Chapter 40: Yakushi Nōno
At the foot of the mountain, in a grove of red maple trees.
The Kumo patrol captain knelt down, his fingers gently touching a drop of blood on a maple leaf.
It was still warm.
But the trail ended here.
Neji activated his Byakugan and scanned the area. A rocky cliff face, a dense forest... and then his eyes settled on an izakaya two kilometers away.
Noticing his gaze, the captain looked toward the establishment. "The Red Maple Izakaya," he said. "Good service, good food. It's hard to get a table during mealtimes. But most people don't go there for the food."
"If not for the food, then what for?" Neji asked, his curiosity piqued.
The captain grinned. "For the proprietress, of course."
Neji's expression flickered, then he smiled. "Food and desire... it's only natural. It seems the best dish at the Red Maple Izakaya is the proprietress."
After a moment's thought, he said, "Let's go. We'll check it out."
The captain turned to his two comrades. "Stay sharp. The attacker is likely hiding in there."
The four of them strode into the izakaya, a mixture of alcohol, sweat, and other odors assaulting their senses.
The captain looked at the patrons on the first floor and shouted, "Patrol team business! Everyone, stay in your seats and do not move!"
Neji activated his Byakugan and swept the room. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. They were all civilians.
Hearing the commotion, the proprietress came down from the second floor.
She was a voluptuous blonde in her late twenties, wearing glasses. Her features weren't conventionally beautiful, but she exuded an incredibly alluring charm.
Seeing her, Neji's pale eyes narrowed slightly.
The Wandering Miko, Yakushi Nōno.
Root's top spy, a master of disguise. She could disguise her identity, her emotions... She could deceive her enemies, and even herself.
The woman in front of him bore a striking resemblance to the orphanage director from his memories, but her aura was completely different. The director had been gentle and caring, like a frugal and virtuous wife. This woman was seductive and worldly.
It was hard to believe they were the same person. If Neji hadn't had such a vivid memory of her, he would never have recognized her.
The captain came over to him. "They're all civilians," he whispered. "Nothing unusual."
Neji clapped him on the shoulder. "Good work. Let's eat. It's on me."
"..."
The captain's face stiffened. So you came here to eat?
Neji didn't bother to explain. He walked over to an empty table in the corner and waved to the proprietress. "Proprietress! Bring us your strongest sake and your best food!"
Hearing this, Nōno's eyes lit up. With a seductive smile, she personally brought over a tray of food and drink and placed it on the table. As she bent over, a flash of snowy white was revealed. She was full-figured, but firm, the result of years of training.
Her voice was as smooth as silk. "Ninja-sama, is your mission over? We have some... stimulating entertainment upstairs to help you unwind."
The captain just waved her away.
"You guys eat first. I'll be right back," Neji said. He chugged a bottle of sake and then, feigning drunkenness, staggered toward the stairs.
"Neji, what are you doing?"
"Hey, get back here!" his two patrol comrades called out.
"Let him go," the captain said with a sigh. He didn't find Neji's behavior strange; it was perfectly normal. Shinobi lived a life of constant violence. They needed an outlet for their pent-up negative emotions. Indulging in a little wine and women was to be expected. The path of the ninja was one thing, but life was another. The two were not mutually exclusive.
Neji was young, but he carried a heavy burden. The future of the Byakugan in the Hidden Cloud rested on his shoulders. The captain felt a little uneasy, however. Neji's behavior had been strange ever since they had entered the izakaya. Was there something more to this place?
He put down his chopsticks and casually looked around.
"Ninja-sama," Nōno said, a mixture of surprise and excitement in her voice as she saw Neji coming up the stairs. "Let's go to a private room."
Neji stomped on the floorboards. "This place is pretty old, isn't it?" he said with a grin. "If we get too rough in a private room, it might not be fair to the people eating downstairs."
"Heh heh," Nōno giggled. "Then let's go to the basement. It's soundproof."
"The basement sounds good. I like the basement."
Neji put his arm around her waist, and she pressed herself against him as they walked toward another staircase.
But after a few steps, Neji suddenly spun her around and pinned her against the wall.
"Hiss... Ninja-sama... don't... I thought we were going to the basement... that hurts..."
Neji gripped her wrist tightly and whispered in her ear, "Auntie Nōno, we finally meet."
"..."
Nōno's expression changed in an instant. She had never imagined her cover would be blown.
The next moment, a short blade sprang from the heel of her shoe, and she kicked at Neji's side.
Neji clamped his legs together, trapping her leg.
Fzzt!
With a piercing shriek, a violent current of black lightning shot from his palm and into the tenketsu point in her wrist.
"Aaaah!"
Nōno cried out in pain, her body convulsing as her strength drained away.
Neji let the now-limp woman fall to the floor, his brow furrowed. Nōno was a weak fighter. It was unlikely she was the one sent to assassinate him. Are there other Root ninja in the izakaya?
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a series of violent explosions erupted from the first floor. The entire building shook as if in an earthquake.
Neji's pupils contracted, and he raced downstairs.
When he reached the first floor, the three patrol members were lying in pools of their own blood. The other patrons had suffered an even more gruesome fate, their bodies mangled beyond recognition.
Swoosh!
A black shadow shot past the front of the izakaya.
Neji's expression hardened. He instantly activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode and gave chase.
As he rounded the corner, he was only five or six meters behind.
Lightning Release: Chidori Sharp Spear!
The black lightning in his palm extended, piercing through the figure's back.
The shadow exploded into a swarm of insects and dissipated in the air.
Neji blinked. "Insect clones... the Aburame clan. Is it Torune? Or Toru?"
Whoosh!
A cold wind blew past him.
"After him!"
"Don't let him get away!"
Ten more patrol ninja appeared, surrounding him.
The chunin leading them was a man in his thirties. He drew his long sword and pointed it at Neji.
Then he saw his eyes. "You're... Neji?" he stammered, a look of shock on his face.
Neji glanced at the ten shinobi, their killing intent palpable. The tension in his brow slowly eased.
So, this is where you were waiting for me.