"It's about damned time..."
"Lord Raikage, please. It won't do to make things unnecessarily hostile."
The Fourth Raikage snorted in response to his aide. She sighed and brushed back a silvery strand of hair as their group entered the meeting room.
It was a thing of beauty. Soft chairs with high backs, made of exquisite material. Three for the members of each group, with the five closest to the middle having distinguishing patterns for each of the Kage. A mahogany table, big and formed in the traditional pentagon shape that had been used for every Summit since the beginning. The table surface was polished to a shine. Marble floors and pillars going up to the ceiling. Scrolls and paintings on the walls, with air-cleaning plants placed strategically. The room was filled with bright light, no windows or openings that could be taken advantage of. The Leaf ANBU stood at attention in the corners of the room, a smaller space than usual for a Kage meeting, but not so small as to create misunderstandings or reduce fighting effectiveness.
The Raikage went in first, past the ANBU who had wisely stationed themselves a distance away from the door in order to avoid any misunderstandings. Following him was his personal assistant Mabui, a silver-haired, dark-skinned woman who carried a lot more technical weight than she projected. Their last member was Darui, who had an afro of white hair that immediately made him stand out. His expression looked bored and uninterested, eyes heavy-lidded. His walk, slow and seemingly unconcerned as he had his hands in his pockets. There was a tattoo on one of his shoulders, in bold black ink that stood out brightly even against his skin. He had the arms of a carefully trained swordsman, muscular, but not so carried away as to hinder important movements. He wore the standard Cloud uniform, a contrast of black pants and white armor, and had a massive blade that resembled a meat cleaver as his back.
His superior was a mountain of a man like his father before him, bulky with rippling muscles and a strong physique that he showed off often by way of his opened robes. The elaborately shaped and crafted gold belt on his waist just added to the entire package, along with the big golden bracelets coiled around his upper arms. A, named the same as his father, who was named the same as his predecessor, and his predecessor, had a stern face. His hair was white and combed backwards, there was a goatee and a moustache of the same colour as his facial hair. He removed his hat and placed it on the table before sitting in his designated seat. Mabui and Darui followed suit on either side, Darui placing his sword across the arms of his chair.
A didn't move his head as the next person came in. The proverbial thorn in his side, a man whose small stature and advanced age showed nothing of his tenacity and destructive capability. This was Oonoki, the Third Tsuchikage.
He said nothing and took his seat beside A, intending to needle him from close range whenever possible. The Tsuchikage had already lost most of his white hair, having his remaining real estate pulled into a topknot at the back of his head and secured with a yellow ribbon. He had a large moustache that angled downwards, and a long goatee with thick eyebrows. His most defining feature was his nose; big, reddened, and dotted with markings on the front. The bright red collar of his coat contrasted with rest of its its drab green composition, yellow highlights running along the edges.
"Well, long time no see, A. I was wondering when we would get to have a casual chat," Oonoki said with a smug smile as he sat down. His hat went on the table in front of him.
"I'm sure you were excited at the prospect of being able to snipe at me without repercussion. You should enjoy it while it lasts."
"Sir," Mabui interrupted.
"Mabui, don't. I'm the one in charge here, and I don't think the Tsuchikage will have to worry about me doing anything to him...unless he chooses to do something he'll regret."
"He's right, girl. His threats are mostly empty here."
"And don't call her 'girl'."
"I couldn't think of anything else to describe someone who's a mere child compared to the rest of us."
Mabui narrowed her eyes, keeping her gaze fixed to the far wall, but said nothing.
"Just watch your tongue, Oonoki."
"I'll do my best," he said with another smile. The two people with him took their seats at his signal. The first was his son Kitsuchi, a highly respected commander with a mastery of Earth Release techniques. Like his father, his nose was big and round, though coloured like the rest of his face, which had a full beard going around it. Unlike his father, he was a tall man, even taller than the Raikage, though not nearly as muscular. He wore a red bandana over his head with the Rock forehead attached to the front of it.
His partner was Akatsuchi, a man of comparable height and even bigger size. His plump face and laid-back attitude made him look happy to be there, and indeed he was. He wore his forehead protector in the same manner as Kitsuchi, the red matching the rest of his uniform which was stylized with a yellow scarf around his neck.
"Really brought in the muscle this time, huh," A remarked. "Earth Release won't save you against me."
"I really do take offense to these threats," Oonoki said nonchalantly.
"You don't sound like it."
Mabui sighed quietly and took notes. While she did so, the next group arrived.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, looked as if he hadn't slept in months. However, he had in fact slept relatively well while in the Leaf - this was his default appearance. His face was stern yet wearied, dark eyes critically scanning the room and its inhabitants. His auburn hair was short and looked to be on the wilder side, there were creases around his mouth. He wore the green robes of the Kazekage's office along with his hat; the robes looked loose on him for some reason. He practically trudged towards his seat to the right of the Raikage and sat in it slowly.
"Lord Raikage, Lord Tsuchikage...afternoon to you," he said wearily.
"Bad night, Kazekage?" the Raikage asked.
