Konoha, First Arsenal underground command center.
There was no sunlight here, only the cold glow of countless screens illuminating Nara Shikage's sleep-deprived face.
He held a freshly decoded telegram in his hand, its edges wrinkled from sweat. He had been staring at the thing for five minutes now, yet the confusion and speechlessness between his brows refused to fade.
"Read it."
Naruto Uzumaki sat in the command chair, holding a bowl of instant ramen that had long gone soggy. He did not look up, his gaze still fixed on the Land of Rivers sand table. There, the blue area representing the "controlled zone" had swallowed the entire Daimyō's Palace overnight.
Shikage sighed and slapped the telegram onto the table as though it were a red-hot branding iron.
"Sender: National Extraordinary Countermeasures Committee of the Land of Rivers, Chairman Quan." Shikage's voice was dry. "The contents are as follows: 'Thanks to Lord Hokage's blessings, His Excellency the Daimyō of the Land of Rivers suffered a sudden grave illness last night. Deeply burdened by affairs of state, he fears he can no longer carry on. To ensure production does not falter and frontline supplies remain secure, His Excellency the Daimyō entrusted me with the task in tears, ordering this subordinate to temporarily take charge of state affairs. The domestic situation is now as stable as a rock, petty threats have been eliminated, and production lines are running at full capacity. Furthermore, to demonstrate our loyalty to Konoha, tungsten steel ore exports will increase by thirty percent next month, with no price increase.'"
The command room fell deathly silent.
Only the sound of Guy doing push-ups remained.
"Sudden grave illness?" Kakashi leaned against the wall, his visible dead-fish eye rolling. "Why did I hear that the Daimyō's Palace was livelier than New Year's