Before Leaving

This time, the Five Great Nations had gained nothing from the expedition. They had even lost a large number of ninja, and most importantly, Uchiha Chen had shaken the resolve of nearly every ninja and civilian.

If they kept fighting this war, they would not only gain nothing—they might even lose their grip on power. Under Uchiha Chen's influence, the position of each village's Kage had become precarious.

The people of the Five Great Nations returned to their villages with their subordinates, crestfallen. Having suffered defeat, all they could do was wait quietly for Chen's next move.

They believed Chen would not stop at a few words. He must have some other major move in mind that they knew nothing about.

Sure enough, two days later, Chen used Amegakure's broadcast network to announce a message to the world.

Chen declared that he would soon unite the entire Ninja World. He sent invitations to the daimyo of every country and the leaders of every ninja village, "inviting" them to discuss matters concerning the countries after unification.

The announcement immediately set every country on edge. They had known for some time that Chen would make a move, but they had not expected him to act so quickly.

No country dared refuse to attend. Chen already had the strength to subdue the Ninja World, and, more importantly, this meeting would completely reshuffle the balance of power.

No country dared take it lightly. What if every other country attended except theirs? They would not only miss out on their share, but also incur the hostility of the other countries. Their own civilians might not understand, either.

After this expedition, no ruler dared underestimate the power of the people.

This was especially true of the small countries without established ninja villages. They were even less