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"???"
Gaara was suddenly questioned, leaving him utterly confused.
He looked at Hashirama.
Then at Hiruzen Sarutobi standing beside him.
What is happening?
What battle?
What should I say?
Gaara's mind was filled with a giant, bold question mark. He had no idea how to respond.
"I…"
Gaara started to speak but hesitated. Now that he was being asked, he felt he should say something, but he didn't know what.
Explain it?
He had no idea what was going on.
Don't explain?
That didn't seem right either.
Even if he wanted to be completely honest, he didn't know what to say.
"Is the Kazekage trying to weasel out of this?"
Hashirama narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone carrying a sharp, threatening edge. The way he stood made it seem like he was ready to strike.
"Well… um… First Hokage, the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara, doesn't know anything about the Second Great Ninja War. He wasn't even born yet."
Baki immediately stepped in to defend Gaara.
He had to say something.
Not to mention the Second Great Ninja War—Gaara was born during the tail end of the Third Great Ninja War.
"Whether he was born or not is irrelevant; this is still an issue for your Sunagakure. However…"
Hashirama drew out his words, his gaze locking onto Baki.
In an instant.
Baki felt as though he was being completely seen through.
It was as if he was standing naked before Hashirama.
A chilling sensation spread through his entire body.
"The Kazekage doesn't know, but do you?"
Hashirama asked coldly.
"I… I obviously don't know either!"
Baki forced a bitter smile, not daring to meet Hashirama's gaze. The Second Great Ninja War broke out in Konoha's 28th year, and he was born in Konoha's 29th year. Even when it ended, he was only 6 years old and had no involvement in it. He only knew of it as an event.
"Then what's the point of your explanation?"
Hashirama shot Baki a displeased look, causing Baki to break out in a cold sweat, too terrified to speak further.
"Fifth Kazekage, let me tell you what's going on!"
"First, my grandson Nawaki died in a trap set by your Sunagakure."
"Second, my granddaughter Tsunade's former lover died in the war against your village."
"These two incidents are directly tied to me, Senju Hashirama!"
"What do you think should be done about it?"
"Be careful with your answer."
Hashirama spoke slowly and calmly, recounting these events. With every word, the pressure in the room grew palpable.
"I…"
Gaara tried to say something, but Hashirama cut him off again.
"Oh, let me give you some advice. Kumogakure was responsible for killing my brother, Senju Tobirama. Their response is now beneath your feet."
Hashirama glanced down at the ruined debris below, indicating that this was Kumogakure's answer.
To be precise, Kumogakure had been answered.
Gaara's face suddenly changed drastically, and even the armor of sand couldn't conceal his shock.
How was he supposed to respond?
What kind of "accountability" would suffice?
Gaara pondered for a moment, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't come up with a solution. He definitely couldn't offer an explanation that would match what Kumogakure had done. He couldn't allow Sunagakure to be razed to the ground, after all.
Gaara remained silent.
Baki didn't dare to speak either.
Around the table at the Four Kage Summit, everyone held their breath, waiting for Sunagakure's response.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
It was terrifyingly quiet!
Occasionally, the sound of wind passing through the peaks of the Land of Lightning could be heard, almost as if the mountains themselves were mourning their predicament.
"Let me speak for you," Hashirama said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Gaara. A slight, devilish smile crept across his face.
"I want Shukaku."
Hiss!
With those words, everyone present drew a sharp breath.
These were the top figures from each village, all too familiar with the issue of jinchūriki. If Gaara lost Shukaku, he would be as good as dead.
Hashirama's demand might have seemed like he was asking for the tailed beast within Gaara.
But in reality, he was asking for Gaara's life!
He was outright demanding the life of Sunagakure's current Kazekage!
"First Hokage, our Fifth Kazekage is the jinchūriki of Shukaku. If we hand over Shukaku to you, it will undoubtedly cost the life of the Fifth Kazekage!"
Baki's face turned pale as a sheet, his entire body tensing to the extreme.
Earlier, he had already anticipated the worst possible outcome.
But he had never imagined this.
This was a matter of Gaara's life!
There could be no compromise!
"I'm speaking to the Kazekage; who do you think you are?" Hashirama's gaze turned icy cold. Suddenly, vines burst from the ground, rapidly growing and wrapping around Baki in an instant.
In the blink of an eye.
Baki was completely entangled by the vines.
Boom!
The vines exerted an immense pressure, crushing Baki instantly. Blood droplets began to seep through the gaps in the vines, slowly trickling down.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The vines retracted back into the ground, and as they receded, it was clear that the once-green vines had turned a deep crimson, stained with the remnants of crushed flesh.
When the vines disappeared, there was no trace of Baki left.
He had been reduced to nothing but dust.
Hiss…
Everyone who witnessed this scene inhaled sharply, their hearts pounding wildly, and their expressions grew increasingly grave.
Kumogakure had already provided them with a precedent.
And now, Baki had served as a stark reminder.
The person presiding over this Four Kage Summit was none other than the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama.
Whether they spoke or stayed silent, they had to exercise the utmost caution. This wasn't just about their own lives; it was about the fate of everyone in their villages.
"Fifth Kazekage, regarding Sunagakure, I only want Shukaku. When you return, I don't care how you do it, but if I don't see the wild Shukaku within three months, you should start preparing to appoint the Sixth Kazekage!"
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone understood what they meant.
However…
This wasn't a multiple-choice question. If a jinchūriki releases their tailed beast, they die. But if Gaara doesn't release Shukaku, he'll have to face Senju Hashirama.
No matter how you look at it, it's a death sentence either way!
After Hashirama finished speaking, he shifted his gaze away from Gaara, ignoring everyone else, and focused once again on the Third Hokage.
"Third Hokage, now that we've finished discussing Dan Katō and Nawaki, shall we move on to more recent matters?"
Hashirama redirected the conversation back to Hiruzen.
The Third Hokage was taken aback.
He thought it had ended earlier.
But now it was coming back.
Was Hashirama planning to dig even deeper?
"W-What do you mean?"
Hiruzen wasn't feigning ignorance; he genuinely didn't know what Hashirama was getting at with his current line of questioning.
"Let's talk about the tailed beasts of Konoha, shall we?"
(End of Chapter)