The New Target: The Organization's Structure
Kaito returned to the Sky Lounge, ignoring the calls from the press celebrating "The General's decisive action" on the Takashima case. The real victory wasn't the solved case; it was the Serpent's Fingerprint—the unique, layered encryption signature Masato had identified.
"We have the key, Masato," Kaito commanded, speaking through the Azure Blend's secured comms. "The Black Organization's encryption is their operational DNA. Forget generic surveillance; we are now hunting for the source of that encryption pattern globally."
Masato, the brilliant cryptographer, was ready. "Understood, Kaito-sama. The standard approach is useless. We need to build a specialized digital filter—a reverse-tracer that identifies and flags any communication using that specific layering technique, regardless of the apparent source IP."
Masato's Digital Lure
Over the next few days, Masato's team, operating from their repurposed storage unit command center, executed the digital countermeasure. They launched a complex digital lure: small, seemingly harmless data packets encrypted with the Serpent's Fingerprint and scattered across high-value global networks.
"Think of it as broadcasting a unique scent across the digital wilderness," Kaito explained to Shiori. "Any attempt by the Black Organization to communicate, investigate the leak, or simply exist using their own protocols will trigger our filter."
The results were slow, but powerful. The filter began to flag communications. Not just single messages, but entire relay nodes—hidden servers and communication centers the organization used to coordinate its actions.
Profiling the Hierarchy
Kaito tasked Kazuya, the master profiler, with analyzing the geographical and temporal data from the flagged nodes.
"The digital traffic is not random," Kazuya reported, displaying a map showing various nodes lighting up from Tokyo to Europe. "It is highly structured. There are clear tiers of communication."
He segmented the traffic into a simple hierarchy based on security clearance and frequency:
Tier 3: The Foot Soldiers (Generic): High volume, low-grade security. Used for immediate, tactical communication (e.g., surveillance, localized tasks).
Tier 2: The Executive (Designated): Moderate volume, higher security. Used for operational planning and resource coordination. These are the code-named members—Gin, Vodka, etc.
Tier 1: The Command (The Unknown): Extremely low volume, near-perfect security, routed through three layers of obfuscation. Used exclusively for receiving orders and reporting to the highest authority. The Boss.
"We have a shadow organization's complete nervous system," Kaito realized, staring at the screen. "We now know where they talk, when they talk, and who they might be talking to."
The Hound's New Target
The information was immediately leveraged by The Hound.
Kaito briefed John Wick, the Captain of The Hound, on a new, permanent mandate:
"Wick. Your primary mission is shifting from mere protection of Ran and Conan to Active Intelligence Gathering. We have identified several Tier 3 nodes—safehouses, communication units, and known transaction spots. I want persistent, undetectable physical surveillance on those locations."
Wick nodded, his silence conveying understanding. His team would now be staking out the very arteries of the Black Organization in Tokyo.
"If you intercept a communication, or if the Organization attempts to move a high-value asset, I want immediate notification," Kaito commanded. "And if you ever see the code name 'Gin' associated with any physical location, you are to establish an immediate, locked-down perimeter. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary to protect a Tenryuu asset."
The acquisition of the Serpent's Fingerprint had moved Kaito from a reactionary guardian to the Puppeteer. He wasn't waiting for the Black Organization to make a move; he was quietly mapping their entire operational territory.