Not far from the ruins.
Kakashi clutched his left arm while supporting Yamato, who had been severely injured. Naruto stared at the scene, wide-eyed and in total disbelief.
"Kanon... how did she become like this..." Kakashi himself was plagued by doubt.
If he hadn't used Kamui at the last second to warp away one of those Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengans, they might have died right there.
Faced with a Kanon who struck with such lethal intent, Kakashi's expression turned grim. He knew that the Kanon of the past held deep affection for Team 7 and would never have struck to kill. He had hoped to use that bond to neutralize her, but the current Kanon only gave him a sense of powerlessness; she no longer cared if he, Naruto, or Sakura lived or died.
"Captain Yamato..."
"I... I'm alright..." Yamato muttered, head hanging low.
"It seems we can't push forward any further. We need to find an inn and rest," Kakashi proposed. "Naruto, do you see now? Kanon isn't the person she used to be. Right now, she truly will kill you." Kakashi walked over to Naruto and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"I know..."
…
Inside the Five Kage Summit venue, Team Taka had successfully infiltrated and were currently lurking atop the high rafters.
Below, Danzō had already taken his seat. Seeing someone approach to facilitate the meeting, Zetsu pointed out Danzō's location to Sasuke and the others.
"That's him. The old man in the middle," Zetsu said flatly.
"That guy is Danzō!" Sasuke gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with rage.
At the highest point of the architecture sat the center of the Five Kage Summit.
"Please place your Kage hats before you!" Mifune reminded the group. "In response to the Raikage's call, the Five Kage have gathered here today!"
Seated at the main table were the Five Kage: Kazekage Gaara, Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Raikage A, Mizukage Mei Terumī, and the Acting Hokage Danzō. Each set down the hat that symbolized their status as a "Kage."
"I am the mediator, Mifune. Let the Five Kage Summit begin."
Gaara, embodying the proverb of the "newborn calf that fears not the tiger," spoke directly to the other Kage as the youngest among them: "I'll speak first. All of you, listen up."
"The Five Kage certainly have changed," Ōnoki remarked with a sigh. "To become a Kage at such a young age... truly, the younger generation is to be feared. Kazekage-sama, it seems your father trained you well. Pity he didn't teach you any manners."
Kankurō gritted his teeth, glaring at the Tsuchikage in annoyance. But Gaara understood that the Tsuchikage was simply pulling rank based on his age.
"Indeed. That is why I am standing here today as the Kazekage," Gaara responded expressionlessly.
Ōnoki actually laughed; this young Kazekage certainly didn't mince words. "What an arrogant fellow," he chuckled loudly.
"Tsuchikage-sama, please stop interrupting," Mei Terumī said before turning to Gaara. "Kazekage-sama, please continue."
"I was once a Jinchūriki. I was abducted and detained by the Akatsuki, and thus I believe their existence is extremely dangerous. I sent multiple requests to the Five Kage for cooperation, but I was ignored by everyone, except for the previous Hokage. To be frank, deciding to join forces only after each nation's Jinchūriki has been taken is far too late."
Ōnoki let out a cold snort and a mocking smile. "For the Five Great Shinobi Villages to have their Jinchūriki stolen and be unable to set an example for other nations is nothing short of a total disgrace. Usually, the standard protocol is to recover them in secret. One does not go seeking help from other nations immediately after they've been taken."
Ōnoki's logic was sound, but Gaara only snorted with disdain. "Protocol... prestige... such tedious, pedantic ideas."
"Setting aside whether it's pedantic or not, as the Mizukage, I admit we have indeed been too passive," Mei said helplessly. "But even if a Tailed Beast is taken, it shouldn't be viewed as an immediate threat. Controlling a Tailed Beast requires technique, knowledge, and time."
"A Jinchūriki needs to grow alongside the Tailed Beast and adapt to one another. Even then, control is still difficult. But I'm talking too much, aren't I, Kazekage-sama?" Ōnoki agreed with Mei's point while simultaneously taking another jab at Gaara.
