In the Land of Iron, thick snow blanketed the sky like a curtain of ash. Towering peaks loomed on the only path leading to the Five Kage Summit.
At the summit of one such mountain, dozens of shinobi wearing eerie demon masks stood in silent formation. Their leader stood at the edge of the cliff, his gaze fixed coldly on the trio approaching from below, trudging through the snow-covered road. Leading the group was a man cloaked in white, a wide bamboo hat shading his features.
"The target is in sight. Move!"
At the command, the masked shinobi behind him immediately formed hand seals in unison and unleashed a coordinated jutsu.
Earth Style: Rockfall!
Rumble. Rumble. RUMBLE!!
Massive chunks of stone tumbled down the mountain, aimed straight at the three figures below.
The trio came to a halt. From beneath the bamboo hat, a calm male voice echoed, composed and unshaken:"Don't engage..."
In a blur, he formed seals.
Wind Style: Net of Falling Blades.
WHOOSH—hundreds of wind-infused blades soared upward, forming a net of swirling currents. In an instant—crack!—the avalanche of stone was shredded into fine particles, rendered harmless.
Just then—Whoosh!A kunai wreathed in lightning split through the dust, slashing across the mask of one of the shinobi on the cliff.
"Tch. Just a kunai? Keep attacking!" the masked leader barked.
But before his command could be carried out—
"Ahhh!!"
Cries of pain erupted from behind him—dozens of voices screaming in unison.
He whipped around, eyes widening.
Just moments ago, his men had been ready and alert. Now they all lay sprawled in the snow, lifeless.
Standing silently among their corpses was a figure in a white cloak and bamboo hat, a kunai dripping in one hand.
A cold sweat broke down the masked leader's spine. Despite the mask, panic was evident in every trembling muscle.
"W-What... what just happened?!"
Whoosh!
In a flash, the kunai was at his throat.
"Anything that comes into contact with my chakra will carry my mark," the man under the hat said coolly. "Judging by those masks, you must be from the Prajna Clan of the Forest Country. Our two nations have shared peaceful relations. Why would you betray that?"
The masked man glanced down. Near the crack left by the kunai on his mask, a glowing mark pulsed faintly. His hands clenched.
"Peaceful? Don't make me laugh! You speak of harmony while your ANBU have been slaughtering our people in secret. How many of my kin have died in your name?!"
The man beneath the bamboo hat was silent for a moment before speaking again."I've never issued such an order. There must be some misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding? Then explain why they wore your ANBU uniforms! Why they claimed to follow your direct orders! I've long wanted vengeance but lacked the opportunity. This Five Kage Summit is our only chance, and I will not waste it. I carry the will of my people."
His voice lowered to a hiss:"And you should know—it was a certain high-ranking figure in Konoha who revealed your route to us. He even gave me our trump card!"
With that, the leader flung off his gray cloak—whoosh!
Several seals glowed across his chest.
"That's... the Four Symbols Seal," came a surprised voice from beneath the hat.
BOOM!!
Black light burst outward, forming a massive sphere that engulfed everything within hundreds of meters. When the explosion faded, the mountaintop had been gouged into a crater like the inside of a bowl.
Whoosh...
Standing beside the fallen kunai, the cloaked figure reappeared, cloak fluttering in the wind. He bent down, retrieved his bamboo hat, and muttered:
"I see... Danzo."
BOOM!
A few seconds later, the Prajna leader's lifeless body crumpled onto the snow.
Clatter... Clatter...
Startled by the deafening blast, a squad of Iron Country samurai rushed up the mountain path, swords drawn, their armor glinting with frost.
"Identify yourselves!" their captain barked. "State your names!"
The cloaked man slowly reached up and removed his hat, revealing short blond hair and a strikingly handsome, youthful face. His tone was polite but dignified:
"My name is Namikaze Minato, Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure in the Land of Fire. I've come to attend the Five Kage Summit."
Gasp!
The samurai glanced at one another in disbelief beneath their steel helmets.
"Namikaze Minato... The Fourth Hokage... The Yellow Flash of Konoha? He's so young!"
Minato gestured to the two men behind him."These are Akimichi Tōtō and Inuzuka Gabi, my personal guards."
Clack!The samurai sheathed their blades and dropped to one knee in respect.
"Lord Hokage, we welcome you to the Land of Iron. But may we ask—what just happened here?"
Minato answered plainly:"A group of shinobi launched an ambush on us as we made our way through the mountain pass."
The samurai looked toward the lone body lying in the snow, their brows furrowed.
Then Akimichi Tōtō stepped forward. His voice boomed with the weight of his massive frame:"Those dozens of attackers? The Fourth Hokage eliminated them in the opening moments of the battle."
Shock rippled through the samurai ranks."Eliminated? Instantly?!"
"But... where are the bodies?" their captain asked. "We must report this to our commander, Lord Mifune."
Inuzuka Gabi rode forward on a massive yellow ninken."The man you see here was their leader. The Fourth caught him alive. Knowing he couldn't escape, he activated a forbidden technique—one designed to take his enemies with him. That jutsu sealed all nearby matter within a sphere, including the bodies of his fallen comrades. Right now, their remains are all trapped within him."
The samurai recoiled at the explanation, more than one stealing a wary glance at Minato.
"Confirm it," the captain ordered.
"Yes, sir!"One of the soldiers approached, knelt beside the corpse, and inspected the seals etched into its chest.
"It's true! There's a sealing formation embedded in his chest!"
The captain stood."Understood. Lord Fourth, we apologize deeply that this incident occurred within our borders. We will personally escort you the rest of the way to the summit."
Minato shook his head."That won't be necessary. You should return to your duties."
"In that case, we'll obey your command."The samurai gathered the body and departed down the snowy slope.
"Phew..." Minato finally exhaled and turned to the two behind him."Thanks, you two. I've never been great at handling political messes like this."
"Why so formal with us, brother?" Tōtō laughed.
"Even as Hokage, you're still the same, Minato!" Gabi added with a grin.
Both Tōtō and Gabi had once been part of Minato's original squad. Though older than him, they had always treated him like a younger brother. Now that Minato had risen to Hokage and they served as his guards, their camaraderie remained unchanged.
Minato smiled faintly. Then his expression turned serious."Let's keep moving. I've got a bad feeling... Something tells me this Five Kage Summit won't be as peaceful as it seems."
He pulled the Hokage hat over his head, and in his piercing blue eyes, a fierce light gleamed.
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