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Chapter 289: Kage Summit (2)
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The Five Kage Summit– also called the Gokage Summit– is a special event where all Kages of the Five Elemental Countries gather.
In the history of the Ninja World, only one other time was this Summit ever called. The time when the greatest shinobi of all time, Hashirama Senju, made the stupidest decision of all time– by distributing the Tailed Beasts amongst the five nations.
The reason behind the Summit this time around, some might argue, was on the same level– if not beyond– as the first one.
Because just like how the first Summit indicated the start of the Elemental Nations, this Summit indicated that the said nations were on the verge of annihilation.
Because this was the Summit where one of the Kage seats was empty– Konoha having been wiped out of the world map just a week ago.
For these reasons, a few people present in the room– namely Mei, the Mizukage, and Mifune, the leader of the Land of Iron, who was also the host of this meeting– seemed to accept that this Summit indicated a danger that was threatening the entire world.
Yet, on such tense days, at this particular moment, Mei Terumi was speechless.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Because amidst this nerve-numbing tension, this year's Summit had started with a peal of unhinged laughter from Onoki, the Tsuchikage– prompted by the image of Raikage's missing arms.
A fight had threatened to break out, and though Mei tried to calm the two Kages, the Raikage and Tsuchikage didn't want to listen to a 'woman' and a 'brat'.
Yet, surprisingly it was the Kazekage– Gaara of the desert– who stopped the two old men.
Then again, saying that Gaara had 'stopped' them may not be the right term– Mei realised. Because both old men just shifted their rage towards Gaara.
"You suspicious brat! Why is it that only your Sand Village was spared?"
"You fucking imbecile!"
"I remember seeing your sister amongst the 'priestess' who followed that Hyuga bastard!"
"You sold your own sister for protection?!"
"Or is it that you are in that bastard's team all along?!"
Just when a bigger fight was about to break out, Mei stepped forward between Gaara and the two other Kages, making them frown.
"...What is the meaning of this, Mizukage?" asked Tsuchikage.
"Why are you protecting the traitor?"
"He is not a traitor." Mei sighed. "He wouldn't have come here if he was. The odds are too high."
The two Kages paused, blinking for a moment, and exchanged glances between themselves. Then they quietly took their seats.
Mei sighed and gave Gaara a nod, who sighed too and mouthed out a short thanks.
Though, truth be told, if a fight really were to break out, Mei wasn't sure if the other two Kages would be able to win against this young Kazekage. Tsuchikage couldn't use particle release, and Raikage was crippled. Could they still take Gaara on?
Thinking for a moment, Mei realised that she actually didn't want to know.
Gaara took his seat and then looked at the people around the room.
"I received a letter from Neji Hyuga earlier," said Gaara. "Your claim that my sister is with him is indeed correct. It seems that… he adores her and he didn't want to see her sad, that's probably the only reason why he didn't attack her homeland– my village."
All Kages fell silent before Tsuchikage gritted his teeth.
"Maybe I should have sent my granddaughter with him, after all. I could have controlled him from within if he took a liking to Kurotsuchi." said Onoki, shaking his head in regret.
From behind Onoki, the shoji wall shifted a little, and Mei knew it was done by the girl in question as she was right behind it.
"No, wait, this can work in our favour too." said Raikage quickly. "If the Kazekage can contact his sister, he can ask her to hand over valuable information about Neji. Blood is thicker than water, after all."
Kazekage Gaara frowned at the offer where his sister would be selling her body for information.
Technically, Temari was sleeping with Neji already, everyone was sure, but she was possibly doing it out of her own will. But if she was to give such a mission, in case she accepts she would be selling her body rather than doing it on consent– out of love.
So certainly, Gaara was displeased at the idea.
On the other hand, though Mei felt a pang of guilt as a woman herself, she couldn't help but nod her head at Raikage's idea. It wasn't that bad, all things considered and was probably the best path they could take.
"Sad to say I agree with Raikage, but he is right," said Mei. "He… Neji Hyuga seems like a gentleman, or that's how he treated me– make no mistake I am not swayed by it, I am just pointing it out– and I think he is a guy who shares his secrets with his girls."
Raikage, who was scowling when she first started to explain, smirked as his face brightened.
He turned to Gaara with a mischievous smirk. "Even your defender Mizukage agrees to this. If I was in your shoes– to prove my loyalty, to prove that I really am not one of Neji's people– I would have agreed to this offer immediately."
"...."
Mei's guilt increased when Gaara's expression changed to that of a helpless child. She felt pity seeing him at that moment.
"...Haah," Gaara sighed after a minute. "I am sorry, but no. I can't do that."
Raikage clenched his jaws, and if he still had his arms he may have slammed the table. But now he only growled.
Mei's expression didn't change while Tsuchikage also looked displeased at the answer.
"Why is that?"
