Chapter 135

As soon as the middle-aged man entered the room, Kenshin immediately focused his attention on his 'status'

Name: Hideo Hyuga

Age: 46 years

Talent level: 32

Chakra quality: 8

Chakra count: 8300

Chakra Control: 81%

"Strong..." Kenshin thought, but didn't show it. He just smiled benevolently and pointed to the chair in front of him.

- Hideo-san, please sit down.

Hearing his name, Hideo Hyuga was a little surprised, but he tried not to show his true emotions, so he sat down opposite the gray-haired man.

- Thank you?.. – Hideo said hintingly.

"Nakayama Kenshin," Kenshin replied, deciding not to hide his real name. The period of complete secrecy had already passed, and he had decided that the sooner the Nakayama Family gained a little fame and influence, the better.

- Nice to meet you, Nakayama-san. - Hideo said with a smile. He was a true professional, and had long ago learned to negotiate with a smile even with his worst enemies. - So you are the head of this mercenary organization?

- Likewise, Hideo-san. And yes, I am the head of the Nakayama Family. - Kenshin answered softly, and then continued: - So why is Konoha and the Hyuga clan in particular interested in our little family?

- I won't beat around the bush and will say it straight, Nakayama-san. The thing is, according to the information we have, there is a member of the Hyuga clan among your mercenary organization. If that is the case, could you hand him over in a friendly manner? I assure you, it will not have any consequences for your organization. - Hideo said with a friendly smile, all the while wondering who the man sitting in front of him was.

He didn't see any signs of a shinobi in this man, as if he was an ordinary person. His body's reaction speed was very low, so Hideo was in deep thought. Either Nakayama Kenshin was so confident and relaxed, or he hid his true strength very well. That the man sitting in front of him was not an ordinary person - Hyuga Hideo had no doubt. He felt the danger hidden inside him, and felt discomfort, as if this man was reading him like an open book.

"A member of the Hyuga clan? That's impossible. All the people in this house, except for you, are members of my Nakayama Family." Kenshin said with a smile.

"So you don't mind if I check your house for members of the Hyuga clan, using a special artifact of our clan?" Hideo asked, taking out a small white stone from his breast pocket, completely round, similar to the Byakugan.

"Only if you let me see it," Kenshin said, a welcoming smile never leaving his face.

- I'm afraid that's impossible. The relic of our clan must not fall into the wrong hands. - Hideo Hyuga shook his head negatively and continued: - But I assure you, this artifact is not an attack type and will not cause harm to anyone.

Kenshin just continued to look at Hideo with a smile, not saying a word. The silence continued for about a minute, until finally Hideo could not stand it any longer and said with a sigh:

- Okay, but I hope you understand what will happen if I notice you making an inappropriate action towards our clan artifact? - Hideo asked a little threateningly, in order to warn Kenshin about the seriousness of his intentions.

- Of course, Hideo-san. I'm not going to take this artifact away from you, it's useless to me. - Kenshin said with a smile, which made Hideo's eyebrow twitch. It wasn't often that he heard such statements addressed to him, as if something could be taken from his hands, not to mention the most valuable artifact of the Hyuga clan.

Nevertheless, Hideo Hyuga held out the artifact and placed it on the table. Kenshin slowly extended his hand and took this interesting white ball and began to look at it carefully, noticing interesting fuinjutsu knots for himself.

"Okay, Hideo-san, you can use it if it helps your clan's investigation." Kenshin said with a smile, turning the ball over in his hands for only ten seconds, which under x150 focus turned into almost half an hour of careful study.

Hideo was a little surprised by how quickly Kenshin finished examining the artifact, and the thought of a bluff arose in his head. All this mystery emanating from this man was like a set-up, and besides, ten seconds would clearly not be enough for a person who understands artifacts. However, something deep in his soul told him not to jump to conclusions and to remain neutral.

He took the artifact back and activated it with Kenshin's consent. An invisible pulse erupted from the small white ball, covering a fifty-kilometer radius. This artifact was aimed at finding fugitives with a slave seal on their foreheads, and was extremely effective. Only a few fuinjutsu masters from the now-defunct Uzumaki clan could block its effects.

Kenshin barely suppressed a smile at the look on Hideo's face when he activated the artifact and found nothing. He repeated the activation with a serious expression, but found nothing again, and then completely changed his attitude towards Kenshin.

- Okay, Nakayama-san, there is no member of our clan in your territory, but don't think that you will be able to get away with it if the Hyuga clan suddenly finds out that she was here... - Unable to cope with the surging emotions, Hideo said, and as soon as he realized that he blurted out something that he shouldn't have said, he decided to change the subject.

"She?.." Kenshin thought with surprise, and listened to the next words.

- Ahem, in any case, Nakayama-san, it would be better if we never met again. I don't know who you are, but I advise you to tone down the pathos, especially when dealing with structures that can destroy you with one hand. If someone else had been the envoy instead of me, it's quite possible that you would have provoked a conflict that you can't handle. - Hideo said in a calm tone. If earlier he had hoped that Hitomi had escaped and found refuge with this mercenary organization, now he had no reason to treat them well.

- Are you threatening me?.. - Kenshin asked with a narrowed eye, not ceasing to smile. Seeing the unstable emotional state of his interlocutor, he wanted to get some more information from him.

- This is not a threat, but a warning. Personally, I am not interested in you or your organization, but to demonstrate the kind of confidence that you demonstrate, you need to have something that can back up that confidence. - Hideo said, looking his interlocutor straight in the eyes. Alas, even with his vast experience, he still did not see the slightest echo of true emotions in those eyes.

- Okay, Hideo-san, I understand. If we are finished, then I would like to return to my business. - Kenshin said, and rose from his chair.

Hyuga Hideo also stood up and headed towards the exit, where he was kindly met by Ichiro, in the company of several guys. They led him out of the building without much emotion, and escorted him to the exit, making sure he left their territory.