Onoki mocked Naruto for being young, and Naruto mocked him right back for being an old fossil. Giving them a taste of their own medicine, when it came to a verbal spat, Uzumaki Naruto had never feared anyone.
"What a cheeky brat." Onoki, having failed to intimidate Naruto and instead getting ridiculed himself, frowned in clear annoyance.
Before he could retort, Kurotsuchi, who was standing to the side, let out a crisp laugh. "Hahaha, Grandpa, you got dissed."
Kurotsuchi loved seeing her grandfather lose respect. It served him right for stubbornly clinging to Tsuchikage position and refusing to step down.
"Shut up, Kurotsuchi," Onoki snapped. Then, glancing at the Fourth Kazekage nearby, his eyes shifted calculatingly. "Where's Kakashi? What about Tsunade and Jiraiya?"
Then, speaking with a malicious drawl, he added, "I heard Konoha and Sunagakure fought a brutal battle. Don't tell me they all died in the war?"
The Third Tsuchikage attempted to drive a wedge between the two villages, but...
Seeing the fire turning toward his side, Rasa shot back without holding back. "Old Tsuchikage, you talk too much. Not many people your age meddle in others business as much as you do. Be careful, or you might just drop dead while you're at it."
Onoki scoffed. "Tsk. I can't be bothered with your nonsense. I'd rather rest than waste my time on this."
"If you're tired, go back and rest early. Leave the position to the young people and stop hogging the seat." Rasa had a sharp tongue, and he had the backing to confidently talk back now.
"Exactly, Grandpa. If you're tired, just give Tsuchikage position to me." Kurotsuchi chimed in, an ignorant onlooker might have thought she was actually on Rasa's side.
"Shut up, Kurotsuchi!" Onoki wasn't angered by Rasa, but he was infuriated by his own subordinate. He slammed the table in sudden anger, accidentally pulling his back. "My back, ow ow ow..."
Kurotsuchi gloated openly. "Hahaha, if your back is bad, just rest obediently, you big idiot!"
She had been professionally undermining him for over ten years under Deidara's influence. Onoki instantly felt that he probably wouldn't die in glorious battle, but rather be angered to death by his own granddaughter.
Akatsuchi, standing quietly to the side, finally couldn't watch any longer and spoke up. "Kurotsuchi, stop angering Lord Tsuchikage."
"Hehe, bleh~" Kurotsuchi stuck out her little tongue and made a face at Akatsuchi, though she wisely didn't provoke Onoki any further.
"I could hear the laughter from far away. It seems everyone is in a good mood." A lazy, melodic voice rang out as a beautiful figure appeared at the doorway. She was a mature beauty with long reddish-brown hair and bright green eyes.
She was another character with eyes that could be donated to those in need, that mass of auburn hair perfectly obscured her right eye.
The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi.
Following respectfully behind her were two figures, one tall and one short: Ao and Chojuro.
"Tsk, another person I don't recognize, and a woman, too. Kirigakure has truly gone to gutters." Onoki pouted and muttered unhappily under his breath.
It was a very good thing this was the Shinobi World, in any modern setting, Onoki would have been cancelled to death for that remark. Fortunately, Mei, who had just stepped inside, didn't hold it against him.
"Where is Raikage? As the initiator of this summit, why hasn't he appeared yet?"
Seeing no one paying attention to his complaints, Onoki shifted his gaze to the only Kage who hadn't appeared yet.
"Am I not here already?" As soon as Onoki's spoke, Raikage's signature booming voice echoed in the hall. Immediately, a massive, burly figure strode into everyone's field of vision.
The Fourth Raikage, Ay, appeared with a heavy, commanding presence, flanked by two serious members of his Elite Guard. He radiated an astonishing aura, and the seven fist-print scars on his bare chest were exceptionally eye-catching.
'As expected of Kumogakure, the ninja village with the highest technology level among the Five Great Nations.'
Naruto watched the man enter and thought silently. That was right, the Fourth Raikage's arm, which Naruto had violently ripped off, had now been fully replaced with a mechanical prosthetic. Judging by the sleek texture of the metal, oozing with advanced technology, it might not be any worse than the original limb.
If only Yukigakure had this level of technology.
"You were the one who initiated the Five Kage Summit, yet you're the last to arrive. Surely you don't have any regard for the rest of us." Onoki immediately attempted to provoke the others dissatisfaction.
"We were delayed on the road." Ay answered immediately without a second thought, his tone unapologetic.
"Lord Raikage, what exactly is the vital purpose of convening this summit?" Seeing that Onoki seemed about to speak again, Mifune hurriedly interjected.
He had figured it out, Onoki was clearly fabricating issues out of thin air, looking to stir up a political fight. If he wanted to cause trouble, fine, but absolutely not in the Land of Iron.
Seeing the neutral host speak up, Onoki wisely shut his mouth and sat back down in his chair.
"It is, of course, a matter of great urgency." Ay, his face deeply solemn, took his heavy seat. Then he continued, "What I am about to say concerns the fundamental future of the entire shinobi world."
Ay surveyed the room, frowning slightly when his intense gaze landed on Mei, though he said nothing. Finally, his eyes settled firmly on the Konoha group of three.
"Why have a bunch of brats shown up?" Upon seeing Naruto and the others, Ay's eyes widened, the whisker-like marks on his face puffing out as he slammed his hand onto the table in sudden fury. "What is the meaning of this, Konoha?"
"Where is that old bastard, Danzo?"
Among the Five Great Nations, which Kage didn't know Danzo by name? Who hadn't experienced his 'care' in some dark form? His reputation as the Darkness of the Shinobi World was no less well-known than that of the Hokage.
Although it was entirely negative.
"Oh? They are Konoha's young ones," Onoki's voice rang out again, dripping with heavy sarcasm as he saw Ay targeting Naruto. "They must not think much of us old fogies."
"The Fifth Hokage suffered a severe recurrence of an old injury and is currently resting in Konoha to recover, so we are attending in his stead." Naruto gave a brief, utterly indifferent explanation, then added one more thing.
"And Raikage, please watch your tone. Danzo is our Hokage."
"Can you represent Konoha? Are you capable of making decisions on behalf of the Hokage?" Raikage narrowed his eyes, a dangerous, electric pressure beginning to radiate from his massive frame. "What is your rank in Konoha? Chunin? Jonin? Or Genin?"
'I convene the highest diplomatic summit, and yet Konoha fails to send a ninja of any standing, instead arranging for a few brats to show up. What is the meaning of this insult?'
On the surface, the shinobi world is a ruthless meritocracy where the strong are honored, but the reality is that political seniority still carries significant weight. Given Naruto's group's apparent age, it was incredibly easy for them to be looked down upon.
No matter how strong they were, how old were they? Just how strong could teenagers possibly be?
Of the remaining four Kage, only Rasa knew the true, terrifying extent of their strength.
"Me? I'm just an ordinary Nine-Tails Jinchuriki." Naruto said softly.
Immediately, a dense layer of crimson chakra cloaked him. The tangible, boiling energy filled the entire conference room, dripping with malicious intent. Six burning tails writhed wildly in the air behind him as Naruto slowly raised his head to meet Ay's stare.
"So do you think this qualifies?"
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