So this must be the place.
Shin looked up at the massive three-story mansion that sat in the middle of the vast Takayama Estate, indulging in the ornate architecture as he scanned for any viable insertion points.
I wonder who owns this place?
Wouldn't you like to know. . . .
The hell is that supposed to mean?
Simply that I know something you don't; something I'm not privy to sharing with you at the moment.
Why not?
You shall see soon enough.
Before the boy could continue his inner dialogue with his demon, the heavy wooden doors to the residence swung open, revealing a middle-aged man in an indigo business suit. His silver irises shone through the slender frames of his spectacles, and his black hair was slicked back.
"May I assist you somehow?" the man asked as he examined the student in his shinobi garb. "It's not often I get visitors from the academy."
"I'm here to talk about Arikado Gai."
The man sighed.
"I see. . . . In that case, come in: there is quite a bit to talk about."
Shin followed the man throughout the mansion and into what he assumed was the study: a reasonable assumption considering that the walls were lined with thousands of books.
"Now then, I believe introductions are in order," the man said as he took a seat in a comfortable-looking arm-chair. "I am Takayama Damashi, CEO of the Takayama Mining Corporation. And you are?"
"I am Akatora Shin, son of Isaki Kushin and Isaki Karei," Shin replied as he took another seat across from Damashi.
"Ah, I was unaware that the Medical Sennin had adopted a child. My sincerest apologies, Shin-kun."
"Don't sweat it. As ya could've guessed, I'm not big into formalities myself."
"Hmm, indeed." Damashi leaned forward and stared at the boy across from him, his eyes beginning to swirl. "Let's get down to business then: what do you know about Gai?"
"Only that he was recently executed for the crime of murder."
"Ah, but do you know whom the victim was?"
Shin shook his head.
"I see . . . well, Gai took the life of my distant cousin, Sentama Reikazu."
Shin's eyes widened at the revelation.
"Why?"
Damashi shrugged, closing his eyes for a moment.
"Who is to say with any certainty? I'll admit, Reikazu-san was not the most peaceful of men: he was given quite a substantial burden before he was even born. But all men, regardless of their past, deserve a better fate."
"What 'burden' are you talking about?"
"A demon named Zansatsu had been sealed within Reikazu-san . . . one that had influenced his entire life."
Silence hung in the air for a few seconds, Shin's mouth agape.
"When was your cousin murdered again?"
"Oh, I'd say about . . . fifteen years ago? Why do you ask?"
"Um . . . no reason. . . ."
Damashi chuckled as he stood up.
"Is that so? Well, in any event, I must prepare for my campaign speech for next week, and thus I must bid you farewell."
Shin stood up as well and bowed towards the sharp-dressed man.
"Thank you, Takayama-sama," he acknowledged Damashi's help before escorting himself off the premises.
----
Later that night, when he was almost certain the CEO would be asleep, Shin infiltrated the mansion via a skylight on the roof. The boy crept through the hallways and stairwells, until he returned to the study once more.
You and Yoichi have a lot of explaining to do, Leech!
Do I now? I believe I told you I'm not privy to sharing such information with you at the moment.
Well, now would be a good time to share what you know: we're both in deep shit right now.
I'm afraid that you are the only who is in 'deep shit': as far as Damashi is concerned, I have ceased to exist after being purged from my previous host.
Can't ya just help out for once?
Very well then: have you checked the journal on the table next to Damashi's chair?"
Shin spotted the journal Zansatsu was referring to, walked over to it, picked it up, and opened it. But to his dismay only a single page with another address scrawled on it was left.
Damn it: not again! he silently cursed as he tore the remaining page from the journal and crammed it into one of his pockets. His eyes then wandered over to the fireplace, where several papers were still burning to ashes.
Damashi is hiding something . . . and I'm gonna find out what it is.
[Mission Complete - WC: 746]
Shin looked up at the massive three-story mansion that sat in the middle of the vast Takayama Estate, indulging in the ornate architecture as he scanned for any viable insertion points.
I wonder who owns this place?
Wouldn't you like to know. . . .
The hell is that supposed to mean?
Simply that I know something you don't; something I'm not privy to sharing with you at the moment.
Why not?
You shall see soon enough.
Before the boy could continue his inner dialogue with his demon, the heavy wooden doors to the residence swung open, revealing a middle-aged man in an indigo business suit. His silver irises shone through the slender frames of his spectacles, and his black hair was slicked back.
"May I assist you somehow?" the man asked as he examined the student in his shinobi garb. "It's not often I get visitors from the academy."
"I'm here to talk about Arikado Gai."
The man sighed.
"I see. . . . In that case, come in: there is quite a bit to talk about."
Shin followed the man throughout the mansion and into what he assumed was the study: a reasonable assumption considering that the walls were lined with thousands of books.
"Now then, I believe introductions are in order," the man said as he took a seat in a comfortable-looking arm-chair. "I am Takayama Damashi, CEO of the Takayama Mining Corporation. And you are?"
"I am Akatora Shin, son of Isaki Kushin and Isaki Karei," Shin replied as he took another seat across from Damashi.
"Ah, I was unaware that the Medical Sennin had adopted a child. My sincerest apologies, Shin-kun."
"Don't sweat it. As ya could've guessed, I'm not big into formalities myself."
"Hmm, indeed." Damashi leaned forward and stared at the boy across from him, his eyes beginning to swirl. "Let's get down to business then: what do you know about Gai?"
"Only that he was recently executed for the crime of murder."
"Ah, but do you know whom the victim was?"
Shin shook his head.
"I see . . . well, Gai took the life of my distant cousin, Sentama Reikazu."
Shin's eyes widened at the revelation.
"Why?"
Damashi shrugged, closing his eyes for a moment.
"Who is to say with any certainty? I'll admit, Reikazu-san was not the most peaceful of men: he was given quite a substantial burden before he was even born. But all men, regardless of their past, deserve a better fate."
"What 'burden' are you talking about?"
"A demon named Zansatsu had been sealed within Reikazu-san . . . one that had influenced his entire life."
Silence hung in the air for a few seconds, Shin's mouth agape.
"When was your cousin murdered again?"
"Oh, I'd say about . . . fifteen years ago? Why do you ask?"
"Um . . . no reason. . . ."
Damashi chuckled as he stood up.
"Is that so? Well, in any event, I must prepare for my campaign speech for next week, and thus I must bid you farewell."
Shin stood up as well and bowed towards the sharp-dressed man.
"Thank you, Takayama-sama," he acknowledged Damashi's help before escorting himself off the premises.
----
Later that night, when he was almost certain the CEO would be asleep, Shin infiltrated the mansion via a skylight on the roof. The boy crept through the hallways and stairwells, until he returned to the study once more.
You and Yoichi have a lot of explaining to do, Leech!
Do I now? I believe I told you I'm not privy to sharing such information with you at the moment.
Well, now would be a good time to share what you know: we're both in deep shit right now.
I'm afraid that you are the only who is in 'deep shit': as far as Damashi is concerned, I have ceased to exist after being purged from my previous host.
Can't ya just help out for once?
Very well then: have you checked the journal on the table next to Damashi's chair?"
Shin spotted the journal Zansatsu was referring to, walked over to it, picked it up, and opened it. But to his dismay only a single page with another address scrawled on it was left.
Damn it: not again! he silently cursed as he tore the remaining page from the journal and crammed it into one of his pockets. His eyes then wandered over to the fireplace, where several papers were still burning to ashes.
Damashi is hiding something . . . and I'm gonna find out what it is.
[Mission Complete - WC: 746]