The Kirigakure Morgue

Kitsuki stood outside Kiri's morgue wearing a well-tailored suit and twirling her magnificent custom cane. The gentle-lady went with a bit of a different style today, one that would accentuate her anger and desire to "fix" the situation that the Nightmare Gang had created. She wore a white blouse with suspenders, dark suit pants, and combat heels. Whereas she'd normally be conservative in handling her cane, she was twirling it all about on this cold midnight's eve. It was a manifestation of the inner turmoil she felt. There was a restlessness that no amount of recitations and breathing exercises could cure. It brought her back to the days when she was a delinquent and the feel of a good weapon was all that brought her comfort. Kit chuckled at the irony. How often had she scolded Lily for thinking along the same lines?

Eventually, Kit settled down and rested the cane on her shoulder. She was standing in front of the Defense Coordination Center's Morgue. It was the most likely location that Sayuri had placed Madrigal's body. Kit had searched for it at the original location and it was no longer there. If it wasn't in this morgue then Sayuri was hiding it which would be an awfully stupid thing to do given she had not destroyed Sero's note. Kitsuki was going to examine the body herself and see what she could gleam from it. If Sero or Sayuri had defiled it unnecessarily then it would be probable cause for arrest. If the corpse was mostly in-tact then it'd be a starting point for a more measured strategy. It was approaching midnight and the darkness coupled with the city's misty overcast made it difficult to see who approached along the street. Kitsuki was content to handle this scandal by herself but she decided that now would be a good time to rope in the Uzumaki she had met earlier.

It would be a test. An opportunity to see how loyal he was to her and the stability of the village. What she was about to show him was a secret with major national security implications. It was a risky thing to bring him in on, but hopefully he would be intelligent enough to know the level of trust that she was placing in him. He was going to be very politically powerful soon and she needed allies fast. If Sero had a Princess on his side, then she'd need to build her own network and Esen seemed like a good place to start. He'd be sent a discrete note through clandestine channels telling him to meet her in front of the morgue. No details would be given, just the time, place, and who was requesting his presence.

Let's see what your word is worth Esen Uzumaki...

So far, he had been summoned thrice by the Princess Triumvirate. Once by the Ice Princess, an interesting encounter to say the least and now twice by Kitsuki Kurahasa. When Esen had offered a form of repayment to one Kitsuki Kurahasa, he had not expected to be summoned at the minutes approaching midnight, and far less so in the declared location. The who made the most sense, as he offered his services to the Princess. That would perhaps make more sense if the where had been in a far more fitting environment. Yet, it all confused him when he noted the location of the meeting. The Defense Coordination Center certainly was not a place that he expected to head towards. Given that he had almost been ready to head to bed before the note arriving had requested his presence, Esen ruffled through his closet for some discrete clothing that suited the hour of the night. A grey shirt, red hoodie, black jacket and pants completed the ensemble that would suit him for a midnight stroll, should he ever voluntarily choose to take one.

Esen never had reason to venture to the DCC before, so the journey there in the dark was quite… interesting to say the least. He was not one to get spooked too easily, yet given the circumstances of the discrete summon by one of the three Princess’ seemed to have Esen a bit more on edge. Whatever this favour was that was going to be asked of him, likely wasn’t going to be as simple as completing a mission or fetching a bagel. What exactly it was, Esen remained puzzled, though given the pieces he had in his pocket and what he could piece together, perhaps it was far more important than anything he had expected to do for the Princess specifically.

As he would approach the building, both hands tucked in the pockets of his pants, the hood of his sweatshirt not on, Esen would only make out a figure with an object resting on their shoulder. The frame of the individual seemed to indicate it was Kitsuki, and it was confirmed as he approached closer. The outfit she wore gave Esen the message she meant business, and he could only begin to guess at what the princess wanted out of him.

His eyes would scan the vicinity quickly to see if he could spot anybody else, though considering his average perception, he did not make out anyone except for the princess standing before him. “Kurahasa-sama...” His words were quiet, likely only to be picked up by the woman before him. There was no bow this time, only a nod of his head in acknowledgment. This was a far less formal setting, and though he did not know if they were being watched, he’d at least be a bit more discrete - as obvious as one could be standing before one of the Princess Triumvirate - than the last time he greeted the Princess.

Kitsuki heard Esen approach before she saw him. The darkness and the thick mist only showed a silhouette of someone approaching. She remained silent and still as she waited to confirm it was him that was arriving and not someone else. Any Kiri-Nin aiming to ambush her had to have rocks for brains, but desperate ninja tended to make bad decisions. When Esen finally revealed himself and greeted her, she nodded in acknowledgement before holding up her index finger as though asking him to wait a moment. She closed her eyes and listened in case others were nearby.

