Author Note

Hello everyone and welcome to another chapter of Cursed Eyes.

Not many reviews from the last chapter to answer.

Here is the chapter, so please enjoy and later on tell me your thoughts.

A little warning, though, that the chapter shall begin with a small love scene…nothing major, but for those who wish to skip it, feel free to do so.


Cursed Eyes

Chapter 37 – Kage Summit

Beta: Scheffinator


One Uzumaki Naruto lay in his bed at night, looking at the ceiling up above.

Wearing nothing but his pants, the Sharingan Jonin took his sweet time contemplating the ceiling as well as the night sky from his apartment window. He always enjoyed watching the night sky and moon illuminating the village, however tonight it was particularly cloudy and Konoha was hit with an abnormally dense fog that prevented him from one of his favorite views. It didn't matter, however, as he had another view to focus on right now, as the gentle breathing noise filled his ears. Turning, he could see the full splendor of Itsuko's closed eyes and her mouth's reduced sleeping breathing. Contrary to Naruto, Itsuko preferred some nice night clothing to keep her warm at night. It didn't mean that Naruto's full Sharingan eyes hadn't already memorized the full form of her kunoichi trained body, added by the immeasurable beauty of her curves.

Itsuko's entire day revolved around going through the Kumo Jonin Samui's paperwork as well as the scroll that contained Kumo's message to the Hokage.

After the ANBU had cleared the scroll from any hidden traps, she had forwarded it to the cryptanalysis division, which for its part, would deliver the message to the Hokage.

Since it would take at least an entire day for the full procedure, Samui was offered to stay in for the night, of course, with another ANBU team keeping guard duty over her, until morning. The Hokage was expected to receive the message by morning and then attend the meeting with the Kumo Jonin. After clearing up with her chores for the day, Itsuko had returned home, thrilled to see that her boyfriend had returned from his mission. It was a relief to see her man with a more relaxed disposition than before. She had made them dinner afterward and he had told her what happened on their mission, including him running into the Nadeshiko village's leader. Obviously, the woman was all but pissed at the nerve of the little princess and it took Naruto using the Sharingan to fully display what happened to calm her down.

Naruto then lied sideways, thus shortening the distance enough that he could feel her breathing. With his hand, he would gently caress the strays of hair that would fall on her face, making repeated motions throughout her face and hair with his hand.

Still looking like she was asleep, though, he could see a smile on her lips as she leaned even closer to his hand, in deep approval of his gesture.

When her eyes gently opened, she could see the onyx eyes of her man looking at her in full admiration.

"Go to sleep already, Naruto-kun, it's late…" Naruto smirked at that, while caressing her face still.

"Looking at you sleeping is relaxing enough, Itsu-chan…" the woman in question tsked and inclined her face further, until her lips stood mere centimeters from Naruto's. She began by giving him a peck on his lips and Naruto returned it, before both stared at each other, smiling. It didn't take long, however, for the peck to shift into a gentle kiss. From there on out, Naruto enveloped her in a hug as the kissing increased. It was something that was bound to happen earlier anyway, before she heard about the Nadeshiko story. And despite the fact that both were expected to wake up early in the morning, the hormones had decided to kick in.

Not wasting any time, Itsuko's pjs had fallen on the ground as the activity picked up pace.


===Next morning===

Next morning, the sun bombarded their room, but none of the naked couple seemed much interested in opening their eyes.

They weren't even moving at the noise of someone knocking on the door. Outside, Kakashi was busy leaning on the wall next to the door, on the verge of falling asleep, while the angry Kasumi kept on knocking repeatedly, looking quite miffed.

"Naruto-kun…Itsuko-chan, come on….open up!" The scarecrow Jonin released a sigh, seeing his girlfriend's stubbornness.

"I am assuming that they don't want to be disturbed, Kasumi…" Kasumi snarled at Naruto and Itsuko for ignoring her as well as Kakashi for his laziness.

"Shoot, perhaps, they had overslept?" Kakashi looked away, resisting the urge to comment that he would have enjoyed doing that as well. Of course, his girlfriend knew him too much and simply looked at him sharply. "Not. A. word!"

"I value my tenketsu way too much for that, thank you. Aside from that, what do you propose we do right now? You have been knocking on their door for a while now with no answer." Kasumi crossed her arms with a frown.

"Oh, I know…they both are quite skilled at sensing…you could spike up your chakra…that could awaken them, at least."

