Keep the Music Playing, Keep the Dancing Going

Capital City of the Land of Fire, main hall of the Daimyō Mansion.

Sandalwood incense curled around the beams, while gauze curtains hung low.

Dancing Girl clad in twelve-layered ceremonial robes swayed her waist at the side of the hall. The soft strings and flutes sounded as though they could soak a person's bones until they turned tender.

The Daimyō reclined sideways on a white fox-fur couch, squinting at the top-secret report that had been delivered to his desk.

There were only a few lines on it: Konoha had completely stopped reporting the whereabouts of this quarter's military funds; large numbers of unidentified merchant caravans had departed from Konoha, and the flow of supplies had been entirely cut off.

The Daimyō's fingers tightened sharply around a green grape.

With a pop, juice burst across his hand and stained the lavish sleeve cuff.

"They won't submit their accounts? They're mobilizing merchant caravans in secret?"

The Daimyō's voice was not loud, but the music in the hall stopped abruptly.

The Dancing Girls fell to their knees in terror, barely daring to breathe.

Bang!

The Daimyō grabbed the white jade wine cup beside him and smashed it viciously against the golden-brick steps.

The treasure tribute from the Land of Snow exploded into dozens of fragments, and wine splashed across the floor.

"Outrageous! What audacity!"

He kicked over the low table, sending fruit platters and wine vessels clattering across the floor.

The Daimyō suddenly sat upright. "Who gave Minato Namikaze the nerve? Does he really think the Land of Fire is the private domain of the Uchiha and Sarutobi?"

The close attendant bowed deeply, trembling like a leaf, utterly unable to respond.

"Pass down the order!"

The Daimyō rose to his feet. The hem of his magnificent twelve-layered robe dragged across the floor, his