"Last time, the Konoha Meeting didn't start until everyone was there. Who could have guessed that this time Konoha wouldn't care who showed up and who didn't, and would just..."
"We paid a fortune to hire them as a mercenary corps. We practically drained the treasury..."
"Our country is determined to secure a tailed beast. Give this some serious thought and tell me exactly what we should do..."
Listening to the arguments erupting around him, the Land of Fire's representative let out a long sigh and stood up.
"Lord Linduo?"
"All this noise is giving me a headache. I'm going out for a walk."
With that flimsy excuse, Linduo, a trusted aide to the Land of Fire's Acting Daimyo, left the tent without looking back.
"What the hell was that? If the Land of Fire hadn't failed to keep them in check, how could Konoha have risen like this?"
"They contributed the fewest troops, too. What gives him the right to act so high and mighty?"
"Enough of that. We should hurry and figure out how to adjust our tactics. This gap left by the Land of Lightning..."
Linduo left the tent and circled around to avoid the crowds. "These idiots still can't tell who really holds the power. Do they think we're still at the meeting?"
Especially galling were those self-proclaimed advisors solemnly analyzing how Konoha's courteous treatment of their factions at the Konoha Meeting proved that it still feared their strength.
"At that meeting, our superiors clearly had different priorities. We only wanted certain information to reach as many regions as possible, so Konoha was willing to treat even the smallest factions sincerely."
Just then, a somewhat languid voice sounded above his head.
"Lord Kakashi, is there really any point in my being your inside man anymore?"
Linduo