"You could do that as well…but fine…" Kasumi stood by her boyfriend's side as the man showed his hand, before lightning chakra began to dance in his palms. Soon as that happened, the door opened, with Naruto and Itsuko leaning on each other, both yawning and both…naked…from last night's events…the couple from the other side of the door behaved quite differently with Kakashi chuckling like a pervert and Kasumi's face heating up to impossible levels, until it became a deep contrast between her pale eyes and her red face.

"Both of you put on some clothes this instant!" Naruto and Itsuko had awakened right away with Itsuko slamming their door in surprise.

"Ah Itsu-chan, what are they doing here so early?" He was still yawning and scratching his eyes...they had little to no sleep last night.

"Damn, I forgot! Kasumi-chan had invited us for some breakfast today. We need to get dressed." Naruto just watched as she ran towards the bathroom probably to get a quick shower, before her head appeared through the bathroom door. "Get in here!"

Naruto just chuckled and joined his girlfriend in the shower.

One hour later, the couple was busy receiving quite an earful at the diner from Kasumi for making her wait outside, while Kakashi was busy focusing on his tea cup.


===At Tsunade's Office===

While the two couples enjoyed their nice meal together, another meeting was taking place, this time between two rather interesting characters with rather similar physical traits, so to speak.

Senju Tsunade, taking a seat at her desk, and Samui from Kumo Village standing in front of her.

"So, I assume that Lord Raikage has sent a letter for me, is that it?" Samui nodded and then handled the letter for the Hokage to quickly read it.

'So, Jiraiya's intel is solid at the very least…a confirmation straight from the Raikage that Kirabi was also captured.'

"As per the letter, Hokage-sama, not only Yugito before but also now Kirabi-sama was captured by the Akatsuki."

Tsunade hummed as she focused on the letter as well as the Kumo Jonin as well. "Furthermore, one of our associates, the one who was with Kirabi-sama, reported that the one behind the capture was none other than Hoshigaki Kisame, former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Raikage-sama, thus, believes that it's time to take action against the Akatsuki. As such, he has sent invitations to the other Kage for a joint meeting at Iron Country for discussions." Tsunade closed her eyes for a while and then gave the letter to Shizune, before turning to the stone cold Samui from Cloud.

"So, that cloud block of muscles has decided to listen to us, huh?" Samui looked at the Hokage in surprise as the woman allowed herself to remember the time when the Raikage had to swallow his pride and ask for her help in healing his subordinate.

"Hokage-sama…" Tsunade ignored Shizune's warning.

"My sensei and predecessor had attempted to reach out to the other Kages about the matter of Akatsuki. All of our communications were ignored, for sure. Even Jiraiya attempted, but was ignored. Now, it all changes when the Raikage's brother is captured."

"I wouldn't imagine this to be Konoha's reply to Lord Raikage's reply…" Tsunade had simply snorted with a smile, fully aware of this woman's lack of visual response.

"No, I would imagine that the Lord Raikage's interest in resolving the matter of Akatsuki should have begun once Kumo had lost the Nibi Jinchuuriki, but I venture that he had too much pride in that time." Samui narrowed her eyes on the conversation.

"Losing Yugito was indeed a blow to Kumo's forces, Hokage-sama and contrary to your impressions about Lord Raikage, her loss was deeply felt by all in Kumogakure, especially Raikage-sama."

"I'll bet he did…" This time, Samui had lost her cool.

"Hokage-sama…!" Tsunade lifted both her hands, urging the following dignitary from another village to stop talking.

"Listen, miss Samui, I happen to know about his character way more than you think I do. There was a time in the past when he had to swallow his pride and come to me and Shizune next to me in order to help heal one of his subordinates named Karai at the time." Samui looked at the Hokage in surprise since she wasn't aware of this information, but Tsunade continued. "At the time, I firmly believed that Kumo's leader, despite being forever lost in his humongous pride, at least cared for his subordinates." Samui soon realized that she was stepping on glass right now as she was arguing with the Hokage on the Raikage's behalf.

As such, she had decided to simply clear her throat and present herself with the very mission she came here in Konoha to perform.

"Hokage-sama, I believe you had ample time to read Raikage-sama's missive. I am scheduled to return briefly with Konoha's reply about it. As such, please give me your reply." Tsunade joined both hands and leaned on her desk.

"Ah..I sure did. Konoha shall attend the Kage Summit. I understand Miss Samui that my words should be directed to him directly and should the circumstances allow it, understand that those shall be addressed."

Samui bowed in respect and followed the Chuunin guards outside. Tsunade and Shizune looked at the woman's back, while Shizune awaited her master's orders.

"Shizune, please call me Kakashi, Asuma and Naruto here...we can't afford to waste time right now." Shizune acknowledged the order and was about to follow through, when a thought occurred.

