The news of the Seven-Tails falling into the hands of the Akatsuki was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in everyone's hearts.
A brief silence enveloped the Five Kage and their guards, every face etched with solemnity and worry.
Amidst this oppressive silence, Minato was the first to break the deadlock.
His eyes swept over the other four Kage present, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable severity.
"Everyone, the Seven-Tails has now also fallen into the hands of the Akatsuki. We must face reality and prepare for the worst.
Perhaps the Six-Tails, which has been missing for a long time, has also been captured by them already."
Minato's inner thoughts were far more complex than what he spoke aloud.
Information regarding Konoha hiding another half of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—his son, Naruto—was suppressed in the depths of his heart at this moment.
He chose to remain silent.
This was not out of distrust for his allies, but from a deeper protective instinct.
"Because this is the safest way." This judgment was incredibly clear in his mind.
Combining the recent action patterns of that mysterious 'The Collector', the opponent had only targeted his wife, Kushina, to obtain the Nine-Tails, seemingly completely ignoring the existence of the other half of the Nine-Tails within Naruto.
From this, Minato guessed that regardless of whether The Collector belonged to the Akatsuki, the Akatsuki had the capability to provide Nine-Tails intelligence to such a powerful individual.
Thus, the fact that The Collector did not move against Naruto proved precisely that the Akatsuki itself had failed to grasp the top-secret information that the Nine-Tails had been split in two!
Therefore, keeping Naruto in this 'invisible' state was currently the most secure barrier.
Thinking of this, Minato made a silent resolution, his eyes flickering imperceptibly as his gaze seemed to penetrate the walls to look into the distance.
After the meeting, he had to find Naruto immediately and solemnly instruct him that he could no longer freely use that signature Nine-Tails chakra.
The danger after exposure was simply too great.
Moreover, if the Akatsuki were the ones to act this time without The Collector, then...
Naruto likely wouldn't be able to survive after the Nine-Tails was extracted like Kushina did!
"Indeed, that is exactly the logic." Ōnoki nodded heavily, expressing clear agreement with Minato's judgment.
Minato turned his gaze toward Raikage Ay, the expression on his face becoming even more solemn, his tone carrying an urgent entreaty.
"Now, our last hope rests upon the Eight-Tails.
Lord Raikage, you must ensure that your brother Killer Bee's location remains absolutely secure!"
Fourth Raikage Ay, having been addressed, indeed felt a sense of difficulty at this moment.
A moment ago, he was still holding onto the thought that 'at least Konoha's Nine-Tails is sharing the pressure,' never expecting the situation to take such a sharp turn for the worse in an instant.
His brother Killer Bee, who was always humming bad raps, had actually become the last remaining Tailed Beast Jinchuriki in the Shinobi World!
The heavy pressure caused even this Raikage, famous for his bravery, to feel a slight headache.
Hearing Minato's solemn reminder, he restrained his momentary irritability and responded in a deep voice.
"Of course! There is no need to worry about that. He is nearby right now, under my personal watch.
Given the current situation, where could be safer than here, where the Five Kage and the top guards of every Village are gathered?"
His tone was categorical, carrying an unquestionable confidence.
As the Raikage finished speaking, the other four Kage, along with the elite guards behind them, all nodded slightly in agreement.
Looking around, the supreme leaders of the Five Great Shinobi Villages and their most trusted combat forces were gathered together.
Looking across the entire Shinobi World, unless one hid in a top-secret place that could never be found...
Otherwise, at this site of the Five Kage Summit, with so many top powerhouses gathered at this moment, this was undoubtedly the strongest fortress to resist foreign enemies and guard that last hope!
Mifune, the General of the Land of Iron, suddenly spoke: "My Lords, please allow me a word."
Raikage Ay's brow furrowed as he interrupted in a booming voice: "Tsk, what is it now?"
Minato also responded: "Please speak freely, Lord Mifune."
Having received permission, Mifune nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the Five Kage present as he threw out a proposal significant enough to shake the structure of the Shinobi World.
"Currently, the Five Great Shinobi Villages face a powerful enemy and share the same goal. Since we have a common enemy in 'Akatsuki', why not set aside past grievances and create an unprecedented alliance? Before defeating the Akatsuki, let us form a World Allied Army that integrates the power of the Five Great Shinobi Villages!"
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a thunderclap!
The expressions of the Five Kage-level powerhouses were all startled by this proposal.
"An Allied Army?" Raikage Ay was the first to react, his tone carrying unbelievable shock.
