Shikigami Dance: Naruto/BNHA Crossover - Chapter 17

Remember that this story contains spoilers and/or may not make sense unless you have watched Naruto and/or Naruto Shippuden.

For those who did not see that show, sorry… 80% will not make sense.

Btw the statements made in this chapter are mostly from the show or drawn from historical evidence. I am not attacking anyone’s beliefs.

I couldn’t find a way to really shorten the scenes without a bunch of extra brainpower so I lazily included all. Still used a lot of brainpower…

***

(Kage Summit, Land of Iron: Several months after Konan’s death…)

Mifune looked around the conference room, eyeing the five figures in front of him. He couldn’t help but secretly be impressed. After all, it wasn’t every day one was able to see such a sight. It had been many years since a conclave of this scale had happened. These days, it was unheard of for the Kage of all five of the great shinobi nations to meet at the same time, yet here they were.

The Land of Lightning’s, Ay, the Fourth Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village…

The Land of Earth’s, Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage of the Hidden Stone Village…

The Land of Water’s, Mei, the Fifth Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village…

The Land of Wind’s, Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village…

And the Land of Fire’s, Danzo, the Sixth Hokage candidate of the Hidden Leaf Village…

As a neutral party and the general of the samurai nation of the Land of Iron, Mifune had been asked to act as the mediator to the council. Even so, he did not like the heaviness in the air.

Ever since the Akatsuki had been capturing the hidden village’s Jinchuriki, the balance of power between all the shinobi nations had been far from stable. The Hidden Stone had lost its two Jinchuriki, the Four-Tails, and the Five-Tails. The Hidden Mist had lost its remaining Jinchuriki, the Six-Tails. Supposedly the Three-Tails had disappeared and resurfaced in the Land of Fire, only for the Akatsuki to capture it. The Hidden Sand’s own Kazekage had been captured and had the One-Tails extracted, causing his temporary death. The only reason the young man was alive now was because one of the village elders exchanged her own life force to reanimate him. Even one of the smaller villages, the Hidden Waterfall, had lost its Seven-Tails Jinchuriki. The Hidden Cloud suffered most recently with its loss of the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails, the latter being the Raikage’s younger brother. Only the Hidden Leaf had been able to retain its control over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. This was only thanks to its former leader, Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage’s foresight.

Alone out of all the Kage, Tsunade had listened to the warning of the deceased member of the legendary Sannin, Jiraya the Toad Sage. True, as a member of the Sannin herself, it was only natural, but because of that, she had not only kept her Jinchuriki from the Akatsuki, her village was also responsible for the deaths of several of the notorious organization’s members. Sasori of the Red Sand, Hidan the Jashinest, and Kakazu of the Hidden Waterfall, all S-rank criminals.

Unfortunately, when the Akatsuki’s leader, Pain, personally attacked the Hidden Leaf, causing its destruction, Tsunade had fallen into a coma from chakra exhaustion.

Mifune couldn’t help but frown at the Senju princess’s temporary replacement, Danzo. He didn’t know the man, but he had heard of him. The Shinobi of Darkness, the one who worked from the shadows. Danzo just had that aura that made Mifune not want to trust him. Scratch that, it made Mifune want to draw Kurosawa and slice Danzo’s head off before he got stabbed in the back.

The samurai sighed. Now was not the time to let personal feelings interfere. He had a job to and he was going to do it right.

He addressed the five Kage deliberately, without any sign of emotion, “Place your Kage headpieces before you.”

One by one, each of the shinobi leaders pulled off their symbol of the office and placed them on the table in front of them, proving their right to be present.

The lights of the rooms flashed on, illuminating them all: A’s stern persona, Mei’s serene beauty, Onoki’s wrinkled features, Gaara’s youthful visage, Danzo’s bandaged face, and Mifune’s own stately countenance.

“You, the five Kage, ȧssemble here today in response to Lord Raikage’s summons. I, Mifune, will preside over these proceedings,” he raised his voice little, “And now, let this five Kage summit commence.”

Gaara spoke up first, his dry voice reaching out to all corners of the room, “Then allow me to begin.”

Onoki snorted at Gaara’s supposed impertinence, “Heh! My, my, how the Kage have changed. To be named Kage at your age is quite impressive, Lord Kazekage,” he taunted the sixteen-year-old, “Despite your father’s obviously brilliant guidance, he seems to not have taught you any etiquette.”

Gaara’s seafoam green eyes stared dully at the rude Tsuchikage, “Yes, probably. That’s why I was chosen Kazekage.”

Onoki cackled in amusement, “You cheeky young rascal!”

Mei’s commanding tone interrupted the old man’s glee, “Lord Tsuchikage, do not interrupt anymore,” she turned to look at Gaara, “Please continue, Lord Kazekage.”

Gaara continued where he left off, “I am a former Jinchuriki. The Akatsuki captured me. They took my tailed beast, causing my death. Luckily, I was revived shortly after. They seem to have been doing this with the other villages as well. Even after its leader had a change of heart and discontinued his plan, resulting in his death to revive the dead population of the Hidden Leaf, his subordinates killed his successor and presently continue to carry out whatever plan that was created. That is why I consider the present Akatsuki a threat. I sought the aid of the five Kage many times, but was ignored,” he glanced to his left at Danzo, “Except by the previous Hokage. Jinchuriki from all your nations have been taken. To collaborate at this point is too little too late.”

Onoki simply scoffed, “Bah! The Five Hidden Villages can’t afford to alert others that their Jinchuriki were taken. It’s an embarrassment. Covert rescue and recovery is the norm. No one seeks aid from other lands when Jinchuriki disappear!”

“Appearances and status,” Gaara mused, “Such foolish outdated concepts.”

Mei quickly moved to defuse the argument, “Setting aside whether those ideas are outdated or not, I’ll admit that as Mizukage, that I refrained from acting on this issue. However, I don’t believe that having our tailed beasts stolen is cause for immediate alarm. After all, it still takes significant skill, knowledge, and time to achieve control over them.”

“Very few have attained control over their respective tailed beast,” Danzo informed them, “Madara Uchiha, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, as well as the Lord Raikage’s brother, Killer Bee. However…”

Ay raised his fist in anger, “ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE!”

He brought his fist down onto the table, smashing a massive hole in it. Within milliseconds, the hidden guards of all the Kage leaped out from the galleries above and place themselves protectively in front of their leaders, ready to slit each other’s throats.

Mifune sighed tiredly, “This summit is a place of discourse, so please refrain from any behavior that lacks civility.”

“Stand down, Fu, Torune,” Danzo ordered his guards.

“You too, Kankuro, Temari,” Gaara commanded his two older siblings.

Mei followed suit, “Ao, Chojuro, it’s all right.”

Onoki just jerked his head at his two guards, signaling for them to back off.

Ay pulled his fist from the wreckage of the desk with a growl and sat back in his seat.

