Chapter 410: The Five Kage Summit Ends, War Begins!
With that, Obito turned and left.
The other Akatsuki members followed, each with their own expressions.
A closer look revealed that the Akatsuki had split into two factions.
One faction followed Obito, including Kisame Hoshigaki, Jūzō Biwa, and Zetsu.
The rest trailed behind Pain.
The Fourth Raikage stared at the retreating Akatsuki, hesitating for a moment before slamming his fist into the table. He ultimately chose not to pursue them.
The Akatsuki members were shrouded in mystery, many of them S-rank rogue ninjas, while others had completely unknown capabilities.
The participants of the Five Kage Summit consisted only of the Four Kage Alliance, eight guards, and their so-called ally Konoha.
If a fight broke out, the Anti-Konoha Alliance would undoubtedly suffer losses.
The only silver lining was that the Akatsuki seemed divided, with Obito and Pain possibly holding conflicting ideologies.
This included Konoha as well.
The Fourth Raikage shifted his gaze to the Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Shisui, and asked:
"Does Konoha support this so-called Moon's Eye Plan? Are you planning to hand over the One-Tails and Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"
Han added, "Uchiha Madara's plan is insane. Konoha is playing with fire!"
Mei Terumī remarked, "You may be a handsome young man, but I must remind you—most of Konoha's ninja would never agree to the Akatsuki's Moon's Eye Plan."
Rasa remained silent. Sunagakure's tailed beast had already been "borrowed" by Uchiha Haneda, and the perfect Jinchūriki had no intention of returning to Sunagakure.
Shisui, already aware of Haneda's plans, responded calmly:
"There's no need for your concern."
"Some people are already eager to seize our land, kill our citizens, and steal our resources. These people are nothing more than shameless invaders.
"While Konoha indeed disagrees with Madara's ideals, we share a common goal with the Akatsuki: opposing the Anti-Konoha Alliance.
"Konoha will find common ground with the Akatsuki where necessary."
"We'll see you on the battlefield of the Fourth Great Ninja War. It's 30,000 against 80,000. Even if the rice is half-cooked, Konoha will eat it anyway!"
With that, Shisui adjusted his Hokage cloak and walked toward the path the Akatsuki had taken.
Itachi and Shikaku followed close behind.
The Sixth Hokage's flowing cloak remained visible as the three departed.
The four Kage, Mifune, and the eight guards watched their retreating figures in silence.
The Fourth Raikage broke the silence, reiterating:
"I said it before—this war will be 80,000 against 30,000!
"Now that Uchiha Haneda is dead, even if Uchiha Madara is alive, what does it matter?
"Do you mean to say Uchiha Madara is stronger than Uchiha Haneda?!"
"The Akatsuki only has elite fighters. We have the numbers—we outnumber them nearly three to one!
"In this war, the advantage is mine!!"
Pfft—
"Who's there?!" The Fourth Raikage reacted instantly, charging toward the source of the faint sound of laughter.
But when he arrived, there was no one there.
Han said, "Leave it, Raikage. Let's begin preparing for war."
"The war could start at any moment. It might be us launching the first attack, or Konoha and the Akatsuki Alliance striking first."
"Let's go."
The Fourth Raikage, still unsatisfied, punched a nearby wall, shattering it.
He glanced back at the Five Kage Summit one last time.
The other three Kage were preparing to leave, so the Raikage had no choice but to follow.
Thus ended the farcical second Five Kage Summit.
After everyone departed, a figure emerged from the void.
"'The advantage is mine,' huh? Pure debuff."
The newcomer, of course, was Uchiha Haneda, who had been secretly watching for some time.
Shortly after his appearance, another figure with white hair emerged—it was Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi asked, "Did Obito show up?"
Haneda replied, "He did. He even argued with the Four Kage about his Moon's Eye Plan."
"How did it end?"
"Obito seemed rattled, but he didn't lose his composure. Overall, he held his ground."
"Kakashi, when do you think the Fourth Great Ninja War will start?"
"I'm not sure," Haneda said. "But within a week, for sure. Once it starts, it will be decisive. I'll let you know when it's time."
---
The Five Kage Summit concluded, and news of the Fourth Great Ninja War spread rapidly.
This war was entirely unlike those before it. In truth, it wasn't just a ninja war—it was a global war.
Every nation, regardless of size or location, was drawn into the conflict.
The samurai, led by the Land of Iron, joined the fight. The ninja system, represented by the five great nations, also mobilized.
The entire world was now on the move.
On Konoha's side, Shisui, following the plans devised by Haneda and Shikaku, launched a widespread campaign to inform the Land of Fire's citizens about the Anti-Konoha Alliance's impending invasion.
The Fourth Great Ninja War was framed as a just defensive war.
Konoha's fight was to resist aggression, a cause that won the sympathy of revolutionary factions in many countries.
Within Konoha itself, every ninja prepared for battle. Samurai in the Land of Fire, benefiting from Konoha's centralized governance, also began readying for war.
Shisui gave numerous public speeches, spreading Konoha's narrative through television, radio, and other means.
Civilians donated money, factories operated around the clock to produce weapons, and all ninjas on patrol, teaching assignments, or stationed at hospitals were recalled.
Thanks to its recent development, Konoha alone mobilized 20,000 ninja and 100,000 samurai.
Shikaku, overseeing operations, ensured that most samurai were assigned to defend the borders.
Shikaku understood that the war's outcome would ultimately depend on the strength of the ninja, not the samurai. There was no need to send samurai to their deaths unnecessarily.
Additionally, the White Zetsu forces numbered around 100,000. If too many people were killed, the materials required for Haneda's Rinne Rebirth Jutsu might not be sufficient.
After discussions between Konoha and the Anti-Konoha Alliance leadership, the consensus was reached to hold the primary battles in the Land of Wind.
The Land of Wind was mostly desert, with vast uninhabited areas, ensuring that the war wouldn't affect civilian populations.
Moreover, the Land of Wind bordered the Land of Fire, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Bears, making it a strategically ideal location.
Most importantly, only Sunagakure's interests would be directly affected, and Sunagakure was the weakest of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
After witnessing the combined strength of Konoha and the Akatsuki, the Anti-Konoha Alliance couldn't be sure of the war's trajectory or its final outcome.
To hedge against potential failure, the alliance sought to avoid scenarios where the war might lead to a repeat of past outcomes—another peace agreement with Konoha.
Thus, the leaders of all factions quietly agreed to use the Land of Wind as the battlefield.
Of course, this didn't eliminate the possibility of certain nations launching surprise attacks on each other's headquarters.
War, after all, is unpredictable.
Nonetheless, fighting in the Land of Wind balanced everyone's interests. Even Sunagakure, fighting on its home turf, wouldn't suffer significant losses.
With a tacit understanding among the high-ranking leaders on both sides, the Fourth Great Ninja War was scheduled to begin three days later.
The chosen battlegrounds: the Land of Wind and the River Country, which lies between the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Rain.
...