Doing errands and running messages was exhausting work, even for a Jōnin like Kakashi that could cover twenty miles of tough terrain in an hour. Luckily, he was done delivering messages, and had spent the first half of the day scribing up some storage seals to hand off to Tsuru tomorrow. Against his better (and totally not
Icha Icha impaired) judgement, he was holding off on meeting with the man to try and get some more information about local ninja clans in the country.
He figured he might as well start by asking his companion, who as far as he knew, was a ninja from this country.
"There are several ninja clans in the area." Sugiyama said, sipping some tea. "I haven't been here for a while, so specifics might be beyond me."
Kakashi had a sip of his own tea. The Frost Yakuza had good taste.
"That's fine," Kakashi said. He took another sip of spiced goodness. "I'm mostly looking for a more in depth summary of the ones you do know. I think you briefly talked about some of them while describing the various chakra beasts and strange things that someone might run into around here. The clan with the bloodline that gave them multiple arms comes to mind, as does the clan that can use some sort of animal transformation ninjutsu?"
Sugiyama took a moment to fiddle with one of their many pouches of herbs. Kakashi's companion had a terrible smoking habit. He had no idea what the hell they were smoking, but any drugs or plants that produced such a ridiculously colorful smoke plume weren't ones he'd want to put into his body if he had any say in it.
"Yes, the Gongen clan and the Rakshasa clan," Sugiyama said, fingers absentmindedly feeling around for their pipe. "Both of which are instrumental in keeping the amount of demons coming in from the east down to a trickle. They are primarily situated along Demon Country's northeastern border, near the northern ocean. Though, that may have changed since I was here last. Half of the clans tend to be more nomadic as a defense mechanism from other ninja. A pity, since it's easier to ward off various dangers the more people there are in one place. Unfortunately, collecting a large amount of people in one place tends to attract some stranger problems from the spiritual realms."
"Speaking of those," Kakashi continued, "is there anything you can tell me about the ones that supposedly pop up in this city at night? I've heard it's ghosts, demons, the restless souls of the damned that haven't been given proper burials or have a bone to pick with the living..."
Kakashi trailed off, hoping that his point was clear: Surely there was more to go on than old wives' tales if this were an actual thing people had to deal with on a regular basis?
"Ah, yes," Sugiyama nodded. "Well, that's all true, of course."
Right. Kakashi's left eyelid twitched at that. Luckily Sugiyama wouldn't notice.
"Right," Kakashi said. "So what specifically would I have to worry about?"
"One moment," Sugiyama held up a finger. They lit a tiny scrap of tinder from one of the many candles that dotted the small temple room, before lighting the mixture of … whatever concoction was currently packed into their pipe. They waited a few moments and inhaled.
Sugiyama exhaled, and a cloud of acrid green fumes billowed out of their mouth. Kakashi closed his eyes for a bit and covered his mouth and nose with his hand.
"At night in this city," Sugiyama said, their voice morphing into the tone and cadence that a narrator might use to tell a story over a campfire. "There is often fog. It comes on, sometimes thin as the errant fumes of a nearby cookfire, sometimes so thick that a person standing within its reach can barely see ten yards ahead of themselves.
"Now, on the nights when the mist is at its thickest, it's oft accompanied by terrible noises. Howling. Metal dragging across the stone of the street or the walls of the building on it. Instruments chiming softly in the distance. The yelping and meowing of cats and dogs, the cries of infants, and stranger, more unsettling noises that you wouldn't quite be able to describe to another person.
"On nights like these," Sugiyama said. "The citizens of Hakata — those foolish enough to not be indoors behind locked doors and latched windows-- report sightings of strange beasts. Cart-sized spiders, tiny horned devils with flesh, a deep burning scarlet, masked men and women moving about with bloodstained clothes and rusty blades in their hands, the faint glimpses of beasts in the corners of their eyes, and more besides. Curiously, upon direct inspection, some of these creatures seem to fade from sight, as if they were never there at all. Similar to those things that showed up in our camp the other night. You remember?"
Kakashi coughed an affirmative. He was still doing his best to cover his nose.
"Regardless," Sugiyama said, "in the mornings after, it's not uncommon for citizens to discover corpses in the street. Blood trails. The marks of weapons or claws on the doors and window shutters of homes, half-eaten entrails strewn about, that sort of thing."
