Naruto Fanfic - Prisoner of Nightmare

Chapter Forty[XL]: Red Waves - I

   Uzumaki Kenko stood with his back straight and his hands behind his back, awaiting the Hokage to tell him the reason he was summoned. His ANBU were still in the room, so he assumed it wasn't anything too serious or confidential. The Hokage looked contemplative more than anything, so it probably wasn't anything too bad either.

   "Hokage-sama?" Kenko asked.

   The Hokage took a puff of his pipe, making Kenko's nose twitch from the scent of tobacco. "I have good reason to believe that one of our clients is lying about the ranking of their mission. You are aware of the situation in Nami no Kuni, correct?"

   Kenko nodded. "Hai, the Gatō Company has taken over all the navel trading routes, making the land fall into poverty. I heard rumours that even the Daiymō was struggling."

   "It's true, Nami no Kuni has fallen into quite the state of disarray." The Hokage sighed. "The client is from Nami no Kuni, he's a bridge-builder named Sako Tazuna."

   He blinked. "Does he have glasses, grey hair and a beard?"

   "Can I assume he was one of the people on your last mission to the wave that helped you find your target?" The Hokage asked.

   "Yes, along with his daughter and her husband." Kenko paused for a moment, taking in the implications of Tazuna being a bridge-builder. "Ah, I understand. Is the mission about protecting him while he builds a bridge?"

   "Good, you caught on quickly."

   Kenko scoffed. "When have I not?" He stopped. "You know what? Don't answer that."

  The Hokage chuckled. "Putting that aside, Sako-san provided enough money for a C-Rank mission, but I believe this could possibly be a B-Rank mission or higher. Gatō has been rumoured to be quite a prominent figure in the underworld, so I have no doubt he will do anything in his power to dispose of Sako-san as having a bridge would allow for non-navel trading routes."

   "I see." Kenko stood a little straighter. "What would you like me to do, Hokage-sama?"

   The Hokage leaned back in his chair, puffing on his pipe. "I would like for you to visit Sako-san and get the truth from him, then report back to me. He's located in Yōkina Nokoribi Hoteru, room three-hundred five."

   Kenko bowed. "Hai, Hokage-sama." He promptly used his Rai-Shunshin to run to Yōkina Nokoribi Hoteru, arriving in front of the flame-patterned building in a matter of a minute. This building, along with many others, was located in one of the outer districts of Konoha. After all, who would let potentially dangerous people stay in the heart of their village? This area was also patrolled regularly, and if one of the clients went to the inner districts they were to be shadowed with no exceptions.

   He discreetly landed on the roof of the hotel, eyes darting around to assess the situation around him before landing on the hatch leading inside that could only be accessed by him, the Hokage, and the ANBU that patrolled the area. Kenko placed his hand on the hatch and pushed chakra into it, the seal on the top glowing blue for a moment before there was a distinct click.

   Adding chakra onto his hand to make it sticky, he pulled the hatch open and slipped inside, locking it back up with another burst of chakra. Kenko walked down the hall and to the third floor, the residents either inside their rooms or exploring Konoha, Tazuna was an example of the former.

   Standing in front of the flame-patterned door, Kenko brought his hand up and knocked quietly until he sensed Tazuna's chakra signature move towards the door and a muffled, "Alright, I get it, stop knocking already." Kenko placed his hands behind his back just as the door opened, revealing a bleary-eyed and slightly drunk Tazuna, the scent of alcohol invading his nose and nearly making Kenko cringe at the memories it brought up.