"Nothing of the sort...I merely sense bad times ahead."
"There's no need to be so negative, sir. Things will work out."
"Hrm." He waved one of his two bodyguards away, making her frown. The woman in question was one of the Sand's greatest heroes, an accomplished warrior who also had a knack for diplomatic relations. Her name was Pakura, a jounin of the village with uniquely twin-toned hair; a green bun at the top, which went down and bled into long strands of orange hair that framed both sides of her face. The Sand headband was around her head, and her expression was appropriately serious without being harsh. Her outfit was relatively relaxed for the meeting; a sleeveless, backless black dress, paired with purple compression sleeves.
"Leave him be, Pakura. We can't make him comfortable in this kind of atmosphere."
"Lady Chiyo, I think it's important to have some kind of spirit," she whispered to the much older woman. "He looks like a dead fish."
"That's not any different from the rest of the year. Nyahahahaha!"
"Chiyo-baa, please..."
Pakura sighed and got into her seat as her elder chuckled away. Convinced to come out of retirement, if only briefly, Chiyo, even in her advanced age, was one of the Hidden Sand's strongest warriors as well as a living legend; an exceptional puppet user that once led the Puppet Brigade, and a sterling medical ninja who went head to head with the likes of the Slug Princess, Tsunade. She wore plain brown robes over her small frame, complemented with a white scarf and maroon hat to cover her head. She sported a very wrinkled, yet lively face. In recent years, her eyesight had slightly diminished.
"Good mix of faces we have here today," Chiyo said out loud. "Young and old, coming together for the greater good."
"Hmph. We'll see how much good comes out of this farce once I'm through," the Raikage replied.
"Sir, please..."
"He's already up and going, Mabui. No point in trying..."
"Not you too," she hissed at Darui. "There's going to be an actual fight with actual ninjutsu if your boss doesn't actually stop antagonizing the entire room. Is that what you want?"
He gave her a look. "Remember I told you this was probably the worst idea, and you should have made up an excuse for us to blow it off?"
"We can't just skip international relations."
Darui raised his hands in surrender. "See? I tried. Let's just pray to whatever god you want that we make it through this in one piece."
Mabui cursed at him under her breath as she went back to taking notes.
Next to enter the room was the Mizukage, Mei Terumi. Her long auburn hair went all the way down to her ankles, and was secured in a knot at the top by a blue band. Part of her hair crossed over one of her green eyes on the right, the visible one quickly taking in the majesty of the meeting room before settling on the other Kage. Her dark blue dress showed off her bare shoulders, complemented by heeled boots that came up to her knees and fishnet stockings. A white scarf was wrapped around her neck, floating slightly behind her as she moved.
Mei set her hat down and took her seat to the right of the Kazekage, giving him a polite nod that he didn't return.
"Pleasant day to everyone. I hope we can build on a few things with this meeting," she said.
"Making everyone guess at your sincerity is a nice trick," Oonoki quipped. Mei's expression didn't change, even as she noted the bullying tactics already beginning. She wasn't yet...that age...and even if she was, she would still be the youngest person in the room. Unfortunately for her, while she enjoyed the feeling of youth, it wasn't much of an asset on the world stage by itself. But maybe a fresh perspective would help make things better. She could only hope.
"No need to bully her," Chiyo said. "And Lord Kazekage, be nice."
"Is that a joke? It's hard to be civil with someone who has their village leaking criminals the rest of us have to deal with."
Mei ignored Rasa and signaled her two escorts to sit. The first was a man with a peak of blue hair on his head, a black eyepatch over his right eye, and two earrings with what looked to be sealing tags on them. His visible blue eye stared down the Kazekage for a moment before returning to the rest of the room. A dark blue haori went over his grey combat suit, and he smoothed out the former before finally taking his seat. He was Ao, a sensor type shinobi and naturally, an elite of the village who was handpicked by the Mizukage once the revolution was successful.
The second was a woman with a visor going over her eyes, tinted enough so that they were obscured. Her platinum blonde hair was short, only going down to her chin. The village head protector was wrapped safely around her neck like a choker, and the rest of her attire consisted of a blue pinstriped sweater with black cargo shorts. A large, circular shield rested on her back.
"Blues. It's okay."
"Understood, Lady Mizukage. I apologize." She bowed deeply before sitting down, putting her arm through two straps on the underside of the shield, and holding it nearby just in case. Her head tilted towards Darui briefly, who noted her and glanced back. There was no exchange as they went back to their earlier activities.
"Well, here we are. Finally time to get started, eh?"
A cheerful voice rang out as the last member of the Five Kage arrived. His smile was as brilliant as ever, matching the brightness of his messy blonde hair. The bright blue eyes that could harden at any moment were looking at the other village heads with expectation and hope. The slim build underneath his flashy robe, the characters for Fourth Hokage writ large on its back, was no indication of the strength he possessed in battle, nor the absolute skill he used to demoralize and demolish entire companies of shinobi at once.
Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash. Fastest man in history, according to the records everyone knew. Legendary hero of the Hidden Leaf. Author of the Miracle at Kannabi - an event where he led a depleted party of four against fifty Rock shinobi...and obliterated them. This, among other things like defending the village against the Nine-Tails and limiting its destruction, was the reason he was both respected and feared throughout the shinobi world.
But his cheer wasn't anything close to an act. To what some thought was his detriment, he spent a lot of time being honest and approachable, much like his mentor and predecessor who entered the room after him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage and author of numerous treaties and pacts to make the world as peaceful as it had ever been following the Third War. His kindness and compassion were matched by his legend in battle. Called the Professor for his knowledge of Leaf jutsu and technique, and known to all as the God of Shinobi for his absolute dominance on the battlefield during his prime. Though age had likely diminished his skill, nobody was willing to chance that it was enough to avoid annhilation. The most respected figure in the shinobi world looked as he usually did, with red and white robes that covered his short frame, a head of short and spiky white hair, the famous goatee, and the expected wrinkles and liver spots that came with old age on his face. Even so, he was still seen as handsome by the women, which he...tended to take advantage of. Only those from the Leaf knew the extent of that, and there had been measures taken to ensure it stayed that way.
Following him was the last member before the room was closed off. One of the world's brightest and sharpest minds, and the Leaf's Jounin Commander, Shikaku Nara. He wore the standard Leaf attire, his flak jacket a deep green. Two large scars crossed the right side of his face, and his black hair was tied up into a spiky ponytail, a staple of the Nara clan for what seemed like generations. He had two small yet important earrings, and a neatly pointed goatee. A single sweep of the room told him everything he needed to know, and he would be reading the meeting as it went on.
"This is already going to be a mess. Lord Sarutobi..."
"Yes, my child."
"Eyes above the chest..."
"..." The old man coughed into his hand before taking his seat. Shikaku said a silent prayer and sighed before doing the same.
"It's a weekend afternoon and nothing's really going on. If it gets too late, I'm sure my wife will barge in and ask if we want dinner!" Minato laughed. "So we'll get started now. First of all, welcome again to the Leaf. Hopefully your stay's been alright and you're enjoying the festivities. Things are set to ramp up with the tournament, so that'll be exciting. Plus my son's in it! I wouldn't have a choice on watching even if I wasn't Hokage, you know?"
"Cut the banter, Hokage."
"Hm. Not enough sleep, Kazekage?" he asked with a smile. "Well, that's okay. If you insist on it, we'll-"
"Pardon me, but I don't think that's the right way to raise an objection. The Hokage is trying to be hospitable," Mei said. "It's fine if you want to give me the cold shoulder, but I think you should show some respect for not only your fellow Kage, but the host of the Chuunin Exams and of this impromptu summit. Heaven knows we could have just left things to simmer, but we're here."
"Are you trying to tell me what to do, little girl? Listen-"
"No. I won't listen, and I won't be pushed around like this. I don't give a damn who you are or how long you've been doing this. You, the overlord of a failed experiment, trying to lecture me, who nearly drowned in blood saving her country. Don't you dare push your luck."
"Easy! Easy, now! Please, let's just calm down." Minato sighed and raised his hands. "Listen. If you guys want me to be the hard man moderator, I can very easily do that. But that's not what I want. I want us to have free and open discussions like I know we can. We are all adults here, young and old. We have a variety of experts, of experiences, and of ideas. Notice how not all of us here are enforcers like usual? I wanted to give this a try because we're getting close to war and all the bad stuff that comes with it. I'm not going to babysit you guys, but I will put you in your place if need be. The Mizukage is right, that's no way to start us off. I apologize for letting it go in the first place. So let's start properly, alright?"
Rasa shrugged.
"I guess we can take that as a yes," Mei said with annoyance. "You have my support as well."
"Great. Okay, let's start with a topic people are concerned about. Kazekage, how about you go first since you're kinda fired up today."
Rasa raised a brow at Minato. "If you want a problem, I'll give you one. Your village has been tanking mine by robbing it of vital missions. The Leaf has more than enough will to get missions wherever and whenever they want. But you're intent on screwing us."
"Great! Awesome! That's a productive answer!"
"I-is it really?" Mei asked nervously.
"Sure! The first reply to that anyone would give out is to just suck less, ya know?"
"Lord Hokage, if I might..."
"I wasn't really done, Miss Pakura. Sorry."
"Oh, I see. My apologies, Lord Hokage."
"No worries. So yeah, as I was saying. 'Suck less' is the usual line, just with way better language. Typically, we're not responsible for your village's inability to secure missions and funding. But I don't want things to be like that, Kazekage. Now...I don't know what exactly we can do short of turning down missions, but that's not something we can just do. I have a responsibility to the village, and to the people of this country. Honestly? I don't have a good reason to turn down missions, even if they're from Wind Country. We have different uses for them and I'm not responsible for your country's economy. Raising mission prices might help, but how much until customers decide to go back to you? How many people are suddenly priced out of services in Fire Country? What do I say to the Fire Daimyo? I gotta answer for this, and feeling sorry for Hidden Sand ain't gonna cut it. So technically, I can do something. I'm just not gonna do it unless there's a really good reason."
