Undercurrents Beneath the Lamplight

Undercurrents Beneath the Lamplight

Shirakawa Village beside the trade road lay quietly beneath the first fall of dusk. Neat wooden fences encircled the village, and its heavy gates stood open. Several villagers sat chatting on stone benches by the entrance. At first, they paid no attention to the approaching figures, but when they saw the Konoha symbols on their forehead protectors and their attire, their expressions immediately turned solemn. The leading man hurried forward and bowed respectfully. "What brings the two of you to our village, my lords?"

Shuji calmly swept his gaze over the crowd and drew a scroll from his robes, slowly unfurling it. "Konoha ninja, here by order of the Feudal Lord of the Land of Rivers." His voice was not loud, but it carried an official air. The villagers stiffened and exchanged glances. Their leader immediately took a step back and said no more.

Itachi keenly noticed that Shuji's demeanor now was entirely different from the easygoing manner he had shown at the restaurant in Koizumi Town. Without betraying anything, Itachi maintained the same calmness as Shuji, quietly observing with his youthful face.

"Where is the village chief?" Shuji asked directly.

"At... at home." The villager hurriedly answered and pointed out the way.

The two entered the village. Though night had only just fallen, points of light had already appeared throughout Shirakawa Village. Warm light shining through paper windows outlined the houses, creating an atmosphere of carefully maintained comfort. The grand inn in the center of the village was especially conspicuous, its upturned eaves and ornate brackets clearly visible beneath the lamps. Yet its porch was notably deserted, forming a subtle contrast with the lights of the other homes.

As they walked along the village road, Itachi could feel eyes watching from behind window lattices and beside fences. He appeared relaxed while remaining vigilant, his peripheral vision tracking the surroundings. Shuji, meanwhile, walked steadily toward the village chief's residence.

An elderly man with graying hair and beard, his body slightly stooped, was already waiting within the halo of the lantern by the door. Upon seeing them, he hurried forward and respectfully led them inside. Once host and guests had taken their seats in the simple hall, the old man cautiously spoke. "This old man is Shirakawa Kisuke, chief of this village. May I ask what matter has brought you here to investigate?" His callused hands unconsciously clasped together.

"I thought the village chief might have some idea." Shuji leaned forward slightly, his gaze settling on the old man's face. A faint, warmthless curve touched his lips. "Your village should not be unfamiliar with the bandits troubling the trade road nearby."

"Th-this..." Shirakawa Kisuke's temple glistened with fine sweat in the lamplight. "Officials did come to ask about it before... but this old man truly..."

"Oh?" Shuji lightly tapped the tabletop with a fingertip, producing a crisp sound. "Then let me ask another way. Are all the registered residents of Shirakawa Village currently in the village?"

"Of..." Shirakawa Kisuke had just begun to answer.

"Senior." Itachi's clear child's voice broke the brief silence at just the right moment. "When we entered the village, I noticed that some houses had dark windows, as though no one lived there."

The old village chief's body tensed almost imperceptibly. He hurriedly explained, "A few families... have gone elsewhere to make a living..."

Shuji's gaze slowly passed over the furniture in the room. Though not luxurious, it was clearly made from sturdy materials with meticulous workmanship. His tone remained even. "From what I can see, your village is quite prosperous." He paused, his meaning obvious. "With such a secure and comfortable home, it cannot be common for young people to leave their hometowns, can it?"

"Y-yes." Shirakawa Kisuke dabbed at his temple with his sleeve. "The trade road is busy, and merchants often stop at the village inn." He tried to keep his voice steady. "After young people see the outside world, their hearts... inevitably grow restless."

"Those bandits must have had quite an impact on your village's livelihood." Shuji's gaze seemed to pass through the paper window toward the silent inn in the village center. "Such a fine inn, yet now its doors are practically deserted."

The old man lowered his eyes, his voice sinking. "Exactly so. That is why this old man hopes day and night that you honorable sirs can soon rid the trade road of this scourge."

