Chapter 27: The Tense Atmosphere Before the Meeting Begins
Yuto dispelled the Cursed Seal state, and the wings on his back vanished accordingly. As expected of tailed beast chakra, it was abundant and satisfying.
Even with the conversion rate being alarmingly low, the remaining chakra from Saiken, about one-third of its total, was enough for Yuto to fire one or two Tailed Beast Bombs.
A faint smile appeared on Yuto's face. The Cursed Seal was indeed an unexpected delight.
Lowering his head to look at the still-unconscious Utakata, a trace of surprise flashed in Yuto's eyes. Given a jinchuriki's recovery strength, Utakata should have woken up by now.
Could it be that he had absorbed too much of Saiken's chakra?
Yuto shook his head lightly at the thought. Still, Utakata's unconscious state made things much more convenient.
"It's almost dawn. Time to head back."
Yuto glanced up at the gradually brightening sky, grabbed Utakata, hoisted him over his shoulder, and in the next moment, vanished from the spot.
In a solemn hall within the Mist Ninja Village!
This hall was located directly opposite the Water Shadow's office building and was rarely used under normal circumstances.
The hall's decor was predominantly black, accented with faint aqua blue. Even those who were usually playful and jovial would involuntarily become serious upon entering this hall.
This hall had not been used for a long time. Unless it involved matters critical to the entire Mist Ninja Village, it would not be opened.
The last time this meeting room was used was during the reign of the Fourth Water Shadow.
At the center of the hall stood an oval table, about five meters long. Apart from this table, there were no other decorations in the entire hall.
At this moment, ten figures sat around the table, each with a serious expression on their face.
From time to time, someone would glance subtly at the empty chair at the head of the table.
Normally, that chair would belong to the Water Shadow of the Mist Ninja Village. Now, however, the Water Shadow, Terumi Mei, and the elder, Genshi, sat on either side of the empty chair.
Yet, no one present raised any objections, for everyone knew that that person had returned, breaking free from the seal of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, resurrected and back in the village.
If the higher-ups of the Mist Ninja Village had initially doubted the long-standing legend, no one harbored any doubts now.
The Mist Ninja Village was an extremely insular community. Even after Terumi Mei took office and introduced some changes, the deep-rooted exclusivity was not so easily altered.
The ten people present were either clan leaders or administrators holding significant authority in the Mist Ninja Village. Each had their own intelligence networks.
Though they had only received specific information about Lord Yuto last night, they had begun gathering intelligence the moment Terumi Mei and Ao brought Lord Yuto to the gates of the Mist Ninja Village.
Even an ordinary ninja like Ringo Yuriyuri, simply because Yuto's face was unfamiliar, had suspected his identity and secretly notified the village's jonin.
How much more so for these individuals, the elites of the Mist Ninja Village, who had to consider far more complex matters.
Though no one spoke, the atmosphere in the hall was slightly oppressive.
It was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that those present were distinctly divided into two factions.
One faction was led by the Water Shadow, Terumi Mei, while the other was led by the elder, Genshi.
If one were to consider which faction was most impacted by Lord Yuto's return, it would undoubtedly be the one led by Elder Genshi.
Tsuchida Masamitsu's expression was slightly grim. As the deputy captain of the Mist Ninja Village's Anbu, he naturally belonged to Elder Genshi's faction.
After all, the Anbu's head captain, Ao, was a staunch supporter of the Water Shadow, Terumi Mei.
Since last night, Tsuchida Masamitsu had been continuously sending messages to Elder Genshi, but up to now, he had received no response from the elder.
For a moment, Tsuchida Masamitsu couldn't quite grasp Elder Genshi's intentions.
Tsuchida Masamitsu subtly glanced in Elder Genshi's direction. Seeing the elder with his eyes closed, seemingly about to fall asleep, Tsuchida Masamitsu felt a vague but distinctly bad premonition.
"Ahem, everyone, I'm sure you've all heard about the news of the Six-Tails jinchuriki's defection yesterday. I've heard that Lord Yuto personally went to pursue him," Kinoshita Yoshiro said softly after a light cough. Noticing the calm expressions on everyone's faces, Kinoshita Yoshiro continued without embarrassment:
"Although the jinchuriki's strength is formidable, with Lord Yuto's power, it should pose no problem. However, the Six-Tails jinchuriki is extremely cunning and particularly skilled in concealment ninjutsu. It might not be easy for Lord Yuto to track him down quickly."
"Instead of sitting here waiting, why don't we temporarily suspend the meeting and send people to assist Lord Yuto? Our Kinoshita Clan is ready to depart at any time."
Seeing Kinoshita Yoshiro's righteous expression, a middle-aged man with white hair, purple eyes, and sharp teeth sitting across from him suddenly laughed, his voice laced with mockery:
"Oh, isn't the Six-Tails jinchuriki supposed to be near your Kinoshita Clan's territory? Why is it that I heard it took nearly a full day after the jinchuriki's defection for you to report the news?"
At the man's words, a trace of shame appeared on Kinoshita Yoshiro's face:
"This was indeed our mistake. However, at the time, the jinchuriki's master, Harusame, said he was performing some kind of secret technique. Naturally, our people in the shadows couldn't observe closely. Moreover, Deputy Captain Tsuchida Masamitsu can vouch for us in this matter."
Sitting nearby, Tsuchida Masamitsu nodded, his expression calm as he spoke softly:
"At the scene, we did indeed find traces of Harusame using a secret technique."
As Tsuchida Masamitsu's words landed, the expressions of those present varied.
A flash of coldness passed through Terumi Mei's eyes. Pushing all responsibility onto a dead person was indeed a flawless move.
Elder Genshi, sitting across from Terumi Mei, had his closed eyelids twitch slightly. Though his eyes remained shut, a trace of disappointment appeared on his face.
A faint smile played on Kinoshita Yoshiro's lips as he looked at the white-haired man across from him. His eyes narrowed slightly as he chuckled:
"Tch, speaking of which, your Hozuki Clan is truly declining. You can't even control a junior. That kid, Hozuki Suigetsu, not only sneaked out of the village but also stole the summoning scroll for the seven ninja blades under your Hozuki Clan's control."
(End of Chapter)
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