After the guards had returned to their previous spots, Mifune brought everything back on track, “Now let’s continue our discussion.”

“The Hidden Leaf,” Ay declared, “The Stone, the Sand, the Mist, the Rain, the Akatsuki membership is composed of rogue Shinobi from your villages. That’s not all either. From our investigations, some of you and your predecessors have even used the Akatsuki as mercenaries in battle.”

Gaara’s eyes widened in disbelief, “The Kage used them?”

Ay scowled at them all, “And that’s why I do not trust any one of you. I have no interest in discourse. The reason I’ve summoned you all to this summit is to ultimately question your loyalty.”

“Currently, all five nations are equally stable,” Onoki countered, “They’re moving from military expansion to disarmament. As strained relations between nations ease and the threat of war diminishes, local lords consider military powers as costly hindrances, but at the same time, eliminating such resources poses its own risks as well. What if a war breaks out? Relying on ninja with no battle experience would be problematic. You’d lose the battle without question.”

“The Kage would then turn to mercenary soldiers,” Gaara finished, realization dawning on him.

“The Akatsuki is made up of experienced individuals who can also be hired quite cheaply,” Onoki pointed out, “Best of all, their soldiers have always delivered superior results. Especially the Angel of the Rain.”

“Don’t be pompous Tsuchikage,” Ay rebuked, turning to Gaara, “Because the Sand hired Orochimaru, a former member of the Akatsuki, to attack the Leaf, the Fourth Kazekage and the Third Hokage ended up dying. It also impossible to ignore the fact that it may have been part of a larger plot.”

The Raikage sent a look at Danzo. The Hokage candidate didn’t even blink.

“The most suspicious of all is the Hidden Mist. The Mist never engages in diplomacy and it’s rumored that the Akatsuki starts there.”

Mei raised her head from where it had been resting in her hands, “Since it’s come to this, I’ll be honest. We suspect that someone from behind the scenes was secretly manipulating Yagura. There’s a possibility that someone was from the Akatsuki.”

Ay’s enraged expression became angrier, “Each and every one of you…”

“Watch your tongue, Raikage,” Onoki snapped, “In fact, it’s because you of the Cloud went around collecting Ninjutsu. Seeking more power in this era of disarmament. None of us have forgotten your little ploy with the Hyuga Affair. Didn’t find many villages acting very welcome to your messengers for a while didn’t you? We had no choice but to hire the Akatsuki to counter your power.”

Ay stood up, “What was that?”

Danzo interrupted them, “Before you started arguing each other merits, I would like to state the point that I was about to make earlier.”

Ay sneered, “What’s that?”

Danzo glared at each Kage in turn, “It probable that the man behind the manipulation of the Rain and the present leader of the Akatsuki, is none other than Madara Uchiha.”

Every person in the room stiffened at the name.

“Are you sure of that?” Mei asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

Gaara rested his chin on his clasped hands, “How could even be possible? Hasn’t he been dead for several decades?”

“The Kazekage’s right,” Onoki agreed, “Madara has been dead for a long, long time.”

Danzo shrugged, “Well I don’t know all of the details, but the information is from quite a reliable source.”

He looked at Mifune, who nodded.

Ay looked at the man in distrust, “Who is this?”

The old man stood next to Mifune’s desk and bowed respectfully, “My name is Kenji. I am the elder of Hidden Sound.”

“Are you the one who can say if Madara Uchiha is still alive?” Gaara asked, observing the elder carefully.

A sudden look of suppressed rage appeared on the old man’s face, shocking everyone.

“That demon!” Kenji spat, “He is responsible for everything!”

Mei leaned forward, “Define ‘everything.’”

Kenji gripped the edge of the desk to steady himself, “I have been an elder of the Hidden Rain for many years. I have watch war tear my nation to pieces. When the Akatsuki was first founded, it was nothing like it is today. It was an organization devoted to establishing peace in our land and to help bring peace to the rest of the world.”

Onoki grumbled something about presumption, but he kept his mumblings to himself.

“One day, it all changed. Most of the old Akatsuki were killed, leaving only two. After that, the organization changed. Our leader, Hanzo was overthrown in a single night and the one who called himself ‘God’ took power. He was represented by his Angel. While they lived secluded, and their reign involved much conflict, they were kind to us for the most part.”

“Their true names were Nagato Uzumaki and Konan,” Danzo interjected, “Both war orphans taught by Jiraya himself.”

Kenji sent Danzo a glare, “Who they were made no difference to us. It was only because of them our nation was finally free of your never-ending wars. Most of the people worshiped our leader as a god, willing to do anything he asked without question. When our leader died, we accepted it. Our Angel explained how our leader changed his ways and died peacefully. We were sad for our loss, but he had left us hope. He and the Angel had conceived a child shortly before he died.”

A muffled gasp circled the room, Danzo being the only one who didn’t show any surprise.

“So, they had a child,” Onoki observed, “How interesting.”

Kenji’s face looked like it was carved from stone, “Now, because of Madara, our Angel is dead and her child is gone.”

Ay crossed his arms, “So you claim Madara killed your ‘Angel’ and her kid, what proof do you have it was really him?”

Kenji gave the Raikage a tired look, “The child is not dead, just gone forever. When our leader died, our Angel buried his body in secret to keep the Rinnegan, our nation’s most prized treasure, safe. Shortly after, she prepared for us to send her child to safety should Madara arrive to steal it. The plan was to reverse summon the child to the Hidden Leaf under a chosen kunoichi’s care. The child was to be placed under the guardianship of Naruto Uzumaki, the nine tails Jinchuriki, for he was the one who brought our leader peace and one of the last members of our leader’s clan.”

Gaara usually stern features softened a little at the mention of Naruto, remembering how the young ninja has similarly saved him from a life of darkness.”

“What happened?”

Kenji gritted his teeth, “Madara showed up, just as predicted. Our most trusted shinobi prepared the reverse summoning ritual while our Angel battled Madara. We all wished to battle him, but her specific orders were not to interfere. In secret, I listened in on the conversation she had with Madara, using a unique Jutsu of mine that amplifies sound using the water in the air. It was there I found out that it really was Madara and that he was the one that manipulated our God and our Angel to gather the tailed beasts. He called it Project Tsukuyomi.”

Onoki stroked his beard thoughtfully, “Tsukuyomi?”

Danzo interrupted, wishing to wrap up the story, “After that, Konan tried to kill Madara with one last attack and very nearly succeeded. Madara somehow survived enough explosive power that would level a Hidden Village several times over and mortally wounded her. He used Genjutsu to discover the whereabouts of the Rinnegan and learned about the child.”

Kenji broke in, “Madara wiped out our most skilled Anbu and disrupted the ritual before we could finish. Luckily our Angel returned from the brink of death and fought him off. She completed the ritual, but the seals we used were stained with blood. Since then, we haven’t seen her or her child since.”

Onoki felt revulsion hit at the thought of his long-dead enemy, “So then Madara truly is alive. He really is an inhuman monster.”

