"Konoha declares war on Kumogakure."
It was a declaration that sent shockwaves through the room, turning what was supposed to be a political discussion into something far more volatile. The silence that followed was suffocating, heavy with the weight of consequences.
Renjiro stood frozen, staring at the Hokage with barely concealed disbelief. Is something wrong with him?
War?
That wasn't part of the plan.
From everything Renjiro had gathered, the whole point of Konoha's strategy at the summit had been to avoid direct conflict, to expose Kumogakure's deception without forcing open war. This decision went completely against that logic.
His mind raced, trying to make sense of it. Hiruzen's not senile—not yet. He's decades younger than when Naruto's story starts.
So why?
Why take this path?
Before Renjiro could even begin to piece together the answer, a sharp inhale from the head of the table drew his attention.
Tadashi, looked like he had just been told the sky was falling. Beads of sweat quickly formed on his brow, and his throat worked as he swallowed thickly.
This was not what he had been hoping for.
He had assumed that once the silver ball's test was completed, the matter would be resolved, or at the very least, it would be enough for Konoha and Kumo to reach some kind of agreement.
The last thing he wanted—the last thing the Land of Iron could afford—was for this summit to become the spark that ignited a war.
Because there was no such thing as a 'contained war' between the Great Nations.
If conflict erupted, it wouldn't remain between Konoha and Kumo for long. It would spiral, pulling in allies, dragging in the neutral nations, reducing entire territories to smouldering ruins.
And worst of all?
The Land of Iron was right in the middle of it all.
If the Kages lost their tempers here and now, the samurai of the Land of Iron would be nothing more than collateral damage.
Tadashi's eyes flickered to the other Kage, silently praying that one of them would intervene before things escalated further.
But before anyone else could react, a sudden laugh shattered the silence.
A deep, rumbling laugh.
Heads snapped toward the source.
The Raikage.
Renjiro stiffened. 'Why is he laughing?'
It wasn't the reaction anyone had expected. Hiruzen had just formally declared war on his village. The logical response should have been anger, denial, maybe even an attempt at negotiation.
But instead, the Raikage merely smirked, his massive frame shaking slightly with amusement.
"Well played, Hiruzen."
The words were spoken slowly, each syllable laced with something thick and unspoken.
Renjiro's stomach twisted.
'What is he thinking? Was this a bluff? A threat? An acknowledgement of defeat?'
His gaze darted to Hiruzen, expecting some reaction—a shift in expression, a tightening of his jaw, something.
But the Hokage remained as he was.
Unmoved.
Unbothered.
As if he had already predicted this outcome from the very beginning.
"Oh?"
Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe, inhaling deeply before exhaling in a long, deliberate stream of smoke. The scent of burning tobacco curled through the air like mist rolling over a battlefield.
"You almost sound… pleased, Raikage-dono."
The Raikage's smirk didn't fade. If anything, it deepened, a glint of something unreadable flashing in his dark eyes.
"Not pleased," he admitted. His voice, low and gravelly, carried the weight of something far more dangerous than mere amusement.
"But I am impressed."
Hiruzen arched a brow. "Impressed?"
The Raikage let out another quiet chuckle—this time, sharper. More deliberate.
"You played your hand well."
His fingers tapped against the polished wood of the table, slow and measured. The sound was almost hypnotic, like the steady drip, drip, drip of water before a flood.
"Turning the tables so completely… using my own accusations to justify war?" His smirk widened just a fraction more.
"That's a masterstroke."
The words sent another ripple of unease through the room.
Tadashi took a sharp step forward, voice urgent. "Hokage-dono, surely war doesn't have to be the only option?"
His voice wavered slightly, betraying his unease.
Hiruzen finally turned his gaze to the samurai. His expression was unreadable. Impassive.
Tadashi swallowed hard but pressed on.
"Kumo's accusation has been proven false, yes, but there are alternatives to war—compensation, reparations—"
Hiruzen waved a hand dismissively.
