At the same time that the Daimyo of the Land of Sea and Jim were discussing the failed plan to create chaos in the Uzumaki village, not far from the Daimyo's mansion, Antares and Makima sat together on the second floor of a large restaurant, gazing out the window. They were in a private room, quietly eating their meal while discussing their next moves.
After a moment of silence, Antares spoke. "Let's go through the information we've gathered so far, and then we'll proceed with the plan."
Makima nodded at his words and began, "The Daimyo, Takeda Nobuharu, has two brothers — the middle one, Takeda Harunobu, and the youngest, Takeda Sachinobu. Both of them are quite ambitious and eager to become the next Daimyo."
She paused briefly before continuing, "Because of that, they have been amassing significant power — whether by raising private armies or recruiting powerful ninjas to serve them. Both are simply waiting for the current Daimyo to show even the slightest sign of weakness. The moment he does, they'll strike, seizing the position of Daimyo like eagles swooping down on their prey."
Antares nodded and said, "Hmm, you're right. But among the two brothers, Takeda Sachinobu and Takeda Harunobu, Sachinobu is the one who stands firmly against the Land of Water. He doesn't wish for the Land of Sea to remain under its influence. In contrast, Takeda Harunobu seeks the Daimyo's seat with the backing of the Land of Water. He's even promised the Daimyo of the Land of Water greater obedience and higher profits, all in exchange for their support in his bid for power."
Makima listened carefully and then replied, "That's true, but there's an issue. Although Takeda Sachinobu opposes the Land of Water, he's still extremely loyal to the Land of Sea. Because of that, keeping him under our control might prove difficult."
After hearing her, Antares gave a slight smirk and said, "You're right about that. But since when have we ever cared whether someone is willing to be under our control or not?" He leaned back slightly and continued, "Besides, with you here, keeping him in line shouldn't be too hard."
He paused for a moment before adding, "Even so, before we make a move, we should meet him first and see how he reacts. If his response turns out favourable to us, we'll proceed with the plan. If not, then we'll have no choice but to take the more drastic step — putting him directly under our control."
Makima silently nodded after hearing Antares's words.
Having made up their minds and finalized what needed to be done next, the two continued eating their lunch. As usual, it was Antares who did most of the eating — most of the dishes were cleared by him alone. His enormous appetite was only natural, considering his powerful physique required a large amount of food to sustain itself.
Once they were done, neither of them left right away. Instead, they decided to stay and rest for a while, letting the afternoon pass quietly. For the sake of secrecy, they planned to meet Takeda Sachinobu later that night.
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In the darkness of night, Antares and Makima quietly approached the mansion of Takeda Sachinobu. They moved with practiced stealth, slipping past the guards and keeping themselves hidden within the shadows. Step by step, they closed the distance to Sachinobu's private chambers.
Beforehand, they had already studied the mansion's layout in detail and knew precisely where his room was located. Moreover, Antares, being a sensory-type ninja, could feel Sachinobu's presence clearly. During their earlier reconnaissance, he had seen Takeda Sachinobu in person and memorized his chakra signature. Now, that very signature guided them toward their target.
Before long, they reached the window of Sachinobu's study room. From a narrow gap between the shutters, they peered inside.
Takeda Sachinobu sat cross-legged on a cushion, a cup of tea resting on the short table in front of him. Across from him sat one of his subordinates, speaking softly. The soft glow of the room's lantern light cast long shadows against the walls as the two conversed.
The subordinate was reporting that the mission in which the Daimyo had cooperated with Kirigakure had ended in complete failure. All the Kirigakure ninjas who had gone to the Uzumaki village as guards for the dignitaries of the Land of Sea were most likely killed by the Uzumaki clan. It appeared that no one had been able to retrieve any information from those four Kirigakure ninjas — meaning they had almost certainly perished.
Hearing this, Takeda Sachinobu clenched his fist, which rested on the table, his knuckles tightening as anger flashed across his face.
"My brother is a complete fool!" he spat. "Why did my father make him the Daimyo just because he was born first? Does he really believe that Kirigakure will protect us — or even can protect us?" His tone grew harsher with every word. "The moment the Uzumaki clan discovers that we were involved in Kirigakure's plan to create chaos in their village, they won't retaliate directly against Kirigakure. After all, Kirigakure is a major power. But us? We are just a small nation — the Land of Sea. The Uzumaki will undoubtedly bring destruction upon us instead."
Antares and Makima exchanged a quick glance and gave a silent nod. In the next instant, both vanished from their position, moving at incredible speed. They slipped soundlessly through the window.
Antares appeared behind the Daimyo's subordinate with a swift, precise motion, Antares delivered a sharp hand chop to the back of the man's neck, knocking him unconscious instantly. The subordinate collapsed without even realizing what had happened.
At the same time, Makima appeared behind Takeda Sachinobu. Pressing a kunai lightly against his neck, she leaned in close and whispered coldly into his ear, "If you move or shout… you die."
Sachinobu froze, his entire body trembling. A wave of terror gripped him as he felt the sheer killing intent radiating from her. He didn't dare utter a single word or even breathe too loudly. In that moment, he understood with absolute certainty that if he tried anything reckless, she would end his life without hesitation.
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