"The Third Shinobi World War is long over. Dragging up old grievances now will only make us a laughingstock. Wouldn't you agree, Tsuchikage?"
"We all went to war prepared to die protecting our villages. There's no shame in dying for your village, or even doing things you never wanted to do for its sake."
Minato tapped the table to draw everyone's attention, then put the matter to rest with a few words.
"Nicely said, Minato." Shikaku Nara chuckled to himself. "If they think our Fourth Hokage is easy to push around just because he's handsome, they're underestimating Konoha."
Still, Shikaku Nara felt the summit would have gone much more smoothly if Kazan were there.
Kazan had handled the last meeting with the Cloud Shinobi. He had put them under so much pressure they could barely breathe.
It had been Konoha's toughest negotiation since the village had gained real strength.
"I called the Five Kage together for this Second Five Kage Summit for one reason."
"To unite the Five Great Shinobi Villages against a powerful enemy who could appear at any moment."
A powerful enemy?
The three Kage exchanged glances. White Zetsu, disguised as the Fourth Mizukage, looked over as well.
"A powerful enemy? With the Ghost God, the strongest of this generation, Konoha still needs—"
"Madara Uchiha!"
"What?"
Ōnoki bristled at being cut off mid-sentence. But the moment Minato Namikaze spoke that name, his heart jolted. His unease rapidly turned to fear.
"What did you say? Is this some new joke going around the Shinobi World? Madara Uchiha has been dead for decades!"
Of everyone present, Ōnoki was the last person who wanted to hear Madara Uchiha might still be alive.
The two most humiliating moments of his life had come courtesy of Madara Uchiha and Kazan.
Even Rasa, who