"I understand."
Kakashi rolled up the document and tucked it into his jacket. "I'll draw up a complete set of implementation guidelines based on this proposal, then bring it over for your review."
Naraku said, "There's no rush. We still have almost a year."
"But we can't put it off for too long, either."
"Can you have a first draft ready before next month?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Naraku nodded and turned his gaze out the window. The streets were gradually filling with people, and the faint sounds of children running and playing drifted over from a distance.
"This five-nation joint event will be larger than any before it. The Daimyo, leaders, and accompanying personnel attending will add up to a considerable number."
"Nothing can go wrong in Konoha."
Kakashi stood up. "Don't worry."
Although he still sounded as unmotivated as ever, anyone who knew him understood that whenever he answered like that, it meant he had gotten serious.
As he reached the door, Naraku added from behind him, "If anything needs coordinating, go straight to Shikaku."
Kakashi glanced back and waved, then opened the door and walked out.
Unhurried footsteps sounded in the hallway, gradually fading into the distance.
The office fell quiet. Naraku sat for a while, then took a fresh sheet of white paper from a drawer, spread it across the desk, picked up a pen, and began writing.
He wrote a list of departments that needed advance coordination, along with a rough timeline.
The morning sunlight grew brighter and brighter, illuminating the entire office.
In the days that followed, Konoha quietly grew busy.
Since there was still plenty of time, the bustle was subdued, and most villagers barely noticed any changes.
But anyone who paid attention would have noticed certain corners of the village quietly changing. New signs