Time flies.
In the Land of Iron, within a bright and spacious meeting hall, the five strongest ninja villages gathered for a crucial summit. Present were Hokage Tsunade, Raikage A, Tsuchikage Ohnoki, Kazekage Gaara, and Mizukage Terumi Mei. Also in attendance was Mifune, the leader of the Land of Iron.
Unlike the events depicted in the original manga, this Five Kage Summit was far more controlled. There were no heated outbursts or arguments over petty disputes.
The reason was simple—Bai Ye stood beside Tsunade, watching over the proceedings.
The Kage were no strangers to Bai Ye. Their intelligence networks ensured that the moment Bai Ye defeated Pain, his information and abilities were documented on the desks of every major ninja village. While each Kage had confidence in their own strength, none of them believed they could surpass Pain, let alone Bai Ye, who had single-handedly bested him. Even the notoriously hot-tempered Raikage, the strongest among them, was uncertain if he could defeat Pain in battle, making Bai Ye an even more formidable opponent.
As a result, Bai Ye's presence alone kept the Kage in check.
Tsunade was pleased with this outcome. She had brought Bai Ye along precisely to intimidate the other Kage and gain an advantage for Konoha during negotiations. So far, her plan was working perfectly.
Although formal discussions had not yet begun, everyone knew the inevitable conclusion—the villages had no choice but to unite against the Akatsuki organization.
After all, Akatsuki had positioned itself as the enemy of the entire ninja world.
If this threat was tolerated, past ninja wars would have been meaningless.
As negotiations progressed, tempers flared, and heated exchanges erupted. Unsurprisingly, Tsunade was the most vocal and confident, emboldened by Bai Ye's presence.
Bai Ye, however, found the discussion tedious. He cared little for the political disputes over resource distribution. To him, Konoha—and even the entire Land of Fire—was under his protection. If negotiations did not yield favorable results, he had no qualms about resorting to war. Strength, after all, dictated the outcome.
After several hours of deliberation, the summit concluded, and the Ninja Alliance was formally established.
Fourth Raikage A was appointed as the supreme commander of the alliance.
Originally, this position was intended for Bai Ye, but he refused. His primary goal was to lure out Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, not to lead an army. Moreover, Bai Ye knew his greatest strength lay in solo combat, much like in the world of One Piece, where he had single-handedly eradicated all opposition.
Most importantly, Bai Ye despised administrative burdens. The role of supreme commander would leave him with no time for rest.
As for Tsunade, she was appointed chief strategist, while Gaara became the captain of the allied forces.
"The next step is to gather all available combat power and prepare to encircle and eliminate the Akatsuki organization," Fourth Raikage announced.
At that moment, a sinister laugh echoed through the chamber. A pale figure slowly emerged from the center of the conference table.
It was White Zetsu.
The moment Bai Ye saw him, he understood—Obito had come to declare war.
The only question was whether Sasuke would appear, now that Danzo was already dead.
While Bai Ye pondered this, Fourth Raikage immediately restrained White Zetsu, demanding information on Sasuke's whereabouts. After all, Sasuke had abducted his brother, Killer Bee.
However, White Zetsu, being merely a clone, was unfazed by Raikage's threats.
In response, Raikage crushed White Zetsu effortlessly.
Just then, several figures burst into the room—it was Sasuke and his team, Taka.
The moment Raikage saw Sasuke, his eyes blazed with fury. Without hesitation, he charged at him.
Though Sasuke's strength had grown considerably, he was still no match for the Fourth Raikage. Even with Suigetsu and Jugo's assistance, and despite activating Susanoo, Sasuke struggled against Raikage's relentless assault.
As Raikage prepared to finish him off, Sasuke's body suddenly vanished.
"I can't let you kill Sasuke," a voice declared.
Obito appeared, carrying the unconscious Sasuke on his shoulder.
Bai Ye observed Obito closely and noted his new mask. This likely meant Obito had acquired the Rinnegan—either from Nagato or Madara.
Obito, too, noticed Bai Ye's presence, feeling a momentary sense of unease. Even with the Rinnegan, he still doubted his ability to face Bai Ye directly. However, he quickly composed himself. He wasn't here to fight Bai Ye—he had come to make a declaration.
Turning to the assembled Kage, he announced the details of the Moon's Eye Plan.
The plan, originally conceived by Uchiha Madara, aimed to collect all tailed beasts, resurrect the Gedo Statue (the Ten Tails' vessel), and become the Ten Tails Jinchūriki. With power rivaling the Sage of Six Paths, Obito intended to project Infinite Tsukuyomi onto the moon, trapping all humanity in an eternal illusion of peace.
Of course, Obito's true goal was different—he sought to create a world where he could be with Rin forever.
However, neither Madara's plan nor Obito's fantasy was acceptable.
As expected, the Kage rejected his proposal outright.
Obito, unfazed, smirked. "In that case… war it is."
Enraged, Fourth Raikage lunged at him, but Obito calmly activated his Sharingan, warping himself and Sasuke away.
The room fell silent.
The Kage, grim-faced, acknowledged the inevitable.
"We cannot allow this plan to succeed," Raikage declared. "If Obito achieves his goal, we will all be trapped in an illusion forever. That is unacceptable."
The others nodded in agreement.
With that, they returned to their respective villages, mobilizing their forces for war.
The Fourth Great Ninja War had officially begun.