Chapter 13: Shadow Talks
The Land of Iron, a nation of samurai rather than shinobi, stood isolated in the freezing north, its lands blanketed in heavy snow year-round. Bordered by the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Lightning, it remained one of the few neutral territories in the ninja world. It was this very neutrality that made it the perfect location for the Five Kage Summit.
At the border of the Land of Fire, Sasuke and the rest of Taka sprinted across the frozen landscape, the wind biting at their skin as they approached Iron Country's borders.
"Huh?" Karin stopped suddenly, her brow tightening. "Unknown chakra signature ahead."
Everyone came to a halt.
Swish.
Thousands of paper butterflies fluttered from the treetops, twisting in the air until they formed a human figure floating midair. Konan's sharp eyes looked down on them, expression calm and cold.
"This path is closed."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "That cloak… Akatsuki."
Suigetsu tilted his head toward Zetsu. "One of yours?"
Zetsu's tone changed. "Konan! You already betrayed us! Why are you here?!"
"This organization was Yahiko's creation. It was stolen by you. I'll wear this cloak as long as I breathe," Konan answered flatly.
"Tch… didn't expect her to get involved," Zetsu muttered.
Sasuke stepped forward, hand on his sword. His Mangekyo twisted silently into view. "Not your ally, huh. Then I'll kill her."
Zetsu didn't object. "Fine by me. Cleaning up traitors? Go ahead."
Without another word, Sasuke vanished forward. The sky turned white with fluttering sheets of paper.
A rain of paper spears poured from above.
"Scatter!" Jugo shouted.
They leapt in different directions as the barrage slammed into the snowy ground.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Sasuke deflected the paper spears with his sword, cutting through the sharp barrage, but Konan's jutsu blanketed the field with unrelenting force.
As he swung the blade upward, his left eye locked onto Konan's silhouette in the air. A thin line of blood slipped down his cheek.
His pupil twisted.
Amaterasu.
Black flames roared to life around Konan's figure. Her paper body ignited in a blaze, and the rain of paper stopped.
"The unquenchable black fire… Amaterasu. Same as Itachi…"
Konan's body burned, falling away into ash.
But as the flames flickered out, dozens of identical Konans appeared in the air. Paper floated, danced, multiplied.
Jugo narrowed his eyes. "That was just a clone?"
Sasuke didn't flinch. "Karin. Where's the real one?"
Karin formed a quick seal, eyes closing in focus. After a moment, she shook her head. "I can't tell. All their chakra feels exactly the same."
"Her ability is annoying," Zetsu muttered. "Sasuke, don't waste too much chakra. You've got a real fight waiting."
Sasuke stared at the sky. "Then I'll just burn everything."
More black fire erupted across the air.
Flames devoured the paper clones one by one.
Karin stood quietly behind him. She'd been watching him closely ever since Danzo became Hokage. His chakra had changed. It wasn't just darker—it felt colder. Emptier.
High above, past the curtain of snow-covered peaks, the Five Kage Summit was already underway.
Banners of the five great nations were raised—Wind, Fire, Earth, Lightning, and Water. At a round table carved from solid stone, five leaders faced each other.
The Fourth Raikage, tall and furious in posture.
The Fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei, graceful and sharp-eyed.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, small and hunched but quick-witted.
The Fifth Kazekage, Gaara, calm and unreadable.
And sitting with the most rigid formality, the Sixth Hokage—Danzo.
The bodyguards stood behind a thick curtain, watching in silence, ready to move at the first sign of danger.
At the head of the table sat Mifune, General of the Iron Country, flanked by two samurai—Chongsuke and Lijiao.
But those two weren't samurai at all.
They were Naruto and Orochimaru, transformed and hidden in plain sight.
Orochimaru leaned slightly, his voice a whisper. "I'm impressed. You really know your way around this fortress."
Naruto didn't respond. In his previous life, he'd led several of these meetings himself. He knew every path, every rotation of the guards, every shift of the Iron Country's watch.
The plan had been decided long before they arrived.
"Danzo has Shisui's Sharingan," Naruto had explained. "That means he can use Kotoamatsukami—he can twist someone's will without them even realizing it. It's dangerous. He'll use it on Mifune, probably to turn the vote in his favor."
"That eye doesn't regenerate fast," Orochimaru had said. "If he uses it here…"
"Exactly," Naruto had replied. "If he burns it during the summit, he can't use it against us later."
Konan had nodded. "And Sasuke?"
"Delay him," Naruto had said. "Don't fight to win. Just keep him busy."
Back in the present, Mifune spoke.
"Let the Five Kage Summit begin."
Gaara spoke first. "I was once a Jinchuriki. I was targeted and captured by Akatsuki. That makes me more aware than anyone here just how dangerous they are."
Onoki scoffed. "Becoming a Kage at your age… you must be a fast learner. Or your father taught you well."
Gaara looked at him evenly. "That's why I'm the one sitting here."
Onoki chuckled. "Cocky."
Behind the curtain, Kankuro clenched his fists. "That old man…"
Temari stayed calm but kept her hand close to her fan.
Terumi Mei cut in smoothly. "Lord Tsuchikage. Please let Lord Kazekage continue."
Gaara resumed, "I sent requests to the other villages many times. Only the former Hokage responded. The rest of you ignored it. Now most of the Jinchuriki are gone. Now you want to talk."
Onoki leaned back. "After our forces were taken, we didn't want to look weak. Prestige matters. Reputation matters."
Gaara didn't blink. "That's outdated thinking."
Terumi nodded slightly. "Still, he has a point. Even if Akatsuki took the tailed beasts, they can't control them easily. It takes more than sealing them into a statue."
Onoki added, "Renjūriki and tailed beasts need to adapt to one another. Even then, control isn't guaranteed. That's why Akatsuki used to be useful—mercenaries, low cost, high effectiveness."
Gaara didn't answer.
Danzo finally spoke. "Only a few have ever truly controlled a tailed beast. Uchiha Madara. Hashirama Senju. The Fourth Mizukage. And the Raikage's brother… Killer Bee."
The Raikage's right hand twitched. Under the table, his fist clenched tight.
The moment the tension shifted, every guard moved.
The Raikage stood and slammed his fist into the table.
Crack.
The stone shattered.
"Enough talk!"
Mifune didn't even flinch. "Please. This is a place for diplomacy."
The guards stepped back.
The Raikage's voice thundered. "Konoha. Suna. Iwa. Kiri. Every village here has produced members of Akatsuki. You all have blood on your hands."
Gaara raised an eyebrow. "Used them?"
"You damn well did," the Raikage snapped. "Ask that old man—he hired Akatsuki in a war!"
Onoki didn't deny it. "Military budgets were strained. Akatsuki was cheap. Better than raising our own armies."
"You coward," Raikage growled.
He turned to Terumi Mei. "And your village? Rumor says Akatsuki started there."
Terumi's eyes lowered. "I won't deny it. I believe the Fourth Mizukage was being controlled. Possibly by Akatsuki."
Ao, her bodyguard, looked startled.
Terumi raised her head. "That's why I've remained silent until now."
The Raikage scowled. "No surprise. You're all the same."
Onoki snapped, "Don't get self-righteous. Of all of us, only Kumogakure keeps expanding. You're stockpiling jutsu like weapons."
Raikage stepped forward. "What was that?"
Danzo lifted his head, voice quiet but deliberate.
"Before this becomes a brawl, I have something to say."
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