"An excellent proposal!" Ōnoki seconded in a deep voice. "In such a crisis, discarding sectarian biases and cooperating sincerely is indeed the urgent priority."
However, though the ideal was grand, reality presented a difficult problem.
Gaara looked directly at the core conflict and pointed out calmly: "To form an Allied Army, the attribution of command is the primary issue.
Without a unified order and a clear commander, a scattered alliance's combat power would likely be non-existent."
This sharp question hit the mark; the position of leader involved power, trust, and responsibility, and no one dared to state their position easily.
After a long time, Raikage Ay suddenly stood up, his burly frame carrying an unquestionable aura as he looked around the room, his voice like a great bell.
"Everyone! This burden of command, I, Raikage Ay, am willing to take on alone!
Akatsuki has been rampaging until now, and the Tailed Beasts have all fallen into enemy hands. Only the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer Bee of my Kumogakure remains, holding the ultimate power to oppose them!"
His gaze was like lightning, and his tone suddenly grew heavier.
"More importantly, to this day, not a single traitor originating from my Kumogakure Shinobi Village has appeared on the Akatsuki's member list!
Trust is the foundation of leading an Allied Army. If even this cannot be guaranteed, how can one speak of commanding the entire army?
With combined strength and a foundation of trust, this leadership position belongs to no one but me!"
Facing the Raikage's powerful declaration, both Gaara and Mei Terumī remained silent.
It wasn't that their hearts were untroubled, but that they deeply understood a reality.
In this alliance that would decide the fate of the world, the competition for the leadership qualification was destined to only take place between the three strongest Kage:
Hokage Minato, Raikage Ay, and Tsuchikage Ōnoki.
As for the two of them, relatively young Kage, their seniority and the foundations of their Villages were not yet enough to support them in competing for this position.
Even the experienced veteran powerhouse known as 'Ōnoki' showed a bit of solemnity and gloom at this moment.
The unhealed old injuries on his body were certainly a disadvantageous factor, but even more fatal was the disastrous attack by the Akatsuki on Iwagakure.
The Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki were forcibly taken away; this not only greatly damaged Iwagakure's vitality but was also a heavy blow to Ōnoki's personal prestige and leadership ability, invisibly weakening his foundation to claim the title of Allied Supreme Commander.
Ōnoki's gaze swept over everyone and finally rested on Minato, speaking slowly.
"This old man believes that the Hokage... Minato, is the more suitable candidate to serve as the alliance leader."
As soon as these words came out, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Ōnoki knew in his heart that the historical grievances between Iwagakure and Kumogakure were like a mountain, and the discord between the two sides was too deep.
Although his relationship with Konoha couldn't be called friendly either, he knew Minato's character—he was a Shinobi who was truly open, honorable, and possessed great Shinobi virtue.
Based on his understanding of Minato, the other party would never abuse the authority of the alliance leader to seek revenge due to personal likes and dislikes or past grudges.
In contrast, Fourth Raikage Ay...
Ōnoki shook his head inwardly; that irritable and fierce Raikage was the type to wear his joy and anger on his face.
Even if Ay wouldn't go as far as to use any sinister underhanded methods in the shadows, overt difficulties and cold stares would likely be unavoidable.
This concern, combined with his own estimation that he couldn't become the leader himself, led Ōnoki to finally make the decision to support Minato.
A hint of surprise flashed through Minato's azure eyes.
He indeed had never thought about competing for this Allied Supreme Commander position.
What he was thinking about at this moment was how to truly twist these five powerful but disparate forces of the Five Great Shinobi Villages into a single rope, gathering the determination to guard the last line of defense of the Shinobi World.
And that line of defense was the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee!
Just as Minato was preparing to politely decline the nomination and reiterate that the urgent priority was unity rather than the attribution of power...
Buzz! Boom!
A sudden, violent, and extremely oppressive shockwave swept through without warning. The walls of the meeting room vibrated violently, and the cups on the table clattered, almost jumping up.
This was by no means an ordinary earthquake or building tremor!
"Protect the Kage!"
In an instant, the most rapid-reacting Kage guards appeared like phantoms, instantly blocking the way in front of their respective Kage.
Weapons were unsheathed, chakra surged, and they alertly sensed their surroundings, attempting to lock onto the source of this sudden crisis.
The tense atmosphere instantly climbed to its peak.
Following that...
"Mooo-Aooo!!!"
An ear-splitting and violent roar of a massive beast tore through the sky, clearly reaching everyone's ears!
"Bee!!!"
