69 To the Capital (5)

The interrogation of the other captives, according to Asuma, proceeded in a similar vein to the very first. They were suicide soldiers, trained to kill themselves before they would ever reveal even a single iota of information. The devotion and adherence to their cause was at the level of blind fanaticism, similar to Danzo's ROOT agents, though obviously in a different category.

Some of them even tried immediately biting their tongues off the moment they woke up. Though Asuma had stopped them from taking their own lives, they still refused to talk even under the excruciating pain of torture. The jounin ultimately had to silence them, permanently, in order to remove any possibility of our location being divulged to their employers. However what little information we received also revealed more than what could be discerned on the surface.

Suicide soldiers weren't mercenaries who would prioritize their own lives over profit or loyalty. Mercenaries were paid soldiers, meaning they would only fight or carry out tasks in return for renumeration. However, they would never risk their own lives since they could not spend the money if they were dead.

Thus, suicide soldiers being sent after Yoshiro revealed that the party that wanted his life was no ordinary organization. Though certain merchant guilds and aristocratic families raised their own death squads who were wiling to die for their masters, these suicide soldiers were also treasured resources that were not flippantly utilized just to assassinate a mid-level merchant that was of little consequence in the highest-level arena these organizations were active in.

This told us that whoever sent those suicide soldiers after Yoshiro was of a scale large enough to treat death squad soldiers as expendable consumables. That heavily narrowed down the pool of potential suspects.

Furthermore, Asuma had also rationalized that given that these assassins were brazen enough to take action in the Land of Fire, not to mention so close to Konoha and the Capital city, also implied that it was likely the enemy was an influence based in the Land of Fire.

Yoshiro, for the life of him, could not think of any individual or group that he would have offended enough to warrant suicide soldiers being sent to take his life. Or at least none that had sufficient clout and resources to do so. He claimed that he was always careful not to step on the toes of any giant merchant guilds when he did business and had no relation to any foreign organizations that would have wanted him dead.

Even the most likely suspect, the trading partner from the Land of Wind he had met with in Konoha was similarly only a mid-level merchant with limited influence and power. Furthermore that man would absolutely have no reason to want him dead in the first place since their business dealings were a profitable venture for both parties.

Thus, Yoshiro was beyond perplexed. The knowledge that a powerful organization with the resources to send suicide soldiers after him to take his head was akin to a guillotine blade constantly hanging precariously over his neck, never knowing when it was going to fall. The poor man had been trembling non-stop during the last leg of our journey to the Capital city.

He repeatedly looked around, hoping, or rather dreading, to spot a hidden danger. Perhaps it was also the awareness that he now had to live as a paranoid man always looking over his shoulder and sleeping with one eye open that contributed to the tremendous anxiety undoubtedly growing within him.

As for us, there were little we could do to assuage his paranoia. Shino was already consuming his Kikaichuu at rate of thousands every hour to maintain a defensive perimeter around us and it was also unreasonable to ask Hinata to keep her Byakuugan active throughout the entire duration. Personally, I also lacked skills that could serve reconnaissance purposes if I excluded shadow clones which would consume too much CP to be cost-effective. I could only maintain a heightened sense of vigilance which amounted to not much more than paying more attention to my surroundings.

Currently, we were just under an hour away from reaching the Capital city of the Land of Fire, the end point of our mission and a bastion of safe refuge for Yoshiro. As always, I was assigned to be the rear guard of our escort formation while Asuma led the way, the reasoning being that it was more likely for any enemies to be lying in ambush ahead of us since our destination was pretty obvious.

Additionally, a shadow clone of Asuma now replaced the original driver of the carriage who we had left behind at the inn. Since we couldn't be sure of the driver's allegiances, it was wisest to leave no possibility for betrayal. The man was already paid in advance, so even if he were innocent, he could just consider his job ending earlier than expected which would be a win-win.

"How are you guys feeling?" The shadow clone who kept one eye on the road and another on us suddenly spoke up, dispelling the previously tense atmosphere. I could only assume that there was concern for our mental wellbeing, given that our C-rank mission took such a drastic turn.

