The show begins

The battle on the border of the Land of Water was like a giant meteor plunging into a tranquil lake, raising towering waves powerful enough to overturn the entire Shinobi World.

Kirigakure's last Six-Tails Jinchuriki had been carried off by the Akatsuki as easily as a chick.

The news seemed to have sprouted the swiftest wings, spreading across the Five Great Nations at an almost panicked speed.

Before this, the Mizukage had never faced the Akatsuki and had only a partial understanding of its strength from intelligence reports.

He had never thought the Akatsuki would be particularly difficult to deal with.

Yet this battle had made the Mizukage himself feel a trace of fear.

A letter handwritten by Mizukage Karatachi Yagura was urgently dispatched to Konoha, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure.

In the letter, Yagura described in detail the terrifying, utterly unreasonable power displayed by those two members of the Akatsuki.

In Kirigakure's name, he formally issued an urgent request for an allied force to the other four Kage, calling on the Five Great Shinobi Villages to put aside all prejudice, suspicion, and hatred, unite, and jointly eliminate the Akatsuki, the Public Enemy of the Shinobi World that was about to devour everything.

After the letters arrived, an emotion called "fear" rapidly spread among the leadership and intelligence departments of the major Shinobi Villages.

The Akatsuki, a pacifist organization that had once existed only in intelligence files, had suddenly become active throughout the Shinobi World for some unknown reason, and had now proven through its actions just how sharp its fangs were.

Because of their ambition.

In just a few short months, the Tailed Beasts of four major Shinobi Villages-Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Konoha, and Kirigakure-had been seized one after another, and even the Kazekage had lost his life over it.

This was no longer a simple provocation. It was an insult to the entire existing order of the shinobi world!

Their dignity had been thrown to the ground and trampled mercilessly.

The leaders of the major Shinobi Villages could no longer sit still.

Another Five Kage Summit would be held in Konoha!

This time, they brought some of their elite forces. This was not merely an ordinary meeting; it might be the prelude to war.

Soon, Iwagakure's Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Sunagakure's Acting Kazekage, and Mizukage Yagura, who had just suffered a crushing loss, each personally led a contingent of their village's finest shinobi toward the Land of Fire.

They stationed their troops near Konoha's border, assuming a posture of readiness for war at any moment, while the three Kage went on ahead with their guards, hurrying toward Konoha with grave expressions.

For a time, the entire Shinobi World was on edge, and the atmosphere of impending war weighed on everyone until they could barely breathe.

Konoha, the Hokage's office.

The sunset's lingering glow streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the room in a dusky yellow hue.

Minato Namikaze sat behind the Hokage's desk, the symbol of the village's highest authority. He wore the Fourth Hokage's Hokage Robe, and his golden hair shone especially brightly in the light.

Several urgent documents lay piled in front of him, but he did not look at them. He merely watched the old man sitting on the sofa opposite him in silence.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, slumped into the soft sofa, looking as though he had aged ten years.

He was not wearing his Hokage hat, his graying hair was somewhat disheveled, and he tightly gripped his signature pipe amid curling smoke.

"Minato, have you really made up your mind?" Hiruzen turned and spoke in a hoarse voice.

His clouded eyes were filled with exhaustion.

"Back then, it was because the Third Shinobi World War had left the village so desperately short of fighting strength that we had no choice but to send so many underage children onto the battlefield."

"We won the Battle of Kikyo Pass, but how many young lives did we sacrifice? It went against Lord First's original intention in founding Konoha."

He tapped the end of his pipe against the sofa's armrest, producing a dull thud.

"I felt guilty, which was why I handed the position of Hokage over to you, hoping you could lead the village toward true peace."

"But now, before Konoha has even recovered from the wounds of war, you want to lead us into another war against the Akatsuki?"

"Minato, we cannot sustain another large-scale war!"

Minato listened quietly to Hiruzen. He could understand the old man's concerns.

He had not told Hiruzen that he had already sided with Pero.

"Lord Third, I understand your concerns." Minato's voice was gentle but firm.

"But the Akatsuki is different. According to the intelligence we currently have, they are collecting Tailed Beasts to rule the entire Shinobi World through absolute military force, or perhaps even for some more terrifying purpose, such as... destroying the world."

"This is no longer a question of whether we want to fight. The arrow is on the string; we have no choice but to loose it. If we back down now and let them gather all the Tailed Beasts, neither you nor I can guarantee what will ultimately become of the Shinobi World."

"For the sake of peace and Konoha, we must stop them before they complete their plan."

Hearing Minato's words, Hiruzen grew agitated. He abruptly rose from the sofa, walked up to the desk, and planted both hands on its surface, looking down at Minato.

"Minato, I have already made this mistake once! Are you going to make it again?"

Minato remained seated in the Hokage's chair. He slowly raised his head, his azure eyes meeting Hiruzen's gaze calmly.

"Right now, I am the Hokage!"

"You'll be the death of this old man... I'm absolutely furious..." Shaking his head, he turned and stormed toward the office door, grumbling as he went.

Just as he was about to close the door behind him, he stopped, gave Minato a long look, and left him with a single sentence.

"You will regret this."

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

Minato looked at the tightly shut door. The authority on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by a trace of helplessness.

As expected of the Third.

This act wasn't easy to pull off. I nearly gave myself away.

Just then, a figure appeared inside the office with the Body Flicker Technique and knelt on one knee.

It was a shinobi from the intelligence department.

"Lord Hokage, the Stone Shadow, Sand Shadow, and Mizukage are on their way to Konoha with their guards. They are expected to arrive in an hour. Their main forces have already stationed themselves near the border, as you instructed."

"What about the Raikage?" Minato asked, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the desk.

"No news yet. Kumogakure seems to have imposed an intelligence blackout. Our people cannot ascertain the Raikage's movements, but a few squads did leave Kumogakure not long ago."

"I see..." Minato nodded thoughtfully.

Minato waved a hand, signaling for the Anbu to withdraw.

He slowly rose and walked to the window, clasping his hands behind his back as he looked down over Konoha, peaceful and ablaze with lights.

In his eyes, this village, and even the entire Shinobi World, was nothing more than an enormous stage.

And now, the actors were taking their places one after another.

"Mr. Pero's show is about to begin."