The investigation alone took half a day.
On the morning of the third day, the messenger returned to the village and went straight into the Meeting Hall.
"Reporting to Lord Kazekage."
"The seal, the sealing wax, and the verbal message are all genuine. As ordered, I requested an audience with the Daimyo, and he received me. He personally confirmed the appropriation. The amount and terms match the National Letter exactly."
"The Daimyo also asked when Lord Kazekage would depart."
The messenger bowed as he delivered his report, leaving no room for doubt.
The hall fell deathly silent.
Baki's brows knotted tightly.
It was all true, yet something about it still struck him as deeply strange.
They had checked every link, and every link held up.
But the more everything checked out, the stronger that inexplicable chill in his heart grew.
Something was wrong.
It was too smooth.
But he had no evidence.
At a meeting of Sunagakure's senior leadership, suspicion without evidence was worth nothing.
"We have to find a solution to the money problem."
Sunagakure's finance officer cleared his throat and slapped a ledger onto the table.
"Before you argue, everyone, take a look at this."
"Sunagakure's military pay is already two months overdue. We still haven't filled the hole left by the robbery of the Gold Dust Trading Company. Not a single coin of compensation for the Battle of Amegakure has been paid out. We've already started dipping into our reserves for medicine for the wounded."
"I've done the calculations. With our current finances, Sunagakure won't last three months."
The ledger's pages turned, each one exposing another bleeding deficit.
The elder who had just been urging caution fell silent.
"There's another clause in the National Letter." The finance officer lowered his voice. "The Daimyo wants to inspect the