"Because, first, I have no way to contact her." Gaara's eyes seemed to glow in coldness. "Secondly, and more importantly, I don't wish to hurt the people I care about just for a skewed concept like 'the greater good'."
Mei was almost proud hearing him say that– almost, because her emotions didn't register since she panicked fast when Raikage activated his Lightning Armour and rushed to Gaara, and from his movement pattern he was about to kick Gaar's head to a pulp.
Mei wanted to stop Raikage, and had started moving her body with that intention, but he was too fast– frighteningly so. She was like a banana slug running after a rabbit.
Though as a Kage, at least her green eyes managed to follow his movements somewhat as she watched Raikage's leg rise in the air, about to come down on Gaara's head, even while particles of sand were moving to protect him from the blow.
But Mei was sure that a small amount of sand wouldn't help–
– Flash!
A yellow flash, faster than Raikage, moved as the situation unfolded at a speed that Mei couldn't follow.
– Boom!
Raikage's body hit the wall in the back and shattered it, making him fly into the room next to it.
Everyone in the room was alarmed as the Kages' escorts who were behind the shoji wall quickly came out and took position beside them.
"...Naruto?" it was Gaara who exclaimed as the dust cleared and a man covered in a yellow cloak of chakra appeared into everyone's view.
Mei's eyes widened.
'Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tail's Jinchuuriki?'
"Are you okay, Gaara, my friend?" said Naruto, looking at Gaara who slowly nodded in a daze. "Good then."
"No, that's not important now. Naruto, how are you still alive? I thought-"
"It's that Neji bastard," interrupted Naruto, growling. "He tried to kill me. Unfortunately for him, I am one of the chosen ones– the person who will bring peace to this world. I managed to survive."
"Oh…"
Gaara couldn't say anything more than that as his eyes– similar to Mei and Onoki– focused on the Akatsuki outfit that Naruto was wearing.
* * *
The conversation couldn't continue any more than that as the Raikage jumped back into the room, his eyes wide and red in anger and shock.
"Yellow Flash…?" for a moment Raikage looked dazed but soon shook his head. "Who are you?"
"Uzumaki Naruto," replied Naruto. "That's my name. I will kill you if you attempt any more attacks."
Raikage's jaws clenched but he didn't attack, and neither did he cancel his Lightning Cloak.
"Are you the child of Minato Namikaze?" Raikage asked.
"...Yes."
"...It makes sense, then." Raikage nodded and his armour vanished.
"..." Naruto frowned in confusion, seeing him submit so easily.
"Now explain why you are here." asked Raikage, and the other Kages nodded to show that they were also interested.
However, it wasn't Naruto who answered next.
"Allow me the honour, please." a voice came out of thin air, and while the Kages were startled the air in the middle of the room spun into itself as an orange-mask-wearing man formed in the room.
Standing beside him, with sharp yet hollow eyes, was the last living Uchiha– Sasuke of the Sharingan.
The Kages were immediately alerted once again.
Raikage's eyes even went bloodshot again, but he and the others didn't make any attempt to attack when Naruto stepped forward to take the other side of the masked man, suggesting that the three of them were together.
The Kages' facial expressions turned sour.
They could taste the danger in the air.
These three invaders were all at least Kage-level Ninjas themselves, and though the Kages outnumbered them, these three didn't have the weakness of having people to protect behind them.
If a fight broke out, the Kages realised, the chances of their and their companions' deaths were… high. Very high.
As all four Kages reached the conclusion in their heads, going very alert, the masked man turned his head from one Kage to another before he returned to the centre.
Silence followed that, but not long after– his deep voice filled the room.
"Some of you may have heard of me already, going by the name 'Tobi'." he said as the Kages nodded. "Unfortunately, that was a made-up name. In the old days, people used to call me the Ghost of Uchiha, Madara Uchiha."
There was a short silence before the room shook with an invisible pressure, accompanied by the twisting of 'Madara's' sharingan in the single eyehole of his mask.
"....?!"
At once, all the Kages were startled further as they opened their mouths at the same time.
"It can't be…"
"No. You are too old to be alive."
"This isn't funny, my friend."
"...."
Only Gaara stayed silent amongst the Kages, though just like them, his guard was also lifted up dozens of times. Sand whirled around the room, but the three ninjas didn't care.
As if the invader, 'Madara Uchiha', couldn't hear them– he continued in the same tone as before.
"Today, in this summit, I did not come to ask you of anything– No, there is nothing that you can give me anyway."
The single eyehole of his mask gleamed crimson.
"I already have everything I need– every Tailed Beast has been captured by me. I am simply here to give you a warning– to let you know that you guys should stop shoving your attention to Neji Hyuga. He isn't the threat, I am."
The Kages frowned deeply at his words.
They were aware of this matter of Akatsuki as well.
