By evening, a peaceful atmosphere filled Kabuto Yakushi's home.
Warm amber light spilled from the living room chandelier onto the tidy furniture.
Kabuto sat on the sofa with a copy of the Kumogakure Daily. He appeared to be reading the news, but out of habit, his mind was searching between the lines for hidden intelligence and shifts in public sentiment.
From the kitchen came the crisp sounds of running water and clinking dishes, accompanied by Yor's soft humming.
She was happily tidying the dishes for dinner, her movements brisk but gentle.
That everyday calm was broken by a door opening in haste and the familiar patter of energetic footsteps.
"Father! Mother!" Anya burst into the living room like a pink cannonball, not even stopping to put down her schoolbag. Her little face shone with excitement, and stars seemed to sparkle in her wide eyes.
"Anya got picked! Anya got picked to be an exchange student!"
"An exchange student?" Kabuto looked up from his newspaper, his gaze shifting from the headline to Anya with a hint of puzzlement and concern.
He set down the paper and leaned forward slightly, ready to listen.
"Uh-huh!" Anya nodded hard and began explaining with animated gestures. "Teacher Aizen asked Anya to stay after school today! Damian and big sister Mikoto too!"
"He said the three of us are going to Kirigakure with him tomorrow! For something called the 'New Generation Exchange Meeting'! We'll be staying there for a while!"
Kirigakure? An exchange meeting? Kabuto's mind immediately raced.
Damian was the Fifth Raikage's son. Mikoto Misaka came from the Misaka Family and was exceptionally gifted, a rising star favored by both the school and the village leadership.
Anya was chosen alongside those two?
As for safety, with the Raikage's son going along, relations between Kirigakure and