The Land of Iron, the nation of samurai, was located he Lands of Earth and Lightning, b the Lands of Fire, Waterfall, and Fields. Its climate erpetually cold, with heavy snow c the nd year-round.

  Due to its historieutrality in the flicts of the ninja world, it had avoided the ravages of war and became the ideal location for hosting the Five Kage Summit.

  At this moment, he border of the Land of Fire, Team Taka was rag at full speed, about to ehe Land of Iron.

  “Hm!?” Karin suddenly frowned. “There’s an unknown chakra ahead!”

  Sasuke and the others halted, immediately on guard.

  *Whoosh!*

  tless butterflies appeared, gathering mid-air to form the graceful figure of Konan. Her expression was cold aached. “This path is closed.”

  Sasuke frowned. “That cloak—you’re with Akatsuki…”

  Suigetsu turo the White Zetsu leading them. “One of your rades?”

  The White Zetsu shouted, “Konan! You betrayed Akatsuki! Why are you here?”

  Konan replied calmly, “Akatsuki was founded by Yahiko in Amegakure. It was merely stolen by you. I call myself Akatsuki anytime, anywhere.”

  White Zetsu growled, “Damn it… I didn’t expect her to interfere!”

  Sasuke said coldly, “If she’s not one of your allies, then I have no problem taking her down.”

  White Zetsu responded, “Ah, by all means, up the traitor for us. I’d be delighted…”

  Sasuke gripped his sword and stepped forward. His Sharingan spun, evolving into the Mangekyō Sharingan with a faint sound. His gaze was icy. “Don’t get in my way.”

  Konan’s response was a rain of paper spears, rolled from tless sheets of paper.

  “Scatter!”

  Team Taka dispersed.

  *g! g! g!*

  Sasuke swung his Kusanagi sword, defleg the oning paper spears.

  But Konan’s teique was vast in range, long-sting, and surprisingly powerful.

  While intercepting the attacks, Sasuke’s left eye locked onto Konan’s figure in the sky. A line of blood trickled from the er of his eye, staining the snow below—a stark trast against the white ground. Bloodshot veins spread like a web across his pupil.

  —*Amaterasu!*

  *Fwoosh!*

  The bck fmes of Amaterasu ignited Konan’s paper body, ending the rain of paper spears.

  “Unquenchable bck fmes… Amaterasu… The same power as Itachi’s eyes…”

  Konan murmured as her body buro ashes.

  However, as paper fragments scattered through the air, more versions of Konan appeared!

  Jūgo muttered, “Just now… was that only a e?”

  Sasuke demanded coldly, “Karin, you locate her real body?”

  Karin formed a two-finger hand sign, enhang her sensory ability through her Kagura Mind’s Eye. After a moment, she shook her head. “All the chakra signatures are identical!”

  White Zetsu groaned, “That woman’s abilities are incredibly troublesome… Sasuke, you should serve your chakra before fighting the Five Kage!”

  Sasuke, impatient, snapped, “It doesn’t matter. Burn them all!”

  *Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!*

  Bck fmes erupted in the air, indiscriminately attag Konan’s es.

  Karin worried silently: Since learning that Danzō became Hokage, Sasuke’s chakra has ged. It’s so cold now…

  O snoed mountains, the Five Kage Summit roceeding as scheduled.

  The venue was adorned with the fgs of the five great nations: Wind, Fire, Earth, Lightning, and Water.

  Around the massive circur table oriented east to west, the Five Kage were all present.

  The Fourth Raikage, A.

  The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī.

  The Third Tsuchikage, ōnoki of Both Scales.

  The Fifth Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand.

  The Sixth Hokage, Danzō Shimura.

  The Kage’s bodyguards stood behind the curtains, closely monit the proceedings and ready to interve any moment.

  In the ter sat Mifuhe general of the Land of Iron and the host of the summit. Behind him stood two renowned samurai, Chōjūrō and Rikaaku, both famed warriors with strength parable to elite Jonin.

