The Amegakure borders the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind. Although this operation was kept secret, both countries noticed some clues.
Before they could begin their investigation, the Northern Lands sent messengers to the Land of Earth and the Land of Water.
Fighting the Akatsuki is not just their responsibility; the entire Ninja World needs to get involved.
The messenger immediately requested to see the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. Since this was the first time such a request had been made, the Iwagakure ninja who was receiving him took it very seriously.
Putting aside the fact that the previous cooperation was very pleasant, they dared not refuse simply because the Golden Shadow had given them important instructions and requested a meeting with the Tsuchikage.
"What? You're saying you've launched an attack on Amegakure?"
In a luxurious reception room, Ōnoki was so excited upon hearing the news that he jumped up from his seat.
Even though he was a very old man with a calm and steady temperament, he was caught off guard by this news.
"Yes! We've confirmed that's the Akatsuki's headquarters. I'm sure you're familiar with this organization, right?"
The envoy in charge, Shiro, spoke slowly, and Ōnoki's face visibly darkened upon hearing the name.
Not only were they familiar with them, but they were also very well-known to them. Not long ago, two Jinchuriki from their village were taken down by them.
He originally thought this matter could be kept secret for a while, or at the very least for a year or two, but now it seems he was overthinking it.
This matter is probably no secret to some ninja villages, especially in the Northern Lands.
Ōnoki's face darkened even more, realizing that spies had infiltrated his own village.
Perhaps revealing some of his thoughts, Bai said unhurriedly:
"Tsuchikage, this is not the time to concern ourselves with such trivial matters. You are surely aware of the threat posed by the Akatsuki!"
Seeing that the other party was still somewhat unhappy, Bai continued to add fuel to the fire.
"If the Land of Earth can withstand the attack of all six Tailed Beasts at the same time, I take back what I just said!"
In this era of limited information and the absence of specialized intelligence gathering, even Ōnoki was unaware of the specific circumstances of the other ninja villages.
Many times, the major ninja villages would cover up such matters. The Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha, the theft of the tailed beasts from Sunagakure and Kirigakure, and even the deaths of their two Jinchūriki were only partially known to outsiders.
"Six... six Tailed Beasts... you're saying the Akatsuki have already captured six Tailed Beasts?"
Regardless of the era, the Tailed Beasts have always been an unavoidable issue for all the major ninja villages.
Seeing Ōnoki's surprised expression, Shiro nodded solemnly at him.
"It is imperative to unite all the major ninja villages to fight against the Akatsuki. We intend to do our utmost to facilitate a Ninja World alliance, which is also the purpose of my trip here!"
With the successful example of the Three Kage Summit, the Six Kage Summit will no longer be just empty talk, and the Great Ninja World Alliance will no longer be out of reach.
"This requires further consideration. You've come here representing the Northern Lands for more than just this, haven't you?"
Known for his stubbornness, Ōnoki wouldn't be easily swayed by a few words from the other party, and not only him, but all the other Kage were similar.
Expecting the major figures to sit down and have a calm conversation without the village's survival at stake is simply wishful thinking.
The Ninja World has been at war for over a hundred years, and each ninja village has many enemies, some of whom are sworn enemies. Forging an alliance is no easy task.
The only things that can make people set aside their prejudices, besides life and death, are interests.
So when Haku heard the Tsuchikage's question, the serious expression on his face relaxed slightly, and a kind smile appeared on his lips.
"As expected of the Lord Tsuchikage, I came here partly to give you a heads-up and prepare myself mentally for the Six Kage Summit!"
As he spoke, Bai took a document from the hand of the ninja accompanying him.
"On the other hand, to show our sincerity in this meeting, we can give away information about the Akatsuki at half price."
"This was something we, along with Konoha and Hidden Cloud Village, collected from Amegakure at a great cost. I'm sure the Lord Tsuchikage is quite interested in it, isn't he?"
Upon hearing that the information concerned the Akatsuki, Ōnoki frowned slightly, and his eyes sharpened.
Intelligence is crucial for every ninja village. Having intelligence and not having intelligence are completely different situations, leading to vastly different countermeasures and strategies.
The most direct evidence is the number of ninja casualties and the loss and consumption of resources.
"Hmph! It seems you planned this all along, treating me like a fat sheep!"
Ōnoki snorted and sat back down in his chair. If they were going to talk, it would probably be a long-winded negotiation. He didn't believe the other party's nonsense about it being a half-sale, half-gift.
He wouldn't be fooled by the clean-cut, harmless-looking young man in front of him.
"Ah, Tsuchikage, you are mistaken! We are very sincere; otherwise, there would be no need for us to personally deliver intelligence. Or you could try going to Amegakure yourself!"
Listen to this! Is this something a human being should say? Putting aside how much loss Iwagakure would suffer if they went it alone, they've already alerted the enemy. Letting them go now is clearly ill-intentioned.
Of course, he could immediately send troops to attack Amegakure, and the other Five Great Ninja Villages could also take such action, but why didn't anyone take the lead?
Nobody's a fool. Everyone understands the principle of "when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits," and they also have to be wary of being stabbed in the back.
I want you to be the one to take the lead, but you want me to be the one to take the lead. I don't trust you, and you don't trust me either.
This mentality will only prolong the time, and even if they know the enemy is there, no one will dare to make any rash moves.
The Akatsuki capitalized on this idea of the various ninja villages, and gradually grew stronger.
Orochimaru wanted to bring the Akatsuki into the open, so that everyone could sit down and discuss their ideas, forcing them to unite.
Otherwise, if they only think of this when they have a knife to their throat, it would be completely against Orochimaru's interests.
He couldn't guarantee that his appearance, or the appearance of the Northern Lands, would cause changes in the plot.
Therefore, he still needs to take the initiative and try his best to reverse the course of the Ninja World.
The two sides then discussed the price of information about the Akatsuki, Iwagakure successfully obtained the information by paying some resources.
The same scenario played out in Kirigakure, where Orochimaru sent Guren to negotiate with Mei Terumī. It's not unusual for information to be sold to two different people.
After all, these are all ancient ninja villages with a history of over a hundred years. Helping this emerging ninja village in the Northern Lands can be considered a form of poverty alleviation!
As for Orochimaru of Sunagakure, he can't get involved. It's believed that Tsunade will contact the other party without him even having to ask.
Konoha and Sunagakure have been cooperating for many years, and this matter concerns the safety of the Ninja World. It would be best if more people could share the burden and contribute their efforts.
Let's go back two days.
Itachi, who had been quietly waiting at the Uchiha Shrine, slowly opened his eyes.
After these days of recuperation, his body has returned to its best condition, and his state of mind has also been adjusted back.
"Judging by the days, it's about time!"
He picked up the letter again, read it once more, and then burned it.
After he finished doing all that, a short while later, a commotion was heard outside the shrine...