A special thank you to my patrons:
—Jacob Mooe, kevin Williams, Jose Sierra, Archer, Acedia, kurtis newman, Little Sand, Kyle.S406, Alin Kadas, sediaz, Flavio Rodrigo.
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
————————————————————
After dealing with the tasks at hand and checking the time, Shikaku decisively clocked out. He'd rather leave than let Kazuki drag him into overtime work. He had just arrived home and hadn't even had a chance to rest when someone came looking for him. Shikaku had no choice but to dress again and make his way to the home of the Akimichi clan's elder.
Stepping into the guest hall and seeing his father sitting there drinking tea with Akimichi Torifu, Shikaku immediately knew nothing good was in store. "Shikaku, you've come. Quick, have a seat. Have you been busy with work lately?" His father, Shikako Nara, remained silent, sipping his tea. It was Torifu, the rotund elder, who cheerfully waved Shikaku over and even considerately poured him a cup of tea.
Shikaku knelt on the tatami mat but didn't touch the teacup. With a hint of exasperation, he said, "You two old-timers can stop probing. The Advisor hasn't expressed any such intention yet, and as the Jonin Commander, it's not my place to prod him."
"How can that be acceptable?!" Shikako shot his son a sidelong glare, his expression that of a father bitterly disappointed by his son's perceived uselessness. "It's precisely because you hold the position of Jonin Commander that certain matters need you to take the lead in driving them forward!"
'If you're so amazing, you do it!' Shikaku felt the strong urge to fling those words right at his father's face. But considering the high probability of receiving a beating in return, he held it in. He could only spread his hands helplessly. "Please, no. I've already given a reminder when the time called for it. You both know the Advisor's temperament well enough. I don't dare to keep nagging him. Others might just grumble verbally, but our Advisor – when he says he'll curse you out, he'll curse you out. When he says he'll hit you, he'll hit you."
Useless! Shikako glared at his son. Shikaku decisively lowered his head, utterly ignoring the fury emanating from his father. You're the one who's so tough – you go tell him. I don't dare.
"Ha ha ha..." Torifu laughed, offering a jovial interjection. "This kid back then pointed right at Danzo's nose and cursed him out, calling him an old fossil, a rat skulking in the sewers. Even I was shocked. His audacity is simply too great, Not only is he audacious, he's also incredibly petty. Poor Shimura Clan – they've been tormented relentlessly. And the Sarutobi Clan... ahh."
"Speaking of which, the Uchiha have always strived for the position of Hokage. How is it that now, when the goal they've striven for is right before their eyes, this kid shows absolutely no reaction at all? Could it be that his relationship with Tsunade is truly that close?"
Who knows? I wouldn't dare to say what shouldn't be said. Shikaku lifted his teacup, took a couple of sips of the hot tea, and then began recounting the amusing anecdote from the Hokage's office. After listening, Shikako's mouth twitched. He turned his head aside, not wanting to speak. Torifu was stunned for a few seconds, then burst into laughter again. Perhaps due to his excessive weight, sustained hearty laughter placed a considerable strain on his body, and he soon began gasping for breath.
"Ahh, who knows how much longer this broken-down body of mine can hold on? But Shikaku, you're right. Our Advisor sees things with crystal clarity, yet possesses absolutely no self-awareness. All the power of the Leaf Village is consolidated in his hands. If something were to happen to him, tsk tsk tsk... even I don't know what kind of chaos would erupt in the Leaf Village."
"In that case..."
"Let's wait a while longer," Torifu interrupted Shikako, his eyes brimming with mirth. "Since there's an extremely high probability that the war between the Sand and the Mist will end because of this, Onoki will undoubtedly try to persuade those two villages. He'll pull the Leaf Village in to initiate a Five Kage Summit, and through that summit, bring an end to the war with the Cloud Village. At the Five Kage Summit, it won't be a matter of whether he's willing or not anymore."
