"Did Lord Shinhiko really ask Lord Hokage to go to the Capital and take charge?"
After hearing the samurai's request, Utatane Koharu could not help feeling puzzled.
After all, the revelation of the truth behind the bounty offices had made it common knowledge that the Daimyo and nobles of the Land of Fire feared Konoha as an armed organization.
Now, with the Daimyo dead, the great nobles of the Capital were summoning the Hokage into the city. Naturally, Utatane Koharu wondered whether they intended to harm him.
"Shikaku, what do you think I should do?"
Hokage Madara ignored the shocked senior advisor and, with keen interest, put the question to Shikaku, who seemed to have seen through everything.
"Lord Hokage should go."
Faced with Hokage Madara's question, Shikaku gave his answer without the slightest hesitation.
It was also the answer Hokage Madara most wanted to hear. At that point, the two clever men had reached a tacit agreement on where they stood.
"Lady Koharu, I understand your concerns, but with the Land of Fire's current capabilities, they cannot threaten Lord Hokage. Besides, Lord Shinhiko and the others said Lord Hokage could bring a team into the city. That is enough to demonstrate their sincerity."
After first dispelling Koharu's concerns about the Hokage's safety, Shikaku continued. This brilliant strategist of the previous generation had earned tremendous respect throughout Konoha, and everyone trusted his words.
"Right now, the Daimyo and most of his key ministers are dead. If we cannot reassure the senior ministers in the Capital, Madara Uchiha may win them over or intimidate them. Then Konoha will find itself without support. If the Land of Fire and Konoha become divided, we will also be unable to cooperate with the other four lands. That is a situation we absolutely cannot accept."