The Five Kage Summit Begins

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"It doesn't matter when we arrive, as long as we're not late, right?"

Kaito chuckled lightly at the remark, then walked straight to the central conference table with the Second Hokage and Minato. Without hesitation, he took the last remaining seat.

He removed his Hokage hat and placed it on the table. Resting both hands on the surface, he scanned the four other Kage with a relaxed smile before speaking first:

"The reason you've called this Five Kage Summit is obvious."

"You want Konoha to completely ban the use of Edo Tensei? That's unrealistic."

"I think it's better if we have a proper discussion and reach a conclusion that works for everyone."

Kaito wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush.

If they were willing to accept his conditions—allowing Konoha to secure trade routes across the major nations—then some compromises could be made.

But if they refused... well, that wouldn't be his problem.

Right now, he held the true power.

As expected, Onoki and the others visibly tensed.

Onoki and Rasa, who had witnessed Kaito's terrifying strength firsthand, wore grim expressions but didn't immediately object. They understood very well that antagonizing him now would be unwise—if not outright suicidal.

The Fourth Raikage, however, was completely unaware of Kaito's true power. Hearing those words, he immediately slammed his fist on the table, leaving a deep crater in its surface.

His chakra flared violently as he shot up from his seat, glaring at Kaito. "What do you mean by that, Hokage?! We haven't even started the negotiations, and you're already dismissing us? Where's your sincerity? Or do you plan to start a war right here?"

Onoki and Rasa exchanged glances, sighing inwardly.

This should be interesting.

"Oh?"

Kaito raised an eyebrow, unfazed by the Raikage's chakra pressure.

The next second, his own chakra erupted—dozens of times stronger than the Fourth Raikage's.

BOOM!!

His presence alone shook the entire conference room. His chakra condensed into a near-tangible force, blending with Conqueror's Haki, sweeping through the entire hall.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The walls, chairs, and even the table began to crack under the sheer force of his aura.

The overwhelming pressure hit everyone like a tidal wave. Their bodies felt impossibly heavy, and their minds wavered under the intense shock, barely managing to stay upright.

The Fourth Raikage, being the primary target of Kaito's pressure, was hit the hardest. His knees buckled, his muscles tensed to their limits, veins bulging as he desperately fought back with his own chakra—only to find himself forcibly crushed to the ground.

"You..."

The Raikage gritted his teeth, beads of sweat rolling down his face as he resisted. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Kaito's chakra, which was so dense it looked almost solid.

"How… how are you this strong?"

This was just the pressure from his chakra?

If Kaito were to actually make a move… just how terrifying would that be?

His mind raced as he recalled intelligence reports on Uchiha Kaito, the ones he had once scoffed at.

The stories of him single-handedly defeating Hanzo and the Third Kazekage.

The reports of him wiping out thousands of enemy shinobi—including Ame, Iwa, and Suna forces—using a single lightning technique.

At the time, the Raikage had dismissed those reports as exaggerated nonsense.

But now… maybe they weren't so ridiculous after all.

A heavy silence filled the room.

The Raikage's expression darkened further. He realized just how reckless he had been in trying to challenge Uchiha Kaito.

For the first time, he doubted whether even a combined effort from the five major villages could truly stand against Konoha.

Especially since Kaito was still so young.

Young meant aggressive. Young meant unwilling to compromise.

The Raikage glanced at Onoki and Rasa, hoping for some kind of reassurance.

But what he saw in their eyes shocked him even more.

They, too, looked utterly shaken.

Wait…

Did they not expect Kaito to be this strong either?

Has he… grown even stronger since the war in the Land of Rain?

The Raikage's mind buzzed with uncertainty.

"Raikage," Kaito finally broke the silence, his tone calm yet sharp. "Are you sure you want to go to war with Konoha?"

"If that's the case, then fine. We accept. This summit can end right now. You can go back home and start preparing for battle."

As he spoke, he slowly stood up, his sharp gaze locked onto the Raikage.

His dominant posture only added to the pressure.

Veins bulged on the Raikage's forehead as his fists clenched in anger.

But the more he thought about it, the less he dared to actually challenge Kaito.

Because if Kaito was speaking with such absolute confidence…

Then he must truly believe he can take on all of them and win.

A war like this—full of uncertainty—could lead to devastating consequences.

Kumo Village couldn't afford to take that risk.

