Chapter 192 - Sins of the Father

Daichi followed Kakashi to the top floor balcony of the small mansion. There was a guard who stood by the large door who was keeping a vigilant watch. But despite his alertness he wasn't able to sense the two ninjas who got behind him.

With a quick well placed jab Kakashi knocked the man unconscious and without drawing any attention. Daichi had used 'Observe' on the man and had gotten his basic details and quickly created a shadow clone who transformed into the now sleeping guard.

The door leading into the house was locked from the inside but Daichi quickly picked the lock. The two ninjas quietly entered the house and they could sense that they were alone in the room.

"You remember what we were looking for don't you?" Kakashi asked his student in a low voice.

Daichi simply nodded his head in affirmation.

"I have the layout of the building. We'll need to sweep the house quickly and without alerting them of our presence. Let's split up."

Daichi agreed and parted ways from his sensei. Both of them picked a room and quietly slipped inside and the search for the stolen items began.

—-

Daichi quickly and meticulously searched through the rooms he entered. He looked at the small safe and frowned. 'I doubt he'd keep stolen items with his own money. So he must have placed it somewhere else. But on the off chance that I'm wrong…'

Daichi created multiple shadow clones and had them quietly move through the shadows of the house. He began working on the safe while his clones searched the rest.

One clone entered a room that looked more like an office. As he looked around Daichi noticed that there were several papers with letters and numbers with most crossed out and some circled.

'Strange… He was trying to decipher some kind of code. But there doesn't seem to be anything here that's written in code. Maybe…' He looked around and finding nothing else among the many papers, Daichi opened the locked drawer under the desk. His stealth skill was leveling up.

'Jackpot.'

Inside the desk was the book the client wanted retrieved and destroyed. Daichi took the book and inspected it. It was a simple leather bound book with a brown cover. He was tempted to open it but decided against it.

'So this book must have been encoded. He was trying to figure out the code. What's in it? Some business tactics or something else?' Daichi looked at the papers and then shook his head. Figuring out the secret of the book was not part of the mission.

The young Genin created a shadow clone and quickly dispelled it, relaying the news to the real Daichi and everyone else. 'I need to find a jutsu that can relay messages without creating and dispelling a shadow clone.'

Daichi secured the book and left the room. As he looked around he suddenly heard some commotion coming from outside. 'Looks like they found out about that clone.'

The were sounds of people fighting and yelling for a few seconds before everything went quiet. 'Did my clone take care of them or…'

Just as this thought passed through Daichi, the memories of the shadow clone disguised as the guard came to him. 'So the guy I was impersonating was a lefty and since I was using my right hand one of the guys figured it out. And even though I quickly knocked him down a few others saw me and made the commotion… Oh well…'

At that moment Kakashi appeared in front of his student. "I found the client's jewels. Did you get the book?"

Daichi nodded.

"Well then, our work here is done. Let's vanish."

Both ninjas vanished in a pile of leaves the next second and moments later the small villa was crawling with thugs looking to impress their boss.

Butsuba woke up from his sleep due to all the screaming of his men and quickly switched the lights on in the house. 'Damn it. Did someone get in here?'

He quickly went to his safe and found all his valuables there but when he looked for the stolen items he hid in his secret stash he found them missing.

'Damn. Ayama sent someone here. I didn't think he'd find out so soon. That thief must have screwed up and got caught.'

The man quickly rushed to his office and found the book missing and cursed. "Find the intruders. I want them found now." He screamed at his men.

The guards searched every inch of the house but sadly they couldn't find even a hint of Daichi or Kakashi.

—-

"Here are the stolen items. The Jewels and the book." Kakashi gave the items to Denjima and the first thing he inspected was the book. He carefully examined it and a minute later he was satisfied and convinced that it was indeed the real book and not some copy.

He then slightly narrowed his eyes and looked at the two. "You didn't look inside this did you?"

Daichi had a small frown hearing that question but Kakashi was nonchalant. "Not at all. We're professionals and we know how to handle sensitive documents." The Jonin replied in a smooth tone.

Denjima looked at the two for a few moments and nodded his head as if he was satisfied. "Your work is done and you did it splendidly. Thank you. I knew I could count on you leaf ninjas."

Denjima gave a polite smile to the two Leaf Shinobi and gave them the mission completion slip. Daichi and Kakashi quickly left the Inn and made their way back to the leaf village.

As the gamer ninja jumped through the trees he had a question in the back of his mind. 'Why didn't the system issue me an option of opening the book and finding its secrets when it gave me the mission. When I heard what they wanted I thought for sure the system would issue something like open the book and find its secrets or not… I probably would have refused unless the rewards were great but still. The fact that it didn't even show up… It must have been some mundane secret info. Well, mundane from my perspective. When I used 'observe' on the book it showed that it was Nebuma Jido who wrote the book and the information was in code. It said the information could destroy his family if it came to light but nothing more… Must be some sex scandal or business corruption or something. Well, not my concern.'

Daichi didn't give it any more thought and the two ninjas silently made their way back to the village.

