Of course, Mokgetsu thought the ideal situation would be if Kazahana Sosetsu directly agreed to give him the title, then Mokgetsu would take down Kazahana Doto and capture Kanko Hyofo easily, perfectly resolving the issue.
Watching Mokgetsu's departing figure, Kazahana Sosetsu sighed, never expecting such fratricide to happen to himself.
"Doto, why go this far..."
As Mokgetsu walked out of the study, Kazahana Koyuki was still happily eating the candy she earned from her own work.
"Let's go, Koyuki. What kind of story do you want to hear today?" Mokgetsu asked with a smile.
"I want to hear the story of the Senju and Uchiha during the Warring States period." Kazahana Koyuki was still thinking about the unfinished history Obito started.
"No stopping halfway and asking those hard-to-understand questions," Kazahana Koyuki added, remembering something.
Obito's unorthodox methods indeed left a bit of a psychological shadow on Kazahana Koyuki.
"Of course not." Mokgetsu patted Kazahana Koyuki's little head and said.
"But the story will have to wait a bit; I need to arrange some matters first."
Obito and the others still didn't know about Kazahana Doto's plot to usurp the throne. They still thought this was just a simple escort mission.
Kazahana Koyuki obediently nodded and waited inside the room.
Next, Mokgetsu informed Kakashi and the others in concise language about what was going to happen.
"The situation has changed, Kazahana Doto plans to usurp the throne. Be ready for battle."
"Oh, so it's a coup? I thought someone sent a letter saying they wanted to kidnap the princess. Wait, a coup?" At first, Obito was a bit disappointed, but when he realized the meaning of the word, his expression gradually turned to surprise.
"Is it the kind of coup where someone seizes the Daimyo's power?" Obito's expression was a bit excited, as this was a major event.
Such plot developments usually occur toward the end of a ninja novel when it's about to wrap up, leaving only the saving of the Ninja World afterward.
"Kazahana Doto, the Daimyo's brother?" Kakashi recalled, remembering Doto's stern face.
When they first entered Kazahana City, they happened to meet Kazahana Doto briefly.
"Teacher Mokgetsu, what should we do? Should we send Koyuki to a safe place first?" Nohara Rin asked worriedly.
Because the mission was to protect Kazahana Koyuki, Nohara Rin was most concerned about Koyuki's safety, rather than quelling the rebellion.
"Not necessary for now," Mokgetsu shook his head.
With his current strength, nowhere in Snow Country was safer than by his side.
"You don't need to take any other action now. Just protect Koyuki as before, but be more vigilant."
"Even though I've found the evidence of Kazahana Doto's coup plan, the Daimyo still needs to verify it, so don't act rashly for now," Mokgetsu explained.
"This is so troublesome. We know he's a villain—why don't we just capture him?" Obito scratched his head, utterly puzzled.
"Do you know who that is?" Kakashi looked at Obito as if he were an idiot. Kazahana Doto is unmistakably the second most powerful man in Snow Country.
"I actually don't remember who Kazahana Doto is. He sounds like Koyuki's relative," Obito replied honestly.
When Asama Sandayu talked about Kazahana Doto, Obito was too focused on the princess and didn't listen.
"It doesn't matter who he is. As long as you protect Koyuki, everything will be fine. Of course, make sure to protect yourselves too," Mokgetsu pointed out the essence.
There's a high probability of facing a ninja village this time, and even a Small Ninja Village is too much for Obito and the others to handle right now. So, Mokgetsu is the main force for this mission, and Obito and the others are just needed to deal with minor soldiers.
...
As the Daimyo, Kazahana Sosetsu might be somewhat naive, but he wasn't stupid.
Before the investigation results were out, Kazahana Sosetsu had already secretly dispatched his loyal ninja forces to seal off Kazahana Doto's residence. If Doto made any suspicious moves, they could capture him immediately.
Because Kazahana Sosetsu knew Doto was the core of the coup, without him, the Snow Ninjas wouldn't dare act rashly.
However, Kazahana Sosetsu still underestimated his ambitious brother.
When testing the hardness of glass, the outcome of shattered glass is inevitable. When suspicion arises, people will go to great lengths to prove their doubts until it finally happens.
As soon as Kazahana Doto suspected his coup plan was exposed and thought Kazahana Sosetsu had hired Konoha Ninjas to investigate him, Doto was already fully investigating the situation and prepared for exposure.
So when Kazahana Sosetsu officially started investigating Kazahana Doto, Doto immediately discovered Sosetsu's investigation. From Doto's perspective, it confirmed his suspicions.
Thus, Doto instantly activated his arrangements, contacting the Snow Village for a forced coup while slipping out under the cover of a decoy during the blockade.
Kazahana Sosetsu didn't know his brother could go this far for a coup. When the evidence was verified to one-third, Sosetsu dispatched forces to control everyone at Doto's residence—enough to convict a state official as a dead man.
"Doto, why do this? Didn't we agree to make Snow Country prosperous together?" Kazahana Sosetsu said painfully to Doto.
"That's just your wishful thinking," Doto's decoy replied with a mocking expression.
Kazahana Sosetsu frowned, sensing something was amiss. This response wasn't like his brother's style.