On the eve of the great war, the Five Kage gathered here.
To unite the power of all the ninja villages for the sake of dealing with just one person, Ye Zi, was an unprecedented event.
The intelligence provided by Konoha constantly reminded the other villages of one fact: Ye Zi could not be regarded as a mere enemy. The real threat was the existence behind him, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, which could endanger the entire ninja world.
But in reality, among the Five Kage, one was missing.
The Mist's jinchūriki, Yugara, had been killed by Akatsuki. As a result, the representative sent from Kirigakure was the right-hand man of the Third Mizukage, a shinobi named Shitun, whose face was painted with markings. He specialized in assassination techniques within the mist and was highly skilled with a large blade.
Shitun's reputation within the Mist was not low, but combat was not his main duty. His appointment this time was merely a temporary position, acting as Mizukage in name.
Four true Kage, one temporary Kage, and behind each stood two attendants.
Behind the Hokage, Minato Namikaze, stood Shikaku and Konan. Konan's presence was not only because of the intelligence she provided.
Why was the Allied Shinobi Forces targeting only Ye Zi? The reason lay in the fact that Amegakure's ninja were not loyal to Ye Zi, but to Konan.
She had once spread the faith of "God" within the village. As God's messenger, she held authority, enough to make Amegakure's ninja follow her commands.
In other words, besides the Five Great Villages, the Allied Shinobi Forces had also gained the not-insignificant power of Amegakure.
Behind Raikage A stood Dodai, wearing a single eyepatch, and Darui, a skilled Cloud elite jōnin adept in Storm Release.
Behind Tsuchikage Ōnoki stood his son, Kurotsuchi's father, Kitsuchi, and an elite jōnin, Kosho.
Behind Kazekage Rasa stood elite Suna jōnin Yashamaru and Baki.
Behind the temporary Mizukage Shitun stood Ken and Harusame. Ken was an expert swordsman, while the older Harusame was highly knowledgeable in sealing techniques.
"At the beginning, if Konoha had decisively handed over Ye Zi, how could today's mess have come to pass?" Ōnoki said coldly, his tone sharp.
The meeting was originally meant to discuss the formation of divisions, but once Ye Zi was mentioned, the Kage who bore blood feuds with him could not suppress their resentment.
For Sunagakure, the grudge stemmed from the Third Shinobi World War, when Ye Zi released Shukaku. Overnight, the village suffered devastating losses with countless deaths and countless buildings destroyed and since, an irreconcilable hatred was born.
For Iwagakure, aside from older grudges, there was the time Ye Zi infiltrated the village and killed Ōnoki's wife. Though he spared the infant Kurotsuchi, the enmity was sealed. Not to mention, many Iwa shinobi had also perished at his hands.
For Kumogakure, the hatred came from recent events: Ye Zi had slain the Third Raikage, as well as both Yugi-to and Killer B, two crucial jinchūriki along with thousands of comrades. The Third Raikage had been A's father, and Killer B was his brother.
For Kirigakure, the cause was simple: Ye Zi had killed the Third Mizukage, along with many elite jōnin. And more recently, the death of the Fourth Mizukage, Yugara, had also been laid at his feet.
All four villages had grudges against Ye Zi that could not be resolved. And naturally, Konoha was no exception, the damage Ye Zi inflicted on them was no less than that suffered by the others. At this point, Ye Zi had become the enemy of the entire ninja world.
"From ancient times, villages have never tolerated traitors. Ye Zi defected from Konoha years ago. It was only because of your inaction that the situation has become what it is today." A forced down his fury, speaking with barely contained rage. Were it not for reason, he would have already slammed the table in anger.
After the Third Shinobi War, Kumogakure had grown strong. They maintained a vague, ambiguous relationship with Akatsuki, hoping to use their power to weaken the other villages. They never imagined that one day, Kumogakure itself would suffer such a loss at Akatsuki's hands.
Thousands of Cloud shinobi, the Third Raikage, and two jinchūriki, gone. The Third was A's father, and Killer B his brother.
At first, the negotiations went smoothly. But once Ye Zi was brought up, Ōnoki opened the floodgates, and A's long-buried anger exploded outward.
The important matters of the meeting were thus interrupted, devolving into Ōnoki and A's heated quarrel.
Rasa and the temporary Mizukage Shitun were comparatively calmer. At first, they added a few words, but seeing the argument intensify, they quickly chose silence, avoiding escalation.
Facing the barbs of Ōnoki and A, Minato remained calm, quietly enduring the accusations.
Shikaku's expression grew sour, but since Minato gave no orders, he could not strike back with words.
The cause of this strife was Ye Zi, but the true purpose of this meeting was to discuss effective division of forces, to ensure victory over him. Since both Ōnoki and A had poor tempers, the best response was silence: don't argue, don't fight back.
In times like these, words were useless. Only after tempers cooled could the negotiations resume.
Minato understood this well. So did Rasa and Shitun. Thus, seeing Minato remain composed under their direct scolding, neither angry nor reactive, they couldn't help but admire him inwardly.
What they feared most was Minato losing patience, for if he did, this meeting might dissolve into violence.
Minato's quiet endurance left A and Ōnoki feeling as though they had swung their fists into empty air. Their anger, once stirred, had nowhere to vent. Like a balloon slowly leaking air, it seeped out in frustration.
It was an unpleasant feeling. They wanted to pop the balloon outright, but because of Minato's response, all they could do was let it deflate, slowly, agonizingly.
"And furthermore, why is that woman allowed to stand here?" A suddenly shifted his ire, directing it toward Konan, who stood beside Minato.
Hearing A's words, Konan's expression remained calm and unmoved. She met his sharp gaze with icy silence.
Now that A's target had shifted to Konan, Minato could no longer stay silent.
At first, Konan's role had only been to provide intelligence, she had no qualification to join this meeting. But things had changed. She now represented Amegakure itself, holding authority akin to that of a Kage, able to command her village's shinobi.
"She is now a member of the Alliance, here to represent Amegakure," Minato replied.
Ironically, the Alliance's goal was to attack Amegakure, yet now its leader stood among them, sharing a common enemy. Such were the twists of fate.
"A mere small village should simply obey orders," A's voice thundered.
A stood towering over Minato, who remained seated, appearing a head shorter.
So Minato rose, meeting A's fierce gaze, and said evenly: "Fourth Raikage, our purpose now is the same. Rather than wasting anger here meaninglessly, why not focus on how to win this battle, a battle that concerns the future of the entire ninja world."
Drawing upon the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage, Minato elevated the war's significance, declaring it would shape the future of the ninja world itself.
And with the fragmentary knowledge they had gained from Konan about the Demonic Statue and the Ten Tails, his words did not seem exaggerated.
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