After a bit more idle chatter, Shikaku rose to take his leave. He had been busy all day, was dead tired, and hadn't even eaten dinner yet. Furthermore, he had no interest in accompanying two old fossils in their rambling conversations. After Shikaku departed, Shikako smiled wryly. "I never imagined a day would come when I, of the Ino-Shika-Cho, would wholeheartedly support the Uchiha ascending to power."
"Am I any different?" Torifu chuckled ruefully. "What's most infuriating is that the damn brat – the stepping stones have practically been laid right at his feet, and he remains utterly unmoved."
"What if Lady Tsunade were to return at this very moment?"
"Would there be any difference?" Torifu glanced at Shikako. "Would there be any difference? Would there be any difference at all in which of them is Hokage?"
"..." You're right. There really doesn't seem to be any difference. In fact, Tsunade would probably leap for joy.
What exactly Mei Terumi discussed with the Daimyo of the Land of Water remained unknown to outsiders. The only observable fact was that for a period following their meeting, the Daimyo's mood seemed rather foul. He didn't even have the inclination to pay attention to beautiful women. But having obtained the Daimyo's full support, an operation specifically targeting Yagura began to unfold quietly in the shadows. To prevent intelligence leaks, every single ninja participating in this operation was subjected to layer upon layer of stringent screening. Only those confirmed beyond doubt to be free of issues and not among Yagura's die-hard loyalists were selected.
At the Akatsuki's new base, the atmosphere plummeted to a freezing point. The organization's leader had launched a blistering attack, and the target of this assault was none other than Obito. The cause? Naturally, Kisame, who had defected. After Obito had dispatched Kisame to infiltrate the Leaf Village, Black Zetsu had cautiously lurked about gathering intelligence.
The information he eventually collected left even himself speechless. Kisame – that blunt, straightforward-looking fellow – had actually defected!! And what was most mind-bogglingly absurd was that the Leaf Village had actually accepted him! Hoshigaki Kisame! He was a rogue ninja of the Mist Village, an S-rank rogue ninja! Weren't relations between the Leaf and the Mist extremely strained? You actually dared to take in a rogue ninja like that? Even setting aside his rogue status, Kisame had still been a member of the Akatsuki! Yet he was still accepted, and had even become a personal guard to the Advisor! This was utterly insane!!!
Kazuki hadn't concealed or buried the matter of Kisame. On the contrary, he'd even made an official notification. Firstly, it was to prevent the villagers from becoming suspicious – to let everyone know that this fierce-looking fellow was now one of their own, and what's more, the Advisor's personal guard. So there was no need to worry about him harboring any ulterior motives or attempting any sly tricks.
Secondly, it served to disgust the Akatsuki and ignite internal fires within their ranks. According to Kisame's account, after Obito learned that the eye he had risked so much to seize was a complete counterfeit, his rage had been monumental. So why not use Obito as a point of leverage to further sicken the Akatsuki?
Obito was no good, and Nagato was hardly a congenial companion either. The two deeply distrusted one another, their interactions laced with profound wariness. Given an opportunity to create trouble for the Akatsuki, Kazuki naturally wouldn't let it slip by. Otherwise, had he ordered a gag, news of Kisame would have been extremely difficult to leak out.
Black Zetsu was terrified of being discovered and dared not collect intelligence wantonly within the Leaf Village. Therefore, Kazuki could only lend him a helping hand. He wanted Black Zetsu to obediently carry news of Kisame back and create friction between Nagato and Obito – ideally, for that friction to spark into genuine flames. As for whether Black Zetsu would report truthfully, Kazuki believed he would! At most, he'd obscure certain details to spare Obito from a truly unbearable predicament. And indeed, it seemed Kazuki's objective had been achieved.
Nagato felt deeply grateful for his own decisiveness. The moment he'd learned that Kisame had been dispatched to the Leaf Village on a mission, he'd immediately ordered the relocation of their base.