That night, fire raced ahead of orders through the streets.
A layer of plaster had baked brittle, shedding crumbs down the foot of the walls.
Footsteps ran close along the walls, now thick, now sparse.
Beyond the alley mouth, every lamp was out, and firelight leaped along the wall tops.
Sparks curled up to the eaves, only for the wind to press them down again.
Kiyoshi walked along the inside of the security cordon.
This inner line had been strung up in the middle of the night. The stakes had only just been driven in, and the hemp rope at their tops was still taut.
Strips of cloth hung between the stakes, each streaming in the same direction.
Below the strips, a fresh wooden sign had been nailed up, its inked strokes hurried.
The seal beneath the eaves of the Konoha Military Police Force duty room had been replaced. The fresh paste had not yet dried.
Its sour smell mingled with the scorched odor, noticeable from several paces away.
Two of his peers huddled at the foot of the wall, one hugging his arms, the other counting his fingers one by one.
When they saw him, they stood up in turn. Neither spoke.
He drew them away from the foot of the wall and gave them a push toward its inner side.
He raised a hand and pointed ahead, and the two started moving.
"Take the less crowded end."
That was what he said. He did not mention where the path beneath their feet led.
The three followed the newly strung line, their steps falling between the stakes.
As they passed the second stake, someone inside gave a muffled cough. The door stayed shut.
The taller of his peers glanced back, but Kiyoshi raised a hand to stop him.
A