Inside the Golden Shadow Office, two long tables were filled with ninjas dressed in white, numbering at least twenty.
At the head of the long table sat a ninja dressed in the same manner, but his white hair and white Byakugan made him seem extraordinary at first glance.
This person was none other than Orochimaru, who had been in seclusion for three years.
This appearance only changed after he was promoted to Ōtsutsuki. If it weren't for that familiar aura, others might not have recognized him as Orochimaru.
His appearance and demeanor have changed so much that even Tsunade and Jiraiya, who know him best, probably wouldn't recognize him.
Although everyone present was curious, they all knew that this was not the right time, and no one was foolish enough to ask at this moment.
"Is everyone here?"
Orochimaru propped his elbows on the conference table, propped his face up with his palms, and lazily surveyed everyone present.
Everyone who met his gaze straightened their backs. Orochimaru could do as he pleased, but they dared not imitate him.
You can be as easygoing as you want in private, but you still have to be careful in formal occasions. Even Kakuzu and Deidara, who are usually unserious, have to behave properly.
"Everyone's here! All the cadres and leaders from various departments in the Northern Lands are here!"
Pakura, who was in charge of coordinating the meeting, finally sat down to Orochimaru's left and right, indicating that the meeting could begin.
Orochimaru did not hesitate and placed his hands on the table to begin the meeting.
"For the next year, the Northern Lands will enter a state of combat readiness. All departments must coordinate and organize well to serve the ninjas with all their might!"
This statement caused quite a stir, and everyone present looked at each other in bewilderment.
Those who were further away whispered among themselves, which was all within Orochimaru's expectations. After all, meetings are for discussion, and it shouldn't be a one-man show.
"Sir, are we preparing for war?"
Deidara was the first to ask; having not had a mission for so long, no one knew how much he was suffering.
The others also focused their attention on Orochimaru, all wanting to know the reason.
Faced with pairs of eyes that were filled with excitement, doubt, or worry, Orochimaru didn't keep them in suspense.
"The Ninja World will be in turmoil in the coming year; a ninja war may even break out at the end of this year or next year!"
"Ah...?!"
"Is it true? Is the Fourth Great Ninja War coming?"
"Which ninja village is about to give in again?"
This news was indeed quite surprising to them, but upon closer examination, it was both unexpected and reasonable.
Many of the people here have experienced the Ninja Wars, some even more than once, such as Kakuzu, Mifune, and Kazahana Dōtō, who are all elderly.
They just couldn't have imagined that in just over twenty years, the Ninja War would start again. Indeed, war is the norm in the Ninja World.
"Quiet!"
Pakura tapped his finger on the table, signaling everyone to be quiet. Upon hearing the sound, everyone immediately fell silent.
"Lord Gold Kage, is this information reliable? Who is the enemy?"
Sitting opposite Pakura Hozuki Mangetsu voiced the question that had been on everyone's mind. Even without them asking, Orochimaru would give them an explanation, otherwise his baseless accusations would not convince the public.
"This ninja war will be larger in scale than any before, involving Five Great Nations..."
Next, Orochimaru began to recount the information he could share in the current environment, since many things had not yet happened and he would not exaggerate or scare people.
Overthinking about the future is tantamount to killing your present self!
"The Akatsuki? Is there still such a powerful organization in the Ninja World?"
Even the usually composed Kakuzu couldn't help but speak up after hearing this. Although he wasn't fond of fighting, he was very eager for a strong opponent.
In his spare time in the village, Kakuzu would spar with Hozuki Mangetsu, but after a while, he knew them all well and felt that something was missing.
Orochimaru looked meaningfully at his younger brother, who was completely devoted to the organization in the Original Work, and the latter became uncomfortable under his gaze.
"I can't say much about the specifics of this organization right now, and you don't have to believe me even if I do, but there will definitely be big moves coming in the next year!"
Orochimaru picked up a glass of water to moisten his throat and continued:
"Their target is the Tailed Beasts of each village, and their ultimate goal is to use the power of the Tailed Beasts to unify the Ninja World!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd began to discuss it again, and their gazes eventually drifted, intentionally or unintentionally, to Fu Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, who was sitting at the end of the room.
Fu, who was already a little uneasy about being called to this meeting, turned slightly pale when she heard the news that was directed at her.
Although we don't yet know the strength of the Akatsuki, they must be something extraordinary to have the Golden Kage holding a meeting to discuss it.
Just as she was feeling uneasy, a small, fair hand grasped hers.
"Don't worry! Now that you know their purpose, you must have already made preparations."
Sure enough, Orochimaru's voice came again at that moment.
"For the next year, Xiao Fu, you will stay in the village. You will be responsible for protecting Ajisai."
The Ajisai has now learned the Flying Thunder God, although it's only at the beginner level and she hasn't mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique: Second Step yet. However, she can still Teleportation or Teleportation others a few times.
She was only one layer of protection; the Shadow Guard's covert protection was the most important.
Upon receiving the instructions, Ajisai, who was standing next to Xiaofu, nodded quickly. Only then did the others realize why these two had been called to the meeting.
Although their identities are somewhat special—one is Jinchuriki and the other has mastered Space-Time Ninjutsu —they are only Special Jonin and have not touched the core of power in the Northern Lands.
"The enemy is likely to come with great force against the Seven-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails. I allow you to Complete Tailed Beast Transformation if you are under threat!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the entire room fell silent. There was no discussion or whispering. Everyone looked at Xiao Fu with a hint of surprise.
Xiao Fu, the person involved, was also shocked by the news. Over the years, although she and Chōmei had a good relationship, they were still a little far from being completely reconciled and becoming Perfect Jinchuriki.
If you're mentally prepared and have informed someone with the same name beforehand, that's fine. But if he suddenly Tailed Beast Transformation, it's not easy to control his temper.
Especially in villages, if someone really goes berserk, the consequences can be severe; the Nine-Tails of Konoha is an example.
As if sensing the worry in everyone's eyes, Orochimaru smiled.
"Don't worry! As long as Xiaofu is still in the village, there won't be any trouble. Even if the Jinchuriki riots, it won't matter! Besides, none of you here should be afraid of the Tailed Beasts, right?"
Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized, "Yes! Not to mention that their Golden Shadow strength is unfathomable, even these core members have the strength of Kage Level or near- Kage Level."
A mere Tailed Beasts is not enough to scare them; they should be more concerned about the enemies that will attack later.
"That being said, the village still needs to form an emergency response team. Kisame will be in charge of this, and personnel can be drawn from the Shadow Guard or the Military Police Force!"
Kisame nodded in response to the instructions, as he was capable enough to take on the job.
Finally, Orochimaru mentioned some plans regarding the preparation of an army, strengthening ninja training, and improving ninja strength.
He wasn't just going to deal with the Akatsuki; he didn't even care about Six Paths Madara Six Paths Obito, or Kaguya.
Orochimaru's goal is to use the momentum of the Fourth Great Ninja War World War to ensure that the Ninja World has only one voice!