Hiruzen took a slow breath as he was turning away from the short, figure of the Tsuchikage. His face was unreadable, though Minato and Renjiro could both sense the storm that brewed beneath his calm exterior.
They walked only a few paces before their path was blocked once more.
"Leaving so soon, Hiruzen?"
The voice was smooth, yet edged with something akin to amusement.
Hiruzen's eyes flickered upward to meet the piercing gaze of Hiroshi, the Mizukage.
"I had expected you to linger," Hiroshi continued, "After all, you have just formally declared war on Kumogakure. Surely there is more to discuss?"
Renjiro watched as Hiruzen's expression barely changed, only a slight narrowing of his eyes betraying any emotion.
The Third Hokage was an expert at political manoeuvring, and it was clear that he would not easily be baited.
"I appreciate your concern, Mizukage," Hiruzen replied evenly. "However, I have matters to attend to in my own village."
Hiroshi's smile remained, but his gaze sharpened. "Matters such as preparing for war, I assume?"
Hiruzen did not answer immediately. Instead, he studied Hiroshi carefully, as if weighing the very air between them.
Kirigakure and Konohagakure were allies—at least in name. But political alliances between shinobi villages were as fickle as the tides, shifting with the needs of survival and ambition. Their so-called "alliance" was not even recognized by their respective Daimyos, meaning it was built on nothing more than an understanding between two villages, an agreement that could be broken at a moment's notice.
And Hiruzen did not trust Hiroshi.
Not fully.
Not enough to reveal his plans.
"I will do what is necessary," Hiruzen finally said, his voice careful.
Hiroshi sighed, shaking his head. "Ever the cautious one." He gave a light chuckle before stepping aside. "Very well, I will not pry further. But do not forget, Hiruzen—friendships are only as strong as the efforts made to maintain them."
With that, the Mizukage turned on his heel and strode away, disappearing into the falling snow.
Renjiro exhaled, only then realizing he had been holding his breath.
"That was tense," he muttered under his breath.
Minato hummed in agreement, but Hiruzen's focus was already elsewhere.
"We're leaving," the Hokage said firmly, his voice leaving no room for debate.
Renjiro blinked. "Are we staying the night in the Land of Iron?"
Hiruzen shook his head. "No. We must return to the village as soon as possible."
Minato sighed. "Of course we are."
Renjiro snorted but said nothing. He wasn't particularly looking forward to another gruelling journey through the frozen wilderness, but if Hiruzen had made up his mind, there was little point in arguing.
They had barely stepped beyond the exit when a voice cut through the cold wind.
"Hokage-dono."
Hiruzen's steps halted, his breath visible in the frigid air. The sound of sandals crunching against snow ceased as Minato and Renjiro turned as well.
Renjiro's gaze flickered toward the approaching figures, and the moment he recognized them, his irritation flared.
The Kazekage.
Satetsu.
Despite the relentless snowfall, it barely seemed to touch him, as though he moved in defiance of the elements. His presence alone carried an air of silent authority, but Renjiro could see the wariness in the way his guards flanked him—a quiet acknowledgement of the precarious political landscape they stood on.
'The audacity.'
Renjiro clenched his jaw, the thought flashing through his mind before he could stop it.
And in that very instant, Satetsu's eyes flickered toward him.
Renjiro stiffened.
'Can he read my thoughts?'
The Kazekage's expression remained unreadable, but there was something in his gaze—sharp, amused, calculating. As if he had felt Renjiro's unspoken irritation and found it amusing.
That look made Renjiro uneasy. It was the look of a man who measured everything around him, weighing people like chess pieces, determining their worth before even speaking a word.
Satetsu shifted his attention back to Hiruzen, his voice smooth as ever. "You seem to be heading out," he remarked. "As are we. Perhaps we should travel together?"
Hiruzen's lips pressed into a thin line. His dark eyes studied the Kazekage for a long moment before he responded.
"A line has already been drawn in the sand," he said.
'No pun intended.'
Renjiro couldn't help but think.
Hiruzen continued, his voice carrying weight. "I will not waste time fraternizing with the enemy."
