Shinye was just about to say something when he noticed one of the guards looking at him with sharp eyes, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his lips.
This smile made Shinye shudder all over. "N, nothing. Let's go in for the meeting quickly. The Daimyo will be impatient soon."
He was already drenched in sweat. He was now absolutely certain that the entire Daimyo's palace had been taken control of, controlled by Konoha.
Entering the main hall of the Daimyo's palace, the Daimyo had a full smile on his face. He looked at his advisors and slowly spoke, "Everyone, tomorrow is the full moon banquet for Uchiha Ryun's daughter. We should also prepare ourselves. Don't you agree?"
Shinye stepped forward. "Daimyo, I think it's better not to go too far. Perhaps we should change it to an ordinary gift."
The Daimyo's face showed displeasure. "What is wrong with you? How has your attitude changed so much in just a few days? Could it be that you are afraid of Konoha? Shinye, you truly disappoint me."
"As my most trusted advisor, my chief advisor, I never thought you would be a coward who fears strong authority!"
"Shinye, shut up! My decision is final, do not try to dissuade me again!" The Daimyo of the Land of Wind slammed his hand heavily on the chair, making a loud noise.
The guard narrowed his eyes and began to take notes. Shinye, being clever, noticed the guard's action and began to feel relieved. As long as he wasn't marked down by the guard and didn't offend Uchiha Ryun, then being scolded by the Daimyo was fine.
Who would bother with a dead man walking? Advisor 2 was currently at home recuperating from his injuries and could not attend. If both Shinye and Advisor 2 had advised together, perhaps the Daimyo of the Land of Wind might have reconsidered.
But now, with only one person advising him, he simply didn't care.
"In that case, prepare the 'gift' now. Dispatch the envoys to Konoha. They must open the box in front of everyone at the full moon banquet tomorrow!" The Daimyo's face was now full of malicious amusement, as if he could already see a pile of rotten meat and spoiled fruit disgusting everyone present.
The thought of them being too nauseated to eat made the Daimyo excited.
Shinye, however, snorted coldly in his heart. "Fool, you are truly seeking death!" They discussed some more details about the gift. Every time Shinye was asked, he was always ambiguous, not answering, or saying, "I think it's inappropriate."
This thoroughly disgusted the Daimyo. Why aren't you speaking up? Weren't you full of ideas? But it didn't matter, this was enough.
In the Daimyo's eyes, Shinye's performance today was very poor, and his position as chief advisor fell considerably. He began to miss Advisor 2.
And because Shinye remained silent, the other ministers present also said nothing. They were all from Shinye's faction. If the leader didn't speak, why should they?
Thus, the plans targeting Uchiha Ju's full moon banquet proceeded. Seeing his advisors' silence, the Daimyo ended the meeting.
Shinye left the Daimyo's palace. Along the way, he didn't speak or interact with his colleagues, instead heading straight home.
His colleagues, although puzzled, didn't say anything and went home laughing together. Unbeknownst to them, their every word and action were all recorded by the "guards" of the Daimyo's palace.
Only after Shinye returned home, locked the door, and took a sip of pure water did he relax. Just now in the Daimyo's palace, he had been on tenterhooks, afraid that the "guards" might get angry and directly attack.
The Daimyo's death was a small matter, his own life was the important one! Just as he caught his breath, a beautiful woman walked in from the back hall. "Master, what is wrong with you?"
Looking at his beautiful concubine, Shinye unconsciously relaxed his expression and pulled her into his arms. "I was scared to death today, master. This is the first time in my decades in politics that I have felt a life and death crisis."
The concubine's eyes lit up. A life and death crisis? She had originally been snatched from the common people by this old man and deeply detested Shinye from the bottom of her heart. But for the sake of her own and her family's lives, she had to endure.
Seeing the concubine's curiosity, Shinye initially wanted to speak, but suddenly thought of something and closed his mouth. "It's nothing, just a small matter. You go and do what you need to do first."
After saying this, Shinye returned to his room. Today, he didn't even have the interest to do anything. As for the matter of the Daimyo's palace guards being replaced by Konoha shinobi, the fewer people who knew, the better.
Konoha Village
After the meeting in the Land of Wind's Daimyo palace concluded, all the contents had already been presented in the Hokage's office. Nara Shikaku rubbed the bridge of his nose, a smile playing on his lips. From the messages sent back by the shinobi, it seemed that chief advisor named Shinye was quite interesting. It appeared he had discovered that the Daimyo's palace guards had been replaced by Konoha shinobi. This was clear from his silence or ambiguous statements.
Moreover, Nara Shikaku wasn't worried that Shinye would leak the information. Clever people often know to keep things hidden.
Nara Shikaku dialed the phone and relayed the events of the morning and his own thoughts. Uchiha Ryun listened carefully and seriously. Finally, he said, "That Shinye need not be bothered. Then, dispatch the Anbu within Konoha to capture the people from the Land of Wind's Daimyo palace for me."
"Then have Yamanaka Inoichi personally interrogate the memories of these envoys from the Land of Wind's Daimyo palace. Once the evidence is conclusive, all the shinobi at the Land of Wind's Daimyo palace are to act immediately and tie up the Daimyo for me!" Uchiha Ryun's voice was low, but the resolve within it was...