Mifune cleared his throat, gaining the Kage’s attention, “I’d like to say this as a neutral nation. The leader of the Akatsuki had read the times well. Despite stabilizing, the great nations harbor suspicions about each other and the Akatsuki seized on that weakness to amass its power.”

“Would you just get to the point?” Ay demanded.

Mifune gave the Raikage a stern look, “Now please just stay calm,” he ordered before continuing, “We can turn this misfortune into a blessing. It’s very rare for all five Kage to convene at one location. What do you all say to this? Until the remaining Akatsuki are disposed of, why not establish the world first allied shinobi forces of the Five Hidden Villages?”

Ay looked dubious, “An allied ninja force?”

“That’s a splendid idea,” Danzo agreed, “We’re practically in a state of an emergency. Cooperation will be crucial now.”

Unbeknownst to the Hokage Candidate, Kenji was eying him suspiciously. Although Danzo had been key for allowing a representative of the Hidden Rain to enter such an important conclave, Kenji was more than aware of Danzo’s part in the obliteration of the old Akatsuki. The elder had kept quiet on that for the moment, knowing that any unnecessary distrust between the great nations would be disastrous. The only chance for the Rain’s, no, the world’s survival depended on decisions made in this room. Old grudges could not afford to be uncovered here.

Unaware of Kenji’s perturbed nature, Mifune continued, “Moving forward with the plan, a standardized chain of command would be ideal. Further chaos must be avoided.”

The other Kage silently agreed.

“And who would we be handing the reigns of these allied forces to?” Onoki queried.

Mifune kept a neutral expression on his face, “If the choice was left up to you, you’d all just argue. Therefore, since you have deemed me to be a neutral party presiding over you, I’d like to make this suggestion. I will decide who among you five Kage is the most suitable to lead. The Leaf has the last Jinchuriki, the one containing the Nine-Tails. I feel that how he’s guided will be the key,” the lighting in the room buzzed slightly as if they were reacting to the heaviness in the air, “I say why not allow the Hokage to lead the allied shinobi army?”

There were several intakes of breath from the other Kage and Kenji. Danzo didn’t even open his single eye from where he sat serenely in his seat, but the self-satisfaction was evident.

“What?” Ay sounded incredulous, “Let the Hokage lead the allied shinobi forces?”

“If all of you approve this,” Danzo stated calmly, “I will gladly and humbly accept this position.”

Gaara, Mei, Onoki, and Kenji didn’t respond.

Ay just growled, “Why the Hokage? This man is also known by the moniker: The Shinobi of Darkness! We cannot let him take charge!”

“Then, who else?” Mifune posed the obvious question.

“My village hasn’t provided a single member of the Akatsuki!” Ay argued, “Such a vital role must be filled by the most trustworthy! It ought to be me!”

“Even if I may not have a right to speak, I partially agree with the Raikage,” Kenji interjected, “If our leaders’ child is rediscovered, we plan on letting the nine tails Jinchuriki to care for him as one of the last remaining members of his clan. The Hidden Rain is not comfortable with giving such powers to a man known to take young children of potential and brainwash them for his personal Anbu! We’d need especial reassurance of the child’s safety and the Jinchuriki’s freedom after the Akatsuki has been dealt with.”

“I second the Rain’s position concerning the Nines-Tails and the child,” Gaara agreed, “It’s the least we owe them after all the wars we fought on their land and information and forces they can provide.”

“I cannot agree to that,” Mifune answered firmly.

Ay stood up from his seat, “What did you say?”

Mifune deliberately pointed at the damaged table the Raikage had smashed earlier, “I am well aware that a certain amount of intensity and strength is necessary to lead a force such as these, but someone such as yourself whose acts are ruled by emotion would probably end up splintering the allied force just as you did that desk,” Mifune turned to look at Kenji standing nearby, “As an Uzumaki, the child and the Jinchuriki are under the Leaf’s control, not the Rain’s.”

Kenji felt fury ignite in his old body, “Lord Mifune, what treachery is this? The Hidden Rain may be a smaller nation, but you are all aware of how well kept the secrets our military power have been these past years. We will not tolerate this treatment.”

Mifune calmly slid his hand in the sleeves of his robe, “I am simply stated my unbiased opinion as a neutral party for these discussions. Lord Kazekage is still too young and inexperienced for such a venture. He does not have much pull with other nations and his title of Kazekage alone won’t be sufficient. Lord Tsuchikage, on the other hand, is too old and gives the impression of one whose power has waned. He has also used the Akatsuki too often. He’s the least trustworthy among you here. And since Lady Mizukage suspects that the Hidden Mist is the birthplace of the Akatsuki, there is some concern about possible intelligence leaks. People might wonder if there are spies. As for you Hidden Rain, the Akatsuki’s original leaders and headquarters were based inside your village.”

We don’t know why the Akatsuki are gathering the tailed beasts or what their Eye of the Moon plan is, but we do know that we can’t let them have the nine tails. The Nine-Tails belongs to the Hidden Leaf. Thus, I feel it appropriate that the Hokage be named leader.”

Ay glowered at Mifune, “Regardless of any other concerns, I would never agree to an allied shinobi force that could compromise the security of my village!”

There was a whisper of wind as one of Mei’s bodyguards, Ao, appeared by the Mizukage’s side.

“Lord Hokage!” the sharp accusation in his voice made everyone tense, “Please show us the eye you keep covered under that bandage.”

Everyone grunted in surprise.

“What is the meaning of this?” Onoki questioned angrily.

Ao pointed at Danzo, “I believe you stole Shisui Uchiha’s eye and transplanted it in place of your own.”

Everyone could feel the sudden killing intent radiating from Danzo as he looked at Ao from the corner of his unbandaged eye.

“Shisui Uchiha?” Gaara’s eyes hardened.

Onoki was speechless.

“The man who was praised alongside Itachi Uchiha as the most gifted with the use of visual Jutsu?” Mei breathed.

“Yes,” Ao confirmed, “His particular Jutsu let him enter the minds of others and make them go through phantom experiences of his own choosing and manipulate them. It was such a top-notch visual Jutsu that no one ever even caught on they were even being manipulated.”

Ay looked over at Danzo, “Hokage!”

Kenji stepped forward in concern, “Don’t tell me Lord Mifune is…?”

Mifune blinked, “But how could…” he gasped, seeing some telltale veins bulging around the eyepatch Ao wore over his right eye, “Wait. Is that?”

“My right eye is also a precious spoil of war. From a battle against the Hyuga. So I’m not really one to cast blame,” Ao admitted, “But you cannot trick my eye. I was able to penetrate the Genjutsu cast upon the Fourth Mizukage, and thus it seems–”

A loud smash interrupted as Ay angrily shattered the remaining surface of his desk, “HOW DARE YOU!”

Kenji felt a new presence drilling up from the floor, “Lord Mifune!”

