novelraw Chapter 510 The Four Shadows Conference
Chapter 510 The Four Shadows Conference
Chapter 510 The Four Shadows Tournament
Before long, Mikoto, Kushina and the others came out of the kitchen carrying various dishes, filling the table to the brim.
Mikoto took off her apron and greeted everyone in the living room with a smile, "Come and sit down, dinner is ready!"
"Here I come!" Naruto was the first to rush over.
In no time, a dozen or so people filled the table, and everyone chanted in unison, "Let's begin!"
"Ugh! It's so hot!" Naruto picked up a piece of fried chicken and stuffed it into his mouth, panting as it burned.
"But these fried chicken nuggets are so delicious!"
Kushina smiled and placed a piece of fish on Naruto's plate.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."
"Try this! It used to be a famous delicacy in our Wochao Village!"
"Really?" Naruto's eyes lit up. He quickly picked up a piece of grilled fish, took a bite, and nodded frantically.
"Mmm! Delicious!"
Sasuke sat opposite him, watching Naruto's starving look, and snorted softly.
"Kimimaro, how are the missions going lately?" Minato asked casually.
"Reporting to Lord Minato, everything went smoothly," Kimimaro replied.
Bai smiled and added, "Recently, there has been a significant increase in border patrols and reconnaissance missions. Just the day before yesterday, a team of Konoha reconnaissance ninjas was spotted operating in the Land of Rivers in the west."
"Konoha—" Kankuro mumbled through his chewing on a grilled meat roll.
Kushina raised her glass and said with a smile, "Today is a special day to celebrate Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro's promotion to Special Jonin! Come on, let's drink!"
"Yes, yes, cheers!" Xiang quickly chimed in, also raising her glass of orange juice.
Mikoto smiled, picked up a large bottle of orange juice, poured Sasuke a full glass, and said softly, "You can't drink alcohol before you're eighteen, drink this instead."
"Hmm." Sasuke looked at the orange-yellow liquid in the glass and nodded.
He looked around the dining table.
Aside from Minato, Kushina, and Vanilla, who were drinking plum wine, everyone else, including Menma and Uchiha Hikaru, was drinking cola and orange juice. Naruto, in particular, had already downed half a bottle of orange juice by himself.
Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together.
It was very lively.
As Sasuke watched, he suddenly felt a little dazed.
It feels like I've traveled back to a long time ago, back in the Uchiha clan's territory.
Occasionally, during festivals, there are large gatherings in the clan, where a large family of clan members will gather at the home of an elder for a meal.
The long dining table was full of people, children ran around and played in the yard, and adults talked and laughed loudly about missions, ninjutsu, and clan affairs.
"This is wonderful—" Sasuke murmured to himself.
"Sasuke! Sasuke!"
Naruto's voice pulled Sasuke out of his memories.
He looked up and saw Naruto holding a cup, his face still smeared with sauce, his bright blue eyes sparkling under the light.
"Cheers!" Naruto shouted, his smile as bright as a little sun.
Keep up the good work with training tomorrow!
Although the training this afternoon was intense, the gains were substantial.
Under the "special care" of Menma and Uchiha Hikaru, both he and Sasuke received targeted training, improving their physical fitness and...
His reaction speed and even his precise control over chakra have both improved noticeably.
Sasuke looked at Naruto's carefree attitude and couldn't help but smile.
He picked up his cup and lightly clinked it against Naruto's.
The glasses clinked together, making a crisp "ding" sound.
"I won't lose to you," Sasuke said softly with great confidence.
There seemed to be light dancing in his two black eyes.
Across the table, Mianma watched this scene, smiled gently, and took a sip of his cola.
Sitting next to him, Uchiha Hikaru turned his head slightly, his black eyes reflecting the light from the dining table and Menma's profile.
Outside the window, night had completely fallen, and the lights of the Star Kingdom lit up one by one, like stars scattered across the earth.
Inside the house, the laughter and conversation at the dining table continued.
The Land of Iron.