Well, that's definitely strange...
"Hmmm," Kakashi said. "Is this just a thing that happens in cities in this country?"
"Nope," Sugiyama shook their head. "Just this city. Just Hakata."
Kakashi paused. He narrowed his eye.
"Well, that's not suspicious at all," Kakashi said. "But we'll table the local ghost stories for now. We were going to discuss the ninja clans. What do you remember?"
"Right, right…" Sugiyama said, adopting a thoughtful expression. "Where to begin?"
The two sat there in silence for a minute. Kakashi realized after a while that the question wasn't rhetorical.
"I was thinking you could maybe open up by talking more about the hidden village here?" Kakashi asked. "My intel says there is a hidden village in this country in addition to independent wandering ninja clans. I was wondering how that worked."
"Ah," Sugiyama said, eyes bright with sudden understanding. "Right, well, let me explain."
Sugiyama paused to take another draw from the pipe.
The smoke was yellow this time.
I swear, they're just screwing with me half the time, Kakashi thought.
Is that undershooting it a bit? It feels like more than half the time…
"The hidden village in Demon Country," Sugiyama said, "isn't really a
hidden village at all. It's not even technically a
village at all, since it gets moved every decade or so. That location you have outlined on your map is just the last known location. The village gets dissolved due to a recurring surge of chakra beasts that happens every decade or so. That's a fascinating topic in and of itself, but I'd have to break out the incense and the storytelling fire for that one-- "
"I'll pass for now. Let's just focus on the ninja."
"Right," Sugiyama said, lips pouting for a moment. "Your loss. So yes. The ninja village is really more like a communal training ground set up between the clans and other assorted ninja of this country to train the new crop as well as any clanless children that have a strong innate chakra affinity. Not all of the ninja — or even all of the clans — are there at any given point in time."
"Mhm. I could see how that sort of structure helps defend against coordinated strikes or sabotage. Advantageous. Probably not a primary concern, but still."
"Yes," Sugiyama nodded. They seemed about to say something, before looking slightly put out. "I'm assuming you would prefer I skip the historical foundations and move on to some actionable information?"
Well, yes, but I'm not going to be blunt about it. Even I'm not that rude.
"Um," Kakashi said, "given that we're potentially pressed for time and might or might not have ninja looking around for us sooner or later, I think that I'd rather save that for later and focus on the actionable stuff. I would probably like to hear it later though, if that's alright?"
"Excellent," Sugiyama said. "So, there are five major clans: the Gongen, the Tennō, the Rakshasa, the Hakubi, and the Sasagawa. There used to be another one, the Yahiro, but they lost a lot of manpower two or three decades ago and vanished off the map. Internal conflicts, from what I heard. I think they were too fond of experimenting with genjutsu on the members of their own clan, or something of that sort."
"Hakubi," Kakashi said, after a moment's pause. "The Mantis Summoner's name is Hakubi Kagato. I'm assuming the same clan?"
Sugiyama noticeably winced, and looked around nervously. They waited a moment before responding.
"Yes," they said. "Though, it's bad form to be saying full names out loud in these parts."
"Huh," Kakashi said. "Can I ask why?"
"Sure. For most individuals, one's name being out in the world makes them vulnerable to all sorts of malicious entities or curses."
"Mmmm. You said for 'most', so I assume that doesn't apply in this specific instance?"
"Indeed." Sugiyama said, "Speaking the name of a powerful entity might draw the attention of said entity to yourself. Same goes with shinobi. It's unwise to ask for such attention, physically or otherwise."
Kakashi responded to that with a
look.
"You obviously disagree, I take it. That's fine."
"Let's…" Kakashi trailed off. "Let's just agree to disagree on that point. Anyway…"
Sugiyama coughed into their hand and spat to the side.
"Right. Let's see. The Gongen clan have a powerful bloodline that gives the wielders multiple sets of arms, but it only manifests in a small amount of them. There are some with four arms, and some with six. The four-armed ones are much more common. Unless something's changed, their leader should be Gongen Kenzo, a frighteningly powerful ninja."
Wait, you just did the thing.
"Now, hold on," Kakashi said. He raised a finger pointedly. "You just said his name."
"No," Sugiyama said, shaking their head. "I didn't. That is no longer his name."
Kakashi lifted a hand to his forehead in exasperation.
