Early the next morning, Shinji arrived at the Military Police Building as usual.
As the Captain of the Hidden Leaf Military Police Force, his daily official duties were dealing with some internal security issues of the village. However, due to the severe shortage of manpower in the Military Police Force, he often needed to coordinate with the Anbu.
However, the one delivering documents today was not the usual Anbu, but a fully armed Anbu squad led by Shizune.
Seeing Shinji, Shizune got straight to the point: "Shinji, the Fifth Hokage has already initiated a proposal for a new round of Five Kage Summit to other villages. According to the latest communication, the four Kage should arrive in the village today, so your Military Police Force must make reception preparations in advance!"
It turned out today was the day the four Kage agreed to arrive in the Hidden Leaf, so Shizune and the Anbu were fully armed, looking as if facing a formidable enemy.
And now that the Hidden Leaf had re-established the Military Police Force, receiving the four Kage naturally couldn't bypass the department responsible for village security, so Shizune came to notify Shinji to make relevant preparations.
Otherwise, Shinji, not being a direct subordinate of the Hokage, would not be qualified to learn such confidential intelligence in advance.
"No problem!"
Shinji naturally agreed readily.
After seeing off Shizune, Shinji immediately gathered all members of the Military Police Force. Including him, there were six people in total, divided into three groups. He and Mumei formed one group responsible for reception, while the remaining two groups, Karin and Haku, Sasuke and Kimimaro, were responsible for guarding in the dark.
Before noon, an elite squad led by the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer B of the Hidden Cloud arrived secretly in the village.
The Hidden Cloud's 'AB' combo was tyrannical, so their style of action was somewhat rough. They seemed to have made no disguise all the way from the Land of Lightning. Fortunately, their speed was extremely fast. As long as there were no traitors within the Hidden Cloud, it was difficult for external forces to target them.
Shinji and Shizune conducted the reception together, then Shizune personally accompanied the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer B into the Hokage Building.
In the afternoon, the Hidden Rock elite squad led by the Third Tsuchikage and the Hidden Sand elite squad led by the Fifth Kazekage Pakura arrived in the Hidden Leaf successively.
The Five Kage gathered four, only lacking the Hidden Mist.
The situation of the Hidden Mist was somewhat special.
In the previous great battle with the Akatsuki organization, the Fourth Mizukage was heavily injured by Itachi's 'Amaterasu' and couldn't fulfill the duties of the Mizukage for a while, so the Fourth Mizukage appointed Mei Terumi as the acting Mizukage of the Hidden Mist.
Therefore, whether the one leading the Hidden Mist team this time was the Fourth Mizukage or the acting Mizukage Mei Terumi, the Hidden Leaf side was also unclear.
Seeing the sun setting in the west, Shizune guarding at the village gate was somewhat anxious: "Why hasn't the Hidden Mist team arrived yet! Please don't let anything happen!"
Shinji, however, was calm and composed: "The Fourth Mizukage is injured, it's normal to be vigilant. Just wait patiently!"
"Sigh!"
Shizune sighed, her face still full of worry.
In the conference room of the Hokage Building.
The Fourth Raikage, Third Tsuchikage, Fifth Kazekage, and high-level officials from other villages were analyzing the intelligence Itachi sent earlier.
The Third Tsuchikage waved the intelligence in his hand and questioned: "Can Akatsuki leader Nagato really turn Jinchuriki into his puppets? How credible is this intelligence?"
In the Ninja World, Jinchuriki itself was synonymous with instability.
Imagine, if Jinchuriki themselves were uncontrollable time bombs, how could people believe that Nagato had the ability to turn all Jinchuriki into puppets and make them obedient?
The Fifth Kazekage Pakura also raised doubts: "If I remember correctly, the Mizukage was heavily injured by Itachi Uchiha's dojutsu, right?"
Tsunade explained: "Itachi Uchiha joining the Akatsuki organization is somewhat complicated, but there is one point our Hidden Leaf can be sure of, that is, his joining the Akatsuki organization was indeed authorized by our Hidden Leaf high-level officials. It's just that we can't guarantee whether he has defected now!"
Pausing, Tsunade took out a map marked with several red circles and spread it on the conference table: "We secretly verified several Akatsuki strongholds mentioned by Itachi in the intelligence and confirmed that the Akatsuki strongholds marked on the intelligence are correct."
The Fourth Raikage asked in a booming voice: "So this intelligence could be true, or it could be a trap?"
Tsunade nodded: "Yes, that's why I summoned you all to the Hidden Leaf!"
The Third Tsuchikage and the Fifth Kazekage fell silent.
If this intelligence was true, then now was the last window of opportunity for the Ninja Village Alliance to win. Because Nagato had already displayed strength surpassing the Kage level before controlling the Jinchuriki. Once he completely controlled the five Jinchuriki, no one present was willing to imagine to what extent his strength could rise.
"Then wait for the Mizukage to arrive and vote directly!" Pausing, the Fourth Raikage was somewhat displeased: "Why hasn't that guy Mizukage come yet?"
The Fourth Raikage's complaint made the atmosphere in the conference room even more solemn.
If something really happened to the Hidden Mist team on the way to the Hidden Leaf, then the prospect of the Ninja Village Alliance in this decisive battle with the Akatsuki organization would probably be worrying.
Just then, an Intelligence Division ninja rushed into the conference room: "Hokage-sama, just received a message from the Hidden Mist. They encountered the Akatsuki organization on their way here..."
"What!?"
Tsunade's expression tightened.
The Third Tsuchikage asked: "When and where were they attacked? How much manpower did the Akatsuki organization dispatch?"
The Fourth Raikage stood up and roared: "Speak quickly!"
For a moment, everyone in the conference room looked at this Intelligence Division ninja who rushed to report.
Swallowing, the Intelligence Division ninja said somewhat awkwardly: "The... they were not attacked. They encountered the Akatsuki organization's internal strife on the way! According to the news just sent by the Hidden Mist, Akatsuki's 'B' is being besieged by multiple Akatsuki members and fleeing north!"
"Ah!"
"What do you mean?"
"Akatsuki organization internal strife?"
The high-level officials of other villages like the Tsuchikage, Raikage, and Kazekage looked at each other, seeming not to fully understand the content reported by the Intelligence Division ninja.
The Hidden Leaf side led by Tsunade looked thoughtful.
Southeast of the Land of Fire.
Rumble!
Amidst the roar, huge ice crystals shattered in the air, then turned into flakes of ice falling from the sky, as if it was snowing heavily.
And in the afterglow of the setting sun and falling ice flakes, stood a dark red 'Susanoo' up to a hundred meters high and a slightly smaller Ice Crystal Bodhisattva.
The huge ice crystal shattered in the air just now was the right arm of the Ice Crystal Bodhisattva slashed by the 'Susanoo' when 'Susanoo' fought with the Ice Crystal Bodhisattva!
"So... so strong!"
Chojuro looked at the great battle in the distance with a dull expression, couldn't help but sigh in his mouth.
Actually, not only Chojuro, but Suigetsu beside him, and even Mei Terumi acting as the Mizukage in the team, as well as Kisame Hoshigaki and Zabuza guarding Mei Terumi's left and right, were all shocked at this moment!