Lead-gray clouds hung low, pressing down on the outlines of snow-capped mountains in the distance.
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A cold wind swept through the streets of the Iron Kingdom's capital, scattering fine snowflakes that rustled softly against the bluestone pavement.
The doors and windows of the samurai mansions on both sides of the street were tightly closed, with only the bronze wind chimes hanging under the eaves swaying in the wind and making sporadic sounds.
In the heart of the capital, around the hall that the Land of Iron had specially set up for the Four Shadows Tournament, a fully armed samurai stood every ten steps.
They wore traditional tunomaru armor, jinkasa hats, and katana at their waists, their hands gripping the hilts, standing upright with steady breathing.
Even as snowflakes accumulated on the shoulder armor in a thin layer, no one moved an inch.
The largest conference room inside the clubhouse.
The pentagonal solid wood conference table was spotless, with five high-backed chairs placed in the center of each of the five sides, each chair back carved with a different pattern.
Fire, water, thunder, earth, and iron, which belongs to the host.
At this moment, the four chairs were already occupied.
The Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure, A, sat on a chair with a lightning pattern.
He was as tall and imposing as a mountain, and even when he was sitting, he gave people a strong sense of oppression.
He had dark skin, short white hair combed back, and a short beard on his chin.
He was wearing a white Thunder Shadow robe, with the sleeve of his right arm hanging loosely at his side.
Two more people were standing two steps behind Ai.
Darui, with his white spiky hair, always has a lazy, sleepy expression.
With his short, light-gold hair and handsome face, Hize stood beside Darui, his expression focused. He was a sensory ninja and also the Raikage's advisor.
Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure, sat on a chair with a water pattern.
Her long, reddish-brown, wavy hair was loosely tied up at the back of her head, with a few strands falling beside her face. Her emerald green eyes held a smile. She wore a dark blue water-shadow robe, her long legs crossed, her posture elegant and composed.
Three people were standing behind Mei Terumi.
Ao, who wears a black eye patch over his right eye, and Chojuro, who looks somewhat shy, wears round-framed glasses.
The third guard, who is different from the original work, is the nonchalant Hozuki Suigetsu.
He was looking around boredly.
Opposite to Mei Terumi, on the earth-patterned chair, the short, stubborn old man Onoki was suspended in mid-air, his legs crossed, about a hand's width above the chair surface.
Onoki was short and looked like a stubborn little old man, with a white goatee that hung down to his chest and two deep wrinkles on his forehead.
There were two people standing behind him.
The tall, honest-looking Akatsuchi, and the android Onoki Sora.
On the fire-patterned chair in Konoha Village.
Acting Hokage Shimura Danzo, with one eye half-closed, surveyed the various ninja villages' kage.
The oil maiden took the root and the mountain wind stood behind him, as still as a sculpture.
The conference table is pentagonal, with five seats and four chairs occupied.
Because Sunagakure, one of the original five great ninja villages, was destroyed five years ago, and the Land of Wind was annexed by the Land of Stars.
The chair that originally belonged to Sunagakure is now occupied by Mifune, the general of the Land of Iron and the organizer of this meeting.
Mifune was a serious-looking middle-aged samurai with a neatly trimmed short beard.
He wore traditional samurai armor from the Land of Iron, had a long beard on his mouth and chin, and bandages wrapped around his head.
He placed his hands on his knees, sitting upright with his back ramrod straight.
Two steps behind him stood two young samurai with swords, their hands on the hilts, their eyes fixed straight ahead.
There was silence in the conference room.
The only sounds were the howling of the cold wind outside the window and the occasional soft "pop" of burning charcoal in the fireplace.
"Thank you all for accepting the invitation to the Land of Iron." After everyone was seated, Mifune's gaze swept over the four Kage, breaking the silence.
"This meeting was initiated by the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure. As the host, I am only responsible for maintaining order in the venue and ensuring the smooth progress of the meeting. Please discuss the specific details yourselves."
