Early autumn mornings were cool, even carrying a faint chill. Yet there was not the slightest hint of coolness here at this moment. The outcome of the battle against Moryo had caused the temperature in this area to rise sharply.
The volcano where the sealing altar had once stood had erupted completely, lava streaming in every direction. In the end, the entire volcano had collapsed. Fortunately, there were no villages or towns nearby.
Only the terrain had been altered to a certain extent.
Ueno Kei stood atop a high peak, gazing at the rising sun. Yet the gloom in his eyes refused to disperse. Just who was that mysterious masked man? Had he truly been behind the Nine-Tails incident? Most importantly, this mission could not be considered a complete success at all.
Moryo's body had been successfully destroyed, but its remaining soul had been taken away by that masked man! Who knew whether Moryo might be revived because of that?
"Ugh..." Ueno Kei let out a soft sigh. Every single matter was troublesome. Akatsuki was far too dangerous. Whether it was the strength of its members or their objectives, both were shaking the very foundations of the ninja world.
There was a need to convene a Five Kage Summit. No matter how much Ueno Kei disliked those other ninja villages, this was not the time to act on emotion. When there was a common enemy and shared interests, even gods could make deals with demons and join hands.
Not long afterward, Ueno Kei, Naruto, and Shion met up with the Cloud Ninja outside, along with Neji and the others.
But at the moment they met, Ueno Kei looked in surprise at the figure standing at the front of the crowd. He had not expected this person to come here—and judging