"Oh, Shibuki… to put it simply, you were deceived by Fū. Of course, Shisha also played a major role in it."
Mizuno Satoru let out a deep sigh before continuing in a heavy voice.
"Think carefully. That day, Fū came specifically to ask about my condition, didn't she? And your answer to her became the most fatal mistake of all."
Shibuki froze slightly.
"If you had honestly told Fū about my actual condition, she never would have fallen for Shisha's lies. Others in the village may not know how serious my situation truly is, but would Shisha not know?"
Before Menma appeared, Mizuno Satoru had merely been suspicious.
But after hearing Menma's explanation, every doubt in his mind had been completely confirmed.
And at this point
if Shibuki still failed to understand, then it was no longer a matter of innocence or naivety.
It would simply be stupidity.
"So… that's what happened…"
Shibuki stood there blankly, utterly stunned.
He truly had not expected such a hidden layer behind everything.
"Then… the information Fū sent afterward was all false!?"
A second later, Shibuki's expression changed drastically.
"And Ajun and the others are in danger!"
Now that the truth had been laid bare, all the scattered clues instantly connected together.
Shibuki's face turned pale.
"No I need to send reinforcements immediately and bring Ajun and the others back!"
Panic surged through him as he hurried toward the door.
"You fool! Calm yourself down already!"
Mizuno Satoru's furious roar suddenly echoed through the room.
At this moment, the old man truly looked as though he hated the fact that iron could not become steel.
Shibuki's body trembled violently.
Almost instinctively, he stopped in place and turned around with a somewhat fearful expression.
"Grandpa Satoru, I…"
He opened his mouth, only to realize he had no idea what to say.
"Haha, Lord Shibuki, there's no need to worry so much."
Menma spoke calmly from the side.
"I already arranged personnel to intercept and support the Taki shinobi you dispatched. Furthermore, Shisha's true target has always been you. Your subordinates are unlikely to face immediate danger."
Menma narrowed his eyes slightly.
"The real issue right now… is your own situation, Lord Shibuki."
"Why would I be in danger? There are still shinobi remaining in the village "
Halfway through his rebuttal, Shibuki suddenly froze.
It was as though he had finally realized something.
The words stuck in his throat.
"Oh? Have you figured it out now, Lord Shibuki?"
Menma smiled faintly.
"Tell me among the shinobi still inside Takigakure, how many are truly willing to stand firmly at your side?"
"Of course, if Elder Satoru personally stepped forward, the situation would be different. But what if Elder Satoru is unable to appear?"
Menma's voice remained calm, but every word pierced straight into the heart of the matter.
"Considering the current rumors spreading throughout the village… do you really think the remaining shinobi are still neutral?"
Or rather
Menma didn't even need to finish the sentence.
Even someone as inexperienced as Shibuki understood the implication immediately.
"So that's it… So that's how it is…"
A miserable expression appeared on Shibuki's face.
"Shisha… what a ruthless scheme…"
At that moment, it was as though he could already see his own death approaching.
Seeing this, Menma inwardly shook his head.
What kind of brilliant strategy was this?
At best, it could only be considered a moderately decent plan. It was far from sophisticated.
The only reason it had succeeded was because Shibuki himself lacked sufficient political awareness and decisiveness.
Of course, Menma also understood another truth:
If Mizuno Satoru had been healthy, this entire situation never would have escalated to this point.
Shibuki might lack prestige, but Mizuno Satoru was different.
As long as the elder personally came forward, the entire village including Fū, the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki would unquestionably stand behind Shibuki.
Shisha would never have been able to stir up such chaos.
Even in the original timeline, although the details differed, Shisha had likely used similar methods.
Otherwise, why would Takigakure's leader require protection from Konoha shinobi during the conflict?
Where had the rest of Takigakure's shinobi gone during such a critical battle?
This explanation was the most reasonable one.
And for Menma
such internal instability was exactly what he wanted.
After all, if Takigakure had truly been united and stable, how could he possibly have found an opening to interfere?
"Shibuki!"
Mizuno Satoru, seated nearby, naturally saw the defeated expression spreading across Shibuki's face.
Disappointment flashed once more through his cloudy eyes.
But this was no time for despair.
"Is now really the time to sigh in self-pity!? Is this already the moment you choose to give up!?"
Mizuno Satoru shouted sternly.
"Are you worthy of the previous leaders? Are you worthy of your grandfather!?"
The old man's gaze locked firmly onto Shibuki.
At this moment, those aged eyes carried astonishing pressure.
Shibuki unconsciously shivered.
A deep look of shame appeared across his face.
After taking a long breath, he slowly raised his head once more and nodded heavily.
"Yes… Grandpa Satoru!"
Seeing Shibuki recover himself somewhat, Mizuno Satoru finally felt a trace of relief.
In truth, Shibuki's greatest weakness had never been talent or strength.
It was his mentality.
He panicked too easily, hesitated too easily, and was shaken far too easily by external pressure.
Still
at the very least, he was not completely spineless.
There was still hope.
And more importantly, the current situation was not yet the absolute worst-case scenario Mizuno Satoru had imagined earlier.
The key variable standing before them now
was Menma.
"Fang-kun."
Mizuno Satoru slowly lifted his gaze toward Menma.
"You did not come here merely to inform Shibuki of this news, correct?"
"If you truly intend to save him, then you should already have a solution in mind… am I right?"
At those words, Shibuki also reacted.
He turned toward Menma with a stunned expression, as though finally understanding something.
"Haha… naturally."
Menma smiled lightly.
"Compared to a sinister opportunist like Shisha, I would much rather cooperate with someone like Lord Shibuki."
Even though Menma himself was hardly any less calculating.
Yet his expression remained perfectly calm and composed.
"And honestly speaking, as long as Lord Shibuki doesn't lose control of himself, Shisha's plan is far from guaranteed to succeed."
Menma folded his arms slightly.
"That is precisely why… I am willing to invest in Lord Shibuki."
There was no attempt whatsoever to hide his intentions.
The meaning behind his words was completely explicit.
Shibuki looked somewhat uncomfortable upon hearing them.
But Mizuno Satoru, having experienced countless political struggles throughout his life, considered such blunt honesty far more trustworthy.
As for why Menma had waited until the final moment to appear instead of warning them earlier
Mizuno Satoru would never ask.
Sometimes, pretending not to understand was the wisest choice.
As long as the other party was currently willing to help them
that alone was enough.