"Minato, this is a scroll delivered from Iwagakure. It bears the seal of Tsuchikage Onoki—it was most likely written by him personally."
Shikaku walked into the room and placed the scroll on Minato's desk. His face was grim, his small mustache slightly disheveled—like he'd tugged at it again and again.
"Hmm? Tsuchikage Onoki? What could he possibly want at a time like this?"
Frowning deeply, Minato felt puzzled as he reached out to take the scroll.
"It's not just from the Tsuchikage," Shikaku raised his other hand and handed Minato a bluish scroll. There was a 'Wen' marked on it—it was most likely sent by Elder Wen, Mist's senior elder councilor.
Normally, only messages from a Kage were allowed to use the highest level of communication protocols, yet Mist had clearly violated that rule this time.
"Something's wrong!"
As he looked at the two scrolls before him, Minato immediately sensed that something had gone terribly wrong. His eyes narrowed, and his expression turned grave.
He pushed aside the documents he had just been handling and slowly pulled both scrolls—different in color and pattern—toward him.
After a moment's thought, Minato opened the earth-toned scroll from the Tsuchikage first and read every word carefully, not missing even the smallest detail.
The message wasn't complicated—just a few sentences, which boiled down to one line: Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han has been attacked by Akatsuki and is currently missing! For the sake of peace in the Shinobi World, Konoha should lead an assembly of the Five Kage to discuss strategies against Akatsuki!
Huff!
After finishing the reading and confirming there was no useful information missed, Minato handed the scroll to Shikaku so he could also review the details and make his own judgment.
As for Minato himself, he focused once again on the scroll from Mist, his eyes growing even more intense, the weight of dread pressing behind them.
What the hell was going on over there?
This message hadn't been reviewed by the Mizukage himself—it led Minato to a disturbing realization...
He thought of one thing: Yagura was not only the Mizukage but also the Three-Tails Jinchuriki of Mist.
Yet this correspondence had bypassed the Mizukage entirely. There was only one explanation: the Tailed Beast-hosting Mizukage himself had run into trouble!
Realization struck—Minato's eyes widened, and a heavy feeling stirred deep inside him.
Though Minato hadn't even opened the Mist scroll yet, he'd already pieced together most of the truth—a sharp intuition only a seasoned Kage possessed.
Rip!
Breaking through the scroll's ninja seal, Minato laid it flat and began reading.
Before opening it, he still held onto a tiny shred of hope. Now, he read to confirm what he feared—and find the truth.
Bang!
Shikaku watched as Minato—the normally composed Fourth Hokage—slammed both hands on the desk, his face thrusting forward the moment he finished reading the Mist scroll.
After reading the message from Onoki, he felt surprised by Akatsuki's audacity but remained calm.
As the deputy to the Hokage and head of the Brain Trust, he needed to maintain a peaceful demeanor at all times.
Only in this state could he carefully examine every detail of an incident without overlooking anything.
"What's the situation with Mist?"
Shikaku finished reviewing Iwagakure's intelligence report and immediately reached the same conclusion as Minato.
Looking at the noticeably upset Minato, he knew his suspicion was likely correct. The only uncertainty was Yagura's current condition—was he missing or merely severely injured and now under tight protection by the Mist?
"All Kiri Jinchuriki, including Ephemeral—the Six-Tails Jinchuriki who had reportedly defected—and former Mizukage Yagura have all been attacked by Akatsuki and are now missing!"
Shikaku naturally understood what "missing" truly meant—it was simply a polite way of saying they'd fallen into enemy hands.
"According to information from Mist," Minato explained while handing Shikaku the scroll for confirmation, "Saitama Uchiha played a key role in these two incidents, serving as one of the primary attackers. Mist suffered heavy losses attempting to reclaim Yagura."
"Again Saitama Uchiha?!"
Upon hearing that name, Shikaku couldn't help frowning deeply, his mustache twitching involuntarily.
Clearly, this individual was someone even he considered extremely troublesome.
He had encountered Saitama before—the young man had once been a rising star in the Uchiha clan. Unlike many of his kin who were often hard to deal with, he was mature and easygoing despite his youth.
But now, Saitama had become Konoha's rogue ninja—a terrorist determined to oppose the Hidden Villages.
"Yes, him again! Both Mist and Iwagakure agree on this point. They both believe we should quickly convene another Kage Summit specifically targeting Akatsuki's activities!"
Minato looked directly at Shikaku with serious eyes before continuing.
"Let's send out notices to the other villages! We must gather together for discussions. The idea of holding the Kage Summit deserves full consideration! So far among the Five Great Hidden Villages, it seems only our own Jinchuriki haven't been attacked by Akatsuki yet. We need to establish countermeasures promptly—to prevent potential threats before they occur!"
Without hesitation, Shikaku laid both scrolls upon Minato's desk, observing his solemn expression. He could tell this wasn't a joke.
