But Hiroki suddenly raised his head in surprise and looked toward the doorway.
[Sarutobi Hiruzen]: [Access Denied]
The Third—why was he here again!?
And he'd been denied access, too.
"Bang!"
The hospital room door was shoved open, and Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared in the doorway. Several grim-faced Anbu followed behind him.
He glanced around at the room's tense atmosphere and at Yamanaka Gōshō, still trembling on the floor from the mental assault. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Looks like you've got your answer." Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was low. He didn't look at Utatane Koharu or Mitokado Homura, instead walking straight to Hiroki's bedside.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's faces turned pale, then flushed. They opened their mouths, but couldn't say a word.
The facts were right before them. Any argument would have sounded feeble.
They did believe now that Hiroki had survived the Tailed Beasts, and they believed in his strength, too—
But—
Mitokado Homura sighed. Accepting reality was never easy.
Sarutobi Hiruzen ignored them. He crouched down to meet Hiroki's gaze. His usually gentle eyes were now filled with gravity.
"Hiroki, the situation has changed." He got straight to the point. "Just now, I received an urgent joint communication from the Tsuchikage and the Raikage. They already know about Madara Uchiha, and have formally proposed that we immediately halt all ongoing hostilities and convene a Five Kage Summit to discuss how to deal with this threat."
"What does that have to do with Hiroki!?" Utatane Koharu blurted out.
But Mitokado Homura had already realized what Sarutobi Hiruzen meant. His expression turned grave. "You're planning to take Hiroki with you!?"
"That's right." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, then turned his attention back to Hiroki. "I plan to go in person. But there's a problem."
He paused, his tone turning deadly serious. "Although the