Chapter 3: Under the Flickering Lights
Shirakawa Village lay quietly in the early twilight beside the trade route. The neat wooden fence encircled the village, and the heavy village gate was open at the moment. Several villagers sat on stone stools by the gate, chatting idly. Initially, they paid no attention to the approaching figures, but upon seeing the Konoha symbol on the forehead protectors and attire of the newcomers, their expressions immediately turned solemn. The leading man quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully, "Honored guests, what brings you to our village?"
Shūji's gaze calmly swept over the crowd. He took out a scroll from his bosom and slowly unfurled it, "Konoha ninja, here by order of the Land of Rivers Daimyo." His voice was not loud but carried an official tone. The villagers exchanged glances, and the leader promptly stepped back without further words.
Itachi keenly noticed the demeanor Shūji displayed at this moment was entirely different from the easygoing manner he had at the Koizumi Town restaurant. He maintained a composed expression, matching Shūji's steadiness, quietly observing.
"Where is the village chief now?" Shūji asked directly.
"At... at home," a villager quickly replied, pointing the way.
The two entered the village. Though night had just fallen, Shirakawa Village was already lit with scattered lights. The warm glow through the paper windows outlined the houses, creating a sense of carefully maintained comfort. The imposing inn in the village center was particularly striking, its eaves and brackets clearly visible under the lights, yet the porch was rather deserted, forming a subtle contrast with the other illuminated houses.
Walking along the village path, Itachi could feel the hidden gazes from behind the window lattices and fences. He remained outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant, keeping an eye on his surroundings. Shūji walked steadily, heading straight for the village chief's residence.
An elderly man with graying hair and a slightly stooped figure awaited them in the glow of a lantern at the door. Upon seeing the two, he hurried forward a few steps, respectfully ushering them inside. Once they were seated in the simple hall, the old man cautiously spoke, "I am Shirakawa Keisuke, the village chief. May I ask what brings you here this time?" His calloused hands unconsciously clasped together.
"I thought the village chief might have some idea," Shūji leaned slightly forward, his gaze resting on the old man's face, a faint, non-warm curve on his lips, "Regarding the bandits troubling the trade route nearby, your village must be familiar."
"This... this..." Shirakawa Keisuke's forehead glistened under the oil lamp, "Indeed, officials have inquired... but I really..."
"Oh?" Shūji's fingertips tapped lightly on the table, producing a clear, crisp sound, "Let me ask differently. Are all registered villagers of Shirakawa Village currently present?"
"Since..." Shirakawa Keisuke was about to speak.
"Sir," Itachi's clear young voice broke the brief silence, "I noticed some houses with dark windows, as if uninhabited, when we entered the village."
The old village chief's body tensed almost imperceptibly, quickly explaining, "Some families... have gone out to make a living..."
Shūji's gaze slowly swept over the furniture in the room, which, though not luxurious, was clearly made with solid materials and exquisite craftsmanship. His tone was calm, "From what I see, your village seems quite prosperous." He paused, hinting, "In such a stable and affluent environment, it's rare for young people to choose to leave their homes, isn't it?"
"Yes... yes," Shirakawa Keisuke dabbed his forehead with his sleeve, "It's just that the trade route is busy, and merchants often stay at the village inn." He struggled to maintain a steady tone, "Young people, having seen the outside world, inevitably become restless."
"Those bandits must have significantly impacted your village's business," Shūji's gaze seemed to penetrate the paper window, directed at the silent inn in the village, "Such a fine inn, yet now it's deserted."
The old man lowered his gaze, his voice sinking, "Exactly. That's why I hope you can rid the trade route of this menace as soon as possible."
Shūji suddenly withdrew the invisible pressure, his tone peaceful, "In that case, does the village chief have any clues to offer? Our goals align in this matter." He looked into the old man's eyes, "Any detail, however small, might be valuable."
"Yes, yes, but... I really don't know anything useful..." Shirakawa Keisuke's voice was tinged with helplessness.
Hearing this, Shūji's expression remained unchanged. He merely asked some routine questions about the village's population and recent outsiders before rising to leave, "We'll be staying at the village inn. If you discover anything, please inform us at any time."
In the inn room, the steady glow of the oil lamp filled the space. Itachi carefully checked the closure of the doors and windows and the surrounding silence before turning to Shūji, "Did you notice anything unusual at the village chief's place?"
Shūji had returned to his usual gentle demeanor, sitting on the tatami with a slight smile, "What do you think, Itachi?"
The eight-year-old Genin pondered briefly, then answered logically, "You suspect a connection between the bandits and this village, and that the village leadership is aware, perhaps even involved. This explains your change in attitude at the village entrance and in front of the village chief."
"Given such a judgment, why not pretend to be unaware upon entering the village and instead show a stern demeanor first?" Shūji asked with interest, "Wouldn't a low-key investigation be more likely to uncover clues?"
This was precisely the doubt lingering in Itachi's mind.
Shūji had analyzed two possibilities in the Koizumi Town restaurant: the bandits lingered for important relics or were locals. It seemed now that the former leaned towards the latter.
"Displaying a difficult-to-deal-with attitude initially is a form of laying groundwork," Shūji explained, "Being too amiable can sometimes invite unnecessary probing and trouble. After entering the village, the villagers' attention on us, far exceeding that of ordinary merchants, conveyed information in itself—this village, with such a luxurious inn, likely sees many visitors, and a village accustomed to hosting travelers shouldn't react so tensely to unfamiliar ninja."
"Therefore, I decided to apply some pressure on the village chief, showing that we have some understanding of the situation. If too gentle, given the village chief's experience, he might use more evasive tactics to brush us off without revealing any flaws." He paused, "And from his reaction, it's difficult for the village to completely dissociate from the young people who left and the emergence of bandits."
Itachi nodded thoughtfully; these observations and judgments were not taught in the ninja academy.
"So, what do you plan to do next?" he asked.
Shūji didn't answer directly but instead looked at him, "If you were in charge, what would you do?"
The young Uchiha thought seriously for a moment before answering, "If it were me, I'd try using Genjutsu to extract more precise information from the village chief, such as the possible hideout of the bandits. Once the location is obtained, we could proceed to eliminate them."
"A good tactical approach," Shūji nodded approvingly, then shifted the conversation, "Then, after using Genjutsu, what situations might we face?" He raised his fingers, "First, the village chief truly doesn't know the core details, and Genjutsu yields limited results; second, the bandits are hiding somewhere in the village; third, they're lurking in the surrounding forests."
"The latter two scenarios are particularly complex," Shūji sat up straight, his gaze steady, "Without concrete evidence and if the other side hasn't shown overt hostility, those so-called 'bandits' might appear to the villagers as ordinary neighbors or relatives. As the mission briefing emphasized, the Land of Rivers' pursuit team couldn't even grasp their specific appearances. This means that even if we find the target location, what we might see are people who seem like ordinary villagers going about their daily lives."
He looked into Itachi's clear yet already deep eyes, "At that point, how would you proceed? Acting directly could provoke a strong reaction from the local villagers. In the absence of solid proof, people often choose to believe and protect those they know. How they might question, argue, or obstruct is an unpredictable variable."
The room fell into silence, with only the occasional soft crackle from the lamp's wick. The young Uchiha genius furrowed his brow slightly, immersed in deep thought. This problem, involving human nature and rules, clearly extended beyond his past experiences of purely executing tasks through force. The light cast his focused silhouette on the wall, stretching it long.