Matsuoko Hidefumi is getting suspicious
Not about a lot of things. But he his, nonetheless, getting suspicious.
It's been a month. Well, maybe a bit less, since odd matters has been rising in his village. Well, if he can consider this piece of trash a village.
He misses his mansion.
But that's not the subject of today's old man thoughts.
"So, yes. Around twenty were usable, they should be eating in the cafeteria as we speak"
You-thingy? Talks. He even coughs to get back some attention, nonetheless, Hidefumi doesn't care much about this, no, he's too preoccupied today. He's busy enjoying the comfy seat he's resting on, and he's busy thinking about ninjas.
Yes.
Ninjas.
He hates ninjas. Truly, he could repeat it a thousand times and never get bored of it, he hates tho-! "Sir?"
Slowly, Hidfumi takes a big breath and focus on the man in front of him, Youta Satõ, little king of the poor district, well, he's not much of a king truly. He has a single brothel and the only reason it exists is because this is a necessary evil he allowed to exist.
Still. It allowed Youta to get a pretty good office, it's not the first time Hidefumi has been here, so he's not really surprised by the open window behind Youta, or the desk he's sitting behind, the papers on the desk are also not new, similar to the closet on his right.
"Yes. If they can't get strong enough to work in a month throw them back in the street"
Youta sputters. Almost making the papers in his hand fall, his foot knock against the side of the desk as he jerks at his answer. But Hidefumi isn't focused on this, no, instead he turns his head to stare at the closet that just did the smallest little sound, as if clothes were moving inside the closet, as if a cloak was brushing against the wood.
Well.
That's a closet.
So it makes sense there's clothes in it.
He squints his eyes at it nonetheless, his wet katana, having been subjected to the rain resting on his knees.
"Sir Mastuoko? Why? The...sudde-!"
"Just do it, we don't have time"
Closing his eyes again and relaxing his shoulders, Hidefumi leans back in his seat, one hand on the armrest, the other on his katana.
"Is this...about the wa-!"
The wall tremble and shakes as an entire katana dig inside it's wooden flesh and passes through the closet as if it was warm butter, youta doesn't have the time to finish his sentence as a slow trickle of rainwater stains the ground, falling from the katana in Hidefumi grasp. He was here. A second ago, less than a second ago, Hidefumi was here, sitting in his chair. The next second he was spearing through Youta's closet like it's his worst enemy.
The room is silent.
Hidefumi looks down at his katana, the scabbard in his left hand slack in his grip. There's no blood on his blade. He constantly circle his chakra, no genjutsu could have reached him.
"Well. I am hearing things in my old age."
Youta doesn't even look at him. Too scared, probably remembering the way he killed his father right in front of him and crushed his desire for revenge until he became a good little worker that gives him a source of healthy men to fight his future war.
Pulling his blade out, Hidefumi wonders if he's getting old. He's pretty sure he heard someone inside that closet. Well, it is true that he's been quite tense those last few days.
Sliding his own katana back in his scabbard, he finally asks something he's been wondering for a good week now.
"Youto, do tell me" Youta close his eyes for a second too long at the typo to his name, but he doesn't react more, just waiting for Hidefumi to speak as he sits back down. "Have you been sending more hunters out recently?"
"Sorry?"
"You are excused."
Youta let's out a tsk under his tongue before shaking his head "No I meant. No. No, I didn't sent more hunters outside recently, why?"
Hidefumi lets out a small sigh once again, his fingers tapping against his scabbard in an annoying, little, rhythm.
"Are you sure you did not?"
"I'm sure"
"Not even to hunt worms? Big worms?"
"Wh-! Why?" Youta frowns "Why would I do that, those things are fucking hard to catch, and they don't even make for good food and-!" And he stops talking at the old man raised hand.
"I believe you"
Youta mumbles something under his breath
"What did you said?"
"N-nothing, nothing. So...is there anything else?"
Hidefumi doesn't answer with words. Instead, he puts his hand down and grab a random paper on the desk. Turn it over. And read.
Just like that. His preoccupation gets stronger.
Should he keep up that wall construction? It's not like the wall in itself is useful after all, but are the people ready to get conscripted in army training without a little revolution happening? He needs a normal looking city to avoid ninjas passing through his town figuring out that there's something weird with him. And a revolution isn't normal.
But from what he's seen those last few days.
There's been some rats scurrying, some rats that passed under his radar.
It all started with a higher amount of robberies, those were nothing but small amounts, usually food, but he did get enough reports for it to grab his attention.
Then, the huge armory steal, this was when he started to think ninjas were involved.
His theory at the time was simple.
Ninjas in the middle of a mission, needing some resources, stealing in his village and then pissing off.
That could be acceptable.
But...the odd things didn't stopped after that.
And now, he's been stumbling on dozens and dozens of dead animals in the forests, pretty far too, farther than the safest range he imposed on his hunters.
Far enough to be potentially spotted by enemies ninjas, and a numerous enough amount of prey to show it's not a one time mistake.
Someone, or an organized team has been conducting a little massacre on the outskirts of the forest, from eagles, to birds of all sizes, rabbits, deers, and giant worms.
So.
Many.
Worms.
This...truly makes no sense. His only current theory would be a hunter in his town training a hidden son or daughter in the hunting art, he isn't deft, he is pretty sure there's some children that are being hidden somewhere.
A hunter teaching a hidden son his legacy would make sense. Crossbow kills too, pretty skilled, so the child got professional training. To handle a crossbow he should be around five or six, so he would be eligible for his academy at that age, and it would make sense for a hunter parent to hide them.
Which hunter is good enough to teach that?
....he'll need to read his records once again.
Well, there's still the possibility that this is the work of a ninja, or a mercenary group trying to starve them, but he doubts it, he will, however, keep a stricter eyes over the fields around the village.
"Sir?"
He answers youta with a hum.
"Some of our girls have been complaining about, the child con-!"
How many times will he need to say it? "Kill them"
"...What?"
"I do not need children anymore, and I won't need them for a long time. I only allowed your filth to bring life into this world years ago when we were relatively safe, and right now, we are not. So no children, if any of your prostitutes break the rules, kill them"
"I...I" Youta look at all the papers he assembled, fingers playing with the edges "You do know that your daughter in law-!"
Letting a disdainful noise escaping him and waving his hand away, Hidefumi gets back on his feet "Don't even talk to me about my lineage, kill her too if she breaks the rule"
Turning away from Youta, mouth opened and hanging wide open in shock. Hidefumi turns around and leave the room, giving a single glance at the closet, not at youta, before leaving.
Odd.
He was pretty sure there was someone in there.
His hearing is getting worse.