"Avoiding war sounds like a good one," Oonoki said.
"There won't be any war between Sand and Leaf, don't be ridiculous," A replied.
"Please don't kick the hornet's nest, Tsuchikage," Mei said.
"It's not that far fetched to take that as a threat," Shikaku said lazily. "As Lady Mizukage says, we don't need to start trouble like this. The Sand has to pull itself out of its own straits for now. If there is a discernible crisis, we'll lend material support. Day to day finance...that's not feasible, unless you're tacitly agreeing to be annexed."
"Don't be ridiculous," Pakura snapped. "The Sand is not that weak!"
"You're not. But you're damn near broke," Shikaku responded. "Weak, no. Weak spots? Plenty. I'm not trying to needle you, ma'am. Just giving you the facts. And we have to be honest, the customers in Wind Country have plenty of alternatives besides us. You and I both know that."
"..." Pakura sunk back into her chair.
"In the good old days, we made concessions," Oonoki said. "You have to give up value in order to get it. I think you know exactly what it is I mean, Kazekage."
"The boy isn't for sale."
"He might have to be if you continue down this road," A added in. "The beast would provide a good windfall."
"So I'm to throw away my greatest military power and my son? Shukaku has been the property of the Sand since its inception. I have no intention of giving it away for what would ultimately be petty cash."
"Don't hide behind that excuse," Mei said.
"Excuse me?"
"I said, don't hide behind that excuse and act like a caring father all of a sudden."
"You smug bitch," Rasa snarled. "What would you-"
"Know about losing family? Know about making sacrifices? About watching those you love disappear? A lot more than you think. And furthermore," she said, gesturing to the Raikage and Hokage, "there are at least two others who already have loved ones that are jinchuuriki. Neither of them are treated in the way that you treat your so called son...they are treated like human beings. Like people who deserve happiness."
"You are just an idealistic child. You think that because you were in a civil war that you had to make hard decisions? Being on the battlefield is easy, being the leader of a village is the real work. And you haven't been doing it long enough to lecture me."
"I am in this room as one of the Five Kage. Don't condescend to me."
"There is no easy solution to this," Hiruzen said from his seat. "It would have to be the daimyo intervening, and they're both prideful and reluctant to help other nations for little to no cost. I'm sorry to say, Kazekage, but there would have to be some sort of concession, short of a crisis where we're obligated to help."
"And in that situation, I'm sure you would, O God of Shinobi."
"No need for that," Ao said. "Lord Sarutobi is one of the most experienced here, if not the most experienced outright. He's simply giving you the facts."
"Lord Kazekage, as much as I hate to admit it...they do have a point," Pakura pointed out. "They can't just give us money, or stop doing missions so we can pick them up. It's ultimately an internal issue that the Wind Country has to sort out before it will get better. Perhaps Gaara's performance will be able to stir up some investment...but in the meantime, we cannot be angry at them for giving us what we know is the truth."
"She's right," Chiyo followed up. "As our young Hokage said before, we have to 'suck less' and properly raise our shinobi to the highest standards. There are markets that we need to try and tap, even if they might be a little risky."
"You guys need to survey," Darui said.
"Survey?" Pakura asked.
"Like canvass your areas. I'm sure you've been way too focused on finishing missions, but there are places off the beaten path that need some help. If it doesn't build money right away, it'll build you a rep that you can use later."
"We don't have that kind of money to waste, boy," Rasa said dismissively.
"You don't have money at all," Shikaku retorted. "The guy's right, you need to expand your market, even if it means longer missions or less pay. Poking your heads in the sand won't help you any at this stage."
"And we're supposed to compete against mercenaries? If you're so invested, Nara, why don't you use that intellect to figure everything out for us?"
Shikaku sighed.
"That's a way to segue into another issue that I've been thinking about. I'm sure that everyone has been briefed on the Akatsuki Group by now," Minato said, folding his hands underneath his chin. "We've noticed them trying to undercut the market for a while now, and it might be making efforts on the part of the Sand harder. On the other hand, they're filling in a gap in services that we don't currently provide, not extensively anyways."
"They're trying to cut the market to ribbons," A said. "The only saving grace for Cloud is that it already has an established network between the shinobi and mercenaries. We don't use Akatsuki and never will. Maybe some rural hicks want to use discount shinobi, but that's not something we can stamp out on our own, nor is it something we need to."
"You would think that, but Akatsuki is exerting considerable pressure on the underworld as they are. Rumours of S-Class criminals and the like, involvement in all kinds of illegal operations including trafficking. There have been rashes of kidnappings in Wave and along both the Fire Country and Water Country coasts. The sea is a big place," Mei said. "They seem like a small problem now, but they're picking up steam and if more people learn about their consistently low price models, we might be in trouble."
"It's interesting that you would say that. Do you remember what I told you about your sincerity?" Oonoki said.
