Sasuke and his group were ambushed on the first floor of the tower. The area was spacious, with stone platforms built on both sides, used by samurai for vigilance or patrol.
At this mont, Sasuke and the five others were hiding close to the wall on the stone platform, where a low wall in front conveniently provided cover, and the platform offered a broad view.
The five were hiding behind the low stone wall, showing only their heads. Down below, about ten ters below, were many samurai. With Shinfuru and Bai Jue, the two perception types, the chance of these warriors detecting them was slim.
Three of the shadows had already entered the tower. These shadows were not alone; each brought two trusted aides. It’s an unwritten rule of the Five Kage Summit that one could bring at most two subordinates.
The Raikage, Kazekage, and Mizukage had all entered the tower. The Daimyo of the Iron Country gave them face by sending his admiral, Mikuma, to host the eting. Mikuma was highly reputed among ninja; his re survival of a battle against Hanzo was enough to make his na.
Who was Hanzo? He was a ninja known as the ’Demigod.’ As for the title of God of Ninja, only Senju Hashirama held that.
During the Second Ninja World War, Konoha had once defeated the Hidden Rain Village. However, Hanzo was too strong; while the army of the Hidden Rain Village was defeated, their leader, Hanzo, was not. Hence, Konoha didn’t demand harsh war reparations.
To duel with Hanzo and survive ant Mikuma was no ordinary person. Moreover, Mikuma didn’t beg for rcy after being defeated, which only boosted his reputation further.
Samurai Admiral Mikuma was receiving the three shadows, waiting only for the Hokage and Tsuchikage to arrive.
Within the first floor of the tower, slow and steady footsteps echoed. An elder leading two ninjas walked into the tower. Seeing this, a samurai imdiately stepped forward.
"Welco, I’ve been expecting you."
This samurai was neither humble nor arrogant. The elder lowered his eyelids and remained silent. The elder’s identity was self-evident; Brother Danzo had arrived.
On the stone platform on the first floor, Sasuke, Bai Jue, and the others were observing.
"That old man in the middle is Danzo."
Bai Jue whispered.
"That guy... is Danzo!"
Sasuke’s Sharingan activated to the state of three Magatama, eyes filled only with hatred.
About half an hour later.
On the sixth floor of the tower, in a room approximately seventy square ters in size. Inside the room were two eting tables, one large and one small.
The larger eting table ford a semicircle, with five white cloths hanging behind, each labeled with the characters for water, wind, fire, earth, and thunder. The five shadows were already seated, respectively:
Mizukage·i Terumī (a sexy older sister type, an enemy of Su Xiao).
Kazekage·Gaara (once held hostage by Su Xiao, died after being extracted of the tailed beast, resurrected by Chiyo using a secret technique, for which Chiyo gave her life, an arch-enemy of Su Xiao).
Raikage·Ai (temporarily has no grievances with Su Xiao).
Tsuchikage·Onogi (hired the Akatsuki Organization the most tis).
Acting Hokage·Danzo (forrly opposed Su Xiao, currently of unclear attitude).
The five shadows were already seated, their expressions blank as always. Behind the five hanging white cloths were the guards of the Five Shadows, ten in total.
In the gap of the semicircular eting table where the Five Shadows were seated, a half-ter-long eting table was set up. Behind this table sat Mikuma, with two samurai standing beside him.
Mikuma sat facing the Five Shadows; he was in the host position but not the leading one. As a neutral country, Mikuma could host the eting but not dominate it.
"I am Mikuma, the one managing here. I now declare the start of the Five Shadow Talks."
Mikuma sat upright, glancing around at the Five Shadows. As long as they didn’t physically clash, he would rely observe.
"I’ll go first, listen well."
Gaara began in a calm tone. In such a setting, he had to be assertive since all the other four shadows were present.
"The changes among the Five Kage are truly significant."
A voice with a hint of amusent ca; it was Tsuchikage Ohnoki who interjected, subtly and overtly belittling Gaara. And understandably, it’s humiliating for a kage to be kidnapped.
"To beco a kage at such a young age is amazing, Lord Kazekage. It seems your father educated you well; it’s a pity he didn’t teach you manners."
Tsuchikage Ohnoki’s words seed like a complint, but in reality, they weren’t. Moreover, does a dignified Kazekage really need soone to praise him to his face? Clearly, this was the tone of an elder to a junior.
Tsuchikage Ohnoki indeed matched wits with the cunning old fox Danzo, delivering a blow to Gaara with just a few words.
Hearing this, the Mizukage i Terumī raised the corners of her mouth. Both she and Gaara were newcors among the shadows and were wary of an old-tir like the Tsuchikage, so she hasn’t spoken up yet.
While Gaara didn’t react much to these words, Kankuro, white-clothed behind the wind character banner, glared with anger.
"Yes, but here I sit as Kazekage."
Gaara’s father was the Fourth Kazekage, who died early and in a sowhat disgraceful manner. But Gaara could not lower his deanor.
"Hahaha, such an arrogant fellow."
Ohnoki wasn’t annoyed at all, instead, he laughed heartily.
"Lord Tsuchikage, please don’t interrupt. Lord Kazekage, please continue."
i Terumī politely intervened. She was trying to temporarily form an alliance with Gaara to prevent the Tsuchikage from targeting her next.
"I was originally a Jinchuriki, captured by the Akatsuki, nearly dying from forcibly extracting the Tailed Beast. So I consider Akatsuki a very dangerous presence. I repeatedly sought assistance from other Kage, but all went ignored except by the previous Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. Ultimately, countries only decided to unite after losing their Jinchuriki."
Gaara went straight to the point, proposing an alliance against Akatsuki.
"Ah, for the hidden villages of the five major countries to have their Jinchuriki taken, letting other countries know would be an extre humiliation. Recuperating them secretly is common sense; seeking help right after they’re taken is impossible due to face issues."
Tsuchikage Ohnoki was not necessarily picking a fight; it was indeed a fact.
"Face... dignity... mutual wariness... Such a decaying ideology."
Gaara didn’t agree with Tsuchikage’s perspective.
"Heh."
Ohnoki quietly chuckled. He couldn’t comprehend how soone like this young man beca Kazekage; in his era, a Kazekage like this would be quickly overthrown by his own people.
"Let’s not talk about whether it’s decaying or not; we are indeed passive right now."
i Terumī intervened to smooth things over.
In the discussion, only the Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and Mizukage were involved. Brother Danzo was observing and looking for opportunities. As for the Raikage, he was building up his anger and wouldn’t take long to erupt.
Brother Danzo noticed this opportunity as the one eye he exposed turned towards the Raikage.
"Even though that’s the case, we aren’t completely at a disadvantage. The Akatsuki has many Tailed Beasts, but controlling them requires skill, knowledge, and ti. Quickly converting Tailed Beasts into combat power is impossible."
i Terumī’s words seed reasonable, but she wasn’t aware that the Akatsuki didn’t aim to nurture Jinchuriki but rely needed the Tailed Beasts.
"Jinchuriki must grow alongside the Tailed Beasts and adapt to each other, but even so, controlling Tailed Beasts is very difficult, right, Lord Kazekage?"
It’s unclear what grudge Tsuchikage Ohnoki had with the Sand Ninja Village, but from start to finish, he kept ridiculing Gaara.
"..."
Gaara remained silent. Even the most patient would be worn out by Tsuchikage’s continuous provocations.
"Only a handful of people can truly control Tailed Beasts."
Danzo suddenly spoke. Ohnoki’s expression changed; Gaara might be a fledgling, but Danzo was an entirely different level adversary.
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