A few days later, the Kirigakure delegation finally arrived in Konoha.
At this time, Ao, acting as Mizukage, stood in the Hokage Building's conference hall with two guards behind him.
Ringo Ameyuri and Mangetsu Hozuki, both wearing Kirigakure forehead protectors, stood silently behind him.
Their twin blades—Ameyuri's Thunder Swords: Kiba, and Mangetsu's dual swords—had been temporarily confiscated by Genma Shiranui and Raido Namiashi upon their entry into the village.
Not only were Genma and Raido stationed at the Konoha gate, but even Aoba Yamashiro was hidden in the shadows, tasked with additional security.
All of this had been arranged the moment Uchiha Hikaru learned of Kirigakure's impending visit.
Although Genma and Raido were officially ranked as Tokubetsu Jonin, and even Aoba was just a Chunin, Uchiha Hikaru never once underestimated them.
After all, the three of them had once been handpicked by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, to serve as his personal guards—ninja trusted enough to be taught the Flying Thunder God Formation.
Before assigning them this mission, Uchiha Hikaru had personally tested their abilities.
As expected, all three had already reached elite Jonin level. Each one's true strength was second only to Kakashi's current level.
If the three of them fought together, not even Kakashi could match them.
Only after confirming this did Uchiha Hikaru entrust them with guarding Konoha's gates during the delegation's stay.
Initially, the hot-tempered Ringo Ameyuri had refused to surrender the Thunder Swords: Kiba.
Before she could resist, however, her hands were immediately restrained by Aoba Yamashiro from the shadows, forcing her to give them up.
Mangetsu, by contrast, saw the situation clearly. He understood that Kirigakure was the defeated side. There was no room for pride here, so he handed over his dual swords without protest.
Besides, he knew Konoha wouldn't keep the blades. Each sword was engraved with a unique Kirigakure summoning seal. Without the proper technique, Konoha couldn't control them. Even if they tried to use sealing techniques to block the spiritual connection, Mangetsu wasn't concerned.
The Uzumaki clan had been nearly wiped out, and Kirigakure had stolen numerous sealing scrolls over the years. As a genius in both ninjutsu and swordsmanship, Mangetsu was confident in his ability to break any seal they applied.
Compared to Mangetsu's calm, and Ameyuri's simmering restlessness, Ao sat stiffly at the table, haunted by the memory of the massive Susanoo.
Now he was just sitting there, waiting for him.
He was terrified of facing Uchiha Hikaru again.
But at the same time… he wanted it over with.
The waiting, the uncertainty, the torment—it was unbearable.
After the war, Kirigakure was in shambles.
Already in a transitional period, now they were on the brink of collapse.
Many of their ninjas had died in the battle, and two of the most promising—Mei Terumi and Kisame Hoshigaki—had been captured by Konoha.
As for Mangetsu and Ameyuri, both were chronically ill with inherited bloodline diseases. If there had been other strong candidates, Ao would never have dragged them out of their sickbeds for this.
And the Demon Zabuza? Though powerful, he lacked a blade. The Executioner's Blade would have suited him, but it had been taken by Biwa Juzo when he defected, and its whereabouts were now unknown.
Just thinking about it gave Ao a migraine.
The only consolation came from the elder, Master Genji, who had supported Ao this time around and set just one bottom-line condition for the negotiations:
Bring Mei Terumi back.
Everything else—however outrageous—could be negotiated, so long as it didn't involve territorial concessions or demands outside Kirigakure's threshold.
That gave Ao some comfort.
After all, a village couldn't function without a leader. And right now, only Mei Terumi had the strength and presence to lead. Most of the others were dead, missing, or bedridden...
An hour passed.
Ringo Ameyuri was visibly growing impatient. At last, she snapped.
"Where the hell is Konoha's negotiator!?" she shouted.
"Don't tell me they're so scared they're hiding from us?!"
"Get out here already!"
Ao's heart stopped.
It was the sound of a cardiac arrest… or at least that's what it felt like.
It's over…
He'd just begun hoping the representative might be late—maybe the delay was a good sign…
But then—
Bang!
The door of the conference room slammed open, ricocheting off the wall with a heavy crack.
No no no no no no no—
Ao prayed silently.
Please don't let it be Uchiha Hikaru. Please don't let it be him. Please don't let it be him…
Then…
Shizune stepped into the room.
Ao saw the black-clad woman and let out a deep sigh of relief.
Whew…
As long as it wasn't Uchiha Hikaru.
Shizune walked into the room and bowed slightly.
Then Uchiha Hikaru stepped into the room behind her.
Ao's breath caught in his throat.
The relief vanished instantly.
Hahaha…
We're doomed…
Mangetsu glanced sideways at Ringo Ameyuri with something like pity in his eyes.
(￣▽￣;) "…She's a good girl… but wow, she's insanely bold…"
Uchiha Hikaru strode directly toward Ringo Ameyuri.
He stopped right in front of her, his gaze cold as steel.
And then—his chakra exploded outward.
A crushing pressure filled the entire room like a tidal wave.
Even on the top floor, Tsunade paused mid-signature in the Hokage's office, her eyes narrowing.
"…Seriously?" she muttered. "All that chakra just for negotiations?"
"…Whatever. I'll leave it to him."
"A Hokage candidate is allowed to be a little domineering now and then."
She returned to her paperwork.
Back in the room, Ameyuri felt like a giant shadow was looming over her, pressing down from every direction.
She couldn't even lift a finger.
Mangetsu's body instinctively liquified halfway in response to the sheer pressure.
This chakra…
It was terrifying.
Ao's covered right eye began to throb beneath the eyepatch.
It was happening again.
His worst fear, standing just a few steps away.
...
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