- 2 days later -
"Lord Hokage!"
Kakashi hummed, looking up from a progress report on the port.
"Yes, Shiho?"
Shiho paused for a brief second, not knowing he even knew who she was; she felt her presence was rather weak after all, before she quickly snapped out of it and placed a scroll that she had deciphered just 5 minutes ago on his desk, the symbol of lightning bold in the center of the scroll.
"The Raikage, I wonder what this is about."
Kakashi picked up the scroll and read the neat and somewhat feminine handwriting.
"A Five Kage Summit at the Land of Iron, already approved by Mifune."
Grabbing a blank scroll from his desk, Kakashi quickly wrote out a reply before pausing.
"Kuro, get me Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Namikaze."
Shiho blinked; she wasn't a fool. She knew the reason he was summoning those two.
'He's planning on making two of the strongest S-Ranked ninja in the village his bodyguards? But won't that put the other Kage on edge?'
Her mind swirled as she imagined the worst-case scenario of the rumored short temper of the Raikage getting the better of him, the Tsuchikage's famous Particle Style, the Mizukage's two Kekkei Genkai, and the Kazekage's Magnet Release. A room with all of those monsters, and the Hokage wants to add more monsters to the mix.
Naruto and Sasuke walked in a few moments later, wondering if Kakashi was just in the middle of scolding this woman or something; she was shivering like a leaf.
Kakashi waved as if to say, 'Don't mind her.'
"I called you two in here today because I just received an invitation to a Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron, and I chose you two as my bodyguards."
"Sure, why not. It'll be nice to see Gaara again, and maybe even Zabuza and Haku if they end up being picked as bodyguards."
Naruto replied casually, and Sasuke gave a small nod to show he agreed.
"Good; we leave tomorrow morning," Kakashi said, leaning back in his chair. "It should take the Raikage less than a day, considering how close his country is to the Land of Iron. It should take the Kazekage roughly the same time to arrive as us unless we actually try, but the Mizukage and Tsuchikage should take the longest. Go pack your gear and get ready for the winter climate."
- With Obito -
"So? What is the news that was so urgent that we had to go so far away for?"
Obito looked down from his seat atop a rock and to the left as Zetsu emerged from the ground beside him.
"It would appear that a Five Kage Summit is going to be held in the Land of Iron, and I personally confirmed the rumors that Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Fugaku Uchiha, Mikoto Uchiha, and many Young Uchiha are very much alive through the other three great nations."
"You're unable to put Zetsu clones near Kiri? Obito asked, knowing the nations closest to the Leaf were Tsuna and Kiri, with Kiri closer because of the political marriage.
"Yes, I believe they were all dealt with by Kakashi Hatake after marrying the Mizukage."
Zetsu confirmed, not wanting to send more since he saw it as a complete waste.
Obito looked away, the silence between them stretching until it became uncomfortable.
"So, when were you going to tell me the Akatsuki had a Wood-Style user?"
Obito looked back, the eye through the mask pinning the black half of Zetsu.
"He isn't an enemy."
Black Zetsu defended himself.
"He has done nothing but help you from the shadows."
"So why would he hide from me?"
Obito leaped down from the rock, a hint of annoyance in his voice; the omission of this unknown variable clearly upset him, but it was unclear whether he was more upset with Black Zetsu for keeping it from him or with himself for not noticing sooner.
"He didn—"
Zetsu cut himself off mid-sentence, his eye widening slightly as a sudden communication flared through his network.
"He's here."
Obito turned at the sound of deliberate footsteps approaching them, a black hood over the face of a man with a brown beard.
"So, you're the wood-style user."
The figure didn't reply, walking until he was just out of arm's length of Obito.
"Yes, Obito, I am the Wood-Style User."
Obito's eye twitched behind the mask, and he acted reflexively at the sound of someone knowing his name; a kunai slid from his sleeve into his left hand and was sliced at the man's neck in a quick lunge.
Nawaki raised his hand to block with his own kunai without much reaction as Obito's hand phased through his block, Obito's other hand reaching to grab Nawaki's right shoulder to pull him into the Kamui dimension in that same instant.
Nawaki scoffed from under the hood; jagged branches of wood sprouted from his right shoulder and left hand in an instant, forcing Obito to jump back, leaving a small scratch on his mask, but he avoided the wood spikes that nearly pierced his hand.
"Don't use that name."
Obito slid the kunai back up his sleeve, staring intently at the parts of the man's face he could see.
"So touchy."
Nawaki teased without a care, pulling his hood back, wild hair framing his face and beard giving him a more mature look.
"It would seem that Madara passed on that temper of his, but you're not at his level, so I advise you not to try that again."
Nawaki spoke with a bit of amusement at first, before his voice took on a more serious note, despite the casual amusement still present on his face.
"I'd like to remind you two of the information about the Five Kage Summit. While I can't place clones around Kiri because Kakashi Hatake can appear at any time and deal with them, Kakashi can't be around his wife all the time. Right now they're traveling to the Land of Iron. One of her guards is the 6-tails jinchuriki, and the other is the last member of the Yuki clan."
"So what do you propose?"
Obito asked, turning back to Zetsu, though he did keep Nawaki in his peripheral vision.
Zetsu didn't reply, looking to Nawaki.
"Did you look into what I asked of you?"
Nawaki asked
"Yes, the Raikage is the one who has been digging for information on us, and the Five Kage Summit is likely a response to the capture of the 2-tails. I also believe the Raikage's interaction with that Naruto had something to do with his recent scrutiny as well."
"Then we can make a spectacle out of it all. Gather around 50,000 White Zetsu and have them lie in wait in the countries closest to the Land of Iron. 'Madara' could make his grand entrance here while the two new members remain on standby to capture the Six-Tails-"
"50,000? Since when did those numbers exist? And how would that be enough to distract Kakashi and whoever he brings?"
Obito looked to Zetsu once more, glaring, clearly pissed that he was left out this much.
Nawaki gave him a very unimpressed look.
"You didn't let me finish, boy… Have that Nagato brat gather his paths, and I'll be there as well. And as for Zetsu. I am a Wood Style user, clearly older than you, and I know of Madara. Use your brain. If Zetsu clones can be made and enhanced with my grandfather's cells, then the same could be said for me. The number of Zetsu we have is__________
Nawaki spoke the final number clearly. Obito heard the word, but his single Sharingan still tracked the precise movement of the man's lips in absolute shock, his mind forcing him to verify the number.
Obito's visible eye widened at that; the number was insane, enough to trample any nation, perhaps at any time period. Hashirama, while known for his crazy chakra capacity, shouldn't be able to fight through all of these Zetsu without at least dying from chakra exhaustion.
"Why not ambush the Mizukage on the way there?"
Obito asked, not understanding why this dramatic plan was needed when he could just appear and kidnap the Jinchuriki.
"Because it would fail. Like my Grandfather and Granduncle, I am a gifted sensor. There's a trace of Kakashi Hatake's chakra; this should be his Flying Raijin mark. And from what I can sense in Sage mode, he's gotten a lot stronger; perhaps even I wouldn't be a match if I don't go all out."
"And you're not worried about that?"
Obito had a strange feeling as he watched Nawaki smile like he had it all under control.
"Fine, we'll go with your plan. I'll inform Nagato and have him call the two new members."
Obito replied before vanishing in a swirl, eager to get away from the man; the feeling he gave off was unnerving, and Obito couldn't read him at all. His emotions didn't match his face, and his relaxed demeanor didn't match his power. During that brief exchange, Nawaki Senju, because he had made that very obvious without saying it, wasn't even looking at him when he was defending himself.
- Chapter End -