Snow drifted down from the sky onto the cold steel buildings. The hall built specifically for the Five Kage Summit felt especially deserted that day.
Only three chairs stood occupied around the circular conference table-Konoha, Sunagakure, and the Land of Iron.
The seats for Iwagakure and Kumogakure were empty, and a thin layer of snow had settled on the tabletop.
Namikaze Minato sat in Konoha's seat, tapping his fingers lightly against the table.
Jiraiya stood behind him, his expression grave. Across from them, Sunagakure's representatives were not the Kazekage, but Granny Chiyo and her younger brother, Ebizo.
Mifune, general of the Land of Iron, sat upright at the head of the table, one hand resting on his sword hilt, as silent as a statue.
"Thank you both for coming on such short notice."
Minato spoke, his voice echoing through the empty hall. "The situation is grave. We must share our intelligence."
"Share intelligence?" Granny Chiyo sneered. "Minato, how much has Konoha been hiding?
"Those 'Arrancar' and 'Soul Reapers' who suddenly appeared, and those so-called 'Ōtsutsuki'-they're all Konoha's allies, aren't they? Since when did Konoha become a mouthpiece for these visitors from another world?"
"They are not my allies. They are threats," Minato said calmly.
"The very reason I called this meeting is that Konoha has also suffered attacks at their hands.
"As you should all know, Uchiha Ryūha, who attacked Konoha three months ago, is the leader of these forces."
Ebizo adjusted his glasses. "But according to our intelligence, Uchiha Ryūha was not the only one who attacked Konoha.
"Those silver-haired 'Arrancar' in white, as well as the black-clad 'Soul Reapers,' also appeared on the battlefield.
"And after suffering such devastating damage, Konoha managed to restore order within a month-it's hard not to wonder whether Konoha reached some sort of