Five Kage Summit

The Land of Iron, a vast, circular conference room.

The atmosphere was as silent and heavy as the calm before a blizzard. The Five Kage—Hokage Naruto Uzumaki, Kazekage Gaara, Mizukage Chojuro, Tsuchikage Kurotsuchi, and Raikage A (whose injuries had yet to heal, but who had insisted on attending)—and their guards had gathered here. Anxiety, anger, and a trace of barely concealed fear hung in the air.

Scattered across the table were the latest reports on the "Sasuga" organization: Jinchūriki disappearing one after another, Tailed Beast Chakra vanishing, a terrifying eye technique that could apparently copy ninjutsu, unknown long-range weapons, and ruthlessly efficient operations... Every detail was alarming.

"We can't hesitate any longer!" The Fourth Raikage slammed his hand on the table. The thick hardwood split instantly with web-like cracks. Blood seeped faintly through the bandages on his chest, but his presence remained as ferocious as ever. "This so-called 'Sasuga' organization is already threatening the survival of the entire Shinobi World! Their goal is clearly the Tailed Beasts! If they gather them all, it'll be too late! We must form an allied force immediately and wipe them out before they grow too powerful!"

"I agree with the Raikage." Gaara's voice was calm, but carried an undeniable conviction. He manipulated sand to form the "Sasuga" organization's emblem on the table. "Their actions have gone beyond those of a terrorist organization. The power and ambition displayed by their leader, Uchiha Shuoyue, rival those of Uchiha Madara in his prime. The Shinobi World must unite against them."

Mizukage Chojuro adjusted his glasses, his tone more cautious. "An alliance is necessary. But their whereabouts are elusive, and their strength is a mystery—especially that eye technique capable of copying ninjutsu... If we rush into war, the losses could be incalculable. Shouldn't we focus on reconnaissance and defense first, so we can learn their capabilities and weaknesses?"

"Hmph, reconnaissance? By the time you've finished investigating, they could already be at your doorstep!" Kurotsuchi snorted, her tone carrying Iwagakure's characteristic toughness. "Look at the Raikage's injuries! Look at the outposts they've overrun! They won't give us time to investigate at our leisure! I'm in favor of forming a joint force to crush them with overwhelming strength! With all Five Kage working together, are we really afraid of one organization that hides its face?"

"Kurotsuchi, calm down." Naruto spoke. The sunlight of his usual smile was gone, replaced by the gravity of the Hokage. "Uncle Raikage, Gaara, I understand your concerns. But forming an alliance isn't that simple. Command authority, troop deployment, supplies, trust between nations... These are all problems. And Sasuga's leader, Shuoyue... he was once a shinobi of Konoha, and his younger brother is still in the village... There may be circumstances we don't know about..."

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

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

"Am I wrong?!" The Raikage refused to back down. "It's because your Konoha keeps producing monsters like these that the Shinobi World has suffered disaster after disaster! From Uchiha Madara to Obito, and now this Uchiha Shuoyue! Konoha bears undeniable responsibility!"

"You!" Naruto sprang to his feet. Golden chakra spilled out uncontrollably, but he forced it back down. "Uncle Raikage! Pointing fingers won't solve anything! I'm sorry about Shuoyue, but what matters now is finding a solution!"

"A solution? The solution is to fight!" the Raikage roared. "Recklessness will only lead to needless sacrifices!" Chojuro retorted. "Hesitating will make us miss our chance!" Kurotsuchi shot back. "What we need is strategy, not brute force." Gaara tried to mediate.

The meeting erupted into heated arguments. The Five Kage and their guards each stood their ground, none willing to yield. The cracks in their trust, old grudges, and calculations of national interests were all laid bare. They spoke loudly of unity, but true cooperation seemed impossibly difficult.

Just as the argument reached its peak, on the verge of ending in a bitter stalemate—

Hum!

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

"Who's there?!" "Protect the Kage!" The guards reacted at once, shielding the Five Kage as weapons flashed from their sheaths and chakra burst forth! The Iron Country samurai outside the room rushed in as well!

As everyone watched in shock, a figure slowly stepped out of the spatial vortex.

