As Yuuki strolled through the capital, the Daimyo, while enjoying a dance performance, asked, "Have Kazuma and the others returned?"
"Yes, they have secretly entered the Daimyo's Mansion!" a voice from an unseen location replied to the Daimyo's question.
The Daimyo nodded upon hearing this. "Good, arrange a good position for them. Tomorrow, I will be meeting Konoha's Fifth Hokage."
"Yes, sir."
After that, no more sounds emanated from that corner, and the Daimyo began to happily enjoy the dance.
Inside a small courtyard of the Daimyo's Mansion.
Four individuals dressed as Ninja gathered after the messenger had left.
One of the women spoke to the leader, "Kazuma, I never thought you were one of the Land of Fire's Twelve Guardian Ninja. No wonder you brought us to the Land of Fire's capital. But it seems your assassination attempt on the Daimyo back then wasn't so simple."
Kazuma, who was the leader, felt a headache coming on as Fuu's words caused the other two to look at him with suspicion.
This was the team he had reassembled after his defection. They were all rogue Ninja, united by their dissatisfaction with their respective Ninja villages.
Kazuma, due to his hostility towards Konoha, had gotten along well with the others, but now that Fuu had exposed his identity, things felt a bit awkward.
However, the awkwardness quickly dissipated. The important thing was how to regain the trust of the three, for once morale was lost, the team would be difficult to lead.
After a moment of silent contemplation, Kazuma spoke, "Fuu, and also Fudo and Bu Yuan, you're right, I lied to you back then. I am indeed not a rogue Ninja, but my hatred for the Ninja villages is the same as yours, especially for Konoha."
Seeing their expressions soften slightly, Kazuma continued, "If you are still willing to trust me, stay here with me for a few days. If you are unwilling, you can leave anytime. As companions all these years, I will not leak any of your information."
At this moment, Kazuma could only retreat to advance, giving them the choice. Based on his understanding of the other three, they would most likely not leave.
The other three looked at each other for a while, and then Fuu was the first to speak.
"Forget it, let's stay here. I hear that Konoha's new Fifth Hokage is not only powerful but also very handsome. If we have the chance now, we should definitely see him!"
Kazuma then turned his gaze to the remaining two, Fudo and Bu Yuan, who both agreed to stay as well.
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A day passed quickly.
The next morning, after breakfast, Yuuki led his team into the Daimyo's Mansion.
The Daimyo's Mansion was located at the very center of the capital, occupying a vast area.
Led by a attendant, Yuuki and his group soon arrived in front of the palace.
At this point, the attendant stopped and said to Yuuki, "Hokage-sama of Konoha, only you may enter from here."
Yuuki nodded, took a scroll from a Uchiha clan member, and followed the attendant into the palace.
The interior of the palace was still intricate, with guards everywhere and servants constantly moving back and forth.
Although the route was complex, Yuuki, as a Ninja and even the Hokage, knew that imprinting a map in his mind was an essential Ninja skill.
After walking a long way, Yuuki realized that if he had just turned right instead of left after entering, he would have probably reached the destination much sooner.
When he visited Hiashi back then, he thought their rigid family rules were numerous enough.
It wasn't until today that Yuuki realized how shallow his understanding was.
Just as Yuuki was about to lose his patience, he finally arrived in front of a grand hall.
At this point, the attendant stopped, gestured towards the hall, and bowed slightly, saying, "Hokage-sama, please enter. The Daimyo-sama is already waiting inside."
Yuuki entered without any hesitation or fear.
The entire hall was incredibly spacious, with only one person seated in the very center, flanked by two men and four women standing behind him, clearly his attendants.
However, Yuuki keenly sensed several powerful individuals hidden in the shadows.
This power was relative to non-Ninja village Ninja; in Konoha, they would likely be Special Jonin at best.
It wasn't that Yuuki looked down on outside Ninja. To be honest, non-Ninja village Ninja without a proper system of inheritance all had severe specializations, and in Konoha, they could truly only make it as Special Jonin.
After all, not everyone with a specialization was a Might Guy.
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