The thick files were stacked high in Nara Shikahira's arms, pressed against his face. He couldn't help holding his breath to block out the scent of ink wafting from them. From the corner of his eye, he looked past the wooden stairs toward the Hokage's Office at the end of the corridor.
There had been far too much to do in the village lately. Most of the Administration Department's staff had been sent out, and these files were all extremely important, so he had no choice but to report them to the Hokage in person.
"Phew~"
Now middle-aged, Shikahira struggled to steady the wobbling stack of files and let out a long sigh of relief. Between the exhaustion from work and his wife wanting a third child, he felt he was starting to run out of steam.
He'd even forgotten that he knew ninjutsu. Slowly bending his knees, he set the files down securely on the steps.
With his arms suddenly free, he raised his hands and formed Hand Seals, performing the Shadow Clone Technique. The files were carried to the Hokage's Office with ease.
The moment the clone dispelled, exhaustion surged through every limb. He decided then and there that he'd sleep in the office for the next three days.
"Thud!"
The towering stack of files landed on the desk with a muffled bang. Shikahira looked at the Hokage's ever-changing expression and immediately felt much better. "These are copies of the files you handled while you were away from the village."
Tobirama, standing beside the desk, picked up the topmost file. His eyes flickered with sly amusement as he spoke to his listless older brother. "This one's quite interesting. It records Madara's movements over the past few months."
As if triggered by something, Hashirama sprang to his feet and