At the same time the explosion on the first floor of the building rang out.
Tetsuya Uzumaki and the clan elders in the meeting room also felt the powerful tremor.
"Are they planning to break through head-on?"
Looking at the wreckage strewn outside, Tetsuya Uzumaki was still dazed.
Just a moment ago, they had been singing and dancing, and the Mask Festival had been in full swing. How had they suddenly come under attack?
"It seems this attack was premeditated. We just don't know who is behind it."
The Uzumaki ninja wore a grave expression and said in a low voice, "The distress signal has already been sent. All the ninja will soon come to reinforce us. As long as we protect everyone..."
Just as he began to reassure them, one of the clan elders suddenly raised a hand for silence and whispered, "Shh. Someone is coming from outside."
At that, everyone instinctively went on guard.
Sure enough, even Tetsuya Uzumaki, who lacked sensory abilities, could hear the footsteps outside growing clearer.
The footsteps stopped outside the door to their meeting room, right on the other side.
Seeing this, the Uzumaki ninja drew a kunai and silently signaled his companions. They took up positions on either side of the meeting room doors, shielding Tetsuya Uzumaki and the others behind them.
If the person outside was an ill-intentioned enemy, they would blow him to pieces and seize the chance to break out.
The others understood and instinctively held their breaths.
For a moment, the air in the entire meeting room was deathly still.
But then, the imagined forced entry never came.
Knock! Knock knock!
Along with the exceedingly "polite" knocking came a somewhat familiar voice. "It's me, Yoake."
In an instant, the taut atmosphere abruptly relaxed, as though fresh air had