"Lord Hokage." At this moment, the Raikage spoke again. For the first time, there was a trace of unease on his dark face.
"Is there a problem?" Natsuro asked, thinking perhaps the Raikage had another objection.
"I hope the Allied Shinobi Forces can organize their offense a bit faster this time," the Raikage stated his goal. Though he had failed to become the Allied Commander, his primary objective remained unchanged.
"Yes, they will." Natsuro nodded. He understood the Raikage's implication, striking early meant a better chance that Killer Bee was still alive.
Truthfully, if Killer Bee had been captured, rescuing him would be extremely difficult, since the Eight-Tails had likely already been extracted. And everyone knew what happened to a Jinchūriki after losing their Tailed Beast.
Still, now that the Raikage had accepted his position as Supreme Commander, it wouldn't be right for him to refuse such a request.
Just then, an Anbu appeared in a hurry, it was a Kumo Anbu, based on the mask.
The Raikage was briefly startled to see him, but then the Anbu handed him a letter.
Natsuro had been preparing to formally end the Five Kage Summit, but seeing this, he paused to wait.
Moments later, the Raikage's expression softened. The others noticed this and guessed the letter brought good news. The Raikage looked at Natsuro, hesitated, and then handed him the letter.
"Are you sure it's okay for me to read this?" Natsuro asked in surprise.
"Now that you're the Allied Commander, we still won't share Kumo's deepest secrets, but if it's information relevant to the war, then it's only right to inform you," the Raikage replied.
"Mm." Natsuro nodded. Truth be told, the current generation of Kage weren't bad at all.
Kazekage Gaara, Mizukage Mei Terumi, Raikage A, and even the old Tsuchikage Ōnoki. While Ōnoki had made a lot of infuriating decisions in the past, he was old now, and change had softened him a bit. At the very least, Natsuro didn't have to worry about sabotage from within the alliance.
After reading the Raikage's letter, he learned that Killer Bee had made it back to Kumogakure, he hadn't been fully captured by Akatsuki.
Why "not fully"? Because Killer Bee had survived after losing the Eight-Tails.
As the letter explained, the Eight-Tails had willingly broken its own seal, leaving a small portion of its chakra inside Killer Bee to preserve his life.
"Ah, so that's it," Natsuro murmured in realization. In the original story, Bee had used this same trick to fool Sasuke. But that had worked because Sasuke had little experience in capturing Tailed Beasts. If it had been another member of Akatsuki, it might not have succeeded.
This time, it clearly hadn't worked. Akatsuki had taken the full Eight-Tails, leaving only a single tentacle of chakra inside Bee.
Still, there was a problem.
"Raikage, when you return, you should have Bee sealed immediately with a chakra-conserving seal," Natsuro said.
"Why?" the Raikage asked, startled. The other Kage also reacted with surprise at hearing Bee's name. While they were glad he was alive, clearly something was wrong.
"Because normally, a Jinchūriki dies after losing their Tailed Beast," Natsuro explained. "Bee only survived thanks to the small piece of Eight-Tails chakra left inside him, but that bit of chakra isn't enough to fully support his life. Once it's used up, he'll die."
"So it's best to seal him immediately. After we defeat Akatsuki, we can recover the Eight-Tails and reseal it inside him. Only then will he truly be saved."
The Raikage went silent. Then he nodded sharply and said grimly, "Understood. If he resists, I'll beat him down myself."
Behind him, Darui and Cee sighed. They could already imagine the chaos back in Kumo. Bee wouldn't just sit around waiting to die, even if it was for his own good.
"Mm." Natsuro nodded softly. That was a family matter, not something he could interfere in.
Honestly, he didn't think this intel would change the war much. Though Bee was alive, Akatsuki now possessed the full Eight-Tails. A single tentacle's worth of chakra meant little.
As for Bee's fighting ability… whether he was present or not wouldn't have a huge impact.
"Now then," Natsuro declared. "All Kage, return to your villages. Begin mobilizing all your forces, and inform your Daimyō!"
"Yes!"
Since the decision was made, no one opposed his command.
The Kage began their return journey, time was of the essence. The news had to reach their villages fast!
Meanwhile, Natsuro departed with Naruto and Sasuke, once again not using Flying Thunder God. His pace was calm, unhurried.
