That afternoon, in the roundtable room reserved for meetings of Sunagakure's senior officials.
On the right side of the room stood three towering Kazekage statues as decoration. Compared with Konoha's Hokage Rock, they seemed rather unimpressive.
Perhaps comparing the previous Kazekage to the First Hokage would be like setting a firefly against the moon, inviting ridicule.
Nine chairs had been arranged around the table. Seated at the head was the Third Kazekage. To his right sat Souya and Rasa, while Chiyo and Ebizo sat to his left.
The remaining four seats were occupied by Elder Takahashi, the head of the Genpei Family, and their most trusted subordinates.
Baki and several other Sunagakure Ninja stood solemnly around the room, carrying out their duty as guards.
Elder Takahashi was about fifty. His brown hair had yet to turn gray, making him look more like a middle-aged man. His gaze kept sweeping over Souya without the slightest attempt to hide it.
His trusted aide was an old man with a full head of white hair. Even seated, he hunched slightly, and looked considerably older.
The most immediate reason the head of the Genpei Family could sit here was that his family was directly related to the Daimyo by blood.
A stack of documents had already been laid out in front of the Kazekage. He casually picked one up and set it on the table.
"Elder Takahashi, don't you think the Takahashi Family has been allotted too many promotion slots for Chunin and Jonin this time?"
"And can these records really withstand scrutiny?"
"Could you introduce me to this prodigy, Shigeo Takahashi, who killed five Konoha Chunin and two Kirigakure Jonin, and is being promoted to Jonin at thirteen?!"
The Kazekage's voice grew heavier and heavier. He was just short of slamming his palm