Facts proved that Talk no Jutsu was actually a kind of kekkei genkai. Either you had it, or you did not.
Although everyone had gathered together, the problem was that the level of trust between the shinobi villages was practically zero. Reaching a consensus was extremely difficult.
In fact, the more Tsunade spoke, the more the Raikage and Tsuchikage, who had already formed their own preconceived views, would think in the opposite direction. For example, perhaps someone really was collecting the tailed beasts, but did "Akatsuki" truly exist? Was reviving the Ten-Tails even possible?
When interests and positions were involved, words had little meaning, and many things had nothing to do with truth or falsehood.
Even if everything Tsunade said right now were false, Sunagakure and Kirigakure, which had lost their tailed beasts, would still follow Konoha's lead and insist that it was true. Even if Tsunade could produce one hundred percent proof that everything she said was true, the Raikage and Tsuchikage would absolutely refuse to acknowledge her claims.
The villages that had lost their tailed beasts wanted all tailed beasts to disappear. The villages that still possessed tailed beasts wanted to keep possessing them. Put bluntly, all Five Kage were egoists.
At most, they were "my own village first" egoists.
The crisis facing the shinobi world was invisible and intangible, while Konoha's current targeting of the tailed beasts was something everyone could see with their own eyes.
So what if someone was seizing tailed beasts? Capturing tailed beasts was as common as fishing. If a village had its tailed beast stolen, that was that village's own problem.
The matter of the Seven-Tails was indeed difficult to explain, but "vanished without a trace" did not mean it was truly dead.
Even in the one-in-a-million chance that Konoha really did possess the ability to eliminate tailed beasts, so what? Hand over the tailed beasts for the sake of world peace? How could that be possible? People had heard of limited nuclear disarmament and restrictions on nuclear proliferation, but they had never heard of demanding that the Five Great Nations hand over all such weapons.
There was only one way to make any country surrender weapons of that kind…
War.
"Should everyone distrust us, then when the tailed beasts are dealt with, we will not keep the process hidden from any party…"
But even if Tsunade let them watch the entire process from beginning to end, it would be useless.
From Kumogakure or Iwagakure's standpoint, imagining Konoha's scheme was actually very simple. As long as the tailed beast and jinchūriki appeared before a certain someone, what if Konoha then said, "Sorry, we can't kill this thing after all. But we do have the White Yaksha, so these things are far safer in our house than in yours. Therefore, for the sake of world peace, you may withdraw from the group"? Would they still be able to take their tailed beasts back?
Heh. Take a guess.
"According to Konoha's claim, that organization called Akatsuki wants to gather all the tailed beasts and revive the Ten-Tails. That is correct, yes?" After a period of silence, the Tsuchikage spoke.
Tsunade nodded. There was nothing wrong with that statement.
"To prevent the enemy from achieving that goal, the five great shinobi villages need to dispose of all existing tailed beasts, because Konoha possesses a method to completely kill tailed beasts. That is also correct, yes?"
"That is correct."
"And in reality, you have already begun doing so. The Seven-Tails, Nine-Tails, and One-Tail have all already been completely erased… Correct?"
By this point, Hagoromo had already guessed what the other party was about to say next.
"According to legend, the Ten-Tails is indeed something capable of destroying the world. After it was split into nine, it became the nine tailed beasts that have survived until today. In that case, one point is very easy to understand: if the Ten-Tails is to be revived, missing even a single tailed beast should make that impossible."
"But now, one third of the tailed beasts have already been lost forever, so the Ten-Tails no longer has any possibility of revival…"
"In that case, the world crisis the Hokage speaks of has already disappeared. Therefore… we have no reason to hand over our tailed beasts."
Fine. This logic really was quite logical.
"No. Exactly how the Ten-Tails is revived is something we have yet to fully determine. However, even now, when they clearly know it is impossible to gather all the tailed beasts, Akatsuki is still actively moving. At the very least, this proves they have another method of reviving it," Tsunade said.
"Akatsuki, the Ten-Tails, killing tailed beasts—from beginning to end, all of it is nothing but the Hokage's speculation. You expect us to hand over the tailed beasts based on such claims? Wishful thinking!" the Raikage refuted.
That questioning attitude again. Tsunade was about to explode.
I've put up with you for long enough, damn it!
She abruptly moved to rise from her seat, but at that moment, Jiraiya's palm pressed down on her shoulder. Then he gently shook his head at her.
At this point, Konoha had already said enough. It was time for the others to step forward and express their positions.