He wore a black cloak patterned with red clouds, a replica, beneath a white coat embroidered with the Uchiha Clan Crest and a strange mirror design. His face was covered by that distinctive white, spiral-patterned mask, which revealed only his right eye.

It was Uchiha Shuoyue!

He appeared out of nowhere, arrogantly, as though he were entering his own home. He stood atop the round table, symbol of the Shinobi World's highest authority, and looked down at the Five Kage and their guards, who were braced for battle.

"Looks like I came at just the right time." Shuoyue's voice came through the mask, cold and calm, yet filled with a pressure that sent a chill down everyone's spine. "Now I won't have to go find you one by one to deliver the news."

"Uchiha Shuoyue!" Naruto shouted. "You've got some nerve, barging into the Five Kage Summit!"

"Nerve?" Shuoyue chuckled, his laugh full of mockery. "Naruto Uzumaki, you're still as naive as ever. Do you think arguing like fishmongers about your so-called 'alliance' will stop me?"

His gaze slowly swept over the Five Kage, their faces livid.

"I'm here to announce a few things." "First," he said, pointing to himself, "from today onward, I, Uchiha Shuoyue, am Phantom, the leader of the Phantom Village. I stand on equal footing with the Five Kage."

Phantom? Phantom Village? Everyone froze. They had never heard of either!

As if to prove his words, the enormous window on one side of the conference room showed space twisting again. A huge image appeared, like a mirage!

It showed the capital of a small country once known as the Land of Birds. The flag flying above the capital was no longer that of the Land of Birds, but a new one, bearing the same design as the back of Shuoyue's coat: a black field with a white Uchiha Gunbai crossed with a shattered mirror!

Throughout the city streets, members of the "Sasuga" organization patrolled in uniform, wearing animal or elemental masks and carrying Handguns. The crest of the former daimyo of the Land of Birds lay trampled underfoot. Ten powerful figures stood proudly atop the palace!

The "Mirror" Branch leader at the front wore a mask, but his build and distinctive Sharingan, with three Tomoe, were clearly visible. Lian was playing the part! Behind him stood the "Akatsuki," "Snake," "Scale," "Feather," "Flame," "Steel," "Ghost," "Beast," and "Corpse" Branch leaders! Like cold deities, they looked down upon the conquered land!

Shuoyue's processed voice, prerecorded, rang out across the city and through the projection into the Five Kage Summit's conference room: "From this day onward, the Land of Birds no longer exists! This place shall be renamed Phantom Branch Village! It will be the foundation of my 'Sasuga'! Those who defy us will be killed without mercy!"

The image abruptly vanished.

But the shock it left behind plunged the entire conference room into deathly silence!

He had actually... actually conquered a country! Killed its daimyo! Established his own hidden village?! This was an open challenge to the order of the entire Shinobi World!

"You... you madman!" The Raikage trembled with rage. "How dare you... commit such an outrageous crime!" Chojuro was equally stunned. "Unforgivable!" Murderous intent blazed in Kurotsuchi's eyes. Gaara's brow furrowed as sand slowly swirled around him. Naruto stared hard at Shuoyue, fists clenched so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his flesh.

"Looks like you understand now." Shuoyue seemed quite pleased with their reaction. "Then let me announce the second thing."

His voice suddenly turned ice-cold, filled with overwhelming killing intent and unquestionable authority, like a final judgment:

"I, Uchiha Shuoyue, Phantom, hereby represent Phantom Branch Village and formally declare war on—"

He pointed at each of the Five Kage below.

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

"War!"

"This war will decide the future order of the Shinobi World—and who gets to write it!"

"Prepare yourselves, Kage. Despair is coming."

Without waiting for the Five Kage or their guards to react, Shuoyue stepped backward and merged into the twisting spatial vortex. In an instant, he had vanished without a trace.

Only the silent conference room remained, along with five faces filled with shock, fury, and a hint of fear too difficult to name.

The Five Kage Summit had become a declaration of war.

The clouds of a great Shinobi World War had suddenly covered the entire world, all because of Uchiha Shuoyue's earth-shattering entrance and declaration.