"We are uninjured, Asuma-sensei. Combat functions are unimpaired. My hive reproduction rate is unaffected, though my chakra reserves are at fifty percent. " Shino concisely reported.

"That's not what I meant. I know that your first C-rank mission outside the village was probably not what you were expecting, so I want to know your mental state." The Asuma clone replied.

Both Shino and Hinata fell silent for a moment, not really knowing how to articulate their feelings. They weren't like me, who had [Gamer's Mind] to regulate their emotions and psychological resilience. Though they were clan members who have trained all their lives to eventually become a shinobi, it was their first time fighting an actual enemy combatant, so it wasn't surprising they had mixed feelings about what just went down.

Seeing the awkward silence, I took the initiative to answer, "Honestly, a little shell-shocked. I'm not a stranger to fighting, and I know it is just a normal part of our job. But it was still a little disturbing if I'm being honest."

The Asuma clone glanced at me, more specifically my right hand which had previously been thrust into the chest of an assassin, marking my first kill. "That's perfectly normal," He reassured me, "especially since you just killed for the first time."

"Right… I…" Playing the part of a greenhorn genin who had just taken his first life, I looked down casted, as though replaying the scene over and over in my head. Truth was, I moved past that whole incident pretty quickly. In my head, all I could see was an enemy who was a threat to myself and the mission. Eliminating an enemy, especially an assassin seemingly raised for the sole purpose of dying for his organization, held no particular emotional significance for me.

I knew that the normal response to killing, at least in my previous life, would be a large scoop of post-traumatic stress disorder with an unhealthy sprinkle of nightmares, vivid flashbacks and severe anxiety. However, that just wasn't the case for me. I have had plenty of time after the killing to objectively rationalize the incident and go through a mental after-action report. The only fault I could find with my action was perhaps eliminating a potential source of information prematurely.

Thus any guilt or remorse that should have been a healthy presence in my heart was simply absent.

Furthermore, in this world where the life expectancy of even normal civilians was pretty damn short, the common sense in regard to killing and fighting, especially for shinobi, was drastically different to what I was used to. It was night and day as compared to the era of peace and abundance in my previous life, or at least in the country I lived in. In this world, every single person was familiar with the concept of an early and unnatural death, so taking a life was not nearly as impact as it would be in my previous world.

"It is unhealthy to dwell on something that is a necessary component of our lives as shinobi. The first time is the hardest, it will become easier after this." Asuma advised.

Withholding a 'that's what she said' joke, I nodded mutely.

"You will eventually become desensitized to the act of taking a life. Which is fine, since it will only help you do your job better. As long as you never grow to enjoy killing, that is. There is a difference between those who kill to live, and those who live to kill. Make sure you never become the latter." The clone added.

Hinata quietly asked, "But sensei, aren't shinobi people who exist to kill?"

"Not necessarily. At times we might be required to kill in order to accomplish our mission, but our existence does not revolve around the act. Remember, just because you have to kill doesn't mean you have to enjoy it."

"I… understand." She replied.

As we continued the conversation while at the same time remaining alert to our surroundings, the walls of the Capital city slowly came into sight. Actually, the first part of the architecture that rose over the horizon was not its walls, but the tower of a massive castle in the distance.

"That," Asuma pointed out, playing the role of our tour guide, "is the citadel of the Land of Fire. The one and only seat of power of our Daimyo. That is where the Daimyo resides, as well as the imperial family and their kin. It is also where I called my workplace for a good eight years."

I looked on in astonishment at the size of the castle. Even from a distance, I could tell that it absolutely dwarfed the Hokage's tower back in Konoha. Around me, however, Shino and Hinata didn't seem to look particularly surprised.

"Have you guys been to the Capital before?" I asked them.

They nodded, Hinata turning back to me to elaborate, "Our clans regularly do business in the Capital, and there are also some formal events we are occasionally invited to. That is also where I met Lady Shijimi for the first time, though I was still very young then."

