Inside the meeting room.
Shisui looked at the blood and mangled flesh strewn across the floor. He glanced at Kimimaro, then at Karin, and let out a long sigh.
He felt lost.
"Nobihi, what did Shinji tell you before he came?"
Nobihi scoffed. "That doesn't matter. What matters is... Shisui, has your blade gone dull?"
"A little country like the Land of Iron stopped you in your tracks? If that's the case, go get some rest. Let me take over your mission."
"..."
Shisui's breath caught. He stared into Nobihi's wild, arrogant eyes and frowned.
When Shisui said nothing, Nobihi snorted and turned to Uchiha Izumi, who looked just as astonished. "Izumi, you know where Shisui was supposed to go next, don't you?"
Izumi froze and glanced instinctively at Shisui.
She hesitated for a moment.
Then she nodded slightly. "There... isn't anywhere else. The Land of Iron was the last stop. Before this, we went to the Land of Waterfalls, the Land of Lightning, and the Land of Hot Water. We settled plans for railway lines to the Land of Fire's border and announced unified selection standards for ninja..."
"Oh?"
Nobihi laughed and gave Shisui an amused look. "Seems you're good for something after all, Shisui."
Ignoring Shisui's dark expression, he waved a hand. "Good. Izumi, come with me!"
"Where?" Izumi stared at Nobihi. They hadn't seen each other in over a year, and the boy before her was nothing like the childhood friend she remembered.
Nobihi frowned. "To find this so-called Daimyō and settle everything here, of course. Shinji gave me this mission!"
With that,
Nobihi paused and looked at the dumbstruck Karin and the silent Kimimaro.
With those two kids,
he was less overbearing. "As for you two, go back to Otogakure. Shinji's there. I'm all this place