She had a heightened sense of hearing but nothing that could replace sensory. She wanted to make sure he wasn't followed or worse yet, that he hadn't brought someone along. She didn't think Esen was disloyal but Headmaster Sukimori told her to trust no one when it came to Hidden Village politics. This was especially true in Kirigakure. Unfortunately, trusting no one was a luxury possessed only by a man with a secret brotherhood to watch his back. Once her suspicions cleared up, Kitsuki opened her eyes and greeted Esen in a low tone.

"I'm glad you answered my call Esen. As I'm sure you remember, I said I'd call on you for your assistance....I just didn't think it'd be this soon."

Kitsuki removed the cane that was resting on her shoulder and placed it upright on the ground with her hands resting on the pommel.

"I'm afraid I need your help with a rather disturbing development with our internal affairs. I need someone good with Fuuinjutsu and I've heard the Uzumaki are natural experts, I also need someone with enough influence to gain someone's trust but not closely connected enough with anyone in government to raise suspicions. You see earlier today I was informed that there had been a fatal accident on the Kirigakure training grounds. A shinobi by the name of Madrigal Hyuuga was killed while sparring with another Kiri shinobi...Madrigal was a transfer from Konoha. He had received his Hokage's blessing to work here as a Kiri ninja under an exchange program. Since we're allies I assume the previous administration saw no issue with this and for once I agree with them. I never met him but according to his files, he was a fine person. No history of trouble. Nothing out of the ordinary. His supposed accidental killer however....."

Kitsuki paused here and took a breath. Remembering Sero and his cave was difficult. The words he had used and the aura he exuded. It was a harrowing experience even for her.

"Sero Jaakuna is another story. I know him. I've met him. He is a very unpleasant person to be around and I mean that quite literally. He has this frightening aura that makes anyone's skin crawl. When I last spoke to him he was living very close to the restricted zone on the Isles of Whispers with some acolytes of his. I don't know how he survives there but he does and he's scared a lot of people in government. I think he used to live in a hospital....some kind of experiment or something. He struck a deal with Haruko Kaguya while she was running things and basically he's been allowed to live there and operate freely. He claims to want to vanquish evil but what he considers "evil" and what he considers "vanquishing" are open to interpretation. I was going to investigate him and his group of followers but then things got nasty at the eastern gates. Since becoming one of the village's leaders I haven't had time to look into them and Sero hasn't done anything worthy of prosecution...at least until recently. While sparring with Madrigal it appears Sero killed him. He did the right thing by reporting the incident right away but I'm not convinced that's all there is to it. You see, one of my fellow Princesses also knows about the incident and has had the body moved to this morgue. Princess Sayuri Yuki, I'm not sure if you've ever met her but if you have, you'd know I don't find it the least bit surprising she's working with Sero."

It was possible Esen had met with the other Princesses but Kitsuki had no way of knowing. It wasn't like they were friends who spent a lot of time together. If anything, they were all rivals with different visions of how Kiri should be run. The only thing that kept them together was a desire to not see the Isles turn into what Suna or Iwa had been for almost a decade.

"If Sero's influence stretches into the Triumvirate then I need to know. If he killed Madrigal and foul play is suspected I need to know that too. His cult presents a danger to this village and after seeing the rise of the Jashinists in Kumo, I don't want him to takeover. That said, we need to do things by the book. I will not harm or arrest him without just cause and that means starting an investigation tonight. I'm going to need your help with a few things starting with the examination Madrigal's body. I know I said I'd ask for your help but this goes beyond merely trading favors. This is a secret war for the soul of our nation and I'm putting my faith in you to join the side of good and help me find up what Sero is up to. So I'm asking you now...will you help me Esen Uzumaki?"

Kitsuki had said a lot. She needed to get the full set of facts out in front of Esen before he accepted or rejected her offer. It was a bit of a leap of faith to trust someone like him but she had to start somewhere. Arisu had turned out to be an alien conqueror just as Zizz had accused her of being. She might enlist the kunoichi but not now. She first had to get someone she could count on on her side. Esen made a good ally for all the reasons he made a good spy. He was outside the traditional military framework, he owed her something, and judging from the meeting he appeared to be a noble and stability-minded soldier. If Esen could be her inside man then she'd have a chance at out-maneuvering Sayuri and finding out what the Princess was really up to.

With his arms in his pockets, and his calm approach and not in an immediate rush to speak up, he would hold his tongue from speaking up further as the Princess would scan the environment herself; probably better attuned to doing such a thing than himself. Esen would remain silent as the Princess would greet him. He shared a similar sentiment to Kitsuki in terms of not being called in this soon, and especially at this hour of the day, but he had given his word, however much weight that truly held. As the Princess began to provide him with far more details about the internal affairs of Kirigakure no Sato, he made note that the Princess required someone good with Fuuinjutsu. It was an easy connection to make with the Uzumaki clan… though Esen himself was not proficient in the skill, currently. So… what the Princess didn’t know, couldn’t hurt him. It was a piece of information that he would keep close to the forefront of his mind when interacting with the Princess in the future. Esen would not deny not knowing about the skill itself, but the Princess seemed to be working under the assumption he knew it… so he would keep things that way.