He already realized fully that dealing with Akatsuki would be beyond any single village's capability alone.
An organization built around a core of S-rank rogue ninjas—even Konoha couldn't guarantee victory against them.
It was time to unite and eradicate this group entirely, restoring peace across the shinobi world!
This presented the perfect opportunity!
Previously, when attacks occurred against the One-Tail, Two-Tails, Four-Tails, and Seven-Tails resulting in their disappearances, Sunagakure had initially proposed uniting forces against Akatsuki.
However, back then Iwagakure, Mist, and Kumogakure showed no interest—even finding the suggestion tedious.
Although Akatsuki was powerful enough to dare target the Tailed Beasts of various Hidden Villages, back then everyone believed such an organization could never stand against a single Hidden Village. Therefore, they only shared minimal information before going their separate ways.
But now, everything has changed!
The Hidden Villages have realized the true danger. Even Onoki, that stubborn old man, has set aside his pride and is determined to unite for a decisive strike to completely wipe out Akatsuki!
"Shikaku, immediately send invitations to Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and even other Hidden Villages. Since we must unite, let's hold a summit meeting!"
"What about the time and location?"
"Let's choose the Land of Iron. It's a neutral country, ruled entirely by samurai instead of ninja. Everyone should feel comfortable participating in the meeting there. This time, I hope all the Kages themselves will attend in person! As for timing, let's set it half a month from now."
Minato stood up, speaking earnestly to Shikaku.
"The Land of Iron? Indeed, a great choice! Then I'll immediately begin sending invitations to the major Hidden Village factions. The other three villages shouldn't be a problem, but I'm still unsure where Kumogakure stands at the moment!"
Shikaku nodded, then turned around and left the room. From now on, it was time to get busy.
If this Five Kage Summit succeeds, coordinated actions against Akatsuki will soon follow—not just minor skirmishes by individual villages as before, but attacks so overwhelming they'll crush everything in their path.
"Saitama Uchiha, what exactly are your goals? And this Akatsuki—just who is the mastermind behind the scenes? Is there truly such a formidable and previously unknown power in the Shinobi World?"
Looking at Shikaku's retreating figure, Minato muttered to himself. With reports of multiple Jinchuriki being attacked recently, he had become increasingly vigilant. After all, his own family included a Jinchuriki—one hosting the Nine-Tails, the strongest of all the Tailed Beasts.
For the sake of the people he loved, he would never let Akatsuki succeed!
And this time, information coming from two different Hidden Villages was simply too much.
Iwagakure's Five-Tails, Kirigakure's Three-Tails and Six-Tails—all were attacked by Akatsuki almost simultaneously, and successfully captured!
Akatsuki's strength runs incredibly deep!
Thinking of this, Minato recalled his teacher—the man who had departed not long ago, claiming he would bring valuable intelligence back to Konoha.
The more Minato learned about Akatsuki's power, the more worried he became about Master Jiraiya.
"Don't get yourself into trouble, sensei!"
Looking out the window, Minato pursed his lips, unwilling to dwell further on the matter.
...
"Tsuchikage-sama, preparations are complete!"
A short, stocky ninja respectfully reported in front of Onoki's desk, keeping his head bowed low without daring to look directly at him.
"Hmm. How is Kurutsuchi doing?"
Onoki slightly lifted his head, though his aged face full of wrinkles appeared deeply troubled—as if he had aged many years overnight.
He felt terrible about Kitsuchi's death, and poor young Kurutsuchi was really struggling too.
"She's still the same, although she did eat something this morning."
The ninja looked at Onoki, sensing deep sorrow in the old man's eyes. Watching your own child die before you—it was truly the crueltiest misfortune. Even someone as strong as the Tsuchikage couldn't escape its emotional toll.
Ever since Jonin Kitsuchi had been brought back, Onoki's condition had remained like this. His usual iron will had vanished completely, leaving only a frail, broken old man behind.
"Let's go. Take one last look at Kitsuchi! I never expected this mission to end this way… but it won't end here. Not a single one of the Akatsuki will escape my wrath!"
Onoki slowly rose to his feet, letting his hands hang loosely by his sides as he shuffled forward, clearly showing the burden of age.
"Yes!"
The ninja followed closely behind Onoki, their tone heavy with grief.
...
"Elder!"
Ameyuri Ringo slightly lowered her head out of respect as she gazed at the aged, hunched figure before her. This old man, toothless and worn, was Wen—the Mist elder whose authority nearly matched that of the Mizukage himself. He had served the village since its founding and was now its eldest member.
"Hmm, you're here."
Wen's deep-set, dim eyes fixed upon Ameyuri Ringo, as if weighing something in his mind.
"The scouting units we sent out found no useful clues. The enemy disappeared somewhere inside River Country. Terumi Mei's body is missing too—only Ao and the fallen members of the sealing team were recovered."
