251.Command Authority Decided, the Akatsuki Prepares for War

A special thank you to all my patrons.

The List of My "Wandering Reader":

-[ ]

-Lord_Clamiral

-Cain

-Shahzaam

-Goha21

-Splendid

-Jacob Mooe

-Nathan king

-Mp Gaming

-Paul Panzer

-Austin Levy

You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.

P@TREON - p@treon.com/lessaservantofcosmos

(just replace the "@" with "a")

ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!

-------------------------------------------------------------

Yagura and Rasa silently nodded in agreement, leaving Ōnoki with no outlet for his frustration. 

With three villages in favor and only Iwagakure opposed, any objection was essentially meaningless. 

Thus, the matter was settled just like that. 

Konoha would contribute two hundred shinobi to the war effort while mobilizing five hundred for logistics and supply transport. Protecting these supply lines would require diverting a significant portion of their forces, effectively rendering Konoha's combat participation negligible. 

Damn it all! 

Once he fully grasped the implications, Ōnoki nearly cursed out loud. 

But with no support from the other villages, his opposition was pointless. 

What's more, handling the logistics for thousands of troops was no small burden. 

Konoha had taken full responsibility for it, demonstrating undeniable sincerity. 

This left Ōnoki with no room to pick a fight—he could only stew in silence. 

Fortunately, apart from Konoha, there were still Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure. 

With each of these four villages contributing five hundred shinobi, they could still wage a large-scale war. 

Konoha would handle food and supplies, while the five great villages would equally share the cost of war materials, each managing their own portion. 

These matters were quickly settled, and then came the main event. 

The moment Ōnoki and A's eyes met, sparks practically flew between them. 

Both wanted to become the supreme commander of the Allied Forces, to seize control of leadership rather than submit to another's orders. 

Though Konoha would support Kumogakure, they couldn't openly side with them at this stage—they had to be subtle. 

"The Raikage has a volatile temper. I don't believe he's fit to lead the Allied Forces. Someone like him is too easily swayed by anger." 

"The Tsuchikage is old yet refuses to appoint a successor—proof of how power-hungry he is. Worse, he's a stubborn old man. Who would trust him with command authority?" 

And so, the real battle began. 

Ōnoki and A started attacking each other's weaknesses, hurling accusations and even slander. 

Tsunade, sitting to the side, watched with wide eyes. 

She was grateful Konoha had no intention of getting involved. Otherwise, if they had joined the fray, who knew how chaotic things would have gotten? 

Yagura and Rasa, fully aware of their own limitations, could only spectate. 

When it came to the crucial position of Allied Commander, Ōnoki, A, and Tsunade were the only real contenders—the two of them were left out in the cold. 

Neither their personal strength nor their villages' overall power gave them any right to compete. 

"How about… the Raikage and Tsuchikage share command?" 

As the argument escalated to the point where Ōnoki and A seemed ready to throw hands, Yagura offered a reasonable compromise. 

Since neither was willing to back down, why not let them both lead? 

A's temper and Ōnoki's stubbornness might even balance each other out. 

At the very least, they could keep each other in check during critical moments. 

"I think the Mizukage's proposal is sound." 

Rasa, too, had grown tired of their endless bickering and mutual jabs. Since he had no stake in the matter, he readily agreed with Yagura. 

At this point, both Ōnoki and A turned their gazes toward Tsunade. 

Tsunade shrugged indifferently. 

"Don't look at me. My own village has too much to deal with—I'll be returning immediately after the Five Kage Summit. Kazuki will stay behind to handle coordination. As for the Allied Commander position… since the Raikage and Tsuchikage are deadlocked, why not let them both take charge?" 

Konoha had accepted payment to support Kumogakure, but they couldn't blatantly favor one side. Given the circumstances, dual command was the best outcome. 

Without openly taking sides, this was already the greatest support Konoha could offer Kumogakure. 

With Sunagakure, Konoha, and Kirigakure all in agreement, Ōnoki and A had no choice but to accept. 

Thus, the matter was settled. 

With the major decisions made, Tsunade had no interest in lingering for the minor details. After exchanging farewells with the other Kage, she took her leave and returned to Konoha. 

The remaining affairs would be handled by Kazuki in her stead. 

"It seems Konoha left behind quite a few problems under the Third Hokage's leadership." 

"The issues are indeed significant. Otherwise, would Konoha just sit back and watch the Tsuchikage and Raikage fight for control?" 

Kazuki replied coolly. 

You should be grateful. If not for Konoha's internal troubles, do you really think you'd have a chance to compete like this? 

Had Konoha been free to act, they would have joined the fray—and Ōnoki wouldn't have stood a chance. 

The pointed remark struck a nerve, leaving Ōnoki speechless. After a deep, scrutinizing look at Kazuki, he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, falling silent. 

"Now that the Five Great Villages are united, does anyone have additional intelligence on the Akatsuki to share?" 

Rasa and Yagura shook their heads slightly. Kazuki stated plainly, "Nothing more. All available intel was already disclosed during the summit in Kumogakure." 

Did you really think Konoha was an intelligence hub? 

The five villages would have to face the Akatsuki head-on—and Konoha, responsible only for logistics, would stay out of the main conflict. 

Good luck dealing with whatever 'gift' Nagato has prepared for you. 

And indeed, the Akatsuki did have a grand "gift" waiting for the Allied Forces. 

Even setting aside the Six Paths of Pain, Sasori alone would give them more than enough trouble. 

With the exception of Tsunade, the other Kage did not depart immediately. Instead, they traveled together to the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain, where the Allied Forces would assemble. 

With the five great villages united, A and Ōnoki, as joint commanders, cared little whether the Akatsuki discovered their movements. 

In their eyes, the alliance's sheer strength made secrecy unnecessary—let the Akatsuki prepare all they wanted. 

At the Akatsuki's Hideout… 

The atmosphere in the base had grown tense in recent days. 

Thanks to Zetsu's unparalleled intelligence-gathering skills, none of the Five Great Villages' major movements went unnoticed. 

The Five Kage Summit, the formation of the Allied Shinobi Forces—the Akatsuki knew it all. 

They might not have every detail, but they were far from blind. 

As the Five Great Villages prepared, so too did the Akatsuki. 

Nagato abandoned restraint, unveiling the Six Paths of Pain ahead of schedule. 

The other members of the Akatsuki also busied themselves with war preparations—none more so than Sasori. 

Nagato had supplied him with a large number of powerful corpses, which he had converted into puppets, significantly boosting his combat strength. 

Within the Akatsuki, only Obito had no interest in the coming war. 

Though Zetsu, too, was indifferent, he at least maintained the facade of loyalty. 

Obito, however, couldn't even be bothered to pretend—he openly opposed Nagato's decisions. 

But it was useless. Nagato and Konan paid him no heed. 

Even veteran members like Sasori and Kakuzu stood firmly on Nagato's side.