The night faded, and a sliver of pale white appeared in the distant sky as the rising sun scattered light and warmth across the village.
Hokage Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the current Third Hokage, clenched his pipe between his teeth as he prepared to begin the day's work.
Whoosh! An Anbu appeared before him.
"Oh, it's Kakashi. What is it?"
Without looking up, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued reviewing official documents.
He was in a very good mood.
He looked relaxed and cheerful, as though he had become more than a decade younger.
Just yesterday, the village had held a grand celebration to commemorate Konoha and Kumogakure signing the Peace Treaty.
Peace had finally arrived.
The villagers were surely still reminiscing about yesterday's ceremony and praising the Third Hokage's great achievements.
The damage to his reputation caused by the Naruto incident was finally about to be resolved.
"Lord Third Hokage, it concerns Kumogakure's Envoy Delegation."
Kakashi knelt on one knee below him, his expression complicated. But something this serious had to be reported to the Hokage immediately.
The Envoy Delegation??? Sarutobi Hiruzen's face stiffened.
He had been looking forward to the delegation bringing the signed Peace Treaty back to Kumogakure.
Could something have happened?
A vague sense of dread rose in Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart.
"What happened?"
Kakashi drew a deep breath and reported the intelligence he had gathered.
"At around one in the morning last night, Kumogakure's Envoy Delegation infiltrated the Hyuga Clan Compound and abducted the Main Family Eldest Daughter. A battle later broke out in the streets, and in the end..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart sank.
"What happened in the end?"
Kakashi fell silent for a moment.
"From what I know, they should all be dead."
Clack!
The pipe clenched in his mouth fell limply onto the desk with a crisp impact. Scattered ash and sparks burned holes through the documents on the Hokage's desk.
The wrinkled face drained of all color. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat rigidly in his chair, as if his soul had been torn from him, unable to recover for a long while.
It was over...
It was over...
They had signed the Peace Treaty yesterday, and the delegation had been slaughtered that same night.
If the Raikage heard about this, all their efforts would go to waste.
His reputation had only just begun to recover!
"Who?!"
"Who the hell was it?!"
"How could someone do something so utterly outrageous?!"
Blood vessels bulged at the corners of Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes. At that moment, he only wanted to tear the person responsible into ten thousand pieces.
As for the report that the Cloud Ninja delegation had abducted Hinata, he simply ignored it.
Kakashi hesitated.
"It was Namikaze Mirai..."
Namikaze Mirai?! "You again!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen gritted his teeth slightly.
Meanwhile.
Hyuga Clan Compound.
Within an elegant and noble residence, a kimono-clad maid knelt before a low table, pouring fragrant tea into the cups on either side.
"Mirai, try the Hyuga Clan's tea."
Hyuga Hiashi, now dressed in formal attire, smiled and gestured for Namikaze Mirai to taste the tea before him.
The Hyuga Clan's rules were strict. Serving tea to guests was the highest form of etiquette.
"Good tea."
Namikaze Mirai took a sip, offered his praise, and set down the teacup.
After the pleasantries, Hyuga Hiashi's expression turned serious.
"Mirai, what are your plans regarding the Envoy Delegation that died last night?"
Last night, the moment he removed the black cloth from their faces, he had broken out in a cold sweat.
The dead men were unmistakably the Cloud Ninja envoys who had signed the Peace Treaty at the Hokage Office during the day.
They had signed the agreement during the day, only to be killed that night.
Hyuga Hiashi could already imagine the Raikage's fury upon hearing this news.
If things went badly, the war that had only just stopped might erupt again.
This was a major diplomatic incident!
Even as the head of the Hyuga Clan, he could not bear responsibility for this! Faced with Hyuga Hiashi's earnest question, Namikaze Mirai did not answer directly. Instead, he picked up the teacup on the low table and took a drink.
"What do you think Sarutobi Hiruzen will do once he learns of this?"
Hyuga Hiashi frowned.
Without even needing to think, he replied, "Forgive my bluntness, but based on my understanding of the Third Hokage, he will most likely place all responsibility on the two of us."
Konoha's strength had now fallen to its lowest point in history.
Orochimaru had defected, while Jiraiya and Tsunade had left the village. None of the Sannin remained in Konoha.
During the Nine-Tails Attack, Minato and his wife had died in battle, and the village had lost a large number of Jonin.
In comparison, Kumogakure was far stronger.
Both the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails Jinchuriki were perfect Jinchuriki. Moreover, they were in their prime, at the peak of their strength.
With the enemy strong and them weak, Sarutobi Hiruzen might have been able to maneuver through the situation with political means when he had been in his prime and known as the Ninja Hero.
But now that he was old, it was difficult for him to stand firm any longer.
He would likely do everything possible to shift the blame onto the two of them and wash his own hands clean.
That was what Hyuga Hiashi feared.
He could not bear this responsibility.
"They killed them. What is there to worry about?"
Namikaze Mirai leisurely took a sip of tea, feeling the warmth and fragrance spread through his mouth. He cast Hyuga Hiashi a calm glance.
"Mirai, you..."
Hyuga Hiashi's face froze instantly. He was so anxious he could barely sit still, yet Namikaze Mirai acted as though nothing had happened.
If this matter was not handled properly, the entire Hyuga Clan could be in danger.
As though he had not noticed Hyuga Hiashi's awkwardness, Namikaze Mirai turned and looked toward the courtyard outside.
Two children were playing happily there.
Children always had boundless energy. Even after last night's terrifying events, they did not look tired in the slightest.
A gentle smile appeared in those azure eyes.
Outside, in the courtyard.
Naruto glanced around, and after confirming that no one was nearby, secretly waved Hinata over.
"Hinata, let me show you my big treasure. Don't tell anyone else, okay!"
"Huh? What big treasure?"
Hinata looked Naruto up and down, curiosity flickering in her pure white eyes.
Naruto pulled down his pants and took out the Electromagnetic Railgun strapped to his waist.
"Here, this is it!"
Its strange metal construction immediately caught Hinata's attention.
"Wow, that's amazing!"
Her pure white eyes were filled with admiration.
This was the weapon Naruto had used to defeat those bad guys last night.
This must be it! It had made those bad guys so wary that they had been too scared to come closer.
So this was Naruto's big treasure! "My Uncle gave it to me!"
Naruto lifted his chin, his face full of pride.
Through Namikaze Mirai's unrelenting efforts, Naruto had gradually cast off that air of gloom and listlessness. He had regained the youthful vitality someone his age should have had.
"My Uncle said this is only the beginning. He'll give me even more powerful things in the future!"
"Naruto, can I touch it?"
Hinata looked at the Gun Barrel in Naruto's hands, a hint of longing appearing in her pure white eyes.
She wanted to examine the construction of this strange weapon up close.
"Of course, but you can only touch it!"
Before you continue