Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
The stone towers that once stood as symbols of absolute defense had been reduced to fine powder.
Dust filled the sky like a yellow haze, shrouding the ravaged land.
The air was thick with the acrid scent of sulfur and blood. The once-orderly streets had become a chaotic mess of deep ravines, looking as if they had been repeatedly plowed by some celestial force.
"Cough... cough..."
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, struggled to crawl out from a pile of rubble.
He had lost all sensation in his back, the very one he took such pride in.
But he could not spare a thought for the agony wracking his body. His bloodshot eyes were locked onto the red-haired figure hovering in the sky.
Nagato floated a hundred meters above, his black robe with red clouds fluttering violently in the howling wind.
Beside him were two unconscious bodies—Roshi, the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails, and Han, the Jinchuriki of the Five-Tails.
These two, the ultimate military powers of Iwagakure, had failed to last even half an hour.
"Why..."
Onoki trembled, his voice hoarse and pained. "Why go this far? You've already defeated them. Why destroy the village?!"
"This is a necessary part of the process,"
Nagato looked down at Onoki as if he were an ant, his voice devoid of emotion. "Only by experiencing true pain will the Great Nations learn reverence. The stubbornness of Iwagakure is an obstacle to peace."
"You bastard! How dare you wrap your invasion in such high-sounding words!"
Onoki roared, slamming his hands together as a brilliant white light erupted from his palms.
"Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
A translucent cylindrical beam, carrying the power to annihilate all things, instantly shot toward Pain in the sky.
It was a lethal strike capable of reducing matter to its atomic state—Onoki's final act of defiance.
However, facing a technique that could one-shot most Kage-level experts, Nagato merely extended a single hand.
"Preta Path."
The moment that terrifying Particle Style beam touched him, it was completely absorbed, vanishing like a drop of water into the ocean.
'He can even absorb Particle Style? What kind of monster is this?'
Onoki's pupils shrank, and his heart skipped a beat.
"A useless struggle."
Nagato raised his hand, aiming his palm at Onoki below. "Your stubbornness is admirable, but this is the end. I will leave you alive only so you can spread the word of this pain to the world."
"Shinra Tensei."
Boom!
A terrifying repulsive force exploded.
Onoki felt as if a mountain had slammed into him. He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing violently into the rock wall behind him. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his consciousness plunged into darkness.
By the time he woke again, the sky had cleared.
The man who called himself a 'God' had vanished, and along with him, the village's two Tailed Beasts had disappeared.
All that remained was a scarred and broken Iwagakure, filled with the wails of villagers among the ruins.
...
Within just three days.
Two earth-shattering pieces of news spread across every corner of the Five Great Nations as if they had grown wings.
Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning was destroyed, and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was captured.
Iwagakure in the Land of Earth was heavily damaged, with both the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki taken.
The two military superpowers that once stood at the pinnacle of the shinobi world appeared as fragile as paper before the organization known as the Akatsuki.
Panic began to spread throughout the world.
Land of Wind, Sunagakure.
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, looked at the intelligence report, the Gold Dust in his hands spilling onto the floor.
His face was pale as he immediately ordered a lockdown of the village. All shinobi on external missions were recalled, and the entire village entered its highest state of alert.
Land of Water, Kirigakure.
Despite the protection of the ocean, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura—or rather, Obito behind the scenes—ordered a total blockade of the borders. Kirigakure was completely enveloped in thick mist, severing all contact with the outside world.
However, amidst this widespread terror, a strange atmosphere began to quietly brew.
People were shocked to realize that in this catastrophe sweeping the shinobi world, one place remained completely unscathed.
Land of Fire, Konohagakure.
Not only had it not been attacked by the Akatsuki, but even border friction had been minimal.
In a time where every other Great Nation was suffering heavy losses, Konoha's peace seemed glaringly suspicious.
...
Konoha, Hokage's Office.
Minato Namikaze stared at the urgent letter from the Land of Earth, his brow furrowed deeply.
The envelope lacked a wax seal; instead, it was pierced by a kunai, making it clear that the sender's rage could no longer be contained.