The samurai grunted, reaching for his sword hidden under his desk as a strange white humanoid rose from the floor.

“Well, hellooooooooo~ there!”

“Zetsu…” Kenji hissed as he and the other Kage raised their guards, “How dare you betray the will of our master.”

In an instant, all the bodyguards had jumped down to protect their Kage, even a pair of Rain ninja that had accompanied Kenji.

“One problem after another!” Ay cried, “Now what?”

“Is he Akatsuki?” Danzo asked.

“Very much so,” Kenji confirmed.

Onoki gave a gleeful smile, “That settles it.”

Zetsu, or the white half of him, looked around, “Guess what?” he sang out, “Sasuke Uchiha had snuck in here! I wonder! Where do you think he could be hiding right now? Any guesses?”

The Raikage’s eyes widened at the mention of the name. The name of the man who had kidnapped his brother.

“What is all this?”

“Sasuke Uchiha…” Gaara whispered.

Temari looked at her brother in concern, “Is it him?”

Kankuro adjusted his chakra strings to raise his puppet more threateningly, “What’s he doing here?”

“He’s the one with the Sharingan?” Mei sounded confused, “The one who took down Haku and Zabuza?”

Chojuro gasped.

Onoki frowned, “A member of the Akatsuki, the one who killed Deidara.”

His guards, Akatsuchi, and the Tsuchikage’s own granddaughter, Kurosuchi, also gasped.

Zetsu had a maniacal look on his face, “It’s like a game of hide-and-seek! Let’s all try to find Sasuke!”

Ay moved faster than anyone could see, grabbing the plant-like being by the neck, “Tell me where Sasuke Uchiha is!” he demanded, “Give me an answer right now!”

Zetsu looked surprised at having been caught so easily. ‘He’s so fast!’

“Answer me or I shall show no mercy!” Ay yelled.

“Well since you leave me no choice. I’ll give you a little hint,” Zetsu taunted.

The Raikage’s only answer was to snap the creature’s neck.

“C, begin,” he barked out to one of his guards.

The blonde shinobi nodded as he placed his hand into a sign to heighten his sensory, “Yes sir!”

Mei eyed Zetsu’s still form with an annoyed expression, “You didn’t have to kill him, you know. If we retrained and interrogated him, you might have obtained useful intel on the Akatsuki.”

Kenji stepped forward and nudged at the body with his foot, “He wasn’t the original. I was high in the confidence of our leaders and the real one is composed of two halves, one black, and one white. The white side is capable of creating clones such as this. You wouldn’t have gotten much.”

“Okisuke, Urakaku,” Mifune addressed his bodyguards, “Give the order to find Sasuke Uchiha at once. Issue a number two battle-ready state alert.”

“Yes sir!”

C opened his eyes, “I found him, Lord Raikage!”

Ay looked at Ao, “You, Mist guy, keep that eye trained on the Hokage,” he started walking from the room, “C, Darui, come on!”

He smashed the wall behind him and ran from the room.

Darui looked at the other people in the room apologetically, “I’m sorry about the desk and the wall.”

“Hey, Darui, quit yapping, and let’s go already!” C reprimanded.

The two shinobi left the room, following their rampaging Raikage.

“That man is truly violent,” Onoki observed, “Even becoming the Kage hasn’t changed that unruly brat.”

Kenji knelt and felt for Zetsu’s pulse, “We won’t be gaining any information from this one. He won’t rise again.”

Mifune made a disappointed grunt before looked at Ao, “Lord Ao, please confirm if the Hokage’s visual Jutsu is still engaged.”

Ao shook his head, “No, right now the flow in his chakra network is quiet. The Jutsu’s undone.”

Danzo snorted through his nose, “All of you just relax, it’s not a visual Jutsu that I can use that many times in a day.”

“Be quiet,” Ao snapped, “I’ll decide that. For you are a man who simply can’t be trusted.”

Danzo raised an eyebrow, “I can’t believe the Byakugan fell into someone else’s hands. If a Hidden Leaf Hyuga turned traitor, I would have taken care of them at once.”

Several of the other Kage and their guard exchanged glances at the implicated threat.

“You’re probably planning to dispose of me now that I know your little secret,” Ao guessed, “Better think again.”

“I’ll fight you myself if need be,” Mei stated, “Especially if you visual Jutsu may be connected somehow to the one who manipulated the Fourth Mizukage.”

Danzo didn’t answer.

Mifune looked at the man in distaste, “Lord Hokage, all Ninjutsu is prohibited here. You have lost trust and credibility. A shame, since I may have still chosen you had you not resorted to such tactics. While it is true I would not have agreed on allowed you full authority over the Uzumaki child as one of its parents, Konan, was a Hidden Rain shinobi, it wouldn’t have been unfair to you.”

“What you may have chosen wasn’t good enough,” Danzo replied, “I’m prepared to do whatever it takes in order to protect the shinobi world. It’s imperative that our whole world unite as one, just as the First Hokage brought together his clan and founded the Hidden Leaf Village. Now we must merge all the villages and create one shinobi world. This shall never be accomplished through discussion and negotiation.”

“But it takes time and patience to actualize one’s ideals,” Onoki said, “Impatience makes one shortsighted and invites failure. That’s what happened to you.”

“There is another factor,” everyone looked at Kenji, “While the idea of a single government ruling the whole world is attractive, it is an ideal doomed to fail. With such widespread areas, ideals, traditions, and values between peoples differ. They can coexist, but what government can make laws that are fair and equal to all? Trying to control those ideals has historically been proven to fail, no matter how long it seems to last. You are thinking too short term.”

Danzo ignored him, “Taking the time to do it morally or ethically will result in no change and the Akatsuki will eventually destroy the whole shinobi world.”

Onoki crossed his arms, “And your dream is nothing more than an impossibility. As the elder said, it may sound noble, but in the end you only breed distrust, ill feelings, hatred, and resentment. Why, Danzo, we can’t even trust your words at this point.”

“It doesn’t matter whether you trust me or not,” Danzo shrugged, “Results are necessary.”

Gaara rose from his seat, “If we can’t even trust each other… If that’s that state of our world and of being human… Then we have no future.”

Onoki ċȯċked his head, “Eh? What does that mean?”

Gaara met the Tsuchikage’s gaze, unblinkingly, “Without mutual trust and understanding, all that will remain in this world is fear and terror. I simply can’t tolerate giving up so easily or approve of any plan that doesn’t incorporate morality.”

“You pose such difficult concepts so simply,” Onoki criticized, “But you’re a green brat who knows nothing about running a village.”

Kankuro gritted his teeth at the jab against his younger brother but was held back by Temari.

“But I’ll tell you what,” Onoki continued, his tone becoming a little more respectful, “Now’s the chance to ask anything you like! As your senior, I’ll answer any question you have. I’m sure the elder would also be happy to answer, although he seems to have been greatly sheltered.”