Finally, Danzō, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up: "Speaking of which, those truly capable of controlling the Tailed Beasts... consist only of Madara Uchiha, the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, and the Raikage's brother, Killer Bee."
"However…"
At that moment, the tension became unbearable for the guards. The previously silent Raikage exploded in fury.
"Stop all this useless chatter!" The Raikage smashed a massive hole into the table. The bodyguards of the other four Kage appeared instantly, shielding their respective leaders.
Mifune sighed softly, knowing the Raikage's temperament well. "This is a place for discussion. Please refrain from such discourteous actions."
Once the guards retreated, the expressions of the others remained calm, save for the hole in the Raikage's table. Having become the leaders of their respective villages, they wouldn't be easily rattled by such an outburst.
"Let the discussion continue."
The Raikage was the first to speak again. "Konoha, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure... the Akatsuki was formed by rogue ninja from your villages. Not only that, but I have discovered that some of you, including former village leaders, have utilized the Akatsuki in the past!"
"Utilized them?" Gaara looked puzzled.
"I do not trust you, nor do I wish to negotiate with you. However, the reason I convened the Five Kage here is to hold you accountable!"
"What do you mean by 'utilized them'?" Gaara pressed.
"As the Kazekage, were you never told?" The Raikage's temper flared. "Go ask the old-timers in your own village! You used the Akatsuki for war in the past!"
Tsuchikage Ōnoki leaned back in his chair and offered his perspective: "Now that the Great Nations have stabilized, we've shifted from armament expansion to armament reduction. Because the tension between nations has eased, there is no immediate threat of war. For a nation, the shinobi villages that hold military power have become a heavy financial burden. Even so, randomly shrinking the scale of a village carries risks. If a war breaks out, relying solely on shinobi without combat experience would be a problem. We would lose!"
Gaara nodded and looked at the Tsuchikage. "So, one way to avoid that risk was to hire the mercenary group known as the Akatsuki?"
"Exactly. Training elite shinobi in one's own village requires time and money. The Akatsuki, who live for war, are a group of front-line experts. Especially that Uchiha brat who appeared recently. They take on wars for a low price and deliver the most satisfactory results!"
Hearing Ōnoki say this, the Raikage immediately became incensed. "Don't try to sugarcoat it, Tsuchikage! Sunagakure used the Akatsuki to destroy Konoha, that was Orochimaru! At that time, it wasn't even confirmed if he had left the Akatsuki. Because of him, your father, the Fourth Kazekage, and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, both lost their lives! It's highly likely someone was pulling the strings behind that incident."
"Furthermore, Kazekage, weren't you also defeated by the Akatsuki's Kanon Uchiha, nearly losing your life?" The Raikage glared at Danzō for a long while before turning his gaze to the Mizukage, Mei Terumī. "But the most suspicious is Kirigakure! You don't engage in diplomacy, and rumors say your village is the birthplace of the Akatsuki!"
Faced with the Raikage's interrogation, Mei Terumī lowered her head. The Raikage was speaking the truth. "In that case, I will speak honestly. Regarding the previous leader, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, we suspect he was being manipulated. It is highly likely it was the Akatsuki... That is why we didn't want the matter to go public."
The Raikage shouted heartlessly, "You're all cut from the same cloth!"
"Watch your tone, Raikage!" Ōnoki snapped, looking at the dejected Mei. "Speaking of which, in this era of armament reduction, it's your own fault for seeking power and collecting ninjutsu at any cost. We were forced to hire the Akatsuki just to keep up with you!"
"What did you say?!" The Raikage was furious and about to lunge, but Danzō spoke up.
"Before we continue arguing from our respective positions... I would like to inform everyone of one thing."
"What?" Everyone looked at Danzō.
"The leader of the Akatsuki is likely Madara Uchiha. As for Kanon Uchiha, her strength is also terrifying to an immeasurable degree. These two are likely the leaders of the Akatsuki."
The moment Danzō finished his sentence, the room fell silent. Madara Uchiha, it was a name from so long ago that even Ōnoki's eyes widened in shock at the potential danger. Everyone fell into deep thought. That was a legendary name, a man who could only be countered by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.