5 A Politician and a Warrior

Young, beautiful, graceful and blonde with blue eyes. By all accounts, she was generic, but also someone to admire. Yet, in front of her with his legs crossed casually sat the first man who did not care for her status or appearance.

"So... Itachi, was it?"

"Had you forgotten already?"

"I am just trying to start a conversation with you. Why do you have to be so difficult?!" He was becoming eerily efficient at angering her. A development she didn't fancy.

"I am very easy to understand. Ask a question and if I feel like answering it, I will. If not, count your losses and move on."

"I do not lose, Sir mage! I always get my will through. There is no mountain high enough to stop me. Do well to remember that."

The heated debate made the rest of the occupants unsure of what to say or do. They had an obligation to their lady, but should they risk angering the stoic man with a gaze of a thousand knives.

"When we come across a mountain filled with horrible nightmare creatures, I will remember that."

"It was a metaphorical mountain, imbecile! Have you no education?"

"An extensive one. Graduated ahead of my peers. I was actually considered to be a prodigy of sorts."

"Just listening to you makes that impossible to discern."

"Really, so what would you say defines a competent mind?"

"Composure, grace and intellect." She answered as if rehearsed.

"Yes, I quite agree. There is a lot of grace in your movements. Now, you just need to work on those other two then you're on your way to competence."

"Infuriating, lousy SCOUNDREL!" She fumed for this man was driving her up the wall. All attempts at catching him tongue-tied, to break that mask all ended with her holding the shorter stick.

"Lady Rita. We are arriving. Best calm your mind so your father doesn't see this unsightly behaviour." Her most trusted person whispered quietly into her ear.

"Finally. Oh, how I've missed my bed."

"A warm shower shall surely calm your nerves, my lady."

"I think I need that, yes. Sir mage, you can sleep in the doghouse!" She glared through her peripherals.

"I am not staying the night. I must be off after a simple word with your father." He said while scanning a page in his book.

A book about magic identification. He understood all there was to know from these pages, but compared to the detailed writing of a shinobi, this was embarrassing. It was only a basic overview, nothing to help him advance beyond a simpleton in magical practice.

"W-Wait, y-you're not. Why not!?" She caught herself staring at him now.

"N-Not that I care. Leave if you want, who wants you anyway." She rushed out of the carriage as it ground to a halt before a huge mansion. Leaving Itachi behind with her servants who weren't used to speaking to mages.

"Why don't you two go out first, and I'll follow. Since I don't know my way around, it would be pointless for me to take point." Itachi said to the servant girl, who Rita abandoned in the carriage.

"I shall attend to lady Rita then. Angie, dear. Why don't you show Sir mage to the guest quarters."

"Understood!" The maid answered dutifully.

Itachi watched them exit and followed swiftly. His steps barely making a sound as shinobi habits kicked in. His guard went up and his eyes had scanned the surrounding before he was fully out of the carriage.

There was something about this place that put him on guard, but he couldn't place what it was.

"Follow me, Sir mage. You shall have housing until the lord calls for you. I imagine it will not take long." They made their way to a smaller (yet still impressive) house further down the road.

By normal people standards, this would be classified as a proper mansion. Yet here it was "just" a guest house.

'Rich people...' Itachi sighed.

"Here we are, Sir mage. You can use the lacrima inside if it is anything you need. There is a crew stationed inside for your convenience. Call for them should you need anything at all."

"Thank you, my lady." He answered nonchalantly.

"I am not worthy of such a title. Call me Angie, please."

He nodded.

"Shall I have dinner prepared and brought here for you?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

Not at all. I shall have it delivered shortly." She bid farewell and made her fast escape.

Itachi went inside, still in awe at the luxury of everything here. From sofas to the sheets. Everything was of the finest quality. He couldn't even imagine what the main household looked like if this was just the guest house.

***

A few hours later there was a knock at the door. Itachi put down the book he was reading and went to answer.

"Yes?"

"Sir mage. My father will see you now. Come along." Rita turned on her heel, not allowing him a response time.

What was probably supposed to be an act of superiority on her part only translated as childish.

"I will be right out."

"Of course, Sir."

A minute or so later Itachi had his travelling cloak on and he left with the butler. And when they arrived at the main house, Itachi locked eyes with a furious-looking young girl at the main entrance. Rita looked ready to explode.

"What took you so long!?"

"I had to finalize my evil plans to take over your household."

"Oops. Did I say too much?"

