Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Games of Body and Soul

The Will of Fire Dismissal

"What's this with the what Mana says?" Chogen's look soured. He looked just about ready to jump in at the gate guards, fists swinging. "Did you guys cook them books?"

"No way! We've served the village for years without ever as much as looking the other direction, to even suggest this is outrageous!" one of the two gate guards passionately objected inspiring similar passion in the second one who looked a tad bit more confused initially.

"What kind of items have been found to be smuggled, Chogen-san?" Mana turned at the giant before the situation could turn from awkward and tense into something violent and truly bitter. Some more information was in order before anyone could accuse these two, a proud part of the core that protected the village gate with anything.

"A bunch of supplementary tools. Punching bags, training tools and the like. Bags upon bags of them Chakra Induction Paper sheets." Chogen grumped out, crossing his arms over his mountainous chest. Even when the Akimichi stood in a defused from any hints of impending violence stance he still petrified the two poor gate guards that could not stop glancing at the giant every couple of seconds.

"In that case, I do not think the smugglers were working with the gate guards." Mana sighed.

"Why nots?" Chogen raised an eyebrow while his eyes remained intensely squinted and turned at the direction of the two gate guards that breathed easier now that the conversation turned this direction.

"Konoha does not have the strongest military and is not the richest country in natural resources but one area this village can take great pride in is the size of its population and the sense of the Will of Fire in their hearts. It would take the need for transfer of items of much greater significance for a smuggler to even attempt to bribe or recruit a Konoha villager, let alone a gate guard." Mana shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright, you're off them hooks fer now." Chogen pressed and twisted his lips, suggesting some intense concentration and thought transpiring in his noggin.

"That does, however, make the job much more difficult..." Mana admitted. If she had no shred of decency seeped into her bones perhaps there would have been some merit in considering just accusing these gate guards and wrapping the investigation up. That seemed probable of what the likes of the Allied Ninja would do...

The scariest prospect was that nobody would likely find out anything. Even with the extensive probabilities of mind scanning and torture, one would not simply dismiss all charges of treason just because no shred of it can be found in one's mind. Minds and memories could have been altered just as simply as they could have been read. One's life could have been ruined just like that... Then one had to deal with the society that was way too trigger happy to call people traitors and criminals for the smallest of excuses.

It could not have been any different when each village lived in isolation, surrounded by broad and chakra radiating walls and shaking in worry that one of these days whatever complex protection strategies they have put together may not have been enough to protect the village from becoming a smoldering wasteland surrounded by the untouched natural landscape.

"You're right. If them gate guards didn't do nothing who did and why?" Chogen scratched his chin while making the same exaggerated thinking face again.

"Are the people with the smuggled supplies still in custody? I've done a little bit of training in the Intelligence Division so we may find something out from them, it's a really long shot but..." Mana moved her little shoulders in a self-doubting and awkward manner. Chogen stood there completely static for a moment as if her suggestion had broken him before making a firm face and nodding.

Telling the emotions of this Akimichi was immensely difficult because his eyes were so narrow that they may as well have been closed. One could not have gotten a single hint of emotion out of him had the man not been so expressive otherwise with the other muscles of his face and thick cheeks.