The Third Hokage had come to this meeting with a clear purpose—and it wasn't just to hear Kakashi's report on the illegal fighting pits.
"Regarding the proposal for the Joint Bureau," the Third Hokage set his pipe down, "Homura and Koharu have already been in contact with the Daimyo."
Tsunade lowered the documents in her hands, and Kakashi paused what he was doing.
"The Daimyo's position…" Hiruzen searched for the most precise wording. "He personally does not intend to intervene directly. Or rather, he does not believe it is necessary for him to directly involve himself in how the Five Great Ninja Villages regulate and manage the internal affairs of the shinobi world."
"He believes this follows tradition—that the Five Kage should confer and decide on shinobi affairs. The Land of Fire only needs to be informed of the results and provide support when needed."
"The only question is," Hiruzen's gaze shifted to Roshi, his eyes—tempered by decades of hardship—suddenly sharp, "whether Konoha holds the same view of this tradition."
The current Daimyo of the Land of Fire understood his own position well.
For that reason, the Third Hokage planned to speak with him in person. As a former Hokage, he could represent Konoha without locking the village into a rigid, irreversible stance.
After all, he was already retired. Any commitment he made would still leave room for adjustment.
Roshi thought for a moment before speaking. "Within the foreseeable future, ninja involvement in national affairs will deepen."
Kakashi's eyelids twitched slightly at those words.
"But this deeper involvement will mainly appear in production and construction, in the promotion of large-scale engineering projects, security for international trade routes, and even the establishment of a joint defense system against extraordinary threats."
"Its primary influence will be focused on areas such as improving productivity, increasing the efficiency of fiscal resource allocation, and enhancing the overall security environment."
"So, please set his mind at ease."
Hiruzen studied him for a long beat before he finally nodded.
"I understand." He picked his pipe back up. "I know how to word it now."
—
Night fell, and the lights of the Venue District flicked on one after another, turning the main street warm and lively for the incoming tourists. In contrast, the residential quarters assigned to each ninja village remained quiet, lit only by the sparse, chilly glow of functional streetlamps.
On the third floor of Iwagakure's residence, a window that had been dark until now creaked open a sliver.
A blond head slipped through the gap. Deidara braced his hands on the windowsill and flipped himself out in one smooth motion.
The Old Man had said he'd give him a chance—wasn't this exactly that?
That "white cat" guy would definitely be lurking nearby, just like last time.
He checked himself over. No issues.
Deidara released two clay birds and three small spiders. With his scouting units deployed, the prelude to his art was complete. Now, all that remained was to lure the target onto the stage.
"Hey, come out, Uchiha guy. I know you're there."
The alley stayed quiet.
Deidara frowned.
Judging by last year's experience, that guy should've shown up by now. Was he slacking off tonight?
He was just about to make a bigger scene when, in the span of a single blink, a figure appeared a few meters in front of him, standing there in silence.
The newcomer wore no mask, had short hair, and wore a standard Konoha Jonin flak jacket.
The excitement on Deidara's face instantly froze.
"You're not him?" he said, certain. "Who are you? Where is that Uchiha Anbu?"
Faced with the Iwagakure brat's blunt questioning, the newcomer calmly gave his name. "I am Uchiha Shisui. Tonight, I'm responsible for the nighttime joint defense of the Venue District's residential section."
"So, leaving the designated residential area at this time in such a... unique manner," Shisui's gaze flicked up to the still-open window on the residence's third floor before returning to Deidara, "did you encounter some emergency and need help?"
"You're an Uchiha too..." Deidara pushed aside his disappointment at not seeing the person he wanted; in the end, they were both Uchiha, so it should be about the same. "In that case, you've seen my art, haven't you!"
He jabbed a finger toward the night sky. Overhead, two clay birds circled lazily, while on the ground three spiders crawled out of the shadows to regroup at his feet.
"They haven't been activated yet," Deidara said, excitement returning to his voice. "How about it? Let's change locations, and I'll show you my complete art!"
Shisui shook his head. "Using scouting-type Ninjutsu in the residential area without prior authorization or reporting is considered disrespectful to personnel from other villages and may cause unnecessary misunderstandings."
"Misunderstandings?" Deidara brushed the word aside with a wave. "That's just a greeting. Hey, I came here in good faith to fulfill a promise!"
"I heard that guy couldn't participate in the official competition, so I specifically came to give him a chance to experience my art in private!"
"If an Iwagakure exchange student wishes to request an official sparring match or challenge," Shisui replied evenly, "they can submit an application through the Bureau. It will be arranged at a suitable venue under the supervision of a referee."
"However, before that, please be prepared."
"Prepared? I've been preparing for a whole year! My art has long been starving for action! Yeah!" Deidara shouted.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he noticed that Shisui's eyes had turned crimson.
Deidara's spirits shot up.
"Oh? Is it finally starting? Right here—"
The "Deidara" standing in the middle of the alley suddenly froze.
At almost the same moment, hidden in the shadows behind the open third-floor window of the Iwagakure residence, the real Deidara leaned back against the wall. The pupil of his left eye constricted sharply, his face filled with disbelief.
"How... how is this possible..."
To guard against the troublesome Genjutsu of the Sharingan, he had deliberately sent out a Clay Clone to act as bait in the alley, while his real body stayed hidden in the safety of the room, controlling it from afar.
So why… was even his real body caught?
"Eye contact is only the most convenient way to trigger a Sharingan Genjutsu," Shisui's voice drifted through the alley. "but it's far from the only way to cast one."
In the narrow passage, Shisui studied the rigid clay clone in front of him, then gave a small, almost regretful shake of his head.
"Let's end the greetings here for tonight."
"Please remember to follow the rules of the Venue District and get some rest."
"Konoha hopes all the exchange students—especially you—will have a fulfilling and peaceful stay."
With that, Shisui's figure blurred and vanished into the darkness of the alley.
On the third floor, Deidara's real body was still slumped against the wall, limbs frozen in place, only his eyes able to roll in their sockets.
"Damn it… I didn't even see how I got hit…"
The door eased open with a soft creak.
Kurotsuchi stepped inside, walked over to where Deidara was collapsed on the floor, and crouched in front of him.
"That's why I told you, Deidara-nii," she said quietly, "you really should be more careful in Konoha."
"Because of that little stunt of yours," Kurotsuchi added, wagging a finger in front of his unmoving eyes, "Konoha's level of alertness toward us exchange students—especially those of us from Iwagakure—is going to shoot up several levels."
"The difficulty of gathering any interesting intel from now on is going to skyrocket."
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