The moment "Shihōin Naraku" spoke, the tense conference room fell silent.
This was the pressure exerted by the strongest man in the Shinobi World.
Even though it was Jiraiya disguised as Naraku, as long as no one saw through him, he could exercise Naraku's authority.
So the moment Jiraiya spoke-
Burūi automatically lowered his voice, while Kurotsuchi and Mei Terumi immediately sat up straight.
Seeing Jiraiya suppress the three Kage with his presence, Shikaku Nara stepped forward at Tsunade's signal and spoke.
"My lords and ladies."
"Konoha understands how you feel."
"You've all seen the value of the five nations' joint Chunin Ninja Exams," Shikaku said. "It's perfectly normal for everyone to want a chance."
"But the purpose of the joint Chunin Ninja Exams is to promote exchange between the five nations, to build connections between the villages through competition, and to replace confrontation with cooperation after the war."
"Surely none of you have forgotten that original intent?"
Tsunade took the opportunity to add, "If the second Chunin Ninja Exams turn into an all-out scramble for hosting rights, that's not what we want to see."
"Exactly."
Jiraiya swept his gaze over everyone. "There should be a fair set of rules for choosing the host, one that all sides can accept."
"It shouldn't go to whoever shouts the loudest, or whoever pounds the table the hardest."
Burūi opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, he merely gave a muffled grunt.
Kurotsuchi's eyes shifted, as though she were thinking of a new strategy.
Mei Terumi narrowed her eyes and remained silent in thought.
Jiraiya pressed the advantage. "I propose that the Five Kage jointly agree on a set of rules for selecting the second host."
"For example, a vote. Each village gets one vote, and the village with the