Even if this spy was just an ordinary person, she was still a seasoned and fully capable spy. Haseo believed there was little chance she'd accidentally let something slip. Yet since she had directly called him by name—was that meant to convey a hidden message or…
Was it a warning?
Unlikely, right? Although Haseo wasn't among the top-tier ninja, his combat record alone was quite formidable.
Sure enough, the servant girl continued, "Lord Haseo's exploits during the Frostfield Battle have already spread throughout the entire Ninjutsu World, so discovering your identity isn't particularly difficult."
Still, matching the name "Haseo" with his actual appearance and voice wasn't as simple or effortless as it might seem.
"The Second Hokage…has been dead for quite some time now."
Smiling slightly at the beautiful servant girl, Haseo suddenly spoke an inexplicable sentence.
No, it wouldn't be incomprehensible to her—someone who once served as one of the Second Hokage's pawns. The dead may still hold some sway over the living, yet that influence wanes quickly.
"Assuming the Daimyo's intentions are good, the problem remains that Konoha simply doesn't have any kunoichi of the appropriate age. Whether it's the daughter of the Uchiha clan head or the main house heir from the Hyuga clan… such statuses are already considered noble for female ninja, yet they still fall short of matching the Daimyo's rank. Therefore, even if the Daimyo harbors such intentions, he'll have no choice but to wait until the Hokage's daughter is born."
Haseo added this, certainly not being unreasonable—he understood perfectly well that in dealing with people, both speech and actions must always follow reason. He could read between the lines of what the servant girl was saying. At present, the highest-status female ninja in Konoha who could match the Daimyo would naturally only be the granddaughter of the First Hokage—Tsunade. But then, how old was she now?
She had told Haseo herself that she was eleven years old, though that had been her padding her age. In reality, even now, she hadn't even reached eleven.
"Lord Haseo, surely you understand my meaning… Only in this way can Konoha form a tighter bond with the Land of Fire. As a result, the village will receive full political and economic backing from the country, while the country can make use of the military strength of the ninja village. Isn't this mutually beneficial?" the servant girl said.
"That does make sense… but not everyone sees mutual benefit as necessarily good—for example, someone lazy like me, who prefers staying home.
When facing certain benefits, people naturally have things worth exchanging, but also things they absolutely won't trade. So discussing this with me is pointless.
I'll simply act as if I never heard anything today. If you truly have requests, take them directly to the Third Hokage. Don't expect me to deliver messages or mediate on your behalf."
Haseo wasn't someone with authority to decide such matters, so having them tell him these things was ultimately nothing more than hoping he'd relay the message.
If it were possible to convince Haseo ahead of time with "a just cause," persuading him to stand on the side of the Daimyo, that would be ideal... but clearly, it seems like an attempt already doomed to failure.
By the time those words were spoken, Haseo had already signaled for the other party to leave.
Her suggestion was reasonable enough; therefore, Haseo did not allow his personal dissatisfaction to escalate into violent intent—but still...
"For your sake—and purely out of kindness—let me give you one last warning: spies who sit on the wrong side of the fence or double agents never end up well."
What a truly... generous piece of advice.
Seeing that negotiation bore no fruit, the female servant sighed helplessly before leaving.
The trio who eavesdropped on this brief exchange silently regrouped around Haseo. At this point, they heard him continue speaking, "Even for the Third Hokage, some things are simply non-negotiable. For example, I am something that can be exchanged, but you all are not.
Besides, there are some decisions even the Third Hokage cannot make alone. Lady Mito is still around."
As he spoke these words, Haseo had his back to everyone, so he could neither see their expressions nor hers.
Whether it was during a ceasefire when attempting to assassinate the Hokage, or after world peace was achieved and trying to form marital alliances with the village, the Fire Daimyo's thinking had remained unchanged from beginning to end—he remained conceited and self-important. Honestly… he really overestimates himself too much.
What is a Daimyo anyway? Just a ninja and a kunai knife—that's all it takes.
No matter how fancy his clothes are, he's still just one fragile life.
In cases of necessity, such dirty business is exactly what Danzō Shimura would gladly take on. Even if Root chose not to act, Kagenami would still handle it.
One after another, unpleasant events kept piling up, giving Haseo an increasingly bad omen.
On the third day, the wedding ceremony of the Third Hokage finally commenced.
Haseo and the others, as part of the bride's escort, set out at noon. Accompanying the bride's palanquin clad in her white kimono, they departed from this small courtyard, first winding through Konoha's streets before heading toward the Sarutobi clan estate.
Although not as grand as the previous Winter Festival, there were still many people cheering joyfully for the Hokage's wedding.
Twelve uniformed ninja guarded the bridal procession step by step, and with them, the name of the organization "Kagenami" began to circulate among the public.
From today onward, many would come to know that a new ninja organization had been established within the village.
Once the bride's carriage reached the Sarutobi estate, Haseo and his team's mission was considered complete. Naturally, they wouldn't leave immediately afterward—they would stay at the banquet venue, partly attending the wedding, partly helping to maintain order.
Haseo's gaze swept cautiously around the Third Hokage, soon noticing something unusual… surrounding the Hokage weren't members of the Uchiha or Hyuga clans, not even any Sarutobi ninja. Instead, they were primarily ninjas from smaller factions like Inuzuka, Nara, and Akimichi.
Even more surprising, Haseo spotted Nagisa Nara standing behind the Hokage.
These... seem to signify a certain signal. Clearly, compared to the Major Ninja Sects, Hokage's attention and trust had begun shifting toward previously less prominent minor factions.
Possibly due to some earlier troubling incidents, Haseo had a feeling something would go wrong again today. Just as he was about to tell the three little ones to stay close by his side, he turned around only to find the three had already slipped away who-knows-where.
The Third Hokage's wedding venue was huge—packed with people, buzzing with excitement, and starting to get out of control.
Thus, Haseo could only speak to the Kagenami ninja, saying, "Stay focused, everyone. Try to stay together. I think—"
However, before he could finish speaking, a loud explosion reached his ears. Then, without thinking, Haseo turned his gaze back toward where the Third Hokage had just been standing, only to see smoke rising from that location.
Next, a figure burst forth from the smoke, tracing an arc through the air before landing firmly on the ground with both feet.
"The Third!"
"Lord Hokage!"
Luckily, the Third Hokage had quickly rushed out. His safety at least ensured the chaos wouldn't spread completely unchecked. However... there was now a kunai embedded in the Third Hokage's shoulder, blood dripping steadily down his arm.
"I'm fine, everyone stay calm. First, let the guests evacuate outside."
The Third Hokage's voice remained very calm. This sudden assassination hadn't caused him any anger—at the very least, a clear mind was always necessary.
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