Mei smiled sweetly at him. "Oh, of course. Forgive my lack of manners, Lord Tsuchikage. I believe you might be referring to the unfounded, unproven rumours of Akatsuki originating in the Hidden Mist? Or...should I speak on the evidence that Akatsuki has been used extensively by your village?"
"Little girl..."
"Surely your cabal didn't want that to come out, did they? I suppose I should have consulted with you before the meeting. Again...I truly apologize."
"And what of you? Trying to pull the Iron into a war zone?"
"I was going to speak on that as well," A piped up. "Making shady deals with a country that's supposed to be neutral..."
"Desperate men will believe anything they're told," Mei shot back with a smug smile. "But I'm sure your little hold on me won't mean a thing in the next few seconds."
"She's right. You guys chomped down on the bait," Shikaku said with a yawn.
"We have verified inside intelligence that identifies the party from the Iron as acting outside of the political will of Governor-General Mifune. And what you guys have is bait planted by those operatives in order to get you to mistrust the Mist further. The Mizukage was the only one not to interact with them; everyone else, including our village, did so," Minato confirmed.
Oonoki and A settled back into their seats. Rasa looked nonplussed while Mei looked out at everyone victoriously.
"What could their goal be, then? Do they mean to send us into a war spiral?" Mabui asked.
"We're not entirely sure," Minato admitted. "The one who's in charge of this is a man named Luther Donovan, one of the Iron Country's nobles. Apparently he has a reputation as a rogue element."
"I should have known. I did some studying on the Iron recently and he's quite the character. A few of my escorts have been approached and they did the right thing by initially rejecting any meetings before coming to me. I didn't think anything would good would come out of collaborating with a neutral country in the midst of all this tension," Mei explained.
"There are vulnerable parties here," Oonoki said, looking at Rasa. "And we can't exactly dictate who they choose to trade with."
"It would be a bad idea, made worse by the fact that General Mifune would terminate the agreement and possibly any further trade while he investigated," Shikaku says. "Now that it's out in the open, we all know better than to exchange details with those two. First Lieutenant Evan Yamada and Second Lieutenant Takumi Henson."
"Hmph. Your ANBU seem to be doing a fair job, Hokage," Oonoki quipped.
"Yeah, they're pretty good! Kushina does her part too, you know. Alright, so we've covered financial stuff, Akatsuki a bit, and what looks like a scam from some guy in the Iron. Hmm..." Minato scratched his head. "I really don't know what we can do about Akatsuki outside of bullying them out of our working areas, but that won't make people happy. And on top of that, it also won't make them slide over to us, they'll probably hire mercenaries when they can, or worse, actual criminals. And you have to remember, Akatsuki is pushing their influence by taking over smaller markets, which end up informing the larger markets of what's going on. Rich people don't like spending money unless they have to, or they've established a fair bit of loyalty beforehand. Our villages are strong and stable enough to weather a storm for the most part. We have clients who trust us and nobody else. But we're also not in control of the majority."
"We also have geographic advantages that help us retain a large enough customer base," Mei said. "Akatsuki tends not to operate in the area, and we already have the usual underground networks to deal with. There's also the Gato Corporation to..." She froze. "Shit."
"Mizukage. What are you thinking?" A asked.
"We keep overlooking the influence of criminal elements. They don't hire shinobi unless they can get away with it, and if Akatsuki keeps spreading its influence, they might be extensively hired by these criminal elements very soon. We've been trying to get rid of Gato for decades now, but this is only going to make things worse. That's why what's happening in the Rock is very concerning. Akatsuki is being enabled. I can only assume you did this to balance your books, Tsuchikage."
"Well, it was either that or austerity. And while the people of the Rock are hardy enough to survive it, I couldn't subject them to that kind of punishment."
"I want to scold you like I already have the Kazekage...but I can't. Your situation is different."
"How so?" A demanded.
Mei gave him an incredulous look. "Please don't pull pranks, Raikage."
"Lady Mizukage is obviously referring to your arms gathering," Pakura said sternly. "There's no need for it in the current sociopolitical climate. You look like a warmonger. If not truly justified, there is a reason for the Rock to build up their war chest just in case of an invasion, or heaven forbid, yet another world war. Are we ever going to know peace?"
"That's enough whining, Pakura. We are shinobi, meant to endure. If it means war, then so be it. Is that understood?"
Pakura hung her head and nodded lightly. "Yes, Lord Kazekage. I apologize for my display."
"..." Chiyo looked over at her, but kept silent.
"Endurance and suffering are two different things, Kazekage. What you are asking her to do is suffer," Minato said sternly. "We have responsibilities to our villages. But we are not tools. We are not just weapons. We are people. We are not here just to suffer. We battle for our own freedom and our own peace within this world. Miss Pakura isn't wrong to want peace in our time, and you shouldn't shame her in front of us for expressing that desire. Peace is why we of the Five Kage have gathered for generations. It is why the Tailed Beasts have homes outside of the Leaf. It is what those before us wanted, even if some wanted it more than others. Speaking of peace...and the Leaf...I want you to pay attention to what I say next."
