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"Heh."
Ōnoki chuckled again.
He withdrew his gaze, waved his hand dismissively, and once again assumed the demeanor of a frail old man.
"At my age, all I seek now is peace and stability. Moreover, Iwagakure has suffered heavy losses in this war. I fear we cannot endure any further turmoil."
"Hmph."
A scoffed, his expression making it abundantly clear that he didn't fully believe Ōnoki's words.
Ōnoki merely laughed noncommittally, unbothered, before turning his attention to Mei Terumī, who sat across from him. "What are your thoughts, Mizukage?"
Mei seemed melancholic, her voice carrying the delicate softness unique to women as she spoke.
"Though I am the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure, I have only recently assumed the position and have yet to establish sufficient authority. Moreover, Kirigakure has only just emerged from the bloody mist policies enforced by the Fourth Mizukage. Our village was already weakened, and now, after enduring this war, we find ourselves in an even more precarious state. I believe stability and development should be our priority moving forward."
"Is that so?" Ōnoki responded, nodding along with her words. "Indeed, it hasn't been easy for any of us."
"Pointless."
Gaara, who had remained silent until now, abruptly cut in like a splash of cold water.
"What do you mean, Kazekage?"
A turned his head sharply, glaring at Gaara with displeasure.
Ōnoki and Mei also shifted their gazes toward him.
"Pointless."
Gaara sat upright, his posture immaculate, his gray eyes calm and unreadable as he regarded the three.
"Konoha, the yōkai, the underworld—Uchiha Kaito already wields absolute power. Nothing we do will change that."
Ōnoki, A, and Mei's expressions darkened immediately.
They were all too aware of this fact.
Wasn't it precisely because of their unease that they had gathered here, despite their past hostilities, to discuss the matter?
"Any plan we devise hinges entirely on Uchiha Kaito not taking an overly aggressive stance."
Gaara continued bluntly.
"Thus, no matter how much we debate here, it's meaningless. We should wait until tomorrow to see how things unfold."
With that, he stood, gave a slight nod of courtesy, and strode out of the tent.
The remaining three exchanged glances.
"Ha… hahahahaha!"
A suddenly burst into laughter.
Still laughing, he rose to his feet and headed for the exit.
As he lifted the tent flap, he turned back and declared, "Did you think I, of all people, would lack the clarity of a mere boy? Kumogakure has never shied away from storms. There's no need for me to participate in this farce!"
With that, he marched out.
The falling curtain obscured his towering silhouette, along with the faint sunlight that had seeped into the tent.
When Mei turned her gaze away from the entrance, she noticed Ōnoki's expression had turned grim.
"Have I truly grown so old?" he muttered, fists clenched. "No… I still carry the Will of Stone, passed down through generations—unyielding as bedrock!"
"It seems this premature discussion has reached its end."
Seeing Ōnoki's reaction, Mei sighed and slowly rose to her feet.
"Then, until tomorrow, Tsuchikage-sama."
She bid her farewell and gracefully exited the tent.
A long silence followed before Ōnoki's raised voice echoed from within.
"Bungo, summon Kurotsuchi and Tsuchi here."
"Understood, Tsuchikage-sama."
Bungo, the Iwagakure jōnin guarding the tent, acknowledged the order and swiftly departed.
...
"Heh."
On a nearby mountaintop overlooking the camp, Uchiha Kaito lay comfortably on a tree branch and chuckled to himself before retracting his Dragon Vein perception, which had been spread throughout the entire camp.
"Ah, why must they make me out to be so complicated?"
He rested his arms behind his head and shook it slowly.
"All I want is to unite everyone's strength to face the Ōtsutsuki. That's it."
Conquer the world?
He had no patience for such trivial ambitions!
As a perfectly ordinary onmyōji, he was only interested in matters involving gods and spirits. He had no interest in the living, alright?
Kaito inwardly grumbled.
"Though… now that I think about it, conquering the world does sound somewhat amusing?"
He mused aloud to himself.
No, no!
He shook his head again.
No, he truly had no interest in ruling the world. His sights were set on the stars and the sea!!!
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion erupted in the distance, accompanied by the crash of falling trees and tremors that shook the earth.
The force nearly sent Kaito tumbling from the branch.
What the hell?!
Kaito flashed to the treetop and peered into the distance.
There, deep in the forest, a massive golden nine-tailed fox was locked in fierce combat with an equally towering purple tengu warrior.
"Tch."
Naruto and Sasuke?
Kaito leaped down from the treetop, his body dissolving into a golden liquid that merged with the earth.
"Sasuke!!!"
The golden fox raised its hands, each clutching an enormous Rasen-Shuriken.
"Naruto!!!"
The Susanoo drew back its bowstring, two blazing black arrows nocked and ready.
"Sage Art: Ultra-Bijū Rasen-Shuriken!!!"
The fox hurled both colossal spiraling discs.
"Sage Art: Susanoo Kagutsuchi!!!"
The Susanoo released its arrows, the two massive black projectiles slamming squarely into the spiraling shuriken.
BOOM!!!
Another earth-shattering explosion erupted, the resulting hurricane further ravaging the already devastated forest.
Spectators raised their arms to shield themselves from the blast.
"Tsk, tsk. These two just won't quit."
Kaito emerged from the ground, materializing beside Minato.
"Ha…" Minato forced a dry laugh. "Naruto's always been competitive. After gaining new power, he just had to challenge Sasuke."
"No need to explain."
Kaito flicked open his fan, shielding his face from the dust.
"I know Sasuke's just as stubborn."
"At this level, even I might not be able to stop them in time."
Minato grimaced, feigning helplessness.
"Enough."
Kaito knew he was being modest but humored him. "I'll keep an eye on things."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Kaito."
Minato immediately brightened.
"Go, Sasuke!!!"
Karin's furious roar echoed from afar.
"Naruto!!! You can do it!!!"
Sakura's voice rose in challenge.
"Ha!" Minato grinned triumphantly. "Hear that? Even my Naruto has girls cheering for him!"
Kaito shot him a pitying glance, refraining from pointing out that both girls were infatuated with Sasuke.
Poor guy. He didn't even realize who truly had feelings for Naruto!
Kaito's gaze shifted to Hinata, who stood in the distance, her eyes filled with worry as she watched Naruto.
Beside her stood Neji.
"Hm?"
Kaito narrowed his eyes.
Neji's eyes… The first awakening was nearly complete.
He strode toward Neji.
*****
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