"Ah Tsunade-sama, isn't Jiraiya-sama in the village as well. Should I call him as well?" Tsunade tsked at the notion, half appalled about what she was going to say and half appalled by Shizune's lack of knowledge at this point.

"Oh, I bet that considering Samui's attributes, the damn pervert is already here, isn't it right?" To prove her point, she grabbed a quick paper weight that was on her desk and threw it at the position she knew he was, before hearing the object hitting it.

"Ouch…! Hey, watch how strong you throw that thing, Tsunade! You could have killed me." A vein popped at Tsunade's forehead, while Shizune left to address the others.

"I would be doing most women in the Elemental Nations a favor, you damn pervert!" Tsunade calmed down a bit after that and took a seat…she should have been accustomed to his mannerisms after this long. "I take it you were aware of this meeting?"

"Hmmm, it was one of the rumors I was looking into, sure. Still, getting the Kages together is unheard of. To this day, there's been only one time this happened, at the Shodaime's reign." Tsunade nodded. "Still, placing the Raikage and the Tsuchikage in one room is bound to be entertaining to watch." Indeed, old man Oonoki and A had never seen eye to eye in the most skirmishes that occurred between Kumo and Iwa, but then again neither does the rest of the Kage got that much along to be frank. To this day, the only joint village that was to some extent successful was the deal with the Sandaime Hokage and the Yondaime Kazekage in the Second Great Ninja War and that was shot to hell when Orochimaru came into the picture.

"Entertaining is just not the word I would use, Jiraiya, it's sure going to be a troublesome endeavor to get something out of this meeting." Jiraiya snorted.

"Sure is…which is why I never accepted Sensei's nagging for me to become Hokage. Leave it to the Shodaime's granddaughter for the role." Tsunade had simply crossed her arms, ignoring the pervert's words.

"I take it you won't bother coming along, then. I can take two shinobi as my entourage to the meeting."

"Nah…you have people more qualified for that…besides I have more pressing matters to attend to right now, besides going to a stone cold country and observing a meeting that won't go anywhere." Tsunade took a nice long breath at that.

"Orochimaru, I take it." Jiraiya hummed, considering how many slips the old snake had given him in the past.

"When that bastard decides to lay low, it's quite concerning that something big may follow afterward. For all I know, he could be colluding with Akatsuki as we speak."

"Naruto has taken out most of the members, it's not far-fetched to believe that Orochimaru has joined their ranks, expecting to benefit himself from the ordeal. You know our teammate better than anyone, in the end."

"I do, unfortunately, that old snake will never do anything if he doesn't get anything out of it." The pervert began to sense the presence of the ones Tsunade had called for, so he decided to make himself scarce. "Anyway, I shall be off to good old Rice Country, see about a couple of bases there." Tsunade nodded, before Jiraiya finished with one last question. "Considering that Naruto is the last remaining Jinchuuriki, Tsunade, it should be clear to you what the other Kages will want of us. Are you bringing him along to this meeting?" Tsunade nodded.

"Yes, him and Kakashi as well…I won't agree to whatever plan the other Kages have for him, Jiraiya. Right now, there are a handful of S-ranked fighters going toe to toe with Akatsuki in all of the Elemental Nations, apart from the Kages."

"True, well, you know best in the end. See ya."


===Towards Iron Country===

The same message that Konoha received was sent to the other three major hidden villages, Sunagakure, Iwagakure and Kirigakure.

And since all three of them had lost their respective Jinchuuriki just like Kumo, their Kage's participation was mandatory.

As such, their respective Kage were all lined up to leave their respective villages to head towards Iron Country. In Iwagakure, everyone was lined up on top of a bridge between two mountains that led to the village entrance, all of them screaming words of encouragement for their leader. One of the kunoichi screamed for the others that would accompany the Tsuchikage towards the meeting.

"Tsuchikage-sama, go ahead and make us proud!"

"Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, stay safe and watch over Tsuchikage-sama! We are all counting on you!"

On the ground, the woman named Kurotsuchi stood next to the big shinobi Akatsuchi as they waved towards the others, while waiting for the old man with the Tsuchikage hat getting ready. Kurotsuchi had short black hair with black eyes. She wore the standard red Iwa Jonin attire with no right sleeve, followed by the brown vest on top of it. Akatsuchi, for his part, was ginormous, easily towering at least twice of Kurotsuchi's height and lateral space. Both of them were looking down with a smile as the old man Tsuchikage named Oonoki attempted to place his wooden backpack. As soon as he lifted it, however, his lower back complained dearly and the senior shinobi froze in deep pain.

