Capital of the Land of Fire.
From far away, Anko spotted Guy standing at the city gate. Even without his green jumpsuit, those thick eyebrows were unmistakable.
"Anko!" Guy waved at her happily.
Anko, however, was in no mood. She had arrived with the diplomatic delegation, and merely gave Guy a casual greeting. When he excitedly tried to come over for a hug, she raised her foot in distaste and stopped him in front of her.
The middle-aged man beside Guy took the initiative to introduce himself. "Hello, Miss Anko. I am Qinglian Valley Saemon, also a Konoha ninja. Guy and I serve as Guardian Ninja beside the daimyo."
"Hello. I'm Anko Mitarashi."
Qinglian Valley Saemon smiled. "One of the Seven Mianwei. I've long heard of your great name."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Qinglian Valley Saemon saw that Anko was not in high spirits and did not say much else. Guy, on the other hand, had not seen anyone from home in a long time and had plenty he wanted to say in his enthusiasm.
The delegation leader said, "We should go see Lord Gen first."
The group entered the capital. Though the city was large, it was not particularly prosperous. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, with hardly a smile to be seen on anyone's face. The atmosphere was oppressive.
Anko thought of how rebellions were now breaking out everywhere in the Land of Fire. That was why everyone was so uneasy. Konoha, on the other hand, had not been affected in the slightest.
Guy kept asking Anko all sorts of questions along the way—how everyone in the village was doing, whether they missed him, and so on.
She arrived at the Daimyo's Palace. The place where the daimyo received visitors was merely a reception hall. Anko's status did