Hearing this familiar voice, Fourth Raikage Ay's face turned ashen in an instant, his pupils shrinking violently!
That was the brother he regarded as his own flesh and blood, the roar of the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer Bee!
All plans, meetings, and disputes vanished into thin air at this moment.
Without any hesitation, and without even having time to see the obstacles ahead, terrifying chakra fluctuations erupted around the Raikage's body!
"Boom, crash!!!"
Accompanied by a loud bang, the solid wall of the meeting room was forcibly smashed open into a large hole by his powerful body as if it were made of paper!
Broken bricks and stones flew, dust filled the air, and the Raikage's tall figure had already disappeared outside the hole, charging towards the direction of that desperate roar with a reckless and violent momentum!
This out-of-control, explosive action by the Raikage instantly woke the other four Kage!
After a moment of shock was endless fury and a cold sense of crisis!
The Akatsuki!
They were actually so blatant! So unscrupulous!
They dared to launch an attack on the last Eight-Tails Jinchuriki right under their noses in the Land of Iron, where the Five Kage were gathered!
This was simply a naked provocation and humiliation! They completely disregarded the Five Great Shinobi Villages and these Kage!
Everyone reacted in the first instance with tacit understanding, without needing any words.
"Go!"
Four figures were like arrows released from a bow, following closely behind the Raikage, rushing towards the battlefield outside at top speed.
Afterward, even Mifune followed.
This was a major event concerning the entire Shinobi World; even the Land of Iron, as a neutral country, could not remain uninvolved. He had to do something for this!
Regardless of how many disagreements they had before, only one common thought boiled in everyone's hearts at this moment:
Absolutely! They must not let the last Eight-Tails fall into the hands of the Akatsuki!
When the figures of the Five Kage and their attendants completely disappeared at the end of the corridor, the meeting room fell into a dead silence.
Amidst this silence, in a crack in the wall, an inconspicuous seed quietly loosened, fell silently, and dropped onto the cold floor.
In an instant, a mutation occurred!
That seemingly ordinary seed began an astonishingly frantic growth.
A pale green sprout broke through the shell and then condensed into a huge flower bud at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Pop."
With a barely audible soft sound, the petals gracefully spread outward.
A figure leisurely stepped out from deep within the flower's center, stepping onto the ground with a composed posture.
This person was none other than that mysterious figure, The Collector, or rather, Takuno, whom the Five Kage had repeatedly mentioned in their words just now!
In fact, from the very beginning of the meeting, Takuno's figure had been hidden here, as an onlooker, quietly attached within the wall, taking in everything that happened around the conference table.
He was only there to observe where this 'script', which had been rendered unrecognizable by his own push, would ultimately lead.
After all, the 'Five Kage Summit' that was supposed to take place two years later had been forcibly pulled forward to this moment by him, the variable.
He was like a director behind the scenes, looking with interest at the plot trajectory he had personally twisted.
The result of the summit did not exceed his expectations.
Facing the threat of the 'Akatsuki' organization, which was enough to overturn the entire Shinobi World, and with the lesson of Iwagakure vivid in their minds, the final choice of the Five Great Shinobi Villages left them with no other path.
Forming an alliance to jointly resist the external enemy.
This was the instinct for survival in a desperate situation, a forced joining of hands under the siege of powerful enemies. The strategy itself was beyond reproach and could even be said to be the most stable way to survive at present.
However, Takuno concluded without a doubt.
The foundation of this hastily patched-together alliance was fragile and destined not to last long.
The reason was as clear as day: the deep-seated grievances between the Five Great Shinobi Villages, where former enmity and hatred had long been etched into their bones.
This union was purely due to the immense pressure brought by the 'Akatsuki' organization.
They lacked the most crucial adhesive to maintain the alliance—unlike that future Fourth Great Shinobi War that swept the Shinobi World, where experiences of life and death together would mend the rifts and forge trust.
As long as the 'Akatsuki' organization chose to hibernate temporarily after the alliance was established and no longer actively launched large-scale attacks, giving each Shinobi Village room to breathe and harbor suspicions...
Then those temporarily suppressed contradictions and discords would surely grow rapidly.
Historical blood debts, the struggle for interests, and mutual distrust would wrap around the body of this new alliance like vines, eventually tearing it apart from the inside.
Especially with someone as strong-willed and radical in their style of action as the Raikage serving as the alliance leader, the process of division would likely be even faster.
And even if Minato took over, he could probably only delay the eruption of contradictions for a year or two.