Chapter 72: Scales of Justice (Part-3/12) [A kage candidate]

Chapter 72 - Scales of Justice (Part-3/12) [A kage candidate] {IDK what the webnovel was high on, I tried scheduling it for the first time and it decided to scrap that and update at some random time. I deleted the Chapter and am posting it again at the normal time so if someone already read it you can skip it.} {Also if anyone knows how this scheduling thing works comment here} ~~~ As planned, the Konoha delegation reached the Iron Capital in another two days. Nestled between the Three Wolves Mountains, the iron capital stood proud. An imposing fortress surrounded by towering stone walls and dusted in layers of fresh snow. Unlike the Hidden Villages, the scenery here was starkly different. The white landscape was dotted with samurai castles, their iron rooftops glinting faintly under the gray sky. Training dojos lined the streets, and traditional Shinto-style shrines could be seen at crossroads and intersections, their red torii gates offering a splash of color amidst the white snow. At the head of the Land of Iron was not a Daimyo, but General Commander Mifune, the famed leader of the samurai. Beneath him stood the Three Generals. Takeshiro Honzen, known as the White Blade, who lived by the code of Honor over Deception. Ryoma Kanetake, the youngest, called the Silent Slash, who believed in the code of Sword over Chakra. And the only female among them, General Sayo Rinei, known as the Stone Petal, who held to the code of Discipline over Emotion. Ren closed the small leather-bound booklet he had been reading, mentally reviewing what he'd learned. Now standing at the massive iron-bound gates of the capital, the Konoha delegation had dismounted from their horses. Behind them, the wagons were arranged in formation. At the front stood Homura Mitokado, flanked by Utakata and Juichi, while Team 1 stood a respectful few paces behind. A narrow side door within the gate creaked open, and a tall woman emerged. She was about 5'10, easily the tallest woman Ren had seen so far. Her dark ash-brown hair was tied back in a clean ponytail, and her steel gray eyes were unreadable. Her gait was straight, deliberate, and precise. With her unmistakable presence and cold, composed demeanor, Ren immediately inferred who she was. General Sayo Rinei, the Stone Petal. Before anyone could speak, Juichi raised his voice, cheerful as ever. "Hey, Sayo-chan! You've grown so much since I last saw you!" Team 1 blinked in unison at the blatant familiarity. Yugao and Hitoshi glanced at Ren, who could only shrug. He had no idea what this was about either. Sayo did not even look in Juichi's direction. She instead walked up to Homura and bowed politely. "Elder Homura," she said, her voice devoid of emotion but still polite. Homura returned the greeting with equal politeness, "General Sayo. I've heard much of your achievements these past years. We had hoped to congratulate you formally-" "Circumstances prevent such pleasantries," Sayo interrupted, tone unchanged. "But I assure you, the Land of Iron remains a neutral host and will treat your delegation with respect and fairness." Homura nodded calmly. "We are grateful for your hospitality, General. Let us hope this trial strengthens rather than strains the trust between our nations." As the two continued their diplomatic exchange, Ren leaned toward Juichi and whispered, "Hey, Dad... what was that about? She just totally ignored you." Juichi leaned forward and replied, completely unfazed, "Nah, don't worry about it. Sayo-chan's just a little shy. We go way back." Ren squinted at him but decided not to argue. He wasn't buying it. Not even a little. Soon, General Sayo turned and gave a single nod. The large iron gates groaned open, revealing the interior of the Iron Capital. The Konoha delegation stepped forward, officially entering the neutral land. Once inside the capital, Ren quietly took in the scenery. Just as the book described, the Land of Iron was filled with samurai castles. The most prominent structure was the one at the center of the capital, built in the distinct style of a traditional shogunate castle, complete with sweeping tiled roofs, tall stone foundations, and a wide courtyard. Ren remembered seeing pictures of similar structures on the internet in his previous life. Samurai in full armor moved along the streets in organized patterns. Their movement was precise, and no one stepped outside of their designated routes. This proved that the Land of Iron was indeed under lockdown, otherwise it wouldn't make sense for so many samurai to patrol the streets. The samurai didn't engage with the Konoha delegation; at most, they glanced at them for a few seconds before returning their gaze forward. The city had a subdued and orderly atmosphere. Unlike Konoha, which was always bustling with voices, movement, and casual conversations, the Iron Capital was