The food was good, but the person who came afterward... not so much.
A man dressed in white, named Yukimura, suddenly arrived. His smiling expression made Gekko Chizan frown deeply.
"Did the four of you enjoy your meal?"
"My name is Yukimura. I'm the commander of the Daimyō's personal guard."
"In the days ahead, we'll be counting on the four of you to properly defend the Daimyō's mansion."
The three younger ones immediately nodded when they heard that.
Only Gekko Chizan stood up with a smile, casually draping his arm around Yukimura's shoulder.
"Come on now, old man, no need to be so formal. Since we accepted the mission, of course we'll see it through to the end."
"By the way, old man, got anything fun around the Daimyō's mansion?"
"Like... heh, you know what I mean."
Gekko Chizan was very clear on the reason this man had come. He didn't like being passive—he preferred to strike first.
He'd just eaten and had two sips of sake, and the moment he got close to Yukimura, the scent of alcohol wafted out, causing a slight reaction in Yukimura's heart.
Add to that Chizan's suggestive tone, and Yukimura couldn't help feeling smug as he replied:
"Leisure spots like bathhouses are on the eastern side. If you need anything, feel free to go there."
"There won't be any charge."
At the same time, he was thinking: As expected, Gekko Chizan matches the intel—greedy, lecherous, and oh, gotta add fond of booze.
Not even an adult yet and already drinking? Tch tch, he's going to be a walking barrel in the future.
"But still, all of you should prioritize the mission. The Land of Water has been too active lately. The Daimyō's safety is paramount."
"As long as the Daimyō gets through this period safely, the rewards you'll receive won't just be substantial—they'll increase."
This last line was directed squarely at Gekko Chizan. Yukimura didn't take his eyes off Chizan's expression as he said it.
Sure enough, just as he finished, a flicker of excitement flashed across Chizan's face. It vanished quickly, but not before Yukimura caught it.
That pleased him greatly. After all, the greedier Gekko Chizan was, the easier their plan would be to execute.
"Then I'll leave the guarding work in your capable hands."
Having obtained the information he wanted, Yukimura took his leave.
Once he was gone, all traces of the playful smile vanished from Gekko Chizan's face. Even the scent of alcohol was gone.
He was a Jinchūriki. A little alcohol was nothing—he could purge it instantly with a bit of chakra. If not for putting on a show with that old man, would he have even bothered?
"Chizan-sensei, that old guy's got ulterior motives," Kakashi said, having observed the entire encounter.
With his sensory abilities, Kakashi didn't believe that Yukimura was as simple as he appeared.
Gekko Chizan nodded, his gaze toward Kakashi full of praise.
"Not bad. That old man clearly has something up his sleeve."
"Keep up that vigilance, Kakashi. Just because we're in the Daimyō's mansion in the Land of Fire doesn't mean we can let our guard down."
"Besides the threat from Kirigakure, sometimes the most dangerous things come from within."
He turned to the utterly confused Obito and the thoughtful Rin and smiled faintly.
"Obito, if you can't figure it out, then don't bother trying."
"Same goes for you, Rin."
"You two go rest. Kakashi, come with me. We're going on a perimeter patrol."
After all, the mission still had to be done. Who knew when those fools from Kirigakure would show up?
And from what Gekko Chizan knew of Kirigakure, if they moved, it would only be with elite forces. The name "Village of the Bloody Mist" wasn't for nothing. Everyone there had survived through brutal elimination.
...
Outside the castle, Gekko Chizan looked over the defensive lines Kakashi and the others had set up and began making his own adjustments.
As a master of stealth, he went over every weak point and restructured it.
Kakashi simply watched his teacher correct their daytime work like he was grading homework.
There was no denying it—Gekko Chizan was exceptional in this regard. Every flaw they hadn't noticed, he spotted.
"Kakashi, what do you think Yukimura's real goal is?"
"Hmm?"
"It's alright, no one's around. Speak freely."
Kakashi had already guessed that Chizan brought him out to talk about this, though his own observations were limited.
Still, since Chizan asked, he gave his honest thoughts.
"First, the Daimyō's attitude—overly warm and enthusiastic. Then Yukimura suddenly taking an interest in us..."
"It feels like they're scheming something, though maybe not something harmful."
Kakashi had thought it through for a long time before sharing this. The kid had always been sharp—it was no wonder he kept breaking records.
"Not bad. Anything else?"
"That's all."
Gekko Chizan chuckled. Honestly, Kakashi had already exceeded expectations.
"Do you remember the red circle on our mission scroll?"
Instead of following up on Kakashi's answer, he brought up something else.
Kakashi thought for a moment, then nodded. That big red circle had been so striking—how could he forget?
"This proves that the relationship between the village and the Daimyō isn't as peaceful as it seems."
"The Hokage's orders are very clear—we're here to figure out what the Daimyō's mansion is really up to."
There was one more detail he didn't mention. It had been assigned to him alone:
Cause a stir inside the Daimyō's mansion.
"Considering today's encounter with the Daimyō and Yukimura, I'm more convinced than ever."
"If I'm right, the Daimyō's mansion is trying to build its own ninja force, in order to weaken the village's authority."
The words were shocking, and Kakashi froze in place.
"No way. Isn't the village the military power of the Land of Fire?"
"Why would they need a separate ninja force?"
Facing Kakashi's question, Gekko Chizan gave a soft laugh and shook his head.
"You're still young. Once you get older, you'll understand."
"Alright, let's go back. I think we'll be able to get a good night's sleep tonight."
"But the things I told you—don't share them with Obito or Rin. These kinds of worries... it's enough that you know."
Kakashi was speechless. He thought to himself: Why is it enough that he knows?
He didn't want to know either, okay?! He was still a kid! Why did he have to know all this?!
...
"Hmm?"
Just as Gekko Chizan was about to head back, he suddenly sensed a disturbance in the distance.
"Chōmei, Insect Eye."
Activating the Insect Eye, Gekko Chizan stared into the distance.
And there it was—some sneaky figures creeping around.
"Oh? Already scouting the place?"
"Kakashi, looks like I have to take back what I said earlier. Tonight's not going to be a peaceful night after all."
Kakashi clearly didn't understand what he meant.
The next second, Gekko Chizan grabbed him by the collar and the two of them shot off into the night.