Ranma and Genma had assessed him immediately as being a competent but not extremely so martial artist, flickered a couple of signals between them as they compared notes, and went back to being mostly bored.
"Ah, Mister Saotome and Ranma, I hope you are well today. Miss Tenten," said the blacksuit, surprising them by giving a marginal bow towards the retainer. "We have an unusual situation here."
"Unusual?" asked Ranma.
"Yes," said the blacksuit. "I am Kuro-san."
Ranma made a face at the obvious false name.
"The Saotome clan made its claim to fame as weaponsmiths," continued Kuro-san. "Might I confirm what you have? Mister Saotome has a kusari-gama named Foebane?"
Genma nodded. "So it's a dangerous situation."
Kuro inclined his head in response.
"We're talking about members of Tenten's village," said Ranma. "Can't you just be direct about it?"
"No," said Kuro. "You understand that the laws regarding ninja and interclan warfare are old, complex, and often horribly outdated? Well, they are. Unfortunately, they are law. Therefore there is little we can do without more information legally."
Neither Ranma nor Genma missed that emphasis. Ranma flicked a quick set of handsigns to his father. [covert op? plausible deniability]
Tenten flicked an agreement just before Genma did.
"So what can you tell us?" asked Genma.
"The war began with an outcast individual named Orochimaru and a group of others under his command," said Kuro. "Those villagers we were able to track went to a number of sources, but a fair number simply vanished."
"Vanished?" asked Tenten.
Kuro shrugged. "Vanished as far as records of the sort normally turned up would indicate. We've also found falsified documents and hacked computer records, which has caused us some concern."
Ranma nodded, hearing the unspoken promise of dire consequence.
"Because security was compromised, details of our meeting will indicate only that we spoke of the problems encountered with your kunoichi," said Kuro with a nod again towards Tenten. "Wentworth at your home will be sent the new paperwork and documentation when it is all ready."
Genma nodded. It was odd having a gaijin servant, much less a registered and licensed "Level 3 Seneschal" but handy. Even if the guy acted as if someone had rammed an iron rod up his butt a lot of the time.
"As such, I am absolutely NOT telling you about a small farmhouse on land that legally belongs to the government as part of that set aside for 'Nature Preservation'," said Kuro. "Nor am I informing you that twice Parks Service workers in the area mysteriously vanished - followed by legal records of them showing that they died in traffic accidents nowhere near where they actually were."
"Of course," said Ranma with a smirk.
"Of course, any records of our conversation straying beyond pleasantries and assurances," said Kuro, placing a few photographs and a map on the table, "will meet with unfortunate accidents?"
"We have to light campfires all the time," said Genma, glancing over the materials before handing them to Ranma. "We just use all sorts of trash that we pick up along the way, being good Japanese citizens."
Kuro inclined his head towards Genma. "Of course, rumors that an individual at a very strange farmhouse experiments with transformation seals and jutsu are just urban legends. As are tales of dangerous monstrous beings, torture, and the like. If we actually had evidence of such things, we would have investigated after filing appropriate legal paperwork."
"Of course," said Ranma, getting into the spirit of things. "We train in mountains and forests all the time and hear all kinda rumors and crazy stories."
"I would expect so," said Kuro. "Naturally I couldn't tell you about any other members of Tenten's village, though if you uncover similar evidence of improper and illegal proceedings about such members we would be quite interested."
"How interested?" asked Genma.
"VERY," said Kuro, his control relaxing a bit to let these two know how unhappy he was. In fact, he was unhappy that he couldn't simply round up a squad and go in himself. "Enough that you would be granted clear ownership to your choice of at least four or five slaves and the goodwill of the Bureau itself."
Genma and Ranma glanced at each other, giving a simultaneous if barely perceptible nod. THAT could be quite handy in the future.
Tenten looked towards her Master, her gaze pleading.
"Theoretically, if we were to discover such an obviously untrue thing," said Genma thoughtfully, "why would WE be a logical choice for investigating such rumors?"
"Because of ties between your servant Tenten and that village," said Kuro, "but also because the Saotome line produced rumors of a number of powerful weapons and talents. It is because it is widely known that I myself enjoy studying such things that I was able to meet you myself. Such weapons as tend to be 'found' by those specifically recognized as of that bloodline. Might I ask if your kunoichi has gotten her own weapon yet?"
"No, I don't think so," said Ranma. "She's not precisely of the family."
"Ah, then you haven't..." Kuro's voice trailed off and he looked between the befuddled Ranma and the blushing and floor-studying Tenten. "You haven't used the traditional method for linking an attractive personal retainer of the suitable gender to your family?"
"Huh?" asked Ranma.
"I'll put some appropriate pamphlets in a folder for you to take," said Kuro, wondering if there was something wrong with the boy. Maybe a martial arts injury? The servant in question was comely and certainly didn't seem averse to the idea, and getting her a weapon with mystic properties HAD to increase her usefulness. Oh well.`
"Huh," said Ranma, getting the feeling that maybe this WAS something important he ought to look into.
Tenten wondered if anyone would mind if she tried using the Hide In Shadows jutsu.
A few minutes later, Ranma was on his way to:
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(Posted Thu, 09 Aug 2007 02:53)
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