Inheritance

CHAPTER 23

"Actually Naruto, that isn't everything." The Hokage interrupted, and Naruto couldn't help but notice that it felt like the temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees, and the nature of the Sandaime's gaze had changed. "There is a second thing I would ask of you, but before I do, I want to stress that this is not an order. I am aware that I don't tend to hand out missions as if they were orders from a military commander, and though often they are not, most treat them as such. I want you to be totally clear that you are not obligated to accept this task in any way. If there were any justice, or even if there was anybody else I could safely ask this of, I wouldn't be talking to you about it at all."

"Ask away, Hokage-jiji. I won't make any promises, but you know I'd do my best." Naruto replied in the most even voice he could muster. He'd never admit it, but the intensity of the Hokage's eyes as the looked into his own, sizing him up, trying to read him and his emotions, and the clear severity of whatever the Hokage was about to ask him to do was beginning to get to him a little.

"The individual who has taken over the running of the Gatou Corporation, including it's illegal activities, is a former member of the Konoha civilian council until two years ago. He ran several of the largest banks in the village, and had accrued massive wealth and influence within the village walls. Through a combination of bribery and coercion, he has been able to gather a considerable amount of information on this village's military. Two years ago, we discovered his treachery, but far too late. He had already escaped the village, and hid himself. To keep himself from being discovered, as far as we are aware, he has refrained from selling any information on to our enemies; however, now that he has stepped out into the open, we are certain he will attempt to sell his secrets on. Unfortunately, we also don't know what information he has managed to acquire, so countering the information leak is impossible."

The Hokage sighed audibly as he pondered how he should approach what he was about to ask the blond to do, fairly certain that the Genin would accept - however grudgingly. He even briefly toyed with the idea of not asking at all, village be damned.

"...You want me to kill him, don't you? You wouldn't have made such a big deal out of it if you didn't." At Sarutobi's silence, the blond turned his gaze to the floor, as he turned over what the Hokage was asking of him. Everything he had ever heard, read, or seen about being a ninja stated that taking life, and confronting death, was an inevitability of being a ninja. But Naruto couldn't help but think that he would be different. That he would be able to avoid taking a life, especially in cold blood. "Can you at least tell me why? Why this has to end in a death - why can't I just capture him, bring him back?"

"Given our current situation, bringing him to the village is impossible."

Naruto's breath hitched. Bringing him to the village was impossible? That made it sound like it wouldn't be safe to bring him back into the village to interrogate or imprison. Almost as if there were threats already within the village.

"No doubt," the Hokage started, catching Naruto's attention once more. "You will come to your own conclusions. Just be aware that there are always threats, from within, and without, and right now, our enemies without are our main concern. And, whilst forces within are by their very nature, potentially far more dangerous; provided they are identified, they are also far easier to restrict and even manage, should they be too well entrenched to destroy outright. Time is very much on our side, should we continue to be suitably cautious and vigilant."

The blond's mind was a veritable whirlwind of thoughts and possible theories. The Hokage had been crystal clear, whilst remaining as cryptic as possible. Too well entrenched would imply a position of influence with the village, ties to the man he was being sent after hinted towards being linked with the council, and simply being considered a threat would indicate strong influence within the shinobi ranks. Not to mention that the Sandaime felt the need to be cryptic in his own office. He had been presented with as many of the pieces to a puzzle as the Hokage could provide, and been told to be vigilant, but that there was no immediate threat.