Soon, the Consultant Elders arrived at the Hokage's office.
To their profound surprise, not only was Lady Tsunade present, but that esteemed lord was here as well.
This meant something major had happened; otherwise, he wouldn't have shown up. After all, Uchiha Ryōsuke usually lived a carefree and leisurely life.
During the previous battle when Konoha was attacked, his handling of the terrifying enemy outside the village had made them fully realize just how fearsome he truly was.
Whether it was the powerful enemy outside the village or the endless horde of white monsters, they had only managed to fend them off with his help.
If not for him, Konoha would have likely been destroyed in a single day.
The very name of the Leaf Village would have become a thing of the past.
They had never imagined that such terrifying enemies existed in the shinobi world.
Of course, the sudden resurrection of the villagers after the war shocked them even more.
Such a miracle couldn't possibly be a natural phenomenon, which meant it was undoubtedly his doing.
It was nothing short of the power of a Sage.
This filled them with profound reverence.
The three of them greeted him in unison.
"Lord Ryōsuke."
Uchiha Ryōsuke was more than worthy of their deep respect.
Ryōsuke looked at the three men.
"Have a seat. We are all on the same side here. I called you over today to discuss an important matter."
The three found their seats and sat down.
Shikaku looked at Ryōsuke, who sat in the seat of honor.
"May I ask what this matter is about, Lord Ryōsuke?"
*'Is there anything in the shinobi world that this lord cannot accomplish himself?'* he wondered, feeling deeply puzzled.
After all, his combat prowess was second to none, and he possessed Sage-like abilities.
*'Truth be told, even if everyone in the shinobi world joined forces, they probably still wouldn't be a match for him.'*
Especially now, sitting face-to-face, Shikaku could sense an even more overwhelming aura radiating from him.
*'Lord Ryōsuke has grown stronger again.'*
During the previous battle, he had noticed a monster appear outside the village. He figured it was the kind of beast that could obliterate Konoha with a single chakra blast.
Although it wasn't quite as terrifying as Lord Ryōsuke had described, its colossal form was visible even from within the village.
Yet, such a massive monster had been knocked out cold by Lord Ryōsuke with a single punch.
What terrifying strength that was.
It was enough to prove that Lord Ryōsuke's physical prowess was even more monstrous than the beast itself.
Fugaku, on the other hand, felt incredibly conflicted. He naturally knew what Ryōsuke was planning to do; this so-called important matter was likely referring to *that* specific plan.
Hyūga Hiashi was equally puzzled.
Lord Ryōsuke usually didn't involve himself in politics, so his presence here meant something massive was about to happen. Hiashi's intuition told him as much.
Given this man's capabilities, whatever he intended to do was bound to be monumental.
Ryōsuke looked at the three of them and spoke slowly.
"I'm sure you are all well aware that in the short sixty-plus years since the founding of the Leaf Village, there have been far too many wars."
"There have already been three Great Ninja Wars alone, and our village has lost countless lives to these conflicts."
"Not to mention the countless innocent civilians who have been displaced and left homeless."
"Therefore, I plan to establish a Shinobi Alliance, unify the shinobi world, and put an end to this chaotic era once and for all."
"I want to give ordinary people the right to live in peace, without the constant fear of sudden wars or attacks."
The entire office instantly fell dead silent. Shikaku stared at the esteemed lord in sheer astonishment.
*'This is truly a monumental undertaking.'*
Although he knew this would plunge Konoha back into turmoil and shatter their hard-won peace, he didn't rashly voice any objections.
He had already witnessed too many of this lord's miraculous methods.
The world was in such chaos naturally because of the numerous factions and their endless infighting.
It was all driven by their own self-interests.
Conflict bred hatred, and hatred bred more conflict. It was an endless cycle where animosity only grew, leading to perpetual warfare.
Establishing a Shinobi Alliance was a truly magnificent vision, though it undoubtedly required immense resolve and courage.
Once the Alliance was formed, the shinobi world would no longer be divided into factions. Conflicts would naturally decrease, and the deep-seated hatred would plummet.
