─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───
"𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄."
Kiyoko commented while sipping tea, specifically talking about Inari's bruise underneath of her eye, her scratched up nose, and the bandage around her neck. After the mission, Kiyomi told Inari to take a few days off to heal. Inari didn't want to admit it, but she really did need the time off.
Inari glanced at him for a moment and then finished her tea, "Don't you have some training to do?" She asked, setting her cup down and then got up.
Kiyoko took a long, quiet sip and set his cup down. "Hm. You're right." He got up and walked off.
She watched him leave and it started to rain. Loud lightning struck and the rain began to fall down even harder, "You always loved the rain."
Startled, Inari gasped and spun around, it was him. She squinted her eyes and her head tilted slightly. "What are you doing here? Why are you here?"
Inari couldn't make out his face, she could see what his body and hair looked like but it was his face she couldn't make out at all. Still.
He walked over to her and she smiled, "Is that really you?" She asked, her voice lowered but with a tone of relief to see him again. Deep in her mind, she knew she was just imagining him, but Inari was very close to him. Only he truly knows what she went through, and the thought of letting him go seemed impossible.
The boy didn't respond, he just looked out the window and sighed, "I saw that someone accused you of working with Lord Orochimaru. What are you going to do about it?" His head turned to her, she looked at him and closed her eyes, "I'm not all too sure..." Her red eyes shifted back to the large window and she looked at the dark clouds, small crooked white lines flashed in the distance and thunder followed after it. The loud patter of the rain could be heard over her roof, she sighed.
"Remember what Daisuke said? About the underground human trafficking system that most prestigious and rich families are apart of. He said that his dad was talking about it and that Akane's eyes were sold for a lot of money...something like that going on--wouldn't it be strange that a regular person who is a journalist found out about it?" Her eyes widened, it clicked, "That means he would have to have a source!"
Inari rushed over to her room, the boy quickly followed after her, "Where are you going?"
She opened the door and looked around, Inari got on her knees and searched the floor. Finding small pieces of ripped up paper scattered everywhere. "Come on...come on--" She muttered under her breath as her hands canvased the area.
"Here!" Inari picked up a piece of paper, it was the bottom of the article and under it was the author. She put the paper closer to her face and scanned it, "That's the guy! His name is...Masaru Kimura."
He bent down behind her and looked at the paper, "How are you gonna find him?" He asked.
Inari looked up, "It'll be easy. Most people know everyone here. But there is one man who I'm sure knows everyone here." She explained while standing up. She turned around, "He knows something. I know it." Her tongue clicked in distaste, "Overwhelming evidence?" Inari asked, quoting the article, "One thing I hate in this world, is liars." Her eyebrows furrowed together.
"What are you going to do to him." He questioned, Inari smirked and removed the ribbon from her ponytail, making her dark hair fall down to her back, "Remember what Lord Orochimaru would tell us?" She glanced at him, he didn't respond, "Violence can get you what ever you want." She remarked while smiling.
With the piece of paper in her pocket. Inari changed her clothes, she was wearing black leggings and black boots, and a black turtle neck to hide her bandages. Her hair parted in the middle into two halves and put in front of her shoulders. Before hopping out of her window, she threw on a dark blue poncho and put her hoodie on over her head, grabbing her black ninja pouch and tightened it around her upper thigh.
Inari quietly snuck out, her footsteps against the wet ground were light and quick, barely making any sound. She was walking past markets and people, her head lowered so she wouldn't be recognized. Quickly scanning the area, she walked into a small convenience store.
The bell on the door chimed and Inari walked through the small isles, her eyes darted around as she observed the variations of items to choose from. Inari put down her hood and glanced at the set of newspapers near the cashier. She grabbed a bag of cheap potato chips and cherry pink mochi candy. Inari walked up to the cashier and set her things on the countertop, as she quickly read his nametag. Botan Fukuda. That's him, the owner of the shop. If anyone could know everyone in this entire village, it's Botan. Despite the store being small, a lot people shop here regularly all the time, Inari figured that Botan would know something about the journalist.
Botan observed Inari before grabbing her items, "What weather we're having." He commented with a small chuckle, glancing out the clear door and scanning her items. Inari looked at him and smiled softly, "My grandma hates weather like this, I never seem to mind it though." She spoke, reaching under the cabinet and pulling out a newspaper. Inari read the main title and it had her name on it.
"Wow, the Inari Akashi has been suspected of being a spy for Orochimaru? How much is this?" She asked, exaggerating her shock. "Well, altogether, the total will be 150 yen." He answered, pressing on buttons in the register. Inari nodded and reached into her pockets, puling out two yen and sliding it across to him on the counter.
