Rasa's words had driven Ōnoki into a silent rage, but with so many eyes on him, the Tsuchikage had no choice but to swallow his pride. Ultimately, Iwagakure paid the same price to retrieve its Jinchūriki as it had when it bought the Four Tails from Konohagakure years ago.
Of course, Ōnoki wasn't truly enraged. He had already considered this outcome among the possible losses, and now that it had come to pass, he accepted it without further fuss.
With that matter settled, the morning session of the summit had finally achieved some tangible progress. After a short break at midday, the conference resumed for the afternoon session.
Compared to the confusion and tension of the morning's start, Minato had clearly grown more comfortable in his role as host. With his confidence now solidified and some success under his belt, he carried himself with far more poise.
"Well then, fellow Kage, starting this afternoon, we'll be getting into the true purpose of this Five Kage Summit."
Minato's voice softened, thoughtful and sincere.
"Since our forebears, the original Kage of each great village, established the five great shinobi villages over forty years ago, the world has known no true peace. Almost every decade, a new war spreads like wildfire across the shinobi lands. These wars bring nothing but destruction and deepen the hatred among our people. So, if there's any possibility at all, I hope that with all of us here, we might find a way forward, a way to pursue peace."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ōnoki, having dealt with the issue that had weighed most heavily on him, slipped right back into his usual defiant and sarcastic demeanor.
"Stop joking, Hokage. What you're saying is a complete waste of time. If you really want peace, it's simple, just get rid of Konohagakure."
At that moment, even the previously antagonistic Third Raikage joined in, his expression stern.
"That's right. The Land of Fire holds the most fertile lands in the entire shinobi world. And what about the rest of us? We struggle while you thrive. The Kazekage knows this better than anyone. Everything he's done for Sunagakure has been to fight against that imbalance. But unlike him, the rest of us don't have that kind of strength. If you truly want peace, have your daimyō share that wealth. Let them hand over some land to the other four nations."
The Mizukage nodded slightly and added his voice to the rising tide.
"He's right. Even our Kirigakure has long struggled under similar conditions."
Rasa, however, remained silent. He understood all too well that these words, though bold, were ultimately empty.
As expected, Minato's expression didn't change. His gaze remained steady, calm.
"You all know that's impossible."
"Then what's the point of all your talk, Hokage?"
The Third Raikage growled, slamming a hand on the table.
Minato let his eyes sweep across the gathered Kage and slowly asked a single question.
"Do you all really love war that much?"
That question was like lighting a match in a powder keg. Both Ōnoki and the Raikage pounded their fists onto the table, their tempers flaring instantly.
"Am I wrong? Yes, perhaps Konohagakure does enjoy the best geographical location among the five great villages, but that's not something we inherited without effort. It was built by the blood and sacrifice of our predecessors. And don't forget, during all three great shinobi wars, it was Konohagakure that was attacked the most by all of you."
Minato stared directly at the four other Kage in front of him.
"It's true that your villages exist in harsher environments. But let's not pretend those landscapes don't offer strategic advantages. Take Sunagakure, for example. Isn't 'easy to defend, hard to attack' the perfect way to describe this village? Meanwhile, Konohagakure is completely exposed, with no natural defenses at all."
"Is that so? In that case, why don't we switch places, Hokage?"
Ōnoki sneered, completely unfazed and unapologetic.
Having listened quietly until now, Rasa finally opened his mouth, cutting through the rising tension.
"All right, that's enough of this childish bickering."
As soon as Rasa spoke, all eyes turned toward him. Among the current Five Kage, he was the one recognized as the strongest in the shinobi world. Naturally, his words carried unmatched weight.
"Oh? Kazekage, do you have something to say?"
the Third Raikage asked, his tone curious but edged with challenge.
Rasa calmly tapped the table, letting the quiet draw attention before glancing around the room. His gaze finally settled on Minato as he began to speak.
"Trying to end war in this world is impossible. Hokage, you need to let go of such naive ideas, at least for now."
Minato's confusion was plain in his expression, but before he could reply, Rasa continued, his voice steady and thoughtful.
"As long as the geographical disparity between our five great nations remains, and as long as we, the military leaders of those nations, continue to hold power, true peace will remain unreachable. If peace were ever achieved, to say something almost laughable, we shinobi would lose the very reason for our existence."
"Hahaha…"
The Third Raikage burst into laughter, slamming a fist lightly on the table.
"Kazekage is absolutely right. We shinobi were born for war. Without conflict, why would the daimyōs even bother keeping us around?"
Rasa didn't acknowledge the Raikage's outburst and simply continued, his voice now carrying a deeper weight.
"Still, the Hokage isn't wrong either. None of us truly enjoys war. Especially as leaders, we've seen far too many of our own people fall on the battlefield. Many of those we buried were our family, our friends."
"Kazekage, just what are you trying to say?"
Ōnoki's voice held a trace of irritation as he leaned forward.
"It's simple. The current tension throughout the shinobi world stems from the imbalance in military strength among the five great villages. And among us, Konohagakure's power stands far above the rest."
Minato seemed ready to object, but Rasa raised his hand and cut in without hesitation.
"Don't deny it, Hokage. All of us here can see it clearly. Your village is home to what were once the two mightiest clans in the shinobi world, the Senju and the Uchiha. And you also have the Hyūga, who are no less formidable. The Uzumaki are closely allied with you. And if that weren't enough, there's still the Sarutobi clan, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, the Shimura clan, and the Aburame clan. Compared to that, the rest of us, yes, even Sunagakure, are like beggars. Only Kirigakure seems to have retained any real heritage."
At that, the other three Kage nodded slowly, their expressions grim with agreement.
"As for Sunagakure, the only truly powerful shinobi we can field right now is me, the Kazekage. We do have Pakura and Mikawa, but your Konohagakure has the Three Legendary Sannin and a Third Hokage who still lives. With that kind of overwhelming force, how can the rest of us feel anything but threatened?"
"Exactly!"
The Third Raikage slammed his palm on the table again, rising partially from his seat. Ōnoki gave a curt nod and added,
"Back then, just one Madara Uchiha was enough to suppress the entire shinobi world. But now Konohagakure has two monsters of similar caliber. Even if Sunagakure has the Kazekage, it's still just one man. And let's not forget, you control the strongest of all the Tailed Beasts, the Nine Tails. How could any of us possibly feel safe?"
The Mizukage's tone was calm, but his words struck just as deeply.
"Our Kirigakure protects a single Byakugan like a priceless treasure. But in Konohagakure, you have them by the dozens, along with the Sharingan."
For the first time during the summit, Minato found himself at a loss. He furrowed his brows, clearly troubled, and responded slowly.
"Kazekage, what you're saying doesn't hold much weight. Those clans you mentioned have been part of Konohagakure since the village was founded."
Rasa shook his head without hesitation.
"No, Hokage, it matters greatly. Each of the three great shinobi wars, up until now, has largely stemmed from this very imbalance. Under such disparity, the only thing we can do to keep up is to escalate our arms race. But if we can find a way to regulate this imbalance, even a little, then maybe, just maybe, we can reduce the chances of war."