Both Sasuke and Naruto found it strange, but didn't ask right away.
"Aren't you curious?" Natsuro asked as they walked through the snowy, deserted terrain.
"Natsuro," Sasuke said finally, "why didn't we attack that masked man when he showed up?"
Using Ryūchi's Sage Mode, Sasuke had quietly probed the masked man's chakra. And it wasn't as terrifying as he'd expected.
If he had given the order, he believed they could've taken the masked man down right there.
"Why, indeed?" Natsuro murmured with a smile. Sasuke was right, he could have stopped Tobi. But he didn't. Because he had his own goals.
And he hadn't used Flying Thunder God yet either, for the same reason. It was time to reveal his true purpose to Naruto and Sasuke.
He turned to them and asked, "What did you think of that masked man's goal?"
"That fake peace means nothing!" Naruto blurted out without hesitation, typical Naruto.
"I agree," Sasuke added. "My Mangekyō Sharingan's Tsukuyomi can create illusions like that too. If someone wanted to live in a beautiful dream, I could trap them in it, keep their body alive in the real world, and let them live out that fantasy.But that's not real. That's just running from the truth."
"Exactly," Natsuro said. "So what if my goal is to make that dream real? A world without conflict. A world without division."
Both Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. They hadn't expected him to say that.
"That's great!" Naruto's eyes sparkled. "I didn't know your dream was so noble, Natsuro!"
But Sasuke said nothing, he kept watching him. He didn't believe it was that simple.
Then Natsuro added softly, "To achieve this dream… unification is necessary."
Sasuke silently thought, Just as I thought. Naruto, on the other hand, froze in disbelief.
"No way… you're not one of those crazy people who wants to take over the world, are you?"
He couldn't accept it. Unification meant war. And war meant countless deaths, which was something Naruto could never agree with.
But inside Naruto, Kurama wasn't surprised. Compared to Naruto's idealism, Kurama had long understood the world was ruled by strength.
He'd always wondered why someone as powerful as Natsuro stayed quietly in one village, even if that village was as prosperous as Konoha.
Now, it all made sense.
Still, Kurama lay curled up, thoughtful. He knew Naruto wouldn't accept this so easily.
"Naruto," Natsuro continued, "I understand it's hard to accept right now. But think back to the missions you've done with Kakashi and the others. You've seen the lands and people beyond Konoha, haven't you?"
"Yeah," Naruto nodded, confused where this was going.
"Compared to Konoha, were they… underdeveloped?" Natsuro asked. "And those were places that could still afford to hire shinobi. There are many more out there, villages where people struggle just to survive. Where a bowl of rice is a luxury."
As the main village of the Land of Fire, Konoha had the best location, the most trade, and overwhelming power. It was a hub of prosperity, far beyond what most other lands could imagine. Even the other Great Villages couldn't compare.
"And think back to the rogue shinobi we encountered on the way to the Land of Iron," Natsuro added. "Do you really think they were in the wrong? Those small-nation ninjas, seeking revenge for their lost countries?"
Naruto stared blankly, and said nothing.
"But the one who wronged them was Danzo, not you..."
"Does that make a difference?" Natsuro replied. "In their eyes, it was Konoha that destroyed their nations. And as the Hokage of Konoha, I'm naturally the object of their revenge."
Naruto fell silent. He couldn't say he didn't understand, he just hadn't been willing to admit it before.
But now, he had torn off the veil himself, leaving Naruto with only confusion and doubt.
"If we could achieve unification, perhaps there would be some short-term pain, but in the long run, the number of such pitiful existences would gradually decrease, until they disappear." Natsuro said calmly.
"But during the unification process, wouldn't even more innocent people die unnecessarily?" Naruto still couldn't accept it.
"That's why..." Natsuro said, "it'll depend on the two of you."
Naruto froze. Sasuke now stared intently at Natsuro.
Natsuro explained, "After all, this Fourth Great War is a rare instance of the five great nations cooperating against a common threat. That makes it the perfect opportunity. I need you two to display strength that transcends the ordinary. Strength that makes the entire world believe, if they oppose us, the only outcome is destruction."
"If we do that, the resistance during unification will lessen. And if we reach an extreme, perhaps we could unify the world without shedding a drop of blood."
