First Arrival in the Land of Stars, Eyes Wide Open

The border of the Land of Iron.

The snow had not stopped since the previous night.

The lead-gray clouds hung very low, as if one could touch those churning, damp, cold currents by reaching out.

The entire mountain range was covered in snow. Icicles hung from the branches of the firs, and when the wind and snow passed through the gorge, they gave off a low, mournful whimper.

Danzo's group walked across a stone bridge, the cane he never parted with in his hand.

The stone slabs of the bridge had been worn smooth by passing carts and horses. Snowmelt seeped into the cracks between the stones and froze into a thin film of ice.

Aburame Torune stood half a step behind Danzo on his right. His mask covered the upper half of his face, leaving only a pair of ever-alert eyes exposed.

Yamanaka Fu was on the left, his hands forming a seal. It was the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Transmission Technique, allowing him to receive intelligence sent by his clansmen in Konoha from thousands of miles away.

The stream beneath the bridge was already half frozen. The current struck the icicles with a fine, tinkling sound.

Yamanaka Fu's brows suddenly drew tight. He pressed his index and middle fingers together against his temple, as if filtering out noise coming from far away.

A few breaths later, he lowered his hand, turned to face Danzo, and dropped to one knee. The snow beneath his knee made a faint crunching sound.

"Lord Danzo." Yamanaka Fu's voice was very low, but he could not hide the urgency in it.

"Something has happened in the village.

Danzo did not turn around.

The hand with which he held his cane remained completely still. Snow fell on his shoulders and on the place wrapped in