I sighed in amazement. I might have been a bigshot back on Earth, but here I was just a common genin who had little to no influence to speak of. People like Shino and Hinata were simply just higher on the social hierarchy as compared to some no-name orphan. Thinking back to when I used to rub shoulders with the most influential and powerful personages had me wondering what it would be like to do the same here. Not gonna lie, there was some part of me that still desired chasing after clout and influence at the highest level.

Sure, individual martial prowess and violent might was good and all, but there was something about standing at the very pinnacle of society and wielding both economic and political authority that spoke to me on a deeper level. Authority taken with force and respect acquired via political machinations were two different experiences. One was akin to forcing yourself on a person while the other was a methodical and thorough seduction of a desired partner. Similar end results, but completely different methods and type of gratification.

"Before we enter the city proper, I must warn you of something." Asuma suddenly spoke up. "Shino and Hinata might already be familiar with it, so this is more for your benefit, Shinji."

I perked up, listening attentively to what sage advice Asuma was about to impart.

"In the Capital city, the walls have eyes and ears. So it is very important to watch your words and behaviour when we are inside. Since we are Konoha shinobi, our every word and action are representative of our village. Saying or doing something stupid will only reflect badly on Konoha. So keep your manners and professionalism in mind. Here, you are no longer children but agents of Konoha."

I had to withhold a laugh from his words. Honestly, I was raised in an environment where our public perceptions were of the utmost importance, so I was more than familiar with maintain an immaculate public persona. And in a world where the internet was such a large part of our lives with every tweet or post being heavily scrutinized by a global audience, being careful with every word and action was a necessity.

"Also, there are certain people who might have a negative impression of us just because we are shinobi and from Konoha. Among them are powerful people we cannot afford to offend regardless of our identity. Ideally we wouldn't stay long in this den of vipers and lizards, but after what you've just been through, I think we could take a short vacation in the Capital, wouldn't you agree?"

"A vacation sounds perfect, Asuma-sensei!" I responded enthusiastically.

Little did I know that this little vacation would be a prelude to a storm in the Land of Fire.

--------

High up in the sky above the Capital, a pigeon soared through the air before slowly descending towards a castle. As the bird approached the open window of a tower, it landed on the extended hand of a woman cloaked in the shadow.

She removed a small slip of paper tied to the leg of the pigeon before unravelling the tiny scroll and reading its contents.

The woman frowned, before the small slip of paper erupted into flames upon a surge of fire-nature chakra being injected into the parchment, wiping any traces of the message out of existence.

She quickly turned and left the room, stalking through the darkened corridor barely illuminated by paper lanterns. The soft glow of the fire cast light upon a small tattoo of a black sun behind her left ear.

Entering a room at the end of the corridor, she fell to one knee.

"My lord, squad 112 has been wiped out."

The figure sitting at a desk in the room looked up, his face shrouded by the darkness of the room.

"What? How is that possible? Their target only had mercenary bodyguards, not even anywhere near the level of our agents!" He exclaimed in astonishment.

The woman continued, "Apparently the target hired Konoha shinobi for escorts. They were the ones who prevented the assassination and killed squad 112. We can assume that the target has already reached the Capital city by now."

The shadowy figure leaned forward, the bottom half of his face slowly coming into the light, revealing pale skin, a sharp chin and darkened lips curved into a frown. He stroked his chin with his hand, showing fingernails similarly darkened like his lips.

"Why did squad 112 engage despite knowing there were shinobi?" He asked, a cold anger seeping out of his lips.

The woman trembled, "This… Our agents have been taught to complete the mission no matter what. I can only assume that-"

"Enough." He cut her off causing the woman to flinch.

"Why did he hire shinobi? Could he have known we were after his life?" The man wondered aloud. "A coincidence, perhaps? Possible..."

The woman remained in her kneeling position, staying silent as her superior thought to himself.

Finally, the man gestured towards the woman, "Regardless, the purpose has been achieved even if the assassination failed. It would still serve as a stern warning towards that woman. Send a message to her. She will know what to do."

"Yes my lord." As she stood up and gave a parting bow, the man raised his hand to stop her.

"One more thing. Contact his Highness. Inform him that he can start exerting pressure on the lower court."