Meanwhile, the five-Jonin investigative team meticulously did their work, noting everything that caught the eye, and above all, the unusualness of this place.
Taito noticed at first glance how the Nakayama Family territory differed from any other he had seen in his long life. Perfectly smooth roads, stone buildings, incredible work tools—all this caught the eye and spurred the group's curiosity.
Upon arriving at the Nakayama Family territory, Taito was almost certain that Abe Keitashi had been killed here, his body found hundreds of kilometers away. And though he had no direct proof of their involvement, circumstantial evidence pointed exactly here.
Initially, he had wanted to conduct the investigation without ceremony, using threats and force to make the guilty confess. However, the display of this organization's power left him no chance for authority or boldness.
He was almost certain the observers wouldn't let his team go anywhere or examine everything they wanted, and this was true only partially. The investigative team was forbidden from entering the fortress territory, but there were no other restrictions.
Harada Taito was greatly surprised when his initiative to question people met no resistance, and the team members split up to selectively interview residents.
Kenshin, in turn, had no fear that the bloodhounds would find anything. All witnesses to Abe Keitashi's arrival on Nakayama Family territory had their memories erased; only a few Genin resisted this ability and were temporarily isolated.
At that moment, no one could have imagined that the subsequent chain of events would lead to an incredible rise for the Nakayama Family and accelerate Kenshin's plans by several months.
"Hey you, come here," the Jonin from the investigative team said authoritatively to a woman hanging laundry in the yard of one of the houses.
"Y-yes, sir..." she bleated frightenedly and clumsily approached him.
"Have you seen any of these? Or heard anything suspicious?" he asked menacingly, showing her miniature portraits of Keitashi and Toshi.
"N-no, sir, I haven't..." she whispered, averting her eyes.
"You know what will happen to you if you lied?" the Jonin asked, raising an eyebrow, noticing the woman's frightened gaze. She was looking at a small boy peeking from around the corner and trying to signal him to hide.
"You. Come here," he said coolly, beckoning the small, disheveled-looking boy.
"S-sir, that's my son, we don't know anything, please..." the woman pleaded frightenedly, only arousing the Jonin more, like a hound on the scent.
"Shut up," he said authoritatively, then turned back to the boy and said: "Come here."
The boy ran frightenedly to his mother and hid behind her back, instinctively sensing great fear of this man. The woman tried to shield her son, but neither her status nor her strength was enough.
"Tell everything you know, or I'll rip his head off," he whispered menacingly, grabbing the boy by the throat and lifting him off the ground.
"N-no, please! Have mercy, sir!" the woman exclaimed, falling to her knees with tears in her eyes.
"Speak!" he growled, unable to control this excited state. He felt that he was on the verge of unraveling the whole matter and had completely forgotten that they were forbidden from harming civilians.
"Let the child go," Kenshin said in an everyday tone, standing behind this Jonin with the sharpest katana pressed to his neck, ready to sever it in one motion.
"Y-you!" the Jonin exclaimed in shock, feeling immense terror. He had completely lost himself in his excitement and hadn't even sensed the enemy's approach, allowing himself to be caught off guard.
Carefully setting the boy on the ground, he slowly turned to face Kenshin and received a powerful kick to the chest that sent him into an uncontrolled flight.
"You need to discipline your people better," Kenshin said with a smile, turning to the rushing Harada Taito.
"Attacking a member of the investigation team is a serious crime!" Harada Taito said resolutely, baring his katana.
"Is that so? First time hearing about such a law on Nakayama Family territory. But what really is a serious crime is attacking our people," Kenshin replied calmly, summoning his elder sons to readiness. Ichiro, Fifteenth, and Twenty Second took convenient attack positions and were ready to charge into battle.
"Your people?! They're just useless peasants!" Taito growled, blazing with anger and feeling a monstrous insult. He saw this situation as grounds for conflict, since no one in their right mind would attack a Jonin over a few pathetic peasants.
"It's not for you to judge their usefulness. And now—I'd ask your people to leave my territory," Kenshin said coolly.
At that moment, the rescued woman couldn't control herself. Clutching the baby to her, trembling with terror, she hid behind Kenshin's back, ignoring etiquette and rules of conduct.
"Aren't you afraid these actions will be seen as obstructing the investigation and indirect confirmation of your involvement in Abe Keitashi's murder?" Taito asked with a hint.
"It's just a response to an attempt to attack my people. Your group doesn't appreciate hospitality, so I'm within my rights to ask you to leave," Kenshin replied relaxedly, placing a hand on the frightened woman's head. She instantly stopped trembling and looked at him with her dull, scared eyes.
The savior's face became almost like the face of the lord for her. In her eyes, Kenshin was so beautiful that she associated him with a divine messenger come to punish sinners and save all the unfortunate.
Harada Taito spent a few seconds thinking and, with a sigh, sheathed his katana, ordering his people to put away their weapons and follow him. He perfectly understood that under the master's watch, these peasants would never say anything and was more than certain of the Nakayama Family's involvement in Abe Keitashi's death.
After the investigation team left Nakayama Family territory, Kenshin finally sighed in relief. He was more than ready to destroy them all but knew that would give formal grounds to summon an Elite Jonin.
The only thing he needed at this stage of development was time. A few months' head start would let him strengthen his positions enough not to fear Elite Jonins. He felt he was on the very edge of a massive boost in defensive capability.
He had no doubt that the tenth level of the "Shelter Creation" ability would be far more useful than all the previous ones combined. That's why he absolutely had to maintain the appearance of propriety and not give official grounds for the Daimyo's forces to act.
Without ironclad proof, any aggression from the Daimyo could be seen by Konoha as provocation and a slap in the face. A small, gaining momentum mercenary organization was of no interest to anyone, but an unpunished strike at vassals couldn't be ignored and would be met with no less harsh retaliation. That's why Harada Taito was forced to sheathe his weapon and swallow his displeasure, not daring to start a bloody battle.