Sunlight streamed through the broad windows into the office, falling across its thick carpet. The faint scents of tea and old books lingered in the air.
Dressed in a loose white robe and wearing a conical hat, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at ease behind his spacious desk. He held a steaming cup of tea, gently blowing across the leaves floating on its surface, his face bearing its familiar, kindly smile, as though he had seen through all the ways of the world.
Seated in the guest chair opposite him was the current head of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Hiashi.
He wore a black kimono, his expression stern and his posture straight, maintaining the reserve and courtesy characteristic of a distinguished clan.
Yet despite his efforts to keep his usually impassive face under control, a trace of displeasure still showed between his brows.
"Heh."
Hiruzen Sarutobi set down his teacup and broke the brief silence with a soft chuckle.
"I hear that boy Naruto has stirred up something big out there again."
Hyuga Hiashi picked up the teacup before him but did not drink. Instead, he rubbed his fingers against its warm surface and said in a low voice, "He killed Kazahana Dōtō, the Daimyo of the Land of Snow...
"He certainly settled scores and played the righteous hero, helping that exiled princess, Kazahana Koyuki, assassinate a nation's daimyo."
His tone was level, but the complicated emotions behind it were plain.
Settling scores? Playing the righteous hero? There was certainly that.
But more than anything, there was concern.
This was the assassination of a daimyo, a sensitive matter involving international relations, the Imperial Court's stance, and the position of a shinobi village.
Naruto Uzumaki was still officially a registered ninja of Konoha-and, more importantly, Hyuga Hiashi's future son-in-law.
What if the boy's