Crushed by the Tide, Death to Anyone in the Way!

Deep within the Sarutobi Clan compound.

Sunlight squeezed through the gaps in the paper door, casting several narrow bands across the tatami.

The room smelled of tobacco and the grassy scent of the tatami, mingling in the stifling air.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the place of honor, a pipe between his lips. Blue smoke curled from its bowl, weaving a hazy veil before him.

He had traded his Hokage robes for a dark gray kimono, its collar hanging open to reveal a white underrobe. The wrinkles on his face had deepened in the past few days, and the bags beneath his eyes sagged lower.

Jiraiya sat to his right, arms crossed and long legs stretched straight out over the tatami.

White hair spilled over his shoulders. The character for "oil" on his forehead protector gleamed dark red in the light. He looked relaxed, but curiosity churned in his eyes.

Tsunade sat opposite Jiraiya, legs crossed. She rested her right hand on her knee and tapped it lightly twice.

She wore a white medical coat, her golden hair tied in a ponytail behind her head. The purple diamond of her Yin Seal's Cursed Seal glimmered faintly on her forehead.

The three sat around a low table. A pot of tea stood on it, long gone cold, with fine beads of moisture clinging to the cups.

Sarutobi Tsukikage stood across the table, her ANBU mask tucked under one arm, revealing a pale, lovely face. She spoke at an unhurried pace, every word perfectly clear.

"Uchiha Yongye enlisted Might Guy, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Shikaku Nara as witnesses. Then he arrested Kakashi."

"He's now leading the group to the Hyuga Clan."

Jiraiya uncrossed his arms and braced his hands on the edge of the table, leaning forward slightly.

His white hair slipped from his