In Konoha, though there was no active Hokage, the elders had convened an emergency meeting.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane presided for the time being.
"This is no ordinary day," Koharu said gravely.
"Not only us, but the other Great Nations are all convening high-level councils."
"All because of this so-called 'Weapon Compendium.'"
Mitokado passed out a thick dossier.
"It contains detailed breakdowns of the weapons Su Mu listed."
"But we still lack hard proof."
"Shikaku, your thoughts?"
Nara Shikaku flipped through the files.
"Regardless of whether these weapons are real or fiction, we must take them seriously."
"If even one of them exists, it could completely change the balance of the world."
Mitokado nodded slowly.
But then, his tone shifted.
"But… what if we found one?"
"If Konoha secured just one of these weapons—couldn't we become the dominant force in the world?"
Shikaku's eyes sharpened.
"Absolutely not."
"That path leads only to destruction."
"It's very likely that you're not the only one with this idea—the other Four Great Nations probably think the same."
"This could very well spark another Great Ninja War!"
Koharu Utatane snorted coldly. "And if we don't seek it out, but any of the Four Great Nations do, we'll be the ones facing total annihilation!"
"But Konoha's current situation doesn't allow us to take that kind of risk!" Shikaku slammed both palms onto the table and stood up abruptly.
"It's exactly because Konoha is in such danger that we must find the weapons listed in the list!" Koharu also stood up, her voice sharp.
The atmosphere in the meeting room had become thick with tension, like a spark could set off an explosion at any moment.
Homura Mitokado raised a hand slightly, gesturing for the two to sit. He then turned to Shikaku and spoke patiently, "We're only asking for your opinion. As for whether to pursue the weapons , that decision is not yours to make."
Shikaku slumped back into his chair, looking defeated.
Beside him, Choza Akimichi patted his shoulder and sighed. "Let it go, Shikaku…"
At the conclusion of the meeting, Homura announced, "The decision regarding the Weapons retrieval mission will be finalized next week. For now, our top priority is protecting the Sarutobi clan."
"The Monkey King Enma, ranked tenth in the Weapon's list, can now only be summoned and wielded by them."
At the same time—
The Land of Lightning, Land of Wind, and Land of Earth had all convened emergency meetings.
Their interest in the Weapons list, compiled by Sumu, was overwhelming.
They all believed that whoever could obtain all the weapons listed in the list would become the most powerful nation in the ninja world.
In contrast, the Land of Water and Kirigakure had chosen not to get involved.
Because Terumi Mei understood all too well—some of those weapons simply couldn't be acquired. Uchiha Itachi alone already wielded three of the top-ranked Divine Treasures from the Weapon list.
And those three Divine Treasures existed solely within Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan—they had no physical form.
To obtain them, one would have to kill Uchiha Itachi and take his eyes…
A bloody storm loomed on the horizon.
All Five Great Nations dispatched ninjas to Duanshan Street, targeting the Gui Lin Residence .
Their objective was to pry more intel about the Weapon Codex from Sumu himself.
Konoha Team: Hatake Kakashi, Sakura, Might Guy, and Team Three.
Sunagakure Team: Elder Chiyo, Baki, Yakura, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro.
Kumogakure Team: Killer Bee, Yugito Nii, Darui, and Samui.
Iwagakure Team: Kurotsuchi, Kitsuchi, Akatsuchi, Bun'ya, and Ippan.
Even smaller nations had sent people to gather intelligence.
Grass Country, Land of Rice Fields…
On a mountain near Konoha.
Kisame and Uchiha Itachi moved silently, both cloaked.
Suddenly, Itachi stopped and turned his gaze toward the Hidden Leaf Village.
"Mr. Itachi," Kisame smirked, "someone like you still gets sentimental? Homesick, perhaps?"
He chuckled, amused.
Itachi said nothing. He simply pulled out a copy of the Weapons list from inside his cloak.
Rain began to fall from the sky.
Heavy drops the size of pearls fell softly onto the cover of the book.
His face full of melancholy, Itachi's crimson Sharingan eyes seemed to pierce straight through the village of Konoha.
At that very moment—
In the Uchiha Clan's ancestral shrine—
Sasuke clutched a copy of the Weapon Codex, crying aloud.
Suddenly, lightning surged in his left hand and exploded against the nearby wall.
BOOM!
A massive hole blew open, and amid the rising smoke and dust, Sasuke collapsed to the floor.
He stared at the Weapons list, murmuring to himself:
"Uchiha Itachi… the Three Divine Treasures…"
"Can I really still take revenge…? Hahahahaha…"
His bitter laughter echoed in the shrine, and in the haze of emotion, a second tomoe began to form in his eyes.