Upon entering the conference room, they discovered that Hiruzen Sarutobi—who had been waiting there previously—had likely already returned to Konoha.
On the table were the matters Hiruzen Sarutobi had handled while he was present.
Aoyama Ryuyun didn't even bother looking at them.
With a casual wave of his hand, he swept all the documents off the table and onto the floor, then sat down with clear disdain.
"This feels much more spacious."
"…"
Hyūga Hiashi, having followed Aoyama Ryuyun for half a year, didn't find anything unusual about his behavior anymore.
Uchiha Fugaku, however, couldn't help the twitch in his eyelid.
He had heard rumors of discord between Aoyama Ryuyun and Hiruzen Sarutobi, but now it was obvious the rumors were true.
"Hiashi, the patrol duties around the camp will be handled by your Hyūga clan."
"Yes."
This was Aoyama Ryuyun's first order since arriving, and Hyūga Hiashi accepted it without objection.
Ordinarily, such patrol duties fell to the Uchiha clan.
But Fugaku Uchiha didn't seem bothered.
In the mist-heavy atmosphere of Kirigakure, the Hyūga clan's Byakugan was far better suited for reconnaissance.
The Uchiha clan's Sharingan, while possessing some sensory capability, simply couldn't compete with the Byakugan's long-range, near-360-degree vision in situations like this.
"Fugaku, prepare the shinobi. In a few days we will launch a full-scale assault on Kirigakure."
"Understood."
Fugaku hadn't expected Aoyama Ryuyun to initiate war so soon after arriving.
Although they all knew how powerful Aoyama Ryuyun was, Fugaku still felt the need to offer a reminder.
"Lord Ryuyun, Kirigakure is quite strong. Besides the Fourth Mizukage, they have the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, as well as several bloodline-limit clans."
"Starting a war immediately… isn't that too fast?"
In Fugaku's mind, with someone like Aoyama Ryuyun present, they should gradually seize control—take the advantage step-by-step before delivering a decisive blow.
It had to be said: compared to the average Uchiha, Fugaku was indeed more inclined toward caution and measured planning. He wasn't a natural-born warmonger.
"If you mean the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, then there's no need to worry about them."
"?"
Aoyama Ryuyun's words left Fugaku confused.
Might Guy, who had accompanied them, remained silent the entire time. Among such powerful figures, a mere genin wouldn't dare speak.
But Might Dai couldn't hold back.
"It's Lord Ryuyun! The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were wiped out by him!"
"What?"
Even more shock.
What did he mean "wiped out"?
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were powerful enough to slaughter entire platoons. They were considered an elite force capable of pushing Kage-level shinobi into danger.
Aoyama Ryuyun waved dismissively.
"Not completely wiped out. Suikazan Fuguki—the wielder of Samehada—is still alive."
"This…"
Fugaku blinked, momentarily speechless.
He knew Aoyama Ryuyun had no reason to lie about something like this.
As the war progressed, Fugaku had already fought the Seven Ninja Swordsmen multiple times.
He knew just how dangerous they were.
Each of them possessed power above elite jōnin, and with their unique swords, their combined strength could overwhelm even a Kage.
And now, Aoyama Ryuyun had eliminated them almost immediately upon arriving?
Too fast—even Fugaku was caught off guard.
"Lord Ryuyun's strength is truly extraordinary."
Although young, Shisui had a mature mind.
Realizing what this meant, he couldn't help but sigh in awe.
"Yes."
Fugaku nodded.
Just as he was about to speak, he noticed Hyūga Hiashi looked… unimpressed. Completely unmoved.
What?
Wasn't this shocking?
These were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—together capable of challenging a Kage-level opponent.
Now they were gone.
Shouldn't Hiashi be surprised?
"What's so shocking? With Lord Ryuyun here, even if the Fourth Mizukage were defeated, I wouldn't find it strange."
Hiashi had seen Aoyama Ryuyun's power firsthand.
Forget a single swordsman—
even the entire Hidden Mist Village falling wouldn't surprise him anymore.
The shinobi who had moved from the Iwagakure battlefield with Aoyama Ryuyun nodded in agreement.
Same thought.
"Well…"
Your calm expressions are making me look ignorant, Fugaku thought.
But he was slowly realizing that with Aoyama Ryuyun present, the end of the war seemed inevitable.
Only then did Fugaku finally notice Might Guy standing awkwardly in the corner of the conference room.
"Aren't you a genin? What are you doing here?"
Only jōnin were allowed in these meetings.
Might Guy's presence was completely out of place.
"I—I…"
Being stared at by so many jōnin made Guy panic.
Cold sweat slid down his back.
Anyone who didn't know better would think Might Guy was a spy who had just been exposed.
Before things got out of hand, Aoyama Ryuyun sighed and spoke up on Guy's behalf.
"I brought him."
If he didn't say that now, Guy might actually be detained as a suspected Kirigakure spy.
"…Lord Ryuyun?"
Every pair of eyes shifted to him.
Guy's behavior was suspicious, yes—
—but if Aoyama Ryuyun vouched for him, no one dared argue.
Still, they couldn't understand:
Why would Aoyama Ryuyun bring a lifetime low-rank genin into a war council?
Ryuyun ignored the questioning looks.
His gaze rested solely on Might Guy, who was trembling timidly.
"I plan to make Might Guy my right-hand man when we go to war with Kirigakure."
"What?!"
A chorus of shock echoed across the room.
In war, a "right-hand man" was either a strategist who supported the commander
or the warrior who charged first into the battlefield.
Looking at Might Guy…
It was clear he would never be the strategist type.
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