Utilizing Extreme Speed in tandem with Dimensional Holes for spatial flickering, Shiraishi engaged in a fierce aerial pursuit with Minato Namikaze.
His fingertips condensed a solid airflow, forming a blade of light; a point of brilliant, dangerous white radiance gathered at the tip as the Holy Sword lunged violently toward Minato.
Minato evaded the heavy Taijutsu assault with ethereal grace. He had already marked multiple surrounding areas with Flying Raijin formulas, and now he simultaneously triggered a specialized Lightning Guiding Seal.
It was clear that Minato's prolonged skirmish with Shiraishi was a calculated move to weave a vast, inescapable sealing network.
Shiraishi found this combat style incredibly grating—Minato was like "sticky candy," clinging to him relentlessly while using sealing arts and flickering to create a personal domain of absolute control.
Seeing that he couldn't break the seal's perimeter, Shiraishi manifested the massive Alola Guardian Giant behind him. As the chakra took physical form, the giant entity spat out a torrent of pink chains—the Fairy Lock.
Under the guidance of Shiraishi's circular pupils, the chains pierced the earth. Simultaneously, Shiraishi channeled a specialized "Ice-Snow" light into his own legs.
The "Thermal Air Needles" could suppress his Sand Manipulation for a short time, but they couldn't hold him forever. Having deciphered the mechanism, Shiraishi used the Black Mist to dissolve the heat needles from within.
As he reactivated his Sand Gathering Technique, Shiraishi's chakra flared with renewed intensity. The explosive aura shattered the surrounding air into transparent fragments that reflected the red sunset like a dreamlike kaleidoscope.
The Guardian Giant hovering above him spat out a roaring sphere of Azure Flame, hurtling toward Minato.
"With the Sand Gathering Technique restored, the Kazekage will be nearly impossible to kill." "The Hokage has completed the sealing array. Move in now!"
The Raikage and Tsuchikage acted almost simultaneously. Seeing Shiraishi attempting to recover his reserves was the final straw; they decided to strike.
Their timing was ruthless, but at that exact moment, a tiny silver sand needle—hidden deep within the Mizukage's mind—was triggered by Shiraishi's gaze. It instantly expanded into a massive sealing barrier.
The Fourth Mizukage let out a pained scream as his body surged into a Tailed Beast transformation. A Tailed Beast Bomb was fired point-blank—not at Shiraishi, but at the advancing Onoki!
The Mizukage?!
In the wake of this sudden betrayal, Onoki was forced to retreat, using his Dust Release to shield himself. The Raikage charged alone into the sealing zone, only to be met by a mountain-shattering punch from the Guardian Giant.
BOOM!
The peak of the Land of Iron began to crumble. Arakawa Arashi and Shikasa moved instantly; a blade of lightning and a forest of Shikotsumyaku bone spikes erupted to intercept the guards of the Stone and Cloud.
Onoki's guards, Kitsuchi and Han, and the Cloud's Samui and Rem, clashed with the Sand's protectors. Kunai and shuriken rained down, littering the battlefield with discarded steel.
The Mizukage's guards, Retzu and Chuyu, watched their rampaging leader, Yagura in shock, unable to determine where the Mist truly stood. Meanwhile, Uchiha Shisui and Kakashi Hatake landed beside Minato to protect him.
The battle ground to a halt. Shiraishi looked at the aggressive Raikage with eyes devoid of emotion. "Cloud Ninja... do you truly intend to tear our alliance to shreds?"
"I didn't expect the Mist would choose to side with you!" the Raikage spat.
Shiraishi, who had no intention of explaining the sand needle he'd planted in Yagura's brain, sheathed his silver blade. A massive vortex of air converged at a single point. "I will take your stance as an official declaration of hostility toward the Hidden Sand."
As the Kazekage and Raikage faced off, the sand beneath Shiraishi continued to funnel chakra into him. Minato Namikaze suddenly flickered, intercepting the two Kage.
"Hokage! You..." The Raikage's rage was palpable.
"This is the Land of Iron, a neutral nation. The Cloud should not break the rules of this summit," Minato said firmly. He hadn't expected the Raikage to be so reckless. If a full-scale slaughter broke out here, this would be the final Five Kage Summit in history.
"The alliance between the Sand and the Leaf has not been dissolved. If the Raikage persists, he will be facing more than just the Kazekage," Minato warned.
He could sense numerous Cloud chakra signatures at the base of the mountain; the Raikage had come prepared for an ambush.
But Minato's principles—and the strength of a Leaf Village still at its peak—prevented him from joining a cowardly assassination.
Furthermore, the Cloud's "Ambush Detachment" had been halted at the mountain pass by Mifune and his samurai.
While samurai elsewhere might be weak, the elite guard of the Land of Iron were masters of chakra-infused kenjutsu who did not fear the Cloud's elites.
Mifune's face was grim. A diplomatic summit had devolved into a brawl, then an assassination attempt. To him, these "Great Nations" were no better than common thugs.
"Hokage, you will regret this!" Realizing he couldn't take Shiraishi today, the Raikage retreated with his guards. Onoki, exhausted from his clash with the crazed Mizukage, followed suit. Once Obito regained control over Yagura, the atmosphere became awkwardly silent.
The Mizukage was led away by his bewildered guards, and the Tsuchikage's hope of a joint strike collapsed.
"For the next decade, the primary goal of the Sand and the Land of Wind is the ocean," Shiraishi stated, breaking the silence. "This does not conflict with the Leaf's continental policy. Our alliance can be maintained for the stability of the shinobi world."
With the Mist in decline and the Stone and Cloud isolated, a Leaf-Sand coalition would be unstoppable.
Minato Namikaze offered a bright, sunny smile. "As for the disarmament plan, I believe the Leaf and the Sand can simply negotiate the terms themselves."
"Agreed."
As the two leaders shook hands, civil servants from the Land of Iron rushed forward with ancient-looking cameras to capture the moment.
Mifune needed proof that the summit had yielded a constructive result, if only to save the face of his neutral nation.
In early Konoha Year 48, the Five Kage Summit concluded. The Sand and Leaf renewed their alliance, establishing their respective spheres of influence and laying the foundation for the geopolitical landscape of the next decade.
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