Summer arrived in the Shinobi World, bringing not only scorching heat, but news that Konoha had been attacked by its own jinchūriki, destroyed overnight, and forced to flee en masse to Sunagakure!
The Cloud, Stone, and Mist were shaken. All three immediately entered Level One Alert, preparing for whatever might come!
At this moment, when every rustle set nerves on edge, the daimyo of the four nations—the Land of Wind, where Sunagakure stood, and the Lands of Earth, Lightning Release, and Water—all saw a perfect opportunity to conquer the Land of Fire in one stroke!
They actually disregarded the alliance agreement they had only recently signed and ordered the Great Shinobi Villages to march on the Land of Fire at once!
Fortunately, the Kage had fought shoulder to shoulder at the Five Kage Summit, forging deep strategic friendships. With a powerful common enemy lurking nearby, how could they obey their daimyo's foolish orders?
Thus, the four Kage took their most eloquent subordinates to their Daimyo’s Residence to explain the stakes. After several rounds of heated debate, they finally... brought up the name "Madara." Only then did those daimyo, concerned solely with immediate gains, learn to fear. They ordered the villages to hold their positions and the Kage to dispatch more elite jonin to guard their estates closely... and the Land of Fire narrowly escaped being carved up!
Afterward, Shixiu, the Fire Daimyo, sighed with lingering fear.
"The Hokage really did have foresight. If not for this Shinobi Alliance, the people of the Land of Fire would have suffered terribly..."
"Your Highness is most wise!"
"Speaking of which... is there still no word of the Hokage and Shikaku?"
"None yet."
"Ah... if only I hadn't sent them on that trip. Then those villains wouldn't have attacked them!"
"Please don't blame yourself,