Just then...
An ANBU knocked and entered, presenting a document.
"Lady Mizukage, Konoha has sent an urgent notice requesting a Five Kage Summit."
Mei Terumi took the document, her slender fingers moving as she quickly scanned it.
When she reached the line "The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was taken away by Uchiha Itachi," her pupils contracted slightly.
Ao saw the contents too, and his expression changed. "Lady Mizukage, this..."
"Leave us."
Mei Terumi waved the senior officials away. As though granted a reprieve, they hurried out of the office.
Only she and Ao remained.
"Ao, what do you think?" Mei Terumi placed the document on the desk.
Ao considered for a moment, stroking his chin as he mused:
"Konoha's Nine-Tails was taken by Uchiha Itachi of the Dragon Release Village, Sunagakure's One-Tail was captured by someone wearing a coiled-dragon forehead protector, and our Six-Tails was captured by people dressed the same way... that's too much of a coincidence."
"And," he paused, "the two who took Utakata were extremely powerful. They abducted a jinchūriki from inside Kirigakure and escaped unscathed in three minutes. That kind of strength is rare anywhere in the Shinobi World."
Mei Terumi nodded, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk.
"Do you think Lin Ze really did it?"
Ao hesitated, then shook his head.
"It doesn't seem like him. If Lin Ze wanted to act, he wouldn't go about it in such a secretive way. Besides, he was friendly toward Kirigakure before, and we even sent those two people over..."
At the mention of those two, Ao's expression grew somewhat awkward.
Mei Terumi understood what he meant.
The two Kirigakure ninja who had participated in the village's destruction back then had already been secretly sent to the Dragon Release Village. This was Kirigakure's gesture of sincerity toward Lin Ze.