"Hmph. Ungraceful. To think I ever respected you." Rita turned on her heel and walked inside, now gracefully guiding them through the mansion. It was even bigger on the inside, or it might simply look that way from the outside.

"Father is in here. He asked to speak to you alone. Behave yourself." Rita left him by a set of impressive doors. They were obviously made to set a certain impression on guests. And that impression was 'look at my wealth'.

He knocked on the doors.

"Come in." He heard a powerful voice reverberate from inside. Sounded a lot like the Third Hokage he noted. Not the similarity in voice, but tone. Powerful leaders spoke with that tone.

Itachi entered in silence. His eyes scanning the man from top to toe and immediately one thing was clear. This was not a fighter. This was a noble through and through. He was big, for a civilian and he certainly looked intimidating. But Itachi had stood against some of the scariest warriors in his world.

He knew real from fake. This was an image the man put on to serve him among the aristocratic game of lies. He was not the first politician to put on an intimidating front to scare competitors.

"Welcome. Have a seat!" Not a question. A command.

"Now would be an appropriate time to ask what you need of me." Itachi eyed the man with a relaxed gaze.

"What made you think I need something from you? You saved my daughter. I wanted to meet with you to thank you."

"I graduated from school before most of my peers could run without falling. How about we move this along."

"You are not an ordinary mage. It was my mistake to assume I needed trickery." He wrote something down on a piece of paper and slid it over the fancy desk.

"My name is William Serpentsgrip. Minor noble and I desperately need your assistance. This is my offer."

Itachi picked up the paper and as he suspected, it was a buy of his service. Probably more money than any guild mage would earn in years of service. Excluding S-ranked mages and guild masters.

"I am not for sale, Sir William."

There was more than one reason as to why he refused. Getting in bed with a politician, no matter how genuine they seem is oftentimes a really poor idea. Taking the money does in certain ways guarantee trouble.

"Then a favour! A favour for a favour. I have connections! Contacts to get you anything you need. Just, please. Listen!" William had been told of the encounter from everyone who had been in the carriage with Rita.

"I can't hire a legal guild and I refuse to hire a dark guild. I desperately need your assistance."

"I am not ignorant of the world. The layer under the surface. I know what you want and it would bring unnecessary trouble to me."

"Just... Name a price. If not money, there has to be something. You are what I need, an independent mage. Not bound to an organization." He countered.

"How do you know that?"

"I will not take you for a fool. But please, don't insult my intellect. I have played this game for a long time. I swam in shark-infested waters before you were born."

"Fair enough," Itachi answered.

He started seeing the real William emerge. The one in need, and asking for help and not the one commanding it. One he could tolerate, the other he would have rather knocked unconscious and robbed.

"I am in need of knowledge. Books specifically."

"Anything specific. I have many sources but depending on what you need, it could take months to acquire."

"Not anything illegal," Itachi said, reassuring the man.

"I need books about magic. Every well-written text of magic explaining the concept behind it. Its history and its various uses. Basically, books about every legal area of magic. If you can provide that, I will help your daughter." Itachi stated. He found a small amount of amusement in William's subdued look.

William leaned back on his chair.

"So, you do know. Then you know what I am asking of you as well?"

"Yes. Killing is a severe crime here, even if the victim is outside the boundaries of the law." Itachi knew from the second he arrived what this was about. His mind connected the dots almost instantly.

"My daughter is under constant threat. She is being targeted by a group of mages. The Coiling Serpents." William took a folder out from under the desk and placed it in Itachi's outstretched hands.

"A list of names. Members of the group?" Itachi scanned the list. His eyes stopped at a certain name and looked up in surprise at William.

"I guess you noticed." He sighed.

"Indeed. The name on that list is correct. Rita doesn't know, and neither can she ever. This mission is to be done completely off the books. None can know! After that, you shall have all the books I can acquire."

Itachi stared at it for a good minute, contemplating. Was it worth it? It wasn't a difficult job. A maximum of three days, and disposing of some rogue mages.

"I accept. It shouldn't be too difficult."

"Thank you! You have no idea how much I appreciate this. My family is in your debt." William forced down a yawn that wanted out, and he took back the folder from Itachi.

"No! No debt. When this is over, I go my way and you can forget this happened."

William closed his eyes as another sigh escaped.

"Very well. This meeting never happened." They shook hands and by now the sun had gone down over the horizon.

Itachi left the grounds directly after leaving the meeting. He had a target in mind and he knew exactly where to go.

This group of rogue mages was about to find out why a trained shinobi was a lot scarier than even the most powerful mage. With a shinobi, you never see your death coming.

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End