Time passed swiftly, and Konoha Ninja Village entered its thirty-eighth year. Nearly five years had passed since the Second Shinobi World War. The Southern Alliance was flourishing, while the Northern Powers were seeking a way to achieve internal unity. An atmosphere of peace prevailed.
Yet beneath that peaceful surface, undercurrents were slowly stirring. Kazemori Masaki knew this perfectly well. The north would pose no threat for the time being; the main threat lay within the country, in the Capital.
Every so often, Kazemori Masaki required Asuna to submit a written report on what she had seen and heard in the Capital, along with any intelligence she had noticed, especially concerning Tobi's movements.
In his everyday dealings with the Guardian Ninja from the Konoha Shinobi, Tobi often hid a knife behind his smile, forcing them all to remain vigilant. With those outside the Konoha Shinobi, he used all manner of methods to win them over and sow discord between them and the Konoha Shinobi.
Because of their humble origins, the Guardian Ninja other than Tianyi of the Fire Temple had little affection for the Konoha Shinobi, who came from a major shinobi village. Although this had not escalated into hostility, their relationship was certainly poor.
If conflict truly broke out in the future, those Guardian Ninja might well side with the Daimyo. Asuna had already assessed their strength. They were no match for the Konoha Shinobi, but fighting them would still be troublesome.
However, what worried Asuna far more than the Guardian Ninja was the presence of the Chakra Samurai. Under Tobi's training, the Chakra Samurai serving the Daimyo were growing ever more numerous, and their strength was nothing to scoff at. The best among them were every bit the equal of the samurai from the Land of Iron.
The growing