Itachi's Exposure, Shimizu Acts, Giving Izumi Some Chakra Essence to Calm Her

At noon, Shimizu finished his training.

The coldest part of the season had passed, and the weather was gradually warming up.

The coup was scheduled for the night, specifically the eve of Minato Namikaze's ascension to power.

For nearly two months, the upper echelons of Konoha had been aggressively propagandizing to inoculate the public against the possibility of Minato Namikaze's return.

They spouted nonsense about how the dead were no different from the living, and that as long as one possessed the Will of Fire, love could break any boundary.

Such words could only deceive the common villagers.

After all, even the ninjas lacked formal moral education, let alone the common folk.

They did not understand the principles of ninjutsu or how chakra functioned within the body.

Most were merely ignorant masses; only a very small number of clever individuals could transcend their class and look toward the horizon.

"Lord Shimizu, the preparations are nearly complete."

As Shimizu finished his training, a graceful figure knelt on one knee outside his door to report.

"You didn't alert anyone from Root, did you?"

Shimizu pushed the door open and looked down at the ninja kneeling below.

"No, the ninjas implanted with the Illusion Cursed Seal have integrated perfectly."

The person reporting outside the door was Uchiha Hikari.

Having returned from her advanced training in the Land of Demons, she had successfully accepted the cursed chakra Shimizu had distributed, inheriting the Cursed Seal.

Her body had developed significantly since they last met, and she had grown a head taller.

Her physique was tightly wrapped in her ninja combat suit, accentuating her graceful curves.

These curves were concealed beneath gray, lightweight ninja armor, leaving nothing to be seen.

The combat suit was made of a special material Shimizu had invested heavily to develop. He