Chương 39: Culprit is caught

"So here is our summoner," Shunsui said calmly as the treasure hunt trail of pink mist ended right at the man sitting on the porch. The rogue shinobi looked up at them with wide eyes. For a split second, he froze. Then he decided it was better to run. He bolted from the swing, trying to escape into the trees. But he was not fast enough. Guy appeared above him in a flash of green, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Dynamic Entry!" Guy's powerful kick slammed into the man's back with incredible force.

The rogue shinobi flew forward like a rag doll and crashed hard into a nearby tree. The impact shook leaves from the branches and left a visible dent in the bark. The man slid down the trunk and landed in a heap on the ground, groaning in pain. Before he could recover, Genma flicked his wrist. Several poison senbon flew through the air and struck the man precisely in the shoulder and thigh. The paralytic poison spread quickly. The rogue shinobi's body stiffened, and he could no longer move his arms or legs.

He lay there helplessly, eyes filled with panic. Shunsui turned to the property owner, Mustace Lement, who immediately tried to distance himself from the situation. The man raised his hands and spoke in a shaky voice.

"I did not know that guy! He must have sneaked onto my property since he was a shinobi. I had nothing to do with this!" Shunsui gave him a polite smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Of course, Mr. Lement. You did not do anything wrong. You did not hire him to terrify your competitor so you could grab his land once he ran away or his business collapsed. Of course not. You are a good, honest citizen of the Land of Fire who would never do such nervous things." The lumberjack nodded along quickly, but his expression froze when Shunsui pulled out several documents from his pocket.

"But you see, I have these papers that a helpful clerk at the town hall generously gave me. They show how you had already asked for the transfer papers of your neighbor's land. You wanted to make sure that once he left, no one else could buy it before you." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"Uh… no… she… umm…" the man staggered over his words, sweat pouring down his face. His confident act completely crumbled. Shunsui continued in the same polite tone.

"Do not worry. We understand. Business is business, right? You just wanted to expand your operations. It is perfectly normal to hire a rogue shinobi to summon a fake monster and scare your neighbor into bankruptcy. Very creative. I almost admire the effort." Clementson's face turned pale.

"Please… I can explain…" Shunsui shook his head.

"We have no time for your mumblings. Let us get you arrested, shall we?" The man tried to run, but Genma's senbon found him before he could take three steps. He collapsed to the ground, paralyzed and defeated. Guy tied him up with strong rope while Choza, who had been watching from the shadows, stepped forward to secure the rogue shinobi as well. The mission was complete.

After sending the criminal to the local prison and completing the official mission report, Team Choza began heading back to the village. The walk through the forest was peaceful now that the tension of the mission had faded. Choza walked at the front, looking proud of his students.

"I am impressed. Very impressed," Choza said.

"I never would have thought to use the blood from the summoning jutsu to track down the summoner, even if I had the means to do so. Good job, Shunsui, figuring out what was going on." Shunsui adjusted his straw hat and shrugged lightly.

"It was not that difficult once I thought about it. The chakra beast was a bear that was not killing anyone. Usually, wild chakra beasts are aggressive and would attack humans on sight. But this one only scared the lumberjack and his workers."

"That made me suspect there was a summoner controlling it. The next thing I wanted to know was whether the summoner was working for himself or had been hired by someone else. That is why I went to the town hall clerk to check land transfer records." Choza listened carefully as they walked.

"Most grown shinobi would have failed to see that connection, and they did, judging from the previous teams that came. But you caught it right away. That kind of thinking is rare. But how did you track the summoner?" Shunsui continued explaining.

"The blood on the grass was fresh enough to use as a medium. Once I activated my Treasure Hunt game, it showed me the direct path. It led straight to the neighboring property. After that, it was just a matter of arresting him." Choza gave Shunsui a long, thoughtful look. He looked the boy up and down, making Shunsui feel slightly uncomfortable under the intense gaze.

"Why are you looking at me like that, sensei?" Shunsui asked.

"Just seeing if you have some Nara in you," Choza said with a chuckle.

"Most grown shinobi would have missed those clues. You put the pieces together like it was nothing."

"Maybe we should do a blood test to see if you are a Nara," Choza joked.

"I am not, sensei. And no more blood tests," Shunsui said grumpily.

"I already had one to see if I was an Uzumaki when they took me to the academy." Choza laughed loudly, his big belly shaking.

"It's not just your analytical ability. Your shikai ability, as you call it, seems way more versatile than me, Shikaku, or even the Hokage had thought. To track down a person using their blood so easily, you could find yourself a good career as a tracker, Shunsui."

"While I am not against tracking, I like the role of a frontline fighter now that I am a shinobi," Shunsui replied. Choza nodded.

"For that, we would have to work on your situational awareness, instincts, and reflexes like you wanted. We will start that training tomorrow."