Baishi's words were like a stone tossed into the just-calmed surface of the water.
Ripples spread in silence.
The discussion about guard specifications and security budgets sounded like the most normal follow-up agenda, a necessary process to flesh out a resolution.
Yet no one present considered this an easy technical matter.
Mitokado Homura, who had just lost a round, saw a glimmer of light reignite in his cloudy eyes. He straightened up slightly, as though he had found a new battlefield.
Since he could not stop Namikaze Minato from being exiled, he would drive enough wedges into his side.
"Lord Hokage's concerns are entirely correct," Mitokado Homura spoke before anyone else could, his tone heavy. "Comrade Namikaze Minato is a hero of our village and the sole representative of this peace mission. His safety is the face of Konoha, and it must never be compromised."
He stood up, placed his hands on the table, and swept his gaze around the room.
"I propose that we draw a standard four-man squad from the Hokage's Direct ANBU, led by an experienced squad captain, to provide twenty-four-hour close protection. All members must be proficient in reconnaissance, counter-reconnaissance, medical ninjutsu, and barrier ninjutsu. This is the bare minimum security standard."
This proposal was flawless.
Deploying the ANBU meant the highest grade of protection. Demanding proficiency in various types of ninjutsu reflected professionalism.
This was an open conspiracy, a completely upright and above-board conspiracy.
Everyone knew that although the Hokage's Direct ANBU nominally answered only to the Hokage, the organization was deeply entwined with the shadows of the old guard. Dispatching ANBU was protection, but it was also surveillance—the eyes and ears planted by the Elder Faction around Minato.
If Baishi objected, he would be disregarding a hero's life and showing contempt for the village's