The Five Kage Summit had barely begun when the atmosphere inside the hall grew heavy, sharp enough to cut skin. It was not the loud kind of hostility, but the suffocating tension that came from unspoken grievances and long-accumulated blood debts. Among all present, Konohagakure carried the heaviest shadow, having only recently endured the night of annihilation that erased an entire clan from its history.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat upright at the head of Konoha's delegation, his expression composed, almost gentle. Yet beneath that calm exterior, his mind was already racing. He had lived long enough to recognize this kind of pressure,this was not the provocation of hot-blooded youth, but the slow tightening of a political noose. Still, when the topic brushed too close to Konoha's exposed wounds, the old Hokage could not help but react.
Behind him, Kakashi Hatake subtly shifted his stance, one hand relaxed but ready, his single visible eye keenly observing every fluctuation in chakra around the room. Across the hall, behind Chiba, Mei Terumi and Kisame Hoshigaki did the same, their presence restrained yet unmistakable, like blades kept just inside their sheaths.
Sensing the gathering storm, Mifune of the Land of Iron stepped forward, his voice firm and steady.
"That's enough," he said calmly. "Both of you. I've stated this before,the purpose of the Five Kage Summit is peace. We are here to resolve disputes through dialogue. If war were the answer, there would be no need for a summit at all."
Hiruzen closed his eyes for a brief moment, drawing in a slow breath. When he opened them again, his tone had regained its measured restraint, though the tension had not fully dissipated.
"Mizukage," he said, his voice low and deliberate, "Konoha will remember this. Certain matters cannot simply be brushed aside."
Chiba responded with a faint smile, neither mocking nor apologetic.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi," he said evenly, "do you truly believe Konoha stands as an embodiment of justice?"
His gaze remained steady as he continued, his words calm but incisive.
"When Sunagakure invaded Kirigakure, where was Konoha's justice then? And after they were defeated by us, you immediately offered them refuge. Tell me,does that not imply support for an unprovoked invasion of my village?"
Hiruzen did not answer at once. His fingers tightened slightly against the armrest of his chair, a subtle sign of restraint rather than rage.
"Konoha and Sunagakure are allies," he replied at last. "I did not condone their invasion. But once they were defeated and pushed to the brink, they sought assistance. A Hokage cannot ignore an ally facing collapse."
"An alliance," Chiba repeated softly.
"A convenient word."
He leaned back slightly, his tone still unhurried.
"Does an alliance truly excuse the abandonment of right and wrong? Then let me ask you something, Hokage-dono. If Kirigakure were to form an alliance with Iwagakure and Kumogakure today, would that grant us the same justification to wage war on Konoha and Sunagakure?"
For the first time, Hiruzen's composure wavered.
He immediately understood what Chiba was doing. This was not mere rhetoric,it was a strategic probe, carefully framed as logic. Around the hall, Ōnoki and the Yondaime Raikage exchanged subtle looks. Neither of them missed the implication.
Sunagakure was already weakened. Konoha, shaken by internal strife, stood at its most vulnerable point since its founding. If the remaining three great villages were to unite, it would be an opportunity that might never come again. Victory would mean not just military dominance, but the division of territory, resources, and influence on an unprecedented scale.
Hiruzen saw the spark of interest flicker in their eyes,and knew he had to respond immediately.
"Hmph," he said, his voice firm but not raised. "Konoha is already allied with Sunagakure. Should we also form alliances with Iwagakure and Kumogakure, dividing Kirigakure would be no difficult matter."
Chiba chuckled quietly, shaking his head.
"Hokage-dono, you speak plainly. I respect that."
Then his tone sharpened, though it never lost its calm.
"But four great nations targeting a single Kirigakure,a small island nation isolated at sea,even in victory, how much profit could truly be gained?"
He let his words sink in before continuing.
"Compare that to Konoha and the Land of Fire. Vast territory. Abundant resources. A strong economy and population. Everyone in the shinobi world knows which prize is worth more."
Hiruzen's expression darkened,not in anger, but in recognition.
Konoha had always drawn hostility for two reasons. One was its strength. The other was its land. The Land of Fire occupied the most advantageous position in the entire shinobi world. Fertile soil, rich resources, economic prosperity, and unmatched population density,it possessed everything.
It was the richest piece of meat in existence.
When Hashirama Senju held it in his hands, no one dared reach for it. After his death, the First Great Ninja War erupted almost immediately. The other four great nations united, not out of justice, but out of desire.
Tobirama Senju had been ruthless and pragmatic, wielding forbidden techniques and strategies that barely held the allied forces at bay, preserving Konoha through sheer will and calculation.
But Hiruzen knew the truth better than anyone.
By the time the village reached his generation, Konoha was already changing. Despite his efforts to maintain balance and stability, talent dwindled. Geniuses were lost,some crushed by internal pressure, some driven to suicide, others forced into exile and defection.
The Konoha of today was no longer protected by gods.
It was a prize held by an aging guardian, weighed down by compromise and history.
Naturally, every other great nation watched it closely.