quiet. Not silent, but restrained. People moved in silence, and their expressions were neutral. Even the way they walked looked practiced. It wasn't emotionless though, it was clearly discipline. The only exceptions were the very young children who behaved as children usually did. But once they reached Ren's height or a little older, their demeanor shifted completely. Everyone carried a sword. Children had wooden ones on their waists, and adults had real blades, all sheathed but polished and maintained. Ren didn't mind structure, but the environment here felt rigid, almost mechanical. He preferred the open and relaxed atmosphere of Konoha. The group was eventually led to a large courtyard surrounded by multiple low buildings with curved roofs and stone walls. It was likely a temporary residence designed specifically for receiving foreign delegates. The area was walled, and there were posted samurai at the corners. General Sayo stood before the group and gave a short briefing. "This is the courtyard prepared for the Konoha delegation. Someone will arrive shortly to deliver the evidence that led to the ambassador's arrest. To ensure fairness, you are permitted to meet the prisoner at any time. However, a samurai will accompany you for all visits. If you require privacy, notify me, and I will authorize a private meeting for five minutes per day as allowed by the Commander." She gave a small bow to Homura, turned, and left without another word. Utakata quietly moved to the gate, placed his hand on the wood, and checked the area with a subtle chakra scan. After a moment, he nodded. The gate guards opened the way, and the delegation began filing into the courtyard. Inside, the buildings were basic but clean. The largest building at the center was given to the core of the negotiations team, including Homura, Utakata, and Juichi. Team 1 and the rest of the guards were assigned rooms along the outer corridor. Each person had a modest room with tatami mat floors, a futon, a single chest, and a heater powered by chakra-infused stones. Meals would be brought in by staff provided by the Land of Iron, and all movement outside the courtyard would be monitored by assigned escorts. After the group settled into their rooms, a quiet knock came on the main hall's door. A single samurai entered with a scroll and bowed to Homura before handing it over. Without a word, he left. Homura opened the scroll and glanced through it briefly before handing it over to Utakata. Ren, standing nearby, saw the first few lines which listed the charges against Shikeru. Unauthorized transfer of confidential internal land maps and patrol patterns. Association with a foreign rogue ninja previously exiled from the Land of Iron. Misuse of diplomatic immunity to bypass checks on restricted materials Utakata skimmed it, then handed it to Juichi, who frowned while reading. A few moments passed before Homura said, "Utakata, Juichi, you two will go meet him first. See what condition he's in. We'll handle the rest once we know what he says." Utakata nodded and turned to Team 1. "You three, stay in the courtyard for now. We'll talk about your assignments later tonight." Ren and his team nodded and stepped back as the adults left. ~~~ A few hours later, as the sun began to dip, casting long shadows across the courtyard, the Genin regrouped in a corner near the courtyard walls. Ren sat cross-legged, reviewing a few pages from his pocketbook on Land of Iron geography and internal districts. Yugao was lying on her back, staring at the sky, and Hitoshi was feeding some of his insects with a sealed vial. "Any guesses on what actually happened?" Yugao asked casually. Ren replied without looking up, "We won't know until we talk to Shikeru or start visiting the locations from the ANBU list. But the charges were too clean. It looks like someone planned this carefully." Even though they didn't know for sure if Shikeru actually did the crimes he was arrested for, the Genin were told to work under assumption that he is innocent until Konoha itself admits that the ambassador was a traitor. Hitoshi quietly nodded, "Let's wait for Sensei's instructions. We're not here to solve everything on our own." ~~~ A few hours passed. The sky darkened further, the courtyard lanterns flickered to life, and the wind had picked up slightly. The soft crunch of gravel under sandals caught Ren's ear. He looked up to see Juichi and Utakata returning from the prison. They entered the main hall where Homura and some of the negotiators were gathered. After a short internal discussion, Juichi stepped out and walked over to Team 1, who were still seated near the outer wall. "We met him," Juichi said as he sat down with them. "He's fine physically, but he's under heavy surveillance. Didn't say much." Ren looked at his father. "Did he say why he confessed?" Juichi shook his head. "Didn't explain anything. He just said, 