Chapter 37: The War's Final Gambit
The tide of war had shifted. The battles that once engulfed the land were beginning to dwindle, but the scars they left behind ran deep. Villages that had once stood proud were reduced to ruins. The Five Great Nations were preparing to negotiate peace, but peace was never truly won—it was taken.
And in the shadows, The Hollow Veil was making sure they were the ones to take it.
---
The Kage Summit: A Fragile Truce
In a neutral territory, hidden deep within the Land of Iron, the leaders of the great villages gathered. The Third Hokage, the Third Raikage, the Mizukage, the Tsuchikage, and the Kazekage all sat across from one another, their faces hard with exhaustion. The war had drained them all, and now they were forced to seek a resolution.
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke first. "This war has gone on long enough. We have all lost too much. If we do not find a way to end this now, there may be nothing left to fight for."
The Third Raikage scoffed. "Easy for Konoha to say. You haven't suffered the same devastation as Iwagakure or Sunagakure."
The Tsuchikage, Onoki, slammed his fist against the table. "Do not pretend Kumo has suffered any less than the rest of us. We all bleed the same in war."
Tensions were high, but none of them noticed the unseen influence guiding their actions.
Ryouhei Kurozaki's web had already spread here. His agents had carefully leaked select pieces of intelligence to each village, ensuring they arrived at this summit weary, paranoid, and eager for resolution.
They thought they were making these decisions of their own free will. But in truth, every step of this war had been carefully manipulated from the shadows.
And now, it was about to end—on his terms.
---
Minato's Final Chase
Far from the summit, Minato Namikaze stood on the edge of a smoldering battlefield. He had spent weeks following the trails of unfamiliar technology, strange new tactics that didn't belong to any known village. The closer he got, the more he realized this wasn't the work of just any rogue faction.
This was something bigger.
"Minato-sama," an Anbu operative landed beside him, bowing slightly. "We found another supply cache. The same markings as before."
Minato's sharp blue eyes narrowed. "They're still moving equipment?"
The operative nodded. "Yes. But what's strange is that they're abandoning their old routes. It's almost as if they want us to find these caches."
Minato clenched his jaw. This was no ordinary arms dealer or war profiteer. This was an organization. One that was several steps ahead of him.
He had always been fast—faster than anyone alive. But for the first time, he felt like he was chasing a ghost.
"I need to find them before this war ends," he muttered. "Before it's too late."
And in the shadows, Ryouhei watched.
Minato was getting too close.
It was time to put the Yellow Flash on a different path.
---
The Hollow Veil's Last Move
Deep within an undisclosed location, Ryouhei stood before a large strategic map, his closest advisors gathered around him.
"The Kage Summit is reaching its conclusion," his lieutenant reported. "Peace is inevitable now."
Ryouhei nodded. "And the moment peace is declared, the shinobi world will shift." His gaze was cold and calculating. "We must ensure that shift benefits us."
His lieutenant hesitated. "What of Minato Namikaze? He's getting dangerously close to uncovering us."
A smirk played on Ryouhei's lips. "Minato is a tool of war. When this war ends, he will have no battlefield left to fight on. And when that happens, he will turn his attention elsewhere."
He stepped forward, placing a single kunai on the map—right in the heart of Konoha.
"We will give him something else to focus on."
The war was coming to an end. But The Hollow Veil's work was just beginning.
---
End of Chapter 37.