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The atmosphere was very quiet, and everyone's eyes were focused on Ishigami Hara.
This young man, who appeared during the Second Ninja World War six years ago, shone like a star in an incredibly short time, ultimately becoming the second figure in the ninja world after the God of Shinobi.
No!
To be precise, this young man is now regarded as the new God of Shinobi in the ninja world.
This title would be challenging for anyone else to accept, but only Ishigami Hara could inspire such conviction. Though he hadn't fought publicly in the last five years, everyone still believed in his unmatched power.
"What's the matter, everyone? Why is no one speaking?"
Ishigami Hara smiled, appearing slightly puzzled.
"Hokage, you are truly remarkable! You called for this Five Kage meeting, yet you were the last to arrive, haha..."
The speaker was A, who, though not much older than Ishigami Hara, had been hailed as a prodigy from a young age. Though not arrogant, he found it difficult to accept that someone his own age had achieved such fame across the ninja world.
Ishigami Hara was unsurprised, familiar with the brashness typical of Kumogakure shinobi, and didn't take offense. Instead, he smiled and said, "My apologies; I was delayed on the way. Please, don't hold it against me."
"Oh? What could possibly delay the Hokage?"
This wasn't said by A, but by Chiyo.
From the moment Ishigami Hara had entered the room, Chiyo had been watching him closely. Though she seemed calm, there was a barely concealed bitterness in her gaze.
After all, her son and daughter-in-law had died at the hands of the young man before her, so it was impossible for her not to harbor resentment.
"Ah, Chiyo-senpai, it's been a long time," he greeted, adding a polite nod before asking, "But where is the Kazekage of Sunagakure?"
Chiyo took a deep breath, then closed her eyes.
On the other side, Ōnoki spoke plainly, "Dead."
Ishigami Hara raised an eyebrow, surprised, and asked, "Was it because of the White Zetsu?"
Chiyo remained silent.
Ishigami Hara nodded slightly and sighed. "I understand. What a shame. I admired the Kazekage of your village very much. Developing an entire puppet master system is truly one of a kind. He will surely be remembered in the history of the ninja world."
He was indeed sincere in his sentiment.
The situation in Sunagakure was unique.
The early changes in leadership were unusual.
To be fair, the title of Kazekage had only been passed down for two generations, with the Second Kazekage named Shamon. He was the pioneer of puppet mastery and sand manipulation, and his achievements in ninjutsu were remarkable.
In terms of age, the Second Kazekage Shamon was much older than Sarutobi Hiruzen. He was a contemporary of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and around the same age as the Uchiha elder, Uchiha Setsuna, having long since reached the twilight of his life.
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Hokage."
Chiyo opened her eyes and responded calmly.
"So, is this meeting to be overseen by Senior Chiyo?" Ishigami Hara asked again.
"Of course. Sunagakure has not yet selected a new Kazekage, so I am here to represent the village."
Ishigami Hara nodded and considered the timing. The one hailed as the strongest Kazekage would be appointed soon, although in the original events, this individual had an unfortunate fate. Despite being the strongest, he suffered an undignified death.
"Understood. Senior Chiyo's position is appropriate. Now..."
Ishigami Hara scanned the room solemnly. "We can't waste time. Let's discuss the direction the ninja world should take moving forward."
A frowned. "Start now?"
Ishigami Hara nodded. "Yes, there isn't much time to waste."
"Hmph, if that's the case, why were you so late, Lord Hokage?"
Ishigami Hara raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I mention that I encountered an unexpected incident on the way here?"
"Incident? What could possibly delay Lord Hokage?" Raikage A pressed.
Ishigami Hara shook his head, mildly exasperated, and replied, "Though it wasn't a major issue, since Lord Raikage insists, I'll explain briefly."
He paused, thinking for a moment, then said, "On my way here, I discovered a White Zetsu nest near the Land of Sound. It seems they set up an ambush there recently. I had no choice but to take some time to eliminate them."
As he finished, everyone's expressions shifted slightly, and Ōnoki asked directly, "A White Zetsu nest? How many White Zetsu did you encounter?"
"Not many—around 6,000. It seemed to be one of Uchiha Madara's idle moves. The reason for the delay was due to the time spent locating their hideout."
Ishigami Hara wasn't exaggerating; he had indeed encountered White Zetsu on his way. Their concealment was so intricate that no one else would likely have found them, requiring him to put in some effort to root them out.
"Uchiha Madara!"
A gritted his teeth and asked, "Isn't he one of your Konoha shinobi?"
Ishigami Hara looked at him, mildly surprised, and replied, "Lord Raikage, are you unaware that Uchiha Madara betrayed Konoha over 40 years ago? The only tie he has with Konoha is his Uchiha surname."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Or perhaps Lord Raikage intends to use Madara's name against Konoha? If so, I'd say that's somewhat misguided."
A snorted coldly but dropped the subject.
At that moment, Yagura, who had been silent until now, spoke. "Lord Hokage, may I ask if this Five Kage Summit was convened to establish a joint ninja force?"
Ishigami Hara hadn't expected Yagura to bring this up, though considering the recent events in Kirigakure, he understood the reasoning.
Kirigakure had recently experienced a rebellion, where a group of elite shinobi led by Yagura had succeeded in killing the Third Mizukage and restoring stability to the village.
In other words, Kirigakure now needed to clarify its stance to the world, and the best course for the village's sake was to align with Konoha.
Ishigami Hara nodded. "Yes, that's the purpose. I believe everyone can sense the threat posed by Uchiha Madara and the White Zetsu Army. I won't waste words—I propose we establish a joint ninja force. What are your thoughts, Lord Raikage?"