It seemed Esen was a prime candidate for what Kitsuki wanted to accomplish; someone known, yet not tied to the leadership of the country. As the details were provided to him regarding a shinobi transfer from Konohagakure no Sato and an unfortunate death, Esen wondered what exactly was at play here. An investigation behind the death of someone shouldn’t need to be a top-secret under normal circumstances; perhaps it was not normal circumstances.

The Sero Jaakuna character that was described to Esen seemed intriguing. Someone who had an aura that made a person’s skin crawl was far more interesting. It would certainly have its uses if what Kitsuki described literally happened. Though, it made more sense for it to be figurative. The confounding thought that the Princess meant it literally had Esen’s mind reeling with more questions, but perhaps it could simply be attributed to Kitsuki being afraid of the individual for reasons he did not know. At the mention of Sayuri, a slight tingle would crawl up Esen’s spine, recalling the mission she had taken him on. The blood and carnage of it all, while simple, was enjoyable. It seemed the Princess was speculative of Sayuri, considering she moved the body of this Madrigal character to the morgue. Esen knew, at least at a basic level, what Sayuri was capable of and what she enjoyed, yet moving the body to a morgue did not make much sense to him. “I only know of her in reputation.” Was his response to if he had met the princess before. They had met in person… had been on a mission, but Esen still didn’t truly know the Ice Princess. So it was a little white lie, excluding his only meeting with the Yuki clan head.

The plea for his help was something he could hear. While it was not outright, Esen knew he’d be holding more cards in his hand than he thought he would. For one, one Princess of the Triumvirate was requesting his assistance in investigating a foreign party and seeing how far their influence stretches. He wasn’t sure how Sayuri played into all of this, with the exclusion of moving the body that Sero had killed. Perhaps it was a request from Sero to Sayuri?

“I’ll be of assistance in any way I can Kurahasa-Hime. I’m far more skilled as a medic currently than that of a fuuinjutsu specialist.” Regardless of how Esen felt about the entire scenario, his words were honest. Honest in the way that he would help out the Princess for while it suited him. If an opportunity presented itself to get Esen closer to what he desired, then it wouldn’t be a question of what he would do at that point. “Is it correct of me to be under the assumption that Sayuri and this… Sero character are working together? It simply doesn’t make sense if Sayuri had the body moved if Sero reported the kill unless there was some miscommunication between the two. If they are working together, then I see the reason for caution, but if it’s just this Sero on his own, I don’t really see the need for secrecy if he’s normally not within the village walls.” It made sense to Esen for Sero to often not be within the village, as Kitsuki had mentioned him residing near the Isles of Whispers.

“I’m assuming my help will be required beyond just looking at a dead body.” It was a logical conclusion to draw, for Esen saw no reason for the Princess to employ a Fuuinjutsu or Medical expert to investigate the body. Though… he did foresee a potential problem for himself within the next few minutes if they were to end up looking at a dead body. Whether he could control himself while looking at dried blood remained to be seen.

Kitsuki suppressed a sigh of relief when Esen agreed to help her. She didn't want to make it seem as though she expected anything less than a "Yes." If she was unsure of her own authority then why should he respect it? Even so, she did want to express her gratitude and so she offered a tame "Glad to hear it." With respect to the investigation itself, Esen said that he only knew of Sayuri by reputation and Kitsuki believed him. Until her ascension to the role of Princess, Kit had not heard of her either and before Hana's death, Sayuri hadn't made any super grand public appearances. Kit's working assumption was that Sayuri liked to stick to the shadows and it was from there that she made her plays against the civilized world. If that was the case, then not only did it make sense for Esen not to have met her, it would make it difficult to penetrate her inner circle.

It would take a combination of wits, skill, and luck to get close to her and find out any incriminating information. Esen's assumption regarding Sayuri's ties to Sero indicated that he was indeed the right man for the job.

"That's right...my thinking is that Sayuri and Sero are in this together. Whether one reports to the other or they are co-equal partners is uncertain but I think she had it moved to the morgue for a reason. We're going to find out why. Since Sayuri is wrapped up in all of this, I can't just investigate Sero like I would a normal person. She'd tip him off to anything we did. We can't have that...therefore we must keep this mission top secret."

Kitsuki turned and used a key to enter into the morgue. At such late hours it was closed to most of the military although the leadership of the village was the obvious exception to the rule. Kit walked briskly across the marble floor as she made her way to the stairs. They'd need to go lower if they were to reach where the bodies were kept.

