"Yes?" Hazō asked nervously. "Is there something on my, uh, face?"
"Not to worry," Shintarō said happily, pulling out a ledger. "Aliases, please. And will you be using the same disguises throughout your stay?"
Hazō glanced questioningly at the other two, then kicked himself as he realised he was providing instant confirmation.
"I guess we'd better," Noburi said in a forced jovial tone. "Ajibana Akira. Pleasure to meet you. This," he gestured to Hazō vengefully, "is my good friend Misuta Miu."
"Tae Kanen," Keiko said. "I would like to conclude our business here swiftly, if we may."
"Hmm," Shintarō said. "This is not the kind of product that should be sold to children. Are you sure you are in need of medicine for nerves fraying from endless stress and in need of release?"
"Oh, we're sure," Keiko said grimly.
"What my friend means," Hazō cut in, "is that it's not for us. We just want a gift for a potential client who is into things like this."
"Ah," Shintaro nodded. "Foresight and courtesy, wonderful things in a client. I like to pay attention to such details. What kind of volume would you be interested in?"
"Actually, we're just looking," Hazō said. "We were hoping to compare all our options before choosing a seller."
"While we're here, though," Noburi added, "I was wondering how much room you had in your guest quarters. We're part of a bigger party, and it would be really reassuring to stay under a powerful clan's protection while we're in Sarubetsu."
"Oh, plenty," Shintarō said. "We don't get many guests this time of year—everybody wants to make their purchases and leave so they can beat the other traders to the punch—so you and your money are welcome to stay as long as you like once you pass the basic security checks."
"Does that mean we can have them to ourselves?" Noburi asked. "Only my friend here has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth, and we wouldn't want to offend your other guests."
There was a knowing look in Shintarō's eye. "Indeed. Completely empty for the time being, so you can conduct whatever top-secret preparations you're clearly planning undisturbed, as long as you clear them with my good friend Shana first.
"But let's not forget your actual business here. Since dear Shūji has vouched for you, and we wouldn't want a displeased sealmistress blowing up our workshop, let's call it five hundred ryō per dose, just for you."
"Five hundred?" Keiko asked. "That is implausible for a long-term business model. I assure you, while we may appear young, we are not inclined to let others take advantage of us, and Kasuga-sensei in particular does not have the temper for it. We may consider two hundred and fifty."
Shintarō laughed. "Really, now. I wouldn't try to teach other people how to run their businesses, my dear. We have many customers who are either wealthy enough or desperate enough to purchase Vermilion Sigh in plentiful amounts. Four-fifty, or put a silly hat on me and call me the Tsuchikage."
Keiko mulled this over. "Harvest season just finished. It occurs to me that you have a great surplus of goods, which will be sitting useless in a warehouse instead of being converted into liquid funds. Three hundred."
"You know, boy," Shintarō said, unexpectedly turning to Hazō, "your movements are just that little bit too precise, even when you're at rest. A normal person would think you're a taijutsu specialist. But to move like that at your age unconsciously—and make no mistake, your age is quite transparent—you'd have to be extremely specialized. And yet when you came in, your eyes went straight to my seals, and you were trying to decode them or I'm a chakra hagfish. Sealcrafting takes great dedication, which suggests to me the other thing comes from a taijutsu-themed bloodline. Taijutsu bloodline and sealing proficiency. How fascinating."
He looked at Keiko. "You scanned everything in the room except my face. Of note, two seconds on my ninja wire assembly, then several on the shogi board over there. How long until this side wins?"
"It's losing," Keiko replied immediately. "It has to radically change its strategy, otherwise it will keep losing no matter how many pieces it takes. But I fail to see what this tells you. There are many competent shogi players in the world."
"Oh, yes," Shintarō said. "But as one of the most formidable women I know likes to say, it's all about adding up the details. And you, boy," he smiled at Noburi. "You could almost pass for normal around here. But the barrel? Seriously? Perhaps if you had nine tails and spat chakra bombs, you might have a chance of being more memorable.
"But I do have some good news for the three of you. I am an old man," said the thirtysomething, "and my short-term memory isn't what it used to be. Whenever I make a good sale, such as, say, three doses at four hundred each, I get so excited that I forget whatever it is I was just talking about. Why, the clinking of ryō in your pockets is already outweighing all other facts in my mind."
Hazō looked at the other two. "I think we need a moment to confer."
