Chapter 627: Onoki – You Already Made the Plans, So Why Did You Even Call Us?

Once everyone took their seats, Senju Tobirama wasted no time in taking over the discussion, effectively seizing control of the conversation.

The Third Raikage didn't object, quietly settling back into his seat.

At least Tobirama was only taking over the conversation—not trying to kick him out of his own chair.

That would have been a bit too much.

With a serious expression, Tobirama placed both hands on the desk, leaning forward.

"My brother and I, through the Raikage, have gathered everyone here for one reason—to deal with Uchiha Madara and put an end to his schemes.

Therefore, I sincerely hope that the Five Great Shinobi Villages can set aside their differences and stand together against this threat."

The formalities were necessary, but before Tobirama even finished speaking, the response was immediate.

First, because of all the chaos Black Zetsu had already caused, none of the villages could afford to sit back any longer.

Second, with Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama personally present, a lot of the usual political bickering and territorial disputes would naturally be set aside.

And proving that point—before anyone else could speak, Onoki responded first.

"I agree with the Second Hokage's proposal. The Five Great Villages must finally put their conflicts behind them and unite."

The moment he recalled how Madara had humiliated him in his youth, the loss of the Rinnegan, and the attack on Iwagakure, Onoki ground his teeth in frustration.

At the same time, he felt relieved.

At least Iwagakure hadn't suffered as much damage as Cloud Village.

"Everyone, Uchiha Madara is not only a master of deception and schemes, but he is also a terrifyingly powerful enemy.

He already attacked Iwagakure and Cloud Village to retrieve his Rinnegan.

So what's next?"

Onoki's gaze swept across the room.

"Don't forget—if he truly intends to enact the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he needs all the Tailed Beasts.

Which means that all of our villages will be his next targets.

If we remain divided, he will pick us off one by one.

We must unite."

The destruction in Cloud Village was just the beginning.

If they didn't prepare now, the next battle for the Tailed Beasts would be far worse.

Only by forming a coalition could they stand a chance.

"But the Five Great Villages are scattered across the continent.

How exactly are we supposed to unite?"

Yagura raised a valid concern.

Was the plan to physically gather all their forces in one place?

Or was there another strategy?

The Third Raikage turned toward Tobirama.

With full confidence, Tobirama declared,

"My brother and I have already discussed this matter with the Raikage.

We all agree that the Five Great Villages must consolidate their strongest military forces—along with our Tailed Beasts."

"The Tailed Beasts must be gathered in one location and protected by the strongest shinobi from every village.

That is the only way to ensure their safety."

Clenching his open palm into a fist, Tobirama then turned toward Takuya.

"Takuya, you and Orochimaru provided extensive intelligence on Uchiha Madara.

I want to confirm one last time—are these reports accurate?

How strong is Madara, really?"

That was a tricky question.

Takuya clicked his tongue and put down his teacup.

"It's hard to describe.

The best way to put it?

He's invincible—basically, imagine the combined strength of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara… but taken one step further."

And that wasn't an exaggeration.

Madara had absorbed Hashirama's power, gained access to the Rinnegan, and elevated his abilities to an entirely new level.

In other words, he was the fusion of both legends.

"Of course, I could be wrong.

Since Madara hasn't actually shown the full extent of his power yet, we can't say for sure."

Just in case, Takuya added a disclaimer.

Better to give them a general idea rather than have them blame him later if things turned out even worse.

You're joking, right?

Even though Takuya had always emphasized how powerful Madara was, this was the first time he flat-out called him invincible.

The Third Raikage and Onoki were stunned.

Yagura, after processing it for a moment, rubbed his face in frustration.

How the hell are we supposed to fight that?!

"My power combined with Madara's?"

Hashirama scratched his head, feeling a bit weird about the description.

Tobirama's expression darkened even further.

"If Madara has fused with my brother's abilities, then he is essentially the perfect union of the Senju and Uchiha bloodlines.

He has already demonstrated that those under his control can use Wood Release—so if Madara himself can use it, that wouldn't be surprising."

"Ah… this is…"

Hashirama felt a little uneasy.

His greatest advantage had always been his Wood Release.

If Madara now had access to the same techniques, their next battle would look very strange.

"I refuse to believe that an invincible shinobi exists.

Even my brother had weaknesses.

If Madara appears invincible, it just means we don't have enough information."

Tobirama gritted his teeth.

"The most important thing right now is to consolidate the power of the Five Great Villages.

If we gather all the Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki in one location, Madara will come to us."

"Rather than running all over the continent trying to track him down, we should force him to come to us."

That raised another question.

Where would they gather the Tailed Beasts and military forces?

"I propose that we concentrate all our forces, Tailed Beasts, and Jinchuriki in Cloud Village," the Third Raikage stated.

That way, Cloud Village wouldn't have to take unnecessary risks transferring their Jinchuriki.

"Tsuchikage, Mizukage—what do you think?"

"I have no objections.

But… wouldn't moving the Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki make them vulnerable to attack?

If we're ambushed during the transfer, it could be disastrous."

Yagura, knowing he didn't have much say in these matters, decided to just go with the flow.

He was the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, after all.

It made more sense for him to stay close to powerhouses like Hashirama and Takuya rather than be isolated elsewhere.

Wow, Yagura, that was fast.

He might not have outright agreed, but he also didn't refuse.

Which left Onoki in an awkward position.

With Konoha's major figures and Jinchuriki already stationed in Cloud Village, and with Kirigakure offering no objections, what was he supposed to do?

Could he really oppose this on his own?

After a long silence, Onoki sighed.

"Fine. I'll agree.

But the real issue is—how do we transport the Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts safely?"

"We've already discussed that," the Third Raikage replied.

And at that, Onoki almost lost it.

Seriously?!

So you already worked everything out?!

Then why did you even bother calling us here?!

The Third Raikage turned toward Tobirama.

"Konoha will be responsible for transporting the Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts."

"…"

You two really like taking on big responsibilities, huh?

Takuya had been wondering why they even dragged him into this Five Kage Summit.

And now he had his answer.

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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01. 

DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING