Iwagakure Office
Ōnoki floated before the wooden window. Suddenly, he frowned, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
His attention had been caught by a fleeting chakra cannon blast and dark red Lava Release in the distance.
"What was that?" Ōnoki narrowed his eyes, sensing something was wrong.
He recalled the news the intelligence department had recently received and thought that this was bad.
At that thought, he turned, beckoned to a guard, and gave him a few quiet instructions.
"Remember, assemble a squad immediately. You leave with me in five minutes."
With that, Ōnoki turned back to stare in the direction where the chakra cannon had just appeared.
His unease made him bob farther up and down, and his brow gradually tightened.
Recently, the Intelligence Organization had received intelligence that the Akatsuki was collecting tailed beasts. They had invaded Sunagakure, seized its jinchūriki, and killed the current Kazekage.
He thought of Roshi, who had left after arguing with him not long ago.
A sense of foreboding welled up inside him.
Ten minutes later,
Ōnoki and the others arrived where Roshi had fought Nagato and his companions.
Cooled lava covered the ground, along with scattered puppets and torn scraps of Akatsuki uniforms.
Ōnoki crouched and brushed his hand over the ground.
"The ground is still warm. The battle wasn't long ago."
His gaze followed the traces of battle until he saw a trail of black rods stretching toward the border.
Ōnoki turned back gravely and ordered, "Prepare for combat."
He clenched his fists.
If anything had happened to Roshi, he would fight the Akatsuki to the death.
Then he led the squad in pursuit along the trail of black rods.
As the squad advanced, Ōnoki saw devastation everywhere. Countless black rods pierced the ground, leaving nowhere to step.
Seeing the black rods grow increasingly dense, he knew Roshi might have exhausted his strength.
At the thought of what might have happened to Roshi,
Ōnoki gritted his teeth and forced out, "Move!"
A moment later.
Ōnoki found that the view ahead suddenly opened up. At the end of the black rods, he could faintly make out a figure lying face down.
He hurriedly controlled his Dust Release to fly over.
As the figure drew closer, the unease in Ōnoki's heart steadily grew.
This was-!
Roshi!
Roshi lay face down at the cliff's edge, his eyes still open in death, his body riddled with holes like a hornet's nest.
A flash of anger crossed Ōnoki's eyes. He swept his hand forcefully, using Dust Release to bring Roshi's body before him.
He crouched, reached out to close Roshi's eyes, then summoned several Stone Shinobi.
"Take Roshi's body back for burial. I also want all intelligence on the Akatsuki."
News of the Akatsuki collecting tailed beasts had presumably spread to every shinobi village by now. Villages with tailed beasts would certainly be on guard against them.
At that thought, Ōnoki suddenly remembered that Iwagakure had another jinchūriki and hurriedly turned back.
"Also, tell Hán not to take any missions for now. Stay put in the village. We'll decide what to do once I've joined forces with the major shinobi villages and dealt with the Akatsuki."
With that, he lowered his head to look at Roshi.
"Although we never got along, you were a major fighting force for our Iwagakure. I, Ōnoki, will never rest easy if this goes unavenged."
"Rest in peace."
Within a day, news of Iwagakure's ordeal spread through the major shinobi villages, alongside the similar news that had come from Sunagakure earlier.
Everyone in the villages with tailed beasts began to fear for their own safety.
The villages that had just lost to Konoha also began accelerating their alliances with Konoha in hopes of securing support.
The Kage of the shinobi villages went to Konoha to sign alliance agreements.
A Five Kage Summit was held at the same time.
Konoha, conference room.
The five Kage sat around a round table, with guards standing behind each of them.
The room was quiet and tense, with only the sound of pages turning.
Ōnoki propped his head on one hand as he read the intelligence on the table, his other hand tapping the tabletop continuously.
A, Kumogakure's Fourth Raikage, sat in his seat, unhurriedly leafing through the dossier in his hands.
His bronze face showed not the slightest ripple of emotion, bearing the indifference of someone uninvolved.
"In summary."
"I have finished reviewing the intelligence shared at this meeting. Given the Akatsuki's recent operations to capture tailed beasts, we in Kumogakure plan to recall our main forces to secure our village's defenses and ensure our jinchūriki's safety. As for the Tsuchikage's proposal for a joint extermination campaign, we have no strength to spare and cannot participate."
Crash!
The Raikage tilted his head slightly, dodging the teacup Ōnoki hurled at him.
The teacup smashed against the wall and shattered, leaving splashes of tea on it.
"Recall your main forces? Ensure their safety?!" Ōnoki's voice abruptly rose, his hand pounding the conference table with loud bangs.
"Your tailed beasts haven't suffered so much as a scratch, and you sit here with that damn look on your face as though none of this concerns you. Are you laughing at us?!"
"Once our villages have lost our tailed beasts, you'll be the Akatsuki's next target!"
"You can't escape this!"
Ōnoki's roar echoed through the conference room.
Growing increasingly agitated, he pointed a withered finger at A. "What gives you the right to stay out of this?!"
Violent chakra fluctuations surged from Ōnoki. The fingertip aimed at A lit up with Dust Release's distinctive white glow, and a dangerous aura abruptly filled the conference room.
Minato watched as the atmosphere reached the brink of violence.
He rubbed his forehead in distress.
With a flash of blue light, Minato appeared beside Ōnoki and pressed down his right hand, where Dust Release was gathering.
"Whatever you have to say, we can discuss it calmly."
Minato spoke gently.
"Ōnoki is right. Kumogakure cannot stay out of this." The speaker had green hair, purple eyes, and a stitched scar beneath his left eye.
"Our Kirigakure's Three-Tails has vanished. Presumably, the Akatsuki captured him."
"I, the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, agree with Ōnoki. We should join forces to wipe out the Akatsuki."
"Although I am only the Acting Kazekage, I must seek justice for my village. I agree to a joint campaign to destroy the Akatsuki."
A kept his eyes closed as he endured the three Kage's verbal attacks, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
"Enough!"
The shout rang out like an explosive clap of thunder.
Several dazzling blue arcs erupted around A. Violent Lightning Release chakra wrapped around his body, the lightning casting his face into a vicious grimace.
He gripped the chair's armrests, the lightning scorching the chair black.
A rose and pointed at Ōnoki.
"During the war, your Stone Shinobi surrounded my father for three days and nights! You trapped him and killed him. I'll never swallow that!"
A glared at Ōnoki, raising two fingers to point at him.
"Help your Iwagakure? I spit on that. You deserved to lose the Four-Tails!"
With that, A turned into a streak of lightning and smashed through the conference room doors.
Everyone stared at the violently destroyed doors. Molten iron dripped from the frame torn apart by lightning, sizzling as it landed on the carpet.
His anger interrupted, Ōnoki stared blankly at the seat A had occupied.
A's guards could only bow and apologize, asking Ōnoki to forgive their lord's temper, before turning to leave.
With no one left to vent his anger on, Ōnoki slumped in his seat, his thoughts unknown.
Seeing the meeting end on bitter terms, Minato could only sigh helplessly and speak gently to those present.
"Everyone, the alliance agreement requires all five Kage's signatures. Sorry for the trouble, but please spend a few days enjoying Konoha."
"Once the Raikage has cooled down, we can sign this agreement together."
In a dim corner of the conference room.
Black Zetsu had witnessed everything and let out a sinister cackle.
"These fools."
"You can be the ones to test Pero's true strength."
Before you continue