Mei did not reiterate the risks, nor did she attempt to persuade them further.
Because she understood—once the gears of interest began turning, once the seeds of suspicion had been planted, any appeal rooted in "idealism" or "absolute safety" was futile.
Rather than exhausting herself in opposition, it was better to conserve strength, observe carefully, and safeguard Kirigakure's interests when the next risk emerged.
Her seemingly conciliatory words actually caused the others to pause.
They could hear the shift in her tone.
For a brief moment, an awkwardness settled over the room.
They had assumed everyone's hands were equally dirty.
It turned out… perhaps one of them had still been earnest.
Ōnoki coughed lightly, attempting to ease the atmosphere.
"Mizukage, there's no need to take it that way. We are all considering the future of the shinobi world…"
"Yes," Tsunade added, her voice gentler than before. "Facing the unknown together and sharing responsibility—that is the purpose of the Five Kage Summit."
"Since, in principle, no one opposes preliminary reconnaissance, we must now draft a joint operational plan that ensures absolute reliability, mutual supervision, and minimal risk."
"Any unilateral action will be regarded as betrayal of the alliance—and will be met with joint sanctions from the other four nations."
With that, Tsunade pulled the discussion firmly into the practical stage. The strict warning served both to reassure Mei and to caution anyone harboring private ambitions.
A snorted but did not object.
Rasa gave a small nod, signaling willingness to discuss specifics.
Amid an atmosphere thick with tension, vigilance, anticipation, and unease, the Five Kage—along with elite sealing teams and personal guards—arrived at the location indicated by Konoha's intelligence.
The site lay deep within remote mountains along the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.
As expected, it was desolate and isolated.
Under the combined investigation of top-tier Fūinjutsu experts, an ancient sealing node—so well concealed it blended seamlessly into the surrounding rock—was quickly located.
"This is it," an elderly sealing specialist from Konohagakure said, wiping sweat from his brow. His voice was grave.
"The structure is extremely old. It integrates a variant of the Uzumaki Clan's Four Symbols Seal with a Senju Clan life-force stabilization formula. The design is exquisite, but…"
"But what?" Tsunade asked.
"It's deteriorating," the specialist replied, frowning deeply. "Not from sabotage—more like natural decay. Severe energy dissipation. Multiple fractures in the core formula. Even if we hadn't come today… at this rate, the seal would fail on its own within a few years at most."
Understanding flickered in Tsunade's eyes.
Natural decay.
Centuries were enough to erode even the most powerful techniques.
If the seal was destined to collapse eventually, then waiting for an uncontrolled failure might be far more dangerous than handling it under supervision.
She inhaled slowly and turned to the other four Kage.
"The seal is already on the verge of collapse. My recommendation is… to release it. Before it fails completely, we determine what lies within and prepare accordingly."
Ōnoki, A, Mei, and Rasa exchanged glances.
The revelation that the seal was failing lessened the moral burden of "breaking" it—and increased the urgency.
One by one, they nodded.
"Once we release the seal, whatever is inside may trigger unpredictable consequences," Tsunade warned solemnly. "When that happens, all of us—every elite present—must be prepared for the worst."
"Understood."
The four Kage answered in unison.
The accompanying jōnin spread into formation, tension reaching its peak.
Only Jiraiya stood apart atop a nearby rock, bitterness clouding his expression.
He gazed at the ancient seal about to be opened, unease twisting in his chest.
If their predecessors had sealed it at the highest level rather than destroying it, there must have been a reason.
Opening it might not solve a problem.
It might unlock catastrophe.
But five Kage standing united—five individuals at the pinnacle of the shinobi world—were not something he could sway alone.
All he could do was pray that what lay beneath was not pure destruction—and that they possessed the strength to endure whatever truth emerged.
"Begin the release!" Tsunade ordered.
Several of the most accomplished sealing shinobi stepped forward simultaneously.
Rather than forcibly breaking the structure, they carefully channeled chakra into the collapsing nodes—guiding and unraveling the aged formulas like loosening a weathered but intricate knot.
The process went surprisingly smoothly.
No violent backlash.
No illusory disturbances.
No mental shockwaves.
The ancient sealing formula emitted one final, faint tremor—like a dying sigh—
Then dispersed into the air like fading ash.
Yet the expected "dangerous weapon" did not appear.
The pit lay silent.
"What's going on?" A muttered impatiently.
In the next instant—
BOOM!!!
A dull thunder erupted from deep underground. The entire mountain trembled.
The earth beneath their feet exploded outward. Rocks and debris flew.
Through the dust cloud, a long rectangular box—roughly three meters long and one and a half meters wide—was hurled upward from beneath the ground by immense force.
It was forged from some dark, heavy metal. Its surface was engraved with even more intricate sealing scripts—though these, too, were cracked and fading.
It landed heavily before them, carving a shallow crater.
As the dust settled, every gaze locked onto the box.
It lay there silently.
Most of the sealing inscriptions etched upon it had dimmed or fractured. Only a few faintly glowed with residual chakra, clearly nearing collapse.
"So this is the 'dangerous weapon'?" A stepped forward, suspicion written across his rugged face. He circled the box, knocking against its side. A dull thud echoed.
"It doesn't look like much. That size—what kind of terrifying weapon could even fit inside?"
"Hmph. What's the rush?" Ōnoki scoffed. "This outer layer is likely just reinforcement or an additional seal. The real 'thing' hasn't shown itself yet."
His tone was mocking, but his aged eyes never left the box.
Curiosity—and calculation—burned within them.
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