As Akane placed Kenshin's damaged sword carefully in her room, a sudden crash from downstairs broke her train of thought. Her senses heightened immediately, and she rushed downstairs to investigate.
What greeted her was the sight of Kenshin standing near the kitchen, rubbing his temples as he lightly scolded Kaede. Shards of broken dishes lay scattered on the floor around her feet.
"I told you to be careful, Kaede," Kenshin said, his tone firm but not harsh. "These aren't battlefield tools; they're fragile."
Kaede crossed her arms, her expression defiant but tinged with embarrassment. "I'm not used to this… mundane stuff. Before my exile, I was a princess. And it's not like I had ceramic dishes during my exile. I've been alone for eons."
"Well, I suppose you have a point. But you yourself chose to be my servant so," Kenshin replied with a sigh. "You'll need to learn."
Before the situation could escalate further, Yukari stepped in, her calm and motherly demeanor quickly diffusing the tension. "It's alright, Kenshin-sama," she said gently. "Everyone makes mistakes. Kaede-sama, why don't you leave the rest of the dishes to me?"
Kaede's ears twitched, her pride clearly wounded, but she didn't argue. Kenshin exhaled deeply, grateful for Yukari's intervention. "Thanks, Aunt Yukari. I'll owe you one."
Turning back to Kaede, Kenshin said, "Alright, since this clearly isn't your forte, transform into your cat form. You too, Kira."
Kira, who had been watching the scene unfold with a smirk, pouted slightly. "But I was doing fine!"
"Just do it," Kenshin said with a small grin, his tone lighter now. "We need to go somewhere."
Both Kaede and Kira reluctantly transformed into their feline forms. Kenshin picked up Kaede by the scruff of her neck, earning a quiet growl from her, and gestured for Kira to hop onto his shoulder.
"We're going to meet the Hokage," Kenshin announced to the others. "We might be late. Don't wait for us."
With that, he stepped outside, the two cats sitting on his shoulder as he headed toward the Hokage's office.
Kenshin reached the Hokage's office to find the hallway outside unusually quiet, save for the muffled voices of a heated discussion coming from within. The door was slightly ajar, and Kenshin paused just outside, leaning against the wall as he listened.
Inside, Shikaku Nara's calm but firm voice dominated the conversation. "Hokage-sama, I must urge you to reconsider this decision. Danzo's reinstatement, even if limited, is dangerous. He's a criminal, and there's no guarantee that he won't go against you."
Tsunade's voice, sharp and commanding, cut through the debate. "I understand your concerns, Shikaku. But we need to focus on the bigger picture. Danzo's connections and resources are crucial for this particular operation."
Another voice joined in—likely Shikaku again. "And what of this outsider you've placed so much trust in? He's been here less than two months, yet you're relying on his strategies for a matter that could potentially spark a war."
"That outsider," Tsunade replied coolly, "has done more for this village in two months than some shinobi do in lifetimes. The situation with Danzo is proof enough."
There was a murmur of assent and dissent among the gathered Jonin, but Shikaku didn't relent. "No one is disputing his intelligence, Hokage-sama. His quick thinking and strategy during that confrontation with Danzo were remarkable. No one could have predicted that attack, yet he immediately formulated a plan to expose Danzo to us. That level of foresight is rare, especially for someone his age."
Kenshin's lips curled into a faint smirk as he heard the begrudging compliment.
"But," Shikaku continued, "he's still a child. He doesn't know our ANBU. They are more than capable of handling this mission. There's no need to involve criminals—especially not the Akatsuki. Using them to assassinate the Grass leader and rescue the former daimyo is too risky."
Tsunade's chair creaked as she leaned forward. "That's exactly the point, Shikaku. We don't know what this jutsu is or what it's capable of. If our ANBU are compromised, it will escalate into war. The Akatsuki, as criminals, provide plausible deniability. If things go wrong, the Leaf won't bear the blame."
A heavy silence filled the room before another voice, soft and cautious, broke it. Yuki. "Hokage-sama, who will oversee this operation? Surely it'll be someone capable?"
Tsunade hesitated. "I haven't decided yet."
At that moment, Kenshin stepped into the room. His presence immediately shifted the atmosphere. "Am I interrupting?" he asked casually, his dark eyes scanning the room.
The Jonin turned to look at him, some with curiosity, others with varying degrees of skepticism. Kenshin's gaze landed on Yuki, and his expression softened into a warm smile. "Sensei," he said, his tone light and friendly, "it's been a while."
Yuki stiffened, her hand twitching slightly as she averted her gaze. But after a moment, she forced herself to meet his eyes, returning his smile with one of her own—though it lacked the usual warmth. Kenshin noticed the faint tension in her features but said nothing.
Only a few in the room, including Kakashi and Asuma, caught the subtle exchange. Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed slightly in thought, while Asuma's expression turned serious for a fleeting moment before returning to neutrality.
Tsunade cleared her throat, her sharp eyes narrowing at Kenshin. "You sure took your time," she said, though there was no real bite in her tone.