"Minato, read it out. What's the short old man ranting about?"
Gamakon lay on the desk, chewing on a strawberry-flavored food pill specially made by Tsunade, enjoying it immensely.
Minato sighed and unfolded the paper.
"To the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze:"
"Kumogakure has met with disaster, and the Raikage is gravely injured. Iwagakure is in ruins, and our Tailed Beasts are lost. Looking across the shinobi world, sorrow and devastation are everywhere, yet your village alone enjoys peace and prosperity."
"The Akatsuki runs rampant, picking only on other nations while turning a blind eye to Konoha and its powerful Nine-Tails. Is this because the Akatsuki fears Konoha's might, or is this a poisonous scheme by Konoha to use the wolves to devour the tigers and unify the world?"
"If this is not Konoha's doing, how do you explain your status as the 'sole survivor' of this tragedy? If the Hokage cannot provide a rational explanation, Iwagakure will fight to its last man to demand justice from Konoha!"
"The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, in finality."
After reading the letter, the office fell into a brief silence.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
Gamakon spat out the remnants of the pill and shook his head. "This old guy's logic is crude, but I have to say, he actually guessed half of it right."
Indeed.
The reason Akatsuki didn't attack Konoha was because Nagato and Konoha had reached a silent understanding—even if Nagato was currently spiraling out of control—and more importantly, because Konoha held the trump cards of Black Zetsu and Kaguya.
But to outsiders, this was the most direct evidence of guilt.
In criminal psychology, the one who benefits the most is the prime suspect.
Currently, Kumogakure was crippled, Iwagakure was broken, Sunagakure was poor, and Kirigakure was isolated.
Konoha stood alone at the top.
If this wasn't a conspiracy, what was?
"The situation is worse than expected."
Minato set the letter down and walked to the window, looking at the bustling streets of Konoha.
Sunlight bathed the Hokage Rock in a peaceful glow.
But beneath this tranquility, dark undercurrents were surging.
"Onoki's letter wasn't just sent to me,"
Minato said in a low voice. "The Anbu reports that he sent identical letters to the Raikage, Kazekage, and Mizukage. He is trying to form an 'Anti-Konoha Alliance.'"
"When people are desperate, they always need a target for their frustration,"
Jiraiya said, leaning against the sofa with a grim expression. "For Iwagakure and Kumogakure, admitting they were defeated by a mercenary group of ten-odd people is too humiliating. But if they say it was a 'conspiracy by the world's greatest power, Konoha,' then their defeat seems more excusable."
"Moreover, if they can lead the other nations to besiege Konoha, they might be able to bite off a piece of us to compensate for their losses."
"A bunch of old foxes,"
Gamakon sneered. "Nagato beat them until it hurt, and since they don't dare seek him out for revenge, they want to try their luck with us? Do they really think we're pushovers?"
"But we cannot truly go to war with the four nations,"
Minato turned around. "Once war breaks out, Nagato will be the one to benefit. Besides, our goal is to integrate the shinobi world to fight the Otsutsuki, not to rule over a pile of ruins."
"If we let this 'Konoha Conspiracy' theory ferment, forget about the Five Kage Alliance—the Fourth Shinobi World War might break out early, with Konoha fighting one against four."
"So, we must respond."
Minato walked back to the desk, his fingers tapping a rhythmic pattern.
"Denial is useless,"
Gamakon interjected. "If you issue a statement saying 'this has nothing to do with us,' Onoki will just think you're treating him like an idiot. In politics, an explanation is just a cover-up."
"Then what do we do?" Jiraiya asked. "Surely we don't admit it?"
"Of course not."
Gamakon hopped onto the map, his paw slapping Konoha's location. "Since they doubt us, let's let them see for themselves."
"Let them see with their own eyes exactly what we are preparing for."
Minato nodded, clearly on the same page as Gamakon.
"Onoki wants an explanation? I'll give him one."
Minato picked up a brush and began writing on a fresh scroll with bold, confident strokes.
His handwriting was forceful, reflecting his unquestionable resolve.
