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The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became tense.
However, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, was not someone to be trifled with.
She snorted coldly, meeting Lei Ying's gaze without flinching, and retorted forcefully:
"Raikage, before you criticize others, you'd better look at yourself first!"
"Don't forget, during the sensitive period when our Konoha and Kumogakure forged an alliance treaty, what 'good deeds' did your Kumogakure delegation do?"
"They attempted to kidnap Hinata Hyuga, the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan's main family! If it weren't for Lord Hiashi Hyuga's timely intervention, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"
"Afterwards, they even tried to turn the tables and force us to hand over Lord Hiashi's body! How is this any different from Akatsuki's kidnapping and extortion?"
"When it comes to indulgence and cover-up, your Cloud Village seems to be no less capable!"
Tsunade is not like the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who tended to appease and make political compromises.
She has a strong personality and directly brought up old grievances from many years ago, retaliating without any mercy.
This matter has always been a disgraceful stain on the Hidden Cloud Village. When Tsunade brought it up in public, the Raikage's face instantly turned ashen, and veins bulged on his forehead.
But then he was speechless for a moment.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, floated on his seat, calmly stroking his goatee.
Seemingly detached, but with a glint in his eyes, he interjected at the opportune moment: "Hehe, let's not bring up old stories anymore."
"The most urgent task is to deal with the threat posed by Akatsuki. However, the Raikage's words are not entirely without merit; some villages do indeed need to strengthen their internal management."
His words, seemingly intended to smooth things over, actually subtly targeted Konoha and Sunagakure.
The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, gracefully crossed her legs, her voice soft yet carrying a force not to be underestimated: "The Tsuchikage is right."
"However, assigning blame was not the purpose of the meeting."
"'Akatsuki' has now collected most of the tailed beasts, and its strength has increased dramatically."
"What we should be thinking about is how to unite and deal with this common enemy that is capable of destroying the entire ninja world."
She tried to steer the conversation back on track, but her words also implied dissatisfaction with the poor management of other villages.
The Fifth Kazekage, Gaara, was the youngest, but he had a complex past and a calm demeanor. He spoke calmly: "Arguing won't solve anything. Akatsuki's target is the Tailed Beasts, the Jinchuriki."
"They possess space-time ninjutsu that warps space."
"A scattered approach will only lead to being defeated one by one. The only way out is to unite."
"Establish a ninja alliance, share intelligence, and unify command."
The five Shadows engaged in a fierce debate and struggle over a series of issues, including the division of responsibilities, historical grievances, alliance methods, and the attribution of command.
Every proposal, every accusation, concerns the interests and future of their respective villages.
At the round table, words clashed and undercurrents surged. Every glance, every pause, was filled with political calculations and tests of power.
Compared to the intense atmosphere in the center of the conference room, which was almost bursting with sparks.
The Shadow Guards, hidden behind the tall curtains surrounding the conference room, seemed much more "relaxed".
Naruto lay sprawled on the cold wooden fence, his chin resting against the railing, completely lacking any decorum.
Bored, he watched the five figures below arguing heatedly, their faces flushed, then yawned widely and muttered under his breath:
"Ugh... It's all the same old stuff. If I'd known it would be this boring, I should have switched shifts with Shikamaru and let him suffer this..."
Sasuke, standing beside him, remained on guard, his back gently leaning against the railing, his Kusanagi sword clutched in his arms.
Hearing Naruto's complaint, he glanced at the unsuspecting guy and said calmly:
"You're always saying you want to become Hokage, right? Now's a good time to get used to it."
"These verbal battles and weighing of interests will be things you'll have to face every day when you're in that position."
“No—don’t—ah—!”
Upon hearing this, Naruto immediately let out a wail, and an image of himself sitting in the Hokage's office in the future involuntarily appeared in his mind.
Overwhelmed by mountains of documents.
My ears were filled with scenes of bickering and reports.
That was hell!
He shook his head violently, trying to banish the horrible image from his mind.
"Let's just use shadow clones to handle documents from now on."
Behind the other curtains, the guards from each village mostly remained quiet, on high alert.
Temari and Kankuro kept a close watch on Gaara's situation;
Kurotsuchi seemed to be getting a little bored and was playing with the ends of his hair when Akatsuchi stopped him with a look.
