Konoha Year 67.
The Land of Fire's Daimyo's estate.
A certain hall, now renamed "Imperial Palace" by its new owner.
Gold leaf adorned the walls, and jade pillars reached the sky.
Sunlight streamed through the enormous stained-glass windows, casting colorful yet cold shadows on the floor.
The air was filled with expensive incense.
Yet, it couldn't dispel the vague unease in the hearts of Team Kurenai's four members.
They had come on the Hokage's orders to receive a direct assignment from the daimyo.
It was said to be a search for a secret treasure, rumored to be vital to the nation's destiny.
The waiting time stretched on.
The hall was so empty that they could hear each other's breathing.
"Speaking of which..."
Kurenai Yuhi broke the silence, lowering her voice.
Her gaze swept over the ornate dome:
"This new daimyo, he was my classmate back at the Konoha Ninja Academy."
"Classmate?"
Hyuga Hinata's white eyes widened slightly, a hint of disbelief in them.
A daimyo and a ninja, their statuses were worlds apart.
"Yes!"
Kurenai nodded, recalling, "His name was Mikage. Back then, he wasn't well-regarded in his family..."
"The old daimyo... his father, practically exiled him to Konoha, ostensibly for 'study'."
"I remember he stayed with the head of the Uchiha clan..."
Her words carried a hint of wistfulness.
Soon after that person left Konoha, the Uchiha clan suffered its demise... she wondered if it was his good fortune.
The image of that young man back then and the figure now sitting at the pinnacle of power were truly hard to reconcile.
"Staying with the Uchiha? Sasuke Uchiha's family?"
Kiba Inuzuka crossed his arms, Akamaru twitching his ears restlessly at his feet.
"That's a pretty delicate connection. What happened next?"
"The old daimyo had so many children, how did he end up being the one to ascend?"
Kiba asked curiously.
Shino Aburame adjusted his sunglasses, his gaze behind the lenses sharp and calm, his voice as steady and low as ever:
"Intelligence indicates that about eight years ago, the old daimyo fell gravely ill..."
"Then, within a mere six months, all thirty-six of his direct heirs... including all princes and princesses..."
"Perished one after another due to various 'accidents,' 'illnesses,' or 'rebellions,' none surviving."
"Ultimately, this most unfavored 'exile,' far from the center of power, became the sole legitimate heir."
"Thirty-six people... all dead?"
Hinata's voice trembled slightly.
She even instinctively activated her Byakugan, cautiously scanning the seemingly empty depths of the hall.
The bloodshed implied by that number.
It sent shivers down her spine, even amidst the warm incense.
"Not just that," Kiba pouted, "Don't you think he's a bit strange? Declaring himself 'Emperor'."
"Changing the daimyo's estate to the 'Imperial Palace'... that's really quite odd, tsk tsk..."
"His behavioral patterns indeed deviate from the traditions of past daimyos of the Land of Fire," Shino added. "There are numerous inexplicable decisions and resource allocations, all with extremely high security clearance."
The group was quietly exchanging information they knew.
Attempting to piece together an image of this mysterious new ruler.
The sense of unease in their hearts grew heavier as the discussion deepened.
"You all..."
Just then, a clear and pleasant voice, tinged with a playful smile,
Rang out without warning from the very front of the hall.
Clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"Are you talking about me?"
The moment the voice sounded.
Kurenai Yuhi's muscles tensed abruptly, her chakra instinctively surging.
Hinata's Byakugan snapped into focus, her heart nearly skipping a beat.
In her vision, the space had been empty a moment ago.
But now, like a phantom, a figure sat on the main seat, representing supreme power!
Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru instantly bristled.
Taking up defensive stances.
Shino Aburame's sunglasses glinted slightly.
Countless tiny parasitic insects silently emerged from his sleeves.
There, on the main seat.
A young man had, at some unknown point, taken his place.
He was indeed, as rumored, almost unrealistically handsome.
His skin was as fair as jade, his features as exquisite as the most perfect sculpture,
And his deep eyes seemed to hold both stars and an abyss.
At this moment, he wore a lazy smile.
And was observing the four wary individuals below with keen interest.
He wore a luxurious, dark casual robe embroidered with golden dragon patterns,
Without an elaborate crown.
His dark hair was casually tied back.
A few strands fell across his forehead, adding a touch of demonic charm.
He leaned back in the wide imperial throne, his posture relaxed.
Yet, he exuded an invisible, suffocating sense of pressure.
The entire magnificent hall seemed to instantly become an extension of his aura.
This was the new ruler of the Land of Fire, who had ascended through a storm of blood and fire.
Transforming the daimyo's estate into the Imperial Palace and declaring himself "Emperor."
Mikage's gaze slowly swept over Kurenai Yuhi's slightly shocked face, the smile on his lips deepening a bit.
He spoke with a complex mix of old acquaintances reuniting and a sense of how things had changed:
"Kurenai, long time no see."
"It seems your Konoha has dug quite deeply into my past?"
Kurenai forced herself to calm down.
She suppressed her surging thoughts, bowed slightly, and kept her voice as steady as possible:
"Lord Daimyo... no, Your Imperial Majesty."
"We are here on the orders of Lord Hokage, awaiting your command."
She deliberately emphasized "Lord Hokage."
Reminding him of the delicate balance between the ninja village and the daimyo's estate.
Konoha isn't afraid of you, daimyo... "Command?"
The young emperor let out a soft laugh.
His laughter echoed through the hall, sounding somewhat ethereal.
"No need to be so tense. Just an old classmate, asking former companions for a small favor."
"To find... a very important person, that's all."
Mikage's long fingers gently tapped the armrest of the throne, making a rhythmic soft sound.
Each tap seemed to strike the hearts of those present.
"That item is very important to me."
He continued speaking to himself, his eyes suddenly sharpening, "I hope you won't disappoint me."
Kurenai Yuhi always felt that the other party's gaze was somewhat strange, as if she was being appraised like an item for sale.
That gaze seemed to strip her bare… She forced herself to ask, "Your… Your Majesty, who are you looking for?"
"One of my concubines!" Mikage's voice was filled with a sigh, "She can't find her way home."
Kurenai Yuhi's mouth twitched. Looking for a concubine?
Is he really that unreliable? She was a jonin, for crying out loud… Just as she was thinking, Mikage's next words rang out:
"Oh, and the concubine I lost, her name is… Kurenai Yuhi!"
Mikage almost enunciated each word of that name.
Silence!
The hall was deathly silent.
Mikage's words, "the concubine I lost is Kurenai Yuhi," struck like a bolt of lightning.
It exploded directly in Kurenai Yuhi's ears.
It rattled Kurenai Yuhi's mind, leaving it blank, and even her heart seemed to skip a few beats…