The air in the Hokage Office suddenly grew heavy with the urgent intelligence from the Land of Hot Water.
Outside the window, the sunlight remained bright, but it could not dispel the dark clouds swiftly gathering over Tsunade's brow.
Before the joy of becoming Hokage had fully settled, the weight of responsibility was already bearing down on her like a storm.
"Abnormal chakra fluctuations... the border of the Land of Hot Water..." Tsunade tapped her fingers lightly against the desk. She had read the report several times, and every word carried an ominous undertone.
Vigilance and thought flickered in her amber eyes, replacing the high spirits she had shown at yesterday's celebration.
"The Land of Hot Water again, huh?" Shinichi's languid voice drifted over from the sofa. He remained sprawled in a position that almost swallowed him into the cushions, not even putting down the Icha Icha Paradise in his hands. He merely lifted his eyelids a fraction and glanced at Tsunade over the pages. "Looks like our last 'surprise' isn't over yet. These guys really don't know when to leave us alone."
The "surprise" he meant was, of course, the arrival of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
Tsunade set down the scroll, her brows tightly knitted. "Shinichi, I'm afraid this is serious. Last time, it was Isshiki's 'vessel.' This time... the report says the chakra is far stronger and stranger than that of an ordinary ninja. And the Daimyo of the Land of Hot Water has already sent an urgent request for aid."
"Aid?" Shinichi clicked his tongue, finally tearing his gaze away from the book. He looked at Tsunade with a trace of amusement. "A new leader always wants to make a splash. Is our newly appointed Lord Hokage planning to make her first one abroad?"
"At a time like