Hearing the voices from outside the conference room.
Granny Chiyo was the first to frown, her expression darkening slightly.
That "Kakashi-sensei" told Granny Chiyo that the people outside were from Konoha.
That scoundrel Ebizo actually had contact with Konoha!
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
On the other side, Hyuga Neji suddenly sat bolt upright. Confusion flashed across his face first, then was immediately replaced by fighting spirit.
Being defeated by Naruto during the Chunin Exam — that had always weighed on Hyuga Neji's mind.
One was the so-called genius, Hyuga Neji.
The other was the perennial dead-last, Uzumaki Naruto.
A genius ninja losing to a dead-last — how ironic indeed!
The shift in Hyuga Neji's demeanor was the first thing Hoshigaki Kisame noticed.
"Oh, so you know that noisy brat outside. Makes sense, though — you used to be from Konoha after all."
Hoshigaki Kisame wore an amused expression as he looked at Hyuga Neji.
In Kisame's understanding, Hyuga Neji had always been quiet and composed. For him to show such obvious emotional changes now...
Something must have happened between Hyuga Neji and that kid outside.
Unfortunately, Hyuga Neji clearly had no intention of satisfying Hoshigaki Kisame's curiosity.
"How boring."
Hoshigaki Kisame's lips curled when he saw Hyuga Neji's lack of response. He turned his gaze back toward Granny Chiyo.
Konoha's people were here too.
"Well now, this is getting interesting."
Hoshigaki Kisame rasped with a low laugh.
Click!
With a crisp sound, the conference room doors swung open.
Ebizo stepped in with an apologetic expression. Behind him followed three Konoha shinobi — Kakashi, Yamashiro Aoba, and Naruto.
"My apologies for being late."
Ebizo scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed as he addressed Granny Chiyo.
Hearing the apology in Ebizo's voice, Granny Chiyo's expression shifted several times before she finally let out a soft sigh.
How could Granny Chiyo not understand Ebizo's intentions in specifically bringing Konoha's people here?
Ebizo, eyes narrowed, breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He'd genuinely worried about his sister's stubborn nature.
"Ahem, these are Konoha shinobi. I'll skip the introductions — I'm sure everyone here already knows who they are."
Ebizo gave a light cough and briefly introduced them to the group.
"My, my — Hatake Kakashi, Yamashiro Aoba. Both renowned Jonin of Konoha."
Hoshigaki Kisame studied the two. His words were somewhat exaggerated, but his tone was eerily flat — clearly provocative.
Neither Kakashi nor Yamashiro Aoba showed the slightest reaction.
Kakashi's face was utterly blank, even carrying a hint of languor. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Hoshigaki Kisame and Nagato, his mind automatically pulling up their intelligence profiles.
Hoshigaki Kisame — one of the Seven Swordsmen, wielder of the great sword Samehada, specializes in Water Release Ninjutsu!
Uzumaki Nagato — leader of Amegakure (suspected Amekage), Ninjutsu specialty unknown, both eyes are Sharingan, transplanted from Uchiha Itachi!
When Kakashi's gaze followed past the two and landed on Hyuga Neji behind them, he clearly paused for a moment, but quickly resumed his languid demeanor.
"Hey, this shark-face is really cocky!"
Hearing the provocation in Hoshigaki Kisame's tone, Naruto spoke with obvious irritation.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, Naruto also spotted Hyuga Neji in the back. His eyes went wide.
Naruto even took a step back, raising his hand to point at Neji, an exaggerated look on his face:
"Y-you — what are you doing here!"
Hyuga Neji gave Naruto a flat look, showing no desire to respond.
No one noticed that Neji's hand, hidden below, was clenched tight, as though he were forcibly suppressing his emotions.
Right now, he really wanted to fight Naruto again!
But Hyuga Neji knew full well that the time for that hadn't come yet.
Naruto! That moment will come soon enough — and this time, I absolutely will not lose!
A flash of determination crossed Hyuga Neji's eyes as he made the silent vow.
Seeing that Hyuga Neji wasn't even acknowledging him, a surge of anger rose in Naruto's chest:
"You jerk! Don't you know how worried everyone—"
Halfway through his sentence, Kakashi reached out and placed a hand on Naruto's head, cutting him off.
"Naruto, calm down. This isn't the time for a reunion."
Kakashi glanced at Hyuga Neji, his tone level.
Naruto clenched his fists and shot Neji a fierce glare, swallowing the words he'd been about to say.
"I'm sorry — he's always been like this."
Yamashiro Aoba, who had remained silent until now, wore an apologetic expression as he addressed Granny Chiyo and Ebizo.
Ebizo gave a kindly smile, waving it off as if it didn't matter.
"Even Konoha received the intelligence ahead of time, yet we were the last to know. Ebizo, don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
Granny Chiyo gave a cold snort, her words pointed.
Ebizo laughed awkwardly. Knowing his sister as he did, anything he said right now would be wrong.
"I never expected Konoha to actively offer help to Sunagakure."
When Ebizo didn't reply, Granny Chiyo turned to Kakashi and the others, her tone laced with displeasure.
"Lady Chiyo, this matter involves Uchiha Madara and the Tailed Beasts. Konoha certainly cannot sit idly by."
"As for what happened in the past, we are truly sorry."
Yamashiro Aoba stepped forward, adjusting the sunglasses on his face, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.
Their purpose in coming to Sunagakure was twofold — not only to prevent the One-Tail Jinchuriki from falling into Uchiha Madara's hands, but also to improve the strained relations between Sunagakure and Konoha.
So despite Granny Chiyo's somewhat sarcastic words, both Yamashiro Aoba and Kakashi remained perfectly composed.
Yamashiro Aoba's words softened Granny Chiyo's expression slightly. Ebizo quickly offered seats to Kakashi and the others.
At this point, Kirigakure's people and Konoha's people found themselves seated directly across from each other, making the atmosphere in the conference room feel rather peculiar.
Everyone in the Shinobi World knew that the relationship between Konoha and Kirigakure had deteriorated to an extreme low.
Leaving aside the past grudge between the First Mizukage Yuto and Senju Hashirama.
Kirigakure's recent series of moves against Konoha, combined with Kirigakure inciting the other three great shinobi villages to jointly attack Konoha, had driven their relationship to rock bottom.
If not for Konoha's deep foundations and the revival of Senju Hashirama, Konoha would have suffered losses far beyond "heavy casualties."
Hoshigaki Kisame, Nagato, and Kakashi, Yamashiro Aoba — the two sides exchanged brief glances before looking away.
Kakashi and the others hadn't come here to make trouble for Kirigakure, so they had no desire to let things escalate unnecessarily.
Hoshigaki Kisame's face showed a hint of fighting spirit, but after a moment's consideration, he suppressed it.
He was quite certain that if it came to a fight with Kakashi and Yamashiro Aoba, Nagato might not back him up.
And more importantly — Terumi Mei would not let him off the hook.
After that, the conference room grew busy once more. At regular intervals, Suna ninja entered to report on the situation around Sunagakure.
With Uchiha Madara and their village's Jinchuriki at stake, Granny Chiyo, though outwardly calm, was deeply solemn inside.
Yamashiro Aoba and Kakashi actively offered suggestions, analyzing where and when the enemy might appear.
For a time, it gave many Sunagakure shinobi a strange illusion — as if Konoha's people were their true allies.
[
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