After the four of them and their dog had eaten their fill, they prepared to get a good night's sleep in the tents they had set up.
Just then, however, a ninja came looking for them—or, more accurately, for Hyuga Shinichi.
"Hyuga Shinichi, Lord Yuhi Shinku and the others are looking for you. Please come with me."
"Oh? All right. You guys get some rest first. I'll go see what they need."
Hyuga Shinichi told the other three to rest, then followed the ninja to Yuhi Shinku's tent. Before long, they arrived.
The sun had yet to rise, but the tent was already brightly lit.
"Go on in. The lords are waiting for you inside."
"Sorry for the trouble."
After speaking, Hyuga Shinichi lifted the tent flap and entered. The four people inside turned their gazes toward him.
He knew three of them: Yuhi Shinku, Hatake Sakumo, and Dan Katō.
He didn't know the fourth, but he knew the man belonged to the Sarutobi Clan. His job was to receive intelligence, organize the information they gathered at the front, and send people to deliver it back to the village.
When Hyuga Shinichi entered, Dan Katō, who knew him best, smiled and spoke up.
"Sorry, Shinichi. You should be resting at this hour, shouldn't you?"
"It's fine, brother-in-law. We just finished eating and were about to rest."
All these years, Hyuga Shinichi had always called Dan Katō "brother-in-law." After a while, it had become second nature.
Even with other people present, he didn't think twice and instinctively called him that.
Being addressed that way in front of so many people made Dan Katō blush.
Hatake Sakumo joined in, teasing him.
"Dan, I remember you had a mission on my wedding day and couldn't make it. Let me tell you, Tsunade caught