"Your medical skills will be useful....the fuuinjutsu aspect of this investigation can be worked on later...for now, I wanted to loop you in on the major parts of this investigation" Kit walked and talked while occasionally twirling her cane. It was a telltale sign of the stress she felt and it kept her from lighting a cigarette. "Think of yourself as an additional witness and an extra set of eyes. When Arisu and I took down Hana we did it as a team. Two different people working towards the same goal not only aids in its accomplishment, it bolsters credibility as well. If there's something fishy that I'm missing or an angle that you think we should go after, I'm all ears." Kit didn't admit that she was new to all this. It wouldn't necessarily boost the genin's morale. "If you truly believe that Sero and Sayuri are innocent I'm open to that possibility as well...so long as you've done your homework on it. This is about doing what's best for Kiri and having you involved at each step of the process is a big help" Kitsuki didn't intend to flatter Esen, but she did need him to understand his role in all of this. It was crucial that he saw himself as more of a mission partner and less of a lackey.

After descending several flights of stairs, Kitsuki and Esen would arrive at the lower level. The morgue had a medical slant to it and though it was late at night, there were several people in lab coats walking in and out of the holding rooms. Doctors and shinobi alike bowed to the Princess as she walked past. The war had seen scores of dead and thus the place was relatively busy at all hours. Kitsuki stepped into the main holding facility and hopefully Esen would follow. The Head Mortician was a middle aged man with a potbelly, lab coat, and balding hair. He wore a set of spectacles that were too big for his face and he constantly had to push the center up the bridge of his nose. He was ticking off items on a clipboard while seated on a rolling chair when he saw the Princess enter.

Kitsuki briefly examined the room before announcing her presence. There were three metal gurneys in the laboratory-esque room. It looked something akin to this albeit tinted much darker with the main sources of luminescence being the operating headlights. There were rows of cabinets embedded into the wall. Each of the slot-like cabinets contained a corpse that had passed either on the frontlines of the war or inside the village walls themselves. Kit nearly shuddered at the thought that Arisu might have come here to claim their bodies.

"*Ahem*"
"Oh! Princess Kurahasa! What a lovely surprise!"

The main rolled across the room in his chair and leapt out before briskly walking over to them and bowing. Despite his portly appearance, the smoothness and grace of the act indicated that he had been a ninja at one time. He straightened up and gave a shy smile.

"How can I help you today? Looking for one of our heroic fallen? I'm happy to help in anyway that I can"

Kit was normally a friendly girl but she could also be cold when she needed to be. The WASP had taught her how and when to be dainty female company and when to be a feminine boss that suffered no fool. Kitsuki look over to Esen as if to say 'Can you believe this idiot?' She then turned back to the mortician and stared at him with a neutral expression.

"........"

The Head Mortician grew red in the face. He knew that look. It was the look your commanding officer gave you when they knew you were full of shit. Kitsuki, of course, did not know for a fact that this man was surfeited with excrement. She had a hunch that when Sayuri dropped the corpse off at the morgue she had done so in a threatening way. The blonde was beyond scary and if she wanted to hide something from Kit that she couldn't hide from the Mortician then she'd threaten him either outright or subtly. In order to counteract this, the normally ultra-nice Kit had no choice but to play bad cop.

"Princess Kurahasa I'd love to help you but if you don't tell me who or what you're looking for I'm afr-"

Kitsuki took a step towards the Head Mortician. The man immediately took a step back. She kept walking towards him and with a look of determination in her eyes. With each step she took, the mortician backed away. He was now practically running from her and his face had gone from concerned to full blown panic.

"Princess Kurahasa please! If there's something I've done, or can do just please tell me!" He was now babbling and it broke Kit's heart to see a working man in such a frightened state. It was worse that she was the source of his fear but if she was going to get to the bottom of Madrigal's death, she needed him to believe that she was every bit as scary as Sayuri. Reputation could only take her so far. The Head Mortician was now backed into a corner on his desk. He was standing right above his rolling chair. Kit was a good bit shorter than him but it was clear that she was the one in charge here. She put a hand on his shoulder and forced him back down onto the rolling chair. The Head Mortician was now crying. He was convinced that something from his past had come back to haunt him and now he'd share a slot with the many murdered corpses he had studied since medical school.

Kit turned to Esen and hoped he'd be able to read her vibe. Play along. Keeping a strong hand on his shoulder, Kitsuki would finally speak to the blubbering scientist. "Whatever she said to you....whatever she threatened you with.....its nothing compared to what I will do to you if you don't tell me the truth. Where is Madrigal's body? Where are his eyes? What did she have you do with it when she brought them here?"

