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When Hyūga Iroha appeared, the village was notified immediately, and the information was placed on Ishigami Hara's desk immediately.
Others were worried, but Ishigami Hara knew the purpose of Hyūga Iroha's actions. This was to inform him, through intermediaries, of how far Uchiha Madara had already progressed, allowing him to prepare in advance.
With this information, Ishigami Hara could indeed understand the situation.
However, since Uchiha Madara intended to initiate the Third Ninja World War, certain matters could not remain solely Konoha's concern. Although the other major ninja villages appeared weakened, they had not lost all their strength. Those who should unite naturally needed to do so.
The subsequent actions were straightforward. Ishigami Hara first ordered the front lines to consolidate, then dispatched enough personnel to the major ninja villages to inform the respective Kage that he intended to convene a Five Kage Summit.
It was evident that the shinobi of Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure were now being disrupted by White Zetsu.
In addition to the attrition in strength, this turmoil directly caused chaos within the major ninja villages.
While they could resist for a while, the outcome was uncertain if this continued for an extended period.
Fortunately, Hyūga Iroha issued an ultimatum, and the White Zetsu causing havoc in the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Lightning vanished without a trace, making it impossible for even the main branch of the Hyuga clan to find them.
At least this provided them with enough time to recover. Coincidentally, Ishigami Hara sent envoys to reach out to them at this time, and the three factions immediately agreed to hold the meeting in the Land of Iron.
This is also a tradition in the ninja world. Since the first Five Kage Summit was held in the Land of Iron, this practice has continued.
Now, the ninja world is in chaos, and other ninja villages have suffered severe losses. They also learned about Uchiha Madara's decision from Konoha. In this desperate time, they had no reason to refuse Ishigami Hara's proposal.
The day of the Five Kage Summit soon arrived. Delegates from all the major ninja villages had arrived early; even the smaller ninja villages sent representatives, but Konoha had yet to arrive.
The Land of Iron, also known as the Samurai Land, is snow-covered year-round, effectively making it perpetually winter.
As a country ruled by samurai, it possesses a strong military force.
No ninjas are cultivated within its borders.
The traditional samurai profession has gradually declined due to the rise of ninjas, but the Land of Iron has remained untouched by invasions for many years and is a sanctuary for samurai.
Its location is near the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning and borders the Land of Fire, the Takigakure, and the Land of Fields.
It occupies a unique geographical position and boasts a very distinctive environment.
It is considered a neutral territory in the Ninja World.
The leader of the Land of Iron is not a Kage but holds an ancient title—the General, and the country has no daimyo, making it the most unique in the entire Ninja World.
As the highest authority, the General of the Land of Iron commands the shogunate, which manages the entire country.
As the leader, the responsibility of hosting this Five Kage Summit naturally fell to the Land of Iron's General.
Its leader was called Mifune, who once fought Hanzō of the Salamander and lost by a narrow margin.
This demonstrated his skill. "Damn it, Konoha clearly initiated this Five Kage Conference—why haven't they arrived yet?"
In the capital of the Land of Iron, a large meeting was underway, with well-known figures gathered.
As a Kumogakure shinobi, the Raikage—who had a notoriously short temper—was already getting annoyed.
"Lord Raikage, please be patient; Konoha has sent word that they will arrive soon."
Mifune quickly intervened to calm him.
He understood the current situation in the ninja world and recognized that this Five Kage Conference was exceptionally important.
In truth, Mifune was also anxious, but he maintained his composure. "Hmph."
The Raikage was now the Fourth Hokage, named A.
He was around the same age as Ishigami Hara, perhaps a year or two older.
Due to the previous White Zetsu invasion, the Third Raikage—A's father—had stepped down and personally led the Kumogakure shinobi to stop the threat.
He was now severely injured and recovering in secrecy.
Thus, this Five Kage meeting was led by A, who had a young shinobi accompanying him as his guard.
While speaking, Raikage A cast his eyes on a figure across from him. The person was short, had a baby face, and kept his eyes closed, remaining silent.
"What is the situation with you Kirigakure shinobi? Is it truly related to Uchiha Madara?" Raikage A challenged directly.
Upon being addressed, the Mizukage opened his eyes, glanced briefly at Raikage A, and then closed his eyes again.
"What, nothing to say?"
The Mizukage was Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage, who had led the team to participate in the joint Chūnin exams. Although he appeared young, he was a parent.
"My Kirigakure's Third Hokage was controlled by Uchiha Madara. Thanks to everyone's efforts, we've regained control of the village. Is the Raikage satisfied with this answer?" Mizukage responded coldly.
"Hah, what a disgrace—the Kage of a village controlled by someone else; it's ridiculous," Raikage A sneered.
"Alright, you brat, hold your tongue. This is the Five Kage meeting, not Kumogakure. Save your temper for when you're back home."
Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage, who had been observing, finally intervened to maintain order.
"You old man still isn't dead? Looks like those creatures are attacking Iwagakure, why are you still here?" Raikage A mocked directly.
"Kid, shut up!"
Ōnoki was immediately infuriated and glared angrily at Raikage A.
"Even your father wouldn't dare say such things—how dare you, a mere child?" Ōnoki said indignantly.
"Hmph, I don't want to waste time with you."
A was assertive; he aimed to establish his authority, as he had only recently assumed office and could not afford to appear weak.
Afterward, he directed his attention to the Sunagakure representatives.
The ones from Sunagakure were quite notable. The Kazekage had not come in person; instead, Chiyo and her brother had come to handle Sunagakure's matters at the Five Kage Conference.
"No need to ask. The Kazekage of Sunagakure has passed away, and a new Kazekage hasn't been chosen yet. I am handling village affairs for the time being."
Chiyo admitted this plainly, without hesitation.
The other Kage's expressions shifted, but none pressed further.
At that moment, the conference room doors opened, and a group entered in sequence. The person at the center smiled upon entering.
"It appears I'm late. My apologies."
With that, Ishigami Hara took his seat.