Chapter 234: An Interception at the Shore
The orders were given with cold efficiency. Ren instructed Karin to relay commands to their spy network, placing every major village under intensified surveillance before dissolving the council. The Oto-nin dispersed, the air thick with a mixture of trepidation and grim excitement, returning to their duties with a new, world-shaking purpose.
In the days that followed, before the shinobi world could even fully process the audacity of Ren's attack on Konoha, a second seismic shockwave rippled across the nations. The Raikage of Kumogakure, in a move that broke decades of precedent, had issued a summons for a Five Kage Summit. The news was a detonation that silenced all other chatter. From the smallest independent clans to the largest mercenary groups, every individual who held a kunai knew, with chilling certainty, that a storm of unprecedented scale was gathering. A meeting of the five pillars of the shinobi world only happened when the very foundations of their existence were threatened.
The first and only other Summit had been convened by the God of Shinobi himself, Hashirama Senju, in an attempt to end the First Great War by distributing the Tailed Beasts to maintain a fragile balance of power. Now, generations later, the Raikage was invoking that same grave tradition. The entire world held its breath, waiting to see what new, terrible equilibrium would be forged—or shattered—in the halls of the Five Kage.
***
Within the newly constructed Hokage Tower in Konoha, the atmosphere was funereal. Kakashi Hatake, the Rokudaime Hokage in all but official title, stood before his most trusted advisors. His single visible eye was heavy with the weight of a village still bleeding.
"I've made my decision," Kakashi stated, his voice flat. "Might Guy will be my sole guard for the Summit. Shikaku, while I am gone, the defense and governance of Konoha fall to you. We cannot afford a single lapse. Our village cannot endure another wound."
Nara Shikaku's brow was furrowed deep with concern. "I understand, Kakashi. But you're walking into a potential ambush. The best way to disrupt the Summit is to strike the Kage en route. At least take a full ANBU squad for security."
Kakashi offered a slow, weary shake of his head. "The ANBU are needed here. Their presence is a deterrent. With our forces so depleted, vultures will be circling. With Guy by my side, we have the best defense and escape capability possible. This is the most logical allocation of our strength."
A heavy sigh escaped Shikaku. He could not refute the cold, hard logic of a commander protecting his crippled home. "Very well. May your path be safe."
"Guy," Kakashi turned to his lifelong friend. "Inform your team. We depart at first light for the Land of Iron. Speed is our ally."
"Understood!" Guy's response was uncharacteristically solemn, a sharp, military affirmation. The gravity of the moment demanded it.
This same scene, with different actors but identical undertones of caution and resolve, was playing out across the great villages.
In Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage, A, his body a testament to his recent brush with death, marched forth with an aura of thunderous purpose. His guards, the stalwart Darui and the sharp-witted C, flanked him, a living embodiment of Kumo's unbroken will.
From Sunagakure, the Kazekage Gaara, his gourd of sand ever-present, moved with a calm that belied his youth. His siblings, Kankuro and Temari, followed closely, their trust in their leader absolute.
In the mountainous terrain of Iwagakure, an old man defied gravity itself, floating beside a burly, stoic man. The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and his son and guard, Kitsuchi, were seen off by their villagers.
"To think that brat Raikage was pushed to this point…" Ōnoki mused, his voice a low rumble. "And Konoha brought to its knees… This Uchiha Ren is a problem that cannot be ignored." His eyes, however, held a more personal fire. "And our intelligence suggests Kurotsuchi's disappearance is linked to him. He dared lay hands on my granddaughter. He will learn the price of provoking an old rock like me."
Kitsuchi's jaw tightened. "We will find her, Father."
And from the mist-shrouded islands of Kirigakure, the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī, made her preparations. She was a vision of beauty and deadly grace, accompanied by her two most capable guards: Ao, the veteran with the stolen Byakugan that gleamed in his right eye socket, and Chōjūrō, the timid yet immensely skilled wielder of the legendary sword Hiramekarei. Their journey would be the longest, requiring a sea voyage before their land travel to the Iron Country.
It was this final piece of intelligence—the confirmed departure of the Mizukage's party—that was swiftly relayed through covert channels back to the heart of Oto.
***
In the depths of Otogakure, Ren and his Eagle Team were more than rested; they were honed, their chakra simmering at its peak, ready to be unleashed. The news of the Mizukage's departure was the final piece falling into place.
"So, the players all take the stage," Ren said, a slow, predatory smile gracing his features. "It would be rude not to send a welcoming party. We can't have them arriving at the Summit without a proper… introduction."
"Heh~ Finally!" Suigetsu grinned, hefting the massive Kubikiribōchō onto his shoulder. "I've been wanting to see if the Mist ninja these days are as tough as the old legends. Let's give them a proper homecoming!"
A sly, almost flirtatious look crossed Ren's face. "I've heard the Fifth Mizukage is a woman of remarkable strength and beauty, much like Tsunade. It will be a pleasure to make her acquaintance."
"Hmph! Pervert…" Karin shot him a venomous glare, her arms crossed tightly.
Ren dismissed her irritation with a casual wave. "We move out. Our intelligence has provided their landing point. A battle on the open sea is messy and unpredictable. We will grant them the courtesy of solid ground. We will be there, waiting."
The plan was set, simpler and more direct than the assaults on Kumo and Konoha. They were not attacking a fortress this time; they were hunting a prize. With their affairs in order, Uchiha Ren and his Eagle Team vanished from Oto, their path set for the coastal rendezvous point. They would be the harbingers of the storm, waiting in the calm before the Mizukage ever saw the shore.
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