The Head Mortician was crying loudly and none of his assistants were around to help. They had made themselves scarce early on and were all either trying to look busy in other rooms or listening to the exchange with their ears pressed against the adjacent wall. The man was completely and entirely alone. With no help on the way, he started to crack but then remembered the look in the blonde's eyes "I-I-I......I don't know!" he yelped.

Kitsuki turned to Esen.

"Do you believe him?" she asked.

Esen happened to agree with the logic that Kitsuki presented regarding the partnership formed between the Yuki Princess and the odd entity only known to him as Sero. Whatever reason Sayuri had for moving the body to the morgue and Kitsuki being wary of such a move was something of a concern for Esen. While he did not know the relationship between the two, he figured they were at odds with one another, solely based on Kitsuki’s current disposition on investigating Sayuri. Whatever it was that Kitsuki was tying him up in, Esen currently wasn’t sure if he was glad for the opportunity she unknowingly was presenting him, or if he should be dreading it for the amount of effort he would need to play on his own end. He would be walking on a tightrope until he knew what he wanted to do; not having a full picture and knowing the consequences was what made him wary.

He would continue to follow Kitsuki as they entered the morgue and went down a flight of stairs. “While it certainly is possible that Sero and Sayuri could be innocent in all of this… something clearly isn’t adding up. Sero killed the transfer from Konoha and reported that he killed him. Sayuri had the body moved to the morgue. It seems rather… normal all things considered. I understand your apprehension about Sero, but perhaps it might not need to be delved into too much?” To Esen, everything seemed to be relatively normal, following procedure. Sero killed a man, reported the death and one of the Princess’ had the body moved to the morgue. Perhaps this entire conundrum from Kitsuki due to some paranoia she had when it came to Sero and Sayuri. “Though, with the way you’ve described Sero, perhaps he did do it in cold blood and Sayuri followed procedure to move the body?” It was all speculative, of course. Esen did not have a first-hand account of this Sero character, so he could only base his assumptions off of Kitsuki’s description of the man.

He would follow Kitsuki, about a step behind, as people would bow to her as they made their way to the morgue. The morgue itself was something Esen expected; he had never been here before, but the environment was one that Esen would picture when he thought of the place. The head mortician… Esen did not know what to make of the man as far as appearances went. Esene would simply shrug when Kitsuki directed him a look before they even exchanged words with the man. What Esen certainly did not expect was Kitsuki’s interrogation of the mortician.

The Head Mortician certainly did not provide the answer Kitsuki was looking for and it seemed like Kitsuki wished to play out the interrogation until the information was confirmed. A man forced to tears was something Esen was used to, but it certainly was not due to his hands today. Another look was shot to him and Esen’s nod was his agreement to play along. There were two ways that he could play this, good cop or bad cop… and since Kitsuki had already taken the role that was more enjoyable immediately, Esen would play the other.

Slowly, Esen would make his way towards the mortician, and crouch before him, attempting to peek up at the man’s eyes from his lower position. “Sorry about that. Kitsuki-Hime-sama is just under a lot of pressure and this information is important to our relations with Konohagakure no Sato. Did Princess Sayuri bring in a body anytime recently? He went by the name Madrigal… I’m honestly not sure what he looks like at all. I suppose he had special eyes?” Esen was not sure, he had never met a Hyuga or Madrigal, thus he was at a loss. He would turn to Kitsuki with the question clearly present in his eyes; a description of Madrigal’s eyes. If that information was provided, Esen would turn back to the mortician with a kind smile on his face. “Consider this a secret between the three of us. No one has to know, nor will anything be moved out of the morgue. If anything, you’d be helping out Kirigakure no Sato immensely. You’d be helping us maintain our relations with Konoha, a true hero.” If this did not provide any further answers, and hints at all, then Esen was inclined to believe the man had no answers at all.

Kitsuki asked Esen to be her voice of reason, but she had no idea that he'd start so soon. Even as they descended the steps into the morgue, he was sowing the seeds of doubt in her mind. She didn't complain or blame him for being skeptical of her theory of foul play. They did technically follow the book on reporting Madrigal's death and putting him in the morgue. It wasn't as if Sayuri hid the letter either. Kit furrowed her brow in frustration. She didn't want to arrest them (okay maybe she did) but she couldn't be sure one way or the other without a thorough investigation. She had been meaning to do it for weeks now and Madrigal's untimely demise had presented her with the perfect opportunity to do so. She couldn't be accused of undermining her fellow Princesses when relations with their greatest ally were at stake.

"You could be right about their innocence....and they did follow proper protocol, but if you've ever met Sayuri and Sero you'd know why this investigation has to happen especially when you consider this country's history and the mistakes of other nations that let subversive cults run wild. I don't know if Sero killed Madrigal in cold blood but I do intend on finding out."

