Meanwhile, in Konoha.
The warm afternoon sun bathed the village, and a gentle breeze drifted through it.
A group of uninvited visitors arrived at the Hokage Building, disrupting the peace.
At their head stood a middle-aged man in the finery of a Land of Fire official. His brocade gleamed in the sunlight, and several armed guards followed close behind.
A messenger from the Daimyo's Mansion had come to Konoha in person.
He stood ramrod straight, chin raised, every inch the court official.
But a closer look revealed his darting eyes. He kept glancing down either side of the street.
Days earlier, word had spread that the Capital of the Land of Wind had been destroyed overnight, bringing the country to its knees. The nobles in the Land of Fire Capital had spent the night in terror, each fearing for his own life.
His Highness the Daimyo had been too frightened to sleep. He had thrust a handwritten letter at the messenger with a single command:
"Put this directly into the Fifth Hokage's hands. Tell him to come to the capital at once for an audience!"
The messenger's "Yes!" had rung out loud and clear.
All he could think, though, was: Please, let nothing go wrong in Konoha.
A Uchiha guard stepped across the stairs to block his path, his expression stern and businesslike. "Stop there. State your identity."
"I am a messenger from the Daimyo's Mansion of the Land of Fire. I bear a confidential letter written by His Highness the Daimyo and request an audience with Lord Hokage!"
The letter was soon delivered to the Hokage Office.
Its wax seal bore a vivid red stamp.
Uchiha En broke it open and skimmed the letter.
The wording was unfailingly courteous, filled with expressions of reliance, trust, and humble requests. Every