"The reply is simple,"
Minato spoke as he wrote. "I will not make a single excuse. I am inviting the Five Kage, along with General Mifune of the Land of Iron, to a 'Five Kage Summit' in Konoha in two weeks."
"Tell them that regarding the Akatsuki, the Tailed Beasts, and the future survival of the shinobi world, I will give them a full accounting during the meeting."
"If they don't dare to come, it proves they have a guilty conscience and are cowards."
"If they do come..."
Minato stopped writing, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "They won't be able to help but believe us."
"This is a 'lure the tiger from the mountain' move,"
Gamakon chuckled, adding, "And we'll bring Kaguya out for a stroll. When they see a real Otsutsuki sitting there having tea with us, I'd like to see who still dares mention a conspiracy theory."
"However..."
Jiraiya felt some concern. "What about Nagato? He's captured so many Tailed Beasts; he'll certainly try to seal them. If he comes to cause trouble during our meeting..."
"He won't,"
Gamakon said with certainty. "Capturing the Four and Five-Tails on top of the Eight-Tails is a lot to handle. Nagato might be powerful, but digesting that much chakra takes time. The Gedo Mazo isn't a bottomless pit; even Nagato needs a breather after sealing three Tailed Beasts consecutively."
"These two weeks are our window of opportunity."
Minato rolled up the letter and pressed the Hokage's seal onto it.
"Order the Anbu."
Minato's voice became stern. "Send our most elite teams to deliver these invitations into the hands of each Kage. Ensure they are delivered."
"Additionally..."
Minato looked out the window, his gaze deep. "Inform Orochimaru to accelerate progress on 'that project.' For the summit in two weeks, I want to prepare a great gift for the Kage."
"A gift that will leave them with no choice but to stand on our side."
...
Several days later.
When Konoha's messengers appeared at the borders of each nation with the Hokage's personal letters, the treatment they received varied wildly.
Amidst the ruins of Kumogakure.
Raikage A sat in a temporary tent, his entire body wrapped in bandages like a mummy.
His only remaining functional hand slammed onto the table, making the medicine bottles dance.
"Go! Why wouldn't I go?!"
A roared, the fire in his eyes nearly exploding. "If that brat Minato Namikaze has the guts to hold this meeting, I'll go and ask him to his face! If this really was Konoha's doing, I'll trade my life to drag Konoha down with me!"
Darui quickly tried to advise him: "Raikage-sama, if this is a trap, we might..."
"I'll jump into it even if it is!"
A spat through gritted teeth. "Kumogakure has nothing left to lose! Darui, get the team ready. We're going to Konoha!"
In Iwagakure.
Onoki looked at the invitation, his expression shifting between doubt and contemplation.
"A Five Kage Summit... in Konoha?"
Kitsuchi stood nearby, worried. "Father, could this be a trap? If we go and they wipe us all out in one go..."
"Minato Namikaze isn't that stupid,"
Onoki snorted. "If he really wanted us dead, he could have just launched an invasion while the villages are weak. There would be no need for these theatrics. The fact that he dares to invite us means he has a foundation for his confidence."
"Furthermore..."
A sharp glint flashed in Onoki's eyes. "If I don't go, won't it look like Iwagakure is afraid of Konoha? We'd lose the public opinion battle immediately."
"We're going! Of course we're going!"
Onoki floated up. "Bring Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi. I want to see exactly what game Minato Namikaze is playing!"
While Sunagakure and Kirigakure had different reactions, they both ultimately chose to accept the invitation.
After all, in these turbulent times, no one wanted to be excluded from the core decision-making circle.
Moreover, regarding the terror of the Akatsuki, they desperately needed a platform for information sharing.
Thus, the most unique Five Kage Summit in the history of the shinobi world began to take shape amidst an atmosphere of tension and mutual suspicion.
...
Land of Grass, Hozuki Castle, current site of Orochimaru's Research Institute.
The massive underground space was brightly lit.
Countless precision instruments were in operation, emitting a low, rhythmic hum.
In the center of the lab, before a giant cultivation tank, Orochimaru was feverishly recording data.
Inside the tank, Kaguya Otsutsuki floated in a pale green nutrient solution with her eyes closed.