Shuji suddenly withdrew that invisible pressure and spoke gently. "In that case, does the village chief have any clues to offer? Our goals are the same in this matter." He looked into the old man's eyes. "Even the smallest detail may have value."

"Yes, yes, but... this old man truly does not know anything useful..." Shirakawa Kisuke's voice was filled with helplessness.

Shuji showed no reaction. He merely asked several routine questions about the village population and recent outsiders, then rose to take his leave. "We will be staying at the village inn. If you discover anything, inform us at once."

Inside their room at the inn, the oil lamp's glow steadily filled the space. Only after carefully confirming that the doors and windows were shut and the surroundings were quiet did Itachi turn to Shuji. "Did Senior notice anything suspicious with the village chief?"

Having returned to his usual gentle manner, Shuji sat on the tatami and asked with a faint smile, "What does Itachi think?"

The eight-year-old Genin pondered briefly before answering in an orderly manner. "Senior believes the bandits are connected to this village, and that the village leadership knows about it, perhaps even participated in it. That explains why Senior changed his attitude at the village entrance and before the chief."

"Since you had that judgment, why not pretend to notice nothing upon entering the village? Why put on such a stern manner first?" Shuji looked at him with interest. "Wouldn't discreet investigation make it easier to uncover clues?"

This was precisely the doubt that still lingered in Itachi's mind.

At the restaurant in Koizumi Town, Shuji had analyzed two possibilities: the bandits had remained behind for an important relic, or they were locals from the start. Now, it seemed Senior had already leaned toward the latter.

"Showing from the outset that we would not be easily dealt with was a form of groundwork," Shuji explained. "Being too easygoing can sometimes invite unnecessary probing and trouble. After entering the village, the attention the villagers gave us far exceeded what they would give ordinary travelers. That in itself conveyed information—this village has such a luxurious inn, so travelers must come often. A village accustomed to receiving visitors from every direction should not react so tensely to unfamiliar ninja."

"Therefore, I decided to apply a certain amount of pressure on the village chief and make it seem as though we had already grasped some information. If our attitude had been too gentle, given that chief's experience, he would likely have used a smoother approach to brush us off without revealing the slightest flaw." He paused. "But judging from his response, it will be difficult for the village to completely deny any connection to those young people who left or the appearance of the bandits."

Itachi nodded thoughtfully. Such details of observation and judgment were not taught at the Ninja Academy.

"Then how does Senior intend to proceed?" he asked.

Shuji did not answer directly. Instead, he looked at him. "If Itachi were leading this, what would you do?"

The young Uchiha thought seriously for a moment before replying, "If it were me, I would try to use Genjutsu to obtain more definite intelligence from the village chief, such as where the bandits might be hiding. Once we have a location, we can go there and eliminate them."

"A very good tactical approach." Shuji nodded approvingly, then changed direction. "Then after using Genjutsu, what situations might we face?" He raised a finger. "First, the village chief may truly not know the core details, and the Genjutsu would yield little. Second, the bandits may be hiding somewhere within the village. Third, they may be concealed in the forests outside."

"The latter two situations are especially complicated." Shuji sat upright, his gaze calm. "Without conclusive evidence, and before the other side has openly displayed hostility, those so-called 'bandits' may simply be ordinary neighbors or family members in the villagers' eyes. Just as the mission briefing emphasized, the Land of Rivers' pursuit teams had not even managed to identify their exact appearances. That means that even if we find the target location, we will likely see people who look like ordinary villagers, working at sunrise and resting at sunset."

He watched Itachi's clear eyes, already showing a depth beyond his years. "What would you do then? If you act directly, you could very likely provoke a fierce reaction from the local villagers. Without irrefutable proof, people often choose to believe in and protect those they know. How they might question us, make excuses, or even obstruct us are all unpredictable variables."

The room fell silent, broken only by the occasional faint crackle of the oil lamp wick. The young Uchiha genius furrowed his brow slightly and sank into deep thought. This difficult problem involving human hearts and rules clearly lay beyond the scope of the missions he had previously carried out through pure force. The lamplight cast his focused silhouette against the wall, stretching it long.

(End of Chapter)