"Alright. Sorry for interrupting, continue please?"
"The Gongen clan generally lives in the northeast, with the Rakshasa clan. The Rakshasa clan have a number of secret techniques passed down from within that allow them to change their shapes to that approaching a more bestial nature. This is useful in all manner of situations, from using the swiftness of a tiger to strike at a foe, to utilizing the eye of a falcon to search the landscape for prey. This clan also lives in the northeast, along the border. I do not know much else about them.
"The Tennō clan specializes in powerful ninjutsu techniques to supplement their martial abilities, both elemental and non-elemental. They are not to be taken lightly on the battlefield. They generally are found in the southern half of the country, last time I checked."
Powerful ninjutsu techniques? Alright, that's definitely something to keep in mind.
"The Hakubi clan possess a bloodline that enhances their wind element techniques significantly. I'm not too familiar with it, but from what I recall it strengthens the effects of such techniques while increasing the potency of the user's chakra when casting them. They are unlikely to tire themselves out with wind techniques alone. The Mantis Summoner was a member of this clan, but is probably an outcast. One does not sign a bargain with another path and get to remain in their clan. I think they are generally found somewhere in the center of the country."
"Hold on a second, how does that work?" Kakashi asked. "He became a summoner and so they made him a missing-nin?"
"No, not quite," Sugiyama said. The fortune teller reached into their robes, pulling out a rusted iron plate.
A forehead protector?
"This," Sugiyama said, "is what is generally given to those ninja who are expelled from the clans and yet allowed to roam the countryside freely. They are branded as an outcast. Not someone deemed dangerous enough to be executed, but also not a person that should be trusted without reason, since they have chosen to abandon their family and walk their own way in life."
Kakashi didn't say anything.
"Finally..." Sugiyama said. "The Sasagawa clan are found in the region southwest of Hakata. They are absolute masters of stealth. They can hide virtually anywhere. Legend says that they possess a ninjutsu, known even by their genin, that allows them to transform into any physical form they choose. But only for a short time."
"Heh." Kakashi laughed. "Now, come on! That's just ridiculous, they'd have conquered the world by now."
Contrary to his expectations, Sugiyama actually smiled at the interruption. Their mouth curved into a wry grin.
"Legend," Sugiyama said, "can sometimes take some liberties, from storyteller to storyteller."
Kakashi let out another small chuckle, before his brain processed the implications of that statement.
…
"You… have …" Kakashi said, at a complete loss for words. "Have you been doing this with all of the
other things I've been asking you about?"
"Yes, of course, why would I have spoken otherwise?" Sugiyama responded.
…
"Alright. I'm going to go hunt down some more information that might be immediately useful. Sugiyama, you're to stay here and do a thousand wall-runs. And then another thousand with your hands. After that, just do push ups until I get tired."
"... did you mean, until
I get too tired to
do them?"
"No."
o-o-o
It turns out that paperwork sucking is a universal constant.
Kakashi flipped through ledger after ledger in the back rooms of the local lord's accounting office. He was searching for information on mission payments. It sounded like the chakra beasts in the eastern portion of the Elemental Nations were problems with a capital 'P'. Any lord worth their salt would be regularly hiring ninja to keep the populations down, at least one mission of that sort every couple months.
And if these clerks are similar to the ones in the rest of the world, they'll have the details noted down somewhere.
Unfortunately, like all the other bureaucrats in the world, whatever system the accountants here used to organize their records was utterly incomprehensible to him. It was tempting, oh so tempting, to just tie up one of the clerks and interrogate them to get the information he wanted more quickly, but that would leave a trail. He settled for sneaking into the main records room while most of the staff was eating lunch and throwing up an Earth Wall to block the door from the inside. Someone had tried to force the door open an hour ago, but after a couple minutes of struggle they had loudly given it up as jammed and walked away, leaving him a parting stream of muffled curses.
And a missing-nin in the habit of intentionally leaving trails is probably going to be dead soon, Kakashi thought.
I should probably get a little better at that.
He had hoped that his months long vacation in an isolated hole in the ground would have thrown off any pursuers, but his nigh-fatal run-in with the Cloud hunter-nin had blown his cover. Tsuru had said something about some team having taken an insurance contract from the Snow Oyabun, and it was likely that Cloud had heard about his presence by now, so Kakashi could look forward to having to deal with that potential encounter looming over his shoulder.