"Okay, Hokage-sama, I know what to do." After saying this, Nara Shikaku waited for Uchiha Ryun to hang up, then dialed another number. "Hello? Fugaku? This is Nara Shikaku from the Hokage's office...."
Uchiha Fugaku was stunned. After answering the phone, he quickly stood up. "Ah, ah, Hokage Shikaku, what instructions do you have?" Note, one can tell if a person is standing or sitting when answering the phone by the sound.
Hearing Uchiha Fugaku's voice, Shikaku laughed. "Comrade Fugaku, I have a matter here that requires your help to handle. It is Hokage Ryun's order."
"Oh, Hokage Shikaku, please speak. To be of use to you is my honor. I guarantee this matter will be handled beautifully for you and for Hokage Ryun-sama!" Uchiha Fugaku quickly declared his stance.
"Heh, don't be nervous, Comrade Fugaku. This matter is very simple. The people coming from the Land of Wind's Daimyo palace have ill intentions." Nara Shikaku hinted without stating explicitly.
"Yes, Hokage Shikaku. As the head of the Konoha Military Police Force, I have the power and duty to nip any person or matter that could potentially harm Konoha in the bud." Uchiha Fugaku was now quite shrewd; at least, he understood the twists and turns of officialdom quite a bit!
"Heh, Comrade Fugaku, then I'll trouble you with this." Nara Shikaku smiled.
"Leader, I guarantee the mission will be accomplished." As he said this, Uchiha Fugaku even saluted within the Police Department, deliberately letting the sound of the salute transmit over the phone.
"I await your good news." Nara Shikaku hung up the phone. Uchiha Fugaku then let out a sigh of relief, and his eyes lit up. He shouted loudly, "All Military Police Force members, mobilize immediately! A group of terrorists from the Land of Wind are heading towards our Konoha Village."
"We must capture them and hand them over to the Hokage-sama!" Fugaku's voice was magnetic. Everyone present immediately responded, "Yes!"
Over three hundred leaders and officers of the Military Police Force, rushing towards the outskirts of Konoha. Pedestrians on the road seeing this couldn't help but widen their eyes. Had some vicious and ruthless criminal appeared?
Why were so many people dispatched, even their chief Uchiha Fugaku was taking action personally? What on earth had happened?
The envoys from the Land of Wind knew nothing. They had just crossed the border of the Land of Fire.
Then they saw a group of people wearing black uniforms signaling for them to stop. Seeing this, the envoy from the Land of Wind stepped forward and asked, "Who are you, sir!"
Uchiha Fugaku didn't waste words. "Everyone, move! Seize them all! Lock them all up in prison!"
The Land of Wind envoy's pupils constricted. "You, what are you doing! We are here to deliver full moon gifts for the Konoha Hokage, Uchiha Ryun's daughter!"
The Land of Wind envoy still didn't know what was being sent; he thought it was a normal gift delivery. If he had known, he would have rather resigned than make this trip!
Uchiha Fugaku ordered his subordinates to open the boxes. As soon as they were opened, the subordinate couldn't help but vomit. Rotten meat, putrid flesh, with maggots inside!
The smell instantly reached everyone's noses. It was really foul!
Uchiha Fugaku's face turned ashen. Tomorrow was the full moon banquet for his teacher's daughter. If this group of people had opened this box in public, then Uchiha Ryun's face would have been completely shamed!
"You... your Land of Wind is something else!" Fugaku said through gritted teeth. "Everyone, move! Seize them all for me! And these filthy things, pack them up and take them back too."
"Yes!" Faced with the orders of Chief Uchiha Fugaku, no one in the Military Police Force could refuse!
The envoy's face turned deathly pale. Why? He had worked so hard for the Daimyo for so long, why was the Daimyo trying to harm him!
Actually, in the eyes of those in high positions, the lives and deaths of those below them don't matter much. What they care about is whether their own goals are achieved.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind knew that this trip would undoubtedly mean death for the envoy. He had already "invited" the envoy's family in, and before the envoy departed, he said, "You should know what to say and what not to say when the time comes."
"If you return, I will richly reward you. If you do not return, I will raise your wife and children for you, so do not worry." Thinking of these words, the envoy suddenly understood.
He had initially thought the Daimyo of the Land of Wind was benevolent, but now it seemed that he clearly knew it was a certain death situation and, afraid that the envoy might reveal information, had done these things.
Now the envoy's face was deathly gray. He smiled bitterly. The expressions of the other accompanying personnel were also unpleasant. Even if they resisted, they were no match for the Military Police Force.
Soon, everyone was handcuffed and escorted back to Konoha by three hundred police officers.
The moment the mission was completed, Uchiha Fugaku dialed Nara Shikaku's number. Nara Shikaku instructed, "The physical evidence must be preserved."
Uchiha Fugaku hurriedly agreed. Nara Shikaku asked about some specific details and then hung up.
A mocking smile appeared on Nara Shikaku's face. "The mere Land of Wind dares to act recklessly in Konoha Village!" he murmured to himself.
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