Kitsuki hoped that Esen was a smart young man. If he was, then no further explanation would be necessary. Kiri had a dark history of secrets, conspiracies, plots, assassinations, and coups. If they could prevent something horrible from happening by taking preemptive action then why shouldn't they? She would not let the mistakes of her predecessors be her own. She had promised the Headmaster as much and she intended to keep that promise.

The interrogation of the Head Mortician was a reflection of that resolve. The man was scared out of his wits and Kit felt horrible about it, but she had learned that on these Isles strength was respected above all else. However unlike others, she'd wield it for truth and justice rather thanfor personal gain. Esen's reaction was passive, he was going along with things and observing. That was a smart play considering she was taking the more active role. When she asked him if he believed the morgue's chief operator, he declined to answer. Instead, he got close to the Head Mortician and leveled with him directly. He apologized for Kitsuki's aggression and tried to ask the man nicely. The Head Mortician was squirming in his seat under all the pressure, but he said nothing. He tried to persuade the death doctor by appealing to his sense of patriotism and desire for recognition. The man shook his head vigorously and tried to stand up but Kit forced him back into his chair with unthinkable strength. The man's butt collided with the seat with enough force to shake the table he was cornered against.

The Princess gave him a glare and he looked to Esen and saw a way out. He turned to the Uzumaki and whimpered. "Okay, okay....I....I....was working in the lab as I often do when Princess Sayuri came by with the corpse of some young genin. Records identify that he is indeed Madrigal but please please don't tell her I told you anything. She said if I told anyone....." he began to cry. Whatever she had done or said had left him shaken.

Kitsuki pursed her lips but she was patient. She allowed him to get the tears out. He was beginning to crack and if she applied more pressure, he might just clam up again.

"That boy...Madrigal....he was a Hyuuga and possessed the Byakugan, the All-Seeing Eye. Those eyes were preserved by some kind of Ninjutsu native to her bloodline. An ice release preservation technique. She ordered that they be kept separate from the corpse. But that's all! Honest! We didn't do anything to the body! Nothing! I swear!" He appeared to be begging them and Kit's expression softened. She wanted to believe him and she had good cause to. Physical contact with her when she applied even a fraction of her strength was enough to get almost anyone talking. Esen's honeyed words had also helped ply him along. He turned to the Uzumaki "You'll protect me right? If she finds out I told you...."

Kit would allow Esen to answer that one. While her interrogation partner finished up with the mortician, she walked out of the room and proceeded to give orders. Some of the staff had heard of the commotion inside and knew that there would be no "playing dumb" or refusing the Princess. After a brief search, the corpse and eyes would be produced side-by-side. They were carted into the room on two gurneys. A pair of ice cold frozen eye balls and the bleach white drowned body of Madrigal Hyuuga.

Kitsuki walked to the corner of the room, folded her arms, and spoke a final command to the mortician.

"Give my friend here the autopsy report and all of your findings then leave us"

She would need to make it up to this man later. He had done a courageous thing by talking to them and she felt guilty about how intense she was being. Unfortunately, when the fate of the country was at stake, she couldn't afford to be as gentle with him as she was with her ward Lily.

Esen would accept the logic that Kitsuki provided him regarding the questionable nature of Sayuri and Sero, even if he still held his doubts about the entire situation. While the history of Kirigakure no Sato was dark and murky, things could always change on a whim; Esen knew of that from first-hand experience. While his encounter with Sayuri had him skeptical of Sero, considering Sayuri’s personality, Esen still held some doubts about the investigation with Kitsuki. As a genin, Esen had a minimal impact on the political landscape of Kirigakure no Sato, but his position of clan head of the Uzumaki held him in a far higher standing. It was the sole reason he was here, really, and as such Esen would play along with the investigation to see if any fruits came of it for him.

The information the Head Mortician provided was fairly tame as far as Esen was concerned. Madrigal’s body was indeed brought here by Sayuri, though the request to not tell anyone was questionable. Those with the information, Kitsuki specifically, would know the body would be sent to the morgue, so what was the point of threatening the Head Mortician to not tell anyone. That in itself made no sense. If the body was taken to the morgue and then removed, then the threat for secrecy made a lot more sense… just in the current scenario nothing made sense to Esen in regards to Madrigal’s body being in the morgue. It all seemed relatively normal.

The mention of Madrigal being a Hyuuga and possessing the Byakugan, the All-Seeing Eye, was something Esen was completely unaware of. Figuring the Hyuuga were a clan of Konoha and they possessed the Byakugan was the only conclusion he could figure out. As for what the All-Seeing Eye did, Esen had no clue. Why the Head Mortician was panicking at all was confusing for Esen, as they simply wanted to know the whereabouts of the body and had no desire to move the body; unless Kitsuki had other motives, but that was neither here nor there. The threat Sayuri gave to this man was just amounting to a world of confusion for Esen. He would choose to forgo thinking about that further, in order to get to the task at hand.

