Land of Water, Kirigakure.
Inside the Kirigakure office.
Elder Genji sat back on a soft sofa while a female Mist Ninja beside him helped loosen his muscles and improve his circulation.
Knock, knock, knock!
A gentle knock sounded outside the office. "Lord Genji, the Konoha messenger is here."
"Please show him in," Genji said with his eyes closed.
"Yes!"
Click.
The office door opened, and a ninja wearing a Konoha Headband strode inside. "Greetings, Lord Genji."
"What does the Fourth Hokage want?" Genji asked, though he already knew.
"This is a letter from Lord Hokage for you." The Konoha messenger took out the letter and handed it over.
Genji had the female ninja read it aloud softly. After listening, he shook his head sadly. "I'm old and not very mobile. Please thank the Fourth Hokage for his kind invitation."
"I... understand." The Konoha messenger nodded.
"Don't worry. Since the Fourth Hokage has invited me so warmly, even if I can't go, I'll send my trusted aide, Gobei, to represent me in full." Genji added.
"I understand!" The Konoha messenger replied, then turned and left.
Land of Wind.
The wind howled, and sand filled the sky.
Fourth Kazekage Rasa stood atop the tall earthen wall on the outskirts of Sunagakure, his expression calm as he gazed at the sandstorm obscuring the sky more than ten kilometers away.
The sandstorm surged like a wave, sweeping up every tiny grain of sand as it rolled toward the depths of the Land of Wind.
A single grain of sand might be tiny, but if every grain's strength were brought together, it could form an unstoppable sandstorm and sweep across the world... Watching the sandstorm, Rasa reflected on life. At that moment, his heart seemed to expand, as if heaven and earth were bowing