Darui looked like he hadn't woken up yet, but his eyes were unusually sharp when they occasionally swept across the room;
Xi closed his eyes, seemingly sensing something;
Mei Terumi's bodyguard, Ao, kept his Byakugan constantly active, monitoring the flow of chakra throughout the venue.
Although it appeared calm, all the guards were on edge.
Because they know that if the negotiations below break down, or if any unexpected event occurs...
This brief "peace of mind" will be instantly replaced by bloody battles.
Meanwhile, in a secluded underground cave far from the snow and winds of the Land of Iron.
Obito stood before a gigantic Gedo Mazo, which resembled a piece of withered wood.
He had put on a new white mask.
At this moment, his left eye was no longer an ordinary empty hole, but a wavy pupil emitting an eerie purple light—the Rinnegan!
One red, one purple, two strikingly different eyes created an unsettling harmony on his face.
He formed a hand seal and gave a low shout.
The Gedo Mazo opened its massive maw and let out a silent roar, from which seven beams of chakra of different colors shot out.
It twisted and swirled in the air before being slowly absorbed into the golem.
Those were the jinchūriki of all the tailed beasts that had been captured by Akatsuki.
However, the absorption process was nearing its end.
On the ground in front of the golem, there was only one lone octopus tentacle left, constantly twisting and flashing with lightning chakra.
Besides Obito, only Kisame Hoshigaki and Zetsu remained at the scene.
Kisame, carrying his massive ninja sword Samehada, stared at the tentacle and let out a low, hoarse laugh:
"Oh my gosh~ It seems that not only you guys, but I was also fooled by that Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. What an interesting artist."
Obito stared at the tentacle, a cold glint flashing in his Rinnegan.
But his tone was unexpectedly calm: "It's alright. Although it's only a part of a clone, it does contain the Eight-Tails' chakra."
"Although the amount is small, it is better than nothing, enough to make the reaction of the Gedo Mazo closer to its complete form."
Black Zetsu's sinister voice rang out: "So, what should we do next? Only the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails are left."
Obito slowly raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick layers of rock, looking towards the Land of Iron.
He looked toward the last and most crucial goal in his plan.
His voice was low and resolute, carrying a coldness akin to a final showdown:
"Since we can't get our hands on the Eight-Tails for the time being, then... let's go 'visit' our old friend, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!"
"All five Kage gathered? Perfect, let's make this so-called meeting even more 'lively'!"
Inside the cave, a chilling aura of killing intent filled the air.
Obito's next move will undoubtedly drop a bombshell on the already turbulent Five Kage Summit, enough to detonate the entire situation.
Chapter 437 Who are you?
The Five Shadows meeting in the land of good iron continues, although the debate at the round table has temporarily come to an end.
However, the atmosphere of mutual distrust and tension in the air did not diminish in the slightest.
Each Kage is weighing the pros and cons and costs of forming an alliance, calculating how much influence their side can have in the future Allied Shinobi Forces.
However, this fragile balance was soon shattered by an unexpected intruder from outside the castle.
Outside the Iron Kingdom's castle, on that vast, untouched snowfield covered in thick snow, the air suddenly distorted like ripples on water.
A rotating spacetime rift with a vortex-like center appeared out of nowhere.
Immediately afterwards, a figure slowly stepped out from within.
He wore a pure white mask with swirling patterns.
Only one scarlet Sharingan and one Rinnegan emitting eerie purple ripples were visible.
He was wearing a slightly oversized, dark purple robe.
Behind him was a huge fan with an ancient design and the Uchiha clan's Flame Fan emblem.
It was Uchiha Obito who had transplanted the Rinnegan and donned a new outfit.
He walked with a leisurely pace, as if strolling in his own courtyard, slowly making his way towards the Iron Kingdom's castle.
The soles of my shoes crunched softly on the snow, the sound particularly clear in the silent snowfield.
Soon, a group of Iron Country samurai responsible for patrolling the perimeter discovered this uninvited guest.
They immediately formed a battle formation, with the leading samurai captain gripping his sword hilt and shouting sternly:
"Stop! Who is it?"
"This is the site of the Five Kage Summit! No unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach! Identify yourself immediately, or it will be considered an intrusion!"
Faced with the samurai's stern warnings and the katana already half an inch from its sheath, gleaming with a cold light.
Obito seemed not to hear, and continued walking forward at a leisurely pace without pausing for a moment.