Minato's face turned serious, giving everyone pause. Out of everyone, only Shikaku, Hiruzen, and A had seen that look before - it meant that he was about to do or say something with immense gravity.
"I want you to know what happened twelve years ago, and why it happened. With the major shinobi nations relatively stable, I think this is the best time to talk about it. As you know, the Nine-Tails attacked this village and was driven back before we managed to reseal it inside of my wife, Kushina. It was a complicated series of events that almost ended up leading to a coup and the destruction of the Uchiha Clan, if not for some quick thinking by some of our greatest shinobi. There was a masked man there. He almost killed the Third's wife and her assistant; I barely it made in time. He then tried to kill Naruto, again I just barely saved him too. But that meant leaving Kushina behind. The masked man took Kushina and while her seal was weakened, released the Nine-Tails and immediately took control of it."
"That's something that I think only an Uchiha is capable of," Oonoki said. His face turned grim. "Hokage...you know what I'm thinking, and it's impossible."
"He said it to my face. That he was Madara Uchiha."
"E-excuse me?" Pakura stammered out. "Madara Uchiha-"
"Died at the Valley of the End, yes," Oonoki continued. "I had the...pleasure...of meeting the man myself during my youth, and he was a monster the likes of which hadn't been seen before in the shinobi world, and hasn't been seen since. Hokage, are you absolutely sure...?"
"He had a Sharingan and controlled the Nine-Tailed Fox with precision. Once I severed the contract, it went berserk and led to the opportunity to seal it. It wasn't my doing, either."
"Then the reports were all true," Chiyo said. "Jacob West defeated the Nine-Tails by himself."
"What?!" A yelled. "You can't-"
"She can believe it. Remember, I was right there when it happened. He defeated it, then sealed it inside of Kushina again. Her life was saved as a result, and Madara couldn't get his hands on the fox again unless he tried to attack the village. Here's the problem...I did tag him during our battle, but in the end I couldn't ever locate him. I don't know if he found the tag and got rid of it...there's not much I can think of, other than some truly gruesome attempts that wouldn't work...the seal is chakra based, you see, so even if you remove the surface-"
"I think they get the gist, my boy," Hiruzen interrupted.
"Haha, right. Sorry, I just get carried away sometimes. But yeah...Jacob West was the reason for our victory that night. Naruto, Kushina, and I were all safe and sound because of what he did. Madara is skulking around somewhere, and he's still active. It's possible that it's just someone who's using his name, but I can't think of anyone alive who has that level of mastery with the Sharingan. The only ones who saw the full extent of his abilities were Lord Hashirama and Lady Mito, both of whom have passed on to the Pure Land."
"What kind of ability did he display, Hokage?" Oonoki asked.
"He made use of chains, his Sharingan, and what I assumed was an advanced Sharingan ability, space-time migration. He used it to teleport and change positions, and also to phase his body in and out of the physical plane. Do any of those sound familiar, Tsuchikage?"
"The chains I can see, Madara was a master of every possible form of combat. The Sharingan, naturally. But this space-time migration...no, I can't say I've seen it. I never regularly encountered Madara, and tales of his fury seemed restricted to talk of his chakra construct, Fire Release monstrosities, and Sharingan genjutsu along with him just beating people to death with his bare hands."
"Susano'o didn't come up. He probably figured that the Nine-Tails was enough," Minato mused. "And his combat was sharp...maybe too sharp, though. Almost as if he knew things about me, about my habits. It's possible that he could have spied on me at some point, but I doubt it. It wouldn't have helped with his plan."
"Do you think he's aligned with Akatsuki?" Mei asked. "The records about what happened were predictably destroyed, but what we do know is that during the Third War there was an attempt to use someone as a sort of bomb...basically by using any prisoner available, sealing the beast into them, and then letting them escape, hopefully having them end up in a friendly area. The target, from what I could ascertain, was most likely the Leaf at that time."
"Who was this poor soul?" Pakura asked.
"We don't know even now. The seal completely failed while on the way back to the Leaf, and the team following the host was summarily slaughtered. Some time later, the village recaptured the Three-Tails and sealed it into Yagura. After that...the trouble really started. Lord Hokage bringing up Madara's reappearance ties into something that I and others have long suspected: that Yagura Karatachi was being manipulated by someone behind the scenes. One of my best men, Kisame Hoshigaki, was heavily involved in the previous regime and saw all of the betrayal and corruption take place first hand. It was he who first made mention of Akatsuki skulking around. Unfortunately, whoever it was didn't make themselves known to Kisame in full. They promised him 'freedom from a world of lies' but he was skeptical enough that he delayed any commitment to the idea."
"You think it was Madara who was behind everything in the Mist, Lady Mizukage?"
"It really sounds like it. I can't think of anything else after what Lord Hokage told us. Someone who controlled the Nine-Tails with ease would certainly be able to overpower a host and their tailed beast if he so chose."
"Madara should be of very advanced age," Chiyo pointed out. "But according to Lord Hokage, he was able to become a considerable nuisance with his physical skill alone. There's every possibility we might be dealing with a clone or proxy."
