In February of Konoha Year 37, the Land of Fire was struck by an unrelenting snowfall.
For three days and three nights, snow blanketed the land in bitter cold, burying forests, rooftops, and roads beneath a heavy white shroud. The usual warmth of the country faded into silence, as if even nature sensed the tension rising within the shinobi world.
Inside the Hokage Building, a large conference room stood illuminated against the storm outside.
Seated at the head of the long conference table was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in his ceremonial robes. His weathered face was stern, his gaze heavy with thought.
Before him sat more than a dozen individuals, the clan heads of Konoha's major families alongside several elite shinobi. Among them were Danzō Shimura, Utatane Koharu, Homura Mitokado, Sakumo Hatake, and Orochimaru.
They were the pillars of Konoha.
The meeting had been convened in haste. Many shinobi were still away on missions, and even those present did not yet know the reason for the urgent summons. The solemn expression on Hiruzen's face was enough to erase any trace of casual conversation. The room fell silent.
Once everyone who could attend had arrived, Hiruzen wasted no time. He retrieved a document from his desk and handed it to Koharu.
She read through it quickly. As her eyes moved across the page, her expression stiffened.
"This intelligence… that cannot be possible, can it?" she said, unable to conceal her shock.
The document was passed from hand to hand. Each person who read it reacted the same way. Disbelief. Tension. A trace of unease.
When it reached Danzō, he did not bother opening it. Root had already delivered the information to him.
Hiruzen scanned the room before speaking.
"You find it hard to believe. Even I questioned its authenticity at first," he said calmly. "But this intelligence has been verified repeatedly over the course of a month. It should be accurate."
Sakumo frowned. "For someone of that level, within his own village… how could this happen?"
The truth was staggering.
The Third Mizukage of Kirigakure had vanished without a trace inside his own village.
The Mizukage was the leader of one of the Five Great Hidden Villages, a shinobi whose strength ranked among the highest in the world. To disappear under such circumstances suggested something far more dangerous than a simple assassination.
Who could infiltrate Kirigakure and abduct or kill its Kage without detection?
After a brief pause, Koharu spoke again, regaining her composure.
"If the investigation took over a month, then the disappearance likely occurred even earlier than that. Kirigakure must have concealed the news from the start."
The others nodded. No village would publicly announce that its leader had gone missing. However, in the shinobi world, information always leaked eventually. Konoha had been investigating for a month, but how long had Kirigakure known?
More importantly, what had changed inside the Hidden Mist during that time?
The most pressing question was the identity of the Fourth Mizukage.
A Kage shaped a village's foreign policy for years to come.
Hiruzen answered, "The intelligence indicates that Yagura Karatachi secured the loyalty of the Anbu Captain, Inu. It is highly likely that he has assumed the position of Fourth Mizukage."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"If it is Yagura, that is entirely possible. I fought him once during my travels in the Land of Water. Do not let his childlike appearance deceive you. His mastery of Water Release is exceptional, and his ability to produce Water Clones that mirror his opponent's techniques makes him extremely dangerous."
He did not elaborate on the details of that encounter, but the implication was clear. Even Orochimaru had not gained the upper hand easily.
Hiruzen's voice grew heavier.
"Regardless of who becomes the Fourth Mizukage, Kirigakure is likely unstable at the moment. From today onward, any shinobi leaving the village for missions must exercise extreme caution. Avoid unnecessary conflict with Kirigakure at all costs."
This was the true reason for the gathering. The clan heads and elite shinobi ensured Konoha's stability. Only by understanding the gravity of the situation could they enforce restraint among their forces.
"Yes," the room responded in unison.
At that moment, a sharp knock echoed from the door.
"Enter."
A jōnin responsible for communications hurried inside, holding a sealed letter. He handed it directly to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen read the contents silently. His brows tightened.
Danzō spoke at last. "What is it?"
"The disappearance of the Third Mizukage has been publicly confirmed," Hiruzen said. "The message was sent by Yagura… identifying himself as the Fourth Mizukage."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
The succession had been confirmed faster than expected.
Koharu frowned slightly. "That is strange. Why would Kirigakure openly inform Konoha of such an event? Did he say anything else?"
"Yes. Yagura has proposed convening a Five Kage Summit to address the disappearance."
The words struck the room like an explosion.
Ordinarily, a village would conceal such humiliation and resolve it internally. Instead, Yagura had chosen to call a Five Kage Summit, openly acknowledging the crisis.
Either he was reckless, or he had already identified a suspect among the other great nations.
Which led to a more pressing question.
Should Konoha attend?
Hiruzen's voice was steady. "We must attend. Konoha did not commit this act. Refusing the invitation would only cast suspicion upon us."
Danzō disagreed.
"We know little about Yagura. What if the summit is merely a pretext? While you travel to the Land of Iron, Kirigakure could mobilize forces and strike the Land of Fire."
It was not an unreasonable concern.
If the Hokage were absent and the coast left exposed, Konoha could suffer significant damage.
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "We will not be careless. Defensive preparations along the coastline will begin immediately."
He rose from his seat.
"That concludes the meeting. Return to your duties."
The shinobi departed one by one, leaving only Hiruzen, Danzō, Koharu, and Homura in the quiet conference room as snow continued to fall beyond the windows.
Far away, in Sunagakure, a similar discussion unfolded.
Within the Hidden Sand Village, the Third Kazekage scoffed openly.
"To disappear within his own village, that Mizukage is utterly incompetent. He has disgraced the title of Kage."
Standing beside him, his student Rasa listened with quiet agreement. Confident in his own power, he believed such weakness would never define his future leadership.
"Rasa," the Third Kazekage asked after a moment, "should we attend the Five Kage Summit?"
Rasa shook his head. "Teacher, the Land of Water is distant from us. Whatever occurred in Kirigakure is not our responsibility."
The Third Kazekage placed the scroll on the table, his expression turning colder.
"What happens in Kirigakure may not concern us directly. But Konoha does."
Four years had passed since the end of the Second Great Ninja War. The treaty that followed had forced Sunagakure into unfavorable terms. Konoha had flourished in the aftermath, while the Sand struggled under economic strain.
"Konoha's prosperity has come at our expense," the Kazekage said. "We have endured eno
ugh. It may be time to settle our account with Hiruzen Sarutobi."
He allowed a thin smile to form.
"I suspect Ōnoki feels the same."