When the mortician asked for his protection from Sayuri, Esen would simply nod towards the man and provide him with a simple response. “Of course.” Esen would not, his eyes would not look away from the Mortician. “If the Princess Sayuri ever does come to you, inform her the head of the Uzumaki Clan, Esen, was the one requesting the information. If she asks for specifics as to why tell her to find me. I will deal with her.” Whether he could reason with Sayuri if she was unreasonable if she came to him, was a world of consequence that Esen would deal with when the time came. He hoped Kitsuki did not read too much of it on the surface, but rather reached a far-reaching conclusion that Esen did not intend. That he was shifting the suspicion off Kitsuki by shifting it towards himself.

The corpse of Madrigal Hyuuga was brought to them, with the jar of his eyes accompanying the dead body. As the autopsy report was handed to him, Esen briefly skimmed over it. He would approach the corpse and lift the white sheet covering the body. Burn marks covering his entire body. “Do we know if Sero is capable of utilizing katon techniques? The body is burnt entirely.” He confirmed the belief by lifting the head of Madrigal and peeking at his back. The eyes were clearly removed with the intention of preserving them, so it seemed Sayuri wished to preserve them for one reason or another; especially given them being frozen. “The eyes were removed for the purpose of preserving them… yet why were they brought here? It makes no sense to have the eyes removed and brought to the morgue. If they were removed and kept by Sayuri or Sero… then it’d raise more questions, but at least it would make more sense.” As far as Esen was concerned, the eyes could’ve just been left to rot in the corpse, but they clearly had some value. Yet, why were they left at the morgue?

“As far as I can tell, it's all burn marks. It makes sense if Sero was able to use a katon technique that he was unable to avoid. As for whether this was an accident or not, that I cannot tell by looking at the body alone. Either Madrigal was clearly outmatched, or it was an accident gone wrong. It’s a fifty-fifty toss-up if you ask me.” Whether Kitsuki wished for more information or not, Esen did not know. He had only provided information that he was able to gather from looking at the corpse itself.

When Esen agreed to protect the mortician, she'd nod in case the man looked towards her. She was the ranking ninja here and it wouldn't be too surprising if he wanted confirmation from her. She was glad that Esen was as committed to truth and justice as she was. If Sayuri came knocking then the Head Mortician could inform them both. If she took things too far then Kit would have her dead to rights.

When Madrigal's burnt corpse was brought in, Esen didn't even flinch. He removed the sheets and began his inspection. Kitsuki was rather impressed with how he was handling himself. He wasn't easily spooked and he knew how to roll with the punches to get the job done. When he asked if they knew whether Sero possessed Katon, Kitsuki shook her head.

"I don't know but we can and should find out."

She stared at the preserved eyes as Esen questioned why Sayuri had removed them, yet kept them at the morgue. Kitsuki wasn't sure what the answer to that question was either but she had her guesses. "She wanted to preserve them for implantation...as for why here and not anywhere else, she must have been hedging her bets. If she got caught hoarding the eyes of a dead exchange-nin then there'd be little she could do to escape indictment. The only way to find out what her intent was is to get her talking"

Kitsuki walked from her corner of the room to the body. She stared down at the Hyuuga's corpse as she contemplated Esen's words. He couldn't say with a high degree of certainty that the killing was purposeful. It really could have been an accident in which case Madrigal's death was handled with a startling level of fidelity to protocol. Even if things didn't seem to add up, there was only so much she could do with speculation. They needed to dig deeper.

"We can't prosecute them based on suspicions....especially when they did everything else by the book" Kitsuki said truthfully. She wanted to make it clear that she was not upset with the Uzumaki. He had given an honest and fair assessment. That was all she asked for. She knew of no reason why he'd lie for them and his analysis jived with the facts of the situation. Kit wasn't giving up though. If she left it at that and it turned out this cult was a danger to the village, she'd never be able to forgive herself. "We need more. More information." She looked Esen in the eye as a half-baked scheme began to form in her mind. "We have to test them....see what they're really after. I've asked a lot from you Esen but what I'm about to ask you to do is dangerous. I need you to infiltrate Sero's cult and find out if this was all part of some larger scheme. I need you to find out what Sayuri and Sero truly desire for Kirigakure. I can arrange to have you wired for sound with an audio-surveillance Fuuinjutsu. They won't suspect a thing and if you manage to gain their trust, they could reveal things to you that I'd never know"

The Angelic Princess had been very careful in her word choice. He could technically refuse her but she had consciously used language which implied she was giving an order. She was putting the Uzumaki in mortal danger but she was running out of options. Sero and Sayuri would accumulate power if left unmolested and since they were more careful than they seemed, she might not be able to act against them until it was too late. The genin standing before her appeared to have a level of intelligence and maturity a cut above his peers. He was political unknown with no significant background or allegiances. He was the ideal spy and sending him into the lion's den while risky, was bound to pay off.

