The town was fairly conveniently located. Standing on the inn's roof, Rikusei activated his Sharingan and surveyed the streets branching out in every direction, hoping to find a Konoha Ninja through sheer dumb luck.
Fortunately, luck was on his side. He spotted the Konoha ninjas among the crowds, then abruptly jumped down from the roof and walked toward them.
A fateful encounter unfolded in a flash on the street. Rikusei greeted the ninjas wearing Konoha Headbands, but before he could say a word, they recognized him.
"You're Lord Madara's disciple, aren't you?"
The burly ninja bent down slightly and studied Rikusei's face. After confirming it, he turned excitedly to his teammates. "Then Lord Madara must be nearby too!"
It was Rikusei's first time meeting Madara fans. He calmly nodded at the three of them, acknowledging their curious looks.
"Ah! Saku, don't get so excited." The ninja with a hand pressed to his cheek tugged at his sleeve, sounding utterly helpless. "Lord Madara, is there something you need from us?"
The Pineapple Head beside them gave his excited teammate a disdainful glance and spread his hands. "Maybe we should introduce ourselves first."
Rikusei shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight, smiled, and met their gaze. "This isn't the place to talk. You can introduce yourselves in front of Teacher."
With that, he turned and led them onward. The journey wasn't far, and they arrived in no time.
Madara was sitting in the inn's lobby when he heard a flurry of footsteps outside. Reluctantly setting down the tea that had just cooled, he placed the scroll from the chair beside him at his side and waited for them to arrive.
Rikusei looked at the uneasy Konoha ninjas. Seeing them exchange glances, he couldn't help reminding them, "Don't be nervous. Teacher's very kind."