The mountains were still half-asleep in the early morning, their eyes veiled in mist. A vast sea of clouds billowed gently through the air, while crystalline dew clung to flushed cheeks, bringing not the slightest chill.
Steep cliffs and towering trees were crowded with ninjas, all craning their necks to gaze down the sun-dappled mountain path. Birds swept past on beating wings, stirring the hearts of those watching.
Every ninja in Iwagakure waited eagerly, anticipating the man's arrival as surely as the tide.
Dense mountain mist shrouded Iwagakure, obscuring the four Kage standing before the gates. The white fog blocked everyone's view. They could make out the Kage's imposing figures, but not the expressions on their faces.
"Bang!"
A dark blur shot through the air at high speed, scattering the mist and revealing the expressions of those waiting.
Ishikawa nudged him with an outstretched arm, fixed his gaze on the mask covering his face, and said slowly, "Report your intelligence loudly!"
The Anbu of Iwagakure stood at attention and called out to the four Kage, "Uchiha Madara is thirty miles from Iwagakure!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he vanished.
Reto rolled his stiff neck and surveyed the vast crowd around them. His voice held a hint of displeasure. "There's no need to make such a fuss. He's only Uchiha Madara."
The Raikage glanced at him without changing expression, knowing he was jealous, and said casually, "It's because he's Uchiha Madara. He deserves a reception like this."
With war on the horizon, Reto wasn't offended. He carefully pulled paper and a pen from his ninja tool pouch and started calculating. "Having every ninja in a Hidden Village stop their missions is a tremendous waste. The cost is impossible to calculate."
The scratch of his pen carried on in