The Akatsuki had earned a reputation throughout the Ninja World as a terrorist organization that was both efficient and affordable.
That was common knowledge.
Ōnoki certainly believed it.
After all, he had recently been profiting as a middleman by taking advantage of the Akatsuki's services.
Since they were so capable, Ōnoki had come up with what he thought was a brilliant idea. Secretly, he paid them a substantial sum to attack the Hidden Cloud Village.
Iwagakure and the Hidden Cloud Village had been enemies for years.
During the Second Great Ninja War, the Hidden Cloud Village had launched a surprise assault on the Land of Earth at the most critical stage of the conflict. Their forces had even come dangerously close to Iwagakure.
Ōnoki had never forgotten that humiliation.
He had been keeping score ever since.
Then came the Third Great Ninja War.
Hayashi had manipulated events, leading the Third Raikage to die by his own Dust Release, and afterward the Fourth Raikage had mobilized his forces to wage a brutal campaign against Iwagakure.
After everything that had happened, Ōnoki had wanted revenge for a long time but had never found the right opportunity.
So he entrusted the task to the Akatsuki.
Even if they failed, simply causing trouble for the Fourth Raikage would have been satisfying enough.
What he never expected was for the Akatsuki to be so frighteningly competent.
They actually succeeded.
At first, Ōnoki assumed the Fourth Raikage would simply swallow the humiliation.
Instead, the Hidden Cloud Village was attacked a second time, prompting the furious Raikage to call for a Five Kage Summit.
Then even worse news reached Ōnoki.
The Hidden Cloud Village had lost one of its Tailed Beasts.
His expression immediately darkened.
If it were revealed that he had hired the Akatsuki to attack the Hidden Cloud Village, he would never be able to explain himself.
After all, he had never asked them to steal a Tailed Beast.
In other words, the Akatsuki had accepted his payment, completed the mission, then taken on a profitable side job by capturing the Tailed Beast for themselves.
"Damn it..."
Although he had no desire to attend the summit, he no longer had a choice.
Every other Kage was going.
If he stayed away and the truth came to light, he would lose any chance to defend himself.
Refusing to attend would only make him look guilty.
There was another important reason he needed to be there.
Iwagakure had also lost Tailed Beasts.
Two of them.
Ōnoki intended to confront the Hidden Mist Village over the matter.
Biwa Jūzō, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, had participated in the attack on Iwagakure.
Shouldn't the Hidden Mist Village explain that?
Could the rumors circulating throughout the Ninja World actually be true?
Was the Hidden Mist Village secretly orchestrating everything behind the scenes?
As for Uchiha Fugaku, who had fought alongside Jūzō, Ōnoki deliberately chose to ignore him.
Modern Konoha was not an enemy he wished to provoke.
Besides, Fugaku had devastated Konoha before leaving the village. If someone claimed he had been acting under Konoha's orders, Ōnoki would be the first to dismiss such nonsense.
If the Hidden Mist Village knew what he was thinking, they would probably curse him for being just another shameless hypocrite.
...
Inside a secluded training ground in Konoha, only Hayashi and the little fox, Kushina, were present.
Kushina looked very different from usual.
Her crimson hair curled upward into two horn-like tufts, while her pupils had become narrow, fox-like slits.
Golden chakra enveloped her body, covering her in a black undergarment decorated with white tomoe around the collar.
The immense chakra radiating from her did not form the familiar cloak seen around Naruto in the future.
Instead, it manifested as elegant Uzumaki attire.
Its design closely resembled the ceremonial robes once worn by Uzumaki Mito.
The flowing dress spread gracefully behind her in layered folds, swaying with every movement like a blooming golden peony.
She truly carried herself like the princess of the Uzumaki Clan.
Having long since fallen for the Nine-Tails' persuasion, Kushina had already removed its seal.
As a result, she became a perfect Jinchūriki even before Killer B.
The Nine-Tails was unique among the Tailed Beasts. Its perfect synchronization produced a radiant golden chakra form, which was exactly what surrounded Kushina now.
The two of them were training together so she could adapt to her newfound strength.
Raw power alone did not guarantee combat ability.
Only experience could bridge that gap.
After a long session, the two paused to rest.
Kushina sat beside Hayashi and asked, "The Fourth Raikage has called the Five Kage Summit. Are you going?"
Hayashi nodded.
"Of course. The stage has already been set. There's no reason for me not to attend."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"What concerns me more is whether the Akatsuki will attack."
The Fourth Raikage's decision had genuinely surprised him.
In the original timeline, the Five Kage Summit had only been convened after Sasuke's assault on Killer B.
Now, Killer B had not been captured, but the Hidden Cloud Village had suffered two devastating attacks instead.
Given those circumstances, the Raikage's decision made sense.
That was not what concerned Hayashi.
His real concern was Nagato.
The Akatsuki was still at the height of its power.
None of its core members had been lost.
With Nagato's overwhelming confidence and god complex, Hayashi believed he would never miss an opportunity like this.
If the leaders of the Five Great Nations gathered in one place, Nagato would almost certainly attempt to eliminate them all in a single strike.
Once the Five Kage were dead, who would remain to oppose him?
The summit also offered an ideal opportunity.
Each Kage would arrive with only two guards, making security far weaker than it would be inside their respective villages.
For the Akatsuki, there would never be a better chance.
That was the arrogance of someone who believed himself a god.
After listening to Hayashi's reasoning, Kushina nodded thoughtfully.
"Where will the summit be held?" she asked. "Since the Fourth Raikage called it, will it take place in the Hidden Cloud Village?"
Hayashi shook his head.
"Normally, the Five Kage Summit is held in the Land of Iron. Once all five villages agree to participate, the Land of Iron takes responsibility for the venue, security, and every aspect of the meeting."
As a neutral nation governed by samurai rather than shinobi, the Land of Iron provided a setting that every village could accept as impartial.
Kushina's eyes sparkled.
"Then can I come with you? I heard each Kage is allowed to bring two guards."
Only now did Hayashi realize this had been her real objective all along.
Smiling, he gently patted her head.
"Not this time."
"There is a strong possibility that the Akatsuki will attack the summit."
"They may also use my absence to strike Konoha."
"So I need you to stay here and protect the village."
Now that Himeji was in Konoha alongside Kushina, who had mastered the Nine-Tails' power, there was no safer place in the Ninja World.
Together, they could ensure the village remained secure.
Kushina nodded seriously.
"I understand. I'll protect our home."
"Good."
"Then who are you taking?" she asked.
Hayashi considered the question before answering.
"Minato and Nawaki."
His own strength made bodyguards unnecessary.
However, bringing two escorts was an unwritten rule among the Five Kage.
It was also a good opportunity for Minato and Nawaki to gain valuable experience.
As for Konoha itself, the Third Hokage would oversee the village during Hayashi's absence.
Koharu Utatane, Himeji, and Shikaku would assist him with administrative matters.
If anything unexpected happened, Minato could immediately return with Nawaki using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
With every precaution already in place, Hayashi was confident Konoha would remain safe.
After a brief silence, he spoke again.
"Once the Five Kage Summit is over, there's somewhere else I need to go."
"It's time to awaken the Rinnegan."
=≠=
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