Natsuro himself admitted that this was difficult. But he believed it wasn't impossible, because during this war, he wasn't just chasing political goals. He was also preparing for a personal breakthrough in power.
He had a strong premonition, if a certain opportunity succeeded, his strength would reach an unprecedented, unmatched level.
And at that point, victory without conflict might truly be possible.
Naruto remained silent, lost in thought.
"Naruto," Natsuro said gently, "I know it's hard for you to accept. But why not talk to Kurama? He's seen far more of the world than you have."
Naruto nodded, saying nothing more. He was clearly torn, between his long-held ideals of peace, and the Natsuro who had always been there for him.
Right now, Naruto was truly lost. Maybe it was time to speak to Kurama.
Having finished with Naruto, Natsuro turned to Sasuke and asked, "What about you, Sasuke? Any thoughts?"
Sasuke hesitated. From the start, he had known his intentions weren't simple. But he hadn't expected the goal to be world unification.
Still, unlike Naruto, Sasuke didn't believe in the current "one nation, one village" system. Under that system, conflict was inevitable.
Even these peaceful years only existed because the Third Shinobi War had left all five nations wounded and recovering. Once they'd healed, dissatisfaction would inevitably return.
Why is our land so barren, while the Land of Fire is so fertile?
It was a question that couldn't be avoided. Even if the current Kage didn't think this way, future Kage might.
So, unlike Naruto, Sasuke could accept Natsuro's vision. He didn't know what a unified world would look like—maybe it would be better, maybe worse—but at least it would be a change.
As Natsuro spoke to Naruto, Sasuke listened carefully. When the plan became clear, he looked at him and asked:
"Natsuro, if that masked man hadn't declared war, would you have done it yourself?"
"Of course," Natsuro answered without hesitation. "It's the best way to reduce the cost of unification. And once the world is unified, everyone will be my people. I don't want to see them suffer needless casualties."
He spoke as though unification was already a foregone conclusion.
And he wasn't lying. Even if the masked man (Tobi) hadn't declared war, he would've initiated the Fourth Shinobi War himself, right there at the Five Kage Summit.
Sasuke nodded, unsurprised.
"I agree with your plan," Sasuke said. "I think this world needs change."
Natsuro smiled.
"Sasuke..." Naruto looked at him, then at Natsuro. His expression was one of disbelief, as if he was meeting these two people for the first time. His once-familiar comrades now seemed like strangers.
"I'm not sure if this change will be for the better," Sasuke continued, "but if it turns out to be the wrong path, then the people of the future can change it again."
"Don't worry," Natsuro said, clearly pleased. He had always known Sasuke would be easier to convince than Naruto, but even he hadn't expected Sasuke to agree so readily.
So why had he chosen to tell Naruto and Sasuke the truth now?
Because five thousand years of history had taught him something. More precisely, the story of Yue Buqun, the "gentleman sword," had taught him: hiding your true intentions may work in the short term, but if you deceive everyone around you, then once your mask is removed, those people may no longer accept the real you.
So he chose to reveal his plan early, to Naruto and Sasuke.
Because if they turned against him at the moment of his greatest success, he might find himself facing Naruto in Six Paths Sage Mode and Sasuke with the Six Tomoe Rinnegan, and now even Sage Mode!
And even he wasn't sure if he could suppress both of them.
Sure, his life wouldn't necessarily be in danger, but losing control of the situation?
That wasn't something he could accept.
He wanted everything to be fully under control.
If any surprises appeared, they had to come from forces completely beyond his knowledge, like some unknown, unbeatable enemy appearing from nowhere.
Sasuke nodded again. Looking at Natsuro, he couldn't help but be amazed.
Does he really have everything planned out?
It seemed like Natsuro had predicted everything, even if he hadn't foreseen every detail, he was prepared to push things in the direction he wanted.
Sasuke now believed that no matter what the actual events were, Natsuro would still end up becoming Supreme Commander, and the Fourth Great Shinobi War would still be declared at the summit.
If he knew what Sasuke was thinking, he'd simply say, I didn't know the full plan of Akatsuki. But so long as he didn't stop them, the end result would be the same.
As long as Akatsuki remained the dominant force, the process didn't matter. Only the result did.
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Currently on Chapter 387 - The Eighth Gate