The entire shinobi world would be in a much better state than it was now. Finding himself somewhat in agreement, Shikaku glanced at the other two Consultant Elders.
Fugaku immediately voiced his stance.
"I agree."
Whatever Ryōsuke wanted to do, Fugaku would follow him, regardless of whether it was right or wrong.
Of course, what Ryōsuke was proposing now was definitely the right path. It would just be incredibly difficult, as it was essentially declaring war on every faction in the shinobi world.
To achieve such a feat, they would naturally have to eliminate anyone who opposed them; otherwise, the resistance would be insurmountable.
And the number of people they would have to kill was no small figure. That was a truly terrifying prospect.
In his eyes, however, Ryōsuke was not a ruthless or bloodthirsty person.
He felt that this endeavor wouldn't be easily accomplished.
Upon hearing this idea, Hyūga Hiashi's face was filled with shock.
*'What a terrifying plan... Unifying the shinobi world.'*
Yet, his heart swelled with excitement. How could the Hyūga Clan miss out on such a monumental event? He immediately declared,
"I agree as well."
At that moment, Shikaku also expressed his agreement.
Tsunade saw that all three of them had agreed. It was an excellent outcome. Given Ryōsuke's current status, no one would dare oppose him.
She herself was also fully in favor of this proposal.
Hearing their responses, Ryōsuke was in an excellent mood.
"Good."
"Actually, I have already made arrangements with the Kage of the other villages. They have basically all agreed to execute this plan, so there shouldn't be any issues."
Although the Kazekage, Rasa, hadn't explicitly agreed, three of the villages had already given their consent.
When the time came to convene a Kage Summit, would Rasa really dare to object?
That was highly unlikely.
*'The impression I left on him back then should have been quite profound,'* Ryōsuke mused. *'If he refuses, his village will face the danger of total annihilation. He should be well aware of that fact.'*
The three Consultant Elders were completely stunned.
Even Tsunade was thoroughly shocked.
She knew that Ryōsuke had traveled across the shinobi world to collect the Tailed Beasts, but she had no idea he had also subjugated the Kage of the various villages.
Her heart began to race with excitement.
It seemed Ryōsuke was truly fully prepared.
She had previously feared that this would face massive resistance. While a plan like this had enormous benefits, it would inevitably lead to a lot of bloodshed.
Now, she felt that the resistance would be significantly reduced.
Shikaku also felt that the feasibility of this plan was now incredibly high.
After all, a Kage held the highest authority in a village. With the Kage taking the lead, the formation of the Alliance was practically guaranteed. Even if there was resistance, it wouldn't amount to much.
*'For this lord to get the other four Kage to agree... his methods are truly heaven-defying. No one in history has ever been able to achieve such a thing,'* Shikaku thought in awe.
*'Not even the First Hokage achieved such a result when he convened the first Five Kage Summit.'*
In truth, he could guess exactly how Ryōsuke had convinced the other four Kage—it was undoubtedly through his absolute, overwhelming martial might.
Hyūga Hiashi felt a surge of joy and said excitedly,
"In that case, establishing the Shinobi Alliance and unifying the shinobi world is practically set in stone, isn't it?"
Ryōsuke looked at the group and continued,
"Clan Head Hyūga is correct. On the surface, this plan is set in stone. However, it hasn't actually achieved my true goal. My objective is to abolish the titles of the Five Great Ninja Villages. I want shinobi to no longer identify themselves by their respective villages, but rather as members of the Alliance. That is my true goal, and it is the only way to achieve true peace."
Shikaku's expression drastically changed.
"My lord, you don't mean to say that even the name of the Leaf Village will be abolished, do you?"
"Wouldn't that be inappropriate? After all, the name of the Leaf Village has been passed down through the merits and sacrifices of our ancestors. It is the spiritual pillar of the villagers."
"I'm afraid the people of the village won't agree to this."
It wasn't as simple as the higher-ups just giving an order and everyone blindly following.
Many of the villagers still deeply cherished the memory of the ancestors who founded the Leaf Village.