Chapter 31: The Tea Mountain Gang
"Tsunade-sama, that was incredibly rude!" Shizune complained, unable to hold it in any longer after Shūji had left. "Saying those things right away, and even attacking him!"
"Hey! That brat wasn't exactly polite either, you know!" the Senju Princess waved her hand dismissively. "Besides, he clearly didn't care, so you can stop complaining."
Go back to the village?... And do what? Tsunade's gaze fell on the swaying bamboo. It would just mean facing those heavy stares again, those silent, burning expectations. A woman who couldn't even stand the sight of blood... what could she possibly do? She couldn't take on that kind of responsibility. She couldn't bear any of it.
That was why she had wanted to see him—to confirm if that kid really possessed that power.
The brief clash in the courtyard hadn't caused any stir. When Shūji re-emerged, Wasabi Jirōchō was still waiting respectfully in the corridor, his face a mask of perfect humility, as if the sound of shattering stone had been nothing but the wind. He led Shūji to an elegant reception room in the main house.
"Does the Wasabi family have any specific intel on this Tea Mountain Gang?" Shūji asked, getting straight to the point. He didn't mention Tsunade.
Jirōchō sat formally, his expression serious. "Wild Tea Hill has always been a den for rogues and fugitives. In the past, they were small-scale. My family and the Wasuke family would send men to clear them out regularly, just enough to keep the trade road safe." He paused, his brow furrowing.
"That all changed four months ago. A rōnin appeared. He used force to unite all the factions on the hill and built a fortress."
"At that time, both our families realized the situation was beyond our control. We sent a formal request to Konoha to subjugate them, but... we received no reply." Jirōchō's voice was laced with frustration. "We had no choice but to increase our own patrols to maintain order."
"The turning point came half a month ago," his voice grew low. "The Wasuke family suddenly announced that they had successfully 'defeated' the bandits! At the same time, they claimed to have 'hired' a new elite guard force to protect the port. Almost immediately, an envoy came from the Daimyō's office, severely reprimanding my family for 'incompetence' and praising the Wasuke family for 'eliminating evil.' The Daimyō then transferred sole management rights of the port to the Wasuke family for the next four years."
"After receiving the Daimyō's blessing, the Wasuke family appointed a man named Jūbei as the new 'Guard Captain'."
"And the rest, Shūji-kun, you have already figured out. The new guards are the Tea Mountain Gang. And Jūbei... is the same rōnin who united them."
Shūji listened quietly, his fingers tapping on the table. This was more complex than he'd thought.
"How strong is this Jūbei?"
Jirōchō's expression grew heavy. "This man is extremely dangerous. We've tried to find out, but all we have are rumors. It's said that during his 'subjugation,' he displayed power and speed far beyond a normal man, perhaps even... jutsu-like abilities. But we have no hard proof."
"Hn," Shūji mused. He shifted topics. "Then, what about the Kuroshoku-shū?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Jirōchō's face. After a moment, he spoke. "I have heard of them. About two months ago. The sea route from here to Naki Island was being hit hard by vicious pirates. The Daimyō was furious. Not long after, we heard that a rōnin group called the Kuroshoku-shū, hired by the Daimyō, had solved the pirate problem."
He paused, watching Shūji's reaction. "After that, the Kuroshoku-shū vanished. We haven't heard of them since. I assume they took their pay and left."
The Daimyō... again.
"I understand," Shūji nodded. "Thank you for the intel, Wasabi-dono. It's very valuable."
"I'm glad I could help," Jirōchō bowed. "What are your plans now, Shūji-kun? If my family can be of any assistance, you need only ask."
"If you can, please continue to gather information on the Tea Mountain Gang," Shūji said, standing up. "I need to return to the inn to make arrangements."
He had originally come to ensure Jirōchō's safety, but with one of the Sannin and the Jōnin-level Shizune in residence, Jirōchō was in no danger from a mere assassination attempt.
"If there's an emergency, send word to the Sea Breeze Pavilion."
"I understand," Jirōchō replied, personally seeing Shūji out.
At the docks, Anko was leaning against a wall, the hem of her new purple coat flapping in the wind. She was chewing on a piece of grass, her eyes lazily scanning the area: workers hauling cargo, and a few "guards" in their leather armor, their eyes lingering on the most valuable-looking crates.
A few new carts, heavily loaded, rumbled onto the docks, flanked by several of the guards. The merchant leading them spoke quietly to a port official, who immediately waved over a team of laborers to prioritize his cargo.
Hiroyama Makoto, standing nearby, seethed, "Damn it, they get to load and ship out immediately... My cargo... If I'd known, I would've been shipping weapons, too..."
Anko's head snapped up at the word "weapons." She sauntered over. "Hiroyama-san, who are they?"
"Weapon merchants. I don't know why, but someone's buying up a lot of weapons. They get to leave first, my cargo has to wait... Anko-san, please, you have to..." Hiroyama started to plead again. With Shūji gone, he was terrified, and Itachi looked too young to count on, so he latched onto Anko.
Anko, distracted, just nodded and waved him off. The hand she held behind her back, hidden by her new coat, moved. A thin, gray shadow, no thicker than a finger, slipped from her sleeve. It slithered silently across the ground, disappearing into the dark shadows between the newly arrived weapon crates and cartwheels, vanishing without a trace.