  But in truth, these two were her than Naruto and Orochimaru in disguise.

  “Naruto, I didn’t expect you to know the Land of Iron’s yout so well. We infiltrated without any trouble…”

  Of course, in his previous life, Naruto had served as the head of the Five Kage and had anized multiple summits. He had also visited the Land of Iron at Mifune’s invitation.

  In a stable nation like the Land of Iron, fortresses rarely ged.

  The three of them had devised their pn on the way.

  Naruto expined, “Danzō’s right eye is from Shisui Uchiha and tains the Kotoamatsukami. That genjutsu is extremely dangerous, even for me. Unless I kill Danzō before he activates Kotoamatsukami, a decisive victory is nearly impossible.”

  “Therefore, the basic strategy is to exhaust Danzō’s use of Kotoamatsukami before engaging in battle.”

  Orochimaru asked, “And how do we exhaust it?”

  Naruto replied, “If I’m not mistaken, Danzō will likely use this teique on Mifune during the summit to gain the upper hand. It’s not a jutsu that be used multiple times in a day…”

  With the Rinnegan, Naruto could theoretically resist Mangekyō genjutsu, but he decided to err on the side of caution.

  Konan asked, “So, does that mean we ambush him after the summit, on his way back to the vilge?”

  Naruto shook his head. “That would be too te. We’re not the only oargeting Danzō. If we enter others, it could plicate things.”

  “I’ll infiltrate the veh Orochimaru, blending in as samurai maintaining order. We’ll keep a close wat Danzō’s movements…”

  “To be ho, Transformation Jutsu is my specialty…”

  “As for Sasuke, Konan, I’ll need you to stall them. But remember, don’t engage in a prolonged fight…”

  …

  Back to the present.

  Mifune announced in a deep voice, “The Five Kage Summit begins now.”

  Gaara rested his hands under his and addressed the other fe. “I’ll speak first. Listen carefully.”

  ōnoki chuckled. “The Five Kage certainly have ged. To bee a Kage at ye… impressive. It seems your father taught you well… though not manners.”

  “Damn that old man!” Behind the curtain, Kankurō, one of Gaara’s bodyguards, ched his teeth in anger.

  Gaara responded calmly, “Ihat’s why I sit here as Kazekage.”

  “Ha ha ha ha ha…” ōnoki ughed. “What an arrogant young man.”

  “What’s with that Tsuchikage!?” Kankurō, hot-headed as ever, was itg to storm out and front him.

  “Be quiet…” Temari, the more level-headed of the two, cautioned him. Despite her words, her hand moved to her on pouch, ready to act if necessary.

  “Tsuchikage, please refrain from interrupting,” Mei Terumī, the Mizukage, interjected diplomatically. “Kazekage, please tinue.”

  Gaara said, “I was once a Jinchūriki, captured by Akatsuki. I believe Akatsuki poses a grave threat.”

  “I’ve repeatedly requested a from the Five Kage, but my pleas were ignored… except by the previous Hokage.”

  “And now, with the Jinchūriki of eaation taken, it’s too te to join forces.”

  ōnoki offered his perspective. “For the great nations to lose their Jinchūriki is a disgrace—a humiliation that undermiheir authority. Seeking help from other nations immediately after such a loss would be unthinkable.”

  Gaara scoffed. “Tradition? Authority? Such outdated notions are meaningless.”

  ōnoki thought to himself, *Ah, the arrogance of youth…*

  Mei Terumī added, “Whether outdated or not, as Mizukage, I admit we’ve been too passive. But even if the Tailed Beasts are taken, they don’t immediately bee a threat. trolling them requires knowledge, skill, and time.”

  ōnoki agreed. “A Jinchūriki must grow alongside their Tailed Beast, f a bond over time. Even then, trol is difficult. But I digress… Isn’t that right, Kazekage?”

  Gaara remained silent.

  At that moment, Danzō spoke, his tone measured. “Before we tinue debating, there’s something I’d like to address…”