Shion was in far better spirits now. The hero from her prophecy, the one who would help her seal the fiend and keep her alive, was standing right in front of her. How could she not be excited?
In her eyes, Akira was the one and only lifeline left in this world.
After getting a basic grasp of the current situation, Akira arranged for Yūgao Uzuki to remain at Shion's side as her personal guard.
As for him, Neji, and Lee, the three men naturally took responsibility for the outer perimeter of the palace.
There were a few guest rooms in one of the side halls next to the shrine palace. The moment Akira walked over there, he ran into a group of familiar faces.
The instant he saw them clearly, his brow lifted slightly.
"Samui? You?"
Samui had been quietly discussing tactics with Yugito Nii when she heard that familiar voice and turned around sharply.
Her face still carried that same cool beauty, and her tone came out just as cold.
"So it's you. I figured Konoha would send a freak like you."
The words were sharp, but Akira still caught the faint trace of pleasure hidden underneath them.
That was just how she was: cold on the outside, warm underneath, stubborn in a way that was almost cute.
Neji and Lee, meanwhile, were both completely baffled. Neither of them had any idea when Akira had gotten so familiar with ninja from Kumogakure.
Akira walked over without the slightest hesitation, completely at ease, and dropped into the chair beside Samui as though he belonged there.
"Looks like Kumogakure went all in this time too. You even sent this lineup."
And it really was a strong lineup.
Two-Tails jinchuriki Yugito Nii, plus Samui, who was no slouch herself, and then Omoi and Karui, the usual troublemaking pair.
Yugito alone was the real centerpiece. She was a genuine Kage-level fighter, the kind of name that carried weight throughout the shinobi world.
Tsunade had most likely received this intelligence already. In order to keep Konoha from losing face, she had sent out two of Konoha's strongest young cards: Akira and Neji.
After all, among the younger generation in Konoha, those two were the only ones who could really hold the line.
Yugito gave Akira a long look from head to toe, her gaze sharp as a blade, her entire presence radiating the kind of cold force that told strangers to keep their distance.
She looked perfectly composed on the surface, but the truth was that she had been curious about this so-called Konoha prodigy for a long time.
Karui and Omoi, on the other hand, almost lost their jaws on the floor the moment they saw him.
"Akira?!"
The two of them blurted it out at the same time.
After all, Akira was actually a year younger than they were, yet the difference in strength between them felt like the distance between worlds.
Akira gave them an easy wave and smiled.
"Since everyone's here, that means Kumogakure understands this Mōryō situation isn't simple. Our objective is the same."
"The first priority is making sure Shion-hime reaches the sealing site safely. Everything else comes second."
He said it so naturally that it almost sounded as if he were already the commander of the combined unit.
Samui, to her credit, gave him face. She listened quietly and didn't interrupt.
Omoi and Karui also stayed silent, subdued more by Akira's presence than anything else. In the ninja world, strength spoke louder than rank.
Yugito, however, was not amused.
Her brows drew together, and her tone sharpened.
"Akira-san, you're a ninja of Konoha. Coming here and issuing directions to Kumogakure ninja feels a little presumptuous, doesn't it?"
Even if they were cooperating, the walls between villages did not disappear that easily.
Allies or not, their relationship was nowhere near close enough for one side to casually step in and start directing the other.
Akira turned toward her with a smile still on his face.
"So you're the famed Jonin Yugito Nii. I've heard you're a perfect jinchuriki. It's a pleasure."
Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Samui quietly tugged at Akira's sleeve and lowered her voice.
"Don't provoke her. Yugito-senpai has a bad temper."
Akira glanced sideways at her, gave her a reassuring look, and even patted the back of her hand lightly.
Then he turned back and met Yugito's eyes head-on, his tone unexpectedly sincere.
"Honestly, which village we come from isn't the important part. What matters is getting the priestess safely to the Land of Swamps. Cooperation benefits everyone. Don't you agree?"
Akira chose not to force the issue with strength.
He understood Yugito's personality too well.
She was the type with iron in her bones, the kind of woman who would rather die than bend. You didn't win someone like that over just by crushing them.
For people who rejected force and dug in even harder when pressured, Akira preferred a slower approach.
So this time, unlike back in the Land of Water, he didn't just release chakra and overwhelm the room.
Besides, Samui's quiet attempt to warn him had already put him in a good mood.
That little gesture meant her view of him had changed at least a bit, which was a good sign.
Yugito let out a cold snort, still wearing the same closed-off look.
"I know you're strong. But Raikage-sama's orders were for us to protect the priestess independently. He never said anything about following your command."
Her attitude was hard as stone.
Neji and Lee both frowned slightly from the side, already feeling that this kind of hastily assembled unit had trouble written all over it.
Neji especially had reason to be wary.
After all, his father had died because of Kumogakure's actions. The fact that he could stand there without drawing a blade already showed impressive restraint.
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