The Five Kage Summit (Seeking Traffic and Recommendations...)

Land of Iron, a massive circular conference room.

The atmosphere was as heavy as the deathly silence before a blizzard. The Five Kage—Hokage Naruto Uzumaki, Kazekage Gaara, Mizukage Chojuro, Tsuchikage Kurotsuchi, and Raikage A (his wounds unhealed, yet he insisted on attending)—along with their guards, were gathered here. The air was thick with anxiety, fury, and a sliver of fear that could not be concealed.

Scattered across the table was the latest intelligence on the "Branch" organization: Jinchuriki disappearing one after another, Tailed Beast chakra vanishing, a terrifying ocular jutsu suspected of copying ninjutsu, equipment with unknown long-range weapons, and efficient, brutal operations... Every detail was shocking.

"We cannot hesitate any longer!" The Fourth Raikage slammed his hand onto the table, causing the thick solid wood to crack into spiderweb-like fissures. Blood seeped faintly through the bandages on his chest, yet his presence remained ferocious. "This so-called 'Branch' organization already threatens the survival of the entire shinobi world! Their goal is clearly the Tailed Beasts! If we wait until they gather them all, it will be too late! We must form an Allied Shinobi Force immediately and annihilate them before they gain a foothold!"

"I agree with the Raikage's view." Gaara's voice was calm yet carried unquestionable firmness as he manipulated sand to form the emblem of the "Branch" organization on the table. "Their actions have exceeded the scope of a terrorist organization. The power and ambition displayed by their leader, Uchiha Sakuya, are comparable to Uchiha Madara of the past. The shinobi world must unite to respond."

Mizukage Chojuro adjusted his glasses, his tone more cautious: "Unity is necessary. But the enemy's movements are mysterious, their strength a riddle, especially that ocular jutsu capable of copying ninjutsu... To rush into war would likely result in immeasurable losses. Should we not prioritize reconnaissance and defense first to uncover their true nature and weaknesses?"

"Hmph, reconnaissance? By the time you finish your scouting, they might already be at our doorsteps!" Kurotsuchi scoffed, her tone carrying the characteristic toughness of Iwagakure. "Look at the Raikage's injuries! Look at the strongholds that have been breached! The enemy won't give us time to scout at our leisure! I support forming an Allied Force and crushing them with absolute power! With the five of us working together, are we really afraid of a hidden, skulking organization?"

"Kurotsuchi, calm down." Naruto spoke up. The sunshine of his past was gone, replaced by the heavy burden of being Hokage. "Raikage-ojisan, Gaara, I understand your concerns. However, an Allied Force is not such a simple matter. Command structure, troop deployment, logistics, trust between nations... these are all problems. Furthermore, the leader of 'Branch', Sakuya... he was once a ninja of Konoha, and his younger brother is still in the village... there may be hidden circumstances here that we are unaware of..."

"Hidden circumstances?!" The Raikage laughed in fury. "Naruto Uzumaki! This is no time for personal feelings! He is a rogue ninja! He is the enemy who captured at least five Tailed Beasts and severely wounded me! Are you going to go soft just because he was once from Konoha? Don't forget, he is also an accomplice of that bastard Uchiha Obito!"

"Raikage! Watch your tongue!" Kakashi, standing behind Naruto, warned coldly.

"Am I wrong?!" The Raikage did not back down. "It is because your Konoha keeps producing these monsters that the shinobi world suffers disaster after disaster! From Uchiha Madara to Obito, and now this Uchiha Sakuya! Konoha bears an inescapable responsibility!"

"You!" Naruto stood up abruptly, golden chakra leaking out involuntarily before he forcibly suppressed it. "Raikage-ojisan! Endless accusations won't solve the problem! I am sorry about Sakuya, but the priority now is to find a solution!"

"A solution? The solution is to fight!" the Raikage roared. "Recklessness will only lead to needless sacrifice!" Chojuro countered. "Being timid will only cause us to miss our chance!" Kurotsuchi retorted. "We need strategy, not brute force," Gaara attempted to mediate.

The meeting descended into a heated argument, with the Five Kage and their guards each holding their ground, refusing to yield. The cracks in trust, old historical grievances, and calculations of national interest were laid bare in that moment. The slogan of unity was shouted loudly, but true unity appeared so difficult to achieve.

Just as the argument reached a fever pitch, teetering on the edge of a bitter collapse—

Hum!

The space in the center of the conference room twisted violently without warning, forming a massive vortex!