Behind her, nine Truth-Seeker Orbs slowly rotated, emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.
"How is it?"
Minato's figure appeared behind Orochimaru in a flash of the Flying Thunder God, with Gamakon still perched on his shoulder.
"Perfect... simply perfect..."
Orochimaru turned around, his golden snake pupils filled with excitement. "After consuming the residual chakra samples from Isshiki and utilizing the life energy converted by the Box of Ultimate Bliss, the compatibility of this body has reached over 95%."
"Though she isn't at her full peak yet, this Princess Kaguya can now move freely in this world and exert power far beyond mortal comprehension."
"That's enough,"
Minato nodded, his gaze turning to Kaguya in the tank. "As long as she can stand there, she is the most powerful deterrent."
"However, there's one small problem."
Gamakon spoke up, pointing at Kaguya. "Looking like that, she's certainly intimidating, but if we take her to the meeting, those country bumpkins will probably think we've resurrected some monster and start a fight immediately. What then?"
"Start a fight?"
Orochimaru chuckled softly. "Wouldn't that be for the best? Let them experience the meaning of true despair."
"No, no, no. We want allies, not terrified slaves."
Gamakon shook his head, pulling a scroll from his pocket. "That's why I've prepared a 'new skin' for Princess Kaguya."
"New skin?"
Both Minato and Orochimaru were stunned.
"If we're going to tell a story, we have to go all the way,"
Gamakon grinned, opening the scroll. "We can't just call her the Progenitor of Chakra. We need to package her with a new identity."
"What identity?" Minato asked curiously.
"A renegade princess of the Otsutsuki clan... a tragic hero who betrayed her family to protect the shinobi world."
Gamakon began spinning his web of nonsense with a straight face. "Combined with this custom-made, divine-looking white ceremonial robe I commissioned and this headpiece that says 'Love and Peace'..."
Watching the gaudy props in Gamakon's hands, Minato's lip couldn't help but twitch.
"Mr. Gamakon... are you sure Princess Kaguya will be willing to wear that?"
"She doesn't have a choice,"
Gamakon shrugged. "Don't forget, she's our 'intern' now. If she wants to fight her clan and stay alive, she has to follow the director's orders."
Just then, Kaguya's eyes snapped open inside the tank.
Her pure white eyes stared coldly through the glass at the headpiece in Gamakon's hand. Clearly, she had heard his words, and her sense of disdain was almost tangible enough to pierce the glass.
"What are you looking at?"
Gamakon stared back fearlessly, raising a paw in a threatening gesture. "Don't want to wear it? Fine, next time I won't share any of that Isshiki jerky with you!"
Kaguya's gaze wavered for a split second.
Clearly, for her current self, restoring her strength was more important than so-called dignity.
Besides, once the strength was hers, who was to say she'd have to listen anymore?
"Settled."
Gamakon tucked the scroll away triumphantly. "As long as the packaging is good, even an alien can be an idol. At the summit in two weeks, let's just wait to see the looks on those Kages' faces."
Minato shook his head helplessly, but a hint of a smile flickered in the depths of his eyes.
While the methods were a bit unorthodox, he had to admit that Gamakon's angle might truly be the one to break the deadlock.
"Well then, let's prepare for our guests."
Minato turned and walked out, his Hokage cloak billowing in the wind.
"Welcome to... Konoha's home field."
...
In the Land of Rain, eternal dark clouds shrouded the steel forest.
On a terrace at the top of a high tower, Nagato stood shirtless, allowing the cold rain to wash over his body, which was now as strong as red jade.
His vibrant red hair danced in the storm, and his purple Rinnegan stared indifferently at the silent village below.
He was no longer the skeleton-like man relying on machinery to survive; he was now a true god with the power of life and death.
"It seems the power of the Eight, Four, and Five-Tails has allowed you to recover quite well."
A voice tinged with a hint of mockery rang out abruptly in the rain.
Nagato did not turn his head, merely glancing sideways. Behind him, space began to twist in a spiral, and a man wearing an orange swirl mask slowly emerged.
Obito Uchiha.
