Chapter 73

Shimura Danzo was still satisfied with his reward, being the leader of the Root in Konoha. He had some military power and hoped that through his efforts, he might get a glimpse of the Fourth Hokage's location. This was the reason he had risked his life multiple times during the war and continued to struggle. In his eyes, his life meant nothing compared to the position of Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen went to the meeting, acting as the Hokage and overseeing everything in Konoha. This pleased Danzo. He saw it as an opportunity to have fun with the Emperor, while Naruto took care of the house and gathered a group of people for his own use. However, he never expected that Sarutobi Hiruzen would assign Uzumaki Mito to guard Konoha politically, giving Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu a share of his authority. And in terms of military matters, he handed over direct control to Jiraiya and Tsunade. He had become a nominal leader. It was all a pretense, and Sarutobi Hiruzen would be back as soon as something happened. This angered Shimura Danzo.

According to the neighbors, Shimura Clan had made a lot of noise that night, followed by three large garbage trucks the next day. It was all rubbish. Tea sets, pots and pans, dining tables, desks, chairs, wardrobes, and shredded scrolls were thrown away. The mess was so overwhelming that people couldn't bear to look at it directly.

During Hiruzen's absence, Shimura Danzo pretended to be sick and remained bedridden. He was delighted when he heard that Hiruzen cared about his health before leaving. He took it as an opportunity to rest and avoid work. According to the neighbors' accounts, Shimura Clan made noise all night again, and the next day, they disposed of the rubbish with five large trucks and changed all the furniture. People couldn't help but sigh at how wealthy the Shimura Clan seemed to be. They changed furniture as frequently as they changed clothes.

Sarutobi Hiruzen left triumphantly, accompanied by Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru's confidantes, Admiral, to the eventful meeting.

...

Tetsu no Kuni, a well-known neutral country in the Shinōbi World, was covered in heavy snow. The country was ruled by samurai, and due to its neutrality, it was often chosen as the venue for the Five Kages' meeting.

The Admiral of Tetsu no Kuni, who held actual power, was also a Kage-level ninja with the capability to organize the meeting.

...

"Welcome to Tetsu no Kuni, my Lord. We have organized the Five Kages meeting on the orders of the Hokage. If there is anything you wish to discuss, please inform me," the current Admiral of Tetsu no Kuni gently addressed the gathered Kage at the U-shaped table. He was a renowned sword hero.

The U-shaped table was an interesting setup. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at one end, while the rest of the Four Kage took their seats casually. Hitoshi glanced at the Raikage and Tsuchikage sitting across from him, occasionally glancing at the Mizukage beside him. Finally, he sighed, realizing that they were all supporting each other.

The Raikage had a muscular body, with his upper body exposed. The Tsuchikage had a big nose, a short stature, and was half-bald. The Mizukage was an ambiguous figure, difficult to distinguish between male and female, and had a deceptive smile hiding a knife. The Hokage was a middle-aged uncle, who looked decent but was unfortunately an old pervert, always making inappropriate remarks.

In comparison, Hitoshi, the Kazekage of this new era, had handsome features, a well-proportioned body, and dressed impressively. He was convincing. Compared to the other four Kage, Hitoshi couldn't help but secretly sigh that he was the most righteous one.

"Hehe, Lord Hokage, I'm curious about the purpose of this Five Kages meeting. Is Konoha planning to sell the Nine-Tails in a redivision of the Bijū?" Onoki broke the silence, taking the lead.

"We're not selling the Bijū. I dare say that you can't afford it. If I dare to sell, would you dare to buy?" Sarutobi Hiruzen responded without showing any weakness. Who was afraid of whom? Let's challenge each other.

"Old Sarutobi, Big Nose, we've fought each other so many times. If you want to be honest, why bother with these formalities? If we're going to fight, let's do it on the battlefield," Third Raikage Ai said, his voice low and his eyes intense.

"Hey, what a barbarian," Mizukage snorted disdainfully.

"Let's all calm down and speak peacefully. If there's anything we can't agree on, we can settle it with a duel. Can anyone do that? Let's not be noisy," Hitoshi smiled, trying to provide some comfort.

The sincerity in his eyes caused the others to become fierce. They were all civilized individuals, so why were they resorting to such language?

The other four immediately stared at Hitoshi, feeling annoyed by his truthful statement.

"Hehe, an arms dealer is qualified to talk about peace," Onoki mocked Hitoshi, his eyes filled with provocation.

"I'm not claiming to be qualified. I'm just here to watch the excitement. I hope you all can bark like dogs," Hitoshi openly admitted that he enjoyed fighting, and if he didn't put in the effort, he would feel guilty wasting his strength.

"Ahem, I agree with Kazekage-sama. We're all civilized people. Let's discuss matters openly and peacefully," Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Hitoshi subtly, saying, "We have two main topics to discuss: a ceasefire and Uchiha Madara."

At the mention of the latter name, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes darkened.

"Isn't Madara dead? Are you suggesting that your Wood Release Shinōbi is Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Madara has started fighting along the border between our countries?" Onoki continued to mock, ignoring the terror in his own eyes.

"Madara may not be dead, or there could be a successor who is capable of killing the mirror, even spiking him. Both possibilities are terrifying, as they possess the strength equivalent to Kage-level peak. Perhaps even more," Sarutobi Hiruzen explained, feeling a headache coming on. He genuinely had a headache and pretending to be bored wasn't going to change that fact.

The death of Uchiha Kagami had destabilized Uchiha Clan, and the involvement of Uchiha Madara made matters even more complicated.

"Whether Uchiha Madara is alive or if there is a successor who can kill the mirror, it's all frightening. They possess at least Kage-level peak strength, if not more," Third Mizukage said solemnly. He had formed an alliance with Konoha. If one surpassed Kage-level, was there truly no limit? The answer to this question was easy: there was still a long way to go. Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were perfect examples. Each village's Shōdai Kage had been surpassed to some extent. Additionally, every Kage-level ninja had some hidden techniques up their sleeves. After Third Mizukage's analysis, silence fell upon the group. They weren't surprised by the information; they just didn't want to admit it.

"Raikage's finger, my Dust Release, Hokage's five escape synthesis, and Mizukage's Ice Release Secret Technique. We all possess battle strength beyond Kage-level, but only for a short period. After a while, we can't sustain it. Kazekage-sama, what level of strength do you possess?" Onoki dropped his overbearing demeanor, presenting facts and staring at Hitoshi with shining eyes.