Second, Kanna got up early as usual, washed up and ate breakfast, then practiced Water Body Flicker before heading to the roof of the building to run through Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms several times. After thoroughly warming up, it was already noon.
By now, Kanna had also started getting used to Kirigakure's food. In his previous life, he hadn't liked eating fish because spitting out the bones always seemed like a hassle. But things were different now. He didn't need to worry about the bones at all; he simply swallowed them along with the flesh, and the power of Shikotsumyaku digested them naturally. Gradually, he'd come to appreciate the deliciousness of seafood.
He ordered several seafood dishes and some dumplings. With nothing better to do, Kanna began listening to the conversations around him.
"I heard Yomiyama's kid took first place."
"A big merchant from the Land of Fire came to Kirigakure yesterday. Looks like the village will have some new goods soon."
"I heard some fishermen outside the village caught sight of a rare huge fish. It even capsized their boat."
There were far more ordinary people than shinobi eating here, so all Kanna heard was this kind of dull gossip. Still, he listened with interest, sipping his drink as he waited for his food.
Then a conversation suddenly caught his attention.
"Big news! Three Chunin were killed!"
"That's right. I heard the killer didn't even run. She waited right there for the Security Force to arrive!"
"I heard it was a Genin who'd just passed the Chunin Ninja Exams. Her name was Amayuri Ringo."
"Hmm?" Kanna's attention snapped into focus. They'd only crossed paths yesterday, and now this had happened? She'd killed three Chunin?
Kanna didn't have a good impression of Amayuri, but he didn't think she was an idiot who'd pick a fight with three Chunin and kill them for no reason. So had something happened that he didn't know about?
A little while later, his food was brought over. Just as Kanna was about to start eating, he noticed that the server across from him hadn't left. Instead, he sat down without a word.
Taking a closer look, Kanna realized something was off. This man definitely wasn't a server. He was a real shinobi, with a stern expression and a uniform.
Behind him stood another shinobi dressed exactly the same way. Kanna recognized the uniform: it belonged to Kirigakure's Security Force.
"Are you looking for me? What's this about?" Kanna asked calmly, picking up a piece of fish and putting it in his mouth.
"There was a murder last night," said the Security Force shinobi seated opposite him, his face expressionless. "Our unit has been assigned to investigate. According to witnesses, you had a dispute with the killer, Amayuri, yesterday at noon. So, under the rules, we need to verify a few details and gather some information."
Kanna frowned. "Go ahead, then."
"Thank you for cooperating," the shinobi said. "First, let me introduce myself. I'm Maki of the Security Force, and this is my colleague, Takeshita Izumi. If you need to verify our identities, we can show you the relevant documents."
"No need." Kanna waved a hand. "Let's get on with it."
"All right." Maki glanced at Takeshita Izumi, who nodded, pulled out a notebook, and readied his pen.
"First question. Our investigation found that you and Amayuri didn't know each other before. Why did you have a dispute?"
"I wouldn't call it a dispute. We'd only just met and didn't know each other, so there might've been some misunderstanding when we talked," Kanna replied after a moment's thought.
That was the truth. As Kanna saw it, he and Amayuri simply didn't like each other. Or rather, Kanna was the only one who looked down on the other person. It wasn't a big deal.
"Second question. According to the Aide, you didn't get home until the middle of the night. You said you were out training. Is there anyone who can confirm that?"
Kanna was a little startled. Why had his father been dragged into this?
A murder might have been a big deal to ordinary people, but involving the Mizukage Aide was ridiculous.
Kanna wasn't a child. He could tell there was more to this than met the eye.
"So what are you getting at?" Kanna asked coldly.
"Nothing. You can choose not to answer, but we'll report your behavior as well. That's the procedure," Maki replied evenly. "If you choose not to answer, shall we move on to the next question?"
"No one can confirm it. I don't like having people watch me train!" Kanna sneered. "Next question."
"All right. Third question." Maki continued, "A student of the Kirigakure Jonin Shiro Kamimizu was killed by Amayuri during the Chunin Ninja Exams. The next day, she met you. What was your relationship with him?"
"We had no relationship. We'd only just met," Kanna answered at once.
"Then why would a Genin like you know a Jonin? Was it because of your father?" Maki asked.
