CH_4.36 (136)

CH_4.36 (136)

Takuma's thoughts raced at the sudden invitation (read as: order) from Fugaku.

"Police Force business?" asked Mikoto.

"Something like that," Fugaku said. They exchanged a look that Takuma missed in his alarm.

"Very well, the food will be ready in fifteen minutes," Mikoto said before walking away.

Takuma followed Fugaku through the massive house. He would've mapped his route and observed the entry and exit points, but his mind was occupied by speculations which turned crazier with every passing moment.

They reached a study-cum-office with a minimalist interior yet matched the rest of the traditional aesthetic of the house. Ink calligraphies, poems, and woodblock prints hung on the walls alongside ceremonial swords, daggers, and kunai. Ornate vases and other clay works sat in displays, some of them beautifully elevated through repairs using the kintsugi method. On the other side, an entire wall was dedicated to a library of scrolls and books.

Takuma sat across Fugaku with a large desk between them. He had some time to gather himself, but by no means was he calm. He didn't think this meeting was about his unsavory secrets, or else he wouldn't have been allowed near the house, much less inside it, which could only mean the discussion was about his work in the Organized Crime Division. If he knew he was going to present his work and plans to the big boss, then he would've prepared for it. If he did it poorly, his team might as well be scrapped before the one-month trial period he had managed to negotiate. But if he did well... He straightened himself and went through the key points in his mind; he had to answer any question asked clearly and in the most complete way possible.

"How is the job treating you, Genin Takuma?" Fugaku gazed at Takuma with calm eyes. "You were part of our first expansion recruitment. I believe you've been in the force long enough to get comfortable in your position."

"The work is challenging but fulfilling, sir. My peers and supervisors did a great job of bringing a novice like me up to speed, and thankfully, I've been able to pull my weight inside the department," Takuma replied. He applauded the work, complimented his coworkers, and finished with a few words of humble praise for himself.

"Organized Crime, correct? That's a difficult position to start as a rookie. To be able to perform under those expectations deserves nothing less than praise," Fugaku's words were praising, but his face remained still, and yet, there wasn't a sense of disconcertion in that. "I myself was part of the Organized Crime Division once; they do good work. I hope you'll continue serving the village with all you have."

"Of course, sir," replied Takuma.

Fugaku then engaged Takuma in a line of questioning revolving around the Police Force from the point of view of someone in his position. All the questions were point and specific, and it was clear what Fugaku wanted to know; with each passing question, Takuma realized Fugaku was collecting information. It seemed the Commander-in-Chief wished to know the ground reality from someone who wasn't in a supervisory position. Even though Takuma had very recently assumed his new position as the leader of the new narcotics team, which was a supervisory position, he was perfectly suited to answer the questions.Findd new stories at novelhall.coma worded his answers carefully. He didn't outright badmouth anything or anyone because that could get him in trouble, but he did offer some suggestions and add some of the insights he noted as a relatively new outside hire.

"I was informed that a narcotics task force was given the go with you as its leader," said Fugaku. "That's a heavy responsibility for someone as young and new as yourself. Do you feel you're equipped to handle it? If I remember correctly, you only asked for a month to produce results— a month slips through the fingers before one realizes... Do you need more time?"

Takuma felt Fugaku's eyes on him. Even without the Sharingan, the man before him was an experienced shinobi and commander in charge of an entire clan and the organization which enforced the law in a shinobi village.

"... No, sir. I do not require more time. My team will produce the promised results by the decided deadline," said Takuma. He considered jumping at the offer of more time but then wondered what impression it would send. It hadn't even been a week since the team had been established, and if he, the leader, was already thinking about more time, then perhaps the new team hadn't given their plans enough thought. "I'm confident that my team will exist past the thirty days given to us."

Fugaku nodded, a hint of approval flashing on his face, which disappeared faster than it appeared.

His identity as a Ring fighter contributed to only a fifth of his tension, panic, and nerves ready to burst; the rest was his status as Tobi, his work with Ryuu, and his connection to Enomoto. The Ring was an open secret that was actively ignored, but the drug industry was one hundred percent illegal and a target for eliminating any chance the Police Force got. If he got implicated, he would be crushed without any chance for rebuttal.

Takuma needed Fugaku to believe him.

"... I hope that is true, Genin Takuma." Fugaku leaned forward. "If I find that you've been misusing your position in the Police Force... I don't need to tell you the outcome. I'm happy with what you have done till now and would hate to lose a shinobi like you. Keep that in mind when you're at a crossroads and have a decision to make."

"Understood... sir," Takuma nodded.

It looked like Fugaku was done speaking.

Takuma, however, wasn't done— he had some pressing questions he needed to clear.

"Who else knows about this, sir?" asked Takuma.

"Not many people. Me, Jonin Sayuri (Head of Organized Crime), Chunin Yakumi (Kano's direct supervisor), Chunin Setsuna. But it'll be put on your file, so any Police Force jonin who wishes to look into your personnel records will know," answered Fugaku. That was a problem. Takuma opened his mouth to speak but was shut down by Fugaku. "It'll remain your Police Force personnel file, Genin Takuma. That's not negotiable. Be thankful that we aren't sharing it to the village-wide file."

Takuma closed his eyes and sighed. Now he had to be extra careful when dealing with a Police Force jonin in case they felt the need to look into his personnel file. He wasn't in immediate danger, as checking personnel files was frowned upon. He needed to build influence inside the Police Force as quickly as possible so if one day someone did bring up his Ring involvement, it wouldn't matter.

"You hid it well," Fugaku said. "It didn't come up in the screening when we hired you. It was because you were going to be a regular at my house that we had to do another check." He looked at Takuma with a smile, "After all, we can't let anyone enter this house, can we?"

Suddenly, Takuma was glad he used Tobi as an alternate identity for drug dealing.

"Does Jonin Mikoto know?" he asked.

"Of course, my wife knows. She was the first one to see the report."

Takuma couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Why couldn't he, just once, get an opportunity without a hidden caveat that always created problems for him?

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