Following the swift footsteps of the Anbu member, Uchiha Ryun quickly arrived at the Hokage Building, the symbol of Konoha Village's power center.
When he stopped in front of the Hokage Building, he noticed someone already waiting quietly at the entrance. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Danzō Shimura!
Danzō Shimura forced a stiff smile and said to Uchiha Ryun, "Ryun, you've finally arrived. The envoys from Kumogakure are upstairs right now, and from what I know, they don't seem to have good intentions."
Hearing this, Uchiha Ryun raised an eyebrow slightly, inwardly surprised that Danzō Shimura would warn him in advance. He asked, "Lord Danzō, what do you mean by this? Is there something more to it?"
Danzō Shimura snorted coldly, his expression growing even darker as he lowered his voice. "Hmph, it's all because Hiruzen is too soft-hearted! There's a good chance that once the Kumogakure envoys apply a little pressure and pretend to back down, Hiruzen will..."
He stopped mid-sentence, but the unspoken implication was clear.
In Danzō Shimura's eyes, how dare Kumogakure send people so boldly to Konoha to make demands? It was sheer arrogance!
And for Hiruzen, the Hokage, to even consider compromising in such a situation was utterly disappointing and infuriating. At this thought, a sharp glint flashed in Danzō Shimura's eyes.
After listening, Uchiha Ryun also furrowed his brows. After a moment of silence, he said slowly, "Lord Danzō, I understand your concerns. If things really go as you predict, I will act decisively and never let those Kumogakure scum succeed!"
Danzō Shimura curled his lips slightly, thinking to himself, 'Ryun is indeed sharp, easily grasping my intentions.'
With that, he cast an approving glance at Uchiha Ryun beside him.
Then, the two walked side by side into the imposing Hokage Building.
They strode steadily down the hallway, heading straight for the Hokage's office on the top floor. Along the way, neither spoke, but there was a tacit understanding between them.
Soon, they arrived at the door of the Hokage's office. After stopping, they exchanged a glance. Uchiha Ryun nodded slightly before politely knocking on the closed door.
"Enter!" A deep, authoritative voice came from inside—none other than the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
With permission granted, Uchiha Ryun and Danzō Shimura pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Upon entering, their eyes immediately fell on Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated behind his desk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also looked up at them, his gaze sweeping over Uchiha Ryun and Danzō Shimura before quickly settling on the Kumogakure envoy standing nearby.
Just this small action instantly made Uchiha Ryun and Danzō Shimura realize the situation. Clearly, the key figure in this meeting was the envoy from Kumogakure.
The two exchanged another glance, both silently wondering, 'Is the problem really with this guy?'
At this moment, Uchiha Ryun maintained his usual faint smile as he slowly turned his gaze toward the Kumogakure envoy.
After a brief inspection, he looked back at Hiruzen Sarutobi, but the Hokage remained silent, as if waiting for him to speak first.
After a short pause, Uchiha Ryun broke the silence and asked respectfully, "Lord Hokage, may I ask why we have been summoned today? Has something major happened?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed twice. "These are envoys from Kumogakure. They say they want an explanation from you. As for the specifics, you can discuss it with them." After saying this, he lit his pipe.
Uchiha Ryun responded with a "Yes!" before turning to the Kumogakure envoy. The envoy also looked at Uchiha Ryun, but the moment their eyes met, he stumbled backward in shock.
In his vision, a spectral image of the Shinigami loomed behind Uchiha Ryun, causing his legs to tremble uncontrollably. He rubbed his eyes frantically, and when he looked again, everything was normal.
"Phew, just scaring myself..." he thought.
"You're the envoy from Kumogakure? What kind of envoy are you? Can you represent A? Or can you represent your entire village?" Uchiha Ryun pressed aggressively.
The envoy's heart skipped a beat. He had never encountered such a negotiation tactic before. What was going on? And how had this escalated to representing Lord A and the entire village?
However, he quickly regained his composure. "This is the waist token of Lord A's son. This is the proof." With that, he took out the waist token and handed it to Uchiha Ryun.
Uchiha Ryun took the token, glanced at it, and then passed it to the Hokage. Hiruzen Sarutobi examined the token, noting the Kumo-nin emblem and the character for "A" engraved on it. He nodded at Uchiha Ryun.
Having received the signal, Uchiha Ryun now had a grasp of the situation. "Then, Envoy, please state your purpose and request for coming to Konoha."
The envoy nodded and then ordered his subordinates to throw out two heads. When the cloth covering them was removed, two familiar faces appeared in Uchiha Ryun's pupils.
He curled his lips disdainfully. "And? What do you want to say?" Uchiha Ryun stared coldly at the envoy.
The envoy smirked and said sternly, "These two were missing-nin from the Land of Lightning. They committed unforgivable crimes long ago and were already struck from our records. The incident involving the theft of your village's bloodline limit has nothing to do with Kumogakure! Please understand this, Lord Hokage and esteemed elders."
After saying this, the envoy bowed deeply. But just as he straightened up to speak again, Uchiha Ryun stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face—Slap!
The envoy was sent flying, spinning twice in midair before crashing to the ground. He was dazed. He had been hit?
"A warrior would rather die than be humiliated! Elder, what is the meaning of this? Are you declaring war on Kumogakure?" the envoy shouted angrily.
Uchiha Ryun sneered. "Oh, so you say it has nothing to do with you, and we're just supposed to believe that? Why should I trust you?" His expression was full of arrogance.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was taken aback. Normally, Ryun wasn't like this—why was he so aggressive today? He had actually struck first!
"This really has nothing to do with us! I..." Before he could finish, another slap landed—Slap!
The envoy spun again, his words now slurred.
"How can you say it has nothing to do with you? Now that they're dead, there's no proof. How can you prove you're innocent?" Uchiha Ryun chuckled coldly.
His words stunned everyone present. They immediately understood Uchiha Ryun's strategy—he had struck first, preempting the Kumogakure envoy's argument and turning the tables.
Now, the Kumogakure envoy was left speechless. Young Lord A had originally planned to use this exact excuse, but Uchiha Ryun had taken it first. What could he do now? He needed an answer immediately!!
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