Get intel on the local ninja clans. Find the Mantis Summoner. Learn the summoning technique, and get the hell out of this place.
Running into Tsuru and "the Butterfly Brotherhood" was a stroke of good luck, at least. Sugiyama was something of a pain in the ass, and he wasn't sure how to deal with them, but at least they had non-useless skills for outside of combat.
"Payment to the order of... no," Kakashi muttered, running a finger down the binder's table of contents. "Produce shipment, no. Land clearing? Hmmm. Maybe..." Kakashi flipped through to the appropriate section and began skimming the details. "Hmph. Looks like it's just payment to a company to get some land nearby into a buildable state and haul all the boulders and junk on it away. Probably not."
Kakashi thumbed through the rest of the binder before putting it back and grabbing another one.
"Hmm, bunch of temple offerings. Wait, huh," Kakashi muttered, pausing over one particular entry. "Five hundred thousand ryou to the Temple of Remembrance, paid for the warding of demons and vermin. Huh." He swept through the rest of the pages, looking for similar entries. "A million to the Temple of Light--hmm, I was there the other day... two hundred thousand to the Shrine of Winds... "
Kakashi trailed off, these entries were endless. The wall had a couple similarly bound volumes as well.
Something not right about this, Kakashi thought.
Local customs and ghostly horrors aside, they definitely would need to hire some ninja to physically clear out some of the flesh and blood beasts.
Kakashi lit a candle. He skimmed the last couple months worth of ledgers that detailed any cash flow to the temples, taking care to keep an eye out for anything unusual. To his surprise— after doing some quick mental calculations and proportioning out the amounts listed — he did.
That's a lot of money going to three organizations. Temple of Light, House of Three Blades, and the Monastery of the Dead Kami, Kakashi thoughts.
There's something like three dozen of these temples and shrines in this city, and three of them are getting more than three quarters of the money for missions like this? That's just not so likely—
Kakashi was interrupted in his musings by a piercing scream from outside the room that had him jump straight onto the ceiling boards. He quickly sprung into action.
"Hiding Like a Mole."
Kakashi walked over to the polished stone of the room's exterior wall and stepped right through it, the stone melting and warping strangely as he passed. It would leave a very strange and noticeable gap, but it was better than being murdered by hunter-nin after sticking around in an enclosed space with no vision.
Nope. Nope, nope, nope, nope, Kakashi thought.
No more waiting around in a small room for explosives to be chucked into my face, nope.
"Living Roots."
Before he was finished uttering the first syllable, he noticed that streets outside were dark and foggy. One second later he felt a lattice of earth chakra crystallize beneath his feet. A second after that, he heard an ear splitting howl that seemed to be mixed in with a high pitched chirping sound, large booming footprints, and some deep, rasping laughter coming from the street to his left. His eye darted all around him, but the fog was too thick.
I can't see a damn thing. He couldn't feel anything moving through Living Roots either. Which was concerning.
He heard a woman scream from the same street.
Well, fuck.
AN: Bit late, sorry about that, I was getting into character.
As per the compel accepted last week, Kakashi decided to spend a day and a half quickly going through the various errands that Tsuru had for him. He has not had time to muse about creating any new ninjutsu as a result.
What do you do now? Here are some voting options to start you off.
[] Head into the fog, Sharingan out, fists of fury ready to punch anything that might be in there. Can't be that bad, right? Maybe you'll fulfill your good deed quota for the week too.
[] Head back into the tax office and prep the building for assault. Stay in there until things settle down, keeping an eye out for problems. Heading into an area of low visibility is a fool's gambit.
[] Hiding Like a Mole the hell out of there. Fog and monstrous shrieking noises? No thanks. Meet up with Sugiyama ASAP. What the hell is up with this?
[] Foggy weather? Loud noises? Sounds like "cover"! Use this opportunity to go find more intel about the local ninja clans. Go investigate all of those temples.
[] (write-in)
Remember, we use approval voting, so you can vote for as many plans as you like. Also, feel free to ping
@Paperclipped or
@MMKII to ask setting or detail questions that Kakashi could plausibly know. Note: This includes specific questions for Sugiyama about Demon (though, they're not currently around).
Voting is open, and closes at 9am PST, Saturday March 06. 
