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Since the clash with Sasuke, the Five Kage had remained in the Land of Iron under Mifune's arrangements.
The Kazekage and Raikage awakened one after another. Their guards briefed them on what had happened while they were unconscious. They were only waiting for the Hokage to awaken before the next Five Kage Summit could begin.
Time passed. On the night of the seventh day, Tsunade opened her eyes.
Standing vigil at her bedside was Shizune, who had been urgently summoned. Shikaku and Inoichi, being men, were not suited for such care.
"Shizune? Aren't you supposed to be looking after Sakura?"
Ever since falling victim to Sasuke's genjutsu in the Konoha cemetery, Sakura had been in a deep coma, showing no signs of waking. Even Tsunade's medical ninjutsu was powerless against the illusion.
"Sakura is under the care of Inoichi's daughter, Ino," Shizune said. "Lady Tsunade, I've heard everything from Shikaku. The masked boy in white who attacked the Summit… that was Sasuke Uchiha, wasn't it?"
Shizune's words snapped Tsunade's fragmented thoughts back to reality.
"Where is Sasuke? What about the other Kage?"
Slide.
The shoji door opened. Shikaku leaned against the frame. "Rest easy, Lady Tsunade. Sasuke is gone. All Five Kage are safe."
Tsunade let out a sigh of relief, then her expression turned stern. "Tell me everything that happened after I lost consciousness."
Shikaku reported the events as they had occurred.
Tsunade's eyes widened. "What? He said he'd start a war in three years? That he'd bring the Five Great Nations under his control? Were those his exact words?"
"They were," Shikaku confirmed. "The Kage are like startled birds now. The Summit tomorrow is being held precisely to discuss this."
"Ugh…!"
Tsunade pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune cried out.
"I'm fine. Just a headache," Tsunade said, waving a hand. "Shizune… I'm hungry. Get me something to eat."
"Yes! Right away!"
Clutching Tonton, Shizune scurried toward the kitchen.
Shikaku slid the door shut and settled on the tatami mat by the low table.
Tsunade slowly lowered her hand and pushed herself up, leaning against the headboard.
"Shikaku, you're the best at seeing through things. What do you make of Sasuke's series of abnormal words and actions?"
Shikaku gazed at the candle on the table, its flame dancing in his eyes as his thoughts soared.
"To be honest, this whole affair with Sasuke is bizarre. It took me several sleepless nights to piece together a theory. If I'm correct, the purpose of his attack on the Summit was…"
He unrolled a small scroll, took up a brush, and wrote a single word.
Trial.
Tsunade looked astonished. "Explain."
Shikaku laid out his reasoning methodically.
"First, in the initial phase of the battle, he was nearly killed by the Kage's combined assault. Kabuto Yakushi, hidden among the samurai, and Orochimaru, watching from the sidelines, made no move to save him."
"Second, on the brink of death, his power suddenly surged. I can't imagine why he would deliberately hold back to the point of putting his own life in mortal danger."
"Third, his battle with the Five Kage nearly tore the world apart, yet not a single Kage, guard, or samurai was killed."
"From these three points, we can rule out the idea that he came as an enemy. A trial is the best explanation. He wanted to use the Five Kage to challenge and break through his own limits."
Tsunade frowned. "But why leave behind such a threat?"
"That… I'm even less certain about," Shikaku admitted. "If not for his two previous incursions into Konoha, I couldn't have even ventured this guess…"
He dipped his brush and wrote another word.
A Goad.
Under Tsunade's incredulous stare, Shikaku continued, "Sasuke's first intrusion was at the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Temple. He injured his former teacher, Kakashi, but didn't kill him. According to intelligence Jiraiya sent back two months ago, the mask he took is the very tool needed to release Orochimaru's hands from the Reaper Death Seal. The crucial part isn't the mask; it's that he didn't kill Kakashi."
"His second intrusion was last month, when Obito Uchiha attacked Kakashi. Sasuke and Orochimaru appeared almost simultaneously. From Kakashi's account, I believe they intercepted intelligence and came specifically to stop Obito, though they failed. During that incident, Sasuke also informed us that Naruto had fallen into the hands of the Akatsuki member Black Zetsu. This shows he is not an enemy of Konoha."
"If we rule out the possibility that Sasuke is our enemy and combine that with his actions at the Summit… I conclude that Sasuke Uchiha intends to make himself the public enemy of the shinobi world. He wants to force the Five Great Nations to end their conflicts, unite, and become stronger."
Tsunade shook her head. "I don't understand. Why this method? If he wants to help the village, or the world, why not return to us and do it openly?"
Shikaku sighed. "He probably has… considerable burdens he cannot share."
"Burdens?"
"He's a rogue ninja," Shikaku said. "Even if you, Lady Tsunade, were to forgive him for Naruto's sake, what about everyone else? Who would truly believe a rogue's words? If you defended him, it could put you in a very difficult position."
"Furthermore, if the crisis Sasuke is worried about concerns not just Konoha but the entire shinobi world, speaking of it openly would be an impossible, uphill battle."
"And I think… he must have wanted to convey this very burden to you. That's why he wore that mask."
"Otherwise, knowing you could see through his identity, why bother? Was he truly ashamed or afraid to show his face? I believe he wanted to use this method to express his true feelings to you, while also leaving himself some room to maneuver with the other villages."
"Of course, these deductions are biased in his favor. I'm speculating on the best-case scenario. If we consider the worst… heh. That leads to conspiracy theories. I refuse to believe Sasuke is on the opposing side. That's a nightmare. The mere thought makes my skin crawl."
"…" Even the strong-willed Tsunade was shaken.
Shikaku continued, "You don't need to be anxious. For better or worse, once Sakura awakens from that genjutsu, the truth will likely come to light."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "This is connected to Sakura's genjutsu?"
"At the cemetery, why did Sasuke cast a genjutsu only on Sakura?" Shikaku mused. "Was it really just because she was his former teammate? I suspect there's more to it…"
Sigh.
Tsunade sighed inwardly, her expression turning serious. "For now, keep these theories to yourself. Don't inform the other Kage. I'm not fully convinced myself, let alone them."
"My thoughts exactly," Shikaku agreed.
Tsunade clenched her fist. "There's something else that worries me. I wasn't the only one who recognized Sasuke. The Tsuchikage and Kazekage must have realized it at the time. The Mizukage and Raikage have probably figured it out by now. If they bring this up at tomorrow's summit…"
Shikaku smiled. "Don't worry. I've already spoken with the Mizukage, Tsuchikage, and Kazekage. The Kazekage, out of respect for our ties, agreed not to mention it."
"The Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, said, and I quote, 'The Five Kage lacked the power to rip his mask off. Therefore, they lack the qualification to put this matter on the table.' The Mizukage holds a similar view. They both understand that whether the masked boy is Sasuke Uchiha or some other survivor, discussing it is pointless. It won't change their united resolve."
"As for the Raikage… even if he brings it up, with the silent agreement of the other four, he'll be a lone voice in the wilderness."
The deep furrow between Tsunade's brows finally smoothed.
"Shikaku… thank goodness you're here. I would have been completely lost."
Shikaku's voice was low, the strategist in him already burdened by the next layer of doubt. "I only hope everything is as I optimistically predicted. What truly worries me now isn't Sasuke's actions since leaving Konoha… but the hidden circumstances that are making him act this way."
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