Satetsu let out a quiet chuckle, entirely unbothered by the rejection. "Enemy? Is that how you see me, Hiruzen?"
Hiruzen didn't blink. His patience was thin, his mind already occupied with greater concerns than indulging in whatever game the Kazekage wished to play.
"I wonder," the Hokage said, his voice laced with cold curiosity, "why you chose to align Sunagakure with Kumogakure. Have you forgotten who killed your predecessor?"
Satetsu's smile faded ever so slightly.
Renjiro noticed the subtle tension in the Kazekage's fingers, the slight twitch as if the words had pricked something deeper.
Hiruzen did not wait for a response. "The Second Kazekage was slain by Kinkaku and Ginkaku just like my master was," he reminded him, his voice sharper than the wind. "Two men of Kumogakure."
Satetsu's expression remained calm, but there was a new steel in his voice when he spoke. "And he left our village in a dire situation. I am not in a position to chase revenge." His golden eyes gleamed under the snowfall. "I do what is necessary to ensure Sunagakure's survival."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, his voice turning firm. "Survival? Konoha has survived without bending its knee to the likes of Kumo."
Satetsu let out a soft hum, tilting his head slightly. His expression remained passive, but his next words cut like a blade. "Has it?"
The single question held weight.
"Look around you, Hiruzen," Satetsu continued, his voice quieter, yet laced with something deeper. "Konoha has no true allies."
Hiruzen remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Renjiro, however, felt an uncomfortable twinge at Satetsu's words.
Satetsu continued, his tone smooth and measured. "After the destruction of Uzushiogakure, Konoha has been on the decline. You stand alone, and soon you will be forced to acknowledge that."
The wind howled between them, sweeping snow across the frozen ground.
Renjiro felt the shift in the air—Hiruzen was not unaffected by those words.
Satetsu smiled again, this time with something resembling quiet satisfaction. "The Lightning and Wind Daimyo have already seen the future. Perhaps you should, too."
Hiruzen exhaled, shaking his head. "Why are you really here, Satetsu?"
The Kazekage's smile did not waver. "I came to broker peace between Konoha and Kumogakure."
A sharp, bitter laugh escaped Hiruzen's lips. It was a sound that carried neither humour nor warmth, but something closer to scorn.
"Peace?" Hiruzen repeated his smirk cold. "How the mighty Kazekage has been reduced to a lapdog of the Raikage."
Satetsu's fingers twitched again. This time, it was noticeable.
Renjiro watched closely, intrigued.
Hiruzen did not let up. His voice, once merely firm, was now laced with quiet contempt. "I pity you, Satetsu. Your master, the Second Kazekage, would be turning in his grave if he knew his disciple was breaking bread with his killers."
The words lingered, heavy in the air, like the weight of falling snow.
For the first time, Satetsu's face showed something other than practised neutrality.
It was brief—so brief that anyone not paying attention would have missed it.
A flicker of something.
Annoyance?
Regret?
Anger?
Whatever it was, it was gone in an instant.
Satetsu's lips curled upward once more, his practiced smile returning. But the glint in his golden eyes was different now.
Cold.
Calculating.
"You are as sharp as ever, Hiruzen," the Kazekage murmured. "Perhaps that is why Konoha still stands."
Hiruzen did not respond.
He merely turned, his movements sharp and decisive, signalling to Minato and Renjiro.
"Let's go."
Renjiro did not hesitate to follow.
As they walked away, he felt Satetsu's gaze on his back, heavy and lingering.
But more than that—he felt another pair of eyes on him.
Among the Kazekage's escort, Chiyo stood still, her gaze fixed on him, calculating.
Renjiro felt a strange unease settle in his stomach.
He did not look back.
====
They walked in silence for miles, the only sound the crunch of their footsteps on the snow-covered earth. The cold air burned against their exposed skin, but none of them complained.
Finally, Minato exhaled, breaking the silence. "We're far enough."
With a nod, he placed a hand on Hiruzen's shoulder, then another on Renjiro's.
A moment later, the world blurred.
The frozen landscape of the Land of Iron vanished.
And in their place—
Only the imprint of their footsteps remained in the untouched snow.
=====
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