Just as the Fourth Raikage stood in silent rage, wrestling with the guilt of being unable to avenge his father, a Cloud shinobi rushed over, panting heavily.
"Lord Raikage! Urgent news!"
The Raikage turned sharply, his expression stern. Dodai and the others immediately focused their attention.
"Speak," the Raikage ordered, folding his arms.
"We've received an invitation to a Five Kage Summit…"
"The Five Kage Summit!?" Dodai repeated, surprised. "Who called for it?"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen... the former Hokage of Konoha," the shinobi responded, presenting a sealed scroll. "He's proposing a joint summit to discuss measures against Uchiha Byakuya."
The Raikage's eyes widened, then narrowed. He snatched the scroll and scanned it quickly.
"Hmph… Uchiha Byakuya…"
Just hearing the name reignited his fury. He clenched the scroll tightly.
"Tell Hiruzen I will attend! If we're discussing how to destroy that man, I won't miss it!"
Dodai frowned, stepping forward cautiously.
"Lord Raikage… isn't this hasty? Sarutobi Hiruzen no longer holds the position of Hokage. Tsunade-hime is the current Fifth Hokage. Why is he organizing this meeting?"
The Raikage scoffed.
"I don't care who wears the Hokage's hat. If there's a chance to crush Byakuya, I'll take it."
"But Lord Raikage—Byakuya isn't just some missing-nin. He possesses both the Sharingan and Wood Release… He's not someone we can rush into fighting."
The Raikage slammed his fist into the armrest beside him.
"That's why we can't do this alone! With Killer Bee and Yugito at our side, and allied villages backing us, we stand a chance. I won't sit by while that Uchiha flaunts Hashirama's power!"
Dodai hesitated but could see the fire in the Raikage's eyes. Arguing further would only deepen the divide.
"Understood, Lord Raikage."
Meanwhile – Iwagakure
High in the mountains of the Hidden Stone Village, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, hovered over a scroll on his desk. The room was tense as several high-ranking jonin stood silently nearby.
"A Five Kage Summit… called to address the threat of Uchiha Byakuya," Ōnoki muttered, tapping the scroll.
The scars from their last conflict with Konoha were still fresh. Hundreds of Iwagakure shinobi had fallen. Ōnoki himself had been bedridden for weeks from chakra exhaustion and internal injuries sustained during the retreat.
"What are your thoughts?" he asked his aides, not looking up.
A stoic jonin spoke first.
"With all due respect, Lord Tsuchikage… we should stay out of it. We've already suffered enough losses. Byakuya wields powers comparable to Madara and Hashirama. Facing him again may be suicide."
Another clenched his fists.
"So we let it go? After he humiliated our forces and forced our retreat!? We have Jinchūriki of our own! Roshi and Han—if we coordinate with the other villages, we might defeat him!"
The room erupted into murmurs, some urging caution, others seething with vengeance.
Ōnoki raised his hand.
"Enough. I've heard both sides."
He stood, albeit slowly, his age and injuries evident.
"Whether we join or not, we're already involved. We marched on the Land of Fire… and we lost. If we ignore this, we risk being isolated or struck down one by one. Konoha won't forget."
"So yes—we'll attend this summit. But make no mistake…" he paused, eyes hardening, "…this time, we're not rushing into war without a plan."
The council members bowed respectfully.
…
The Land of Water — Hidden Mist Village
The Third Mizukage sat quietly in his dimly lit office, the mist outside curling like ghosts against the windows. In his hand was the official scroll bearing the seal of the Fire Daimyō — an invitation to the Five Kage Conference.
"Join forces to deal with Uchiha Byakuya?..."
"The Sharingan and Wood Release... both in one person?"
"Fascinating..."
A cold smile curled on the Mizukage's lips.
"I will attend."
Though the Third Great Ninja War had already erupted across much of the continent, the Hidden Mist had yet to officially participate. Separated from the mainland by vast waters, the Land of Water had remained insulated from the direct conflict.
But the war presented a strategic opportunity. The Land of Water had long hungered for expansion—now, under the guise of diplomacy, it had a chance to stake its claim.
The Land of Wind — Sunagakure
In the wind-swept desert stronghold of the Hidden Sand, the Fourth Kazekage Pakura just received the same scroll.
"The Five Kage Summit... and a proposal to go to war with Byakuya," Pakura said, frowning.
"Hmph. Burn it," Pakura ordered coldly.
The scroll turned to ash in the brazier.
"Even with the combined strength of all five villages, they won't be able to stop Byakuya," she said quietly.
"And during this time, our alliance with him has brought us more prosperity than decades of war."
She turned to a messenger ninja.
"Inform Lord Byakuya immediately. The Five Kage are mobilizing."
Her voice held a hidden edge. If a storm was coming, she would rather stand beside it than be caught beneath it.
The Land of Rivers — Borderlands
Deep within a secluded hideout, Chiyo stared at the intelligence report in her hand. Her eyes narrowed as she read the details about the upcoming Five Kage Summit.
"Rasa… our chance has finally come."
Rasa, seated nearby, remained silent, but his interest was clear.
"If we attend this summit and gain the recognition of the other villages," Chiyo continued, "we can reclaim the title of Kazekage."
"They may call us traitors now, but once the other Kage acknowledge us, the political tide in Sunagakure will shift."
Rasa clenched his fist.
"We'll take back our village... through legitimacy, not blood."
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