On the side, Gaara sat with his arms crossed, the gourd on his back gleaming faintly as he spoke calmly,
"I've long heard that the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure has a fiery temper. Seeing it today, it's clear the rumors were true."
"The conference hall is a place for discussion, not for you to throw your weight around, Raikage."
The Raikage shot him a furious and disdainful glare.
"And what the hell are you supposed to be, you little brat from Sunagakure?! (ꐦ ಠ皿ಠ)"
"You think this is your place to speak?!"
As the Kage began shouting at each other, Mifune, who was presiding over the meeting, felt a headache coming on.
"Please, everyone, calm down. This meeting was meant to discuss countermeasures against Akatsuki, not to start a fight. Let's just all take a breath..."
Tsunade agreed helplessly, rubbing her temples.
"Yeah... maybe we should just postpone the meeting and resume tomorrow... ┐(´-｀)┌"
The Raikage wasn't about to let it go.
"Tsunade, you've got some nerve saying that! If it weren't for your Konoha's Sasuke, my brother wouldn't have gone missing! (눈益눈)"
"My brother's life or death is still unknown! Don't think this matter is just going to be brushed aside!"
Behind the curtain, Kakashi's hand moved quietly toward his ninja pouch. (≖╻≖;)
Judging by how tense things were getting, this meeting could explode into a full-on battle any moment now...
"Naruto, stay sharp. If anything goes wrong, your first priority is to protect Tsunade-sama!" Kakashi instructed in a low voice.
Naruto nodded solemnly.
"I got it... Looks like Sasuke really messed up this time. -_-||"
Kakashi's face darkened as he replied,
"Yeah... If it's confirmed that Killer B's disappearance was his doing, relations between Konoha and Kumogakure will hit rock bottom. It could even spark another war... and as the one responsible, Sasuke will be 'taken care of' by the ANBU. (ಠ .̫.̫ ಠ)"
Hearing that, Naruto sighed softly.
"Ahh..."
The next moment, Naruto suddenly sensed someone appear beside him out of nowhere.
...
Meanwhile, the argument among the Kage was getting even more heated.
The Raikage roared,
"I'll be honest—none of you are worth my time! Old, young, men, women—doesn't matter! I'm done negotiating with this lot! (′д｀σ)σ"
Mizukage Mei stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor.
"Did you just look down on women? Under your 'great leadership,' Kumogakure doesn't seem all that strong. And now, you've even managed to lose your own brother. Ծ̮Ծ"
The Raikage A's veins bulged. He had grown up alongside Killer B, and their bond was unshakable.
Already agitated by his brother's disappearance, Mei's jab hit a nerve like a spark to a powder keg.
With a snarl, he raised his right hand—lightning chakra crackled around it in blue-violet arcs, "crackle-crackle!"
But just as he was about to bring it down, his eyes caught on a figure in the corner of the room. His movements froze.
Everyone turned to follow his gaze.
A young man with black clothes and crimson hair stepped out from behind the curtain.
His voice was calm and clear.
"I thought the Five Kage Summit was supposed to be a formal occasion. Since when did it turn into a brawl? ¯\(ツ)/¯"
Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise and delight.
"Shinju?! ❛‿˂̵✧"
Across the table, Mei's face lit up in the same way—perhaps even more.
"Shinju?! (´◊ω◊｀)"
"He's even more handsome in person than in the photos! (ૢ˃ꌂ˂⁎)"
Shinju's strength was known across the entire shinobi world, and his appearance immediately stilled the tension.
The Raikage's hand was still frozen midair.
If he struck now, it would be seen as a direct challenge to all the villages present—including Konoha—and Shinju might not hesitate to retaliate, regardless of past friendship.
But if he awkwardly lowered it, that would look weak. (ー_ー)!!
"Raikage-sama, I came here today on behalf of Kumogakure's higher-ups," Shinju said as he approached. "They asked me to deliver you a message."
Seeing his discomfort, Shinju casually reached out and lowered the Raikage's raised arm himself.
The Raikage took the cue to step down, his eyes flashing with reluctant gratitude and respect. ´∀`
"All right then," he said, his tone softening. "What message?"
"Your brother, Killer B, has been found. Both he and the Eight-Tails inside him are safe and sound." Shinju's expression hardened, his voice turning cold.
"As for those rumors that Sasuke captured him—it's complete nonsense! It was Konoha's Sasuke who risked his life to protect Killer B, giving him the chance to escape from Akatsuki! (｀0´)凸"
The Raikage's jaw dropped in disbelief.
ヽ( ຶ▮ ຶ)ﾉ!!!
Killer B... was saved by Sasuke?!
That revelation hit harder than the accusation that Sasuke had captured him.
After all, throughout Killer B's disappearance, he had been pressuring Konoha nonstop, never once considering their past alliance.
Now, with the truth flipped on its head, he suddenly had no idea how to face it!
"Is that really true? Witnesses said Sasuke and his group were wearing Akatsuki cloaks," the Raikage shot back, grasping at anything to hold his ground.
"Shinju, don't twist the truth to clear Sasuke's name. ╰_╯"
Shinju's tone sharpened.
"Who cares what they were wearing?! What matters is the truth—you can go back to your village and ask your brother yourself!"
"And you'd better remember this—Sasuke from Konoha risked his life for your brother's safety. Now he's the one missing, his fate unknown!!"
"And after all that, Konoha still gets blamed and doubted by Kumogakure? You tell me—shouldn't we get an explanation?!"
With that, Shinju slammed his hand down on the semicircular table—then flipped it over completely.
"(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!!!"
"Crash!!!"
The Five Kage Summit's table was sent flying, slamming against the wall with a resounding bang!
Everyone in the room went rigid.
Gaara, who owed Shinju much and respected him deeply, merely crossed his arms, expression calm—watching the scene unfold like a spectator.
The aged Tsuchikage Ōnoki grumbled under his breath at the destruction, but he didn't dare say anything aloud.
The boy was furious—and Ōnoki's brittle bones wouldn't survive a confrontation.
Mei, meanwhile, still had hearts in her eyes. (´◊ω◊｀)
He dared to flip the Five Kage Summit table!
Sure, it was a bit disrespectful to her as the Mizukage—but somehow, she didn't feel angry at all.
In fact... that move was so cool! (⌯︎¤̴̶̷̀ω¤̴̶̷́)✧︎
The Raikage, however, had completely lost reputation.
If it were anyone else showing him that kind of attitude, he'd have already charged in with a Lightning Release Lariat.
But this young man wasn't just anyone—he was Shinju.
A prodigy who had mastered every chakra nature and bloodline limit... a man praised throughout the shinobi world as the "New God of Shinobi."