"Clang,"
Before Akashi's sword fell on his opponent someone else intervened blocking his strike and saving Tarbely.
"Huh,"
Akashi looked at the samurai in front of him with a raised eyebrow
"Sorry to interrupt your fight, sir," he said sheathing his Katana "I was sent by the Daimyo to find you in urgency,"
Akashi looked at the samurai, who politely bowed his head in front of him with a frown.
'It seems like something happened, It looks like a convocation,' Akashi thought looking at the other samurais on the floor below.
While it happened on the side Tarbely being ignored couldn't help but see red.
"Hey how dare you interrupt us, he is going to pay for what he did to my friends!!" he shouted in anger as the flame around him burned brighter
"snap,"
Before he could make a step another heavy armored samurai sneaked up behind him and put him to sleep with a chopping strike at the neck.
"What's happened?" Arima asked arriving at their level with the others.
"I do not know, I'm just here to escort you,"
They looked at each other earing that response.
"Okay, let's go,"
"I'm waiting for you in the estate," Karin said before they left for the Daimyo castle.
***
Akashi and Arima with Kuroko and Araya behind them arrived in a meeting room where the Daimyo his advisors and a few nobles were waiting for them.
Some were seated with him and a few others were standing a little behind.
'The atmosphere seems a little tense,' Akashi thought before his eyes fell on two people a woman seated and an old man standing whom he recognized at a glance.
'Is that...'
Akashi and Arima shared a look marching forward looking at the people present.
"It's a pleasure seeing you again," Akashi said before they sat in front of him.
"And that must be the Senju princess right?! Tsunade Senju. I heard a lot about you," he greeted
"I unfortunately don't know the others," He said
The Daimyo then presented a few others such as his son Tenzin seated with him and behind him was elder Danzo Shimura of Konoha
Akashi was happy to see that he was still courteous it meant that things weren't that bad, at least in his opinion.
After the presentation, they then focused on the subject at hand.
"Do you know why I asked you to come here as fast as you did?" the Daimyo said
"You look uncharacteristically serious so this is serious which is for you so it must be important! But no we have no idea why you had us escorted here," Arima answered with his usual nonchalance.
"Of course, they are going to deny it," Tenzin said
After receiving the answers he took some stacks of papers who was put in front of them.
Everyone looked at them and their faces changed after reading what was written on them.
"A day ago one of the towns in the land of fire was destroyed and nearly all of the inhabitants were slaughtered, by red-haired ninjas who were identified as members of the Uzumaki clan! What do you have to say about that"
The old Kuroko was the first to talk
"I see. I understand why you called us, unfortunately, master Daimyo we have no insight about that attack, this isn't our doing." He slowly explained
"Oh really," Tenzin said with an angry frown "Because there is an army of Uzumaki running around the world,"
A debate started with Senzin and a few nobles on one side and others like Tsunade trying to appease the tension or either being neutral,"
"There may be actually, after all you know that we lost contact with a lot of our own since the attack on Uzushio," Arima replied
"Oh so that your idea denied and rejected the fault of unidentified assailant, well we identified them they are your kin, that your responsibility,"
"So you agree that it doesn't come from us but still want us to take responsibility,"
"They are your people's actions so you need to take responsibility,"
"This isn't yet proven, that they are our people, do you know how easy it is to take the appearance of other people? Or to change your hair color for a ninja in missions?"
"This is most likely the behavior of ninjas of other countries who do not want us to renew our ties," Araya said with the support of other nobles
"She is right that attack doesn't make any sense from them, it is obvious that we are being set up by our enemies,"
Some of the nobles had understood the situation while others wanted to attribute guilt as inaction could be seen as a sign of weakness.
The discussion continued for a while with Arima and Tenzin the most heated while Araya, Kuroko, the Daimyo, and Tsunade kept their calm as they presented their argument.
While most of them were arguing Akashi just looked at the papers in his hands without saying a word.
"Don't you have anything to say about that young Akashi," The Daimyo finally asked him, he too had barely participated in the discussion.
With the attention of everyone on him, he finally talked
"Well, I very much doubt that so many of my clansmen really attacked that town,"
"And why is that," he questioned curiously
"Because they left witnesses," He said almost nonchalantly which stupefied some of the nobles.
"There is no way that so many of my clansmen attacked a defenseless town and failed to cover their trace properly,"
The way that child talked about a massacre without any emotion chilled the blood of the nobles present,
"At the same time, I understand that you need a culprit for appearance. I'm disposed to bear that burden this time only, how about a discount of two percent on the electronic product we will import here for two years,"
"I assume that the people of Konoha are here for the renewal of our accord so how about the same term for the weapons we will sell them," Akashi said with a smile while the eyes of Danzo and Tsunade opened a little wider as he had saw through one of their goals.
"Sorry, Arima I'm taking your job from you,"
"No worries," he responded
"What do you want in exchange," the Daimyo asked
"Nothing much, a declaration official that there is an organization out there that abducted a bunch of our clansmen and used them to launch an attack on other countries..."
They immediately understood that statement would relieve them of all responsibility if something like that ever happened again
"I want you to help us find and bring back home any of them still outside or captured, starting with the one that your son is keeping captive in his home,"
Hearing what he said everyone's eyes fell on Tenzin who quickly denied it.
"Father, this is a lie, I have no one like that,"
"Shut up," the Daimyo said sharply "continue,"
"Hm, find who really did that attack and framed us, but how about I let you old people talk about those kinds of things, you should get along..."
While he was talking something from his pocket attracted his attention.
Taking out something that looked like an explosive tag he saw a light flashing red before righting appeared on it.
"What's happening the other sprang on their legs seeing it,"
"It Karin, they are being attacked," he said and his words left everyone stunned
After all, they were at the capital of the fire nation, of course, attacks sometimes happened but they are a rare occurrence.
What was even more shocking was that they were discussing an attack a few seconds ago and another was already happening.
"Let's go, we will talk later Master Daimyo," with that they all flicker away.
"I'm going to," said Tsunade followed by Danzo and his men.
"Go see what's happening," At the words of the Daimyo a few other people disappeared in the direction of the Uzumaki estate.
*****
In the estate
Karin who had come back after the event at the restaurant was relaxing in the garden, and Snakyl was sleeping not far away in the bush.
Knowing their strength she wasn't worried about them and was only curious about what they were talking about.
But soon her rest was interrupted, she sprung to her feet when she felt something enter her range of detection.
"Alert we are surrounded!" she exclaimed putting everyone around on high alert.
She took out a piece of paper and made a few handsign and activated the tag to warn Akashi and the others.
While others tried to activate the defense of the estate, it was too late. From the ground, the white Zetsu sprung like flowers, followed by a few other ninjas.
A fierce fight immediately started.
The samurais and the ninjas jumped into action, protecting the weaker dignitaries while repelling the enemies.
While fighting a strange feeling came toward Karin as she saw what was happening.
'What is that strange feeling,' she thought leaping toward the Zetsu closest to her.