'Do what you need to do. I'll wait.'" Yugao frowned, "That doesn't help us at all." Juichi nodded. "I know. But he's definitely not panicking. It's like he knows something we don't. He likely had some things prepared that would help us in the investigation. He is one of the smartest people I've known, if he didn't say anything even in the alone time we had, then the ones responsible for this can definitely do something even while he is in confinement." Utakata joined them shortly after. "We've confirmed one thing, he's been isolated, and no communication has been allowed since his arrest. No signs of torture or coercion, either. His brain hadn't been tampered with either so whatever is happening, it's being done way too cleanly." He then looked at the three Genin. "Rest tonight. Tomorrow, your investigation begins." The three Genin got up and left for their respective rooms as Ren heard Yugao mutter, "That's all we have been doing since the start." ~~~ Ren and his team were eating a quiet breakfast in a small side building when the same white-masked ANBU from earlier silently appeared by the door. She placed a rolled scroll on the table and waited for them to finish. Once they were done, she unrolled the scroll and pointed to the first section. "These are the targets you'll focus on. We'll be monitoring your movements." She continued, "You'll pose as support staff from the village, doing checks and surveys under the pretext of collecting formal documentation for the delegation." She showed them three locations on the new map, the first was The Records Pavilion, a building that held visitor logs, resource records, and civilian documentation. The second was The Northern Trade Depot, a hub used by foreign merchants, including small-time arms dealers. Lastly, The Blade Archive, a cultural center that housed historical documents related to samurai sword techniques and diplomatic alliances. "We have reason to believe the evidence used against your ambassador was manipulated through official channels. These places are the most likely to hold either the fake trail or records of who tampered with them." She pointed to three other spots, each marked in red ink, "If you encounter resistance, leave immediately. No fighting. You're not here to confront anyone. If you find something useful, return to the designated drop point." She handed all three of them a small wooden emblem carved with the leaf symbol. "Place this on the ground at any of the marked locations if you suspect you're being followed. One of us will make contact within two minutes." She stood and looked at each of them once before finishing, "We have our own tasks. Don't rely on us unless necessary." Without waiting for questions, she disappeared the same way she came, without a sound. ~~~ A short distance away, in a quiet alley behind one of the smaller shrines, the white-masked ANBU with three stars landed lightly on the snow-covered rooftop. A shadow flickered behind her. It was Yoru, the ANBU Commander, clad in his signature black cloak and silver-marked armor. She bowed her head slightly and began, "I've explained their tasks to them." Yoru gave a slight nod, his gaze scanning the distance before settling back on her. She continued, "Commander wouldn't it be better if we had taken over their appearances for the investigation? They're still freshly graduated Genin, after all." Yoru didn't respond right away. A few seconds passed before he said, "We could have. But the decision has already been made. All three of them are expected to join the ANBU in the future." He looked out toward the courtyard, where the Konoha delegation had settled. "This is also a part of their evaluation, especially Ren Takahashi. His performance in past missions has already shown that he's capable in direct combat. It's been proven that he has the potential to reach S-Rank but the higher-ups want to know if he can go further." "All his abilities have been tested on the missions he has been on. His strength has been proved, but they want to see if he can apply that strength with purpose. If he can think, observe, manipulate when necessary, and adapt to unpredictable circumstances. That's what this mission will test, his ability to handle diplomacy, covert work, and critical decision-making under pressure." He glanced toward the direction of Team 1's quarters. "If he passes, he'll be placed under my direct command once he joins the ANBU. He'll join the Numbers." With that, Yoru flickered out of sight. The white-masked ANBU stood still for a moment, then stepped back into the shadow of the rooftop. Her voice was barely a whisper as she muttered to herself, "A Kage candidate..." ~~~ {2230 Words} {We started the week in the 50s range but we have already slipped into the 70s so I guess you guys really do want to see me sad, which will affect the fic, if you don't want that then do your part.} {STONES!!!!}