The heavy snow in the Land of Iron continued to fall, showing signs of growing ever heavier, much like the increasingly tense and severe situation. Within the venue, where banners of water, fire, wind, lightning, and earth hung overhead, the Five Kage and their respective guards were already armed and prepared for battle.
They were, respectively: Araki and Oyashiro En from Kirigakure; Sasori of the Red Sands and Pakura from Sunagakure; Killer B and Oroi from Kumogakure; Roshi and Han from Iwagakure; and Tsunade and Uzumaki Kushina from Konoha.
It was clear that, aside from Kumogakure, whose replacement personnel had been of lower caliber due to the unexpected loss of the Third Raikage, the guards standing behind every Kage could be considered among the five strongest in their respective villages.
Outside the venue stood equally formidable experts such as Kisame Hoshigaki and Hikō, along with a large number of elite samurai from the Land of Iron.
Such an arrangement could be called an inescapable net.
The only question was what kind of fish would soon be caught in it.
Time passed second by second. Outside the window, the cold wind let out wave after wave of wailing howls, while the blizzard grew increasingly violent.
Yet the people inside the venue seemed wholly unaffected. The Five Kage rested with their eyes closed in their respective seats, while the ten guards behind them watched their surroundings with utmost concentration.
For people like them, waiting quietly for the right moment was merely a fundamental skill everyone had to master.
Suddenly, a shout came from outside the venue. "They're here!"
It was Tokuma Hyuga, who had been observing with his Byakugan activated.
As his voice entered the room, the Five Kage opened their eyes at the same time. Some were deep as the abyssal