Chapter 232: The Puppets’ Damage is Comparable to That of the Tailed Beast Ball?

The Third Kazekage spoke with a serious tone:

"Let me be clear—this type of attack causes catastrophic casualties. While wars between ninjas are inevitable, they should not endanger innocent civilians. Konoha must cease using such puppets on the battlefield, and certainly must not deploy them into enemy villages for self-destruction missions."

In the lounge next door, the tension was palpable. All eyes turned to Shinki. Even Rasa, who had been silently sitting in a corner, glanced up, intrigued.

Would Shinki feel cornered and admit guilt? Or would he explode in anger?

To everyone's surprise, Shinki did neither. Instead, he calmly pulled out his book, flipping the pages as if he were completely uninterested in the discussion.

The room grew quiet except for the faint rustle of Shinki turning the pages of his book. It was a ninja novel, one of those popular "rags-to-riches" stories about a village ninja rising to prominence. A light read, but engaging enough to pass the time.

The others stared at him, their heads practically filled with question marks. Isn't he angry? Shouldn't he at least react?

Shinki remained unbothered, leisurely engrossed in his book, as if the intense discussion next door had nothing to do with him.

Even the Five Kage in the adjacent conference room couldn't help but glance toward the lounge, listening closely for a reaction. To their dismay, Shinki's lack of response was unsettling. The quieter he was, the more unpredictable he seemed.

The Third Hokage, however, felt a growing unease. The quieter Shinki is, the more likely he is planning something.

In the conference room, the Third Kazekage presented his evidence: sketches and detailed data from the battlefield. Copies were distributed to each Kage, including the Third Hokage.

As the Third Hokage examined the sketches, his eyes widened in shock. The destruction caused by the puppets was staggering—entire camps obliterated, the ground scorched, and the devastation likened to the aftermath of a Tailed Beast Ball. The comparison wasn't an exaggeration.

The Third Hokage finally understood why Suna had called for the Five Kage Summit and why the other villages supported it. They were afraid. The potential of Konoha's puppets terrified them.

Truth be told, even the Third Hokage felt uneasy. If Shinki ever turned against Konoha, these puppets could wreak unimaginable havoc.

The Third Raikage frowned, deep in thought. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"If Sand Village's findings are accurate, the level of destruction here is comparable to the Tailed Beast Ball. When the tailed beasts in our village went berserk, they caused similar devastation. I'm deeply familiar with this scale of destruction."

His words carried weight, as Cloud Village had experienced firsthand the chaos of a Tailed Beast's rampage.

Iwa and Mist Village leaders nodded in agreement. Their villages, too, had dealt with tailed beasts. Even Suna had faced One-Tail's outbursts, though the damage had always been relatively minor due to the beast's weakness.

Only Konoha seemed disconnected from this shared experience. The Nine-Tails, though powerful, had never gone berserk within the village.

"Are Konoha's puppets truly capable of such destruction?" the Third Mizukage asked, his gaze shifting to the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage hesitated, then gave a vague reply. "I'm not entirely sure. This was a retaliation mission targeting Suna. I wasn't involved in the specifics."

His ambiguous response didn't fool anyone. A Hokage unaware of such a devastating weapon being deployed by his village? No one believed it.

The Third Kazekage seized the moment. "This is why we must strictly regulate these puppets, just as we've imposed restrictions on the use of tailed beast power."

The idea was clear—banning such puppets outright was unrealistic, especially since Suna relied heavily on puppets themselves. But imposing strict regulations? That was achievable.

"I agree," Onoki said decisively. Iwa doesn't have such puppets, so restricting Konoha's use of them would only benefit us.

"I agree!" The Third Mizukage and Third Raikage followed suit. Their logic mirrored Onoki's—targeting Konoha aligned with their villages' interests.

In the lounge, Kitsuchi, Yagura, Rasa, and Ai all exchanged glances, waiting for Shinki's reaction to the mounting opposition.

Shinki, however, didn't so much as glance up from his book.

Even as the alliance against Konoha solidified in the conference room, Shinki's calm demeanor remained unshaken.

The Third Kazekage continued:

"Imagine the consequences if such an attack were unleashed on your village. None of us could withstand such devastation. We must act now to prevent this from happening again."

His words echoed across the room, the unspoken tension thickening. The Five Kage Summit had only just begun, but the battle lines were already being drawn.

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