When the ANBU assigned to monitor the embassy sent word, the Third Hokage had been speaking with his beloved student, Orochimaru—asking what he'd been working on recently, and what he thought of the upcoming negotiations with the Kiri. A long list of questions, one after another.
But what pained the Third most was how distracted Orochimaru seemed. No matter what he asked, the boy's answers felt perfunctory and distant.
Before long, the master and disciple sank into awkward silence.
Just as the Third was considering ending yet another uncomfortable conversation, the ANBU messengers he had dismissed earlier returned, breaking the oppressive stillness. And upon hearing that something had happened at the embassy, the Third—who already felt stifled in his own office—decided to go personally.
Unexpectedly,
Orochimaru requested to accompany him.
A small, reasonable request—one the Third agreed to immediately.
And so, they headed toward the Kirigakure delegation's embassy at full speed.
Orochimaru smiled.
"Kyoichi-kun, since we parted last time, I thought it would be a while before we met again. I didn't expect it to be this soon."
Kyoichi ignored the eerie, inhuman aura surrounding Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, there's nothing between us worth reminiscing about, and I don't have time to waste on nonsense. Elder Anjō, Hokage-sama—this pointless bickering can wait. Our priority is finding the missing person, not arguing about things no one can prove."
Kyoichi shifted his gaze toward the Third Hokage and Elder Anjō Oniyuzu.
Only the Hokage could make decisions here.
As for Anjō—he led the Kiri delegation, and while he could advise, the final say rested with him. If Anjō insisted on butting heads with Konoha and dragged this into a war of accusations, Kyoichi could only follow his command.
Fortunately,
Anjō saw things clearly. He wasn't the sort of old fool who only knew how to stir up trouble. His earlier insistence on demanding "an explanation" was simply to solidify their position as the wronged party—so they could gain leverage in future negotiations.
"Kyoichi is right," Anjō said, picking up the thread. "I lost my composure earlier and spoke too harshly. Hokage-sama, I ask for your understanding. Our first priority is to find Mizushiro. Once we uncover the truth… then we can talk about explanations."
To be honest,
the truth didn't matter much to Anjō.
Yes, his first reaction had been to suspect Konoha. But once he calmed down, he realized Konoha had no reason to target them—least of all Mizushiro, someone so… ordinary.
If Hozuki Mangetsu had vanished,
he might suspect Konoha wanted the Hozuki clan's Hydrification Technique.
If Ringo Ameyuri had vanished,
he might suspect Konoha discovered her Uzumaki lineage.
If Kyoichi had vanished,
he might suspect Konoha feared Kyoichi's rising talent.
But none of them were gone—only Mizushiro, the least remarkable of the group.
If Konoha did do it…
What would they gain?
Mizushiro's sword, the Shibuki?
Or the intelligence inside his head?
As if Mizushiro had any valuable intel. Konoha knew perfectly well what kind of person this newly-appointed Seven Ninja Swordsman was. It made no sense to target him.
Thus, after thinking it through,
Anjō ruled out the possibility that this was Konoha's doing—at least, not under the Third Hokage's orders. If it was Konoha, it was likely the work of an individual or a small faction.
Of course,
there was another possibility:
Mizushiro himself was the problem.
And in Anjō's eyes, that possibility was… quite large.
There were no traces of struggle at the scene. Mizushiro, despite his flaws, had defeated many opponents to earn a place among the Seven Swordsmen. There was no reason anyone could subdue and abduct him without leaving a single mark—unless he left willingly.
But Anjō did not speak this thought aloud.
If he did, Konoha would immediately shift all the blame onto the Kiri.
What mattered was this:
Mizushiro must be the victim.
Even if he left on his own,
then he must have been under a genjutsu.
This way, the Kiri's victim status would be solid, giving them negotiating power later.
And with that,
there was no need to aim for Minato or Orochimaru, the two Hokage candidates—something Anjō honestly had little confidence in achieving anyway.
Now that he thought about it carefully…
Mizushiro's disappearance might not be a bad thing for the Kiri at all.
He knew the thought was dark. If Mizushiro was truly innocent, then Anjō's logic was shameful—even to himself.
But for the good of the village…
Sacrificing one Mizushiro was acceptable.
And if the boy resented him in the afterlife?
So be it.
"Monkey, summon Kenshira."
The Third Hokage issued his order.
There is no right to speak without investigation.
Whether the ultimate truth mattered or not, he needed to know it:
Was this a staged performance by the Kirigakure?
Was it a rogue action by someone within the village?
Or a sabotage attempt by spies from another nation, hoping to disrupt Konoha–Kirigakure negotiations?
If it was the first, the truth would be another bargaining chip in negotiations.
If it was the second,
he needed to pin the blame on spies from another village—and then punish whoever acted without his permission.
If it was the third,
then this proved the village was overdue for a thorough, brutal cleansing.
In any case—
whatever the truth was,
it had to be found.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The ANBU in the monkey mask bowed and immediately sent operatives to bring the ANBU member known as Kenshira.
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