Inside the City Lord's manor, Yasumasa Kurokawa received the two shinobi with exceptional courtesy. He expressed his profound gratitude and informed them that, just prior to their arrival, the city guards had successfully apprehended the human trafficking ring responsible for the crimes. He assured them that the mission would still be considered complete and that the subsequent reward would be paid to Konoha in full.
When Kosuke inquired about the whereabouts of the abducted children, the City Lord wore an expression of deep regret. He explained that the perpetrators were a transnational criminal syndicate and that the children had already been sold overseas. However, he solemnly promised to exhaust all efforts to track them down and bring them back.
Hearing this explanation, Kosuke didn't press the issue further. He simply stood up and took his leave. "We appreciate your hospitality, Lord Kurokawa. Since the matter is resolved, we shall take our leave."
The two politely declined the City Lord's further attempts to make them stay and headed toward the exit.
As they reached the doorway, Shinichi's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. Without turning his head, he could clearly feel it—the middle-aged man dressed as a butler, who had been standing silently beside the City Lord, had locked his gaze onto his back once again.
From the moment Shinichi stepped into the hall, the man's eyes had continuously drifted toward him. It wasn't the casual sizing-up of a stranger; it was an incredibly focused, almost urgently intense scrutiny.
Shinichi had intentionally turned his head to meet the man's gaze as if sensing it. Although the "butler" had immediately retracted his stare and looked away nonchalantly, his eyes would inevitably creep back from the shadows or the corners of his vision. Over and over again, as if repeatedly trying to confirm something.
"Shinichi, what do you think?" Kosuke asked once they were a fair distance from the manor.
"Something's wrong," Shinichi replied simply, his eyes sweeping back toward the heavily guarded compound.
"Mm," Kosuke nodded slightly, dropping his voice. "Let's talk when we're further away."
---
Back inside the manor, the moment the heavy wooden doors clicked shut, completely sealing off the light and sound from the outside world, the mask of a submissive butler entirely shattered from Elder Takahashi's face.
He whipped around to face Yasumasa, his fingers trembling slightly from sheer excitement. His voice was kept extremely low, but it couldn't mask the boiling fanaticism within.
"Did you see him?! That boy... the Konoha Genin named Shinichi Higashino!"
Yasumasa's heart skipped a beat, and his expression darkened significantly. "What are you planning now? I warned you, do not take any rash actions!"
"No! You don't understand!" Elder Takahashi cut him off urgently, his eyes glowing with an unnatural light. "It was a resonance! A direct revelation from the Holy God Himself! The exact moment he stepped into the hall, the power of divine grace deep within my bloodline began to palpitate! It was calling out to him! This is absolutely no coincidence! His body... his very existence is likely a flawless vessel meant to bear the power of the Holy God! He is a natural-born candidate for the Holy Son!"
He took a step closer, his voice turning hoarse and incredibly seductive. "Tell me, Yasumasa Kurokawa, you too have bathed in the Holy God's grace; the seed has been planted within you as well. When you saw him, did you truly feel nothing? If we capture him and complete the final ritual... the grand descent of the Holy God will be realized through our hands!"
Yasumasa's eyes flickered with complex emotions. "But he is a Konoha shinobi!" he argued, clearly conflicted.
"He's just a Genin!"
Elder Takahashi scoffed dismissively. "Look at his teammate! A man well into his fifties who is still a Genin! The fact that he was assigned to such a team proves that this boy isn't valued by Konoha at all! He's insignificant! In any previous war, people like them were nothing more than disposable cannon fodder! This world has never known true peace; a Genin dying in the line of duty is the most normal thing imaginable."
His tone turned icy and utterly ruthless. "We can do it cleanly. We manufacture an accident and frame it on wandering rogue ninja or ronin. A mediocre, aging Genin dies, and a young Genin with no background goes missing... in a border region like this, things like that happen every single day. Do you honestly think Konoha will mobilize a massive force and launch a deep investigation over two utterly insignificant, bottom-tier shinobi? As long as we keep our hands clean and leave no evidence, time will bury the truth, and the matter will simply fade away."
Yasumasa remained silent, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his cuffs. The intense calculation of risks and rewards clashed fiercely in his eyes.
Seeing him still hesitating, a highly dangerous glint appeared in Elder Takahashi's eyes. He snapped sharply, "Do not forget your illness, Yasumasa! Only the descent of the Holy Son can completely cure you!"
He had already made up his mind. If Yasumasa refused to cooperate, he would kill the City Lord on the spot and lead the cultists to act on their own.
Thinking of his terminal illness and feeling the increasingly dangerous gaze of the man in front of him, Yasumasa ground his teeth. "...Fine! Then... let's do it!"
Elder Takahashi nodded in profound satisfaction. Just as he was about to issue orders, a cultist hurriedly slipped into the room, reporting in a hushed voice, "My Lords, the two Konoha shinobi... have already left the city."
"So fast?" Yasumasa was stunned.
Elder Takahashi's pupils violently contracted as an ominous premonition seized his heart. "Damn it! They definitely noticed something! Go after them! We absolutely cannot let them leave!"
---
Shortly after leaving the manor, the two shinobi ducked into a quiet, deserted alleyway.
Kosuke stopped, turning to face Shinichi with calm, steady eyes. He kept his voice low. "You can speak now. What did you notice?"
Shinichi delivered his analysis with a perfectly steady rhythm. "Senior, regarding this child disappearance case, the City Lord's manor isn't just aware of it; it's highly likely they are deeply involved. More accurately, the City Lord himself, Yasumasa Kurokawa, is either their protective umbrella or an active collaborator."
Kosuke's brow furrowed deeply. "Your basis?"
"First, his attitude was entirely illogical," Shinichi stated, his logic crystal clear. "The City Lord was far too enthusiastic and accommodating, as if he couldn't wait to hand us a perfectly packaged answer. Capturing the culprits right before we arrive, the children already being sold overseas... all of his explanations fit together perfectly without a single flaw. That's exactly what makes it too perfect. It sounds like a meticulously rehearsed script. As the lord of a city, he manages countless complex affairs. For him to personally, swiftly, and comprehensively address a standard C-rank commission is an anomaly in itself."
"When you factor in the local security forces turning up absolutely zero clues regarding the disappearances, the only way for the culprits to operate so cleanly is if they have deliberate, intentional cover from the highest level of the local government."
"Second, the butler," Shinichi paused, recalling the scrutinizing gaze. "From the moment I walked in, he paid an abnormal amount of attention to me. It wasn't mere curiosity; it felt more like... he was evaluating a specific trait. When I looked back at him, he immediately masked it, but continued to observe me secretly afterward. This is absolutely not how an ordinary butler should behave. His interest in me as a person seemed far greater than his interest in my identity as a Konoha shinobi."
"Senior, apart from being a Konoha shinobi, what else about me is worth such intense scrutiny?"
Kosuke's eyes flickered, and he softly spoke a single word. "A child."
"Exactly. A child." Shinichi nodded, following the line of logic. "Therefore, the truth behind the string of child disappearances in this region is highly likely to be a faction secretly and continuously abducting children, attempting to filter out those who meet specific requirements or possess certain traits. And this faction is deeply intertwined with the City Lord's manor—perhaps the City Lord himself is a member or even the ringleader."