After saying that, Mifune nodded slightly, closed his eyes again, and adopted a posture of not interfering.
All eyes turned to Raikage Ai.
Ai rested his one arm on the conference table, his thick fingers tapping the surface repeatedly with a dull "thump, thump" sound.
He first glanced at Onoki, who was sitting suspended in mid-air opposite him.
"I thought that Iwagakure had completely become a lackey of the Land of Stars," Ai said, his voice deep and resonant, echoing in the conference room.
"What, you old codger, you actually dare to attend the Four Shadows Conference?"
As soon as the words were spoken, the temperature in the air seemed to drop a few degrees.
Darui scratched his neck, and Xi sighed silently, as if she had expected the Raikage to say that.
Mei Terumi raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.
Danzo kept his eyes half-closed, as if he hadn't heard.
Mifune closed his eyes to rest, while the two samurai behind him remained motionless.
Only Onoki slowly opened his eyes.
There was no anger in those aged eyes, only a deep and unfathomable cunning.
His suspended body turned slightly, facing Lei Ying directly, his gaze lingering for a moment on Ai Kong's fluttering right sleeve.
"Heh." Onoki let out a short, soft laugh.
"I thought that after losing an arm in Hell Valley, someone would be like a stray dog with its tail between its legs, never daring to show its face again. I never expected that it would still have the courage to launch the Four Shadows Conference."
The air in the conference room suddenly became tense.
Ai stopped tapping her fingers on the table.
He slowly raised his head, his copper bell-like eyes fixed on Onoki, with tiny, violent arcs of electricity even leaping in his pupils.
"Old man—" Beneath Ai's dark skin, muscles bulged, and Lightning Release chakra overflowed uncontrollably, forming a faint layer of blue lightning on his body.
"What did you say?" Ai's voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth, each word dripping with murderous intent.
Onoki remained expressionless, and even smiled again.
His suspended body floated forward half a foot, getting closer to the conference table, his white beard swaying gently with the movement.
"What's wrong? Getting old, your hearing isn't what it used to be? Should I repeat myself, Raikage?"
Bang-!!!
Ai slammed his left fist hard on the conference table.
The solid wood tabletop is dented with a clear fist-shaped indentation, and cracks spread out from the center of the indentation like a spider web.
The table shook violently, the teacups on it jumped up, and tea splashed out, leaving dark water stains on the table.
"Ohnoki!!!"
Ai suddenly stood up, his imposing figure casting a shadow that almost completely enveloped Onoki.
The violent lightning chakra erupted completely, and blue lightning crackled wildly across his body, emitting a piercing "sizzling" sound.
The air in the conference room smelled burnt due to ionization, and the chandelier swayed violently, casting erratic light and shadows.
"Do you want to die?!"
Ai growled, his eyes blazing with furious killing intent.
Five years ago, the Battle of Hell Valley.
A personally led the most elite troops of Kumogakure, including Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, and more than a dozen elite Jonin, to launch a surprise attack on the "Shura" group who suddenly appeared in Hell Valley.
The outcome of that battle was the greatest humiliation for Kumogakure in decades.
Shura used a black rod made of some unknown material to pierce through Ai's Lightning Release: Heavy Flow Burst, and then precisely nailed it into his right wrist.
The moment the black rod entered his body, Ai felt his chakra meridians completely disrupted and went berserk.
Lightning Release chakra surged wildly within his body, nearly tearing apart his meridians and internal organs.
In order to continue the fight, Ai made a decisive move and used his left hand to sever his right wrist.
However, Killer Bee and Yugito were seriously injured, more than half of the fifteen elite Jonin were killed in battle, and the survivors were all wounded.
Shura, however, didn't even flinch and calmly left right in front of them.
In that battle, Ai's right arm was severed at the wrist.
This humiliation, like a poisonous thorn, is deeply embedded in Ai's heart!
Now, Onoki has not only exposed this scar in front of everyone.
This also demonstrates Iwagakure's intelligence capabilities.
"Raikage".
