Seeing that the Raikage remained silent, Mifune turned his attention to Tsuchikage Ohnoki. "What do you think about forming a Ninja Coalition, Tsuchikage?"
Tsuchikage hesitated. "To be honest, since the founding of our villages, there has only been conflict between us. There's never been unity among the ninja villages."
He paused, then added, "And if we do form this alliance, who will serve as the commander?"
The room fell silent. The position of Supreme Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces was critical. Yet, the villages were wary of each other, afraid that giving command to another village might put their own in danger.
Still, when that question was raised, everyone almost simultaneously thought of the same individual... but he wasn't a Kage and lacked experience.
Kazekage Gaara folded his arms. "I have someone to recommend—"
Before he could finish, the Raikage interrupted, "No!"
"We know who you're about to suggest, but he's not suitable."
"The Akatsuki's target is the Tailed Beasts. Once the war breaks out, the battlefield will be chaotic. There's no way to guarantee the safety of the Jinchūriki."
"So, the Jinchūriki shouldn't step onto the battlefield—let alone serve as commander. That boy alone has three Tailed Beasts sealed in him."
"I know you think he's strong, but everyone here—except Kazekage—has lived through large-scale wars. In conflicts of that scale, no matter how powerful an individual is, their role is limited."
What the Raikage said made sense, but Gaara still pressed, "What if someone really is strong enough to change the tide of battle?"
"That's not going to happen," the Raikage said firmly. "If we form a Ninja Alliance, we'll leave them out of the fighting."
Morkel, who had been eavesdropping from the shadows, realized with a frown that the Raikage was planning to hide him and the other Jinchūriki during the war.
Tsunade looked toward the Raikage. "And where exactly do you intend to keep the Jinchūriki during the war?"
"There's an island in our country. It's the body of a giant turtle—perfect for training and for hiding," the Raikage replied.
Tsuchikage nodded in agreement. "In that case, we'll follow Raikage's plan."
At this moment, Morkel stepped out and said, "I don't think I need to hide."
Tsunade turned to him, signaling sternly. "It's not up to you. It's our decision to make."
Morkel raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.
If they believed the Ninja Alliance alone could defeat the Akatsuki, then so be it. He could enjoy some well-earned rest.
The five great ninja villages joining forces should be enough to eliminate the Akatsuki. Besides, Morkel had no interest in battles that offered him no benefit.
"So, who will lead the Allied Shinobi Forces?" Gaara asked.
Mifune, the neutral country's representative, proposed, "Tsuchikage is too old. Kazekage is too young. And since Kirigakure, under Mizukage, is the origin of the Akatsuki, she's not an ideal choice either…"
"The commander should be chosen from the Hokage or the Raikage."
Tsuchikage and Mizukage nodded in agreement.
Everyone knew the choice would come down to those two, but the commander couldn't be chosen solely based on reputation—they had to consider leadership, ability, and experience.
The problem with Tsunade was her reputation for gambling and her temperamental personality.
Raikage, while hot-headed, had no major flaws or scandals.
Mifune was hesitant. As a neutral party, he didn't want to offend either side. "Perhaps we should vote?"
Tsunade chuckled. "No need."
"Let the Raikage lead the Allied Shinobi Forces. Just handling village affairs is enough of a headache for me."
With Tsunade's concession, the decision became straightforward.
Mifune nodded. "Very well, let's proceed to discuss the coalition structure and appoint the commanders of each unit."
After several more hours of discussion, the Five Kage finalized the organization of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Supreme Commander: Raikage Ai
Military Advisor: Hokage Tsunade
Field Captain: Kazekage Gaara
They established five major combat units:
1. First Division (Mid-range combat): Experts in weaponry, led by Darui.
2. Second Division (Close-combat): Hand-to-hand specialists, led by Kitsuchi.
3. Third Division (Mid-to-close combat): Speed-focused, led by Hatake Kakashi.
4. Fourth Division (Long-range): Support and artillery, led by Gaara.
5. Fifth Division (Special Operations): Elite ninja and samurai, led by Mifune.
Additionally, there were separate teams for medical, intelligence, sensory, and special missions, led by Shizune, Yamanaka Inoichi, Ao from Kirigakure, and Kankuro respectively.
Once the appointments were settled, Mifune said, "Return to your villages and gather your forces. Let's organize the alliance quickly."
Terumi Mei stretched, yawning. "I've never had such a long meeting in my life…"
Just as the meeting neared its end, Morkel's expression tensed. He stared at the ground beneath them.
