Shinichi's voice trailed off. Silence filled the office as the other three men processed his words. Lowering his hands, Shinichi leaned back in his chair.
"Furthermore, we can trace this theory back," he paused, "...all the way to twelve years ago."
"Twelve years ago?" Inoichi Yamanaka furrowed his brow. "That was..."
"The Nine-Tails Attack."
The words hung heavy in the room. Watching their shocked reactions, Shinichi continued. "I also reviewed the sealed dossiers from that incident. That includes the final memories extracted from the Anbu operatives who died guarding Kushina Uzumaki's delivery site."
"A mysterious man with the Sharingan!" Inoichi realized.
The pieces finally fell into place. Twelve years ago, a masked man attacked Konoha to steal the Nine-Tails. Now, twelve years later, a man calling himself 'Madara Uchiha' had formed the Akatsuki. The core of his plan? The Tailed Beasts. Motive, ability, timeline—everything matched perfectly.
"So..." Shikaku Nara's voice was hoarse. "The culprit behind the Nine-Tails Attack... and the mastermind behind the Akatsuki... they're the exact same person."
A grim silence settled over the room. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stiffened. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
'It seems... we really did misunderstand the Uchiha clan back then...' Remembering the elders' harsh stance after the attack, a heavy wave of regret washed over Hiruzen.
If the village hadn't suspected them, perhaps the tragedy of the Uchiha massacre six years ago could have been avoided.
Shikaku broke the silence. "Lord Hokage, our priority is a countermeasure. If they really are the same person, his patience and scheming go far beyond anything we imagined. We need to immediately adjust our—"
BANG!
The heavy office doors violently slammed open, hitting the walls so hard dust shook from the doorframe. Shikaku and Inoichi spun around. They had given strict orders: no interruptions, no matter what.
Yet, someone had just burst right into the Hokage's office.
Four pairs of eyes shot toward the doorway. Two figures stood there, backlit by the hallway lights.
The man in front had long, spiky white hair, a red haori, and a carefree grin. Beside him stood a woman with blonde hair tied in a ponytail, a light blue diamond mark on her forehead, and a tea-green haori that did nothing to hide her breathtaking curves.
Jiraiya and Tsunade.
The office fell silent. Hiruzen's eyes widened. The moment they recognized the intruders, Shikaku and Inoichi immediately relaxed their tense postures.
'So, it's them. That explains it.'
After some time... Shikaku and Inoichi walked out, leaving the Third Hokage, his two former students, and Shinichi inside to catch up.
Both clan heads had bloodshot eyes. Their faces were etched with deep exhaustion as they walked slowly down the corridor.
Shikaku raised a hand to vigorously massage his temples. He let out a long, heavy sigh.
Beside him, Inoichi tilted his head back. His neck gave a loud, satisfying crack. "Before I even realized it the paperwork had piled up this much," Inoichi muttered, his voice dry.
Shikaku dropped his hand, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Ever since Sunagakure and Otogakure launched the Konoha Crush, the village hasn't had a moment of peace. Actually, no... the undercurrents started long before that. It's just that now, they've finally surfaced."
The two turned a corner, heading toward the stairs. Moonlight slanted through the window at the end of the hall, casting a cold, bright patch on the floorboards.
"Speaking of which," Shikaku slowed his pace, glancing sideways at his friend. "The speed at which Shinichi processes administrative work is terrifying. Sometimes, watching him sit there sorting documents... I almost forget he's just a kid."
Inoichi nodded. "It's not just his speed. Almost everything he does is flawless. The way he handles logistics is even more thorough, direct, and effective than our own proposals."
He pictured the stacks of re-categorized documents, all neatly marked with clear priorities and response plans. "He doesn't act like a twelve-year-old. He acts like someone who's been Hokage for a decade."
"Mm," Shikaku hummed. "You just can't argue with talent."
He headed down the stairs. "A monster in ninjutsu, and a genius in governance. Heh. Lord Third really found a treasure this time."
They reached the ground floor and stepped out the main doors. The night wind hit their faces, bringing a refreshing chill.
Shikaku paused in the courtyard, glancing up at the crescent moon. He turned to Inoichi, a hint of amusement breaking through his weary smile.
"By the way, Inoichi," Shikaku said, his voice dropping to a casual drawl.
"Hmm?"
"Shikamaru mentioned something the other day." Shikaku rubbed his chin. "Your Ino seems to enjoy hanging around Shinichi quite a bit, doesn't she?"
Inoichi's hand froze halfway to his ninja pouch. He shot Shikaku a deadpan glare.
"She's just a child."
He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. Exhaling a slow plume of smoke, he muttered, "At her age, it's perfectly normal to admire strong peers. Give it a few years. When she grows up, she'll naturally grow out of it."
Shikaku watched him smoke in silence. He waited until Inoichi exhaled a second cloud of smoke before speaking, his voice slow and teasing.
"Oh?" Shikaku raised an eyebrow. "Could it be... you really haven't given it a single thought, Inoichi?"
Inoichi's fingers paused mid-air. He turned to his old teammate. Shikaku stood there with his arms crossed, wearing a knowing look that clearly said...'Who are you trying to fool?'
Seeing that smug expression, Inoichi's straight face cracked. His mouth twitched. He tried to fight it, but ultimately failed, breaking into a helpless smile. He just couldn't hide his true thoughts.
Raising the hand holding his cigarette, Inoichi pointed playfully at Shikaku.
"You..."
"Hahaha!"
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