"Have that clerk leave the secret letter."
Sasuke watched the Kumogakure clerk in the water mirror, tapping his fingers against the table.
"You say the ledger was forged. Show us the evidence. If you have none, release the suspension list and the Daimyo's Residence's questioning records together."
The Kumogakure clerk's lips had gone dry. Behind him, the pounding on the door sounded several more times.
He glanced back before saying, "Lord Raikage is still handling domestic affairs and cannot respond for now."
"Then answer for him. Who sent the secret letter?"
"The secret letter came from the Land of Earth."
A burst of noise came from the other end of the water mirror, followed by Ōnoki's image connecting.
The old man looked far grimmer than before. His palm rested against the edge of the table, his fingertips lightly rubbing the wood grain.
"The secret letter was merely someone's deliberate attempt to sow discord among our three nations. It cannot prove the ledger was falsified."
"I didn't ask about the ledger."
Sasuke took the secret letter, tore open the seal, and projected its contents onto the Public Water Mirror.
The words written in blood occupied only one line, but three seals accompanied them.
The Land of Lightning Military Supply Bureau, the Land of Earth Trade Department, and the Land of Water Maritime Shipping Association.
Shikaku quickly took the coded letter and scanned it before saying, "The three nations had already agreed on a shared story before the ledger was made public. They intended to pin all the missions on individual members of the Akatsuki."
"Do you dare claim these three seals are fake too?" Sasuke asked.
Ōnoki did not answer immediately.
The Land of Water's water mirror lit up next. Mei Terumi stood behind her desk, with Ao and Chojuro at