Inside Sunagakure.
After successfully securing the support of Gaara and the Sand ninja, Naruto immediately used Suna's communications system to arrange a video conference with the leaders of Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure.
The moment he saw Mei Terumi appear on the large screen in Kirigakure, Naruto blurted out in surprise:
"Why are you there? Where's Chōjūrō?"
Family scandals were not to be aired in public.
Mei answered lightly, "Chōjūrō fell ill, so I've temporarily resumed the position of Mizukage."
Naruto asked with concern, "Is it serious? If necessary, I can ask Granny Tsunade to come to Kirigakure and take a look."
Mei smiled. "I appreciate your concern, Lord Hokage, but there's no need to trouble Lady Tsunade for now. More importantly… why are you contacting us through Sunagakure?"
Naruto lowered his head and sighed.
"It's a long story."
Then he raised his eyes and said solemnly:
"First, I need to formally state this to everyone."
"I, Uzumaki Naruto, am no longer the Hokage."
"What!?"
The three Kage on screen all stiffened, waiting for him to continue.
After a moment, Naruto lifted his gaze. Resting both hands beneath his chin, his eyes were grave and his voice low.
"What I'm about to tell you, and the request I'm about to make, is not in the name of the Hokage of Konoha."
"It is in the name of me, Uzumaki Naruto, as an individual."
On the Iwagakure screen, Kurotsuchi propped her cheek on one hand and frowned.
"You're making this sound awfully serious. What happened?"
Naruto answered, "It really is serious. The fate of the shinobi world is at stake, so I hope you'll all listen to the end."
On the Kumogakure screen, Darui lounged in his chair with his legs crossed and arms folded.
"You're being too formal, Naruto."
"Even if you're no longer Hokage, you're still the man who saved this world."
"And after all these years, we're not just colleagues. We're friends."
Naruto's tense expression softened.
"Thanks, Darui. Hearing you say that makes me feel a lot better."
He straightened himself and began.
"The situation is this…"
When Naruto finished his account, the three Kage were silent.
Konoha—the strongest hidden village in the world—had nearly been annihilated.
Uzumaki Naruto, the hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War and strongest of the Kage, had lost the trust of his people and been forced from office due to his own mistakes.
Sasuke Uchiha, the other hero of the war and Naruto's equal, had been assassinated before the decisive battle.
And then there was the shocking new prophecy from the Great Toad Sage.
A heavenly demon had possessed a member of the Uchiha clan.
That Uchiha was none other than Uchiha Jin, the same man who had recently defeated all Five Kage.
He had revived Kaguya Ōtsutsuki inside his own territory—the Hidden Dark Village—and was preparing to plunge the world into catastrophe.
How could they ignore something like that?
Darui broke the silence first.
"I always thought this Uchiha Jin was way too strong to be human. If he's tied to Kaguya's people, that explains a lot."
Kurotsuchi nodded.
"Exactly."
Mei asked carefully, "Naruto, I've never personally fought Uchiha Jin. Are you absolutely certain he's the heavenly demon from the prophecy?"
Naruto's voice was firm.
"Yes. I am."
Mei pressed, "What evidence do you have?"
Naruto answered immediately.
"Long black hair. Black clothing. Tall. A Rinnegan in his right eye. Overwhelming strength. And he resurrected Kaguya."
"Every clue points to him."
"If it isn't him, then who else could it be?"
Mei countered, "And what if you're wrong?"
Naruto's eyes hardened.
"There is no 'what if.'"
"And even if there were…"
"The act of reviving Kaguya alone is a crime of unforgivable magnitude."
"That by itself is enough to put him before a military tribunal as a war criminal."
Kurotsuchi nodded again.
"Exactly."
Mei fell silent.
Darui leaned forward.
"Then stop circling around it, Naruto."
"What do you want us to do?"
Naruto clenched his fists.
"I want each of you to mobilize your shinobi."
"I want us to form a Shinobi Allied Force once again, just like in the war."
