But Shinho couldn't fully appreciate the moment.
"If you don't like it, I can stop wearing nail polish," Konan said calmly, as though it were a trivial matter.
"Of course not," Shinho replied with a chuckle. "Not being able to appreciate such a wonderful sight would be a shame."
A shame?
Konan blinked, but resumed the massage without a word.
Shinho closed his eyes.
Even through his clothing, he could feel the delicate movement of Konan's five fingers.
If she had positioned herself in front of him, the experience would have been even more incredible.
But as things stood, he was missing the important visual aspect.
His body gradually relaxed as his thoughts drifted.
Without realizing it, he leaned back slightly, until his head made contact with something soft.
Shinho froze for a moment.
It had only been for half a second, but he instantly recognized what he had leaned into.
An awkward flush rose to his face.
It truly hadn't been intentional.
Fortunately, Konan said nothing.
…
Half an hour later, she stepped back and ceased the massage.
"I'm going back to work now, Lord Hokage," Konan said softly.
"Thank you," Shinho replied sincerely.
After days of indulging in decadence, something simple and refreshing felt rather nice.
Konan nodded slightly, picked up the documents she had set aside, and left the Hokage's office.
Shinho watched her graceful figure as she walked away and couldn't help but stretch lazily.
"What a fantastic morning," he murmured.
"Time to get to work!"
With renewed energy, Shinho grabbed the stack of documents on his desk.
It was a report from the ANBU, a list of ninjas who had volunteered to join the Summoning Division.
He scanned the list. There were only a hundred names.
To be honest, compared to the large battalions that often numbered in the thousands, a hundred was a tiny number.
But Shinho found it reasonable.
After all, they had to account for the sheer power and limited numbers of the serpents from Ryūchi Cave.
Take Manda, for example.
Against ordinary shinobi, Manda could easily take on hundreds, if not thousands, by himself.
In that light, a hundred members for the Summoning Division almost seemed like too many.
But the unit wasn't just made up of Ryūchi Cave's snake summons.
Among the hundred members, twenty-five were medical-nin who had contracts with Shikkotsu Forest.
Shinho raised an eyebrow in surprise.
One name on the list stood out, Sakura Haruno.
It wasn't favoritism; she had passed the entrance test fair and square through her own skill.
Upon closer reflection, there was no issue with it.
In the original timeline, Sakura had already mastered the Strength of a Hundred Seal by this point and had become an exceptional medical-nin.
Even though she hadn't learned the seal in this world, her medical ninjutsu was still top-tier.
Not bad, Shinho thought.
At least Sasuke won't be single forever.
With a faint smile, he set the document aside and picked up another file.
Time flowed on.
Winter passed, giving way to spring.
However, the usual New Year festivities in Konoha were quiet and somber.
Afterall, the Anti-Konoha Alliance was stirring.
…
Land of Lightning.
Unlike Konoha's snowy winter, Kumogakure's skies were clear and sunny.
Creak.
Mabui opened the window of the meeting room, letting the sunlight stream in.
"What beautiful weather," Mabui said with a faint smile, "Samui, do you think this is a sign of our victory?"
"Perhaps," Samui replied, her tone cool and composed as always.
"It's definitely a sign," came a slightly arrogant voice.
Nii Yugito walked forward.
Her long, honey-brown hair was braided down to her waist.
"Don't get complacent," Mabui warned, "Have you forgotten how the Akatsuki that captured so easily failed completely when they ran into that Aburame?"
"Hmph! If we do that one more time, I won't be caught!" Yugito scoffed, her expression haughty. "Last time, I was just careless."
"As a shinobi, you should always remain calm and act with caution," Samui said as she rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the soreness.
Yugito glanced at her and couldn't help but pout.
Samui's outfit, a low-cut, light-gray top, only made her assets stand out even more.
Damn it, Yugito thought with a trace of envy. She's always been so enviable.
"Have the envoys from the other villages arrived yet?" Mabui turned to Yugito and asked.