"It would have to be an Uchiha based on the data we have," Hiruzen said. "With everything we have, it's very hard to shake the claim that he's made. We simply don't know of anyone who could control the Nine-Tails, or even has other than Madara. All other known Uchiha are within the walls of this village, or are deceased. Taking a Sharingan comes with consequences akin to any doujutsu transplant that ends up outside of the home clan. The efficiency of the eyes drops drastically unless the skills are honed over a number of years. Furthermore, depending on the abilities, the chakra requirements can be immense. We're going to look into it closely, but it's safe to say that this Madara is either someone we know well from history, or a complete unknown who has made his way onto the scene undetected until now."
"Speaking of avoiding detection, I received an anonymous tip a few months prior," A said, placing one arm on the table. "There were reports of him wandering around the Lightning Country."
"Him?" Ao asked.
"Oh...Lord Raikage means to say that he was chasing after Joshua West, that man's grandson," Mei said with a smile. "I've always wanted to meet him, he seems charming."
"I'm guessing you didn't catch him?" Minato asked, chuckling. "From what I hear, he's got rockets on his feet."
"Allegedly, the search team had him inside of their dragnet and he shot through it. He also has a companion that I'm sure you won't like."
"Try me. S-Class criminal? Is he actually working with Madara? What is it?"
"The Gold Reaper herself."
"Huh." Minato rubbed his chin. "I have no idea what that means for us, honestly."
"If your gripe is that the golden child has taken a lot of lives, that would be deeply ironic on your end," Oonoki laughed. "And as far as I know, she's not one to join with unsavory types. She has a long-standing emnity with the Yakuza, for instance."
"This is the same woman who slaughtered good shinobi at Sprite Valley. Perhaps what she does is of no concern to you, but those were people of my village, and it happened under my rule. To let her get away with that act would be worse than genocide."
"That account is heavily disputed, and according to many sources, the only time she has ever done such a thing. We don't know what happened at Sprite Valley, and furthermore, it wasn't within your jurisdiction anyways, Lord Raikage. I really am sorry for the losses you incurred, and for the families of those soldiers. But they did do something foolish in thinking they could simply handle such a prolific mercenary without serious backup," Mei pointed out. "Even if your personal grudge was fully justified, her joining up with Jacob West's grandson isn't an indication of anything bad going on. It might be a good thing, in fact...if such a force of nature could align herself with him, he must have a strong character by default."
"Admire him all you want, Mizukage," Rasa growled. "He's a menace with unknown motives, and a criminal to boot. Even his own village thinks so and kicked him out."
"All we know is that he was exiled," Ao said. "And all accounts indicate that it was for a non-violent crime of some sort, or even a violation of the laws of his hometown. There's also the fact that the foreign affairs minister is his mother, and his father is one of the Great Twin Blades. Criminals can do terrible things regardless of upbringing, yes. But it looks like he was hustled out of town for looking into something he shouldn't have."
"More than likely has to do with his grandfather," Chiyo said. "They're tight-lipped about him now, and just take to calling the man 'Renegade' as some sort of code. If the lad wanted to find out about his grandfather and ended up sticking his nose where he shouldn't have..."
"Hold on," Darui interrupted. "Remember earlier in this shindig? Who was that guy responsible for sending his salesmen out here?"
"Luther Donovan, someone important in Iron Country, and close to the family of the founders. He was briefly involved in...some sort of scandal with the Kennedy family's only daughter," Mabui answered. "That poor girl. Her entire life was plastered all over the news."
"I was thinking it from the start," Shikaku said. "Donovan more than likely had a hand in getting the kid kicked out, thinking he might have stumbled onto something he shouldn't have, or got close to it."
"Your speculations ultimately don't matter," Rasa said, earning another glare from Mei. "He's an outcast and criminal. There's every possibility of him and the gold bitch teaming up with Akatsuki or the masked freak playing as Madara Uchiha. The Raikage is right to treat them both as hostile, and I've already followed suit."
Pakura held her tongue, hoping someone would say what was on her mind for her.
"Oh, really. And what army do you have that's capable of stopping him and the Gold Reaper?" Mei asked.
Pakura couldn't help but let the faintest smile cross her lips. Minato didn't miss it, lightly chuckling.
"Maybe we should consider talking to the boy. See what he really wants," Oonoki suggested. "I wouldn't object to having another meeting with him involved, at least while we're all gathered in the same place."
"I have no objections to such," Mei said.
"Absolutely not. I don't negotiate with terrorists, or the descendants of them," A said firmly.
"I'm the same. There's also no guarantee he won't do something violent," Rasa followed.
"What are you basing that on, Lord Kazekage?" Ao asked, knowing the answer.
"That's none of your concern, Mist dog."
"It would be welcome if you watched your tone with my comrade, Kazekage."
He glared at Blues. "Are you making demands of me?"
"I would never do anything of the sort, my lord. But I promise, with the blessings of my lady, that such remarks disparaging the Hidden Mist will not go unchallenged."
