I scarcely managed to restrain my annoyance from turning to rage as Junichi walked in and served Lord Funato a tray of tea and a pungent fisherman soup. I let him feel my glare but Lady gumi quickly placed an order a refill and so snacks like my office was so restaurant.
Lord Funato slurped up parts of a sea creature coated in sauce and coughed before smacking his lips, “Good good, this will soothe my throat of all infections.” He thumped his chest and let out another whooping cough Lady gumi reclined away from, clutching her cup of tea and eying the old man with suspicion.
He laughed a hearty laugh only good food could be responsible for, but his voice was cracked as he spoke, “Don’t mind , current events have stressed into illness but after this soup…yes.”
I smiled politely but it never reached my eyes, “I’m praying for your wellness, Lord Funato.”
He snorted and tore the dead-eyed fish head soaking in his bowl with his spoon, “I am not long for this world, save your prayers for the Kirigakure, it will need it now that we have Konoha shinobi lounging amongst us.”
I held back a sigh. Ever since I had the old clan head show the Mizukage Estate, ever since he promised to make suffer he’s been a lot less subtle with his opinions. And the opinions he has of my decisions are rarely positive, in fact, I don’t think I’ve had a single good mont with the man since I beca Mizukage.
Worse still, ever since Uncle gave my office a makeover it’s suddenly beco very comfortable for longer visits from the nagging old man. He’s already been here for hours, hacking and whooping coughs into my airspace before I suggested he go ho and rest. Instead he summoned Junichi and asked for that repugnant soup.
Lady gumi only arrived a few monts ago, I didn’t know what for but if I had to guess I’d say it’s the sa reason Lord Funato was befouling with his presence. Konoha.
“They are harmless amongst us, there’s nothing they can do that I won’t know about.” ANBU were assigned around the clock to watch the quarters given to them, it was within the Mizukage Tower as well, right alongside my office and my current living space. There wasn’t a more secure and isolated place for the Konoha delegates to be.
Lady gumi raised a pleased smile, “Your confidence is admirable, Mizukage-sama, however, it will be wise not to let our guard down around them. They do not have the sa blessed heart as you.”
I raised a brow at that. It sounded an awful lot like flattery and butt kissing— she wanted sothing. She hadn’t said why she’d visited and it seed she didn’t care as much about the Konoha delegates as Lord Funato did or was it simply overshadowed by sothing else?
“That is a fair critic for most shinobi, Lady gumi. I’m glad to have your company.” My smile behind the stack of papers gave her permission to shuffle in her seat but before she has a chance to speak her piece and knock cos on the door. “Co in.”
Raiga didn’t need to announce himself beyond the doors for to know it was him, his chakra signature was etched in my brain ever since we battled. And now he’s my loyal ANBU Commander, temporarily anyway.
He strode in and gave curt bows to the two elders before kneeling, “Sir, it’s arrived.” He retrieved a bound scroll from his side and presented it.
“What is this?” Lord Funato demanded in an instant and attempted to snatch it out of his hands only to find resistance. “What are you…Yagura, tell him to-”
“Bring it here please.” I said, cutting Lord Funato before he managed to vex more. Lady gumi heaved an exasperated sigh and shook her head at her fellow as Raiga ignored the old man to deposit the scroll in my hands.
Unfurled, I find it’s a sealing scroll. I looked up at Raiga who gave no indication of it being a danger, such things wouldn’t make it as far as himself talk less of the Mizukage.
A sliver of chakra is all it took for a set of tied letters to appear in a poof of rapidly dissipating smoke. I opened the first of many letters and smiled, “Ahh, Lord Funato, Lady gumi, you’ll be happy to know that Konoha has kept its word. These are the missing letters.”
Harrumphed, Lord Funato coughed and sat back in Uncle’s very wise choice for a couch, “They should never have seized it in the first place.”
I rolled my eyes at him, knowing that with the amount of surveillance pressed against the Konoha delegates it wouldn’t be long before Raiga was presenting with the option to intercept their letters as well. Though, from what I hear they’ve only sent confirmation reports about their arrival and residence in Kiri. Nothing that besmirches the truth and nothing too truthful either.
“What do they say?” Lady gumi wondered.
I skimd through them easily as they weren’t thickly worded. It was much the sa reports before we stopped getting them— simple things they noticed about the village, speculations and updates on their search for any involvent in the Sandai’s death which was always a shafully written dead end.
My eyes widened at the last letter though, it was the most useful piece of knowledge they’d reported in a while. “Much of the sa things but according to this, the Snake Sannin has abandoned Konoha to beco a rogue-nin.”
Lord Funato’s head whipped at , eyes wide as I’ve ever seen them. Lady gumi was speechless but her eyes skirted about their sockets as she thought miles per minute. I handed the letters over to Raiga and he placed them on the centre table with Lord Funato’s disgusting soup.
They ignored all the others and skipped to the last before Lady gumi mused aloud, “What could have forced the man to betray his village? Last I heard he was a shoe-in for Yondai Hokage.”
“And now that Yellow Flash is Hokage, perhaps that is the reason?” Lord Funato stroked his beard in thought before fixing a look at . “We should update our bingo book, Mizukage-sama.”
“Of course, but to what?” My fingers drumd against the desk, I couldn’t predict what Lord Funato would say but I had a feeling I wouldn’t like it.
“To capture him alive. If he defects to Kirigakure then-”
“Then Konoha and Kiri’s friendly relationship will be no more, Funato-dono. I will not sabotage myself in such away.” He frowned and made to say sothing but his whooping cough finally did sothing good for once. “Raiga, update the bingo books, dead or alive but under no circumstances is he to be engaged by Hunter-nin…waste of shinobi.”
Orochimaru would kill anyone stupid enough to co after him, that was Jason’s gut instinct and this ti I was going with it. However, Yagura had so alterations to my orders that could make sense, “Wait…if there is a sighting of the Snake Sannin, leave him a ssage. Kirigakure will offer refuge, with conditions.”
Both elders looked at curiously but I rely smiled. Jason didn’t believe Orochimaru would bother with another hidden village but on the off chance that he does, Yagura will have so use of the S-rank shinobi yet.
“There’s one more thing, sir.” Raiga said in a low voice, a sign he needed to speak freely about sensitive matters.
I glanced at the elders, happy to chase them away now that I had a good excuse. “Lord Funato, Lady gumi, if you don’t mind now…I’ll take this report in private.”
Lord Funato looked offended as always and Lady gumi was simply disappointed, whatever she’d co to kiss ass about would have to wait. Together they left with a silent bow and shut the door behind them, I wish Funato had taken the remnants of his putrid soup with him.
“Speak, Raiga.”
Behind the red swirled ANBU mask Raiga announced, “The proofs are ready, Genin Hisako Yuki is implicated in the cri, the Yuki clan seems to have supported her actions.”
Great, it’s just as I feared then. The Yuki clan was behind the death threats.
Thanks for all the support guys, the discussion, I wish I could get into it but alas, I can only appreciate. Still, it's a pancake Saturday with my niece and nephew thanks to honoured patrons ^-^ Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
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