Gaara closed his eyes to think before opening them, “Then… let me ask you this.”

Onoki smirked, “Sure. Go ahead. Ask away.”

“When did all of you… forsake yourselves?”

A chill crept up everyone’s spine at the question.

Onoki was flabbergasted, “What?”

Mei smiled softly. ‘What a pure-hearted child.’

Kankuro openly grinned at everyone else’s discomfort.

Temari turned to her the young redhead, “Alright, Gaara. What will we do now? We once worked with the Hidden Leaf in a mission to retrieve Sasuke, but he sunk so low, he’s joined the Akatsuki.”

“So Sasuke Uchiha, huh?” Gaara mused.

A moment later, he body flickered across the room, exiting through the hole Ay had left earlier.

Temari and Kankuro quickly followed him, calling out for him to wait.

Kurosuchi sent a grin at her grandfather, “Hey, Gramps. He scored a point on you!”

Onoki grunted sending a glare at the kunoichi, “Ah, shut it.”

Akatsuchi leaned his huge frame over, “Lord Tsuchikage, what shall we do? Shall we join the fight?”

Onoki’s eyebrow twitched, “You fool! What happens if my back pain gets worse?”

Kurosuchi chuckled, “But I want to see this Sasuke who supposedly took down Deidara.”

Onoki grumbled, “Fine, do as you please, but if you get caught in the Raikage’s crossfire, you’ll die. Stay out of his way.”

The girl pumped her fist excitedly, “Right! What about you, Akatsuchi.”

Akatsuchi shook his head, “I have to keep an eye on Lord Tsuchikage in case there’s trouble with his back, so I’ll stay here with him.”

Onoki’s granddaughter sent him a smirk, “See you later then.”

A moment later, the girl was gone.

Fu approached Danzo while everyone was supposedly distracted whispering in his leader’s ear, “Lord Danzo. Please, sir, allow one of us to venture forth and retrieve the Sharingan.”

Ao raised pointed at the whispering man, “All of you from the Leaf, stay right where you are. Lord Raikage has ordered you to.”

Danzo’s guards got into fighting positions only to be mirrored by Kenji’s two guards.

“No. Fu, Torune,” Danzo rebuked, “Desist.”

“Shin, Yui, stand down,” Kenji said in turn.

The two Leaf shinobi and the two Rain ninja, a man and a woman, lowered their arms.

They all stood silently, only being disturbed by the faint sounds of distant crashes and screams.

It was the sudden detection of foreign chakra that made several people stiffen.

“Lord Kenji, Sasuke has a sensory type among our enemies. They may reach here soon,” Yui, the female guard informed the elder.

Kenji nodded calmly, noting Danzo’s hidden agitation, “Yes, but we will remain. I may be an old man, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve,” he sent Onoki a knowing look, “Looks like the summit is getting more interesting.”

Onoki simply gave him an arrogant smile.

There was an especially loud rumble that caused the room to tremble.

Ao looked up, “He’s here.”

There was a slash of steel against cloth as the banners bearing the symbols of the five nations were cut. No one showed any reaction as they fluttered to the floor.

Fu looked around before alerting them, “Above us!”

All their eye flicked up to see a raven-haired youth glaring down from where he stood, upside down, on the ceiling. The crimson-colored Sharingan blazed with hatred as they singled out Danzo.

Mifune acted first, drawing Kurosawa as he slashed at the Uchiha. Sasuke’s own blade flashed with lighting as he countered easily.

“You’re good,” Mifune grunted.

Ao growled as he realized that Danzo and his subordinates had just fled while they were all distracted.

“Sasuke, Danzo bolted!” a red-haired woman in Akatsuki robes yelled.

Kenji furrowed his eyebrows. An Uzumaki…

Ao jumped over the table and took chase, “Lady Mizukage, Chojuro, stay here. I’m going after Danzo. The Five Kage Summit hasn’t ended yet.”

“Shin, Yui, back him up,” Kenji ordered, “Follow Lord Ao’s command and do not let the Hokage escape or let the Mist lose the Byakugan. We aren’t safe from the Hokage’s Jutsu without someone who can see it.”

He looked at Mei for confirmation and she nodded.

“Very well, but don’t go overboard.”

Ao nodded and signaled for the two Rain ninja to follow him and the three disappeared down the hall.

“I shall occupy the girl,” Kenji told Mei, “I’ve been observing the Uzumaki clan for many years.”

Mei nodded in acknowledgment.

Onoki remained seated, “My back can’t take this, feel free to rampage as you please.”

Sasuke broke away from Mifune and dashed towards the hole in the wall, “Karin! Come!”

A spike of chakra from the Mizukage suddenly made the teen dodge as a stream of lava flew past him to block the doorway.

Mei smiled as Sasuke turned to glare at her, “Your Akatsuki have trampled all over the Hidden Mist and manipulated the Fourth Mizukage,” she said, wiping some traces of lava from her immune lips sighing, “And yet, when I look at you, you Uchiha are quite handsome indeed.”

Sasuke’s eyes changed to reveal a flower-like pattern, “Do not interfere.”

Kenji quickly reached into his sleeve, “Mangekyo!”

Mei sighed, “Too bad. What a waste,” she slowly stood up, “But at least I get to give you a kiss that will melt you away,” her voice posed heavy killing intent.

Karin seemed to become angry, “What, a kiss?” she pointed at Mei, “Who and what are you, witch? Quite making eyes at him, you old hag!”

Kenji coughed as he tried not to laugh as Mei’s face twitched.

The Mizukage began forming hand signs, “Lord Tsuchikage, if you’re not going to participate, then please just keep your head down. Lord Elder–”

“I won’t get in your way, Lady Mizukage.”

Mei nodded as she molded the chakra in her mouth, spewing out a stream of lava at the two Akatsuki.

A purple glow surrounded the young Uchiha, blocking the attack as Karin threw herself out of the way.

As the girl pushed herself up, she found herself confronted by Kenji.

“My, my. Your partner is not very protective of his teammates, is he? I’m afraid you’re fighting is with me, Uzumaki.”

Karin watched helplessly as Chojuro pulled out his sword, the legendary Hiramekarei, and smashed Sasuke through the wall.

Mei exited the room, obviously planning on disposing of the Akatsuki member.

Karin shakily got to her feet, “Don’t get in our way, old man.”

Chojuro turned around, his weapon raised, “Lord Elder!”

Kenji raised a wrinkled hand, making the Mist ninja stop as he tried to reason with Karin, “In consideration of my former master, I will give you one chance. Surrender to me, and the Hidden Rain will grant you protection. As long as you cooperate with us, no harm will come to you.”

Karin’s response was to slash at the old man’s throat, her hand humming with chakra. Mifune stepped in, blocking her attack.

Kenji didn’t turn a hair, “Chakra scalpel, huh? Very well,” the elder pulled out a small tag from his sleeve, holding it over Mifune’s shoulder, “Summoning: Shuriken!”

A wave of the iron weapons appeared from the paper and launched towards the Uzumaki woman at point-blank range. Karin ducked, sliding back before circling to attack again. Kenji met her palm with his own, parrying her scalpel with his.

“You can’t win. You’re outnumbered,” he pointed out.

Karin suddenly snapped her head towards the sealed off wall, sensing Sasuke’s weakening chakra.

Kenji struck at her, clipping a few hairs as she dodged, “You can’t afford to get distracted,” he scolded.

Onoki chuckled from where he had been standing on the ceiling since the fight started, “Are you going easy on her, Lord Kenji?”

Kenji didn’t bother looking at the Tsuchikage, “I’m an elder, not a Kage. I hardly fight for a living.”

Suddenly the elder felt something on his arm, “What the–”

Chojuro screamed as he was covered with some strange white substance. In a moment, he, Onoki, Kenji, Mifune, his guards, and Akatsuchi were covered in the mysterious material.

“This must be Zetsu’s doing,” Kenji growled, “The bastard, he’s stealing our chakra!”

Several Zetsu clones started to grow from the substance.

Mifune struggled in his restraints, “When did he…?”

Onoki eyed the clones calmly, “It’s a time-lapse Jutsu he planted when the Raikage took him down more likely.”

The wall was smashed once again and Kenji’s eyes widened as he saw a massive purple hand, completely made of chakra, reach in. Does the Uchiha have Susanoo?

Sasuke slowly entered the room, his body covered in burns.

“Sasuke you’re alright?” Karin cried.

Mifune and Kenji hissed as they saw the deadly mist of the Mizukage’s Vapor Style slowly enter the room.

“Seems that they’re having a bit of trouble,” Onoki mumbled, looking at his remaining guard, “Akatsuchi? Let’s say we join the fight.”

The big man nodded, “Sure!”

Akatsuchi opened his mouth using an Earth Style Jutsu to create a stone golem. The golem promptly grabbed Zetsu’s clone substance and proceed to eat it.

Onoki simply used his Weighted Boulder Jutsu to add weight to the clones, causing them to fall to the floor.

Kenji slid a pair of senbon into his hands and sliced through his restraints while Mifune did the same with his sword.

Onoki detached from the ceiling and floated down, hovering over the injured Sasuke, a sinister laugh leaving his lips, “So you’re the brat who took down Deidara, huh?” his hand wove a series of hand signs, “Well I’ve got no grudge against you, but many shinobi want you dead.” the Tsuchikage pulled his hand apart, a white cube prism glowing in his hands, “So goodbye.”

Sasuke clutched at his face, blood seeping from his overused eyes as he glared.

Onoki pushed his hands out, the prism encasing the Uchiha, “Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!”

A bright flash of light filled the cube, causing everyone to wince.

Karin screamed out in fear, “SASUKE!”

The dust cleared to reveal nothing…

Karin collapsed to her knees, her eyes trembling, “S-Sasuke’s chakra is gone… It can’t be…” tears formed in her eyes, “No…”

“Yes, that’s right. He’s gone. I disabled his body to a near molecular level,” Onoki announced, he gave the Uzumaki a menacing smile, “And you’ll be next girl.”

Kenji placed himself in front of Karin, his arm held out protectively, “Lord Tsuchikage, restrain yourself. This girl has had enough.”

A clatter of footsteps interrupted their argument before it could begin as Gaara, Ay, and their bodyguards returned.”

Ay looked around the room, angrily, “Where is Sasuke? Tell me!”

Kenji simply points at Onoki before placed in his hand in the sleeves of his robe, “Thanks to the Tsuchikage, there not much left of him to find.”

Ay turned to face Onoki, “How dare you! I wanted to take him down! You had no right–”

“And you still get to have another go at him. So quit whining, Raikage,” a new voice interrupted. A voice Kenji recognized.

The air twisted on itself as a figure wearing a spiral-shaped orange mask appeared, carrying an unconscious Sasuke under his arm.

Kenji instantly got into a guarded position, “Madara Uchiha!”

The Kage eyed the mysterious man cautiously, their senses on high alert.

Karin gave a glad cry at the sight of her comrade safe.

Madara ignored her outcry as he continued to speak, “I am here to explain something to you all, and once you understand it, I’ll ask you a question.”

Ay forced himself to calm down, knowing he couldn’t lose his cool against this man if he really was Madara, “What is it?”

“It’s about my plan,” Madara told them, “Project Tsukuyomi.”

Everyone in the room gave soft exclamations of shock upon hearing the words Kenji had given them earlier.

Ay stepped forward glancing around the room, “It seems that C was right, the Hokage has indeed fled.”

Onoki’s small frame moved up and down as he floated, “Yup, and all thanks to Sasuke.”

Ay’s fist was suddenly in Madara’s face, his body having moved faster than the eye could read. Madara simply phased through the attack, causing the Raikage to only destroy the wall behind him.

With a nonchalant shrug, Madara warped Sasuke’s body from the room.

“Anything Akatsuki is bad news,” Ay stated, “And honestly won’t make any sense. Return Sasuke right now.”

Madara glanced at the Raikage, “That will depend on your response to what I’m about to tell you.”

“Just calm down, Raikage,” Onoki ordered, “We’ll hear him out and go from there.”

Madara jumped down and landed beside Karin, “Go, heal Sasuke.”

The girl cried out before she was warped away.

Kenji’s eyes narrowed, “I see your space-time teleportation is still functional. Pity.”

Madara jumped up, landing in the railing of the upper gallery, “Elder Kenji. I’m surprised that you still dare to defy me after all you’ve seen. I should have killed you long ago, but I guess it can’t be helped now.”

Kenji clicked his tongue, “Don’t get too confident. I know you haven’t implanted the Rinnegan you stole. The only reason I can think why is because your body couldn’t handle it anymore.”

Madara chuckled, “I see how Konan nearly defeated me, your observational skills are quite good,” he shifted his gaze to the four remaining Kage and their guards, “Are you all prepared to listen?”

“First, tell us why you are trying to win over Sasuke?” Gaara demanded.

“Sharingan that actually acquire the Susanoo are quite rare,” Madara explained, “I like to stock up on good eyes. By battling the five Kage, he’d hone his visual prowess even further, which is exactly why I sent him here. I was hoping to weaken the five Kage and take at least some of you hostage, but I guess that was too much to ask.”

Mei gave Madara a haughty look, “Take us hostage? Whatever for?”

Madara shifted his head to looked at her, “To ensure that Project Tsukuyomi was implemented smoothly.”

“I’m truly surprised that the infamous Madara Uchiha would still be alive,” Onoki said calmly, “But I’m confused. Why would you of all people need such roundabout tactics? With all your power, you ought to bring any plan into fruition, easily.”

“My injuries from the battle with the First Hokage, Hashirama, were too severe. I currently have little power. I am but a shell of my former self.”

