Ōnoki and Mū stood before a dimly lit room. Raising their voices, they announced their purpose to the person inside.
Moments later, the man emerged. He was clad in armor, a Konoha headband resting prominently on his forehead. His long, spiked hair obscured half of his face, but even the darkest night couldn't conceal the fiery glow of his crimson Sharingan.
It was Uchiha Madara.
"Lord Madara," Mū began, his tone respectful but firm. "We represent Iwagakure. We've come to propose an alliance with Konoha."
Madara stood at the top of the stone steps, arms crossed as he gazed down at them. His Sharingan glimmered menacingly in the darkness, as if stripping away their thoughts, their secrets. Memories of a past conversation with his closest friend surfaced in his mind—a conversation about trust, understanding, and the courage to bare one's soul to forge bonds.
Yet now, with his dream realized, represented by the headband he wore, those ideals seemed so far away.
Looking at the two figures below, Madara's expression was cold as he spoke, his voice deep and commanding.
"Kneel, to show your submission to Konoha."
"W-what?!"
Ōnoki, young and brash, swallowed hard, disbelief etched across his face. He stammered, "This isn't how it's supposed to be, Lord Madara! How could you say such a thing? Hashirama-sama would—"
"There is no such thing as an alliance!" Madara's harsh interruption cut through Ōnoki's words like a blade. Trust between people was fleeting and fragile. To him, there was no longer any value in pursuing such illusions.
"Submit to the power of Konoha," Madara said, his Sharingan narrowing to slits. "And never mention his name in my presence again."
Clang!
The Mangekyō Sharingan activated, its kaleidoscopic pattern shimmering ominously.
"You bastard!"
Madara's imperious tone ignited a fire within Ōnoki. The thought of his village bowing to Konoha was more unbearable than death. He and Mū quickly formed hand seals, intending to prove their strength. But to Madara, their defiance was nothing short of laughable.
"Susanoo."
An overwhelming surge of chakra enveloped Madara. A towering blue warrior materialized, its translucent skeleton shielding him, its energy pulsating like a storm. With a deafening roar, the Susanoo sent tremors through the earth as it raised a colossal fist and brought it crashing down.
Boom!
The ground in front of the building was reduced to rubble in an instant. Ōnoki and Mū were sent flying, utterly powerless against Madara's might.
Though battered and bruised, Ōnoki forced himself to lift his head. His body screamed in pain, but his spirit refused to yield. Clutching a jagged piece of rubble, memories of his comrades and the will of stone—the unyielding resolve of Iwagakure—flashed through his mind.
This wasn't the end. He couldn't let it be. Slowly, painstakingly, he began to rise, his resolve hardening with every motion. This was his moment, his chance to embody the unshakable will of the stone.
But Madara's cold, mocking voice shattered that fleeting hope.
"So, you still want to dance?"
With a flick of his Mangekyō Sharingan, Ōnoki collapsed, his resistance crushed entirely.
When Ōnoki regained consciousness, dawn had broken. The first thing he felt was searing pain coursing through his body.
"Ah! What… what happened to me?" he groaned, squinting as his surroundings came into focus. He was strapped to a stretcher, his body bound tightly in bandages. Around him, Konoha medics moved with precision.
Scanning the area, he spotted a familiar face.
"K-Kakuzu… where is the Tsuchikage?"
"Worry about yourself first," Kakuzu replied bluntly, removing his hand from Mū's wrist after checking his pulse. Mū, lying on another stretcher, gave Kakuzu a grateful nod. His injuries were superficial—just some scrapes and bruises that would heal quickly with rest.
As for Ōnoki, Kakuzu placed a hand on his wrist, his expression unreadable as he conducted a brief diagnosis. Then, without warning, Kakuzu let out a dry chuckle.
"What… what is it?" Ōnoki asked nervously, eyeing his bandaged body.
"You've paid the price for playing the hero," Kakuzu said, a hint of mockery in his tone. "Your chakra is in complete disarray, wreaking havoc on your nervous system. Your lumbar spine is a mess. If you want to recover, you'd better take it easy. And forget about… certain activities."
He stood up, casting Ōnoki a pitying glance.
"Take care of yourself. At least you're alive. As for me…" Kakuzu's gaze shifted towards the horizon.
"I've got to check on how your beloved Tsuchikage is holding up."
Without another word, Kakuzu vanished in a blur of motion.
In a specially constructed meeting room in Konoha, preparations for the first Five Kage Summit were underway.
This was a two-story pavilion, heavily guarded with visible sentries and hidden lookouts. The security was so tight that even the flight path of a stray fly would be documented.
Kakuzu walked into the first floor at a steady pace. The moment he stepped inside, the tense atmosphere hit him like a blade.
Stone, Cloud, Mist, and Sand—shinobi from each village sat cross-legged in their respective zones, keeping watch over the pavilion while remaining on guard against one another. Trust was in short supply, but their vigilance ensured that the Kage upstairs could conduct their meeting in peace.
As Kakuzu entered, the contingent from Konoha also arrived.
"Oh, Momoka, how's it looking?"
Senju Momoka brushed a strand of hair away from her face and pointed upwards.
"The talks have already begun."
"There are six people in the room. Tobirama is assisting the clan leader as an aide," she added, her tone calm yet authoritative. "We can only observe from the perimeter. Approaching without permission is strictly forbidden. If anyone dares—"
Momoka's words were abruptly cut off.
Boom!
A deafening explosion shattered the tense silence like thunder erupting from a clear sky.
The shinobi from every nation leapt to their feet, their weapons—kunai, senbon, and more—drawn in a flash. Hands moved instinctively, forming seals in preparation for an enemy assault. Even the Konoha shinobi, including Momoka, were visibly startled.
What's going on? Why would there be an explosion out of nowhere?
Could someone truly be bold—or foolish—enough to disrupt the Five Kage Summit?
After all, this was a meeting of the five most powerful leaders in the shinobi world. Anyone who dared to cause trouble here would be signing their own death warrant.
As tension mounted and speculation ran wild, a cough broke through the chaos.
"Ahem."
Kakuzu cleared his throat, his gravelly voice commanding attention as he sought to dispel the unease.
"Everyone, please return to your positions. There's no need to panic. The explosion you heard was because..."
He glanced upward, his expression unreadable.
"...The Hokage bumped his head."
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