Konoha, the Hokage's office.
Tsunade sat behind her desk, holding a letter that had just been delivered.
The envelope had already been opened, and the paper was unfolded.
Dense lines of handwriting covered it.
The strokes were firm and forceful, carrying an unreadable calm.
She read it from beginning to end three times.
Her frown grew tighter with each pass.
Her fingers tapped lightly against the paper.
Shizune stood behind her, holding Tonton, not daring to breathe too loudly.
"The Rinnegan..."
Tsunade murmured the word, her voice so soft it sounded like she was talking to herself.
"Where the hell did that bastard dig up this information?"
The Rinnegan. The eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. The symbol of the shinobi world's founding ancestor.
Most people treated it as nothing more than a legend, something too absurd to believe.
But Teizawa's letter was written with absolute certainty.
Not only did he state that Amegakure had already been taken over by a man who called himself "God," he had also included a detailed description of the man's abilities.
The Six Paths of Pain.
Summoning Jutsu.
Shinra Tensei.
Banshō Ten'in.
Chibaku Tensei.
Tsunade had never seen jutsu like these.
But the descriptions in the letter were far too specific.
They did not read like something invented out of thin air.
What made a chill crawl up her back most was the final part:
The Four-Tails' disappearance may be connected to this man.
This was not empty alarmism.
It was fact.
The Four-Tails still had not been found.
Iwagakure and Kumogakure had nearly come to blows over it.
The entire shinobi world had been thrown into chaos.
If all of this truly had been orchestrated from the shadows by a man hiding behind the rain...
Then every one of them had been deceived.
Played for fools.
"Tsunade-sama..." Shizune asked carefully. "Can this letter... be trusted?"
Tsunade did not answer.
She set the letter down, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes.
That bastard might be unreliable in everyday matters.
But when it came to major affairs, he never spoke lightly.
If he dared write something like this, then he must have solid proof in his hands.
Besides, he had no reason to lie to her.
"Call Kakashi," Tsunade said, opening her eyes. Her voice had regained the steadiness of the Hokage. "Shikaku too. And the two elders."
Shizune quickly nodded, held Tonton close, and hurried out of the office.
Tsunade picked up the letter again and read it once more.
Amegakure. Hanzō of the Salamander was dead.
A mysterious man with the Rinnegan now controlled the village, intended to seize the Tailed Beasts, and was plotting to stir up war across the shinobi world.
Every word was like a boulder.
Heavy. Crushing. Pressing down on her heart.
She remembered what Jiraiya had said the last time he left Konoha.
"Tsunade, I feel like the shinobi world is about to change."
At the time, she had not taken it seriously. She had assumed the old pervert was only complaining again.
Now that she thought about it, that ridiculous old man might have sensed something long ago.
"Jiraiya, where are you?"
Tsunade murmured to herself.
At this moment, she suddenly wanted that unreliable Jiraiya to come back.
Maybe then things would be a little easier for her.
Maybe she could even retire and go fall in love.
That little pervert. The letter was full of serious business.
Did he not miss her at all?
Or even if he did not think about her, was he not going to care about the child in her belly?
The more Tsunade thought about it, the more an inexplicable resentment rose in her chest.
Sunlight slipped through the gaps in the blinds and fell across her face.
But it could not reach her heart.
When Kakashi pushed the door open and entered, he saw Tsunade staring blankly out the window.
He did not disturb her and quietly stood to the side.
Before long, Shikaku arrived, followed by the two elders, Homura and Koharu.
"Everyone's here." Tsunade turned around and placed the letter on the desk. "Read it."
After everyone finished passing the letter around, their expressions varied.
Koharu's brow was deeply furrowed.
Homura's face was ashen.
Shikaku thoughtfully rubbed his chin.
Kakashi stared at the words "Rinnegan" on the page, unable to look away for a long time.
"The Rinnegan..." Homura's voice was dry. "Does something like that truly exist in this world?"
"Whether it exists or not isn't the important part." Tsunade shook her head. "What matters is whether this man calling himself 'God' is truly after the Tailed Beasts."
She paused, then looked at Shikaku.
"Shikaku, what do you think?"
Shikaku fell silent for a moment, then raised his head.
"Hokage-sama, I believe the Kazekage's letter is credible."
"Why?"
"First, he has no reason to deceive us. Suna and Konoha are allies. Lying to us would bring them no benefit."
"Second, his description of Amegakure's internal situation is too detailed. The death of Hanzō of the Salamander isn't something just anyone could know."
Shikaku paused.
"Third..."
He drew in a deep breath.
"I've been investigating the Four-Tails' disappearance in secret."
"Although I haven't found any evidence, I've always felt there was something hidden behind it."
"Kumogakure insists Iwagakure did it. Iwagakure insists Kumogakure did it. But neither side has sufficient proof. It feels more like someone deliberately sowing discord between them."
"If this Akatsuki organization truly exists, and if they really are collecting the Tailed Beasts..."
He did not finish.
But everyone understood what he meant.
The office remained silent for a long time.
Tsunade stood and walked to the window, her expression cold.
"Send the order. Gather the jōnin. We're holding an emergency meeting."
"Also, notify the heads of the major clans. Tomorrow afternoon, in the Hokage council chamber. No one is allowed to be absent."
"Yes."
Kakashi and Shikaku answered in unison.
...
Kumogakure, the Raikage's office.
A slammed his palm onto the desk.
The entire desk shattered with a crack.
"Bastard..."
The Fourth Raikage's voice echoed through the room, shaking the windows.
"That Kazekage... who does he think he is?"
Mabui, his dark-skinned secretary, silently began collecting the scattered scraps of documents from the floor.
Her face showed no expression.
She had long since grown used to the Raikage's explosive temper.
It was only a desk.
This was already the third one he had smashed this month.
"Raikage-sama..." She pieced the fragments of the letter together and carefully identified the writing on it. "The Kazekage says in his letter that the Four-Tails' disappearance may be connected to Amegakure."
"I saw that!"
A gritted his teeth, veins bulging one by one across his forehead.
"He makes it sound so easy... Amegakure? That broken-down village that can't even build a proper road? They could steal the Four-Tails from the elite forces of Kumogakure?"
He planted his hands on his hips, his chest heaving violently.
"But..." Mabui said carefully, "Samui's team was attacked within the Land of Lightning, and we still haven't found any clues."
"Other than Iwagakure, there truly aren't many forces capable of doing something like that."
"If what the Kazekage says is true, and Amegakure really does have some unknown power hidden behind it..."
"What are you saying? Do you believe that Kazekage's letter too?"
"I only think..." Mabui paused, then pushed up her glasses. "Raikage-sama, we've been investigating for so long, but we haven't even caught Iwagakure's tail."
"Either they covered their tracks too cleanly, or... we've been looking in the wrong direction."
A fell silent.
Of course he knew Mabui had a point.
He simply did not want to admit it.
He clenched his teeth, his jaw bulging like two blocks of iron.
"Send the order..."
His voice was hoarse and low.
"Have Darui take a team to the border of Amegakure and investigate."
"Do not alert the enemy. Just confirm the Four-Tails' trail... and whether Hanzō of the Salamander is truly dead."
"Yes."
Mabui accepted the order and left.
A stood before the window.
He looked at the distant sky shrouded in thunderclouds.
His fists clenched until his knuckles cracked.
If that Kazekage dared lie to him,
A swore he would personally charge into Suna, twist off his head, and kick it like a ball.
(End of Chapter)
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