Chiba had not voiced a hidden conspiracy. He had simply spoken aloud what everyone else had long understood.
This was not a scheme from the shadows.
It was an open strategy, one born from reality itself.
Even when everything was laid bare and spoken openly, Hiruzen Sarutobi understood that neither he nor Konohagakure truly had a convincing rebuttal. This was not a matter of rhetoric or pride,it was the cold reality of power, leverage, and timing, all aligning against him at the worst possible moment.
Ōnoki of the let out a quiet, almost casual chuckle. Like Hiruzen, he was a Third-generation Kage who had ruled his village for decades. They had survived the same eras, watched the same wars unfold, and learned the same harsh lesson: ideals were luxuries reserved for those strong enough to protect them. In another time, they might have shared a drink as weary old men reminiscing about the past. Here, they were adversaries weighing how much blood the future would cost.
"Rest assured, Hokage-dono," Ōnoki said mildly, his tone measured and seemingly reassuring. "Iwagakure has no intention of taking such reckless action."
Chiba glanced at him, his lips curving into a faint smile that carried no warmth.
The instant Hiruzen saw it, his chest tightened.
He did not believe a single word Ōnoki had spoken. Nor was he meant to. More than that, Chiba's expression made the unspoken message unmistakable,
I understand your position. We'll discuss the real terms later.
It was not reassurance. It was pressure.
Hiruzen felt a surge of anger rise from his gut. This was not diplomacy; it was theater. A performance staged for fools,except everyone seated here was a veteran of political warfare, hardened by decades of betrayal and compromise. There were no innocents at this table.
He snorted softly, his voice edged with restrained irritation.
"Ōnoki, spare me the pleasantries. If you have something to say, then say it plainly."
Ōnoki's eyes narrowed slightly, amusement flickering within them.
"Plainly?" he echoed. "Very well."
"I find the Mizukage's proposal… compelling."
The Yondaime Raikage did not hesitate to add his weight to the scale.
"Kumogakure cannot deny its interest either."
The room shifted.
It was subtle,no one moved, no chakra flared,but the balance of power tilted perceptibly. Chiba leaned back slightly, as though this outcome had been inevitable from the start.
"Excellent," he said calmly. "Then let us formalize it. The three of our nations shall form an alliance."
His gaze swept across the table before settling on Hiruzen and Rasa.
"We can call it the Anti-Konoha Alliance."
In that moment, the expressions of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Yondaime Kazekage, Rasa, darkened beyond concealment. This was no longer posturing. The threat had been named aloud, stripping away all pretense.
They were bound together now,two weakened powers standing shoulder to shoulder not out of trust, but necessity. If one fell, the other would follow.
Mifune exhaled slowly, a trace of weariness crossing his features.
So this was how it would end, he thought. Every Five Kage Summit was convened in the name of peace, yet each one inevitably revealed the same truth: peace was merely another battlefield, and words were simply weapons wielded more delicately.
He understood Chiba's methods. Ōnoki's as well. And the Raikage's. This was not an impulsive threat, but a calculated demonstration of options.
We can go to war, they were saying openly. Or you can pay the price now.
If Konoha and Sunagakure conceded, the three nations would reap benefits without shedding blood. If they refused, then the alliance would cease to be hypothetical.
Rasa finally broke the silence, his voice edged with bitterness.
"Mizukage-dono, you condemn Sunagakure for invading another nation."
"And yet what you are doing now,how is it any different from preparing an invasion?"
Chiba's gaze turned cold.
"Blood for blood. Tooth for tooth."
"You invaded Kirigakure, Rasa. Do you truly believe retaliation is unjust?"
"Or did you expect forgiveness simply because you lost?"
The words landed heavily. Rasa faltered, his rebuttal catching in his throat.
"But joining forces with two other nations to apply pressure,this is nothing but coercion," he said stubbornly.
Chiba replied evenly, "After your defeat, you allied with Konoha. Why is Kirigakure denied the same right?"
He paused, then added with quiet sharpness, "If this is truly your level of judgment, it explains much."
"Your defeat against Kirigakure. Sunagakure's steady decline. Leadership reveals itself in results."
Rasa's composure finally cracked.
"You,!"
Chiba said nothing more. He did not need to. The damage had already been done.
Ōnoki observed the exchange with a thoughtful expression. This was his first time meeting Chiba face to face, yet the man matched every rumor that had reached Iwagakure. Sharp mind, ruthless clarity, impeccable timing,and terrifyingly young.
The Yondaime Raikage, however, was already thinking further ahead. Even if Kumogakure aligned with Kirigakure today, a future clash between them seemed inevitable. Power like Chiba's did not remain content for long.
Still, strategy demanded focus on the present. And in the present, Konoha remained the richest prize.
Thus, without further hesitation, Chiba, Ōnoki, and the Yondaime Raikage stood firmly on the same side of the table.
Across from them, Hiruzen and Rasa felt the weight of isolation press down upon them.
Rasa turned to Hiruzen instinctively. At this point, Sunagakure had no real autonomy left. His village's survival depended entirely on Konoha's decisions.
