"Huh? You didn't know, Kakashi-sensei? The Land of Fire is reorganizing the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Apparently, the previous Daimyo has been missing for so long that the newly selected Daimyo has never felt safe. After fresh talks with Konoha, Asuma-sensei went to the Fire Temple to discuss it with Master Chiriku."
"The new Daimyo wants to reorganize the Twelve Guardian Ninja? When did this happen?"
"About two weeks ago. The Daimyo's envoy originally wanted Konoha to provide a list of twelve candidates directly, but things apparently got pretty unpleasant with the village. It sounds like the village flatly opposed and rejected the new Daimyo's request."
Shikamaru had clearly received fairly detailed information from his father, Shikaku. Normally, news involving figures on the level of the Daimyo and Hokage was not something a chunin like him would have access to.
But Shikamaru also knew exactly who the people before him were. There was probably nothing in the village that he could not tell them.
Of course, as he explained all this, Shikamaru had already noticed Kakashi taking certain measures. At the very least, the customers in the ramen shop, Uncle Teuchi, and his daughter Ayame all seemed not to hear them and showed no interest in their conversation.
"About two weeks ago? No wonder. I was away on a mission then, and after I came back... ah, so that's what all those strange things Guy said meant..."
Kakashi muttered to himself.
He finally understood where Guy's baffling remarks from two weeks earlier had come from.
About two weeks earlier.
After a grueling mission, Kakashi dragged his exhausted body back to Konoha's gates, only to see a man in a green leotard carrying an enormous pack emerge through them.
"Guy, heading out on a mission...?"
Kakashi had barely offered that perfectly