Gritting his teeth, the Raikage reluctantly withdrew his chakra, forcing himself to sit back down.

He waved a hand dismissively. "No, no! Let's not be so hasty! I was just joking, Hokage. Surely you're not the type to take a simple joke so seriously?"

"I agree with you, actually. Instead of fighting, we should focus on discussing how to handle Konoha's use of Edo Tensei and come up with a fair solution for everyone."

"Yes. Negotiation is key! Fighting is pointless—peace is always the best option!"

The entire room fell into awkward silence.

Onoki and Rasa: "....."

Do you even hear yourself right now?!

So the guy who just lost his temper, openly challenged the Hokage, and was ready to declare war on Konoha… wasn't you?

They had seen people change their attitudes before, but never this fast.

Even the Raikage's bodyguards, Cee and Mabui, couldn't help but cover their faces in embarrassment. They felt utterly speechless.

Seriously…

Their Raikage was still as hot-headed and impulsive as ever.

But thankfully, he wasn't a complete fool. Otherwise, today's meeting might have ended in disaster.

Just thinking about the lingering oppressive aura from the Fourth Hokage made them break into a cold sweat.

This man… was not someone they could handle.

"Pfft! Raikage, you really are something! You're much more entertaining than your father!" Onoki smirked, looking at the Fourth Raikage with a mocking expression.

"You...!"

The Fourth Raikage immediately turned to glare at Onoki, his eyes burning with rage. If the timing weren't so wrong, he would have smashed this old man into the ground with one punch.

How dare he bring up his father in front of him?

Wasn't his father killed by Iwa shinobi?

This was a straight-up slap to the face!

Yet, because of Kaito's overwhelming presence, he needed to unite with Onoki and the others to put pressure on Konoha during the negotiations.

So, even though he loathed Onoki at this moment, he had no choice but to swallow his anger.

Meanwhile, Kaito, watching the Raikage's sudden shift in attitude, was left utterly speechless.

Since the Raikage had already backed down, and considering that Konoha was still in the early stages of reform, prioritizing peace and development was a wise choice.

So, Kaito didn't push further.

He slowly withdrew his oppressive aura, sat back down, crossed his fingers on the table, and scanned the room.

"Since you've come to your senses, Raikage, let's continue the discussion."

"But—don't pull this stunt again."

"I don't have a good temper, and I won't always be this forgiving."

He ignored the Raikage's flushed face and continued, "I won't beat around the bush. I know exactly why you're all here."

"If you want Konoha to completely abandon Edo Tensei, that's impossible."

"However, we can promise that we will only use it on our own dead—never on shinobi from your villages."

"But in return, I want an agreement from all of you. You must fully open your trade routes to Konoha."

"Our merchants must be allowed to do business freely in your lands without being taxed or forced to pay protection fees."

"Think it over carefully."

"If you agree, everyone wins."

"If you refuse… well, it's not like we need your permission."

"But in that case, we can't guarantee that Edo Tensei won't be used to revive your ancestors."

After speaking, Kaito leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and looked at the other Kage without saying another word.

Standing behind him, the Second Hokage slightly raised an eyebrow at this display of dominance.

As expected, this kid is strong-willed. But I like it!

This is how a leader should act!

Back then, my brother kneeling to beg the other villages for peace was embarrassing!

If Kaito had been Hokage back then, the Shinobi World might have already been united by now!

In that moment, the Second Hokage's respect for Kaito skyrocketed.

If Kaito could check his stats right now, he would see that the Second Hokage's favorability toward him had soared.

Minato, standing beside them, smirked slightly, impressed by how domineering Kaito had been as he was thinking!

"Power is the foundation of confidence."

"I have to work harder and get stronger."

"..."

"This..."

Onoki, the Raikage, and the others were momentarily stunned.

They looked at each other, unsure of how to respond.

Kaito's conditions weren't particularly harsh.

But they weren't easy either.

Opening trade routes completely to Konoha and waiving all taxes and protection fees?

That would cause financial losses for their villages.

But aside from that, they didn't see any other significant downsides.

So… should they agree?

"Lord Hokage, would you be willing to give us some time to discuss this in private?" Onoki finally spoke up.

"Fine. You have ten minutes."

"Don't waste our time."

Kaito nodded, granting their request.

But no matter how they discussed it, his conditions would not change.

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