Standing before the seated elder, Ameyuri Ringo reported all the information they had gathered, her voice filled with sadness.
The old man listened in silence, his sharp yet clouded gaze never leaving her.
"Call back all our forces. There's no need to keep chasing them. These enemies are worse than we imagined. Preserve our strength and wait for an opening."
Wen's mouth moved slowly, lips trembling as his aging facial muscles responded. It was a decision made after careful thought.
Deep down, he already suspected this. That the enemy would leave no trace didn't surprise him at all.
"But…"
Ameyuri Ringo hesitated. Although tracking them down was difficult, could they really just give up? That was their Mizukage they'd lost—could they allow Akatsuki to take him away so easily?
"Enough. You understand already—the Akatsuki's real target has always been the tailed beast sealed within the Mizukage."
Seeing the internal struggle in Ameyuri Ringo's eyes, Wen immediately understood the young woman's thoughts.
Such sacrifices were common in his long life. This was no longer a matter of personal emotion—it was about strategic necessity.
And yet, the cost this time was immense: both the Mizukage and the village's tailed beast were gone.
Still, Wen had seen the shinobi who had joined Ameyuri in the chase. And from them, he had learned how terrifying the enemy really was.
If the village continued this relentless pursuit, even meeting the enemy face-to-face wouldn't change anything—they would only suffer greater losses without gaining anything in return.
Wait. The best opportunity to kill the enemy will come when we unite with the other hidden villages and face them together, and that's also the chance to reclaim everything Mist has lost.
"Send out orders. From now on, the village will be under wartime lockdown. Call back all ninjas currently on missions outside the village and minimize all outgoing activities!"
By the time Wen decided to seek help from Konoha, he'd already mapped out his strategy.
The loss of the Tailed Beast and the attack on Mizukage were crises unlike any since the village's founding. No matter how Konoha responded, he was determined to commit the entire village's strength toward eliminating Akatsuki.
While contacting Konoha, he had also reached out to Suna, located far in the distant south of the shinobi world.
Several months ago, Suna had proposed an alliance against Akatsuki. However, as the weakest among the Five Great Villages, and having lost their only Tailed Beast and even costing Kazekage Rasa one of his arms during that incident, their proposal had been mostly ignored except for some consideration from the ever-kind-hearted Konoha.
Now Mist had gone through the same thing—and it was even worse. Besides proposing the Five Kage Summit to Konoha, Wen had also extended an alliance invitation to Suna.
"I wonder what they think about it," Wen murmured quietly while gazing at Ameyuri Ringo standing before him. He then asked, "Ameyuri Ringo, are you ready to give your life for the village?"
Since Mizukage Yagura had fallen into the hands of Akatsuki, Wen had temporarily taken over leadership of the village. However, he was already over eighty years old—an age that defied nature and could almost be called a miracle for surviving so long without external assistance in this dangerous world.
As people age, physical stamina significantly decreases, making the management of such a vast ninja village extremely challenging.
At this critical moment, Mist needed someone to step forward and carry the burden of leading the village through an uncertain and perilous future.
Originally, Wen had high hopes for Terumi Mei. She had not only possessed formidable power but also been at exactly the right age to succeed Yagura as the next Mizukage.
However, Terumi Mei had already perished at the hands of Saitama Uchiha, completely disqualifying her from succession.
Moreover, most of Mist's capable ninja who might have stood on the grand stage had died during the last mission.
Right now, Mist faced a severe shortage of elite-level fighters—an era of talent drought and vulnerability—undoubtedly its weakest moment since the village's founding!
"That goes without saying. From the day I became one of the Seven Legendary Shinobi, I've known my destiny—to fight until the very end for the sake of the village, even if it costs me my last drop of blood!" Ameyuri Ringo stared directly at Wen, her voice firm and unwavering.
After speaking these words, she continued while looking at Wen, "Is there a mission you need me to carry out? Please give your orders directly—I've always been ready."
Ameyuri privately figured Wen's question meant there was a risky mission waiting for her. Considering the current issues regarding Mist's combat capabilities, she didn't hesitate in the slightest.
"Good. Starting today, you will become the acting Mizukage! This will remain in effect until the official election of the next Mizukage!"
Wen looked at the young female ninja before him. From her words, he could sense a hint of responsibility, so he directly revealed the decision he had been contemplating for several days.
"Ah?"
Ameyuri Ringo widened her eyes, and the hair standing up like ears on her head trembled slightly, clearly very surprised.
...
"Earlier, when I proposed forming an alliance to fight Akatsuki together, these guys all looked down on the idea. What about now?"
Rasa sat in his seat, looking at the two letters on the table with a slightly sarcastic expression.
One came from the Village Hidden in the Rocks, and one from the Village Hidden in the Mist. Their purposes were nearly identical: seeking cooperation to jointly fight against the Akatsuki organization!
