Inside the Hokage Building's conference room.
"I wonder what the emergency is this time. They've even called in the Third and the two advisors."
"Could it be war? For anything less, there'd be no need to trouble the Third and the others."
"No idea. Nothing's leaked out."
The Jonin who had arrived early were quietly speculating in the conference room. At the head of the table, Minato looked grave, his hands clasped beneath his chin and worry plain in his eyes.
Just then, the office door opened, and Uzumaki Kuming slowly walked in. The Jonin present were all startled when they saw him.
The Fourth Hokage had actually been called in too. What on earth had happened? Were they really about to go to war?!
Uzumaki Kuming's arrival made the entire conference room feel oppressive. Everyone knew that ever since he'd returned and taken charge of the Ninja Academy, he had never attended Jonin meetings. As he put it, "For a little thing like this, you can handle it yourselves."
Now even he had come to the meeting. That was enough to show how important it was.
After Kuming arrived, more and more ninjas trickled in. When the latecomers saw him in the conference room, their previously relaxed expressions turned serious at once. They all realized that today's matter might be very serious.
"Everyone's here, so let's begin."
"Shikaku, give us a brief rundown."
Once everyone had arrived, Minato turned to Nara Shikaku beside him and spoke. Shikaku nodded, stood up, and took a scroll from his robes, spreading it across the desk.
"Four months ago, the village accepted a mission in the Land of Fire."
"We were hired to investigate a massacre in a village there."
"The village was near the border of the Land of Fire. We accepted