Unlike the other villages, Kumogakure allowed its Jinchūriki not only freedom but important responsibilities.
"Most of them are here," Yugito replied after a pause, "But the two most critical figures haven't arrived yet."
"Ōnoki from Iwagakure and Mei Terumī from Kirigakure?"
Mabui wasn't surprised.
"The Tsuchikage and Mizukage do have more responsibilities," she said nonchalantly. "It's normal for them to be late."
"I think they're doing it on purpose!" Yugito muttered unhappily.
"Watch your words," Samui chided as she brushed some dust off her short black skirt. Her thigh muscles twitched slightly as she moved. "Don't let your impatience jeopardize the alliance."
"I still think they won't be much help," Yugito said with pride.
Mabui sighed in exasperation.
"You were captured once, and you still haven't learned your lesson?"
The personality of Nii Yugito was strong and proud, just like the Two-Tails, Matatabi, who was sealed within her.
She had all the traits of a feline: confident, solitary, and difficult to tame.
"Iwagakure's Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and Kirigakure's Mizukage, Mei Terumī, are already nearing the village."
A blond young man entered the room as he spoke.
This was Cee, a jōnin from Kumogakure.
A versatile shinobi proficient in genjutsu, medical ninjutsu, and sensory techniques, Cee was widely regarded as the "left hand" of the Fourth Raikage.
"Let's go."
Mabui's expression grew serious.
…
Fifteen minutes later, the meeting room was filled with representatives from every major shinobi village.
Due to the importance of status and respect, a roundtable was chosen for this meeting.
The Fourth Raikage sat in the center.
Behind him stood Darui and Mabui.
Yugito, Samui, and Cee, however, did not participate in the meeting.
Mabui, the secretary of Kumogakure, was also regarded as the external brain of the Fourth Raikage.
Darui, the Fourth Raikage's bodyguard, was the sole inheritor of the Black Lightning of the Third Raikage and also a master of Storm Release and expert swordsmanship.
In the years to come, he would rise to become the Fifth Raikage.
To the Raikage's left sat the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.
Iwagakure's delegation was small, consisting of only three individuals:
Ōnoki, his son Kitsuchi, and his granddaughter Kurotsuchi. The three generations were present at the same room.
To the Raikage's right was the Mizukage, Mei Terumī.
Her long, reddish-brown hair reached down to her thighs, with her right eye obscured by a sweep of bangs.
She wore a blue strapless dress, her legs crossed gracefully, a subtle and enigmatic smile gracing her face.
Behind her stood her two bodyguards: Zabuza Momochi and Chōjūrō.
Zabuza, with his perpetually fierce expression, radiated an aura that warned others to stay away.
He had once been captured by Shinho, only to be "sold" to Mei Terumī as part of a strategic deal.
After years of serving by her side, Zabuza had come to admire her strength and conviction, choosing to stay as her loyal aide.
In contrast, Chōjūrō seemed uneasy and awkward.
He carried the Hiramekarei, a massive double-bladed sword, and was one of the new generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
In the future, he would ascend to become the Sixth Mizukage.
Directly across from the Raikage sat the representative of Akatsuki, Obito Uchiha.
There was no sign of Zetsu, but that didn't mean Zetsu was idle.
It had already planted spores on many of the shinobi in attendance.
This was a unique jutsu of White Zetsu, Spore Technique.
The spores latched onto the target and grew undetected until activated, at which point they would envelop the host and drain their chakra.
Surrounding the four main leaders, were representatives from various minor shinobi villages.
With the exception of Takigakure, Kusagakure, and Amegakure, most of the smaller villages had shown up to "join the fun."
Why?
First, they believed the Anti-Konoha Alliance had a high chance of victory.
Second, Konoha's riches were far too tempting and they all wanted a piece of the spoils.
"Now that everyone is here, let's begin," Ōnoki declared, taking the initiative to speak.
Since this was an alliance, there needed to be a designated leader, someone to steer the course of their actions.
