The Mizukage's building was right next to the gardens, the guards that Tsukire posted there diligently making their rounds as the young ninja began his investigation. The gardens were small, elevated on a paltform over an artificial lake. One of the dozens that made up Kirigakure's network of canals and reservoirs, the source of the village's persistent mist and its name. Many of them were isolated like this one, but there was a whole network of underwater tunnels and drowned passageways that spread out beneath the village. There were trapped walls around this compound, and though Kakumei was not free to enter the inner chambers as he pleased, he was close enough to Tsukire that he was allowed access to the Mizukage office grounds without much concern. Relatively few in the village had such access- and the ponds and waterways underneath were decidedly sealed from the rest of the city.<br/><br/>He stared into the water... the pond went no more than about seven feet deep and there were no signs of any kind of adulteration. But when he focused his sixth sense to detect chakra... Kakumei felt just barely the hint of a technique. It was used last night, when Tsukire had been at the office. He concentrated further... and he found the techniques to be familiar sensations. One was a form of chakra control enhancing the body, and the other a form of earth release. Other than those faint signatures, there was no other evidence of the culprit's escape...<br/><br/>The chakra control technique was done right at the water's edge... in fact, it seemed to linger in the air above the surface. But the ninjutsu was underwater and several dozen feet ahead towards the edge of the pond and where the wall separated the residence from the rest of the village. At the top, he saw the paper tags that would explode the moment someone got near them... The other side was a pretty sharp drop, meaning it would be difficult to just jump over the whole thing for an ordinary ninja.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">Kakumei detects two chakra activities; both faint. He also identifies two techniques by how their residual chakra feels;<br/><br/>A Chakra Control (Body) technique which costs the user 4 chakra, and a Ninjutsu (Doton) technique which cost the user 1 chakra.<br/><br/>While it would be easy to find that information OOC in the book... actually narrowing down the techniques IC would require a research check and an Encylopedia Shinobi or the time of a more experienced and less focused ninja like Tsukire. ;)</div></div><br/><hr/><br/>Natsumi gave a smile, undoubtedly one she so elegantly practiced. She held the woman's hand and together they walked out of the bath-house. It was an unusual pairing, the ghostly pale kunoichi and her dark and husky partner. One refined and slender, the other stout and chiseled. The ordinary citizens were always staring, though whether it was because of the presence of a Kumogakure ninja in their little town with a local kunoichi or because of Kaede's exposing attire, they couldn't tell. Quite a few of the men were gawking, quick to be admonished by their wives and girlfriends... though some of the women as well were caught staring or embarrassingly averted their gaze.<br/><br/>But that sort of thing wasn't unusual for Kaede. The ninja from Yugakure brought her to a small tavern, two stories tall with an outdoor area that allowed the patrons to avoid the stuffy air and overwhelming smell of a dozen different meals being cooked. They were greeted and seated by a pleasant looking young man and soon Natsumi and Kaede were in the outdoor fenced-in area.  "Wine or tea?" The man asked with an appeasing smile. "Tea. Say, what's the special today?" Natsumi asked, leaning back in her chair brushing her hair. "Ah, lady kunoichi, well, if you stay for awhile, soon Maeda-san will have cooked up a roast pheasant, with hot sauce and-"<br/><br/>"I'll pass on the hot stuff." The woman said, closing her eyes and shrugging. "Excuse me." Another man came up, standing right before them next to the waiter, "Are you... ninja?" He was some kind of laborer or tradesman by the looks of it, wearing a hachimaki over his forehead and worn clothes. Natsumi tapped her own forehead protector, "What do you think?" She asked with a sly grin. He shook his head, looking towards Kaede, "I meant<em>her</em>."<br/><br/>The waiter lifted his eyebrows up and left them to their discussion.