Arisu and Tsunade were in the kitchen making cupcakes together.
The husband and wife stood shoulder to shoulder. Tsunade had rolled up her sleeves and was skillfully stirring the batter.
Arisu stood beside her, gently handing her the molds, occasionally saying a few words with a smile.
The two got along well. After so many years together, they were already an old married couple, but at heart they were still in the honeymoon phase.
Just then, a steady knock came from outside the door.
Arisu paused slightly and looked up.
"Come in."
As soon as he spoke, an Anbu ninja instantly appeared at the doorway. Kneeling on one knee, he lowered his head respectfully.
"Lord Arisu, Lord Seventh Hokage Minato Namikaze requests your presence at the Hokage Building for a meeting."
Hearing this, Tsunade immediately stopped stirring.
She frowned, obvious displeasure flashing through her beautiful eyes. Setting down the bowl in her hand, she let out a cold snort.
"That kid Minato Namikaze can't be Hokage without my husband, can he?"
The Anbu ninja kept his head lowered, hardly daring to breathe.
Of course he knew the woman before him was the legendary Lady Tsunade. Even the Hokage had to show her respect. There was no way a mere Anbu like him dared respond.
Seeing this, Arisu smiled gently and waved a hand. He walked over to Tsunade, softly patted her shoulder, and comforted her.
"It's alright, Tsunade. Village matters are official business, and official business comes first. Finish making the cakes. I'll be back soon."
Though Tsunade was still a little unwilling, seeing her husband's gentle smile, she finally just sighed and said nothing more.
After changing into another coat, Arisu quickly headed to the Hokage Building with the Anbu ninja.
By the time he arrived at the Hokage's office, the Seventh Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had already been waiting for quite some time.
The moment he saw his teacher arrive, he immediately stood up. Wearing his familiar warm smile, he quickly walked over.
"Teacher, I'm truly sorry to disturb you at this time. This concerns the entire ninja world, so I hope you'll forgive me."
Arisu smiled faintly, waved for him not to stand on ceremony, and walked straight to the sofa before sitting down.
"It's alright. Tell me what's happened."
Sitting on the sofa, Arisu calmly listened to Minato's report, his slender fingers resting lightly on the armrest as he thought quietly.
Standing before the desk, Minato's expression was grave as he began speaking.
"Teacher, the Akatsuki has become more and more brazen lately. In just a few short years, they've acted relentlessly, capturing jinchuriki from every nation."
"At present, the One-Tails through Seven-Tails have all fallen into their hands. The Akatsuki has successfully extracted the Tailed Beasts' power from them. Only the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails remain among the major nations."
"Kumogakure has officially requested an alliance with Konoha and sent over a detailed proposal to jointly protect the remaining jinchuriki. They hope our two villages can reach an agreement as soon as possible."
"In the past, because of the Ninja World Wars, every nation refused to cooperate with the others. But now that the situation is becoming more serious, everyone has to start considering cooperation."
Minato finished his report.
Arisu thought for a moment. A thoughtful look flashed through his eyes before he nodded.
"That's fine. We'll form an alliance. First, we'll make sure Kumogakure's Eight-Tails jinchuriki is secure."
A glimmer appeared in Minato's eyes, but he quickly frowned again.
"But, Teacher... I don't think we can keep defending passively and letting the Akatsuki lead us around by the nose. If we keep doing that, they'll only become more and more reckless."
Hearing that, Arisu raised an eyebrow slightly. Looking at his disciple, who had always been humble and steady, a gentle smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
It seemed that this modest gentleman, Minato, had finally decided to make his move and accomplish something great.
"Oh?"
Leaning back against the sofa with interest, Arisu asked calmly, "So what do you want to do? Tell me what you're thinking."
Minato took a deep breath. The smile disappeared from his face, replaced by a seriousness and determination unlike ever before.
"Take the initiative! We should call on the entire ninja world to unite and wipe out the Akatsuki in one strike! We can't let them continue bringing disaster to the ninja world.", Minato spoke firmly.
Arisu nodded slowly.
He immediately understood what Minato had in mind. After a moment's thought, he said, "You want to convene a Five Kage Summit?"
Minato nodded solemnly.
"Yes, Teacher. I believe it's the best solution right now. Only if all five great villages truly unite can we completely eliminate the Akatsuki's threat."
Arisu slowly stood up from the sofa, clasped his hands behind his back, walked to the window, and looked out at the flourishing scenery of Konoha. The setting sun's glow fell across him.
After a moment of silence, Arisu spoke.
"You're the Hokage. The decision is yours. I'll support you with everything I have, no matter what you decide."
Looking at his teacher's back, a wave of warmth and gratitude welled up inside Minato. He bowed deeply.
"Yes, Teacher. Thank you."
———
Without delaying, Minato Namikaze immediately sent official invitations in the Hokage's name to the other four great ninja villages, inviting them to attend a Five Kage Summit.
The meeting place was set in the neutral Land of Iron to ensure fairness.
———
[Kumogakure, Raikage Building]
"Konoha is calling for a Five Kage Summit?"
After reading the invitation, the Fourth Raikage, A, first slammed the table hard. Then an expression that was both approving and dissatisfied appeared on his face.
"Hmph! The Akatsuki has gotten so arrogant. They've already captured the One-Tails through Seven-Tails, and before long even my B will be in danger. We really should unite and beat the hell out of them! But why is Konoha the one taking the lead?!"
"Our Kumogakure isn't weak either. Why should they get all the glory?"
A ninja beside him cautiously said, "Lord Raikage, Lord Eight-Tails is currently in a dangerous situation..."
A waved his hand broadly, his voice booming like thunder.
"Go! Of course we're going to the Land of Iron! I'm all for an alliance, but we've got to keep an eye on those Konoha guys."
"If Minato Namikaze tries any tricks, I'll tear the meeting hall down on the spot! Still... we really can't put off dealing with the Akatsuki any longer."
———
[Iwagakure, Tsuchikage Building]
Leaning on his cane, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, narrowed his eyes and read the invitation twice before letting out a few cold laughs whose meaning was hard to tell.
"Konoha... taking the initiative to call a Five Kage Summit? During the last three Ninja World Wars, their village was always the one taking the lead. Their reputation is already terrible, and they still have the nerve to call on everyone to unite."
Onoki's aged face was full of caution.
"But the Akatsuki really is too powerful. In just a few short years they've swallowed up seven Tailed Beasts. I've lived this long, and this is the first time I've seen an organization this troublesome."
"Roshi and Han have both been captured..."
Onoki fell silent for a while before finally sighing.
"We'll go. We'll go to the Land of Iron. I'd like to see just how much sincerity Minato Namikaze can show this time. Iwagakure won't trust Konoha easily, but we won't just stand by and watch the Akatsuki continue to grow either."
Faced with the overall situation of the world, the old man, Onoki, ultimately chose to compromise.