Chapter 16: Political Ambitions
The morning passed uneventfully, with no further uninvited guests making an appearance. The bloody smell that had lingered in the corner of the dojo had also completely dissipated, as though nothing had occurred.
After lunch, Kawakaze stayed indoors, sensing that something significant might still happen before the day ended. In the afternoon, he focused on training Nawaki, helping him refine his movements into a seamless flow. The practice for the Flying Thunder God Technique was nearing completion; he had reached a level where he could handle actual combat without issues.
Nawaki refrained from asking about the morning's events, understanding that they were beyond his involvement for the time being. Kawakaze found himself increasingly impressed by the boy's growing maturity and sensibility.
As the afternoon training concluded, Nawaki, exhausted, returned home under the escort of a skilled samurai. Kawakaze, mindful of potential threats, maintained his vigilance. He couldn't dismiss the possibility of Danzo's unpredictability; a man like him, who placed no value on human life, was not one to be underestimated—a realization that had grown sharper for Kawakaze over time.
In the evening, after washing up and preparing for bed, Kawakaze was interrupted by the butler, who arrived in haste to inform him of a visitor. The guest's nature didn't seem promising.
"Where's Big Brother?" Kawakaze asked with a faint chuckle, already anticipating the situation.
"The young master is waiting in the front hall."
"Arrange for him to be taken to a private room. I'll be there shortly."
"Yes."
Kawakaze returned to his room and changed into a robe, ensuring he maintained the proper decorum, even for someone he didn't favor. Once ready, he headed to the room, where Sakumo was already seated opposite Shimura Danzo, who was flanked by two Root ninjas standing stiffly behind him.
This was Kawakaze's first encounter with Danzo. Though they had never met, the man before him fit the descriptions from the original accounts: an ominous figure, though he had yet to acquire Shisui's eye, Hashirama's cells, or Sharingans embedded in his arms.