Takuya couldn't help but laugh in exasperation, his irritation bubbling beneath the surface. He felt a strong urge to kick someone across the room.
"What do you think?" he began.
"You and I nearly blew Kirigakure to pieces. The people there hate us with a passion. What do you think will happen if we just waltz into the village?
Best-case scenario, they don't accuse us of an assassination attempt. Do you seriously think they'd sit down and have a calm, rational conversation with us?
Do you think that's even remotely possible?"
Pakura: "..."
The group of bodyguards: "..."
They all had to admit—Takuya had a point.
Given his history with Kirigakure, even if they managed to meet with Yagura, the Mizukage would undoubtedly suspect Takuya of being there to cause trouble, perhaps even to assassinate someone.
As for discussing a potential alliance?
Not a chance.
"Cough, cough," Yagura cleared his throat, awkwardly scratching his nose. He wisely chose not to respond.
Some things were better left unsaid.
Minato, standing nearby, mimed zipping his lips shut, signaling that he would say no more on the matter.
"Enough with the mime act," Takuya snapped, giving Minato a light shove. "Go notify Tsunade. I'll bring Yagura and the others back to the village myself."
"Got it!"
Minato disappeared in a flash, heading off to deliver the message to Tsunade. As for why he didn't go to the Third Hokage instead, the reason was simple: neither he nor Nawaki had much fondness for the aging leader.
Both preferred to avoid the man whenever possible, lest their inner thoughts slip out and make things awkward.
Going to Tsunade was the more practical choice.
Activating the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato vanished into the forest, reappearing moments later in Konoha. He made a beeline for the Hokage's office.
The ANBU guards at the door recognized Minato and didn't stop him.
Knocking politely, Minato waited.
"Come in," came the Third Hokage's voice.
Opening the door, Minato stepped inside. However, upon realizing Tsunade wasn't present, a flicker of disappointment crossed his face.
The Third Hokage looked up from his paperwork with a warm smile.
"Minato, is there something you need from me?"
"Apologies, Hokage-sama," Minato said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Takuya asked me to inform Tsunade of an important matter, but…"
"You can report to me," the Third Hokage began instinctively but stopped short when he noticed Minato's hesitant expression and the way he specifically mentioned Takuya's name.
"Cough, cough. Tsunade is at the logistics division. You can find her there."
"Understood, Hokage-sama."
Relieved, Minato quickly excused himself, making sure to close the door behind him.
As Minato left, the Third Hokage put down his documents, leaning back in his chair with a heavy sigh.
There was a time when Minato had been one of his most devoted admirers, looking up to him with unshakable reverence.
Now, the younger man could barely stand to be in the same room.
Was I truly in the wrong?
Minato, oblivious to the Third Hokage's inner turmoil, headed straight for the logistics division. Upon finding Tsunade, he explained the situation with Yagura.
Tsunade was taken aback.
Konoha had been planning to send someone to investigate the Third Mizukage, yet here Yagura was, walking straight into their hands.
No wonder Takuya couldn't keep a straight face during the conversation, Tsunade thought.
Yagura must have misinterpreted Takuya's laughter as mockery, thinking he was ridiculing Kirigakure.
"That brat…" Tsunade muttered, shaking her head with a mix of exasperation and amusement.
"I'll handle this. Tell Takuya to bring them directly to the conference room at the Hokage's office," she instructed.
This situation called for a formal meeting with key individuals.
After Minato left, Tsunade sent ANBU operatives to summon Sakumo Hatake, Nara Shikashige (who had recently come out of retirement), and even Choza Akimichi, who had been living a quiet life.
This was shaping up to be a high-level meeting.
Everyone who still held influence, except for the now-disgraced Danzo, was expected to attend.
Those notified by the ANBU, even if perplexed, immediately dropped what they were doing and made their way to the Hokage's office.
Even the supposedly "retired" Nara Shikashige and Choza Akimichi complied without hesitation.
As they walked to the meeting, the burly, bearded Choza grumbled, "Shikashige, what's this all about? Why is Tsunade summoning us old-timers for a high-level meeting?
We're supposed to be retired!"
You're one to talk, Shikashige thought, rolling his eyes.
"I barely had time to settle in after being dragged out of retirement, and here we are again. Maybe I'm just destined to work until I drop dead," he muttered.
"High-level meetings mean something big is happening," Shikashige finally said aloud.
"Big or not, why involve me? I'm not even in charge anymore," Choza grumbled.
Shikashige sighed and chose to ignore him.
Among their old group, Choza had always been the most carefree.
Despite his strength and high rank, he had retired early, dedicating his days to culinary experiments rather than politics.
Unlike Jiraiya, who pursued research of a different sort, Choza's retreat from the public eye was largely for the sake of his clan.
When they arrived at the conference room, most of the attendees were already seated.
The Third Hokage, Tsunade, the elders Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, and Sakumo Hatake were all present.
"Long time no see, Sakumo," Choza greeted warmly, slapping Sakumo on the back as he sat beside him. Completely ignoring the room's tense atmosphere, Choza chuckled, "I hear your son's quite the prodigy.
By the way, don't take Hiruzen too seriously. He can be a bit indecisive at times, but you shouldn't hold it against him. And make sure to support Tsunade—she's carrying a heavy burden."
The Third Hokage: "..."
Did he really just say that in front of me?
Though Choza's words were intended to smooth over the strained relationship between Sakumo and the Third Hokage, they still stung.
"By the way, where's Danzo?" Choza asked, changing the subject when Sakumo responded with a polite smile but said nothing.
"This is not the time for small talk, Choza!" Tsunade snapped, slamming her hands on the table.
"If you're here to reminisce, leave. This is a critical matter, and Danzo has no place in it. You know full well why he's not here."
Choza chuckled nervously, scratching his head. "Alright, alright. No need to get worked up. I was just curious."
He's still a walking minefield, Tsunade thought, glaring at Choza.
As much as she appreciated his casual demeanor, there was no denying that handling him—or any of his generation—was no small feat.
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Next Bonus: 400
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