Chapter 117 – Dominating the Five Kage
As the group walked out of the meeting hall, every pair of eyes turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
To them, it felt like a trap—Konoha's trap—meant to keep the leaders of all four other villages contained in one place.
"Sarutobi, are you really planning to go to war with all four of our villages at once? You're underestimating us!"
Yagura, already displeased with Hiruzen, was the first to lash out. If possible, he wanted to rally the others and take down Sarutobi and Danzo immediately.
The sudden arrival of the Three Sannin had startled even Hiruzen. This completely disrupted his plans. What are Orochimaru and the others thinking, showing up here like this?
But more urgently, he had to explain things to the other Kage, who were all staring at him with increasingly dangerous expressions.
These were all top-tier shinobi standing right beside him—his old bones wouldn't survive even a single skirmish.
He couldn't even defeat Ōnoki alone, let alone all of them together.
If he were to die here, Konoha's future would be doomed.
"Don't look at me like that. I have no idea why they're here. They've stopped listening to my orders long ago."
Hiruzen hurried to explain, even exposing Konoha's internal drama in order to clear his name.
His honesty put the others somewhat at ease. So long as this wasn't part of some elaborate Konoha scheme, then Orochimaru and the others alone weren't much of a threat to them.
"In that case, Lord Hokage," said Mifune, General of the Land of Iron, stepping forward. "I suggest you deal with your village's internal matters. Do not let them disrupt our meeting—or drag your village's issues into our country."
As the commander of the Land of Iron, Mifune's priority was the safety of his homeland. This was their capital, after all. A battle between top-tier shinobi here would wreak catastrophic damage.
"Orochimaru, what are you doing here? Return to the village at once."
Hiruzen steadied himself and decided to confront Orochimaru first. He couldn't allow the other Kage to mock Konoha's instability.
"Sensei," Orochimaru said calmly, his serpent-like eyes glinting in the sunlight. "Since your discussion centers around my student, Kazane, then allow me—his teacher—to speak on his behalf."
His voice was firm. Though inwardly unsure whether he would survive today, Orochimaru had come regardless.
This was his resolve as a teacher.
Besides, he wasn't alone. He had comrades willing to risk everything alongside him. No matter the outcome… it was worth it.
He only hoped that after his death, his sensei would clear Kazane's name. Then the sacrifice would not be in vain.
"Heh… Lord Orochimaru, what are you talking about?"
Just then, a voice rang out from a nearby rooftop.
Kazane.
Hearing him, Orochimaru was deeply moved. He hadn't expected Kazane to appear now—or to understand his intentions.
He had always believed Orochimaru cared only for himself.
That other than his obsession with immortality, Orochimaru felt no attachment to anything.
But today… Kazane was truly touched.
From this moment on, he no longer saw Orochimaru as a mutually beneficial ally—but as his teacher.
Truth be told, Kazane had arrived here before Orochimaru and the others. But since there was likely a battle looming, he had slipped away to grab something to eat. After all, fighting on a full stomach made the punches land harder.
What he hadn't expected was for the Three Sannin to arrive on his behalf—gatecrashing the Five Kage Summit.
Given their combined strength, there was no way the three of them could take on so many elite shinobi alone.
It was practically suicide.
But… with him in the mix changed everything.
As Kazane's voice echoed out, everyone turned toward the source.
There, seated on the roof of a small inn, was a young man dressed in a black kimono. Three long swords were strapped diagonally across his waist, and he was calmly chewing on a skewer of dumplings.
Most people present had never seen Kazane in person, but everyone in the shinobi world recognized the silhouette of the strongest shinobi alive.
Kazane wore the same black kimono all year round. Of course, he owned many identical sets and often rotated them.
As the saying goes: A tree casts a shadow, and a man casts a reputation.
The title of "Strongest in the Shinobi World" wasn't given lightly. He had seized it with his own hands—by slaying the Third Raikage on the battlefield.
Now, with the Three Sannin revealed and Kazane appearing right after, tension rippled through the crowd.
Even Mifune began to worry. If a battle really did break out, and all these top-level shinobi clashed here…
The entire capital of the Land of Iron might be wiped off the map.
"Lord Hokage," Mifune said gravely. "This is a matter internal to your village. I ask that you resolve it privately. Do not endanger our nation. Otherwise, the samurai of the Land of Iron will be forced to fight in defense of our homeland."
He had no choice but to issue a stern warning. As far as he was concerned, Hiruzen should be able to rein his people in.
But inside, Mifune felt like he'd been wronged. He'd simply offered his land as neutral ground for negotiations—and now it had become a battlefield. He was starting to regret it.
What he didn't know was that Hiruzen himself was completely blindsided.
This… was not part of the script.
If it had only been Orochimaru and the others, Hiruzen would've had the situation under control. He could have used it as an opportunity to showcase how much he still cared for them—how firm he was in protecting Kazane before the other Kage.
But now that Kazane had also appeared…
That changed everything.
Especially with the Fourth Raikage still here—a reckless brute who might explode at any moment.
A fight was looking inevitable.
Hiruzen hesitated. Should he use this opportunity to drain the other villages' strength and try to eliminate Kazane? Or should he help Kazane and the others face off against the Four Great Shinobi Villages?
But before he could make up his mind…
Kazane gave everyone a gift.
He finished the last bite of his dumpling, stood up, and stretched his neck.
Then, facing the summit building at the capital's highest point, he narrowed his eyes—
And in a flash, his crimson pupils flared.
A crimson glow shimmered in his eyes—and then, a tsunami of killing intent exploded from his body.
Even the roof beneath him groaned and cracked under the sheer force of his presence.
The samurai of the Land of Iron, the nearby villagers, and even many of the shinobi brought by the other Kage—
Their pupils lost focus. One by one, they collapsed where they stood, unconscious.
For a moment, the entire summit grounds—
Fell into absolute silence.