"Shibuki."
Naruto Uzumaki softened his tone a little. "It was only a matter of time before this base was discovered. Rather than let someone with ulterior motives dig it up later and cause trouble for you, it's better for Konoha to take it over openly now."
"Konoha will handle everything here. We won't let Takigakure get dragged into this."
Shibuki looked into Naruto's eyes. His face, which still retained a trace of boyishness, was filled with sincerity.
Suddenly, he was no longer worried.
Naruto really had changed a great deal in all the time since they had last met.
But he believed Naruto was still the same trustworthy friend he had known before. He couldn't be wrong about that.
Standing beside the waterfall, Shibuki listened to the roar of the water as he watched Naruto enter the base again and disappear.
He turned and gestured to the Takigakure ninja still standing guard some distance away.
Several of them quickly gathered around him, waiting for their village chief's orders.
"From now on, the area around this waterfall is under the highest level of security. Keep watch in shifts around the clock. No one is to enter the passage behind the waterfall unless I or someone from Konoha is present."
"Is that understood?"
"Yes!"
Shibuki took one last look at the crack hidden behind the vines.
What had Obito Uchiha done when he built this base in the Land of Waterfalls?
Hopefully, once Konoha's ninja arrived, they could uncover all these secrets as soon as possible.
Then they could get through this crisis smoothly.
Takigakure couldn't withstand too much upheaval.
Compared to the Takigakure of the past, the village was now weaker by more than a little.
Most importantly, Takigakure no longer had the protection of a tailed beast jinchūriki.
Indeed, Chōmei