"We can set up a system where if you think you're in danger, I'll come running. I don't know what those two want but I do know I'm stronger than them" of this Kitsuki was confident. At least confident enough not to show any fear or hesitation in front of her new investigative partner.

When Kitsuki mentioned she did not know if Sero was able to utilize the katon element, Esen knew that it was either Sero who did this or someone he was able to contact that was able to utilize the element. It wasn’t a far-reaching conclusion, but a tame and simple one. Esen had his own thoughts about the eyes and body; if Sayuri truly wanted them for herself and she was working with Sero, then it was simply making sure the body of Madrigal was never found and disposed of in the ocean. Esen was simply here due to a summon, and the investigation beyond that was the Princess’ wish. Her desire for more information was an aspect Esen could respect, likely something he would have done if he were in Kitsuki’s shoes. Her request for him to infiltrate Sero’s ‘cult’ would put him in a precarious position… something he would need to tiptoe along as he went. If Sayuri and Sero were working together… he’d have an easier time getting in, he supposed; if he could use his connection to the Yuki Princess to get his foot in the door. Information was key, it was something Kitsuki was seeking, and possibly something that Sayuri would desire from him, especially with another Princess of the Triumvirate possibly plotting against her.

Being wired with audio-surveillance fuuinjutsu… that was something he could not have happen. Not only could it possibly give up the scheme of Esen getting into the cult… it could hurt Esen should he want to utilize Sayuri, Sero, and possibly his cult. “I don’t think placing an audio-surveillance Fuuinjutsu on my person would be a good idea. We don’t know their numbers, nor if they have anyone specialized in detecting Fuuinjutsu. I think it’s best if I go in on my own and establish a connection. Plus, if they are a cult, as you stated, they’d likely be wary of newcomers, and that would potentially be signing me up for my death.” It was clear Esen disagreed with Kitsuki’s suggestion. The safety concern was secondary to Esen, primary was trying to manipulate the opposition to side with him, should he ever need that connection. “While you being able to intervene would save my life, it’d be a dead-end to gathering any further information. I still believe that if I can infiltrate the organization, that I would be able to blend in with them to gather the necessary information… though it may take some time, if I am frank.”

Kitsuki wasn't going to push the audio-surveillance idea, especially now that she knew Esen was even willing to spy on them at all. He was the one risking his neck and so she'd let him set the terms for this engagement. Kitsuki nodded and assented to his terms with one caveat. "That's fine but your safety is paramount. If I know you're in mortal danger, I won't let you die." Even if it jeopardized the operation, she couldn't leave him to the wolves if he needed help. She wasn't going to force a tracker on him but that didn't mean she didn't have other ways to keep in touch. "I have ways of keeping in touch that cannot be detected but I'll use them sparingly. All I ask is that if you come across useful information, you keep me updated. I don't want to be playing catch up. Otherwise take as long as you need and operate as you see fit. You sound like your willing to take this on and that's a big commitment. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't give you the leeway to run this mission without me micro-managing you." Kitsuki looked back at the corpse and the eyes. This investigation was a dead-end but they weren't stopping here. "I'll have the attendants lock the body and the eyes back up. I'll also keep working on my side of things to pull more information about them. Until we meet again, good luck Esen."

And with that Kitsuki ordered the body to be stowed in secret as it had been before and the preserved eyes to likewise be segregated from the corpse. Kitsuki would then leave the morgue to formally launch a probe into what some might call "The Nightmare Gang"

[Exit]

Esen knew he would be walking a tightrope, the precarious line he was currently crossing could spell his own doom if he wasn’t careful; yet there was far more for him to gain than lose at the current point. He already had an in with the Ice Princess; now with another Princess requesting his assistance, Esen knew that this could be beneficial for him if all the cards worked out in his favour. Caution would be needed when it came to dealing with Sayuri, and especially the enigma that was Sero. Sero would be the one Esen needed to watch out for; the one he knew nothing about. Sayuri, while he did not know much about her, he felt like he knew how he could gain her trust. Kitsuki’s… well, that was a current work in progress, especially with the current mission she had assigned to him.

“I appreciate the concern and will be indebted to you if the need ever arises.” Gratefulness was apparent, hoping it would appeal to Kitsuki in order to strengthen this alliance. “If there ever is anything of interest, especially that would forsake the future of Kirigakure no Sato, you’ll be the first to know. Frequent meetings may raise some caution on the opposing end, so that’ll be something we’ll have to play by ear.”

As Kitsuki entered, Esen released a breath before a grin would form on his features. Step one, complete. Step two and three would be significantly harder, but after that it would be smoother sailing.

[exit]