When Takeshi walked into the room, Haku, dressed in a light pink sleeveless yukata, greeted him with a radiant smile.
"Takeshi, please sit down, the sandwiches will be ready in just a moment."
Even though the two of them had lived together for several years, Takeshi still couldn't help but feel awkward whenever Haku greeted him so warmly.
Beside them, Kimimaro stood up at the right moment and pulled a cushion out from under the table.
Only Yamato continued eating and drinking without even offering a greeting.
"Yamato, if I remember correctly, you're working in the inspection division of the Internal Affairs Department right now, right?"
The corners of Takeshi's mouth curved slightly into a teasing smile as he asked the question out of nowhere to Yamato, who was in the middle of biting into a rice ball.
"Y-yeah..."
Yamato swallowed his food and, seeing Takeshi's smile, suddenly felt a chill run through him despite the warm morning sunlight.
Takeshi's smile—one could never tell whether it meant life or death.
"Nothing, go ahead and eat."
Takeshi still had that same faint smile on his lips, gesturing for Yamato not to be nervous.
But in his mind, he was already recalling who Yamato's direct superior was—he planned to send them a message once work hours began and have Yamato's workload doubled.
...
The official summons from the Daimyō arrived in Konoha two days later than the secret letter from Imagawa Shigeaki.
Along with it came grim news—after his audience with the Daimyō, Imagawa Shigeaki had never left the palace again.
"Looks like the Daimyō has accepted the Akatsuki's overtures and intends to challenge us head-on."
Uchiha Itachi's tone carried tension.
Things had indeed come to this point—something Takeshi had foreseen would happen sooner or later.
Compared to his disciple, Takeshi's expression remained calm and collected.
"Whether it's those artificial humans or Yōwan, as long as the Ōtsutsuki themselves don't make a move, there's still room to maneuver."
An 'artificial human' might have been able to defeat Asuma, but that didn't mean it could overpower every elite ninja of Konoha.
"Then should we still follow the Daimyō's order and go to the palace for an audience?"
Nara Shikaku, who had been silently pondering, seemed to have thought of a possible countermeasure. But before he spoke, he wanted to hear Takeshi's opinion.
"Imagawa Shigeaki being detained means they already know that we know about the artificial humans. Likewise, we also know that they know we know about it. Even so, the Daimyō's office still issued the summons. That means..."
After saying so many words in one breath, Takeshi paused briefly to catch it.
"It means both sides have laid their cards on the table. The Daimyō's palace will be the stage for our battle."
Then, he shook his head slightly.
"'Battle' might be overstating it. Let's just call it a mini-boss fight."
"They probably plan to wipe us all out in one go."
Shikaku speculated that the enemy's purpose in confronting them openly was precisely to catch all of Konoha's key forces in one trap.
"Or maybe they're waiting for us to leave the village undefended so they can strike again," Itachi added calmly—years of experience had made him a competent decision-maker.
"We'll gamble on it. There's only one artificial human. I'm leaning toward the theory that they plan to annihilate us at the Daimyō's palace."
Takeshi had made his decision.
But... was there really only one?
Shikaku thought about it for a moment, but in the end, kept his doubts to himself.
...
Five days later.
"Your Highness, the Fifth Hokage has arrived outside the city walls. Only two guards are visible. Based on the illustrated roster, we've confirmed the two as Jōnin Hakuyun Sōken and Jōnin Uchiha Inaho."
A soldier under the Daimyō's command was reporting the latest intelligence to the Daimyō and the gathered nobles.
"And what about the hidden ones? The Hokage of Konoha wouldn't really come to an audience with only two guards, would she?"
A noble shouted harshly at the soldier below.
"Th-this..."
The soldier trembled, not knowing how to respond.
"Enough. Those people are experts at striking fatally from the shadows. It's perfectly normal that we can't spot them."
A more level-headed noble stepped forward, stopping his peer from further berating the warrior, who was only trained for open combat.
"Your Highness, since the Hokage has arrived, we'll proceed as rehearsed. We'll take our leave first."
The Grand Minister was the first to rise and bow to the Daimyō before taking his leave.
Each generation of Hokage possessed the power to singlehandedly conquer a city. The mere clash with the artificial human would already cause massive destruction.
Naturally, these nobles had no intention of staying at the front lines waiting to get caught in the crossfire.
As the nobles retreated, Takeshi and his group, under the soldiers' watchful eyes, walked through the city gate.
Because the distance between them was still great, the soldiers didn't notice Takeshi's lips moving ever so slightly.
"Everyone, check the communication link."
Uchiha Hikari: "Hmph."
Hiruko: "In position."
Jiraiya: "Received."
Namikaze Minato: "I've reached the front line."
Uchiha Obito: "Relax, everything's under control."
Yamato: "Arriving soon."
Uchiha Fugaku: "It's been a long time since I've gone on a mission outside the village."
Hyūga Hiashi: "Give me a moment."
Unknown Individual 1: "..."
Unknown Individual 2: "..."
Konohagakure — Assemble.
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