After breakfast, everyone got to their tasks. Kenshin, Kasumi, and Natsumi went to install formations; Aya watched Natsumi's baby; and Hitomi familiarized herself with new medical supplies available with the new level of the "Shelter Creation" ability.
By lunchtime, Kenshin fully finished reinforcing the outer wall and, deciding to rest, soon felt an outsider enter the outer perimeter, slowing down.
"Ichiro, mobilize all four teams, and if this is a messenger from Konoha, bring him to the negotiation hall!" commanded Kenshin, raising the alert level to "yellow," donning a form-fitting mask on his head, and instantly activating his exo-suit. At that moment, he looked like a classic "ninja" from his past world, but in a slightly more futuristic style, with superior aerodynamics.
"Yes, sir!" reported Ichiro, and quickly headed forward. Like the commanders of all squads, his exo-suit had a perimeter breach alert formation, and every five seconds, he could review data from the problematic sector.
All the sons took the alert with utmost seriousness, splitting into two groups and moving toward the presumed enemy. Following Kenshin's teachings, they kept their distance, prioritized safety, and moved competently through the forest, covering the rear.
Hyuga Hideo reached the destination quite quickly, but remembering that the forest section ahead belonged to the Nakayama Family territory, he slowed down so as not to be mistaken for an enemy.
He had deliberately come on this "mission" alone, figuring that extra ears would only hinder negotiations, and in combat, the weaker shinobi from the escort group would be a burden to him.
After a while, he sensed something strange but couldn't pinpoint what it was. It felt like someone was watching him, but even under Byakugan, he couldn't spot anyone. It started to seem like this group of mercenaries had vacated the area in full force within a single day. He couldn't explain the absence of buildings and signs of life within a five-kilometer radius any other way.
Hyuga Hideo spotted the large group of shinobi at the last moment, when they were already within a hundred meters of him. He even doubted his eyes at first. In his memory, it was the first time such a huge group of low-level shinobi had remained invisible to his Byakugan.
"Who are you, and what business do you have on Nakayama Family land?" came an emotionless voice, apparently the commander of all these shinobi.
"I didn't know these lands belonged to you. Just a week ago, they belonged to Kazoku Watanabe," Hideo said with a smirk, but seeing no one appreciated the jab, he got to the point.
"I am Hyuga Hideo, authorized envoy of the Hyuga Clan and the Hidden Leaf Village. Now take me to your lord," Hideo said in a serious tone. Though he tried to restrain himself and remain impartial toward this mercenary organization, his dislike seeped through a bit. However, Ichiro and the others couldn't care less what he thought of them. They were ready to eliminate the threat if he showed any aggression.
"Very well, follow me. Father will meet with you," Ichiro said calmly, turning and heading off.
"Father..?" Hideo thought in surprise but said nothing, following Ichiro until they emerged onto a wide gravel road leading straight to an impressive fortress.
Upon receiving Ichiro's report that an envoy from Konoha, of the Hyuga Clan, had arrived, Kenshin ordered all the women to hide in the twentyfold-reinforced lounge, on whose reinforcement he had spent over an hour, and all sons weaker than Chunin to hide in the gym.
Meanwhile, Kenshin double-checked and activated the fusion of psionics and formations. He called it "Appearance Change Formation," and confirming it worked perfectly, he waited for the guest with a slight smile.
Hyuga Hideo, meanwhile, could scarcely believe his eyes again. Just a few kilometers from where he had been stood a fortress of incredible size, which he hadn't noticed even with Byakugan earlier. For now, he didn't want to escalate things, so he refrained from activating Byakugan, but after the talks, he intended to check everything again.
They led him through the gates, then along a path into a building Kenshin had specially prepared for meetings. It had nothing technological except lighting formations that easily masqueraded as fuinjutsu. Otherwise, the small single-story building resembled a little aristocrat's house from the Middle Ages of Kenshin's home world.
Everything around was unfamiliar to Hideo, perhaps even "wrong." He couldn't pinpoint why, but countless little details in this house felt utterly alien to his perception. He had visited many other countries and seen their interiors, but this was different. All previous houses shared something common—a centuries-accumulated experience passed down the chain to neighboring countries, preserving many details unchanged.
In this building, however, Hyuga Hideo subconsciously noted a vast array of details foreign to this world. It was as if the architect who built this house and the designer who decorated it came from a school isolated from the rest of the world, with a thousand years of experience. Yet he only sensed the overall "wrongness" but couldn't characterize it.
"Before you meet Father, remember: no sudden moves, or you won't leave here alive," Ichiro stated emotionlessly, to which Hideo merely raised an eyebrow in surprise. He couldn't fathom where such a minor mercenary group got this arrogance, but decided to hold his tongue. He had long outgrown the age of taking offense at threats from weaklings, and the youth before him, compared to himself, was nothing but a weakling barely stepping into Jonin rank.