Hiruzen Sarutobi stood before the window of the Hokage's office.
The sunlight outside was bright, yet the room was so quiet it was irritating.
Pedestrians came and went on the streets, and the sounds of training from the Ninja Academy carried through the walls. Konoha looked no different from usual, but Hiruzen Sarutobi knew this calm would not last much longer.
Kakashi was severely wounded.
Shisui had lost both eyes.
Might Guy was near death.
Kurenai Yuhi had been captured.
Sixty-eight elite ninja had been confirmed dead, and the Hyūga Clan had nearly been wiped out.
This was not an ordinary mission failure.
This was Konoha's most devastating defeat since it had begun recovering after the war.
"Lord Hokage, the emergency meeting is about to begin."
The ANBU ninja at the door reported in a low voice.
His tone was steady, without grief or anger. It was as if he had not just reported the deaths of dozens of ninja, but read out a mission record that had nothing to do with him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly.
"Has the casualty list been confirmed?"
"It has."
The ANBU handed over a scroll.
"Kakashi, Shisui, and Might Guy are severely wounded. Kurenai Yuhi is missing. Sixty-eight members of the pursuit force are dead, including twelve Hyūga branch family ninja."
Hiruzen Sarutobi accepted the scroll without opening it.
He had already memorized every number.
And because he remembered them too clearly, it felt as though a stone weighed on his chest.
"What is the situation in the village?"
"Discussion has already begun among the ninja."
The ANBU paused briefly, then continued in that same unchanging voice. "Some ninja clans believe there were problems with the intelligence and decisions behind this pursuit mission. Some have begun questioning whether the higher-ups are still capable of