Chapter 324: The Upcoming Five Kage Summit!

Chapter 324: The Upcoming Five Kage Summit!

Kikyo Castle, Underground Research Institute.

"Kirigakure sent envoys, wanting to sign a truce with the village, and they also want to convene a new round of Five Kage Summits?"

Nara Keisuke, having secretly returned from the Land of Hot Water front, received this information from Tsunade.

"Mhm, the four Kirigakure ninja from the Land of Water are staying at a hotel in the village right now."

Tsunade, wearing a loose forest-green robe, sat cross-legged on the floor of the training room, obviously having just finished her [Wood Release] training.

"Since the Old Man [Sarutobi] released the information, it means he's inclined to stop the war with Kiri, and he probably plans to attend the summit, too.

"However, Kirigakure hasn't announced the reason for convening the Five Kage Summit yet, so no one knows what's really going on."

As one of the famous Sannin and Head of the Konoha Medical Department, Tsunade had the right to know most of the intelligence within the village.

The visit of the Kiri envoys naturally didn't escape her notice. She had personally read the truce agreement drafted by Kirigakure earlier, and incidentally cast a vote against "Kirigakure asking for the Three-Tails back."

However, Kirigakure's intention to convene a Five Kage Summit was because Uchiha Madara had secretly resurrected and was plotting a great conspiracy affecting the entire shinobi world.

From Konoha's perspective, the news that "Uchiha Madara has risen from the dead" was simply too terrifying. If they weren't careful, it could have a massive impact on the village's current internal situation, especially on the Uchiha Clan!

This point was beyond doubt.

The original Konoha, although formed by the joint efforts of the Senju and Uchiha, with Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara as the absolute "Konoha Founders"...

As time went on, the true power in Konoha was now held by the "Hokage Faction," which originated from the Senju lineage.

As for the other "Founder Clan," their power was firmly locked within the "Konoha Military Police Force," with absolutely no chance or possibility of expansion.

When the First Hokage was in power, the Uchiha Clan wouldn't dare harbor a single thought of defiance, even if they ate a bear's heart or leopard's gall.

The history of Konoha's founding as perceived by ordinary ninja: The Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan were deadlocked, and because their leaders admired each other (loved each other?), they put aside their grievances and joined hands to build the hidden village.

The actual history of Konoha's founding: Hashirama Senju, through his unparalleled strength, beat all the Uchiha ninja, including Uchiha Madara, into submission. Even when Uchiha Madara left the village, he didn't have a single supporter to follow him.

When the Second Hokage was in power, he carried out drastic reforms within Konoha.

During this stage, the Uchiha Clan not only gained jurisdiction over the "Konoha Military Police Force" but also had a disciple recognized by the Hokage, Uchiha Kagami.

Under these circumstances, although there were still some rumors within the Uchiha Clan, overall, it didn't affect the big picture.

After all, although Tobirama Senju genuinely believed that Uchiha ninja were "born evil Uchiha"...

In practice, Tobirama Senju didn't enact any policies specifically targeting the Uchiha; on the contrary, he treated them quite fairly and justly.

But when the Third Hokage succeeded him, he not only inherited Tobirama Senju's wariness of the Uchiha Clan but, in a sense, "carried forward and amplified" that wariness!

Now, within the Uchiha Clan, there wasn't just a market for rumors of dissatisfaction with the village's special treatment, but a "Hawk Faction Uchiha" force hostile to and resisting the Hokage Faction had even been born!

Under these circumstances, how could Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others possibly make the secret intelligence that "Uchiha Madara is still alive" public?

But then again.

After learning the news that Uchiha Madara was still alive and had successively attacked various ninja villages...

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, and other Konoha higher-ups did indeed secretly heighten their vigilance against the Uchiha Clan…

Back to the main topic.

Tsunade didn't know the reason for the "Five Kage Summit."

Nara Keisuke was equally surprised by the news that Kirigakure wanted to convene a Five Kage Summit.

In his memory, there had been a total of two "Five Kage Summits" jointly convened by the Five Great Shinobi Villages (including the future).

The first was, naturally, the Five Kage Summit convened by Konoha at the founding of the various hidden villages to "distribute the Tailed Beasts."

And the cause of the second Five Kage Summit was also "Tailed Beasts," but it was because the Akatsuki organization was hunting Tailed Beasts across the shinobi world and had captured several in one go.