—-

Back at the Inn the smile on Denjima's face vanished as soon as the two shinobi were out of his sight. He quickly made his way to the upper floor where his master resided.

The door quickly opened after just a couple of knocks. Ayama Jido was nervous about the whole ordeal but when he saw his faithful servant bring him his book he let out a breath of relief.

"The book has been recovered. But my Lord, what is so important inside it that you're going to destroy it?" Denjima politely asked his master.

Ayama gave a tired smile at that. "Some secrets are best left buried my friend."

Denjima bowed his head and didn't ask anymore. He gave the book to his master and left the room.

Ayama took a lighter and set the edge of the book alight. He walked to the nearby trashcan and threw the burning book inside. As he saw the flames eat away the pages of the book he recalled a certain memory. It was a conversation he had with his late father.

Flashback.

Nebuma Jido, father of Ayama Jido, was lying in his bed sick. He was at the end of his life and he knew it. As he was coming to terms with his life in his final moments his son came into his room.

"What is this?" Ayama asked his dying father in anger as he held a brown book. "I was going through the files and found this a few days ago, hidden beneath the scrolls. I couldn't understand this since it was written in code. At first I thought this was some business deals you wanted to keep secret-"

"Then why did…(cough) did you look.. through them…" Ayama's father asked in a tired sigh.

"I had to know… I know the code used in this book. You taught it to me when I was little after all. So it wasn't that hard to decipher the book. I was expecting some information about our mining operations but this… Tell me it isn't true…" The man's voice slightly cracked at the end.

Nebuma looked down, unable to form words or even look at his son. His silence made Ayama drop the book in disbelief. "I can't believe you… You're a monster."

"It was war time. (Cough cough). I did…(cough) what I had to do to survive." Nebuma took several wheezing breaths and replied.

"And if they ever find out what you did… Even if you're dead… They will come for me and my family…"

The dying man shook his head. "They… won't find… out. That book is… the only proof that exists…"

He looked at shocked Ayama and spoke in a low voice. "I'm sorry… I wasn't… the man you(cough) thought.. I was…" With those last words he took his last breath and life left his eyes.

"Father!" Ayama rushed to his father's bedside but there was nothing he could do.

Flashback End.

Ayama looked at the last few burning embers of the book. 'I should have destroyed this thing that night… If the Leaf village or the Hokage had ever found out that my father helped other villages facilitate the kidnapping of Leaf ninjas during the war, my family and I would have been killed. It was a risk giving this mission to the Leaf shinobi but if I had given it to anyone else and they had become suspicious, then I could have been in big trouble. But my gamble paid off. The past and the sins of my father won't haunt my family anymore.'

—-

Hokage office.

"Mission completed without a problem. Here are the mission reports." Kakashi handed the files to his kage and stepped back.

Daichi got the mission completion reward which was 7000 Exp and it's 15% bonus of 1050 Exp.

"Well done you two." The Hokage replied and then he focused his attention on the Genin in the room.

"Daichi, Kakashi will be unavailable for a few weeks so there won't be any C Rank missions for a while. But you're more than welcome to complete the D Rank missions on your own. And I would also like to see how far you've come with the third step in Change in Chakra Nature of Water at the end of this month."

The young Genin was confused. "If I may ask Lord Hokage, is there any particular reason you wish to see my progress?"

"The scroll I gave you was written by the Second Hokage. The information it contains is quite valuable and I wish to know if you have grasped the concepts in it or if it's simply beyond your reach. That is all… Mastering the Third step is a very difficult agenda…"

The Genin nodded his head. "I understand Lord Hokage. I'll work on the Change in chakra nature and complete a few D Rank missions in between till sensei is free again."

"Good. You're dismissed." Daichi left and Kakashi stood behind.

Once the door to his office closed, Hiruzen became serious.

"What's going on sir?"

The kage took a scroll and tossed it to the Jonin who swiftly caught it. "Kakashi, that scroll has all of Minato's notes on his teleportation jutsu. I need you to study it."

"But sir, I've already tried it years ago. Sensei's teleportation jutsu. The complexity of it. I understood most of its aspects but I just can't use it."

"That variation might be impossible for you to learn but I'm developing a simplified version of the Teleportation jutsu. I will give you the modified technique in a few days. I need you to study this scroll and prepare when the time comes."

The silver haired Jonin was surprised to hear that. "I didn't realize that you had knowledge of space time ninjutsu arts… No offense sir…"

"None taken. And it's not me who's modifying the jutsu but someone else. He is much more versed in the sealing arts…" The kage replied with a chuckle.

'Someone who's good with sealing arts…' "Is it Lord Jiraiya?" The Jonin asked.

"No. I'm afraid I can't divulge his identity."

"I understand sir. I'll prepare."

The old kage nodded and soon dismissed the Jonin. He leaned back in his chair and thought about the next move. 'I need a few trusted and capable Jonin to learn this jutsu. And Kakashi is a good start. If he gets the hang of it I'll give it to the rest of the candidates.'