Darui moved through the halls of the Raikage’s tower like he always did– slow, steady, and not in any kind of rush. The floor didn’t shake under his steps or anything dramatic like that, but people still got out of the way. They knew who he was.

Tall, broad-shouldered, with that usual half-bored look on his face, Darui looked more like he was on his way to take a nap than handle high-level intel briefings. But behind the heavy eyelids and low voice, there was always something sharp ticking– watching, remembering, calculating.

The man didn’t need to raise his voice or throw his weight around. He didn’t even have to try. People listened. Even the Raikage listened.

He sighed, long and low, rubbing the back of his neck like the thought that just passed through his head was a little too much work. Probably was.

Then– thud. Something bumped into him. Or rather, someone.

He blinked, took a step back, and looked down, half-expecting it to be trouble. “…Huh,” he muttered, voice calm as ever. “Didn’t see you there.”