Standard Procedure

After Hozumi asked Jiang Xia and the others to leave messages for the guests at Akagi Inn, he stayed where he was, waiting for the client to come up the mountain and meet him.

He rested for a while on the way. Once he had recovered his strength and grown bored, he wandered from the filming location back to the tree with the old handkerchief tied to it, wondering why the client was looking for that particular tree.

That was when he happened to see several Organization Peripheral Members Amuro Tooru had called over.

Earlier, Amuro Tooru had discovered bones hidden beneath that tree, so he had sent people over and had them hide nearby to keep watch, preparing to obtain proof that Watanuki Tatsuzo had been hiding corpses with an Organization Cadre—this was likely the leverage Epimetheus had over Watanuki Tatsuzo, as well as the reason he had leaked information to them during this transaction. With that, he would more or less be able to report back to the Organization.

After those Peripheral Members arrived, they discussed matters beneath the tree for a while, set up some equipment, and then each found a place to hide.

Hozumi did not know the inside story. He merely watched from afar as those fierce-looking men moved about, and, sensing they were not to be trifled with, did not dare approach.

After observing from behind a thick tree for a moment, he eventually pretended to be nothing more than a passing tourist and returned to the place where he had arranged to meet Watanuki Tatsuzo.

At the same time, something stirred in his heart, and he sensed that something was off—this client had paid very generously and seemed deeply fixated on that tree. Yet the client had never taken the initiative to contact