"And together, we will strike against Uchiha Jin, Kaguya, and the Hidden Dark Village."
Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow.
"Are you serious?"
"We couldn't beat Uchiha Jin by himself."
"Now you're talking about fighting him, Kaguya, and his entire village."
"That sounds less like a strategy and more like mass suicide."
Naruto shook his head.
"This time is different."
"I've received greater power from the Sage of Six Paths."
"And it won't just be the Five Kage."
"We'll have more than seventy thousand shinobi from four great nations."
"That's a force too large to ignore."
"This isn't some impulsive decision."
"I've already run through the strategy in my head and assigned roles."
Kurotsuchi tapped her fingers rhythmically against the desk.
"Let's hear it."
Naruto spoke with unwavering conviction.
"Once we breach the Hidden Dark Village…"
"The Sage of Six Paths and I will confront Uchiha Jin and Kaguya."
"The Five Kage and our elite jōnin will engage the Hidden Dark Village's strongest forces, including the reanimated Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha."
"The remaining shinobi will contain the enemy's regular forces."
"This is only a broad strategic outline."
"Once the army assembles, we can refine the details together."
"That's all."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Kurotsuchi continued drumming her fingers.
"In a war of this scale, the outcome depends on the top-tier battlefield."
"You and the Sage—who is currently little more than a spirit—intend to fight Jin and Kaguya by yourselves."
"Are you really sure about that?"
"Because if you lose, what follows won't be a battle."
"It'll be a massacre."
"If Sasuke were still alive and fighting beside you, maybe."
"But with only you?"
"There's zero margin for error."
At that moment, golden flames of chakra erupted around Naruto's body.
The shimmering cloak of Six Paths power spread outward.
From the golden flames, a figure emerged.
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki.
The three Kage were visibly stunned.
The legendary Sage of Six Paths had appeared before them in person.
Hagoromo stroked his long beard and spoke.
"Everyone, it is a pleasure to meet you."
"I am Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, known to the world as the Sage of Six Paths."
The mere story Naruto had told was one thing.
Seeing the Sage materialize before their eyes was another entirely.
Even the three Kage were left speechless.
Hagoromo continued.
"I understand your concerns."
"It is true that Sasuke Uchiha has tragically fallen."
Naruto's eyes dimmed at the mention of his friend.
"But the power I granted to Sasuke has not vanished."
"Before the final battle, I will transfer that power to Naruto."
"I can tell you this much."
"In theory, Naruto alone will possess the power necessary to seal both Kaguya and Uchiha Jin."
Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes.
"In theory."
"But theory is still theory."
Hagoromo nodded.
"A fair point."
"But no war comes with a one-hundred-percent guarantee."
"This is not the time to calculate personal gains and losses."
"We are not fighting for ourselves."
"We are fighting for the future of the shinobi world."
"For generations yet to come."
Mei spoke once more.
"All of that depends on whether Uchiha Jin truly is the heavenly demon."
Before Hagoromo could answer, a calm, steady voice interrupted.
"Kumogakure will participate."
Darui had made his decision.
The Fifth Raikage would lead the Cloud ninja to war.
Hagoromo stroked his beard approvingly.
"Darui of the Clouds, I am proud of you."
"You are truly worthy of inheriting the Will of Lightning."
Darui clenched his fist and replied in a flat tone.
"I appreciate the compliment, Sage of Six Paths."
"But what convinced me wasn't any lofty ideal like the Will of Lightning."
Hagoromo paused.
"Oh?"
Darui's eyes hardened.
"The day I fought Momoshiki, I learned something."
"When power reaches a certain level…"
"No amount of ideals means a damn thing."
Kurotsuchi nodded.
"Exactly."
Mei turned toward him.
"Lord Raikage, this is an enormous decision."
"Would you mind sharing your reasoning?"
Enjoyed these chapters? Access 60+ ahead avanced chapters and exclusive content by visiting my Patreon. https://patreon.com/WillOFD129?