"Who goes there?!" "Protect the Kage!" All the guards reacted instantly, shielding the Five Kage behind them as ninja tools were drawn and chakra erupted! The samurai of the Land of Iron outside the conference room also rushed in!

Before the horrified eyes of everyone, a figure slowly stepped out from that spatial vortex.

He wore a black robe with red clouds (a replica), covered by a white trench coat embroidered with the Uchiha clan crest and a bizarre mirror pattern. On his face was that iconic, swirl-shaped white mask, revealing only his right eye.

It was Uchiha Sakuya!

He appeared abruptly, arrogantly, as if returning to his own home, right there at the site of the Five Kage Summit, standing atop the round table that symbolized the highest power in the shinobi world, looking down at the Five Kage and their guards who were braced for battle.

"It seems I have arrived at just the right time." Sakuya's voice came through the mask, cold and calm, yet carrying a chilling pressure. "It saves me from having to go and notify you one by one."

"Uchiha Sakuya!" Naruto shouted sternly. "You have some nerve! How dare you trespass at the Five Kage Summit!"

"Nerve?" Sakuya chuckled, the sound filled with mockery. "Naruto Uzumaki, you are still so naive. Do you think that by arguing about this so-called 'unity' like you're in a marketplace, you can stop me?"

His gaze slowly swept across the livid Five Kage below.

"I have come to announce a few things." "First," he raised a hand and pointed to himself, "from this day forward, I, Uchiha Sakuya, am the leader of the 'Phantom'—the Phantom Village. I stand as an equal to you Five Kage."

Phantom? Phantom Village? Everyone was stunned; they had never heard of such a place!

As if to verify his words, outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the conference room, space twisted again, and a massive, mirage-like image was projected!

The image displayed the capital of a small nation formerly known as the Land of Birds. At this moment, the flag flying over the capital was no longer that of the Land of Birds, but a brand-new one with a pattern matching the back of Sakuya's trench coat—on a pitch-black background, a white Uchiha Gunbai and a shattered mirror were intertwined!

On the streets of the capital, "Branch" organization members wearing various animal or elemental masks, dressed in uniform attire and equipped with "handguns," could be seen patrolling everywhere. The crest of the former Land of Birds daimyo was trampled underfoot, and above the palace, ten powerful figures stood tall!

Although the "Mirror" of the Branch leading them wore a mask, their physique and those unique Sharingan (three-tomoe, played by Lian) were clearly visible! Behind them were the Branches of "Akatsuki," "Snake," "Scale," "Feather," "Flame," "Steel," "Ghost," "Beast," and "Corpse"! They stood like cold deities, overlooking the conquered land!

A processed voice of Sakuya (recorded in advance) echoed from the image, resounding throughout the capital and transmitting through the projection into the Five Kage conference room: "From this day forth, the Land of Birds no longer exists! This place is renamed 'Phantom Branch Village'! It is the foundation of my 'Branch'! Those who defy me shall be executed without mercy!"

The image cut off abruptly.

But the shock it brought left the entire Five Kage conference room in a deathly silence!

He had actually... actually conquered a nation! Killed the daimyo! Established his own ninja village?! This was an open subversion of the entire order of the shinobi world!

"You... you madman!" The Raikage was trembling with rage. "How dare you... how dare you commit such an act of treason!" Chojuro was also shocked and pale. "Unforgivable!" Killing intent boiled in Kurotsuchi's eyes. Gaara's brows were locked in a frown, sand flowing slowly around his body. Naruto stared fixedly at Sakuya, his fists clenched so tightly his nails nearly dug into his flesh.

"It seems you all understand now." Sakuya was quite satisfied with their reaction. "Then, I shall announce the second thing."

His voice suddenly became incomparably cold, containing monstrous killing intent and unquestionable majesty, like a final judgment:

"I, 'Phantom' Uchiha Sakuya, here represent the 'Phantom Branch Village' and formally declare to you—"

His finger pointed at the Five Kage below one by one.

"Konohagakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure—"

"War!"

"This war will decide who shall write the order of the future shinobi world!"

"Prepare yourselves, Kage. Despair is coming."

As his words fell, without waiting for the Five Kage and their guards to react, Sakuya stepped backward, merging once more into the twisted spatial vortex, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Only the silent conference room remained, along with five faces filled with shock, fury, and a sliver of indescribable fear.

The Five Kage Summit... had completely transformed into a declaration of war.

The dark clouds of a Great Shinobi War, due to Uchiha Sakuya's earth-shattering entrance and declaration, suddenly shrouded the entire world.