Hagoromo remained silent. Things were just as he had predicted in advance. A world without tailed beasts was definitely beautiful. When tailed beasts ran rampant, everyone yearned for such a world. But when the opportunity to actually realize that world arrived, this was what they became.
Hesitating to move forward? No. They were firmly opposing it.
"There is no need for the Raikage to doubt everything. Logically speaking, there is nothing wrong with what the Hokage has said. In my view, it is quite persuasive."
"As far as Kirigakure is concerned, an organization dressed in matching attire did indeed seize the Three-Tails and Six-Tails. They were powerful. I personally fought them, and they were indeed called Akatsuki… Before we reach a consensus, I cannot disclose unnecessary intelligence, but among them was a former Iwagakure shinobi. His name was… I believe Deidara?"
Terumī Mei said this, but her words were clearly half-true and half-false. She had seen Deidara my ass. At that time, Deidara had been busy faceplanting in the Land of Rice Fields.
This intelligence had come from her earlier exchange with Konoha's side. After all, Terumī Mei could not exactly say that the main force of Akatsuki's invasion of Kirigakure had consisted of Kirigakure missing-nin and Konoha missing-nin. So she could only use Ōnoki's disciple to slap him in the face.
But Ōnoki remained unmoved.
"Deidara? Never heard that name. The Mizukage must be mistaken. He is not an Iwagakure shinobi."
The Tsuchikage was lying through his teeth, because admitting here and now that an Iwagakure missing-nin had joined Akatsuki and invaded Kirigakure would bring him no benefit whatsoever, though the expression on his granddaughter's face behind him explained everything.
"In any case, a world without tailed beasts is worth working together to achieve. At the very least, we should attempt to see how it can be done… Please maintain a basic level of trust. Under the joint supervision of the five great shinobi villages and the neutral Land of Iron, the seizure of tailed beasts will not occur," Terumī Mei continued acting.
Hagoromo reached up with both hands and rubbed his face. Even he could hardly bear to listen to this… Fine. To say something that anyone could tell was nonsense in such a dignified and high-sounding way—she truly was worthy of being the Kage of a village.
Then Ebizō also followed up. "Sunagakure also agrees with the claim that Akatsuki has created a crisis for the entire shinobi world. The possibility of the Ten-Tails' revival is real. Their invasion of Sunagakure is still right before our eyes. I believe it will not be long before Iwagakure and Kumogakure have their turns… The tailed-beast disposal method mentioned by the Hokage is the most appropriate one. If we can completely resolve the 'disaster' that has plagued the shinobi world for a thousand years, why not try?"
"Iwagakure and Kumogakure should hand over their tailed beasts. Otherwise, do you intend to watch the entire world fall into crisis because of your mistaken judgment?"
What did it mean to speak without feeling the pain? Ebizō gave a profound demonstration.
However, Sunagakure had finally begun properly playing the role of Konoha's ally, though at its core, they were merely acting to protect themselves.
But at this moment, Ebizō actually wanted to curse, "MMP (Maximum Power Point)." Sunagakure's One-Tail had completely called finished? Why did they themselves know nothing about it?
Originally, in Sunagakure's understanding, after Shukaku was extracted from Gaara, the most likely outcome was that Konoha had sealed it again, or perhaps killed it directly… But they had never expected that it had truly been "killed." Their plan to act like obedient little children in front of Konoha and then seize the opportunity to ask about Shukaku's whereabouts had completely gone up in smoke.
Aside from the moderator, the five forces present were now divided into clear black and white.
"To deal with the chaos now right before us, Kumogakure and Iwagakure must hand over their tailed beasts. Otherwise, we believe it will be necessary to adopt 'forceful' measures," Terumī Mei stated her position in the strictest terms.
The villages that had lost their tailed beasts wanted to eliminate the imbalance. The villages that possessed tailed beasts wanted to preserve their advantage. This was the essence of the "sides" taken by the other four villages besides Konoha.
As for Konoha… Ahem. They sincerely wanted world peace.
…Or perhaps worldwide nuclear peace.
"Hand over the tailed beasts?"
"Impossible!" the Raikage and Tsuchikage said almost in unison.
People would develop feelings even after raising a husky for ten years, let alone tailed beasts they had kept for decades. The unreasonable demand made by the three parties led by Konoha was simply inhuman.
"In that case, what comes next is very simple. Then… war has begun."
"However, first, you need to survive a certain little game."
"What was the name of that game again… Oh, battle royale."
Blue-white arcs of electricity began flashing over Hagoromo's body as he spoke the most important line in nearly ten chapters.
…The boring meeting was finally over.
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