business sense I had was screaming at me to reject these prison-like terms. If I was still at the inn, I wouldn't even blink an eye and opt to terminate the relationship. But the pharmaceutical industry was a separate beast. Finding new supply lines for most of our products within the next month would be a doomed task. Would any suppliers be keen to partner with my small business? Probably not.

Being so in my head, I failed to notice someone running at breakneck speed in my direction.

"Thief! Stop! Someone stop him!" A woman cried out. The said thief clipped my side, knocking me flat on my back and scattering the contract all over the ground.

Could this day get any worse?

Several bystanders were alerted to the woman's cries and a small crowd flocked to her side.

"Where did he go!"

"Did anyone see him?"

"Wait, I think he went that way!"

Where was this prick? I picked myself off the ground, furiously beating the dirt and dust from my jacket. Ignoring the cacophony of voices, I scanned the crowd for his chakra – it would be something bright and erratic.

There. Juxtaposed against everyone else was the thief's bright, pulsating glow. Contrary to the crowd's assumption, he was hiding in an alleyway around the corner. While the oblivious mob ran down the street to chase after an imagined culprit, I hastily stuffed the scattered papers in my bag and marched over to his actual hiding spot.

I was fully prepared to raise hell until I caught a good look at his miserable state. Curled behind a shop's stacked crates, the thin, scrappy prepubescent boy looked like a street urchin. His messy, unwashed hair was sticking out in wild tufts while his face was smudged with dirt. The clothes on his back were tattered and barely sufficient for frigid weather.

I caught him right when he was stuffing the stolen item into a worn-down sack. The item in question – a beautifully crafted purse – looked insanely out-of-place in his rugged palms. It shimmered like gold while the hand-stitched peonies and phoenixes added to its opulence.

The terror in his eyes was palpable when I approached his hiding spot. Before he could run away, I grabbed his scrawny wrist and kept him rooted to the spot. I may not look like it, but years of working long hours in an inn meant that I was no featherweight.

"You need to give that back!" I angrily hissed.

"No! Let go of me, you hag!" The boy stuttered out.

H-hag?! Hell, no.

"Return it now! You could get into even more trouble if someone discovers that it was you", I nearly yelled.

"How? Are you going to rat me out?" The boy demanded while fiercely squirming in my grasp. Of course not, but just think of the consequences!

"You will have a hard time selling something so extravagant. Either the buyer will report you or someone will harm you for it". My words cut through him like a serrated knife, sharp and unforgiving.

My harshness left the boy reeling. He stopped trying to break free and started gnawing on his lip in indecision.

There it was. I finally got through to him.

"I can't just give it back…They won't let me go", he answered in a small, fearful voice.

Fair point. "I'll do it then". Raising a hand pre-emptively, I cut his objection short, "You just have to trust me". I let go of his arm by this point and continued standing there. After a few moments of strained silence, he reluctantly relinquished his catch.

The purse in my hands wasn't heavy at all. Likely, there wasn't much money in it. I didn't want to ask if he stole anything – it couldn't have been worth as much as the purse itself anyway.

I rummaged around in my bag and tossed something to the wily boy. "Take it". It was supposed to be my lunch – a pair of onigiri with umeboshi. It wouldn't change his fortunes, maybe only soothe his hunger for the day.

The boy was thoroughly flummoxed and stared at the food in shock, before he finally bolted from the alleyway. He was fast. When my eyes could no longer track him, I jogged over to the scene of theft. I found the woman who had cried out for help. She was standing in the same spot, red-faced and miserable.

"Did you lose this?" I asked. When her blurry vision focused on the golden object in my hands, her immediate relief was unmistakable.

She let out a deep, shaky breath, "W-where did you find it?"

"I found it on the ground, maybe the thief dropped it while running away from the mob", I lied.

She quickly opened the prized possession and checked the contents. I assumed that everything was still there since she started to profusely thank me whilst fervently bowing.

I clumsily waved it off. "Speak nothing of it, I'm glad that it could be returned to its owner".

The other woman abruptly straightened herself and shook her head, "No, it's not mine. It belongs to my mistress. I was holding onto it for her".

"Your mistress?"

"She means me", another person chimed in from behind us. My heart was in my mouth when the person came into full view. My days, she was stunning.

Her presence commanded attention even in the simplest of attire. The lavender kimono underneath her coat, though modest, was exquisitely crafted of soft silk and exuded quiet elegance. Her dark hair was swept into a an elegant updo, secured with a single silver hairpin. Her face, framed by the simplicity of her clothing, was the true gem – porcelain skin, golden almond-shaped eyes, and supple lips dyed with red.

I started fiddling with a loose button on my coat, suddenly very self-conscious in front of this inhumanely beautiful creature. My awkwardness intensified when she expressed her deep gratitude and bowed deeply. With a light blush across my cheeks, I unsuccessfully tried to stop her.

She went as far as to say, "Can we do anything to repay you?"

