"What are you thinking about, Kyusei?"
"You look completely distracted."
kaoru hugged Kyusei's arm, half her body leaning against him.
Kyusei glanced at the girl beside him and said with a trace of melancholy:
"I want to go take a look at the Rain Village…"
"No!"
Before Kyusei could even finish his sentence, kaoru immediately cut him off.
Seeing how intense her reaction was, Kyusei was momentarily left speechless.
kaoru looked at the stunned boy, blinked at him, then slipped into his arms like a little kitten. She looked up at him pitifully, her voice soft and sweet:
"Nooo, don't…"
"It's so dangerous out there right now…"
"Just stay home with me…"
Kyusei fell silent.
In that moment, he suddenly understood why certain foolish rulers in ancient times had been ruined by beauty.
Who wouldn't lose their head in a situation like this?
Looking at the girl acting cute in his arms, even though he knew this wasn't right, Kyusei still nodded almost instinctively.
"…Alright. I'll listen to you, kaoru."
"Then Kyusei has to keep his promise~"
The blonde girl rose on her toes, her soft pink lips lightly pressing against his cheek.
kaoru could have chosen to stop Kyusei forcefully—this idea of his was extremely irrational in her eyes.
But instead, she chose a gentler method, one that wouldn't put him in a difficult position.
Clearly, what had happened with Nao had given her a sense of crisis, causing her—who had always trusted Kyusei without reservation—to develop thoughts of her own.
Having her own thoughts didn't mean there was distance between them.
It was simply a natural possessiveness everyone had.
Just like how, if someone showed interest in kaoru or Nao, Kyusei would feel displeased—but he wouldn't immediately resort to violence.
However, if the other party took action, Kyusei would calmly explain why a Tailed Beast Ball tasted like strawberries.
Yagura Karatachi stood by the window, watching Kyusei and kaoru walk away. No one knew what he was thinking.
"Mizukage-sama, should we depart now?" a tall man wearing a Mist Village forehead protector asked.
He was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—the wielder of the Thunder Blade, Kurotsuchi Raiga.
When Uzumaki Kyusei had assaulted Kirigakure, Raiga had been away on a mission, narrowly escaping death.
As for Kisame Hoshigaki—he had already been dealt with by Yagura, who had stripped him of Samehada.
If Kisame had died in battle, Yagura would've honored him as a hero.
But fleeing without even drawing his blade—panic-stricken and abandoning his post—was something neither Yagura nor the Mist Village could tolerate.
"Let's go. There's nothing more to handle here," Yagura said, waving his hand.
—
The Land of Iron was the only neutral nation in the shinobi world—and the only country ruled by samurai.
There were no ninja here. Only samurai.
Because they followed bushidō and valued honor and integrity, many merchants in the shinobi world preferred to establish bases here, leading to the Land of Iron's flourishing trade.
Ninja also liked stopping here to rest, so despite hosting people from all walks of life, major incidents were surprisingly rare.
The leader of the Land of Iron, Mifune, was a man who embodied bushidō down to his bones.
But right now, his head hurt.
Because the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Lightning were planning to secretly hold a Three-Kage Summit here.
Konoha had grown far too powerful. Kirigakure had outright become Konoha's lapdog, shamelessly offering tribute.
As a result, the three nations had no choice but to form an alliance.
Any location would've worked—but they chose the Land of Iron.
And the worst part?
They wanted him to preside over it.
Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to offend any of the three powers.
So he could only grit his teeth and accept.
Within the borders of the Land of Iron, on a snowstorm-ravaged plain, a fortress resembling a castle stood silently.
Normally abandoned, the fortress was now filled with the most powerful and influential figures in the shinobi world.
Inside its vast conference hall, several figures gathered.
They were divided into three factions—and anyone who recognized them would be shocked.
They were none other than the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki of the Two Scales; the Third Kazekage, Kurosawa; and the newly appointed Fourth Raikage, A of the Yotsuki clan.
A massive portion of the shinobi world's military power rested in their hands.
Yet the atmosphere between the three was anything but harmonious.
"I think there's no need for further discussion," the youngest—and most hot-tempered—Fourth Raikage spoke first.
"Konoha has grown too strong. If they're not checked, sooner or later they'll dominate the entire shinobi world."
"Hmph. Are young people these days all this impatient?" Ōnoki sneered, his short frame and graying hair emphasizing his age as he mocked A.
"What did you say?!"
"You damn short old man—are you looking to die?!"
Still harboring resentment over the death of the Third Raikage, A exploded instantly.
"Hmph. It's simply the truth," Ōnoki replied calmly, utterly unafraid.
Though he was just past fifty and no longer at his peak, his temper hadn't mellowed in the slightest.
"If you two keep this up, then let's just forget the alliance altogether," the Third Kazekage said, rubbing his temples at the clash between youth and age.
"Konoha's strength leaves us no choice. An alliance is inevitable."
Crossing his arms, the Third Kazekage continued calmly:
"Even among known forces alone, Konoha has numerous powerful shinobi."
"The Third Hokage. Konoha's White Fang. The Sannin. The Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."
"Plus Danzō Shimura, who hasn't acted in years."
"With such overwhelming strength—frankly speaking—"
"None of our villages could face Konoha alone and win."
A gradually calmed down, looking toward the Third Kazekage.
"In that case, the alliance must be formed immediately."
"I agree," Ōnoki said reluctantly, setting aside his stubbornness.
Given the situation, failure to unite would mean inevitable defeat.
"Since the three of you have decided to form an alliance…"
"…then I suppose I must join as well."
A voice unfamiliar to A echoed from the shadowed corridor.
"Who's there?!" A roared.
"Raikage-sama, please remain calm. This individual is—"
"No need. I'll introduce myself."
The newcomer cut off the Third Kazekage as he stepped into view.
"I am from the Rain Village."
"Hanzō of the Salamander."
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