Torifu and his companions exchanged glances, and just as he was about to speak, the Third Prince's voice suddenly rang out. "Older brother, I feel like that servant behind you is a little strange."
"Strange?" The First Prince turned to look at Rain. "Not at all. Hasn't he always been like this? He's just a servant, so his expression is normal. You don't need to pay him any mind."
The Third Prince wasn't about to give up. "From the moment we walked in, this servant has had the same expression on his face. He hasn't even blinked. It's not natural."
Torifu watched as the Third Prince spoke nonstop and felt a little confused. This was supposed to be his job. Did the Third Prince somehow know his plan? That was impossible. His puppet had been with the Third Prince for the past few days, and the prince had discussed every little thing with the puppet. Torifu hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. But no matter what, the Third Prince had opened the door perfectly, making it more reasonable for Torifu to speak up.
"Your Highness, I also find your servant to be a bit strange. Perhaps you could let him say something?"
The First Prince frowned. 'Why is even the special envoy Torifu getting involved with my brother?' "Torifu-dono, how can a mere servant like Rain speak at our Uzumaki Clan Meeting? That's an unreasonable request."
But the Third Prince immediately said, "I don't see anything wrong with what the special envoy Torifu said. Just let this Rain say a few words."
The Third Prince was the most valiant among the princes. Although he looked like a brute, his mind was very sharp. A month ago, he had already started to feel that something was off with this Rain, but he hadn't found a suitable opportunity to act. And then, his father's disappearance and his eighth brother's death happened, and with all these things piling up, he didn't have the time to deal with Rain. But after leaving Uzushiogakure, he kept thinking about it and realized something was wrong, which led him to send a request for help to the Hidden Leaf Village. With the Hidden Leaf's support, he felt much more confident. He just never expected that his older brother had also written a letter to the Hidden Leaf for help.
This was the best opportunity he was going to get. He had to speak up. And he was right to bet on it, as the Hidden Leaf ninja named Torifu was truly on his side. In fact, Torifu should have thanked the Third Prince. He was worried that speaking up without being prompted might disrupt the Uzumaki Clan Meeting, and not only would he fail to expose the person controlling the First Prince, but he would also ruin his own reputation. That would have been a great loss.
At this time, all the other princes, except for the Second Prince, all spoke up in agreement with the Third Prince and Torifu's suggestion. The First Prince was now in a difficult position.
The Second Prince then got up and tried to calm everyone down. "My brothers, don't get so agitated. In the past, there has never been a precedent for a servant to speak at our meetings. Doing so would bring shame upon our ancestors."
The Third Prince waved his hand. "Second brother, don't try to play dumb here. We all know you and older brother are working together. Otherwise, we wouldn't have all left this place."
The Second Prince thought he still had a little respect, but he was left speechless after his younger brother called him out. "Fine. If that's how you see me, then I won't say another word." After speaking, he sat down with a look of dejection.
The First Prince saw how insistent his third brother was, that he would even disregard their brotherhood to have Rain speak at the meeting. He was utterly confused. But since the other brothers also agreed, there was nothing he could do. After all, at an Uzumaki Clan Meeting, rank and status were not a factor.
"Rain, since the princes all want you to speak, then say a few words."
As soon as he spoke, the Third Prince, Torifu, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Naori all took a deep breath, waiting for the moment to come. As soon as Rain opened his mouth, he would lose control of the First Prince. At that point, they could immediately stop him!
Rain slowly opened his eyes. His light-blue eyes seemed to hold a turbulent storm. "I am just a mere attendant, a servant to His Highness the First Prince. What do you all want me to say? Why must you force His Highness like this for the sake of a servant like me? He is your older brother."
Damn it! What's going on! The Third Prince and Torifu were both shocked! Because at this moment, the First Prince's expression was very natural, and he was even agreeing with what Rain was saying. Hiruzen and the others were also confused, all giving Torifu a questioning look.
Torifu was also in a daze, wondering if Rain had somehow learned about his plan and found a way to counter it. Just as Torifu's mind was racing to find a solution, Rain spoke again. "Do all of you, the princes and the special envoy, want to know if I am controlling His Highness the First Prince?"
When he heard that, Torifu froze. He immediately looked up at Rain. At that moment, Rain was also looking at Torifu. As their eyes met, Torifu felt a sharp pain in his mind.
"Oh my, what strong resistance."
In that moment, Torifu understood that he had completely underestimated Rain's strength. The attack had been a direct assault on his mind. If he hadn't spent all that time cultivating his mind as a child to control his puppets, he would have been an idiot by now.
Rain then walked behind the First Prince, placed his hands on his shoulders, and half-crouched down. "Your Highness, these people are all traitors. Order the guards to arrest them."
And at that moment, everyone finally saw what Torifu had been talking about. The First Prince's expression was vacant, and his eyes were hollow. He was completely like a puppet without a mind.
"Guards! Arrest all of them!"
The princes looked at their older brother in disbelief. They never expected that their older brother had actually been controlled! The Third Prince angrily pointed at Rain. "I knew you were behind this! Are our father's disappearance and my eighth brother's death also your doing? Where did you take him! You must have killed my eighth brother too!"
Seeing that no guards were coming, Rain pretended to be panicked. "How could I have forgotten that there are no guards at the meeting? What shall I do now..." He then started to laugh. His laugh was filled with cunning and mockery, sending chills down everyone's spines. "It was me. Of course, it was me. My plan would have been so simple to complete, but that old man was too difficult to control. So I had to settle for a backup plan."
After hearing the truth, all the princes were in disbelief, which was then replaced by boundless fury! Their father and brother had disappeared and died because of this measly servant! How could they possibly accept that! Just as they were about to charge up and fight Rain to the death, Hiruzen and the others stopped them in time.
"The Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Whirlpools are allies. Leave this to us."