The Kumogakure envoy had indeed backed down.
After a few more defiant remarks, he all but fled the conference room under everyone's scrutinizing gazes.
The negotiation ended on an unpleasant note. Seeing that the talks were over, everyone left, leaving only Hiruzen,
Danzo, and Sakumo in the conference room.
Hiruzen walked to the conference room door and closed it, then approached the edge of the table Danzo had smashed with a punch. He said ruefully, "Danzo, you're getting more and more heavy-handed..."
"Hitting harder makes the act more convincing." Danzo snorted and sat down casually.
Sakumo remained respectful toward Hiruzen, standing by the conference room door and watching for anyone trying to eavesdrop.
"Heh, true enough. Your acting has improved, Danzo. Even I thought you really wanted to go to war. You had me breaking out in a cold sweat." Hiruzen's previously gloomy expression turned genial, and he sat down beside Danzo with ease.
"I'm still a long way from a crafty old fox like you," Danzo said discontentedly. "Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu really have gotten old, too. It looked like they really intended to hand over our own village's ninja to smooth things over."
"Now, now, don't blame them. They manage the village's internal affairs, so their perspective is a little different from yours." Hiruzen smoothed things over, then asked, "Speaking of which... didn't I only brief you and Sakumo beforehand? What was going on with the others?"
At Hiruzen's question, Danzo's expression turned somewhat peculiar. "They came to me of their own accord."
"Huh?" "Don't get worked up yet. Let me explain."
Danzo said, "Hiashi goes without saying. Kumogakure tried to abduct someone from the Hyuga Clan. Calling that stepping on a land mine would be putting it mildly. The Hyuga Clan really would fight to the