"Compensation?"
His voice was quiet.
"Reparations?"
He let out a low, humourless chuckle, shaking his head.
"So, they throw baseless accusations at my village & shinobi, attempt to undermine Konoha's reputation, and now that they've failed, I'm supposed to accept some money & resources and let it go?"
Tadashi hesitated, searching for the right words.
Hiruzen's voice dropped, turning colder than ice.
"No, no. Let me make this perfectly clear."
The air in the chamber seemed to freeze.
"Kumogakure made its move. They accused my shinobi."
His gaze shifted, locking onto the Raikage with unshakable resolve.
"And now that the truth has been revealed, they are the aggressors."
A muscle in the Raikage's jaw twitched.
Hiruzen continued, voice unwavering.
"And as the aggrieved party, I am well within my rights to respond in kind."
Another silence.
This time, thick and suffocating.
The Raikage's fingers stopped tapping.
The smirk remained, but something behind his eyes had shifted—darkened.
Then—
A new voice.
Smooth. Calculated.
Satetsu, the Kazekage, folded his hands together, his sharp eyes glinting beneath his hooded gaze. "And yet," he said slowly, "the silver ball did respond to his chakra."
The weight of his words sent a ripple of tension across the room.
Renjiro inhaled sharply.
Hiruzen's expression turned to ice.
The Kazekage met the Hokage's gaze evenly. "That alone suggests that the Raikage's words are not entirely baseless."
Hiruzen exhaled through his nose, his voice a whisper of warning. "Kazekage-dono."
Satetsu remained unmoved. "I am merely stating a fact."
"A fact?"
Hiruzen's voice turned razor-sharp.
"Or are you implying that Konoha tampered with evidence from the Raikage's camp?"
The air in the room thickened.
The Kazekage remained composed. "I'm simply pointing out that the reaction was present. That alone means there is more to this than we originally thought."
Hiroshi, the Mizukage, finally spoke, his smooth voice cutting through the tension.
"It's possible that the chakra simply shares similarities. That does not necessarily mean guilt."
The Raikage's narrowed eyes gleamed like steel.
"That's only possible if the person has relatives."
His gaze shifted to Hiruzen.
"Does Renjiro have any?"
The room fell silent again.
Renjiro's stomach dropped.
Hiruzen smiled.
But there was nothing warm about it.
"How ironic that you should ask that."
His voice was laced with something dark.
Something deadly.
"Would the Raikage care to remind everyone here how we, konoha, even came to possess this child?"
A pause.
Then—
Hiruzen's smile vanished.
"You all worked together to burn his village to the ground."
The hush that followed was deafening.
Renjiro clenched his fists.
Onoki let out a slow sigh, rubbing his temple.
'Things are already escalating…'
And the Raikage?
He no longer looked amused.
Tadashi, seeing the storm forming before him, stepped in once more. "Then perhaps we should settle this diplomatically," he said hastily. "Why not put it to a vote?"
Hiruzen's brows lowered. "A vote?"
Tadashi nodded. "Since both sides present valid arguments, let the Kage decide. If the majority agrees, Kumogakure offers compensation. If not, Konoha may act as it sees fit."
Hiruzen's gaze darkened. "As the aggrieved party, I have the right to choose my response."
Satetsu countered smoothly. "And yet, we are all involved now. You cannot expect us to sit idly by."
Tadashi cleared his throat. "All those in favour of reparations?"
Satetsu and A raised their hands.
"All those in favour of allowing Konoha to act?"
Hiruzen and Hiroshi lifted theirs.
A pause.
Onoki remained still. It was clear Iwa had chosen to abstain from the vote, forcing the tie.
Tadashi turned to the old Tsuchikage.
"Then," he said, voice barely above a whisper, "the deciding vote rests with Iwagakure."
The chamber held its breath.
Onoki grunted, his gaze flickering across the faces of the other Kage.
He knew exactly what was coming next.
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