Hiruzen understood this all too well. Fury churned within him, but he forced it down. This was not a battlefield where anger could win. If war truly erupted,if the three great nations united as Chiba proposed,the consequences would be beyond devastating.
Slowly, deliberately, Hiruzen steadied his breathing.
"State your conditions," he said at last, his voice low but controlled.
Chiba smiled faintly.
Just as he had anticipated.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was not a reckless tyrant, nor a foolish idealist. He was a man who valued stability above all else,even if that stability came at the cost of dignity, strength, or long-term decline. Strong internally, cautious to the point of weakness externally.
And so the negotiation began.
Money came first. Each of the three nations named a figure,high enough to hurt, but not so high as to force open war. In the end, each demanded one billion ryō. Three billion in total.
For Konoha, it was not fatal,but it would leave scars.
Then came additional demands.
Iwagakure sought land,fertile territory to compensate for its barren mountains. Kumogakure demanded military resources: materials, tools, weapons, and supplies.
And Kirigakure?
Chiba's demand was different.
Scrolls.
Ninjutsu. Secret techniques. Forbidden arts.
Hiruzen had anticipated pressure, but this caught him off guard.
"Mizukage-dono," he said sharply, "you know I cannot agree to that."
"To hand over Konoha's techniques wholesale would be to dismantle the village itself."
For the first time since the summit began, Hiruzen drew a clear line.
Chiba did not press. Instead, he smiled lightly.
"You misunderstand me, Hokage-dono."
"I am not asking for everything."
He produced a scroll and slid it across the table.
"What I want… is written here."
Hiruzen stared at it in silence before finally reaching out.
As he unrolled the scroll, he understood one thing with absolute clarity,
This summit had never been about peace.
It had been about deciding who would bleed, and how slowly.
The very first condition was a decisive blow,one delivered not with force, but with precision.
"Cells of the Shodai Hokage, Senju Hashirama, along with all of Konoha's research materials related to Hashirama cells and the Wood Release secret techniques."
For a brief moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression froze.
This was not a demand aimed at compensation or balance. It was a strike aimed at the roots,at the single legacy that had allowed Konoha to dominate the shinobi world for generations. Hashirama's cells were not merely biological material; they were power, deterrence, myth, and political capital all condensed into one forbidden resource.
The second condition followed without mercy.
"The Scroll of Seals left behind by the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama."
The implications were just as grave. That scroll was not a simple archive,it was a vault of Konoha's darkest knowledge, a testament to Tobirama's ruthless pragmatism. To surrender it was to expose every hidden blade Konoha had kept beneath the table for decades.
Then came the third.
"All research materials left behind by Orochimaru that were sealed within Konohagakure."
At that point, the meaning was unmistakable.
Chiba was not asking Konoha to bleed.
He was asking Konoha to disarm itself,intellectually, strategically, and symbolically,before the entire shinobi world.
As Hiruzen read through the list again, slower this time, a cold sweat crept down his back. Each line carried weight far beyond its words, stripping away leverage, stripping away deterrence, stripping away the illusion that Konoha still stood unchallenged at the center of the world.
Others at the table wanted concessions.
Chiba wanted submission.
When Hiruzen finally finished, the silence in the hall had thickened into something oppressive. He did not look at anyone as he brought the scroll down hard against the table.
Bang!
The sound echoed sharply, cutting through the room like a verdict.
"Mizukage-dono," Hiruzen said, his voice steady but stripped of warmth, "these demands are not negotiable."
"Every single one of them undermines the foundation upon which Konohagakure was built. These are not assets,we are discussing the very mechanisms by which Konoha survives."
He straightened slowly, his gaze firm, no longer reactive but deliberate.
"If you intend to seize such things by force, then Konoha will have no choice but to respond with war."
There was no theatrics in his next words,only calculation.
"If necessary, I will meet Kumogakure's and Iwagakure's demands in full, securing their neutrality, and settle matters with Kirigakure alone."
A pause.
"Even if that battle ends with both villages shattered."
Chiba listened without interrupting, his expression unchanged.
To the untrained eye, Hiruzen's stance appeared resolute. But beneath it lay the reality both men understood perfectly: this was not a viable solution,it was a threat born of constraint. A war with Kirigakure would exhaust Konoha's remaining strength, leaving it exposed. And no promise of neutrality would truly bind Iwagakure or Kumogakure once blood had been spilled.
Hiruzen knew it.
Chiba knew that Hiruzen knew it.
And that was precisely why the scroll had been written the way it was.
These conditions were never meant to be accepted. They were meant to corner, to destabilize, to force emotion into a space where it did not belong,because only then could leverage be reshaped.
This was not a battlefield tactic.
It was a negotiation tactic.
Chiba folded his hands together calmly, the faint curve of his smile carrying no mockery,only confidence. The kind that came from understanding the board better than anyone else sitting at it.
"Then," he said lightly, his voice cutting cleanly through the tension,
"we finally agree on one thing."
The room felt colder.
"Now," Chiba continued, eyes steady on Hiruzen,
"we can begin discussing terms that actually matter."
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