By now, all the Tailed Beasts– with the early doubts on the Kyuubi now cleared by the evidence that Naruto was working with the Akatsuki– have been captured by the evil terrorist organisation.
The Kages all knew, without any verbal exchange, that today's talks would lead to that topic sooner or later– even though the start of it had to be about Neji Hyuga. This threatened the start of the Fourth Ninja War, something that Mei recalled Neji talking about as well.
This self-proclaimed Madara seemed mad that the start of this meeting was Neji– as he was possibly eavesdropping on the meeting– and he seemed to be offended that the Kages were prioritising a foolish womaniser more than a world-threatening organisation.
"You all must be confused about what I plan to do with all those tailed beasts. As this is for the ultimate good, I shall give you a glimpse of my grand plans." continued 'Madara' without caring to wait for anyone's questioning looks. "With the Nine Tailed Beasts at hand, I plan to-"
"What, take over the world?"
The room went silent again when a new, feminine voice interrupted 'Madara's' speech.
Everyone's eyes shifted to one corner of the room where, as they watched, an ash-blonde-haired woman with a rough, tattered dress was crouching on the ground, with a giant hand-fan above her shoulders.
[Image Here]
Everyone wore a frown as they failed to recognise this new individual– however, it was Gaara who broke the silence.
"Temari?" he asked, and immediately everyone noticed the sand-village logo on her headband. "What… happened to you?"
"I got Dragonified."
Temari paused, and slowly a draconic tail– white in colour– swirled out from behind her.
"In more ways than one."
Temari stood up from the spot as most of the non-Kage-level Ninjas flinched.
"As I was saying earlier, though," Temari looked away from Gaara, her eyes falling on the masked man. "World Domination. That's what this guy wants, by initiating the Infinite Tsukuyomi, a legendary Genjutsu."
Nobody could see the reaction of 'Madara', however, they noticed how Sasuke's until-recently lifeless eyes gained life as he looked at her shockingly.
"How… Do you know about that?" asked Sasuke in disbelief. "Infinite Tsukuyomi- it's only listed in the Uchiha Clan's Stone Tablet. Only those with incredible ocular powers should be able to–"
"Sasuke," Madara interrupted, turning to him slightly. "The Tenseigan. Remember what I said about it?"
"...Ah." Sasuke blinked, but soon he frowned deeply. "How dare a Hyuga look into the Uchiha Tablet?!"
Sasuke grabbed the hilt of his sword and would have rushed out at Temari with the intent to kill if 'Madara' hadn't grabbed him by the arm.
"Careful, now. Since the hatchling is here, the Dragon should be nearby." Madara warned cautiously. "We are not here to fight today, Sasuke, don't forget what your goal is."
Sasuke's eyes trembled for a moment when he heard 'your goal' but after a scoff, he shook off Madara's grab and rushed at Temari.
– Fwish!
He moved fast, on par with the Raikage.
As he decreased the distance, his sword reaching out for a surprised Temari's throat, something dropped from above the ceiling.
Sasuke couldn't react in time against the incoming punch from the thick woman who had suddenly appeared in the air.
– Bang!
Before Sasuke could reach Temari, a hand covered by barely visible chakra struck his back as he grunted and was smashed to the floor.
The floor shattered and cracks of spider webs appeared on it, with Sasuke Uchiha dug into the middle.
"That wasn't a very smart decision,"
Staring ahead, everyone frowned as they watched the Senju Princess, Tsunade Senju, speak after she had struck down Sasuke.
What surprised them more was that Tsunade's blonde hair was now ash-blonde as well, just like Temari, and she was wearing a similar outfit as Temari too. Though in her headband, instead of the Leaf Village sign, a new sign existed.
The sign of a Dragon's face.
"Grhh…" Sasuke growled as he started to raise his face in the air.
"Don't. I told you to not attack." said Madara as he suddenly appeared beside Sasuke, out of thin air, and vanished.
Both he and Sasuke reappeared back to their initial spot.
"Good choice," Tsunade said after seeing this. "If he tried anything else, the Uchiha Clan would have gone extinct.
Tsunade gave everyone a cold, emotionless look that marched her outfit, and then walked to stand beside Temari. They stood side by side, but with a bit of enough gap between them for there to house another person– which made the people in the room uncomfortable.
It didn't help that her threat just now included 'Madara' as well, if he really was an Uchiha. Moreover, she had just shown that she had both the speed and power to probably fight this masked, self-proclaimed Madara.
No, actually even if she didn't have such powers, the Kages couldn't be worried less. Because someone else, someone more dangerous than appeared in the room.
Space twisted as the wall behind Tsunade and Temari turned blank, and then out of thin air walked out none other than Neji Hyuga, the so-called 'Dragon Sage' himself.
"Good evening, everyone." said Neji Hyuga as he smiled at them. "What are your thoughts on being stuck in a Genjutsu for eternity?"
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