"She indeed has my blessing," Mei said sternly. "I hope I won't have to repeat myself, Kazekage. Watch. Your. Mouth."
"Well, I for one am pretty interested in meeting the guy! That's a vote of three to two, if you weren't keeping score," Minato said, interrupting the impending showdown. "We can have a meeting with just the three Kage in favor if that's what's happening. But I extend an invitation to both the Raikage and Kazekage if they want to join us regardless. Now, we have an idea of the Gold Reaper's channels, so we can make contact with her and see what happens afterwards. There won't be a hard deadline, since I'm sure you're not all going to rush home right after the tournament ends, so we'll try to have it done within the next two or three weeks. Next week before the tourney is preferable since I know tensions will be running a bit high. I'm gonna be cheering for my son and all the other Leaf genin!"
"I'll be looking forward to Miyajima flattening your brat," A said with a grunt.
"Hah! Bring it on! Mizukage, your kids look sharp too."
"They do. I'm quite proud of them, getting this far in such a crowded field is an incredible accomplishment. I'm really excited to see what they do next," Mei said with a smile.
"..." Rasa said nothing, folding his arms.
"Normally I'd have no horse in this race, but I'm betting on the Uchiha boy to steal the show," Oonoki said.
"Sasuke's pretty incredible, too! Yeah, there are a lot of talented kids this year, and I'm pretty sure a lot of them will be promoted. We'll see what happens after this tournament, but it's going to be a great showcase for the villages. Tickets have been sold out since forever, and we've got screens outside of the stadium so that people can gather and watch. Man, the street vendors are gonna make a killing. Oh, Lord Sarutobi..."
"We did make sure to add a marginal tax increase on sales, licenses, and permits."
"Nice! And our cunning plan means that most of it goes to us, and not those bobble-heads in the capital. I've already got some super cool ideas for Academy upgrades and new shinobi tools. Books are nice and balanced."
"Sounds like you've got everything together, Lord Hokage," Pakura noted.
"Yep! All thanks to my predecessor and his amazing village reform. Even now, I've got the best team with me. Shikaku here is part of that, and so is my amazing wife. We've got the Uchiha, the Hyuuga, the Aburame have been aces lately, too...so many people just coming together to make it all work. Can't do it without them." He clapped his hands. "I think we've gone through all the important material. So, to sum it up. We can't do much about the Sand's finances. The two diplomats sent by the Iron are illegitimate, and are acting recklessly on the orders of a rogue element. We'll monitor them closely for now. Joshua West is working with the Gold Reaper, and we have proposed a meeting to try and figure out their intentions. Madara Uchiha is allegedly alive and a direct threat to the shinobi world. We have no idea where is or what he's planning, though there are rumours of him working with Akatsuki. Akatsuki is another problem, as they seek to undermine the shinobi market and are possibly conspiring with major players in the underworld to commit large-scale crimes. These could potentially lead to the collapse of the shinobi villages. We'll deal with all of these things together, one piece at a time. I think that sounds good."
"I'm in agreement," Oonoki said.
"Acceptable. I'll be attending the meeting with the deviant as well," A followed.
"Yes, that sounds good. Thank you, Lord Hokage," Mei said.
"I'll be at the meeting with the criminal," Rasa said.
"Alright! Thanks for your time, everyone. Talk about this with your villages, but exercise a bit of caution, yeah?" Minato said with a smile. "We'll meet again in a week for the tournament!"
The other Kage and their associates filed out of the room in order, leaving the Hokage and his team behind with the ANBU.
"How'd I do?" Minato asked Hiruzen and Shikaku.
"Very well, my boy. I've always enjoyed your approach to diplomacy, very refreshing," Hiruzen said.
"I find it precarious myself and troublesome...but it works. Can't expect anything less from the guy who regularly deals with the Red Hot Habanero..."
"Hey! She's not nearly as bad as she used to be."
"See? Only a husband would say something like that." Shikaku sighed. "But I don't have much room to talk."
"Are you about to be depressing again?"
"Maybe."
"Come, my child. We have drink in the office to calm your nerves before you go home." Hiruzen chuckled and patted Shikaku on the back as they left the meeting room.
"Haru?"
The young woman with the fox mask appeared in front of him, getting to one knee. "Lord Hokage, at your will. What must I do?"
"Easy, now. Up," Minato said with a gesture. She got to her feet. "Okay, did you get all of that earlier?"
"Every word, my lord."
"Good. Report to Kushina, tell her it's authorized. I'm also recommending that you give the full report to our friends, but listen to what she tells you in the end. After all, you're her daughter more than mine!"
"Of course. I'll carry out your will, Lord Hokage."
He smiled and patted her head gently. "See you soon, Haru."
She nodded and disappeared.
"Everyone else, dismissed. You're off until tomorrow afternoon."
The ANBU all saluted before vanishing as well. Minato went back to grab his hat, putting it on top of his head.
"Things are in motion. Alright, Madara...we're going to take you down for sure. Here we come."
And with a yellow flash of light, he was gone.
---
next: Episode 3.8: Brave New World
