I tossed the Black Wooden Box up and down in my hand.
Clunk. Clunk.
The sound of wood knocking echoed through the empty Stone Hall, grating on the ears.
Ōnoki froze in midair.
A fine sheen of cold sweat appeared on his bulbous nose.
The old man swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.
His eyes stayed fixed on the cracks in the stone beneath my feet, terrified that another of those Black Branches might shoot out.
"What's wrong, old Tsuchikage? Where's all that backbone you had a minute ago?"
I tugged at my half-torn collar and rolled my eyes at him.
"Didn't you want to take this thing back to Iwagakure and use it as a light bulb? Come get it."
Ōnoki's old face flushed the dark red of pig liver.
He coughed twice, tucked his two stubby hands behind his back, and slowly floated back to his chair.
"I never imagined Konoha's youngsters would be so hotheaded these days."
"I merely offered a suggestion for the sake of peace in the shinobi world."
He turned his head away, forcing himself a way to save face.
Mei Terumi sat nearby, holding a coarse ceramic teacup.
Two flecks of foam floated on the tea.
She lowered her head and blew at the tea dust, forcing her gaze away from me.
"Oh, all this fighting is so unpleasant. We're here for a meeting, aren't we?"
Her voice sounded a little dry, stripped of its earlier seductive, teasing lilt.
This woman was shrewd. I had trussed up even the Raikage like a rice dumpling; she wasn't about to invite trouble.
Raikage A dropped back into his iron chair, his face dark.
The chair legs groaned under his weight and nearly gave way.
He lowered his head and rubbed his thick wrists.
A ring of