"Heh heh, Konoha is truly magnificent."
At the main gate of Konoha, the Daimyo Advisor, riding in a carriage with a large retinue, held a fan.
He looked at the towering wooden gate of Konoha and the seemingly endless walls surrounding the entire village, speaking with a sneer.
He didn't deliberately lower his voice, and ninjas are all sharp of hearing and sight.
Kotetsu and Izumo, guarding the gate, naturally heard him. Kotetsu showed displeasure, and he was about to step forward. Before he could take a step, he was pulled back by Izumo beside him.
"Just do your duty. Besides, Kakashi-senpai is here too." Izumo said softly, his tone indifferent.
Hearing this, Kotetsu paused, then looked into the distance. Indeed, Kakashi was slowly approaching, exuding a lazy aura.
The Daimyo Advisor narrowed his eyes, his expression very displeased. After all, Konoha's Hokage had not come out to greet him, and had even sent such an unkempt person.
Kakashi looked at the displeased Daimyo Advisor before him, feeling a bit speechless. To be honest, he didn't want to come for this kind of thing either. Unfortunately, Hiruzen had already given the order, so Kakashi, with no other choice, could only come alone.
"Konoha Jonin Kakashi, representing the Third Hokage, welcomes the Advisor." Kakashi said with deadpan eyes, his tone flat.
Hearing the name Kakashi, the arrogant ninjas accompanying the advisor all looked towards Kakashi. After all, Kakashi had left the Anbu for a not so short time. Under his own name, he had performed missions for a period of time. The reputation of Copy Ninja Kakashi had slowly spread throughout the Ninja World.
"Why didn't your Hokage come?" The Advisor's face was grim. He didn't care if his words would offend anyone and asked directly.
After all, Kakashi before him had come to greet him and he was alone.
"Hokage-sama is busy with affairs. Advisor, please understand." Kakashi replied, his hands in his pockets, his expression unchanging.
Just as the Advisor was about to lose his temper, he was stopped by a ninja beside him.
This ninja whispered a few words into the Advisor's ear, and the Advisor's expression changed. His gaze fell on Kakashi, full of disbelief.
After a long time, the Advisor composed himself and spoke as if unconcerned, "Then I'll trouble you."
Kakashi, meanwhile, focused his gaze on the ninja who had just whispered to the Daimyo Advisor. This was the 'Jonin' that Shikaku had discovered, who had only recently joined the Advisor's retinue.
A ninja who had defected from Kusagakure.
As for his strength, at most, he was only slightly stronger than a Chunin. After all, on the way to Konoha, this Advisor's team had been attacked three times. Although nothing serious happened, it allowed Shikaku to know the strength of all the ninjas in this team.
Of these three attacks, except for the first, the latter two were arranged by Shikaku. There was no other way. The Advisor's team had been swaggering all the way. In the eyes of bandits, this was a plump lamb.
"Please follow me." Kakashi nodded and turned to walk slowly through the gate.
As soon as they entered the Konoha gate, the 'Jonin' beside the Advisor immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
On the rooftops on both sides of the road, there were ninjas dressed in Anbu uniforms. From what he could see, there were no less than ten of them. And their strength was absolutely not to be underestimated.
Kakashi was at the very front. And as if he had just remembered something, he turned his head and said, "Oh, by the way, Hokage-sama was concerned about your safety, Advisor, so he dispatched the Anbu to protect you."
As Kakashi spoke, he pointed to the Anbu standing on the rooftops.
The Advisor nodded, quite satisfied upon hearing this.
See, even the Hokage, who holds a status equal to the Daimyo, had to dispatch forces to protect him.
The 'Jonin' beside the Advisor, seeing that his employer actually believed Kakashi's words implicitly, couldn't help but curse him as an idiot.
Who protects an important person by standing in plain sight?
This was clearly meant to restrict their movements.
No, not only was this person an idiot, he himself was also an idiot. He had been blinded by such a small amount of money and power, and had madly stepped into the Ninja World's number one village.
The 'Jonin' silently cursed himself, thinking that he must escape as soon as possible if he had the chance.
— — —
"Shikaku-senpai, you don't have to do this." Shinji had a helpless expression.
He hadn't expected Hiruzen to educate Shikaku over this matter. This led to Shikaku, after finishing his work, actually paying a visit.
Shikaku shook his head and said, "Shinji, this time it was my own selfish problem. No matter what, I had to come and visit once."
After all, he had indeed been a bit impulsive.
Seeing Shikaku still like this, Shinji could only helplessly change the subject, "Have some tea, Shikaku-senpai."
"By the way, how is Shikamaru's secret technique training coming along recently?"
Shikaku smiled when Shinji mentioned his son. "Not bad. At least that kid isn't as lazy as he used to be."
Although Shikaku knew that a large part of Shikamaru's personality was due to his own issues, he still hoped that Shikamaru could have the youthful vigor he should have. Fortunately, under Shinji's guidance, Shikamaru was at least gradually changing.
Shinji shook his head and said, "Shikamaru is just more mature than his peers and has his own plans."
Shikamaru's dream or the life he wanted, was the greatest pursuit of an ordinary person. Unfortunately, this was the Ninja World, and such pursuits were often the most difficult.
Shikaku chuckled, apparently knowing his son's personality.
Shikaku said to Shinji, "By the way, Shinji, everything else has been arranged."
"Among the arriving team, besides one new face, almost no one has strength exceeding a Chunin."
Although he had already reported to Hiruzen, he still had to tell Shinji.
"Hmm, I've heard sensei mention it." Shinji nodded.
In the past two days, Hiruzen had almost directly made him stay in the Hokage Office.
Teaching him as much as possible until today, when he was finally allowed to leave to make preparations.
Shinji asked curiously, "What's the deal with that Jonin from Kusagakure?"
Although Hiruzen said that this Jonin was a bit overrated, he was still a Jonin. There was no way he would follow an ordinary person just for a little something.
Shikaku picked up his teacup and said slowly, "Someone has already gone to Kusagakure to investigate this person. They said that during a mission, he ordered his subordinates to block the enemy."
"He himself escaped, but he didn't expect one of his subordinates to return to the village with half a life left. Fearing accountability from the village, he chose to become a rogue ninja."
Shinji raised an eyebrow. The Jonin of small ninja villages really were overrated. After all, this kind of behavior, letting subordinates die while he himself escaped...
Although he gained a life, it was basically a disgrace in the Ninja World. No wonder he was willing to humble himself and become a subordinate of this Advisor.