Chapter 60: A Trip to the South
The name 'Kato Tsuru' felt incredibly familiar to Tenchi. It was like an itch in the back of his mind, but he just couldn't remember where he had heard it before. He stared at the file, lost in thought.
"What is it? Is this mission a problem for you?" Danzo asked, noticing the frown on Tenchi's face.
"The mission itself isn't difficult. Just wait for my report," Tenchi said, shaking off his thoughts. He put the file back into its bag. "As for those 'secret techniques,' don't get your hopes up. The truly good techniques are in the major villages. I doubt the stuff from small, backwater places will be worth much."
"Do not underestimate the secret arts of minor regions," Danzo cautioned. "Some of them have unique properties." While Tenchi was mostly right, Danzo knew that even lesser techniques could be useful, perhaps for experiments, even if they had significant side effects.
"Heh, I know exactly what you're thinking," Tenchi said with a knowing look. "Let me give you some advice: it's better if you don't start dabbling in human experiments yourself. If you do, you might not live to regret it." With that final warning, he put on his blank Root mask and left the office.
Danzo watched him go, pondering his words. *'He's right. Human experiments are too risky to conduct here. If I'm discovered, it would be a disaster. If I want to pursue that path, I will need to find a suitable scapegoat first.'*
Unaware of Danzo's scheming, Tenchi left the Root headquarters. He stopped on a main Konoha street to buy a large bag of travel rations before heading toward the village's main gate.
He walked right up to the gate, planning to just stroll out as if he owned the place.
"Stop!" one of the two gate guards commanded, stepping in front of him. "If you wish to leave the village, you must register here and receive an exit permit." They blocked his path, seeing that he hadn't stopped at their post.
"Can't you see I'm Anbu?" Tenchi said, tapping his mask. "I'm on a covert mission. Do I still need to register?" He genuinely didn't know the procedure.
The guard let out a short laugh. "You must be new. It doesn't matter who you are—Anbu, Hokage, whoever. Everyone registers when they leave the village. I'll give you a permit after you do. If you leave now without one, you won't be able to get back in later. Now, hurry up and register." The guard didn't recognize the masked Tenchi and assumed he was just a rookie, so he explained the rules patiently.
"Fine," Tenchi grumbled. He walked over to the small desk. Before the guards could even ask, he spoke up. "Root Ninja. Codename: Tori. Rank: Jonin."
"Root Jonin?" the guard repeated, surprised. They rarely saw Root operatives. They knew Root was led by Danzo Shimura, but why the village had two separate intelligence divisions was above their paygrade. They quickly processed the paperwork.
"Is there a problem?" Tenchi asked, noticing their curious stares.
"Uh... no, not at all. It's just that we don't see many Root shinobi," the guard said, handing over a small scroll. "Lord Tori, this is your exit permit. Please keep it safe."
"Thanks," Tenchi said, taking the scroll. He walked out of the gate without looking back. The guards' respectful attitude was something he was used to. Guys like that were perfect for this job; they knew how to treat their superiors.
Once he was a good distance from Konoha's walls, Tenchi turned south, the last known direction of his target. *'The southern region is huge. Finding one specific person here could take forever. This mission might not be a quick one. Since I'm out, I might as well have a little fun along the way.'* He quickly found a secluded spot, took off his Root uniform and mask, and changed into a set of plain, ordinary clothes.
"Finally, I'm out!" he said to the open air, stretching his arms. "Time to find a place to have some fun." With an excited grin, he set off at a run toward a small town to the south.
As for the mission? *'Whatever! With my strength, I can finish it anytime. That old man Danzo wouldn't dare to do anything to me even if I take my time.'*
After running at full speed for over an hour, Tenchi finally saw the outline of a town. As he got closer, he spotted a large stone marker at the roadside with four characters carved into it: 'Southern River Town.'
*'Whoa, 'Southern River Town'? That sounds like the name of a place full of music, dancing, and fancy parties! Wait, no... why would it be called that here? Ah, whatever! I'll figure it out once I'm inside.'* Not wanting to waste time, he hurried into the town.
But as he walked through the streets, his excitement quickly turned to disappointment. He looked around at the simple wooden houses, the ordinary people going about their daily shopping, and the complete lack of any entertainment.
*'Where are the singing and dancing? Where are the places to eat, drink, and play dice?'* he thought, feeling utterly let down. *'This is just a normal, boring town! These people really don't know how to enjoy themselves.'*
He wandered the streets for a while, still hoping to find something interesting. Maybe the fun spots were just hidden away somewhere. But after about ten minutes of searching, he lost his patience.
*'There's nothing here! Or maybe I just can't find it. I should just ask someone.'*
He spotted a middle-aged man walking by and approached him with a friendly smile. "Uncle! Uncle, wait a moment!"
The man stopped and looked at him, puzzled. "Yes? What is it?"
"Uncle, I'm a traveling merchant," Tenchi lied smoothly. "It's been a long journey, and I'm looking for a place to relax and have some fun around here. Do you know of any places like that?" He gave the man a knowing look, sure that he would understand.
Sure enough, the man's face immediately broke into a wide, understanding grin. "I see, I see! You can go to the Grand Sands Hotel over there and ask. The people there will be able to help you."
"That's great! Thank you, uncle!" Tenchi said, before quickly running off in the direction the man had pointed.
The uncle watched him go and sighed with a hint of envy. "Ah, to be young again..."
Tenchi soon arrived in front of a building with a sign that read 'Grand Sands Hotel.' *'The Grand Sands Hotel? What a silly name. The owner who picked that must be an idiot,'* he complained to himself before walking inside.
The moment he stepped through the door, he saw two large, tough-looking men standing just inside, not outside. *'Guards on the inside of the door, not the outside... I must be in the right place after all.'*
He walked up to the front desk. A woman with a professional smile greeted him. "Welcome, sir. How may I help you today?"
"Get me your best room for one night," Tenchi said, pulling out a single ryo note and placing it on the counter.
The woman's smile didn't falter. "I'm sorry, sir. Our best suite costs five thousand ryo. Your one thousand is not enough." She was very polite; her boss had trained her never to judge a customer by their clothes.
*'Five thousand?'* Tenchi was a little shocked. That was a lot of money for an ordinary person. *'This place must be hiding something high-end to charge prices like that.'* But money wasn't a problem for him. He pulled out four more notes and placed them on the counter. "Five thousand, then."
The woman at the front desk quickly processed his payment. "Your room is ready, sir. You will be in room 404. Do you have any luggage? We have staff who can help you carry it for free." She handed him a key.
"No, I didn't bring anything with me. I can manage on my own," Tenchi said, taking the key.
"In that case, we wish you a very pleasant stay," the woman said, standing up and giving him a respectful bow as he walked toward the stairs.