As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, both Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura looked visibly exasperated.
Of course they had objections.
But however strong those objections were, did they dare voice them to his face?
The answer was clearly no.
The two Konoha Elders exchanged a glance, then shook their heads so quickly they looked like a pair of rattling toys.
At the sight, Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile grew even brighter.
"Good. It seems we're all on the same page."
"We'll sign the agreement with Iwagakure tomorrow. That settles it."
With that matter settled, he seemed to have finally shed a burden, and exhaustion swept over him.
"I'm worn out today too. I'll head home and get some rest."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded to them, picked up the Hokage Hat beside him, put it on his head, and left the office, heading straight home.
All he wanted now was rest.
He had faced far too many problems that day. By the end, both his mind and body had been nearly drained dry. Once he returned to his tea room, he planned to brew a cup of tea, relax completely, and get a good night's sleep.
It was a lovely idea.
But when he sat down in the tea room and leisurely brewed himself some tea, the taste was wrong no matter what he did.
Hiruzen Sarutobi froze with his cup in hand for a moment, then realization struck him.
That bastard Jin Uchiha had already made off with his favorite tea set, along with the new Jade Spinning Top tea he had just acquired.
"Jin! Uchiha!"
"Why do you have to turn up everywhere? Are you ever going to leave me alone?"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He hurled the teacup to the floor, where it shattered