Creak!
The wooden door let out a piercing creak, and several figures entered the conference room.
Upon seeing who had arrived, Chōjūrō and Darui rose to their feet almost simultaneously and bowed deeply toward the doorway.
"Greetings, Lord Hokage!"
The two spoke in unison, their voices full of respect.
Seeing this, the attendants behind them hurriedly stood from their chairs and awkwardly copied them.
"Hmm?"
Tobirama Senju gave the two an astonished glance, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Were they scared?
Tobirama Senju strode to the head of the long table, clasped his hands beneath his chin, and looked at Chōjūrō and Darui on either side with an ambiguous smile.
At his side, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Itachi Uchiha, and Shikaku Nara stood like his personal guards, their expressions stern.
The faint but powerful aura emanating from this group of experts nearly left everyone unable to breathe.
Chōjūrō gritted his teeth, endured the pressure, and spoke first.
"Greetings, Lord Hokage! I am Chōjūrō, the leader of Kirigakure's delegation."
"My apologies for this presumptuous interruption. Might you be willing to hear why Kirigakure has come?"
After speaking, he even forced out a somewhat ingratiating smile and looked hopefully at Tobirama Senju.
"Not bad. Your attitude is acceptable." Tobirama Senju raised an eyebrow slightly, then nodded, showing his approval.
Darui's expression became exceedingly vivid, as though he were screaming, Why did you get ahead of me?!
Hearing this, Chōjūrō let out a breath of relief and turned to nod at the Kirigakure shinobi accompanying him.
Then, he slowly spoke.
"Lord Hokage! Kirigakure has come to Konoha this time because we wish to form an alliance with Konoha!"
As soon as those words fell, not only did Darui's eyes widen, but even Tobirama Senju was momentarily stunned. The people behind him were equally