Or rather, at this moment, he was still playing the role of 'Madara Uchiha.'
"Madara."
Nagato's voice was deep and filled with a magnetic resonance, carrying an unquestionable weight of authority. "You're late. You missed the best part of the pain inflicted upon Kumogakure and Iwagakure."
"I was watching from the audience the entire time."
Obito shrugged, his tone relaxed, but the Sharingan beneath his mask was quietly observing Nagato.
He was too strong.
After absorbing the chakra of three Tailed Beasts, Nagato's life force was so abundant he was practically a monster.
The fluctuations in the Rinnegan's ocular power even made the Hashirama cells in Obito's body feel a faint sense of suppression.
This blade had been sharpened too well—so sharp that it threatened to cut the hand that held it.
"Since you saw it, then you should understand."
Nagato turned around to face Obito. "This boring game of hide-and-seek should end. I will personally take the remaining Tailed Beasts. Whether it's the One-Tail of Suna or..."
"Or Konoha's Nine-Tails, right?" Obito finished the sentence.
"Konoha..."
At the mention of the name, Nagato's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing more.
Obito walked to the edge of the terrace, crossing his arms as he looked into the distance. "This is both a trap and an opportunity. Minato Namikaze has summoned the Kage of the Five Great Nations to Konoha, including the leader of the samurai from the Land of Iron. They want to form an alliance to oppose you."
"An alliance?"
Nagato let out a derisive snort, a disdainful curl forming on his lip. "A pack of beaten dogs huddling together are still just beaten dogs. Numbers mean nothing before the power of a god."
"Nagato, be careful,"
Konan said from the side, her voice filled with worry. "Zetsu has been gone for a long time. Our intelligence network is broken, and we don't know what trump cards Konoha has prepared. Minato Namikaze is no fool."
"Zetsu..."
Obito's eyes tightened slightly.
Indeed, Black Zetsu's disappearance was the thorn in his side. The creature that claimed to be the manifestation of Madara's will had vanished into thin air.
This made Obito suspect that Konoha had acquired key information regarding the Akatsuki.
Thus, besides testing Nagato's attitude, he was also here for information on Konoha.
"It is precisely because we don't know their cards that we must force them to show their hand."
Obito turned back to Nagato, his voice carrying a hint of manipulation. "Nagato, since you claim to be a god, this is the perfect time to demonstrate your power to the entire world."
"The Five Kage are gathered, and the Nine-Tails is in the village. If you can crush Konoha and wipe them all out at once..."
Obito spread his arms, as if painting a grand vision. "The shinobi world will have no force left to stop you. Peace will be right before your eyes."
"Wipe them all out..."
Nagato looked at his palm, feeling the vast, surging chakra within his body.
That sense of power was intoxicating.
"Besides, you wouldn't want to disappoint your teacher, would you?"
Obito pushed further, his voice dropping an octave. "He's still fantasizing about saving the world through that ridiculous 'mutual understanding.' If you don't completely shatter his delusions, peace will never arrive."
Nagato's movement paused slightly.
A moment later, he lowered his hand, his Rinnegan erupting with an unprecedented light.
"It is not impossible."
Nagato walked slowly toward Obito, the distance between them closing until the pressure forced Obito to tense his nerves.
"Since they want to huddle together for warmth, I'll provide them with a grand funeral."
Nagato's voice rose with clear excitement. "On the day the Five Kage Summit begins, I will personally descend upon Konoha."
A smirk formed under Obito's mask.
"Then I shall look forward to it."
Space distorted once more, and Obito's figure vanished in a vortex.
Leaving only Nagato and Konan standing in the wind and rain.
"Nagato, do you really trust him?" Konan asked anxiously. "That man gives me a very dangerous feeling. He is using you."
"Using me?"
Nagato turned toward the black sky and let out a cold laugh.
"Konan, in this world, only the strong have the right to use the weak."
"He thinks I am the blade in his hand."
"He does not realize that in the eyes of a god, he is merely a pawn that can be discarded at any moment."
"And what about the Otsutsuki who will descend in the future?"
Konan's question plunged Nagato into a long silence.
...