To the outsider, it's spectacle; to the expert, it's mastery.
To ordinary people, ninja techniques are nothing more than dazzling displays of excitement and brilliance.
Yet jonin understood just how much skill had been packed into that brief performance.
Take for instance Kakashi's last-minute substitution technique—almost no one noticed it, not even fellow jonin.
Then there was "Haku" stepping onto the stage, using needles to fake Zabuza's death.
Those in the know realized that Zabuza had merely been a Multiple Shadow Clone created by The Third.
Making a shadow clone appear dead without it vanishing entirely required an unfathomable level of control and precision.
Only Mito Uzumaki could pull off such a feat.
"Everyone, please exit the mountain through the secret passage in an orderly fashion. There are spontaneous fan activities at the foot of the mountain for those interested."
Ninja stationed on the stands began maintaining order.
However,
At Akaba's stand, no one paid attention to the ninjas after the performance ended. All eyes turned to Akaba.
"Little Akaba, what interesting performances are coming up next?"
This entire section of the stand was filled with Konoha villagers.
They all knew Akaba and were well aware he was the mastermind behind everything—no one understood this manga con better than him.
"The middle portion is relatively freeform. Even I don't know the exact schedule. Feel free to check around."
Akaba smiled slightly.
Was he really going to say that Mito Uzumaki's eight clones had formed their own stage act?
Come on! That would leave no room for others!
He was just about to walk straight down the cliffside when suddenly an Anbu leapt up from below and said to him, "Lord Akaba, the Daimyo requests your presence," sealed with hand signs.
"The Daimyo?"
Akaba blinked in surprise.
He came here to hide. How did they still find me?
"Yes, Lord Hokage also asked me to invite you."
The Anbu immediately added the second half, clearly anticipating Akaba might try escaping.
Akaba's expression turned odd as he nodded toward the Anbu, saying, "You're from Root, right? You work very hard—I'll remember this."
Only members of Root—who had previously suffered Akaba's genjutsu—would address him as "Lord."
Judging from his chakra signature, Akaba already had a good guess about this person's identity.
"Uh…thank you, my lord."
The Anbu ninja hesitated briefly.
It sounded like a compliment, but there was something unsettling about it.
"All right then, I'm heading over now."
Akaba bid farewell to the others, joined his hands in a seal, and activated [Shifting Body Technique] to accelerate downward along the cliff face.
By now, the Anbu ninja finally realized—he might have unintentionally offended this grudge-holding guy.
Though Akaba's Taijutsu wasn't particularly strong, he could still reach the Daimyo's stand in no time if he gave it his all.
Still, he deliberately took a detour.
Daimyo?
Are there even any good shows left to watch!
Just reaching the foot of the mountain, a figure sat upright.
Clad in a long robe bearing flame-like clouds, the piercing red eyes stood out remarkably—Itachi Uchiha.
A character who only existed on posters, yet instantly captured everyone's attention along his path.
Soon afterward, another figure arrived.
"I will kill you!"
Sasuke Uchiha shouted—or rather, it was Uchiha Ryo.
After some fighting, Sasuke couldn't move, while Itachi appeared injured, slowly walking closer step by step.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke. This is the last time."
The line was achingly familiar. What made it different this time was the voice—completely unlike what it should be in the anime.
Other than that, everything else was nearly perfect.
An iconic scene!
"Isn't Itachi Sasuke's older brother?"
"How handsome!"
The crowd stopped, whispering in awe, while girls screamed their heads off.
Although the storyline hadn't reached this part yet, just from the performance alone, everyone could already feel the intense emotional tension between the two brothers.
Of course,
what mattered most was that handsome face.
Uchiha Ryo listened to the crowd's cheers and felt like he'd just stepped into traffic.
He loved the sound of screams—but unfortunately, they weren't meant for him. They were meant for this "older brother" standing here, and even more annoyingly, that "brother" was actually Orochimaru in disguise.
"Orochimaru seems to be enjoying himself. Talk about bad taste," Akaba mumbled, shaking his head.
Though he failed to reflect on who had encouraged this situation in the first place.
Itachi glanced at him, and after holding eye contact for a moment, Akaba quietly turned away and headed up the mountain path.
Hopefully, Daimyo and the others would come down soon, so he could slack off a bit more.
Akaba secretly hoped.
People don't always say what they really mean when they're sitting around chatting like that.
Take Mito Uzumaki, for instance.
She was hosting this Manga Con and participating in all these events purely out of passion?
Akaba figured she was probably showing off in front of Daimyo too.
Calling it a Manga Con and claiming it was for rebuilding relationships—truthfully, it was simply another platform where people could discuss issues concerning the Uzumaki clan.
Akaba saw through it clearly.
Yet
After walking a while, he gradually caught snippets of conversation coming from above.
The content wasn't too far off from what Akaba had guessed.
Daimyo was explaining his difficulties and expressing Land of Fire's stance, then Third Hokage stepped forward to play peacemaker—basically both sides haggling while the Third mediated in the middle.
"If you're coming, hurry up and get over here. Why are you hesitating?"
Just as Akaba was still uncertain, a voice suddenly cut in beside him without warning.
Startled, he reflexively jumped aside and formed a hand seal before realizing it was Danzo.
"Teacher, why are you here?"
"To protect Daimyo."
Danzo replied coldly, gave him a glance, then disappeared after forming a hand sign.
Protecting? Yeah right, you're eavesdropping just like me...
Muttering silently to himself, Akaba composed his thoughts again and proceeded toward the viewing platform.
No matter the circumstances, better go up first. As mere foot soldier from the Sakuma Clan, he probably wouldn't be dragged into any negotiations anyway.
"Stop!"
"Who are you?"
As soon as he arrived at the entrance, two large guards blocked his way.
"I'm Sakuma Akaba. His Majesty summoned me."
Akaba answered obsequiously.
They looked toward Daimyo, who waved slightly, and only then did they withdraw their weapons.
Meanwhile, Tsunade had already arrived at the stand, casually chatting with a young girl seated next to her.
Hearing of Akaba's arrival, both women turned their heads simultaneously.
"Akaba, since you're one of the event planners, accompany Tsunade and take Princess around. Let them tour and enjoy themselves."
Third Hokage instructed.
"Treat them as your own family. If there's anything they want to buy, just say so, don't hold back."
Mito Uzumaki added warmly.
Them? Seriously?
Family? You mean like... actual family?
Akaba muttered to himself, "That old hag is digging another trap!"
At first, the girl lit up with joy, but then she hesitated and glanced uncertainly at Grandpa Daimyo. "Grandpa..."
"Go ahead. With them protecting you, no one will dare cause you trouble."
Daimyo said with a smile, looking warm and kind.
"Thank you, Grandpa!"
The girl happily jumped up and rushed toward the exit right away.
Clearly, she couldn't stand this atmosphere either.
"Let's go."
Tsunade smiled sweetly, her expression soft and radiant—like spring breeze on a quiet morning.
A smile passed from one generation to the next—delicate and serene on the outside, yet who could tell what schemes brewed underneath?
Where there are two women, there's sure to be some drama—a perfect description of these two.
Undoubtedly, big troubles were coming next.
Akaba inwardly groaned. This time, there was no one to pass the buck onto—he had to handle it all by himself.
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