[Land of Iron, Hall of neutral concord]
The howling winds of the northern tundra clawed at the stone fortress where the six Kage sat. Frost etched the edges of the hexagonal table, a relic from the First Summit a century prior. Now, the air was thick with malice, not memory.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage, sat with his pipe unlit, eyes lingering on Danzo's youthful face. Hiruzen seemed like an old man, yet Danzo only seemed to get more youthful over time, his experiments clearly working on refining his body's vitality and strength. Although most could be attributed to his training and hosting the four-tails Son Goku, it was undeniable that the body refinement elixirs also helped.
Danzo's posture was deceptively relaxed, one hand resting on the stolen Hiramekarei strapped to his back.
Beside him, the Third Kazekage leaned forward, iron sand swirling in a silent tempest around his fingers. He was bored. Although they could not refuse the kage summit, or risk creating a new shinobi world war, this did not mean they would talk or pay attention to what would be said. The Third Kazekage was sharp, and noticed the hostile air in the room.
A fist slammed down, lightning fracturing the table's edge.
"Enough posturing," the Third Raikage, A, boomed, his voice rattling the ice-laced chandeliers. "Where are the war prisonners of Takigakure? Half them are ash, and the other half stink of your labs!"
The Tsuchikage, Onoki, hovered inches above his seat, sneering.
"Your ally..." he spat the word at the Kazekage, "...has turned the shinobi world into a butcher's yard. Suna's poisons in Oto's veins. Takigakure's techniques in Oto's scrolls. Now this?"
He flicked a folder into the center—scrolls depicting emaciated prisoners, their skin stitched with mismatched kekkei genkai, others lifeless in amyotic fluid.
Danzo's single visible eye crinkled, "A forgery. Iwa's desperation is droll"
The third Kazekage's eyes, however, betrayed him. He knew the labs, and though he thought the joint laboratory collaboration to be completely devoid of traitors, clearly a spy had infiltrated their utmost research.
"Desperation?!" Onoki's voice rose to a shriek. "My Explosion Corps found a mass grave in Marsh Country! Nomadic shinobi families wiped for whatever reason..."
"Proof?" The Kazekage interrupted, iron sand hardening into spears. "Or more lies from villages who envy Oto's progress? There is no denying that our research on poison used...human samples. But they were prisoners of wars only. As for the nomadic shinobi families, if they were guilty of crime, I don't see a reason to spare them. You all possess ANBU units doing the same thing...or worse. I have seen it all, watched it all. Just because the victims are shinobi, you oppose Oto?"
The Mizukage's Sharingan flickered beneath his hood, his eyes covered with a veil, preventing everyone from realizing his spoils of war from the second shinobi world war. Yet, the Mizukage, too, started to pressure Otogakure
"Progress… Is that what you call it?" A kunai materialized in his palm, its edge notched with the Seven Swordsmen's crest, "Otokage, how insulting is it for you to display Hiramekarei in front of us all. It is as if...you don't respect us"
Danzo sighed. Before, he had patiently waited and played the role of people-pleaser. Now that Otogakure's strength had risen considerably, playing dumb was not in Oto's interests. Konohagakure's downfall was a kind reminder of the uselessness of the will of fire. The machiavellan pragmatism of Oto, known as the melody of wind, was much more efficient.
He spoke: "War breeds innovation. While you clung to tradition, Oto forged a new era. We made the Bone library, soon-to-be the biggest collection of ninjutsu in the continent. Our laboratories breed research of the highest standard. Takigakure's fall has already been explained through missives. We were attacked, we retaliated"
"Liar." Hiruzen's voice cut like tempered steel. "The Shimura have been completing one mission after another for the Rice Daimyo. You slaughtered cities to reinforce his reign, attacked Takigakure under their orders. What is the next step. Attack one of us?"
The Kazekage's iron sand surged, forming a jagged wall between Danzo and the others. "Careful, Sarutobi. Suna stands with Oto. Attack him, and you attack me. Had it been before, you might have been able to pressure them. However, Konohagakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure are relics of the past that fail to retain their own shinobi, much less grow"
Silence choked the room.
Then—laughter. The Mizukage's Sharingan spun wildly as he stood.
"How poetic. The Hokage, too soft to crush his own rogue dog. The Tsuchikage, too proud to admit he's outmatched. The Raikage, all fury and no foresight", his gaze locked on Danzon, "And you… a thief who thinks himself a king."
Hiramekarei hummed as Danzo unsheathed it, the twin-tailed blade casting eerie ripples across the ceiling.
"You speak of thievery… yet covet what you lost. Tell me, Third Mizukage Muko—how many Kiri clans have you 'relocated' to silence your own failures? Those who sought my help did not even get to cross the borders. You personally eliminated them"
The Mizukage froze.
"Enough!" Hiruzen's chakra flared, the Monkey King's staff materializing in his grip. "This summit was held for peace. NOT WAR! Danzo, you clearly crossed a line by destroying Takigakure. Explain yourself"
It was not Danzo who spoke, but Rin Kaonashi. With the Earth Grudge Fear, none of the kage present at the scene made her fearful. In truth, besides the Raikage and Danzo, there were few people that could threaten her life. Harumi's survival skills made her a mid-kage, but her offensive power left to be desired. As for any high-level kage, there were none. As much as Oto had grown, it failed to reach the pinnacle of the shinobi world, and the legacies left behind Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju.