Mizukage's office.
After Araki pushed open the door and entered, he found that Hozuki Sengetsu had arrived ahead of him and was intently reading a scroll.
"What could possibly require the Mist Trio to be summoned here together?"
With that question in mind, Araki walked over to the Mizukage's desk.
"Take a look at this first. Don't be too scared."
Karatachi Yagura handed him a scroll, a mysterious smile on his baby-faced features.
"I'm a professionally trained shinobi. Under normal circumstances, I don't get scared."
Araki rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath as he accepted and unrolled the scroll.
"Hm? Konoha is requesting an alliance?"
The straightforward opening stunned Araki. "They're currently besieged on three sides. The only reason we haven't stabbed them while they're down is that we're building up our strength and waiting for the right moment. Do they really think our truce with them is for peace in the Shinobi World?"
"Don't rush. Keep reading."
Yagura's words temporarily suppressed Araki's urge to complain, and he continued reading.
"A crisis that will destroy the Shinobi World... monsters annihilated Kusagakure... the Great Toad Sage... the Child of Prophecy..."
Since he already knew many of these things in advance, he skimmed through them quickly and soon reached the end. Attached there was the original text of the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, presumably Konoha's gesture of sincerity.
"An endless Petrification Legion shall come from the west... Wherever it passes, not a blade of grass shall remain..."
"An immortal demon shall return across the sea, spreading a terrifying, bloody doctrine..."
"Countless fiends shall emerge from the Gate of Hell, rampaging across the land and leaving the people in misery..."
As Araki read these words, the memories in his mind gave him some guesses about the true identities of the so-called world-ending