Hearing Shusaki Ichiro's proposal, the elders exchanged knowing looks.
Sure, Ruri is strong, but only compared to us. He might dominate here in the tiny Land of Waterfalls, but what can he really do at the Five Kage Summit?
Their thoughts were aligned. Even if Ruri could outmatch them, there was no way he could compete with the likes of Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi. To them, Ruri's attempt to attend the summit seemed like an act of foolish arrogance—at best, he'd embarrass himself, and if he was lucky, he'd come back alive.
The idea that Ruri could achieve recognition or acceptance at the Five Kage Summit was laughable. If he truly had such capability, he wouldn't have remained in the small confines of the Land of Waterfalls for so long. His name would have already been legendary, and the elders wouldn't have dared challenge him.
But, on the off chance that he did succeed? Well, even these doubters had to admit—if he truly gained a seat among the Kage, they wouldn't object to acknowledging him as Takikage. Anyone who could stand on equal footing with the Five Kage would be worthy of respect.
Kakuzu, who had been observing the situation with folded arms, scoffed. These fools. None of them understood the full extent of Ruri's power. Even he didn't know everything, but he'd seen enough to recognize Ruri's brilliance. Ruri's unconventional techniques alone set him apart, and Kakuzu had long suspected that his friend's true strength was on par with the Kage.
And now, with the way things were unfolding, it seemed inevitable: Ruri would attend the Five Kage Summit. Kakuzu could barely contain his excitement. If things went south at the summit... would they fight Hashirama Senju? Something deep inside him burned at the thought.
"Interesting... I'll turn the Five Kage Summit into the Six Kage Summit," Ruri said calmly, his voice brimming with quiet confidence.
The room fell silent. The elders exchanged uneasy glances, and Ichiro's heart skipped a beat.
What's going on? he thought. Why is Ruri so decisive? Shouldn't he hesitate, refuse a bit, and be forced into attending the summit? Could he actually have the strength to match the Five Kage?
"No way... Impossible," Ichiro reassured himself. If Ruri really had such power, he would have demonstrated it long ago. He must be bluffing—putting on a front to save face. Surely, he'd come up with some excuse to avoid attending soon enough.
But Ruri merely smiled knowingly, as if he could read Ichiro's thoughts. Avoidance? Not a chance. Even before the system had activated, Ruri had no intention of avoiding the summit. He had initially planned to seek support from the other Kage, but now, with the Truth-Seeking Ball in hand, his ambitions had shifted—now he aimed to stand as their equal.
After all, this was no ordinary power. The Truth-Seeking Ball, with even a fraction of its six-paths strength, was something Hashirama himself would struggle to survive.
"Kakuzu, prepare to leave. We head out now," Ruri declared, standing up. There was no point staying any longer. Unless some hidden Kage-level fighter suddenly emerged to oppose him—which was highly unlikely—there was nothing left to discuss.
Kakuzu blinked, momentarily stunned, before breaking into a grin. "Understood, Takikage-sama."
Kakuzu's recent mission had given him invaluable insight into the inner workings of the Five Kage Summit. He knew that the bodyguards accompanying each Kage were often considered the successors to their titles—future Kage in training.
Though Takigakure was a small village, the title of "Kage" was not to be taken lightly. Across the entire shinobi world, only a handful of individuals could claim the title, and even those with Kage-level strength couldn't call themselves Kage without the recognition of a nation. For Kakuzu, standing as Ruri's protector was an unparalleled honor—a symbol of trust and respect between them.
As Ruri and Kakuzu left the meeting room, the elders sat in stunned silence.
Ichiro's expression darkened, a malicious glint flickering in his eyes. "Takikage? Ridiculous. In the end, I'll be the one controlling Takigakure," he thought bitterly.
Meanwhile, Kanemae Mamoru's expression shifted to one of doubt. He glanced at Ichiro with a troubled look, sensing that he may have backed the wrong horse. Ruri wasn't as easy to manipulate as they had thought—and now, he might actually succeed at the summit. It might be wiser to wait and see how things unfold, even if it means sacrificing some benefits in the short term, Mamoru thought.
Back at Ruri's residence, the atmosphere was much lighter.
"You showed up at just the right time, Kakuzu!" Ruri laughed, clapping his friend on the shoulder. With the Truth-Seeking Ball in his arsenal, he no longer needed many of the precautions he had originally planned, which made things simpler.
"It's all thanks to your guidance, big brother," Kakuzu grinned as he gathered his belongings, rolling up a blanket.
"By the way, Ruri... do you really think you can handle the Five Kage?" Kakuzu's tone grew serious. He had unwavering faith in Ruri's strength, but facing five Kage, including Hashirama Senju, was an entirely different matter.
Ruri chuckled at Kakuzu's concern. "You've been gathering intelligence for weeks—what do you think? My real opponent is Hashirama alone. He's the one holding the other Kage in check. All I need to do is demonstrate that I can stand on equal footing with him. If I do that, and with Takigakure's goals aligned with his ideals of peace, he won't trouble me. Besides, the Five Kage aren't a united front."
Kakuzu thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You're right. If the Land of Waterfalls rises as an example to smaller nations, it could reinforce Hashirama's vision of peace."
"That's the idea. In fact, Hashirama might have given the Seven-Tails to Takigakure for exactly that reason," Ruri added with a smirk.
Kakuzu grinned, relieved by Ruri's confidence. "Well then, as your bodyguard, I swear I'll protect you with everything I have on this journey!"
Ruri chuckled and shook his head. "I'll be happy if you don't stop midway to take on bounty missions."
"Hey, extra cash never hurts," Kakuzu replied with a mischievous grin, rolling up his sleeves.
And with that, the two men prepared for their journey to the Land of Iron. Their destination: the Five Kage Summit, where Ruri would prove himself worthy of standing among the greatest shinobi in the world.
The future of Takigakure—and perhaps the entire shinobi world—hung in the balance.