Botan took the money and put it into the register. He counted the change and before he handed it back to Inari, she asked him a question, "Excuse me, where do you think I can find...Masaru Kimura?" He blinked and then smiled, "Oh! One time he told me where his office is..." Botan looked up and tapped his chin, "I think it's over by the second business block. You'll have to pass Ichiraku's ramen and then make a left from there. His name will be on the sign, you won't miss it!" He answered, handing her back her change.
Inari stuffed it into her pocket and smiled, "Thank you mister."
He bowed, "Thank you for shopping at Botan Foods!"
Before she opened the door, she threw her hood back on and a smirk tugged at her lips.
"Will violence be the first thing you resort to? You know I taught you that it doesn't always have to be the solution." The boy with dark-purple hair asked, Inari glanced at him, "It may be the only thing I can resort to. Why do you care? He put lies attached to my name, what ever happens--he already had it coming."
They passed by the ramen shop and she made a left, "You can't kill him though. It'll raise suspicion."
Inari ignored him.
She stopped once she saw someone entering the journalists office, a man hurried in there with stacks of papers in his hand. Her eyes narrowed at the man and she tilted her head, "That has to be him." She stated and she studied the building, her eyes were stuck on the window on the side of his building.
"I found my way in."
Inari was at the side of the building, and she jumped up, grabbing a brick sticking out of the wall and grunted once she pulled herself up.
She peeked through the window and looked into his office, it seemed empty. Inari looked around and saw a small crack at the bottom of the window. Some fingers managed to get in and she pushed up.
Sweat rolled down her face as pulled the window up, holding her breath and making sure she didn't make a loud noise.
Quietly, she entered his office and looked around. There were stacks of paper sprawled around the table and she closely read through them, random letters talking about a boy who went missing, his name being Taro, just Taro.
Inari tilted her head in confusion, she had never heard of a boy with this name going missing.
The doorknob shifted, her head cocked towards the door and it started to open.
Masaru walked in, he scratched his butt and let out a loud sigh while swinging his black briefcase around. His frame was relatively short, wore a blue button down long-sleeved shirt and tan suit pants, lightly wet from the rain. His belly spilled over his pants, his dark hair was drenched also from the rain.
He set his umbrella down and walked over to his desk, organizing the papers before sitting down and opening his briefcase.
Masaru opened the briefcase and nervously read the papers.
In an instant, Inari was behind him, pressing her cold kunai against his neck.
Inari could feel him quiver in fear, she could hear his gulp as he slowly put his hands up.
"W-What do you w-want from me?" He squeaked, trying to look at Inari's face but he was too frightened to.
"I'm going to need your full cooperation." She warned, her voice more deeper so he wouldn't be able to recognize her real voice. Masaru nodded, "O-Okay! Please, what do you want?"
"What do you know about the alleged human trafficking system? Who are your sources?" She felt his body stiffen, he knew something. "I-It was an anonymous source! I swear!"
She felt his heartbeat quicken, "You are lying. I hate liars." The kunai pressed even harder against his skin, "Fine! There was a man who paid me a lot of money to write the article about you! He goes by the name 'Taro' and he gave me all these papers and said Inari was apart of the trafficking system!"
Inari gasped softly, "What does that mean? Tell me everything about the trafficking system!" She demanded, her blood was boiling at this point.
Masaru whimpered, "I don't know that much but it's run by rich and powerful clans and families all across the villages! They traffic and bid on all types of things! Body parts, organs, even people! Taro told me the next article I would publish would be about the Akashi clan and how they sell their on people for money! I'm telling the truth, I swear!"
She blinked.
What?
If that article was ever put out, Inari couldn't imagine the danger it would put her clan in. All of this information was still processing in Inari's mind. Who the hell is Taro?
Inari blinked again, "Give me all the papers this Taro gave you, I want every single thing." Her bright red eyes burned holes in the back of his head.
Masaru didn't move, Inari clenched her fist and grabbed his arm, her kunai was centimeters away from piercing through his skin. "I-Okay! Please don't kill me!" He begged.
She squinted her eyes and then let him go, he nervously pushed up his glasses and grabbed the papers from his briefcase and handed them to Inari.
Snatching them from him, she ran through the papers. The all looked like these strange documents. There was Inari face next to a whole article of stuff next to it. Same with Akane, Hanani and one singular picture of Orochimaru when he was younger. Her eyes widened but she quickly went back to reality.
Masaru handed her a blue binder with paper inside, he dropped down on his knees and bowed beneath her. Inari looked down at him in distaste.
"I'm begging you...don't kill me."
Inari clicked her tongue and she bent down to his level, he refused to look up. She patted the top of his head and tilted her head, "You need to leave this village. I don't care where you go, change your name, find a new job. But if you come back here, I will kill you."
And then there was silence.
Masaru looked up and Inari was gone, the window completely open. He got up and immediately started to cry while packing up his stuff.
Inari was walking back home. Satisfied with a job well
done. "So.. what now?" The purple haired boy asked, she glanced at him,
"I have no idea."
─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───