Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 120: The Five Kage Summit Begins

As they approached the outskirts of Amegakure, four shinobi blocked Minato and his group's path. The leader stepped forward.

"Lord Hokage, I am Kakukawa. We've been expecting you. Allow me to guide you to the meeting location. Please, follow me."

His attitude was respectful, leaving no room for criticism.

"Understood."

Minato nodded, leading Jiraiya and Yakumaru as they followed Kakukawa toward Amegakure.

The closer they got to Amegakure, the more people appeared around them.

Occasionally, hostile gazes lingered on them, brimming with malice. However, whenever Kakukawa swept his sharp eyes across the crowd, those gazes quickly withdrew. Even so, Kakukawa's expression remained cold.

He had warned these people before, yet some still chose to cause trouble at such a sensitive time.

If you anger the Hokage and trigger another Great Ninja War here in the Land of Rain, would that make you happy?

Harboring hatred for the great nations was fine as long as it stayed buried. Idiots.

Internally cursing them, Kakukawa maintained a polite demeanor as he turned to Minato.

"My apologies, Lord Hokage. They..."

"It's fine. I understand."

Minato sighed.

During the Third Shinobi War, the Land of Rain had suffered heavily. Sandwiched between three great nations, any conflict between them inevitably spilled into its borders.

And just a decade prior, the Second Shinobi War had ravaged the Land of Rain itself. Hatred had long taken root, and not everyone could remain calm around Konoha's shinobi, unlike Yahiko and his friends.

In fact, individuals like Yahiko, who viewed them without hostility due to Jiraiya's influence, were likely in the minority.

Such animosity would take a long time to fade.

As the three walked toward Amegakure, they passed a variety of people.

Faces marked by numbness, emptiness, and helplessness...

Bodies barely clothed, skeletal from hunger...

Expressions that seemed synonymous with suffering were etched into the faces of those they encountered.

Amegakure made no effort to conceal the dire state of the Land of Rain.

What would be the point of hiding it?

Scenes like this were common throughout the country. The Five Kage would eventually see it somewhere.

They couldn't miraculously transform the Land of Rain into a peaceful paradise overnight, so why bother pretending?

If anything, they hoped the great nations would pity their miserable state and exploit them less. That alone would be a victory for the Land of Rain.

'Such different eyes compared to Nagato and the others,' Minato thought, walking in silence as his steps grew heavier.

Expressions like these had become rare in Konoha, where people seemed to have moved past the scars of war. Smiles adorned their faces.

Peaceful lives, a stable society.

Compared to here, Konoha was a paradise.

Recalling a past discussion with Hyuga Fuji, Minato's mind raced.

The Land of Rain's problems were dire.

First, its geography. Sandwiched between multiple great nations, it had historically served as a battleground for their wars. The resulting devastation had destroyed infrastructure, caused massive casualties, and drained resources.

Second, its harsh climate. Constant rain hindered agriculture, leading to severe food shortages. Unable to sustain themselves, the Land of Rain relied on importing grain, leaving its economy fragile.

Add to that internal corruption and neglect from its leadership, and the current state was easy to understand.

To change this, the country needed capable and knowledgeable leaders. A peaceful environment without war was only the first step. Without education and skills, how much could the people accomplish on their own?

Minato could offer some support, but too much assistance would essentially turn the Land of Rain into a Konoha-controlled territory.

And even if he wanted to govern the entire country, Konoha didn't have enough capable individuals to spare.

Ultimately, he was just the Hokage, not a daimyo.

With a wry smile, Minato thought to himself:

Without systemic reform, I might bring temporary peace, but dispersing the clouds of despair here... that's unlikely.

When Konan had mentioned dispelling the stormy skies, Minato hadn't given her a definitive answer. Now he realized he had always known deep down that such a feat was beyond his reach.

The Hokage... cannot change the ninja world.

Just as the three entered Amegakure and approached the tower's main entrance, a deafening explosion erupted behind them. A powerful and terrifying chakra surged toward them, jolting Minato from his thoughts.

The speed and force of the attack were so overwhelming that Kakukawa, their guide, failed to react in time.

But those accompanying Minato were not ordinary shinobi.

Boom!

Lightning crackled as Susanoo materialized.

The orange skeletal structure suddenly appeared, blocking the charging figure. However, small cracks formed in its defenses.

Yakumaru's expression turned grave as he studied the figure's speed with astonishment.

It wasn't a space-time jutsu—how could someone move this fast?

At this moment, Kakukawa finally regained his composure and hurriedly stepped forward to intervene.

"Lord Raikage, please stop!"

Following Hanzo's instructions, the Rain shinobi had to remain neutral. Offending any of the five nations was out of the question, so Kakukawa had no choice but to act, even if he was terrified.

The Fourth Raikage glanced at Kakukawa before shifting his gaze to Yakumaru.

"An Uchiha brat? I've never heard of you."

For someone to block his punch head-on—it was impressive.

"Uchiha Yakumaru," came the cold reply. "Now you've heard of me."

"Yakumaru, huh? Not bad, but..."

The Raikage's eyes locked onto Minato.

"I'm here to see your strength, Fourth Hokage. Remember what I said before? Next time we meet, we'd each bear the title of Kage and settle things properly!"

"I've kept my word, and so have you. So forget the Five Kage Summit for now—show me how much you've improved in the past year!"

With that, the Raikage's body became engulfed in crackling lightning, his chakra surging wildly.

"Lord Raikage, please don't make things difficult for Amegakure. We're not here to fight," Minato said in a low voice.

"The Rain Village's face? Why should I care about that?" the Raikage scoffed.

"Then how about giving me some face instead?"

A deep voice interrupted as Hanzo the Salamander emerged from the tower's gate.

Hearing this, the Raikage hesitated briefly, narrowing his eyes as he sized up Hanzo.

The man's reputation as a "demigod" still carried weight.

"Lord Raikage, now is not the time for conflict," one of the Raikage's bodyguards reminded him.

"Hmph. How dull." The Raikage snorted and retracted his chakra.

With the commotion over, Hanzo exhaled quietly in relief. "Both of you have traveled far. Please rest in the prepared chambers. The Mizukage has not yet arrived, so the summit will begin at 4 p.m. sharp."

The Raikage said nothing, casting one last glance at Minato before striding into the tower.

Minato nodded to Hanzo and followed suit.

Behind him, Jiraiya's gaze lingered on the now-aged Hanzo. With a complicated expression, he offered a brief greeting.

Hanzo returned the gesture with a calm nod before entering the tower himself.

That afternoon, at 4 p.m., with all five Kage seated around the massive circular table in order, the Five Kage Summit officially began.

(Chapter End)