A gentle female voice broke the impending deadly battle.
Mei Terumi, resting her chin on her hand, remained elegantly seated, her emerald green eyes fixed on Ai, and slowly said, "We didn't come here to fight."
She paused, then turned her gaze to Onoki: "However, Tsuchikage-sama, I am indeed very curious as well."
"Iwagakure was defeated five years ago and submitted to the Land of Stars. The Land of Earth ceded its five northern districts, and the military advisory group stationed in Iwagakure is under surveillance. Everyone here is aware of this information."
Mei Terumi leaned forward slightly.
"So, in what capacity did you come this time? As a representative of a vassal state of the Star Kingdom? Or—did you sneak out behind your master's back?"
This question immediately drew everyone's attention to Onoki.
After a moment of silence, Onoki's suspended body slowly returned to the chair and he sat down.
His short body was sunken in the high-backed chair, with only his bald head and goatee showing.
He placed his hands on the armrests, his aged fingers gently tracing the wood grain.
Raikage Ai remained standing, his body still crackling with electricity, his single eye fixed on Onoki.
Danzo rested his chin on his hand and calmly looked at Onoki with his single eye.
Mifune also opened his eyes again, his gaze calm as he looked at Onoki.
Ōnoki spoke slowly after a moment of silence: "Iwagakure has never been anyone's subordinate."
"In that war five years ago, Iwagakure was indeed defeated, and the defeat was devastating. That is a fact, and I do not deny it."
Onoki raised his head, his aged eyes sweeping over everyone present.
There was no humiliation, no anger, only a near-cold rationality that had been tempered over decades.
"But yielding does not mean being content."
"Signing a ceasefire agreement, ceding territory, and allowing military advisory groups to be stationed there—these are all expedient measures."
"To preserve the bloodline of Iwagakure, and to protect the civilians of the Land of Earth from the ravages of war, I can bow my head! I can endure!"
He paused for a moment, then slowly gripped the handrails with both hands.
"But for the past five years, every day, every moment, I have been waiting for an opportunity."
"Waiting for an opportunity to overthrow the Star Kingdom!"
Onoki's gaze sharpened as he met the eyes of the Fourth Raikage A, the Mizukage Mei Terumi, and the acting Hokage of Konoha, Danzo Shimura.
"And now, the opportunity has arrived."
The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Mei Terumi stopped smiling, her emerald green eyes narrowing slightly.
The electric light on Raikage A's body gradually subsided, but his eyes remained fixed on Onoki.
A cold glint flashed deep within Danzo's single eye, as if he were weighing something.
"Chance?"
Mei Terumi repeated softly, her tone cautious: "What opportunity? Does Lord Tsuchikage believe that the remaining forces of Iwagakure are sufficient to resist the Land of Stars?"
"Of course not," Onoki replied crisply.
"So this is why I came here."
His body lifted off the chair and floated in mid-air once more.
"I am here today ostensibly on the orders of Shura to attend the Four Shadows Conference and to gather intelligence and information on your movements for the Star Kingdom."
There was silence in the conference room.
Lei Ying Ai raised an eyebrow slightly.
Danzo's pupils contracted slightly.
"Irony, isn't it?" Onoki said with a self-deprecating laugh, observing their reactions. "The Kage of Iwagakure, attending a secret meeting targeting the Land of Stars, uses the excuse of 'gathering intelligence for the Land of Stars.'"
Despite his short stature, Onoki exuded an undeniable sense of pressure.
That was the majesty that had been accumulated over decades of ruling Iwagakure and through two Shinobi World Wars!
"My purpose in coming here this time is ostensibly to gather intelligence for Shura."
"Actually, I want to unite with you all, no, not just our four great nations, but also the Land of Iron, the Land of Waterfall, the Land of Grass, the Land of Rain—all the independent nations on the Ninja World continent."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"To gather the strength of the entire ninja world and form an unprecedented ninja alliance."
"Let's unite to defeat the Star Kingdom!"
"Suppress the Asuras!"
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