Chapter 103

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The sky was vast and the fields endless.

In the grassy plains outside Jomae Village.

The weather was good today. Having returned from Konoha, Gensou, who was currently researching soul-related matters, was lazily lying on the grass, hands behind his head, enjoying the cool breeze.

In this relaxed and leisurely state, no one would guess he was the man the outside world claimed would bring disaster to the ninja world, a man constantly scheming, causing the Five Great Shinobi Villages' leaders to be restless.

Dressed in ninja attire, Hanare, just back from a mission, couldn't believe that the clan leader, whom she had been taught to revere as a god since childhood, wasn't as solemn and stern as she imagined.

Although the filter was broken, her respect and admiration for Gensou grew even closer. After all, a high-ranking person with a touch of humanity felt more approachable.

Hearing the footsteps approaching, Gensou continued to lie there with his eyes closed, like an old man leisurely enjoying a sunbath in the park.

Having lived through a second life, he had come to see many things differently and had no interest in maintaining an aloof persona all the time. It was too tiring.

He preferred to live as he saw fit, knowing that his legacy would be shaped by those who came after him. Just like how the Four Celestial revered Seimei as someone powerful enough to conquer the ninja world, or how Hashirama, despite his carefree and gambling nature, was remembered by Konoha's villagers as a strong and strict leader.

When Gensou had heard the villagers of Konoha speak of Hashirama in such glowing terms, he had wanted to write a book detailing the many untold stories between Hashirama and Madara. But he decided against it, knowing he didn't have the literary talent.

Step. Step. Step. The sound of ninja sandals pressing the grass grew closer.

Soon, Hanare arrived at Gensou's side and respectfully said, "Clan Leader."

"Ah, Hanare." Gensou opened his eyes and asked casually, "Have you completed your mission?"

Hanare responded earnestly, "Yes, Clan Leader. I have gathered all the information from the Five Kage Summit."

"Tell me here," Gensou said calmly.

He had caused quite a stir in Konoha recently, and Tsunade had not shown up, which he had anticipated. Normally, the Five Kage would not easily leave their villages.

His guess had been correct. The Five Kage Summit had not been publicly announced, and the discussions were kept secret. But this posed no challenge for Jomae Village, especially with Hanare, one of the most skilled intelligence ninjas, leading the mission.

Hearing Gensou's command, Hanare, who was well-prepared, began to logically and clearly recount the entire meeting's contents and results.

From the moment the news of the Root's destruction arrived, Tsunade had aligned with the Raikage. However, even with the news of such a significant event, the Iwa, Mist, and Sand villages did not support the idea of a full-scale joint force.

Perhaps they saw Konoha as the dominant wolf and Gensou as an outsider wolf, believing it was better for them to let the two contend.

Of course, since they had come to the summit, they wouldn't leave empty-handed. After some compromise, the Five Kage agreed to establish a joint intelligence department to share all information related to Gensou and deploy a small number of elite ninjas into a special task force under this department. The task force would only be deployed with unanimous consent from all five Kage.

"After that, the Five Kage discussed various issues related to mission shares, resource distribution, and signed some written agreements," Hanare continued.

Although the Five Kage Summit was called because of Gensou, once the main topic was concluded, the Kage, who rarely gathered, naturally discussed village matters, making more efficient decisions than when they weren't in direct contact.

During these discussions, Naruto, who had paid close attention to the matters concerning Gensou, eventually couldn't resist and fell asleep during the meeting, creating a first in the history of the Five Kage Summits.

"Naruto." Gensou was surprised that Tsunade had brought Naruto to the summit.

However, after a moment's thought, it made sense. After giving Naruto the necklace that had belonged to Hashirama, Tsunade had essentially acknowledged him as the future Hokage. With no immediate threats like Pain, she likely saw fit to skip over Kakashi and directly nurture Naruto.

Gensou was not concerned with the internal politics of the Five Great Shinobi Villages but listened to Hanare's detailed report.

After hearing it all, Gensou's evaluation of the summit was summed up in two words: "Heh, heh."

A group of people with their own agendas, with decades of accumulated grievances, wouldn't wholeheartedly unite against a common enemy unless they were pushed to the brink of disaster. Only idealistic students in ivory towers would believe otherwise.

"Hanare, do you believe that when I appear, the first to approach me might not be the kunai of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, but rather someone extending a so-called 'friendly' hand in secret?"

Gensou knew all too well the duplicity of political figures.

Hanare, having been exposed to much of the darker side of intelligence work, agreed, "As you said, Clan Leader, that is very likely."

In this era, everyone thought they were the main character.

Using Gensou as a weapon, then disposing of him afterward, was certainly a thought some might entertain after learning of the Root's destruction.

Of course, they might present a façade of friendliness while secretly preparing a lethal strike. Everything was a matter of circumstance.

Gensou had considered that if an army of over ten thousand ninjas relentlessly came after him, without the invulnerable Edo Tensei body like Madara in the Fourth War, and lacking the combined power of Senju and Uchiha with the Rinnegan, he might not be able to hold out indefinitely.

Therefore, he needed to continue to strengthen his power! Fortunately, the current Five Kage didn't have the same level of decisiveness as the first generation Five Kage.

Reflecting on the Battle of the Valley of the End, those five old warhorses had likely coordinated before the Five Kage Summit, using the full might of the five villages to track his movements, leading to their success in locating him so quickly.

Now, that was a strategy that truly resolved issues.

Move in the shadows, gather strength, and then strike with lightning speed, giving no chance for a response.

Unlike the current Five Kage, who were slow and lacking in secrecy.

However, some aspects couldn't be underestimated, like the shared intelligence among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

While he was not overly concerned, he needed to ensure the Hagoromo clan remained vigilant.

After giving Hanare some instructions to keep the clan on high alert and avoid any unnecessary actions, Gensou stood up to continue addressing his training needs.

"Forbidden Technique: Edo Tensei!"

(End of Chapter)