Ōnoki believed himself to be the most suitable candidate.
He was the strongest in terms of combat experience and had the longest tenure as Kage.
Of course, he was well aware that his greatest obstacle would be the Fourth Raikage.
After all, Kumogakure had been the first to propose the alliance in the first place.
"Before we proceed, allow me to introduce myself."
Obito stood slowly, his demeanor calm yet imposing.
The room fell silent as everyone's attention turned to him.
Out of all the shinobi present, Obito, representing Akatsuki, was by far the most mysterious figure.
"I am Uchiha Madara."
Obito's voice was laced with both pride and arrogance.
"What did you say?!"
Ōnoki shot to his feet, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.
Mei Terumī and the other leaders exchanged bewildered glances.
Uchiha Madara?
Wasn't he the legendary Uchiha ancestor who had once rivaled Hashirama Senju?
Could he still be alive?
"Are you really Madara?"
Ōnoki's gaze was fierce, his tone suspicious and hostile.
"Tsuchikage-sama."
Mabui's voice cut through the tension. "Whatever past grievances exist between you, let's set them aside for now."
Ōnoki's emotions were too transparent, forcing Mabui to step in and prevent a potential breakdown in negotiations.
After all, they couldn't afford to have the alliance self-destruct before they'd even launched their campaign.
If they began fighting amongst themselves now, Konoha would only sit back and laugh.
"I am."
Obito's face remained expressionless.
He didn't know the full details of Ōnoki's history with Madara, but it didn't matter, he was fully prepared to play the role.
"Very well!"
Ōnoki slowly sat back down, though anyone could see the barely restrained fury in his eyes.
Many years ago, after Hashirama Senju ended the era of endless war and established the system of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Iwagakure sent its Second Tsuchikage, Mu, and his disciple Ōnoki to Konoha to discuss an alliance.
However, they encountered Uchiha Madara on the way.
Madara deemed their strength unworthy of an alliance with Konoha and soundly defeated them, leaving them both severely injured.
"Has everyone received orders from their respective daimyō?" Mabui's eyes swept over the gathered shinobi as she spoke, "Shinho's assassination of the Fire Daimyō is an unforgivable crim-…"
"Enough with the nonsense! Let's get to business already."
Ōnoki interrupted brusquely.
"Tsuchikager, what's with the temper?"
The Fourth Raikage shot him a sideways glance, his tone slightly mocking.
Ōnoki's expression darkened.
The irony wasn't lost on him, after all, the Raikage was usually the one with the worst temper.
"Is the Tsuchikage in such a hurry to avenge his student?" Mei Terumī said with a teasing smile, "I heard that Deidara joined Akatsuki and was killed by the Hokage."
"You!"
Ōnoki was so angry, his beard trembled.
"Please, everyone," Mabui interjected in an attempt to mediate, "We're not here to argue, we're here to plan the downfall of Konoha."
"And how exactly do you propose we do that?"
Mei's jade-green eyes glimmered as she glanced toward Mabui.
"Simple, we concentrate all our forces and obliterate Konoha in one strike!" the Raikage declared, his voice booming, as if he could already see Konoha falling.
Mabui massaged her temples, already feeling a headache coming on.
"No."
Obito suddenly spoke, his tone calm but resolute.
"I believe we should split our forces and attack separately."
"Why?"
Mabui's brow furrowed as she asked the question.
"Because Shinho is only one person."
Obito's smile was faint yet sinister. "He can't be everywhere at once."
In truth, Obito's goal was to stretch Shinho thin across multiple battlefronts so that Akatsuki could make their move on Nagato.
Mabui nodded thoughtfully.
She had reached a similar conclusion, but her goal was different.
She believed that Shinho would crush any village that faced him alone.
If they concentrated their forces, they'd be making things easier for him.
Instead, leaving it to chance and scattering their forces was the best way forward.
Four separate battlefronts...
Whoever was unlucky enough to meet Shinho first was doomed.
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