"Of course. To draw Konoha's attention—no... more accurately, it was the key to obtaining an alliance pact with Konoha."
Facing Hada Ryuhiko's question, Hada Ichiba looked at him, the smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth as he spoke.
"Oh?"
Hada Ryuhiko did not say anything more. He merely looked at Hada Ichiba before him, his eyes as calm as still water, and let out a soft sound.
Though he said nothing, it was obvious that he was telling Hada Ichiba to continue, with a scrutinizing air that almost carried the weight of an order.
Interesting...
Seeing Hada Ryuhiko's reaction, the smile on Hada Ichiba's lips seemed to brighten, and that thought crossed his mind.
At this moment, Hada Ryuhiko truly seemed like a completely different person. Though he had always been a gifted and unusually mature youth, he had still retained some childishness, and his bearing had ultimately been more that of a child.
But now, the aura—or rather, the presence—emanating from Hada Ryuhiko no longer carried that childishness.
Speaking with him now was almost like speaking with Yu Ze.
"Earlier, we said that the Third Hokage intended to change the Shinobi World's thousand-year-old order, beginning with the small hidden villages, correct?"
After that thought passed through his mind, Hada Ichiba drew a slight breath. The smile on his lips slowly faded as he spoke.
"I don't doubt that."
Hada Ryuhiko replied.
He did not care what the Third Hokage intended to do, or how Hada Ichiba had concluded that the Third Hokage intended to do it.
For now, according to Hada Ichiba, since they had already reached this so-called written alliance pact, there was no need to dwell on how Hada Ichiba had deduced it, or what reasons and evidence he had. It was already an