Shihōin Naraku's firm rejection of Mei Terumi's proposal brought the atmosphere in the conference room to a standstill.
No one spoke for a long while.
Kurotsuchi was the first to break the silence. "...Lord Hokage does have a point."
"Against an enemy like the Ōtsutsuki Clan, even greater numbers wouldn't make much difference."
Gaara nodded. "Indeed. A larger team isn't necessarily better. Sometimes, a smaller team can hide and withdraw more easily."
Mei Terumi let out a soft breath and leaned back in her chair, her tone betraying no emotion. "I understand. Since Lord Hokage has considered this so thoroughly, I can withdraw my proposal."
With Mei Terumi withdrawing her proposal, the air in the conference room seemed to flow again, and the atmosphere grew considerably more relaxed.
"Since we've reached a consensus on the size of the Search Team, we can proceed with the meeting."
Shikaku's voice carried clearly around the conference table. "This topic concerns the fundamental stance and actions of our Five Great Shinobi Villages when facing the Ōtsutsuki Clan going forward."
"Before this, we submitted basic intelligence on the Ōtsutsuki Clan to each village over time."
"Today, I'd like to build on that with a more systematic explanation. Not about what was discovered in the ruins, but about what the Ōtsutsuki Clan actually is."
The Five Kage all turned their attention to Shikaku, waiting for him to continue.
"Based on all the intelligence we've gathered so far, the memories of those who experienced the Fourth Shinobi World War firsthand, and the rubbings of documents unearthed in the recent excavation of the ruins, we can reach a very clear and very brutal conclusion..."
"The Ōtsutsuki Clan are not humans from this world."
The Five Kage, who had already anticipated and suspected this, showed little reaction.
The clues