Itachi set down his glass of water, his expression serious.
"I asked him how he planned to resettle the civilians after overthrowing Konoha. Where the reconstruction funds would come from. How he would deal with the daimyo and the other ninja villages."
Chikage choked on a mouthful of water.
He stared hard at Itachi, utterly stunned.
Had this kid really thrown every argument from their carriage ride right in that space-warping Masked Man's face?
Chikage grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth and gave him a thumbs-up. "Beautifully done."
"So what did he say?"
Itachi shook his head.
"He didn't say anything. He looked very angry."
"Then he started threatening me, saying the High Command would wipe out our clan, down to the last person. After that, he fled using Space-Time Ninjutsu."
"I didn't even get to ask about the exact timing of the surprise attack or the personnel assignments."
Chikage slapped his thigh and rocked back and forth with laughter.
That lunatic with a head full of world-destroying schemes had run into Itachi, a walking fiscal budget. Those questions had probably left him stripped bare.
As his laughter faded, Chikage grew serious, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"Itachi, do you think what he said was true?" Chikage looked him in the eyes.
Itachi fell silent for a moment.
He recalled the ordinary clan members he had seen on the way over.
"Before today, I would never have believed the village could do something like that."
"But now, I'm not sure."
Itachi's eyes were searching. "Chikage, would the High Command really kill all those ordinary people for power? Do they really not care about the village's rules anymore?"
Chikage stood and walked to the window, looking out at the darkening sky.
"Itachi, there's something you need to understand."
"When