"Lord Rasa, look..."
A ninja looked at Rōsha, unsure of what to do next, standing there somewhat at a loss.
"Go to the mountains and invite Chiyo and Guicang; say that there is something important to discuss."
After a moment's thought, Rasa issued the order. Although he was somewhat annoyed that the two ninja villages had only just now realized the situation, an alliance could indeed be formed.
Several months ago, Gaara was captured and subsequently disappeared from the ninja world, but the Village Hidden in the Sand has never stopped searching for traces of Akatsuki, continuously deploying ninja units to gather intelligence.
However, the entire ninja world is vast, and it's difficult for just Sunagakure alone to track down Akatsuki's headquarters.
However, after several months of investigation, the Hidden Sand Village has narrowed down the location of Akatsuki to the Land of Rain. A few days ago, the Kazekage also sent ninjas to communicate with the Amegakure Village, hoping to gain their cooperation, but due to the short notice, they have not yet received a positive response.
"Akatsuki! Saitama Uchiha!"
Rasa cast a glance at his empty left sleeve and muttered through clenched teeth.
The humiliation brought to him by Saitama Uchiha the last time has been haunting him all along, making it impossible for him to forget.
Then, once the alliance is formed, he will certainly seek to regain his dignity and kill that cunning little thief!
He had long since lost confidence in whether his son Gaara was still alive.
The enemy's target is obviously the tailed beast, and since Gaara has been missing for so long, his fate goes without saying.
Clenching his fists, Rasa gradually left his chair and walked out of the office. He needed to head to the meeting room first, think about the specific matters, and then discuss them with Chiyo and others.
...
In the darkness, a giant idol of monstrous appearance made from unknown material loomed over Akatsuki members, who stood on its fingertip.
Its face, filled with anguish, already had six eyes open, with a bloody red color brewing within them. The seventh eye was also slowly opening halfway, and it was estimated that it wouldn't be long before it could fully open.
Every time an eye opens, an innocent tailed beast disappears from the world; this is a massive project.
This is the scene of Akatsuki's sealing ceremony. Several tailed beasts that were captured not long ago have also been gradually sealed into that Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Maintaining the chakra output, Saitama slightly opened his eyes and glanced around.
A ten-day Sealing Technique would drain most people's chakra reserves completely. Hidan, being the weakest among them, now looked somewhat pale and weak.
His earlier injuries sustained from battling the Five-Tails Jinchuriki had been stitched up by Kakuzu using [Earth Grudge Fear], but his physical exhaustion from lost energy hadn't yet recovered.
Fortunately, the sealing was reaching its final moments. Hidan may have been at his breaking point, but none of that mattered now. As long as the others could hold a little longer, everything would be resolved successfully.
The others' conditions remained in good shape. During these days of sealing work, their Kage-level strength had shown its value perfectly.
Shifting his gaze slightly, Saitama met a pair of eyes filled with intense pressure — eyes containing multiple concentric circles.
Pain watched Saitama without showing any additional emotion, his expression stoic. He had just detected Saitama's gaze and turned to look back.
Saitama smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth without saying anything, slowly closing his eyes again to focus on his current task.
His chakra reserves were enormous. Although the sealing consumed quite a lot, for him this kind of continuous output didn't involve expending massive amounts of chakra suddenly like during battles, so it basically balanced with his ongoing production.
"The curtain has already risen on war. The real spectacle will begin soon enough," he murmured inwardly before once again entering that calm, focused state.
Just as the Akatsuki members were performing the tailed beast sealing ritual, an unexpected visitor arrived at the village.
In one unremarkable pool of water within Amegakure Village, half of a frog's head surfaced.
As soon as the frog Tu Yi emerged, it looked around quite human-like. After confirming no one else was nearby, it fully pulled itself up from under the water and floated upon the surface.
Puchi!
The frog opened its wide mouth. An arm wrapped in armor extended from its mouth and landed onto the water's surface, followed by the shoulder...
[Hiding in a Toad Technique]!
Jiraiya gradually crawled out from the frog's mouth. The small amphibian's body seemed extremely mismatched carrying someone as large and strong as him.
Soon enough, Jiraiya stood completely atop the water's surface, gazing toward the residential area not far away.
He was located near the drain outlet not far from the residential area. Due to constant rainfall, Amegakure Village maintained a well-developed drainage system, which he had cleverly used to infiltrate this enclosed village.
Recently something strange must have happened here since the village entrance had become completely sealed off. Previous methods obtained from informants for entering directly into the village had proven useless.
So he had lingered outside helplessly for several days before finally finding this suitable approach and successfully sneaking inside.
"Alright, infiltration complete! Next step – gather the intel and confirm my suspicions!" Jiraiya stood straight, staring deeply toward the tall buildings in the distance, a confident smile returning to his face.
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