The investigation team arrived on the scene shortly, as Aika had promised.
The team comprised a variety of ninjas, including an Inuzuka and a few anbu. They immediately took to searching every nook and cranny of the carriage, including performing some disturbingly thorough checks of the corpses. They left no stone unturned.
All in all, they found little Iori hadn't: a variety of ninja tools and countless scrolls.
An anbu approached Iori a few minutes later to brief him on the situation, "This is a matter of high importance. Consider everything you know about this carriage under the highest level of classification. You will be brought to the Hokage's office to give your eyewitness report in a few hours. Bring the child with you."
Iori couldn't think of anything to say, so he simply nodded. Accepting that answer the anbu and the rest of the investigation team disappeared, taking almost everything in the cart with them, including the two bodies. Iori was told to return to the village as well. He was to keep the child safe as the report was prepared.
—————
[Hokage's Office - 5 Hours Later]
"Report," Hiruzen ordered.
"The pair was found to be dead when we arrived. Their faces and descriptions matched no one in the bingo book. They had no wounds, injuries, or obvious signs of disease. Their deaths appear to have been caused by a poison which we found traces of within sake bottles hidden in the traveling goods. The ninja tools had an odd design but weren't very suspicious. As for the scrolls, we cannot open them. They have potent seals placed upon them that we believe will destroy the scrolls if they are released improperly. We also could find no trace or reason as to why the pair would've left Sunagakure."
Hiruzen placed his hand on his chin for a moment.
"Not to mention it seems they knew they were dying, meaning they were likely poisoning themselves purposefully. What was the poison?" Hiruzen continued.
"It was found to be a rare plant extract known for breaking down chakra. The substance dissolves it like acid, breaking down a person's chakra network from the inside out, before eventually killing them entirely. The plant only grows in remote areas of the land of wind."
Hiruzen scowled for a moment, sighed, then motioned to have Iori let into the room. Once Iori entered the Hokage turned to speak to him frankly, "I see you have brought the child. Good. Has the child been examined by a physician?"
"Yes Lord Hokage," Iori said nervously, "He was given a clean bill of health, other than the fact that he seemed a bit pale." Iori paused a moment to think. "Oh! Also, I found this," he said, pulling out a small piece of paper, "It was in the child's bed. I assume it's his name."
One of the anbu in the room grabbed it and swiftly handed it to Hiruzen, who straightened it out and read it.
His eyes immediately went wide.
"Hinketsu!" he said, startling Iori with his tone, and the anbu with the name.
The anbu's reactions startled him seven more. He had never seen an anbu flinch, let alone be startled to such a degree.
"You," Hiruzen said, turning to the nearest anbu, "Get me a piece of chakra paper immediately."
The anbu disappeared, before reappearing moments later with a small piece of paper in his hand. He handed it to Hiruzen, who then walked over to Iori and the child.
He gestured for Iori to hold out the child, which he did, and then placed the small piece of chakra paper in the child's tiny hand. He then closed the hand around the paper before making a few simple hand signs and finished by placing two fingers on the back of the baby's palm. Moments later his fears were proven correct.
The chakra paper began to turn red, and a slight scent of iron filled Hiruzen's nostrils.
"The child possesses their kekkai genkai. He is a Hinketsu without question," the Hokage said solemnly.
Hiruzen had never faced a dilemma quite like this before. A political landmine had been placed directly in Konoha's lap, and after the kyubi's attack, they could afford no more bloodshed. War was unlikely, but hunters were not. No clan would let one of their own live in enemy territory let alone one as secretive as the Hinketsu. He didn't know what to do. The safest option would be killing the child, but he could not bring himself to do so. The next safest would be to turn the child over to the Hinketsu, but considering the lengths the child's parents went to to escape that felt worse. Eventually, he decided upon what should be done.
"The boy's family name does not leave this room. Either find a family willing to take him in and give him theirs or send him to an orphanage and come up with a fake one. Make false documents that match up with whichever is chosen."
Iori paled a bit. He had no idea what Hinketsu meant to anyone else in the room, but he knew it had to be serious based on everyone's reactions. After the Hokage's last request though, he decided to speak up a bit.
"I think I know some people who would be willing to take him in."
—————
[30 min later - Saiyō Residence]
Iori closed the door behind him, causing the bell on the door to ring once again.
"I'm sorry this was on such short notice Uncle Toshi, but the situation was - or, rather is - a tad urgent," he said with an apologetic tone.
"I'm just glad you came to visit! With you on patrol we barely see you anymore!" his uncle replied from further in.
Now, Toshiyori Saiyō was not Iori's actual uncle, but he might as well have been. As old friends of his parents, his Uncle Toshi and Aunt Ina would often take care of him whenever his parents had to go on missions. Not only were they friends, but Toshi was originally a member of his parents' ninja squad until he was forced to give up the life due to a bad leg injury. He eventually started a small tea shop in the village where Iori's parents were now regulars.
Iori walked a bit further into the house, walking past bits of furniture and trying to ignore the smell of what appeared to be a failed batch of sweets while cradling the baby in his arms.
"You can wait in the living room!" Toshi called out, "We'll be there in just a minute, just cleaning some tea sets."
Iori did so, sitting down in the living room and waiting until they came in.
The pair was not young, not anymore at least. Both had their fair share of gray hairs that glinted a small bit in the light from the nearby windows. Iori hoped that, despite that, they would still take the boy in.
They sat down and gave Iori a good look.
Which is when they finally noticed the child in his arms.
"Iori, why…" Ina began to ask.
Sensing the question, Iori preempted it, "This… is Kusuri. He was found with his parents in a carriage outside the village. They were dead when I found them. There is more to it, but I can't tell you most of it, only that his actual identity needs to be kept a secret. He… needs someone to take care of him."
Emotion filled their hearts and eyes, they then turned to each other, nodding before answering simultaneously, "We'll do it."
Iori was taken a bit off guard, he wasn't expecting that quick of an answer.
With a mixture of surprise and trepidation, Iori attempted to clarify, "Like I said though, it may not be simple. There are things I don't even know. Not to mention the child will apparently need to be given an entire fake identi-"
"You said that child needs taken care of yes?" Toshi cut him off, "Then we will be happy to do it. Besides," he chuckles a bit, "Without you and Aika around who else will eat all our snacks?"
Iori was a slight bit stunned; he had expected it to be a bit harder than it ended up being. He had also expected it to take longer, so he wasn't really sure what to do now.
"I think I need to take Kusuri back to the Hokage to finish some things up and then I guess that's it."
"Continuing my earlier thought on Aika," Toshi said, pushing aside Iori's last statement, "When are you going to try to move things forward between the two of you?"
"What?!" Iori exclaimed, completely caught off guard, "What does that have to do with-"
"Nothing! But you need to do it sooner or later before someone else does!"
"I'm leaving," Iori announced, clearly flustered.
He stood up and began to leave the house. As soon as the bell on the door rang, Ina turned to her husband.
"I told you Aika would have to be the one to do it," she said, holding out her hand, "Now pay up."
Grumbling, Toshi pulled out two hundred ryo out of his pocket and subsequently handed it to his wife.