"N-no, thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah", I averted my eyes, suddenly spotting a rogue piece of the contract laying near to us. I planned to excuse myself and make a quick getaway, but the celestial nymph picked it up instead.

"Does this belong to you?"

I nodded shyly. My mortification trebled when she glanced at the page and asked, "Ah, are you a client of Kasegi-dono?"

"Um, sort of. W-well, I haven't actually met him. He's been very busy and hasn't had time for our meeting this week", I rambled on.

She smiled genially. "Yes, he is a very popular man. However, we are both attending an event tomorrow. Would you like to attend as my guest and meet him there?"

"Really? I mean – that's too generous…" The words tumbled out inelegantly.

She flashed a disarming smile that made my knees go weak, "Please let me repay your kind actions, this item is a precious keepsake". I eventually relented.

"Perfect! My assistant will share the details with you", she gestured to the other woman who was nodding happily. A complete one-eighty from her earlier panicked and miserable state.

I let out an awkward half-smile, "Thank you, um…?"

"Please call me Kimiko".

This brat is tiresome, Kakuzu thought to himself. He was standing next to the window in the brat's room while the source of his annoyance was seated cross-legged on the bed.

And why was Kakuzu so aggrieved by the young Uchiha? He would point to the lack of results. After days of surveillance, the younger man had nothing to show for it. His blasted crows couldn't find any worthy leads and the Sharingan was equally useless in pulling out information from the city's insipient shinobi.

Kakuzu wouldn't say it, but he was similarly frustrated by his lack of any valuable intelligence. Despite some threats and cracked bones, his connections to the underground didn't reveal anything useful. This expedition was turning out to be an absolute waste of time – time that would have been better spent bounty hunting.

To top it all off, Kakuzu was striving at all costs to avoid his subordinate. It wasn't hard for a seasoned ninja, but it was a nuisance nevertheless. He ignored any urge to investigate her activities or allude to her existence in conversation. This mission, however hapless, was priority and had nothing to do with her. She seemed to understand her place – she neither pressed the men for details nor sought out their company.

"Well, do you have anything to report then?" Kakuzu snapped, tired of standing around and doing nothing.

The boy, whose eyes had been closed till this point, slowly opened them and fixed his red irises on Kakuzu. The older man instinctively crossed his arms. The brat's crimson eyes were unnerving. Kakuzu had squared off against only a handful of Sharingan wielders in his lifetime, but their nightmarish visions were memorable, to say the least. If this brat was purportedly the strongest of the slain clan, Kakuzu didn't want to be anywhere near those damned eyes.

"I've narrowed down the pool of suspects. Whoever knows about the plan to take the Five-Tails jinchūriki must be very high up the chain of command".

"And?" Kakuzu pressed impatiently.

"I have identified a few persons of interest, but not all of them are stationed in the capital."

So, you don't have anything, the older man thought cynically. The boy closed his eyes again and the silence dragged on.

This is a waste of time. Kakuzu was walking away. His hand barely grazed the doorknob before his colleague made a noise at the back of his throat.

"Interesting. Your subordinate and one of my targets are at the same location", Itachi murmured almost to himself.

Kakuzu's hand dropped to his side. "What?"

The disbelief in Kakuzu's voice made him double-check. No, his Sharingan-controlled crows weren't mistaken. "They are both at an entertainment house. She's alone".

What the hell is she doing there? Kakuzu fumed to himself.

"I take it that you didn't know", the brat observed.

Kakuzu glared at him, his clenched fists were itching to take a swing at his colleague. Itachi ignored his hostility and continued, "This complicates matters".

"Explain", Kakuzu commanded.

"It doesn't bode well for our cover if someone notices that she is unescorted or if she mentions our existence", Itachi answered evenly. Kakuzu doubted that Nao would speak so casually about them, but she was sorely untrained. Furthermore, civilians were prone to slip-ups under the influence of alcohol.

Damn it, they couldn't take any chances.

"Get up boy, we're going now".

Itachi obliged, deciding to not visibly object to his colleague's commands. As a minor retaliation, he decided to omit what Nao was wearing.

He would leave that as a surprise.

A/N:

Uchino Kasegi – When talking to clients or someone outside of the company, you use the person's last name and attach uchino (of our company) instead of -san.

Hanami dango – Skewered dumplings made with rice flour and glutinous rice flour. They are chewy and come in pink, white, and green hues. You have seen Itachi eating this in the anime.

Denpun dango – A regional speciality from Hokkaido, it is made from potato flour and baked with sweet, boiled beans. Once again, I'm relying on examples from Hokkaido because of its climate.

Hi everyone, thank you for being so patient and waiting for this update. The story is by no means abandoned, I just had an awful past four months due to health setbacks and an abysmal job search.

But! My fortunes are turning (for the better), and I am already working on the next chapter. Once again thank you for the kind words of support thus far, your comments are life-affirming. I hope you enjoy this slightly shorter chapter .