Kenshin shrugged nonchalantly. "My apologies, Hokage-sama. I got caught up in some family stuff. And I thought it best not to interrupt such a lively discussion."
Shikaku frowned slightly, studying Kenshin as the younger shinobi stepped further into the room. "You must have heard our discussion. You don't need to act like that."
"Really?" Kenshin asked, raising an eyebrow. "In that case, I suppose I need to convince you of my plan."
Kenshin's smirk faded into a more thoughtful expression as he took a step further into the office, looking around at the gathered Jonin.
His gaze passed over Shikaku, settling briefly on Yuki, who seemed to tense ever so slightly before meeting his eyes. Kenshin continued, making a show of considering his next words carefully.
"Alright," he began, his tone polite yet steady, "this doesn't happen every day, so feel free to correct me if I miss something."
His eyes scanned the room with a subtle hint of deference, though his confidence didn't waver. "It's not every day I get to address so many Jonin. I've heard about most of you."
There was a subtle murmur of acknowledgment in the room. Kenshin continued, the casual tone returning as he broached his next point.
"Well, since we're all aware of the … incident in the Hidden Grass," he began, glancing at Yuki, whose lips tightened slightly, "We can safely say that they're hiding something. A leader of any hidden village wouldn't just let the killer of his own son walk out without any repercussions."
Kenshin's voice remained detached, almost as though he were discussing another person altogether.
Yuki's gaze averted slightly, and her fingers twitched as a moment of unease flickered through her features, though she forced herself to stay composed. This subtle reaction was lost on everyone except Kakashi and Asuma, both of whom exchanged a brief, unreadable glance.
"On top of that, the secret message from the previous Grass daimyo sent to the Land of Fire's daimyo confirmed it. The Hidden Grass leader has both forbidden jutsu and an alliance with the Hidden Stone and Cloud.
This puts the Leaf in a delicate position, as their combined power presents a very real threat to us. Especially since the leaf's Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki is not present at the moment. And we'd be potentially facing the two tails, four tails, and eight tails in case of a conflict."
Shikaku's brows drew together, his calm gaze holding a hint of impatience. "We're aware of this," he interrupted, folding his arms. "The facts are clear. But that doesn't explain how you can be certain Danzo won't be a liability. We can't take the risk of him acting outside our orders."
Kenshin simply nodded and pulled out a set of parchments, placing them on Tsunade's desk with a small flourish. Tsunade picked up the top parchment, her eyes narrowing at the familiar Uzumaki insignia marked in one corner.
Kenshin noticed her reaction and, with a slight smile, explained, "They're slave seals. Made by the Uzumaki. Once applied, the seal binds the target's will completely to the user's commands. There isn't anyone alive capable of removing it, and I believe you'll find that more than enough to rein in Danzo."
Kenshin's words hung in the air as the Jonin looked to Tsunade, who studied the seals carefully before nodding. She turned back to Shikaku, her expression thoughtful. "It's an unusual measure, but it's a solution."
Shikaku seemed unconvinced, though his expression remained neutral. "And who will oversee this mission, then? Or are we to rely solely on these seals?"
Kenshin inclined his head, his voice serious. "For this operation, Hokage-sama, I request full autonomy. If anything goes wrong or if we're compromised, the responsibility lies with me alone. In the worst case, you can hand me over to them."
There was a beat of silence as his words registered among the Jonin. Only Yuki's quiet intake of breath broke the silence, and she looked up at him with a trace of worry that caught Kakashi's sharp eye. Kenshin, noting her expression, paused briefly before he continued.
"Besides," he added, "I also plan to use this chance to gather intel on the Akatsuki. It can't hurt to have information on their members. I'll be posing as one of Danzo's subordinates, and since the general public isn't aware of his crimes, it's plausible."
Kakashi, however, leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing. "If you're worried about our ANBU being compromised, Kenshin, how will you avoid it yourself? Don't get me wrong, you might be skilled but this is a completely different matter. Especially with your... personal issues with the grass."
Kenshin met his gaze, the faintest hint of a wry smile on his lips. "Kakashi-san, I believe you're aware of my ability. I simply can't die. Even in the off chance that it does comes to that, my summons would take care of my body and ensure no one leaves that place alive."
The room's atmosphere grew tense as a few Jonin exchanged looks of bewilderment. Asuma raised an eyebrow, glancing at Tsunade with an expression that said he hoped Kenshin wasn't exaggerating.
Sensing the confusion, Kenshin elaborated with a casual air, "The two cats I brought with me are my summons. Each of them is roughly Kage-level in power, with the black one"—he tapped his chin thoughtfully—"likely comparable to the First Hokage himself. And if not quite that, she's certainly stronger than any living shinobi today."
The room went quiet, absorbing the enormity of the claim. After a moment, all eyes turned to Tsunade, who nodded slowly, her tone neutral. "While I can't say with certainty whether their power rivals that of the First, they are unquestionably on the level of powerful Kage."
-----------------------------------
Once again, thank you everyone for your continued support and power stones. And as always, please give me your power stones and comment your opinions. They make a big difference and motivate me to write more.