'Kirigakure wanting a truce isn't unexpected. Given the state of that Blood Mist hellhole, the losses they suffered in the Land of Hot Water campaign were already unbearable for a hidden village. I can't even figure out where they got the courage to keep fighting...'

Nara Keisuke's brow furrowed slightly, thoughts flashing through his mind one after another.

'But what's the reason for Kirigakure wanting to convene a Five Kage Summit? It can't be because I caught too many Tailed Beasts, and they plan to call more people to impose some kind of sanctions, right?'

There was a first Five Kage Summit, so naturally, there could be a second.

When an event affected all Five Great Shinobi Villages simultaneously and could potentially impact the entire shinobi world situation, there was a high probability of a Five Kage Summit occurring.

Referencing the future Akatsuki case, Nara Keisuke thought about it and could only come up with one reason for Kirigakure convening a new Five Kage Summit: they wanted to reclaim the Three-Tails, Isobu.

Remember, the Third Great Shinobi War had reached this point: Kirigakure lost the Three-Tails, Iwagakure lost the Five-Tails, Kumogakure lost the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails. As for Sunagakure…

Sorry, Sunagakure only had one Tailed Beast to begin with, and they didn't buy any Tailed Beasts from Konoha during the first Five Kage Summit.

Otherwise, the Seven-Tails, currently sealed in Takigakure, should have been Sunagakure's…

In summary, almost every village had suffered "Tailed Beast combat power" losses in the war so far.

Nara Keisuke genuinely believed Kirigakure wanted to use another Five Kage Summit to "take back" their Three-Tails, Isobu.

He completely failed to connect the "Five Kage Summit" with the "mysterious disappearance of the Third Kages," and certainly didn't realize that even after Old Man Madara was truly dead, he was still carrying a huge black pot for Keisuke...

"Wasn't the last Five Kage Summit where Great-Grandpa distributed Tailed Beasts to the other villages?"

Nara Keisuke stopped thinking and analyzed for Tsunade.

"Maybe Kirigakure wanting to start a Five Kage Summit this time is also related to Tailed Beasts?"

"That's not entirely impossible."

Tsunade pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.

"I read the truce agreement drafted by Kirigakure. They included a demand to take back the Three-Tails in the agreement...

"Maybe Kirigakure also knows that getting the Three-Tails back through a truce agreement isn't reliable, so they plan to go through the Five Kage Summit route."

Speaking of this, Tsunade's eyes suddenly glanced at Nara Keisuke.

Come to think of it, the one who accompanied Great-Grandpa to the Five Kage Summit back then was Great-Uncle (Tobirama).

The other villages were in a similar situation.

Those who accompanied the First Kage of each village to the Five Kage Summit were basically the Second Kage of each village.

If this Five Kage Summit really convened...

Would the one the Old Man [Sarutobi] brought to the meeting be the Fourth Hokage?!

'Jiraiya, that idiot, even said his disciple is the legendary Child of Prophecy, the savior who will change the shinobi world...'

'I admit Minato's comprehensive level is indeed excellent, but compared to Nara, Minato is still far behind!'

'This Fourth Hokage... Minato can be it, but Nara can't?'

Looking at Nara Keisuke's handsome face, thought after thought flashed through Tsunade's mind.

The Senju Princess really wanted to nurse another Hokage into existence!

"Convening a Five Kage Summit isn't that simple. Even if Kirigakure convinces our village, there are still the other three villages."

Nara Keisuke waved his hand, no longer discussing the topic of the Five Kage Summit.

"Tsunade-nee, how is your [Wood Release] training going?

"The war is almost over. We've given Shimura Danzō and Orochimaru enough time!"

Nara Keisuke truly didn't think the Five Kage Summit would have any connection to a "small ninja" like him.

Even though the name "Shadow of Darkness" rang loud and clear.

Nara Keisuke had even become the supreme commander of a front, holding down a region alone, just like Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

But in the end, he wasn't a true "Hokage Faction" ninja.

Those who could attend the Five Kage Summit were either genuine "Kage" or "Kage Candidates."

But please.

In Konoha, who didn't know that to become Hokage, you had to fight with bloodline and faction?

If your dad wasn't a Hokage.

If your teacher wasn't a Hokage.

Then in this life, it was basically impossible to be Hokage!