“Oh, I get it,” C said accusingly, “Then this plan of yours is to restore your former power. Is that it?”

Madara hummed, “I suppose you could say that, but there is so much more to it.”

Mifune glared at the masked man, “What are you scheming? Exactly what is this Project Tsukuyomi?”

Madara straightened, “It’ll be a long story, so, I’ll need to sit down.”

Kankuro raised his voice, “That’s enough! Just tell us! What kind of plan is it?”

Madara raised a finger, “All shall become one with me. A complete possession form that unites all.”

“…”

Onoki raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean ‘become one’ and unite all of us? What does that even mean?”

Madara Sharingan was briefly visual through the mask, “There is an ancient stone tablet passed down within the Uchiha Clan. Upon it are written secrets engraved by the Sage of the Six Paths, himself. They cannot be read without visual powers. With the Sharingan, Mangekyo Sharingan, and the Rinnegan respectively, more and more knowledge is progressively revealed.”

“And your stories becoming more and more unbelievable,” Onoki scoffed, “The Sage of the Six Paths is a myth!”

“It is the truth,” Madara insisted quietly, “He did indeed exist, and he left that stone tablet behind.”

“Don’t change the subject,” Ay growled, “And what does the Sage of the Six Paths have to do with your plan anyway?”

“Do any of you know why he became a legendary figure? One that was revered as a god among shinobi?” Madara asked them, “This is where the link between that man and my purposes lies.”

Mei spoke up, “Madara Uchiha. You possess the Mangekyo Sharingan and from what we know have the Rinnegan kept hidden somewhere. Do you know all the tablet’s secrets then?”

Onoki lowered himself to the floor, canceling his Jutsu, “Let’s hear them.”

Madara just continued his narrative, “The Sage once saved the world. From a great monster.”

Gaara’s eyes narrowed to slits, “What monster?”

Madara looked at the Kazekage tauntingly, “You once held a small piece of that monster, Gaara. It was the aggregate power of all the tailed beasts. A creature that possessed almost infinite chakra. The Ten-Tails.”

“But I thought there were only nine tailed beasts!” Temari exclaimed.

“I just told you, it was the aggregate power of the tailed beasts.

Shukaku: Gaara’s tailed beast known as the One-Tails…

Matatabi: The fiery wraith cat of the Hidden Cloud’s Yugito, the Two-Tails…

Isobu: The former Mizukage’s Three-Tails…

Son Goku: Roshi of the Hidden Stone’s Four-Tails…

Kokuo: Han of the Hidden Stone’s Five-Tails…

Saiken: The rogue ninja, Utakata of the Mist’s Six-Tails…

Chomei: Fu of the Hidden Waterfall’s Seven-Tails…

Gyuki: Killer Bee, the Raikage’s younger brother’s Eight-Tails…

Kurama: The fox spirit of Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf, the Nine-Tails…

The Ten-Tails chakra was simply divided up into the tailed beast that we know today, by the Sage of the Six Paths hand.”

“I really don’t like where this is going,” Kankuro said his face stern, “So that’s why the Akatsuki were collecting all the tailed beasts?”

“The Sage of the Six Paths developed a certain Ninjutsu. In order to protect the world from the Ten-Tails, that Ninjutsu has secretly been passed down. It is the sealing Jutsu process for Jinchuriki. Yes, the Sage was the Ten-Tail’s Jinchuriki. He sealed the Ten-Tails within himself to suppress the monster. He was referred to as a savior and as a god, but the Sage feared that upon his death, the seal would come undone, and the Ten-Tail’s immense chakra reemerge. So, in his final moments, he summoned the last of his strength to partition the Ten-Tail’s chakra into nine pieces and scattered them all across the world.

Then he sealed away the body of the monster, now a husk, into the sky where it became the moon.”

Darui scoffed, “This tale is ridiculous. I mean, what human being can do something like that?”

Madara sighed, “As the Ten-Tail’s Jinchuriki, the Sage had already advanced beyond the realm of humanity.”

Mifune looked stunned, “So you’re trying to reassemble those nine different chakras. In other words, you’re trying to attain that immense power,” he clenched his fist, “I understand that part of your plan, but… what are you planning on doing with all that power?”

“Revive the Ten-Tails of course,” Madara stated as if the answer were obvious, “And become the Ten-Tail’s Jinchuriki. I would then use its tremendous chakra to strengthen my visual prowess and launch a certain Jutsu.”

Onoki growled, “What certain Jutsu? Which one do you mean? Just what are you plotting?”

Madara was silent a moment before he revealed the crux of his plan, “A super Genjutsu, where I project the surface of my eye off the surface of the moon,” his single Sharingan glowed, “An Infinite Tsukuyomi. All humans living on earth will be placed under my Genjutsu, and as a result, by controlling every single one of them, I shall unify the entire world. I will create a world without hatred or war. Everything shall become one with me. Everything shall be united. That is Project Tsukuyomi.”

Ay’s chakra flared, “You’re insane? I’m not handing the world over to you!”

Gaara’s sand began to stir, “That kind of peace is just an illusion. Peace is only meaningful if it’s achieved honestly.”

Mei’s chakra also began to flare dangerously, “So what exists inside a Genjutsu world? There no hope or dreams. Just an escape!”

Onoki clenched his fist, “You want to unite the whole world, huh? Interesting that Danzo mentioned something similar. It sounds to me that instead of wanting to unite the world, you actually want to make the world yours and only yours.”

Kenji gave the Uchiha a shake of his head, “To think you still have a mind of a child. If you truly gained any wisdom, you would know that reality is not so kind. Thing’s won’t go as hoped, even if it all went your way. A world of illusion is never enough.”

Madara chuckled, “And yet, with all your talk, what have any of you accomplished? You of all people should know the truth by now.”

Onoki and Ay snarled at the Uchiha.

Madara calmly stared down at them all, “There is no hope. To hope is equivalent to giving up, and it’s the biggest deception of all. Now, turn over the remaining Eight and Nine-Tails, and cooperate with my plan… or this is war.”

Gaara’s face hardened, “War you say?”

“Eight-Tails?” Ay queried, “Why ask for the Eight-Tail’s? You got Bee!” he froze, his eyes widening.

“The Eight-Tails capture failed and he escaped,” Madara notified them, “Now, there’s a shinobi who’s a perfect Jinchuriki. There’s no one quite like your younger brother.”

Ay looked stunned. Darui and C sighed.

“THAT GIANT FOOL! HE USED THIS CHANCE TO RUN OFF AND PLAY HOOKY! UNFORGIVABLE! HE’S GONNA GET MY IRON CLAW FOR THIS!”

Gaara turned his attention back to Madara, “I won’t give up Naruto Uzumaki.”

“And neither will I,” Mei added.

Kenji sided with them, “My masters believed that Naruto Uzumaki was the bridge towards peace. The Hidden Rain will defend him to our last breaths.”

