Chapter 230: Do Guards Not Need to Enter the Meeting Room?

Shinki addressed his summoned beast, Jinya: "From now on, you and Black Fang will stay here in the waters around the Land of Whirlpools. There's plenty of food for you to hunt, but be careful not to stray too far. Mist Ninja patrol these seas with warships. If you run into them, you might end up as snake soup."

Jinya and Black Fang, with their high intelligence, understood basic commands well. As they matured, they grew smarter and more obedient compared to human children, who were often driven by curiosity.

After the warning, the two snakes settled near the waters of the Land of Whirlpools, refraining from wandering aimlessly. They might not fully grasp what "snake soup" meant, but they understood the danger posed by enemy ninjas.

Shinki trusted they'd behave and stay safe.

"Let's go. We need to return to the Land of Iron to… observe the Five Kage Summit. I mean, to participate seriously," he said, his tone laced with irony.

Even though the Five Kage Summit was the most formal and significant meeting in the ninja world, Shinki's real intent was to watch the drama unfold.

The journey to the Land of Iron was uneventful, thanks to the flying puppet. With no need to take a detour or rush on foot, traveling was much easier. Flying tools were a blessing, Shinki thought, no wonder Onoki preferred to float around everywhere.

As the date of the Five Kage Summit approached, the leaders of the major villages arrived one after the other. Even the Third Kazekage left his camp in Chiyo's hands to attend. Although Chiyo had previously suffered a defeat, it wasn't due to incompetence but rather the overwhelming strategy of the enemy. The Third Kazekage had little choice but to trust her once again.

In the conference room, the Third Mizukage sat at the table, looking around in confusion.

"Where are the guards?" he wondered aloud, noticing that Konoha's representatives hadn't brought their guards into the meeting room.

His own bodyguard, the short yet formidable Yagura, seemed equally puzzled. In the first Five Kage Summit, guards had always followed their leaders inside to stand behind them.

Not knowing if this change in protocol was specific to the Land of Iron or a decision by Konoha, the Third Mizukage motioned for Yagura to wait outside. Obediently, Yagura stepped into the adjacent lounge.

In the lounge, Yagura found Shinki sitting leisurely with a book. Approaching him, Yagura greeted him politely, "Hello."

Shinki, who had been reading out of boredom, glanced up. He sized up Yagura, noting his short stature, comparable to Onoki's.

"Hello," Shinki replied with a smile. "And your name is?"

Yagura blinked, startled. "You don't know my name? I'm quite well-known in the ninja world…"

Meanwhile, other village leaders began to arrive. The Third Kazekage entered the conference room with his guard, Rasa. Upon noticing that the guards were not present, the Third Kazekage instructed Rasa to wait in the lounge.

Rasa complied, entering the lounge without so much as a greeting for the others. Yagura and Shinki naturally ignored him as well.

Rasa wasn't particularly qualified to serve as the Third Kazekage's bodyguard at this stage of his career. However, the Kazekage brought him along to give his disciple some exposure to the wider world.

The silence in the lounge persisted until the arrival of the Third Raikage and his guard. Upon entering the conference room and seeing the absence of guards, the Third Mizukage informed them of the new arrangement.

The Third Raikage motioned for his son, A, to join the other guards in the lounge. Similarly, Onoki directed his son, Kitsuchi, to do the same.

A stormed into the lounge, his temper already simmering. Snorting, he walked past Kitsuchi with an air of arrogance.

Kitsuchi ignored A's provocation, opting instead to approach Shinki. He greeted him with a smile, "Good morning."

"It's been a while," Shinki replied, putting away his book. The last time they had met was on the battlefield in the Land of Rain.

A's loud, gruff voice interrupted the conversation. "Are you Hyuga Shinki?" he demanded, his tone resembling that of a mountain barbarian.

Kitsuchi rolled his eyes, disgust flashing briefly in his gaze. He ignored A and continued his conversation with Shinki. He clearly hoped Shinki would do the same.

"The last time we met, you left quite an impression," Kitsuchi remarked. "The village suffered significant losses because of you."

"Really?" Shinki said with a faint smile. "Speaking of losses, your village's ambush caused Konoha quite a bit of trouble. You almost killed several of our geniuses. I must admit, when it comes to targeting talent, Iwagakure is exceptionally skilled."

Kitsuchi let out a rare chuckle. "I suppose it's mutual. When we heard news of you taking down Hanzo, we thought it was misinformation. Even my father respected his strength. To think you defeated him..."

A stood to the side, fuming silently. These two bastards were ignoring him! How dare they!

He clenched his fists, but for now, he kept quiet, his frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

>>>>>

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