The night was thick with impenetrable darkness.
The light from the Hokage's Office drove into that heavy darkness like a nail.
On the wall clock, the hour hand had already reached eleven.
Every movement of the second hand rang out with a clear tick, striking at the silence in the room.
Baishi sat behind his desk, fingers interlaced, his gaze resting on the Konoha Military Police Force reform proposal, already annotated in red.
Under the light, the vermilion ink looked almost painfully bright.
Shikaku Nara stood by the window, silently watching the village's dark silhouette outside.
He was waiting.
So was Baishi.
An exceedingly faint ripple of chakra flickered at the door and vanished.
Knock. Knock.
The knocks were neither loud nor soft, their rhythm steady.
"Come in," Baishi said evenly.
The door opened, and an ANBU wearing a raccoon dog mask slipped silently inside and dropped to one knee.
With both hands, the operative presented a palm-sized black metal box bearing the Medical Department's cross insignia.
"Lord Hokage, an urgent dispatch from the Capital."
The ANBU's voice had been altered, betraying neither gender nor emotion.
Baishi's gaze swept over the ANBU and settled on the box.
"Thank you for your efforts. You may go."
"Yes."
The ANBU rose, backed out, and gently closed the door. Not a single unnecessary sound disturbed the entire process.
Once again, only Baishi and Shikaku remained in the office.
Shikaku approached, his gaze likewise settling on the cold metal box.
"They used the Medical Department's A-Rank encrypted channel. Lady Tsunade is being very cautious."
Baishi said nothing. He picked up the box, which felt slightly heavy in his hand.
Its clasp was not a physical mechanism, but a small Sealing Formula.
A faint glow of chakra gathered at Baishi's fingertip, and he lightly touched