Boom!
Suddenly, the floor cracked open, and a strange plant erupted from below. It startled everyone.
The plant's leaves unfurled to reveal three white-skinned figures.
Morkel narrowed his eyes.
Zetsu?!
But only one side of his body had emerged.
Morkel had seen Zetsu before. The strange ninja wrapped in plant-like appendages could move underground and had a body split into black and white halves. He didn't look like a normal human.
Today, Morkel discovered something shocking: Zetsu's body could split.
"Hello!" the half-body Zetsu shouted.
Boom!
Before Zetsu could finish, Raikage blurred forward and landed a lightning-charged punch that shattered him to pieces.
Morkel, sensing chakra, suddenly exclaimed, "Something's wrong!"
He sensed something slipping away the moment Zetsu was destroyed.
Ohnoki looked at him. "What did you sense?"
"I can't pinpoint it exactly," Morkel replied, "but Zetsu wouldn't show up for no reason. Everyone should check for any signs of tampering or infection. If anything's wrong, come to me immediately."
The others nodded. Morkel was a master of medical and sensory ninjutsu. They trusted his judgment.
With the meeting disrupted and everyone uneasy, Mifune declared, "Let's end the summit here. Everyone, get some rest."
Just as he finished, a sudden distortion rippled through the space behind him.
A masked man appeared—dressed in Akatsuki robes, his face obscured by an orange spiral-pattern mask.
Morkel immediately performed hand seals.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
Boom!
In an instant, a glowing cube engulfed the masked man and then vanished.
Everyone gasped at Morkel's speed.
Ohnoki looked stunned. "That technique… Where did you learn it?"
Morkel smiled. "Dust Release. I have to thank Grandpa Tsuchikage for demonstrating it. It's incredibly useful."
Ohnoki: "!!!"
When did I teach you Dust Release?!
He suddenly remembered the day Morkel asked to see it once.
He learned it in a single moment?!
Ohnoki felt utterly defeated. A ninja from Konoha had mastered Iwagakure's ultimate technique.
Meanwhile, the others were stunned.
Morkel had wiped out the masked man in a blink.
Tsunade broke the silence. "The masked man is likely dead…"
Ohnoki proudly added, "Dust Release is not ordinary ninjutsu. It combines wind, earth, and fire into a molecular disintegration technique. If even I didn't notice when Morkel acted, that man's gone."
"Though... you should've waited. We might've captured him and learned more about Akatsuki."
Morkel replied calmly, "He claimed to be Uchiha Madara. His space-time techniques are extremely advanced. If I hadn't acted immediately, he would've escaped."
At the mention of Madara, Ohnoki looked shocked. "Madara? Isn't he long dead?"
Morkel shrugged. "That's what he said. Let him pretend if he wants."
But just then, another spatial ripple appeared.
The masked man returned!
"Still so decisive, Morkel," he said with a chuckle.
Everyone tensed, but Morkel didn't move.
"I came here to talk," the masked man said. "Don't attack."
After a pause, he said, "I am Uchiha Madara, and I've come to explain my plan: Project Tsuki no Me."
"The Uchiha have a secret stone tablet passed down for generations. Only those with Sharingan, Mangekyō Sharingan, or Rinnegan can read its full contents."
Tsuchikage scoffed, "Sage of Six Paths? That's just a myth."
"The Sage is real," the masked man insisted. "He once sealed a terrible beast: the Ten Tails. To prevent it from reawakening, he divided its power into nine Tailed Beasts and sealed its body in the moon."
Mizukage muttered, "So… all nine in one… how strong would that be?"
She glanced at Morkel.
The masked man continued. "I will collect the Tailed Beasts, become Ten Tails' Jinchūriki, and cast Infinite Tsukuyomi—projecting my eye onto the moon to place the entire world in a peaceful illusion."
Gaara snapped, "That's false peace. Real peace must be earned!"
Mizukage and Tsunade agreed.
The masked man smirked. "Your words are empty. Peace is impossible as long as life exists."
"Help me by handing over the remaining Tailed Beasts."
He looked at Morkel.
"You hold three. Naruto and Killer Bee have the rest. With your help, my dream will come true."
Morkel replied coldly, "I don't need illusions to feel alive. You already know where I stand."
The masked man nodded. "A pity."
Then, the Raikage asked in horror, "Why didn't you mention the Two-Tails?!"
The masked man grinned. "Because she's already undergoing tailed beast extraction in our secret base."
Morkel's expression darkened.
What's going on?!
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