"Utter nonsense!"
Advisor Tsuchida slammed his hand down.
"That is the most dangerous kind of balance-of-terror theory!"
"But it works."
Sasuke's answer was simple.
And direct.
The atmosphere inside the office had already become razor-sharp.
This was no clash of chakra.
It was a confrontation between two completely different ideologies.
On one side—
The ruling class, convinced that absolute control could bring absolute security.
On the other—
Shinobi who believed that power itself was freedom.
"Enough."
Kakashi rubbed his aching temple and cut off the argument.
"Advisor Tsuchida, we understand why you came."
"But this isn't something Konoha can decide alone."
"It concerns the future of every shinobi village."
He looked directly at Tsuchida.
"I propose an emergency Five Kage Summit."
"And this time…"
"We invite not only the Five Kage, but the Daimyō of the Five Great Nations—or their representatives—as well."
"Let's put every issue on the table."
"And settle it face-to-face."
Tsuchida considered the proposal for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Very well."
"That was, in fact, the second purpose of my visit."
"The summit will be held in the Land of Iron."
"It is neutral territory."
"Fair to all parties."
"Fine."
Kakashi agreed.
"When?"
"Three days from now."
Tsuchida answered without hesitation.
"I believe the Daimyō are already growing impatient."
With that—
He rolled up the scrolls.
Then gave Kakashi a slight bow.
Without another word, he turned and left with his entourage.
As though the fierce confrontation moments earlier had never happened.
The office fell silent.
Only three people remained.
"Damn those guys!"
Naruto slammed a fist onto the desk.
"We were out there risking our lives, and they were sitting safely behind us figuring out how to put chains around our necks!"
"Calm down, Naruto."
Kakashi sighed.
"This is politics."
"A battlefield even more complicated—and dirtier—than ninjutsu or genjutsu."
"And here…"
"Having the bigger fist doesn't necessarily mean you win."
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
Naruto frowned.
"Seriously hand over the shinobi villages to them?"
"Of course not."
Kakashi's eye sharpened.
"But we can't simply refuse outright either."
"If we do, we'll be playing directly into their hands."
"We'd give them the perfect excuse to label every shinobi village an 'enemy of the world.'"
Then he looked toward Sasuke, who had remained silent.
"Sasuke."
"What do you think?"
"They're not united."
Sasuke answered indifferently.
"The Daimyō want to weaken the shinobi villages and consolidate their own authority."
"But they're competing among themselves too."
"The Land of Fire wants to take the lead."
"The Land of Wind and Land of Lightning may not accept that."
"That's our opening."
Kakashi nodded approvingly.
"Exactly."
"This negotiation won't be about whose Rasengan is bigger."
"It'll be about who can use the rules better."
"Split the opposition."
"Unite our allies."
"Allies?"
Naruto blinked.
"Of course."
Kakashi smiled faintly.
"For example…"
"Gaara."
"He hasn't been Kazekage for very long. He still needs a powerful ally like Konoha to secure his position."
"And the Raikage has always been extremely strong-willed."
"There's no chance he'll tolerate outsiders who don't understand shinobi affairs telling Kumogakure how to operate."
"And then…"
"There are the Tsuchikage and Mizukage."
"They may not stand out as much, but at a critical moment, their voices could still matter."
"This sounds…"
Naruto scratched his head.
"Way too troublesome, dattebayo."
He could already feel his brain giving up.
"Welcome to the adult world, Naruto."
Kakashi patted his shoulder.
Then looked out the window.
The night beyond was deep and quiet.
"Three days from now."
"The Land of Iron."
"A war without smoke or blood is about to begin."
…
The Land of Iron.
A country covered in snow and ice all year round.
On this neutral ground—
A summit that would determine the future direction of the world began beneath a suffocating atmosphere.
Inside the enormous circular conference hall—
The two sides of the long table were clearly divided.
On one side—
The Five Kage.
Kakashi.
Gaara.
The Fourth Raikage, A.
The Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi.
And the Mizukage, Chōjūrō.
Behind them stood Naruto, Sasuke, and elite shinobi from each village.
On the opposite side—
Representatives of the Five Great Nations.
At their center sat Junichirō Tsuchida, Chief Advisor to the Daimyō of the Land of Fire.
They were dressed in expensive robes.
Their expressions carried the natural arrogance of people accustomed to authority.
Behind them stood rows of samurai, hands resting on sword hilts.
Across the table—
Shinobi and samurai stared each other down.
From the very first moment—
The summit reeked of gunpowder.
Junichirō Tsuchida once again threw the Framework onto the table.
And with an unquestionable tone—
Declared it to be—
"The only path capable of ensuring permanent peace for the world."
"With all due respect, Lord Tsuchida—"
The Fourth Raikage, A, had never been known for patience.
He was the first to slam the table.
BANG!
"You want a bunch of civilian officials who don't even understand what chakra is…"
"To command the shinobi of Kumogakure?!"
"Are you joking with me?!"
"This is not a joke, Lord Raikage."
Tsuchida refused to yield even an inch.
"It is a necessary system of checks and balances."
"Do you believe someone like your younger brother, Killer B—a Jinchūriki—should be allowed to 'travel' freely around the world without any supervision whatsoever?"
"If something happens…"
"Who takes responsibility for the danger he may cause?"
"What did you say?!"
A exploded in fury.
Blue Lightning Release chakra crackled violently across his body.
Crackle—!
"A."
Gaara spoke in a low voice.
"Calm down."
He turned toward Tsuchida.
His tone remained steady—
But carried undeniable weight.
"Advisor, we understand your concerns."
"But this Framework is not a solution."
"It will only create new conflicts."
"It strips shinobi of the authority and dignity required to protect their own homes."
"And that will only produce more rogue ninja."
"More unrest."
A representative from the Land of Lightning immediately spoke with a mocking tone.
"Then what brilliant solution does Lord Kazekage propose?"
"Should we continue entrusting the safety of entire nations…"
"To 'powerful individuals' like all of you who might lose control of their emotions at any moment?"
"We're people!"
Chōjūrō finally gathered the courage to speak.
"Not tools!"
Yet before these seasoned politicians—
His voice lacked some of its usual confidence.
"Exactly."
Tsuchida immediately seized upon his words.
"People are precisely what cannot be fully controlled."
"Therefore…"
"They must be controlled through institutions."
The negotiations fell into deadlock.
The Daimyō's side controlled the economic lifelines of the nations—
And possessed the legitimacy of traditional political authority.
So they pressed forward step by step.
The Five Kage possessed overwhelming military strength—
But their hands were tied by the very phrase—
"World peace."
Every move they made risked being twisted against them.
Naruto sat to the side.
Listening to them quote precedent after precedent—
Argument against argument—
Word against word—
His head felt like it was about to split open.
Several times he nearly stood up.
He wanted to use the method he understood best.
To simply talk.
To make everyone understand each other.
But each time—
Kakashi stopped him with a glance.
Naruto understood.
In this room—
If he stood up and shouted—
"Everyone just needs to understand each other!"
They would only look at him like an idiot.
Sasuke, meanwhile—
Leaned silently against the wall in a shadowed corner.
His eyes were closed.
As though he had fallen asleep.
But his ears—
Caught every sentence.
Every pause.
Every subtle shift in tone.
The summit continued for an entire day.
Neither side gave an inch.
Finally—
Junichirō Tsuchida revealed his final trump card.
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