"Kaito!"
Everyone's expression shifted at the sight of Kaito's sudden appearance.
Unexpectedly, it was the Third Kazekage who slammed his hands on the table and shot to his feet first, roaring, "Such audacity! You dare to come here alone? Do you really think we're all talk?"
"Heh heh, who said I came alone?" Kaito snapped his fingers. Two figures walked in through the doorway—it was Hanzo and Onoki.
They stood behind Kaito, the master-servant relationship clear at a glance.
"Onoki? You actually submitted?"
"He who understands the times is a wise man. I merely took the path I was supposed to take," Onoki said nonchalantly.
The faces of everyone present changed. Their opponent had two Kage-level guards. If a fight really broke out, they weren't certain they could win.
The deeper implication was that if even the Tsuchikage had become Kaito's subordinate, then the majority of Iwagakure's elite forces had likely been integrated into the Land of Rain.
With the strength of two nations combined, the Land of Rain had probably become the number one great nation in the shinobi world in the truest sense.
As an old rival, the Third Raikage stood up, his expression filled with a powerful fighting spirit.
Lightning sparked around his body, as if he were already prepared to strike. "I heard you easily defeated Hanzo and Onoki, and that your strength has reached the pinnacle of the shinobi world. It seems that's true. However, I enjoy fighting the strong more than anything. Allow me to test your skills."
"Wait!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen could no longer stand by and watch. He quickly stood up to stop him. "Raikage, don't be rash! Kaito definitely came here fully prepared. We probably won't gain any advantage by attacking directly."
"So what?" The Third Raikage took a step forward, seemingly determined to fight.
Orochimaru, standing behind the Third Hokage, also said with a cold expression, "Master, you're overthinking it. This is the best opportunity. With the combined strength of so many of us, there's a high probability we can take him down."
"I agree," Tsunade said, clenching her fists. "I've been ready to punch him for a while now."
The Third Kazekage nodded. "I refuse to believe that brat is really that strong!"
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, the weakest among them, trembled as he watched his seniors on the verge of battle. He had already decided that if a fight broke out, he would prioritize self-preservation, but he also had to show his strength so the Land of Water wouldn't be looked down upon.
Seeing that so many had chosen to fight, Sarutobi Hiruzen's resolve began to waver.
Just then, Mifune stepped forward. "Everyone, I have kindly provided a venue for this meeting, but that does not mean I will allow you to fight here! If you insist on battling, then don't blame the Land of Iron for being impolite!"
He waved his hand, and a large group of samurai stepped forward, completely surrounding the conference room.
Seeing this, even the fearless Third Raikage frowned.
"Is Lord Mifune trying to shelter Kaito?"
"Isn't 'shelter' a bit of a strong word?" Mifune said sternly. "This is merely a dispute over your own interests; it has nothing to do with justice. I agreed to the Third Hokage's proposal only to prevent another war from breaking out and causing more suffering. Moreover..."
"Moreover, Master Mifune was once my teacher in the art of the sword."
Kaito picked up the conversation with a smile. "So, it's only natural that he would be biased towards me."
"What? They have that kind of relationship?"
The others were astonished, their estimation of the Land of Rain's power expanding once again. They even began to suspect that a large force from the Rain Village had already assembled nearby to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.
Thinking of this, the Third Raikage fell silent for a moment, then retracted his chakra. "Fine. This time, I'll give the Third Hokage and the Land of Iron some face. Speak, Kaito. What is your purpose in coming here?"
"My purpose?" Kaito laughed. "It's simple. I heard you were holding a Kage summit, so I came. After all, I am the new Amekage of the Land of Rain."
"Amekage? Such arrogance!" Dodai sneered. "Only after being acknowledged by the other Kage can one be called a 'Kage.' You're still a little short, aren't you?"
"Oh? I've defeated a Tsuchikage, and I'm still not qualified?" Kaito frowned and looked at Onoki. "Onoki, you didn't lie to me, did you?"
"Of course not!" Onoki quickly explained. "If they don't acknowledge it, then they are the ones lying with a guilty conscience!"
"Alright, there's no need to argue over this trivial matter."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe. "On behalf of Konoha, I acknowledge the title of Amekage. What about the rest of you?"
"Hmph."
The others did not object.
"Thanks for the support, my friends," Kaito said, spreading his hands. "Then there should be no problem with me participating in this meeting, right?"
"Come, come, let's not all stand around. Please, sit down and let's start the meeting."
Kaito directly took over Mifune's role as host. "May I ask the convener of this meeting, the esteemed Third Hokage, what is the topic of discussion?"
"..."
Isn't this guy asking the obvious? Are we supposed to answer that this meeting was called to discuss how to deal with you? the others thought to themselves as they returned to their seats.
But old ginger is always spicier. Sarutobi Hiruzen took another two puffs from his pipe and said in a low voice, "Naturally, it concerns the recent war. In just a few short months, countless have been killed or wounded, dealing a heavy blow to every village. The most tragic is Iwagakure, which has been directly removed from the map."
"Therefore, I believe that large-scale wars of aggression should be prohibited. Nations and villages should maintain good, cooperative relationships..."
"I object!" The warmonger, the Third Raikage, was the first to raise an objection. "It is only natural that powerful nations should possess more land and more money. On what basis does Konoha occupy the most fertile land in the shinobi world? Was it not due to the power of the First Hokage in his day?"
"And now you want to comfortably occupy it forever? In your dreams!"
The Kazekage and Mizukage both nodded in agreement. "That's right. I cannot accept my country remaining on barren land forever!"
So this is the root of the conflict, isn't it?
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. He couldn't just cede land; that would be an act of treason for which he would be cursed for a thousand years. He wasn't that foolish.
The meeting had reached a stalemate right from the start.
The fundamental reason was that this was never the real agenda; they had no consensus on this issue.
If they were discussing how to deal with Kaito and the Land of Rain, it would certainly have gone much more smoothly.
Unfortunately, faced with Kaito's thick skin, Sarutobi Hiruzen was helpless.
Is this meeting going to end just like this? Was that Kaito's goal?
Just as the situation reached a deadlock, Kaito suddenly raised his hand. "Actually, I have a bold idea."