Half an hour later, at Utatane Koharu's residence.
As a servant poured tea for Mitokado Homura, Koharu arched an eyebrow, her voice tinged with curiosity. "So, Yan… what's so important that you had to come all the way here to tell me in private?"
After departing from the Hokage building, Homura had insisted on continuing their conversation in her home, stating there was something too delicate to speak of publicly.
Now, with the two of them alone, she expected clarity.
"I do have something to ask," Homura said flatly. He formed a hand seal, erecting a silencing barrier around them. Koharu's eyes narrowed. This was serious.
Then, Homura looked her directly in the eye and spoke with weight:
"That glance you gave Hiruzen earlier—full of guilt—what did it mean?"
"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. I saw it clearly. You haven't… done something reckless, have you? Or are you planning to?"
"Tell me the truth, Koharu. Don't try to talk around it."
"Ah… this…"
For a brief moment, Koharu faltered. Her eyes wavered, her body stiffened. But it was too late. Homura had seen enough. His frown deepened, and his tone grew colder.
She knew then—if she didn't defuse this, it wouldn't end well.
Fortunately, they weren't strangers. Though part of Konoha's leadership, they had always operated in pairs—Homura and Koharu often moved in lockstep, leveraging their influence to advance their own clans.
So Koharu decided to take a gamble.
"Tell me, Yan," she began slowly, "You do realize that Hiruzen has been embezzling village funds for years to strengthen the Sarutobi clan, don't you?"
Homura blinked. "Of course I know that. But what does that have to do with your behavior earlier?"
"It has everything to do with it!" Koharu snapped, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Sarutobi isn't just trying to bolster his clan. He's laying the groundwork to turn Konoha into Sarutobi Village."
"What?" Homura stiffened.
"Yes, you heard me." Koharu's tone turned sharp and biting. "I overheard him once, speaking as if the village were already his personal domain."
"I tolerated it in the past because we all benefited. But things have changed, Yan. Konoha is split in two—Sarutobi's faction and the alliance led by Uchiha and Lady Mito."
"And frankly, we're on the losing side."
Homura's pupils constricted.
Koharu leaned forward, eyes blazing. "I've made up my mind. I'm not going down with this ship. Are you?"
"You're planning to defect?" Homura asked slowly. "To the Uchiha?"
"Not defect," Koharu replied coolly. "Adapt."
Homura scowled. "Do you really think they'll accept us? Let's be honest—our clans don't hold much weight in their eyes. And if Hiruzen finds out, he'll destroy us."
"You think I don't know that?" Koharu hissed. "But staying loyal to him means certain doom."
She stood, pacing slightly, the fury in her voice building.
"If Sarutobi somehow wins, we might receive a crumb or two. But he'll turn on us next! He'll eliminate any remaining power outside his clan."
"And if he loses?" She turned back to Homura. "Then we're labeled as traitors and cronies. Uchiha and Lady Mito won't forget that."
"Think of the years we've spent building up our families—using village resources, public funds, shady deals. Do you want to lose it all out of loyalty to a man who would gladly sacrifice us?"
Homura remained silent, lost in thought. Koharu saw his hesitation and pressed harder.
"Even if Uchiha and Mito-sama don't welcome us with open arms," she said, "we have one card to play."
"We don't jump ship yet. We make contact. Secretly. Quietly. We become spies in Sarutobi's inner circle."
"When the time is right, we deliver the killing blow."
Homura flinched. "You've really thought this through."
"And you're with me," Koharu said, eyes narrowing.
He looked at her with uncertainty, struggling against his conscience. "But… he's been our comrade for decades."
Koharu's expression turned icy. "Then say goodbye to your family. Because once Sarutobi falls, we fall with him unless we act now."
Homura didn't speak for a long while.
Then, with a heavy breath, he nodded.
"I don't like it. But you're right. If we wait, it'll be too late."
He gave her a bitter look. "I never thought it would come to this."
"Neither did I," Koharu admitted. "But you saw how far gone he is. Shinnosuke? As the Fourth Hokage? He's dreaming."
"It's all thanks to Uchiha Ren Takashi. Without him, we might've coasted by. But with that boy? Sarutobi can't win."
"Fine," Homura said, resigned. "I'll go with you. We'll make contact with Lady Mito. But I swear—if this backfires—"
"It won't," Koharu interrupted, her voice razor-sharp. "Because we'll play this smart."
"We don't publicly defect. We stay in place. We nod, we smile, we follow Sarutobi's orders. But behind the scenes, we work for Uchiha."
Homura sighed again. "Alright. So how do we start?"
"Not so fast," Koharu said, lifting a hand. "You came here today to interrogate me. You forced this decision. Now I need insurance."
"Insurance?" Homura asked warily.
"A written agreement," Koharu said coolly. "We both sign. A pact stating our shared intent to support Lady Mito and Uchiha Ren Takashi. One copy for you. One for me."
"That way, if either of us tries to betray the other—we're both finished."
Homura's jaw tightened. "You don't trust me?"
Koharu smiled. "I trust you enough to ask for a guarantee."
He stared at her for a long moment, then finally let out a long breath.
"…Fine. Draft it. I'll sign."