"Did they escape?"
"Well, if we really had to fight it out, it's hard to say who would've won."
Minato Namikaze sheathed his kunai. Though he spoke lightly, his expression was far from relaxed. Such enemies lurking in the shadows were bad news not only for Konoha but for the entire shinobi world.
"Come on, are you actually stupid or pretending?"
"To deal with one giant puppet and ten non-human creatures, how many elites did the village have to mobilize this time?"
"And I just checked when I returned—the Sharingan have all been retrieved."
"If those non-human creatures ever grow in number, that would be terrifying combat strength."
Kazuyama Gekkō didn't hold back in the slightest, verbally slamming Minato right in the face. He was in a foul mood. The enemy escaped whenever they wanted, and he couldn't even keep them here. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became.
"Calm down, Kazuyama."
"What can we do now that they've already run?"
"Once we return, I'll have someone contact Kirigakure. After all, they were the first victims."
There was no way Konohagakure could shoulder this alone. The enemy's targets were the Tailed Beasts—meaning every other village was on their list.
"Rasa, what are you planning?"
"Gaara is one of their targets too. Do you want him returning to Sunagakure, or staying in Konoha for now?"
Kazuyama tossed the question to Rasa—after all, Gaara was his child and also a target.
Rasa's expression instantly grew serious. That short clash earlier had already shown him that the enemy's strength far exceeded his own. Add to that the bizarre non-human creatures—if their target was Sunagakure, it would be a disaster. Seen this way, letting Gaara remain in Konoha for now didn't seem like a bad choice.
"What? You think I'd harm him?"
"He's my disciple, isn't he? Have him move together with the others. If anything goes wrong, I can step in immediately."
With Kazuyama Gekkō's guarantee, Rasa could only exhale helplessly and agree.
Minato Namikaze also gave his assurance.
"Kazekage-sama, rest easy. Gaara will receive the best protection in Konoha."
"Once I contact the other villages, I'll see whether we can initiate a Five Kage Summit to address the current situation."
"Once we eradicate the Akatsuki tumor, peace will finally come."
Peace—such a longed-for word.
Since the time of the First Hokage, Konohagakure had pursued peace. But things never went the way they hoped. Regardless of Konoha's intentions, the other four villages treated it as their greatest threat, and wars continued endlessly.
Now Sunagakure and Konoha were allied. Kirigakure had suffered an Akatsuki attack and lost the Three-Tails—making this the perfect moment to establish diplomatic ties.
Minato Namikaze believed firmly that the peace of the Five Great Shinobi Villages would be realized in his generation.
"Alright, let's head back."
"You didn't see the mess that bastard Fugaku made."
"Tsk tsk… you might actually die of anger when you get back."
The three of them were still standing in the middle of a cratered battlefield. Kazuyama Gekkō didn't want to stay in this miserable environment chatting any longer. He needed a reclining chair and a pile of snacks to compensate for all the energy he'd just burned.
Two of the three could use Flying Thunder God Technique—returning to the village was a matter of a single blink. But the places they returned to were completely different.
Kazuyama Gekkō brought Rasa back to the Grand Arena, while Minato Namikaze instinctively returned to his office.
The room was empty, and the heavy scent of smoke lingered strongly. Minato stood there, dumbfounded. Opening the window, he finally saw what Kazuyama meant when he said Fugaku had "done something."
A massive expanse of ashes lay before him.
"Fugaku, you bastard! I said I wouldn't hold losses against you!"
"But I definitely did NOT say you could run wild in the village!"
Scorched earth. Ash. Who knew what that bastard Uchiha Fugaku had done—most of the buildings in front of him were simply gone.
In contrast, Kazuyama Gekkō and Rasa, back at the Grand Arena, looked much calmer.
"The sky veil has dispersed."
"Rasa, shouldn't you hurry back to the village to prepare countermeasures against Akatsuki?"
"If the Five Kage Summit really starts, you know full well Ōnoki and that brute from the Cloud aren't easy to handle."
"With only our Hokage, I doubt he can keep those two in check."
Thinking back to the original Five Kage Summit, even an old schemer like Danzō couldn't impose his beliefs on Ōnoki or the Raikage. No wonder—old foxes are cunning, and no one outdoes Ōnoki in age or experience. And when muscle becomes brain, even that brute starts thinking.
It wasn't that Kazuyama underestimated Minato Namikaze. It was just… how to put it? The guy's personality was a little too carefree, making Kazuyama uneasy.
As for Kirigakure's Mizukage, Terumi, he was Kazuyama's own man, but still young. At a Five Kage Summit, he could only play a supporting role. Another dependable ally was necessary. Only then could the summit remain under control.
"You're right. Neither Iwa nor Kumo are decent in the slightest."
"Hmph. Compared to them, you Leaf guys are less irritating."
"Rest assured. Since Sunagakure and Konoha are allies now, if the Five Kage Summit really happens, I'll stand with Konoha."
"I've already witnessed the enemy's strength."
For once, Rasa didn't mock Kazuyama Gekkō—maybe because he saw his son smiling while chatting with Senko. Gaara, a One-Tail Jinchūriki, was his son. For his son's sake, he would confront that organization to the very end. After all, if the Tailed Beast was extracted, the Jinchūriki would die.
Just as Rasa and Kazuyama reached an agreement, Minato Namikaze finally arrived at the Grand Arena.
The moment he landed, he immediately began shouting.
"You bastard! Kazuyama, do you know what that idiot Fugaku did!?"
"He burned everything! At least three streets are gone!"
"Damn it, I'll make him personally rebuild every single house for those residents! Not one missing!"
"Huh? You two… holding hands? What agreement did you reach behind my back?"
Mid-rant, he saw Rasa and Kazuyama Gekkō shaking hands. That alone was enough to baffle Minato—because in his mind, neither of these men were the type to shake hands with anyone.
One might drown someone in Gold Dust or bury them in a coffin of it.
The other… who knew what outrageous thing he'd do? Throw someone with Flying Thunder God Technique? Turn them into crystal?