Onoki looked over at Ay, “What about you, Raikage?”

“I’LL NEVER HAND OVER MY BROTHER!”

Madara shook his head, “I may not have any strength, but I still have the powers of the seven tailed beasts I’ve collected. You have no chance of winning.”

“We won’t abandon hope,” Gaara declared firmly.

Madara stood up, “Very well… I hereby declare war on you all. The Fourth Great Ninja War begins now.”

Onoki blinked, “What? You’re starting the Fourth Ninja War? Are you mad?”

Madara didn’t answer for a moment, eying the intense glares being sent towards him, “The next time we meet shall be in battle.”

The air around him swirled and he disappeared from the room.

***

Onoki bowed his head, speaking what they all thought, “Alright then, what should we all do now?”

“Our nations must form an alliance,” Gaara replied, “It’s the only way to combat the power of seven tailed beasts.”

Everyone looked over at Ay, expecting him to refuse, but to their surprise, he seemed to agree.

“Lord Raikage, you opposed this idea,” Mei reminded him.

Ay gave them the calmest look they had ever seen on him, “It seems my little brother is safe, but we cannot allow ourselves to be bullied by the Akatsuki any longer. Form the alliance and we’ll settle this for good!”

“What do we do about the Hidden Leaf?” Onoki asked, addressing the elephant in the room, “The Hokage ran off remember?”

Ay nodded, “There’s too much suspicion around Danzo. After what’s happened at this summit, he’s completely lost our trust. When the Hidden Leaf’s ninja find out about this, his standing in the Leaf will become shaky. He must be deposed soon.”

Gaara nodded, “Then I’ll pass on the news of our allied shinobi forces to a Leaf ninja that I trust.”

Ay gave him a pointed look, “Who is that?”

” of the Sharingan Eye.”

Onoki’s eyes widened, “Do you mean the son of the White Fang?”

Ay nodded, “That’s acceptable. He at least seems more trustworthy than Danzo.”

“Naruto Uzumaki’s sensei,” Kenji mused, “Yes, I think that will do,” he raised a finger at Ay, “I suggest you find your brother right away. The Akatsuki is not likely to stop hunting him. After all, Kisame of the Mist is still alive.”

Ay nodded in agreement, “Okay,” he looked at C, “Send word to the village immediately. Have them put together a search party and find Bee.”

“Yes sir.”

“To stop Madara’s Project Tsukuyomi, we absolutely must keep the Eight and Nine-Tails out of his clutches,” Mei stated, “I believe it’s imperative that our forces find them before anyone else does, and get them out of sight and into hiding as fast as we can.”

Onoki sighed, “Yeah, but I can’t even imagine the power Madara has ȧssembled with seven tailed beasts. If he possesses Jutsu that utilized them along with the Rinnegan, they would be a perfect secret weapon. He wouldn’t be so bold otherwise. I think we should use the strength of the Eight and Nine-Tails in battle. Don’t you all agree with that?”

Gaara shook his head, “No, absolutely not. This is also a war to protect both of them. I think the reason why Madara is waging war with his seven tailed beasts is that in his weakened state he is too difficult for him to capture the Eight and Nine-Tails with just the remaining Akatsuki members. The risks are too high. Also, he may be hoping to lure the two out with this war.”

“I agree, we must find a different plan,” Mei supported him.

Kenji tapped his finger on the table, “We must make use of every restraining and sealing Jutsu we could utilize. We need to gather all the knowledge of all the powers of the captured tailed beasts and strategize counters. We must not forget to make use of strong barriers and sensory squads. With the right strength, planning, and cooperation, we can at least keep Madara from using them if not take them back.”

Ay looked impressed, “I think that would be the best idea.”

Mei nodded once, “I concur.”

Onoki sighed, “I’m outvoted, we’ll do it your way.”

Mifune stepped forward, “It is for the best. While it wouldn’t help if the allied forces potentially getting wiped out would make hiding the Jinchuriki meaningless, there has to be some risk for Madara to use his seven tailed beasts. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered coming here. Like us, he must be at a disadvantage. Besides, us samurai will also join the war.”

“As will the Hidden Rain,” Kenji finished, “Along with any allies we can convince to join us. We have friendly relations with the Star and the Grass, similar to the Leaf. I’m also sure the Waterfall will also ally with us. Its leader, Shibuki, was especially fond of the Seven-Tail’s Jinchuriki. We could also make a deal with the remnants of the Sound. Why stop at the five great nations? Why not use every resource and connection we have for this. We only have the world at stake.”

“That just leaves the question on who will lead,” Onoki said, speaking to Mifune, “You find any of us Kage suitable? After all, you’re the one who disparaged us only a short time ago.”

Mifune looked at one remaining Kage to the other, “I believe that Lord Ay would be the wisest choice to make.”

Onoki couldn’t help reminding him, “You found him unsuitable before because he was ruled by his emotions and relies on brute strength.”

Mifune pulled out a scabbard and sheathed his sword, “With the Eight-Tails alive, I think Lord Raikage will stay calm. Also, he skillfully built a consensus among you earlier. On top of that, the Raikage is the only one who can control the Eight-Tails.”

Onoki looked over at Mei and Gaara, “Mizukage? Kazekage? Are you alright with that?”

Mei gave her answer, “This is not the time or place for petty squabbles. I will put my trust in Lord Raikage.”

“Yes, we shall leave it to you,” Gaara confirmed.

Mifune looked at Kenji, “Elder?”

Kanji responded by respectfully bowing to Ay, “Please lead us well, Lord Raikage.”

Ay nodded, “Very well. I will lead the allied shinobi forces. Lord Tsuchikage, Lord Elder, we will need any intel you two have on Madara. You don’t have to trust me, but the world as we know it is at risk.”

Kenji gave Ay a smirk, “The chance to crush that demon is too good to miss. All I know and more is at your disposal. All of our Angel’s intel on Akatsuki, living and dead is yours.”

Onoki gave a short laugh, “If the world ends, I can’t quarrel with any of you anymore. You have my cooperation. The allied shinobi forces are now hereby formed,” he turned to face the others, “First, we must each relate this to our respective feudal lords.”

***

(Later…)

A few hours later, the Kage were still in the conference room, discussing details they would give to their daimyos. They were also waiting for news on the Hokage.

At first, Mei wanted to go after Ao but decided against it when she remembered he was not alone.

They finally heard the sound of running before Ao, Shin, and Yui burst into the room, carrying a sense of dread.

“Ao, what happened?” Mei asked, alarmed.

Ao knelt, “Lady Mizukage, the Rain ninja and I tried to catch up with Danzo, but we were stopped by the Zetsu creature.”

Shin and Yui knelt before Kenji, Shin giving their report as Ao was out of breath, “While we were occupied, something unexpected happened.”

Kenji narrowed his eyes, “What happened.”

Yui looked up, “Sasuke Uchiha has killed Danzo.”