Outside Konoha Village, deep within a dense forest, lay a hidden cave. Inside, nine men were scattered about, some lying down, others leaning against the rough cave walls.
Swish~
The sound of slicing air broke the silence as a figure appeared at the cave entrance.
"Kazuma, what's the situation?"
Hearing the noise, all nine men inside stood up, their gazes fixed on the newcomer.
The man who entered was Kazuma, one of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve of the Land of Fire. The other nine men within the cave were also members of this elite group. Excluding Asuma Sarutobi and Chiriku, ten of the twelve were gathered here.
"Asuma has had his status as a Konoha Jonin reinstated," Kazuma reported, his face dark as he walked deeper into the cave.
At Kazuma's words, the expressions of the nine men shifted subtly. The faces of the Lightning Four – Kitane, Nauma, Seito, and Tou'u – showed a flicker of complex emotion, while the remaining five looked purely indignant.
"That traitor! He really did choose to side with the Hokage after all!" one of the five spat angrily.
"The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is his father. Asuma making such a choice is understandable," Tou'u couldn't resist speaking up in Asuma's defense.
"Tou'u, do you also wish to betray the Daimyo?" Kazuma whirled around sharply, his voice low and dangerous as he confronted Tou'u.
"I just believe the Hokage's existence doesn't pose a threat to the Daimyo. There's no need for us to engage in internal conflict over this. If we suffer significant losses because of it, it will only make it easier for the other four great nations to exploit our weakness," Tou'u argued.
Kazuma stared at Tou'u, his eyes cold. "Tou'u," he said slowly, deliberately, "you are still so naive! Since the time of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, when has the position of Hokage in Konoha ever been directly appointed by the Daimyo? For the Land of Fire, Konoha Village is effectively a state within a state, possessing formidable military power. With such a powerful, uncontrollable force existing, how can you claim it poses no threat to the Daimyo? As long as the Daimyo can consolidate all the power within the Land of Fire under his rule, what do these potential losses even matter?"
"But..." Tou'u started to object again, but Kitane at his side quickly stopped him.
Tou'u turned, looking questioningly at Kitane. Kitane simply shook his head, signaling Tou'u to say no more. Seeing this, Tou'u opened his mouth, then closed it again, swallowing his words.
"We were dispatched here under the Daimyo's orders this time. Regardless of your personal feelings, you must strictly execute the command," Kazuma declared, his gaze sweeping pointedly over each member of the Lightning Four before letting out a cold snort.
Silence fell heavily within the cave following Kazuma's words. He knew the Lightning Four didn't fully agree with his stance. However, he held the Daimyo's official mandate; the four had no choice but to obey his command.
Recalling a fierce debate from several months prior, a cold, slightly smug smile touched Kazuma's lips.
Because of Tatsuya Akimichi's interference, Kazuma's life had been completely altered. During the Kyuubi Rampage, the Nine-Tails chakra Kazuma had painstakingly collected was swallowed whole by that green snake, Seiryu. In Takigakure, the intricate plot he and Suien had orchestrated was easily dismantled by Tatsuya. These successive setbacks forced Kazuma to change direction. Upon returning to the Fire Daimyo's side, he abandoned his formerly aggressive approach and began positioning himself as a member of the conservative faction. In just over two years, Kazuma successfully built relationships with many high-ranking officials and the other members of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve.
Yet, this was all a facade. Secretly, Kazuma remained the leader of the radical faction.
Over four months ago, a massive upheaval shook the highest levels of the Land of Fire's government. A large number of conservative officials were secretly executed by the Fire Daimyo on charges of treason, allowing the radical faction to gain dominance at court. It was during this period that Asuma and Chiriku were forced out of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve.
Now, apart from the Lightning Four, the remaining six members of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve were all radicals led by Kazuma himself.
This time, they were here on the Fire Daimyo's explicit order: to assassinate the Third Hokage.
For the Fire Daimyo, there was no turning back now. Talk of eliminating the Hokage and bringing Konoha Village under the Daimyo's direct control was already rampant within the court; he couldn't believe Konoha hadn't received word. The relationship between the Fire Daimyo and Konoha's leadership had irrevocably fractured. If he didn't strike first, he feared his own head might not remain safe for long.
After the tense argument, silence settled back into the cave.
Outside, unnoticed in a dark corner, a small green snake lay quietly coiled.
4:00 PM. Anko Mitarashi returned to the Yakiniku.
Inside, Kyoko was cradling some small trinkets, her face beaming with happiness. Anko, however, stood nearby, her expression constantly shifting, clearly lost in thought.
After a few moments, Kyoko finally noticed Anko wasn't acting like herself.
"Anko, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Huh? Oh! Kyoko... tell me, if I discovered a group of people planning to harm the village, what should I do?" Anko snapped out of her thoughts, pondered for a few seconds, and then posed the question seriously.
"Someone wants to harm the village?! Of course, you report it immediately!" Kyoko exclaimed in alarm, quickly getting up, ready to drag Anko out the door to report it.
"But, I don't have any proof! And... their identities are really sensitive," Anko said, pulling Kyoko back, her face troubled.
Kyoko paused. "Sensitive? Who are they?"
Anko hesitated, then replied, "They're Asuma's former comrades... the Daimyo's Guardian Shinobi Twelve."
"The Daimyo's Guardian Shinobi Twelve? What are they doing here in Konoha?" Hearing this, Kyoko faltered too.
The relationship between the Five Great Shinobi Villages and their respective Daimyo had always been delicate. This was particularly evident between the Land of Fire and Konoha Village. Konoha, especially under its first four Hokage, had simply been too powerful; the Fire Daimyo had little ability to influence the village's affairs. There were even times when the Daimyo needed Konoha's support just to secure his own position. This dynamic only began to slowly shift after the Third Shinobi World War significantly weakened Konoha.
"They're hiding in a small cave just outside Konoha," Anko explained.
"How do you know?" Kyoko asked, surprised.
"This afternoon, someone from their group was tailing Asuma. I happened to run into them, followed the tracker, and found their hiding spot. I don't know their specific plan, but judging by their suspicious movements, they definitely mean harm to the village," Anko said, her expression grave.
"This... then what should we do?" Kyoko was suddenly at a loss. Reporting rashly without concrete information was definitely not an option; it could easily cause a major misunderstanding between the village and the Fire Daimyo. But ignoring it felt deeply unsettling.
"How about... we go check it out ourselves first?" Anko suggested after a moment's thought. As she spoke, an eager, almost thrill-seeking look appeared on her face.
"Well..." Kyoko hesitated.
"Come on! I'll protect you," Anko declared, grabbing Kyoko's hand and pulling her towards the door. The girl was currently brimming with explosive self-confidence.