The days of peace passed quickly. After staying in Konoha for more than half a month, Terumī Mei returned to Kirigakure. After all, she was still the Mizukage—until she found a proper successor, she had to stay at her post.
Obito underwent surgery during this time. Tsunade personally removed the cursed seal Uchiha Madara had left on his heart. The operation was extremely dangerous—one small mistake could have cost Obito his life. Fortunately, Tsunade's skills were exceptional, and she successfully saved him.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Raikage convened a Five Kage Summit.
The reason was simple—someone had attacked Kumogakure and abducted his younger brother.
The Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee were among the strongest in the shinobi world. The two brothers fighting together were nearly invincible.
Yet while Killer Bee was training, he was ambushed. Traces of a Tailed Beast Bomb were found at the scene, and Bee himself had vanished without a trace. Witnesses claimed to have seen a figure wearing a black cloak patterned with red clouds—the mark of the Akatsuki.
But Akatsuki had already been wiped out by Kiyosuke. That was what made the incident so strange.
Tsunade had no choice but to bring Kiyosuke and the recently recovered Obito with her to the Land of Iron. The main issue this time was the appearance of a mysterious new Akatsuki member—and she also intended to reveal the possibility of Uchiha Madara's resurrection, something she had deliberately kept quiet about during Kiyosuke's wedding.
It wasn't the right time back then—such a heavy topic would have killed the joyful mood. Besides, the news of Madara's revival was still unconfirmed, little more than a rumor.
This time, the Five Kage Summit was partly to inform the other Kage, even if they might not believe her. After all, Madara had not returned yet, and Akatsuki had supposedly been destroyed.
The core topic of this Summit was how to respond to Akatsuki. The other Kage didn't yet know that Kiyosuke's team had wiped them out—though Ōnoki and Terumī Mei were aware, since each of their villages had hosted Akatsuki members. Still, with new mysterious enemies appearing, everyone gathered in the Land of Iron for the summit.
The Land of Iron lay north of the Land of Fire—a nation protected not by ninja, but by samurai. The region was perpetually cold and maintained strict neutrality. The Five Kage Summit would be held there.
Its leader, Mifune, was a samurai of great strength who had agreed to serve as mediator and witness in the name of peace.
Within the Land of Iron's snowy borders, Tsunade and her companions encountered Gaara and his entourage.
"Lady Hokage, we've been expecting you."
Gaara wore his Kazekage hat, with Kankurō and Temari standing beside him as his guards.
"Lord Kazekage?" Tsunade raised a brow. "What brings you here to wait for us?"
"It's about this Five Kage Summit," Gaara replied. "This time, we wish to form an alliance with you, Lady Hokage."
"An alliance?"
Among the Hidden Villages, Sunagakure was the weakest after Kirigakure. Naturally, they sought a powerful ally to rely on—otherwise, they risked being marginalized by Kumogakure and Iwagakure. Gaara had seen firsthand what those two were capable of back at Kiyosuke's wedding. Though things hadn't escalated, their snide remarks during dinner had made tensions high. If not for the Third Hokage mediating, a fight might have broken out.
Gaara had no desire to face those two alone.
"Very well."
"Then I'll see you at the conference hall."
Gaara nodded, then left with Kankurō and Temari, while Tsunade's group continued forward.
The deeper they traveled into the Land of Iron, the colder it became. Kiyosuke disliked the climate immensely.
It was still spring in the Land of Fire, yet here it was full winter. The sharp contrast made the journey uncomfortable, though at least he wasn't the type to get cold easily.
Recently recovered, Obito wrapped himself in a thick coat and muttered,
"It's freezing… I hope the summit hall is warmer. Kiyosuke, start a fire or something."
"Sure."
Kiyosuke wasn't fond of the cold either. Flames flickered along his body, spreading warmth toward Tsunade and Obito.
Before long, they arrived at their destination—a massive fortress guarded by samurai in heavy armor, stationed every few paces. The security was so tight that even a fly would have trouble slipping through.
The Land of Iron had no ninja, relying solely on samurai to defend it. These warriors could wield chakra to enhance their sword strikes, forming chakra blades. In a sense, they were not so different from shinobi—only less flashy. Nowadays, the samurai were found almost exclusively in this land.
At the fortress gate stood Mifune, the Land of Iron's commander, his head wrapped in bandages. The old warrior greeted Tsunade warmly—he had been waiting for her arrival.
Mifune was known as the greatest swordsman in the Land of Iron. The scar on his head dated back to his battle with Hanzō of the Salamander, a wound he'd barely survived—but his strength and reputation had only grown since then.
Tsunade knew Mifune well. Under his guidance, the group entered the hall where the Five Kage Summit would take place.
She sat down in her designated seat and placed her Hokage hat before her.
The dim room suddenly lit up as five lamps flickered on, illuminating each of the Five Kage.
Kiyosuke's gaze swept across the room. Everything was set up as expected. Behind Terumī Mei stood Ao and Hoshigaki Kisame. With Kisame present, there was no need for her to bring Chōjūrō along this time.
Each Kage's formation was similar—one capable sensor and one powerful fighter.
Kiyosuke alone could fulfill both roles. The only reason he brought Obito was because of his space–time ninjutsu—it was the best escape plan they could have.
If anything went wrong, they'd vanish in an instant.
Thinking this, Kiyosuke stood quietly behind Tsunade, expression calm. Obito stood beside him, just as stern-faced. But when Kiyosuke's eyes met Mei's across the room, he couldn't help but smile.
Seeing her husband smile at her in such a serious setting, Mei's own lips curved softly.
It seemed like a good start…
Mifune noticed and nodded slightly.
"I will be presiding over this Five Kage Summit," he declared. "I am Mifune. Now, let the summit begin!"
What began as a peaceful atmosphere was quickly shattered by the old man from Iwagakure. Ōnoki immediately mocked Gaara for being too young, but Gaara wasn't the type to back down—he retorted by calling the Tsuchikage too old.
The two clashed verbally, neither willing to yield, sparks practically flying between them.
"My apologies for interrupting," Tsunade said at last, her tone cutting through the argument. "But regarding Akatsuki—Kiyosuke and his team have already eliminated all of its members not long ago. Lord Tsuchikage should already be aware of this."
Her gaze fell squarely on Ōnoki.
Of course that old fox knew—but he still had to stir trouble.
Ōnoki merely gave a dry chuckle and said nothing, though his expression confirmed it all.
What an infuriating old man.
Everyone present was thinking the same thing.