The Fire Capital in the Land of Fire awoke in the faint glow of dawn.
But in Konoha, lights were already on in the Hokage Building's office.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato, sat in the main seat, the morning light making his golden hair shine.
But his brows were furrowed.
Across from him were Konoha's two advisor elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.
"Chūnin Exams?"
Minato repeated the proposal, his calm voice tinged with caution.
"The situation on the northeastern border is tense, and half of the village's elite forces have already been deployed to the front lines."
"Is it too risky to hold the Chūnin Exams at this time?"
As Hokage, he was responsible for the safety of the entire village.
At this moment, Konoha was in its most vulnerable internal defense period since he took office. If anything went wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Homura pushed up his reading glasses. Behind the lenses, his eyes looked cloudy but were sharp and discerning.
"Precisely because the situation is tense, it is even more imperative to hold them."
Koharu took over, leaning slightly forward, speaking seriously. "Minato, you must understand that the Chūnin Exams are never just a promotion assessment."
"They are also a political statement to display our strength to the entire shinobi world."
"We must let the children fighting bravely on the front lines see that the home they risk their lives to protect is still prosperous and full of talent."
"This will boost morale more than any empty slogan."
"This can greatly boost morale and stabilize people's hearts."
Homura added, "Especially the Land of Lightning. We must let them see that Konoha's Will of Fire will never be extinguished."
The two elders spoke in unison, listing the benefits of holding the Chūnin Exams one by one.
Minato fell silent, weighing the pros and cons.
He had to admit that the two elders made sense.
War is not just about military strength, but also about morale and logistics.
Letting the soldiers on the front lines know that the rear is secure, that kind of mental strength is sometimes more important than sending another unit.
He understood the principle.
"But the safety issue…" Minato was still very concerned.
"Then scale it down," Homura immediately offered a solution.
Clearly, he had already prepared this plan.
"In previous years, we would invite major villages to participate to demonstrate peace and friendship."
"But this year, the situation is special, so there is no need to invite other villages."
"We will just do it ourselves, behind closed doors."
Koharu added at once, "However, the invitation to the Daimyo Manor must be sent, and the nobles of the Land of Fire must also be invited."
"This is customary and a good opportunity to showcase Konoha's new generation to the Daimyo-sama."
"Let him see that Konoha's Will of Fire is passed down through generations, never-ending."
This proposal was reasonable and addressed safety while achieving political goals.
Looking at the two elders working so smoothly, Minato understood.
"Alright, let's do it this way." After careful consideration, he nodded. "I will draft the invitations shortly."
Seeing that the Hokage was convinced, the two advisor elders showed satisfied expressions.
Just as they were about to adjourn, there was a knock at the office door.
"Come in."
An Anbu appeared instantly, presenting a scroll. "Hokage-sama, an urgent message from the Daimyo Manor."
Minato immediately took the scroll and unrolled it.
The letter was simple, with only one line of text.
"Strengthen border patrols in the four countries to prevent sneak attacks by the Land of Lightning."
After reading, Minato frowned slightly.
The relaxed expression on his face faded, replaced by a hint of solemnity.
A sneak attack by a circuitous route?
He had considered that tactical possibility, but he had ranked it last.
In his view, with him stationed in Konoha, small-scale attacks would not threaten the heartland.
And large-scale military movements would not escape the eyes of intelligence personnel.
But now, the Daimyo had specifically sent a warning about this. That made Minato, who had witnessed the Daimyo's methods, cautious.
Homura noticed the change in his expression and quickly asked, "Minato, what is it?"
Minato handed them the scroll and said in a deep voice, "The Daimyo warns us to be wary of the Land of Lightning detouring through other countries to launch a surprise attack on our heartland."
After reading it, the two elders' faces turned grim.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Homura's eyes, and he snorted coldly. "Hmph, this young…"
The words caught in his throat. Realizing his slip, Homura immediately corrected himself stiffly. "What the Daimyo said, we naturally know."
His words carried the displeasure of being lectured and the arrogance of an old veteran.
Koharu then said coldly, "But those war fanatics from the Land of Lightning are indeed capable of such things. It is better to believe than ignore."
Although her words agreed, she cleverly attributed the insight to her own judgment rather than the Daimyo's warning.
Minato took in their expressions, sighed inwardly, and issued an order.
"Send word to replan the border patrol routes, and raise the rank of patrols along the borders with the Land of Water, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Lightning to the highest."
"Yes."
The Anbu took the order and left.
After dealing with this matter, Minato felt a bit more at ease.
His gaze fell back to the table. On one side was the letter from the Daimyo Manor, and on the other was the newly decided Chūnin Exams.
The two seemingly unrelated matters were now oddly connected.
He suddenly thought of something.
Picking up a pen, he quickly wrote an invitation for the Chūnin Exams and sealed it with wax.
Then he handed the letter to the guarding Anbu. "Give this to the messenger."
"Yes."
Another Anbu took the order and retreated.
When the Shadow Guard returned to the Fire Capital with the invitation for the Daimyo-sama, dusk had already fallen.
At that time, Arashi had just finished processing the last batch of official documents.
He leaned back in the large chair, letting out a long sigh, feeling utterly drained.
He had worked until late last night, woken before dawn, and then continued with a new day's work.
"Being a Daimyo is more tiring than being a corporate slave…"
Arashi rubbed his throbbing temples, complaining weakly.
Even his dinner had been hastily eaten beside a mountain of scrolls.
Just then, the Shadow Guard who had returned from Konoha arrived and handed him Minato's invitation.
"Chūnin Exams in ten days?"
Arashi opened the invitation, and upon seeing the content, his spirit picked up slightly.
This would be an interesting diversion.
Since his ascension, he had never officially visited Konoha in his capacity as Daimyo in a public setting.
These Chūnin Exams would be a good stage.
He could see whether he might encounter other key figures.
More importantly, he could use this opportunity to further assert his presence and authority as Daimyo to Konoha.
"Good, this is a good thing." Arashi smiled, picked up his brush, and wrote a reply confirming his personal attendance.
He handed it to the Shadow Guard on duty and waved him away.
The study felt stuffy, so Arashi stood, opened the door, and stepped out to walk in the garden.
A maid immediately brought a lantern to follow.
"No need," Arashi waved. "I want to walk alone."
The maid respectfully withdrew.
Arashi walked alone into the garden.
The night breeze was cool, carrying the fragrance of flowers and plants, gradually soothing his nerves.
He emptied his mind, walking aimlessly, enjoying the rare tranquility.
Suddenly, he stopped.
Not far away, under the moonlight, a figure was dancing gracefully.
(To be continued.)