The Meeting of Kings
The world was about to change.
Not in a way that was immediate. Not in a way that would send shockwaves across the nations overnight.
But in a way that would spread slowly, deliberately—like the first flickers of fire beneath a mountain of dry leaves.
Because Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha were not interested in small victories.
They wanted everything.
And to take the world, they needed to start with order.
Which was why, just days after Orochimaru's death, they summoned the leaders of Otogakure to a meeting.
A meeting where the future would be decided.
The Chamber of War
The war room of Otogakure was older than most of its people.
Built deep beneath the surface, it had been designed for secrecy, strategy, and absolute power.
A vast circular space, its walls were lined with maps—detailed layouts of every major village, their defenses, their weaknesses. Stacks of scrolls sat untouched, filled with Orochimaru's notes on bloodlines, forbidden techniques, political leverage.
And at the center—a long stone table.
A throne had once sat at the head of it.
Now, that throne was gone.
And in its place stood Sasuke Uchiha.
Dressed in black, his Sharingan gleaming under the dim torchlight, he radiated calm authority.
Rock Lee stood beside him—not at his back, not in his shadow, but beside him.
Because this was not about hierarchy.
This was about building something greater.
The room was filled with the highest-ranking officials of Otogakure.
The remaining generals, the spies, the researchers—the people who had kept Orochimaru's empire running.
They were not loyalists.
They were not here because they missed Orochimaru.
They were here because they knew power when they saw it.
And now, they were waiting to see what would happen next.
The Opening Move
Sasuke did not sit.
He placed his hands on the table, looking each official in the eye, one by one.
When he spoke, his voice was calm, measured.
"Orochimaru is dead."
No gasps. No murmurs.
They had already known.
What they didn't know—was what came next.
Sasuke continued. "Otogakure is leaderless. The world believes this village was nothing more than Orochimaru's personal playground—a place for his experiments, his ambitions."
His fingers drummed once against the stone.
"They think Otogakure will collapse without him."
Silence.
Then, Sasuke's lips curled slightly.
"They're wrong."
A shift in the room.
Tension. Anticipation.
Because he wasn't talking about survival.
He was talking about something more.
Rock Lee stepped forward. "Orochimaru built this place as a tool. A laboratory. A means to an end."
His amber dōjutsu burned.
"That's not what we're here for."
His voice was steady, but his words carried weight.
"We're not interested in surviving."
He glanced toward Sasuke.
"We're interested in ruling."
The Five-Step Plan
Sasuke exhaled slowly.
"There are five stages to taking the world," he said.
His tone was casual, almost conversational—as if discussing a training regimen.
But the words?
They shifted the room.
Because suddenly—they were not discussing a rebellion.
They were discussing an empire.
Step One: Consolidate Power.
• Control Otogakure's forces.
• Remove those who resist.
• Establish order.
Sasuke's gaze flickered across the table.
"If you think of leaving, do it now. There will be no second chances."
No one moved.
Good.
Step Two: Expand Influence.
• Reach out to other minor villages.
• Offer them something Konoha, Suna, and Kiri never did: power and freedom.
• Take in the abandoned, the rejected, the hungry.
Lee crossed his arms. "The major villages rule through legacy. We will rule through results."
Step Three: Control the Economy.
• The shinobi world did not run on ideals. It ran on money.
• Otogakure had been self-sufficient, but Orochimaru's operations were secretive.
• Now, they would open their doors—to the right people.
Sasuke smirked. "Every village has war. Every war needs weapons. And we will decide who gets them."
Step Four: Destabilize the Other Nations.
• Konoha's foundation was already cracked.
• Suna was weaker than ever.
• Kiri and Iwa were too focused on their own struggles.
Lee tilted his head. "We don't attack them. We make them attack each other."
Divide. Weaken. Then take what's left.
Step Five: Take the Throne.
• The title of **Hokage, Kazekage, Raikage—**these were relics of the past.
• The world needed one ruler.
Sasuke's voice was final.
"The Shinobi Emperor."
The Shadow and the Kage
A pause.
Then, one of the officials—**an older shinobi with deep scars across his face—**finally spoke.
"And who," he asked slowly, "do you expect to sit on that throne?"
Sasuke met his gaze without hesitation.
"I will."
No arrogance. No grandstanding.
Just fact.
The official nodded slowly. "And Lee?"
Lee smiled slightly.
"I don't care for thrones."
He turned his head toward Sasuke, his expression unreadable.
"I care about keeping him on it."
A pause.
Then—understanding.
Sasuke would be the emperor.
Lee would be his shadow.
The unseen force that moved beneath the surface, shaping the world from the darkness.
Because Sasuke could rule the people.
But Lee would rule the battlefield.
And together?
They would rule everything.
Convincing the Doubters
One of the spies frowned. "You make it sound easy."
Sasuke exhaled sharply. "It's not. But it's inevitable."
Lee nodded. "You can either help us build it—"
Sasuke's Sharingan flickered.
"—or be crushed beneath it."
A long silence.
Then—one by one, the officials nodded.
The Future Begins
The meeting lasted through the night.
Plans were drawn. Orders were given. The first real steps toward global conquest had begun.
By dawn, Otogakure was no longer a village.
It was a nation in the making.
And its rulers?
They weren't heroes.
They weren't revolutionaries.
They were monsters in human skin.
And soon, the world would kneel.