"Hold on!" Kanna slapped his chopsticks down on the table, then picked up a napkin and slowly wiped his lips. Only then did he speak in an unhurried voice. "As I recall, the Security Force can ask no more than three questions during a routine inquiry, right? You've asked your three questions. You can leave now. You can report our conversation, and I have no objections. There's nothing I need to change."
Maki paused. He hadn't expected Kanna, a mere Genin, to be so particular about the rules.
He wasn't wrong. Gathering intelligence fell under the Intelligence Department's jurisdiction, and the Security Force didn't have that much authority. At most, they could ask three questions.
Maki smiled faintly and tried to explain. "That's the rule, but there's another rule that allows us to exceed that limit in special circumstances. Please don't evade the question. Answer me directly."
"Special circumstances? Fine! Go ahead and show me the authorization documents!" Kanna still hadn't gotten over his anger from yesterday. Now this group had come to provoke him again, and he was already struggling to hold himself back. He had no intention of being polite.
Maki and Takeshita Izumi were put in an awkward position. The Security Force was an organization with little authority in any village. Other departments had all the same powers, and much more. If the Intelligence Department came to question you and you refused to answer, they could detain you on the spot. But could the Security Force do that?
At that moment, Takeshita Izumi, who had been taking notes, stopped writing and said coldly, "You're a Genin of Kirigakure. Is that how you speak to your superiors? Have you forgotten the rules of being a shinobi that you were taught at the Academy?"
Kanna's expression darkened. He slowly rose to his feet, his face grim. "Fine! Very good! But the village rules come first, no matter what you say. There's no need to bring up the Academy. I graduated a long time ago. The Academy has no authority over me! Neither of you is my superior or my elder, and you have no right to boss me around. If you don't like it, get someone higher up to talk to me!"
Bang! As soon as Kanna finished speaking, Takeshita Izumi slammed his palm onto the table. The plates and jars tipped over, and sauce spilled across the tabletop.
Aoki's clothes were splashed with a little sauce, too. He frowned but said nothing.
Takeshita Izumi narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "So you're refusing to cooperate with the Security Force? Fine! I'm placing you under suspicion of involvement in the Amayuri case. You're forbidden from leaving the village. We'll send someone to speak with you. As for the specific authorization documents, we'll show them to you when you come to our headquarters!"
By then, Kanna wasn't angry anymore. He was almost certain there was more to the case than met the eye, and he'd just been caught in the middle. When powerful people fought, ordinary people suffered. Considering who he was, anyone going after him would have to think about the Mizukage Aide. Those two knew exactly who he was, so were they targeting Kanna Tokiomi?
"Let's go!" Aoki said with a faint smile. He reached out to grab a napkin to wipe his clothes, but Kanna suddenly burst out laughing.
"Gentlemen, what's the hurry?"
Smack! Kanna slapped his hand down over Aoki's and pinned it firmly to the table.
Aoki instinctively tried to pull free. When he couldn't, he shouted in anger and alarm, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing. I just suddenly realized I don't like either of you very much." Kanna put on a troubled expression. "Ah, well, what can you expect? I'm only eleven. A kid that age doesn't always think about the consequences. That's why the Juvenile Correction Center exists, right?"
Aoki and Takeshita Izumi's pupils contracted. They exchanged uneasy glances.
Shinobi were soldiers, so brawls were common, and children were especially prone to acting on impulse. That was why all Five Great Shinobi Villages had Juvenile Correction Centers to punish anyone under thirteen who broke the rules.
How were they punished? They might be ordered to face a wall, copy the rules a certain number of times, or complete a certain number of D-rank missions without pay. As long as they hadn't committed murder or arson, the punishment wouldn't be too severe.
"You said our conversation was over, so we have nothing more to do with each other now, right?" Kanna's expression turned cold. "A fistfight gets you three days of education. If you give someone a minor injury, you get a month of correctional labor. A serious injury..." He chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not that cruel. I'll call the medical team to treat you."
"Ridiculous! Anyone thinks they can bully me now! You're making it hard for me to keep up my bad-boy image. You should know, I'm the boss of Hanai Street!"
After casually making up a bad-boy identity for himself, Kanna closed his mouth. In the next instant, he grabbed the chopsticks beside him, aimed them at the back of Aoki's hand, and drove them straight down!
Before you continue