"Mah mah, Gramps, perhaps it's time for an old man such as yourself to retire. We could say to the others that you fell on your back and it's taking your sweet time getting up". Kurotsuchi said so with a smile as the old man Oonoki became comically enraged.

"Y-you idiot!" Oonoki pointed indignantly at Kurotsuchi. "Who do you think I am, huh? You're talking to the Sandaime Tsuchikage, Oonoki the Fence Sitter!" The woman, though, wasn't deterred by her desire to tease him.

"Oh forgive me, just that the great Oonoki just seems to struggle at lifting a simple backpack…oh how the mighty have fallen!" Oonoki snarled at his granddaughter.

"You shall see…this is nothing for me!" The old man soon tried it once more, but the end result was the same, forcing a smile from the big giant of a man, wearing a yellow scarf and dressing the same as Kurotsuchi.

"Allow me Tsuchikage-sama!" He lifted the old man up in the air and placed him on top of his own backpack. Kurotsuchi smiled as her grandfather took a perfect seat on top of her comrade's backpack.

"Then, I take it this is much better, isn't it?" The Tsuchikage, though, had too much pride not to save face in front of everyone, so he had simply crossed his arms and pouted like a child.

"Ah, do as you please, then, off we go."

In Kirigakure, a long red haired beauty of a kunoichi stood with her long light blue dress with open shoulders, while addressing her advisors and most trusting shinobi.

"Ao, Choujuro, you guard the Mizukage well! Make sure she does not overdo it." The one with the right eye patch and blue hair similar to Kakashi's design, stood rigid in his posture, accepting the mission that was bestowed upon him. To the Mizukage's left, stood Choujuro, a teenager from the looks of it, with short blue hair and black glasses. He looked terribly introspective and completely unsure if he truly belonged to this entourage to protect the Mizukage. On his back, a twin handled weapon, from the looks of it, was strapped in. The female Mizukage could sense the boy's uneasiness a mile away and sought to better assure him.

"Have more confidence in yourself, Choujuro, as one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, you are quite strong, which is why I had chosen you to accompany me to the Summit."

The Mizukage's strong seductive voice commanded respect and Choujuro became enamored by both her beauty and her warmth. Ao saw the blush coming and rubbed his forehead.

"Hmmm, such an uncertain attitude will get you nowhere! I swear, young people these days lack the dedication to manage themselves." The Mizukage stood still at the word 'manage', mistaking it for 'marriage'. Her eyes darkened and an oppressive aura began to materialize around her. Another shinobi then turned to scold Ao to stop lecturing or else they were going to be late. The word 'Late' then joined the word 'marriage' in the Mizukage's mind. Ao, though, wasn't paying much attention to the Mizukage, but rather to the one who scolded him.

"It's my way of offering advice! In my time..:" Ao stopped talking as soon as the sweet innocent smile of the Mizukage stood inches from his earshot.

"Shut up or I'll kill you" She said so with the utmost tranquility that Ao stood speechless, wondering what he had said. Then as if nothing happened, the Mizukage stood once more in front of the rest and announced.

"Alright, then, let's go Ao, Chojuro!" Ao was still looking at her speechless while Choujuro was blushing madly at her back.

In Kumogakure, the ultimate fighter of a man dressed as the village's Raikage stood on his couch as he awaited for his entourage to follow him, towards Iron Country. He had received word from the other messengers that all the Kages had accepted the invitation, so it was only a matter of time until he left the village as well. As soon as his subordinates Cee and Darui arrived, the Raikage had made a flip in the air and stood kneeled with his back facing his two subordinates. Cee had blond hair and white skin, while Darui had white hair and black skin. Cee looked ready for action at any second, while Darui's face looked like he'd rather not get up today.

"Alight, then, Cee and Darui, are you ready?" The energetic Raikage announced as he was ready to charge like a bull towards his meeting.

"Yes sir!"

"Let's go!" The Raikage charged like a mad bull straight towards the office window, flying straight through it and smashing it. Cee and Darui soon appeared to inspect the window. Cee, of course, was enthused but Darui…not so much.

"Let's go Darui!"

"Huh, sorry, but I will take the door instead. I will catch up, don't worry." He then turned and casually walked away, but not before waving at the Raikage's secretary Mabui, who was busy scratching her forehead at having to replace yet another window.

Last, but not least, in Sunagakure, Baki had gathered Temari and Kankuro in his office to be his escorts towards Iron Country, Both were torn about Gaara's capture to the likes of Akatsuki, so taking them was the least he could do.

"Temari, Kankuro, you're both ready, I take it." Temari and Kankuro both stoically nodded. Temari looked down, however, at the loss of her baby brother to the hands of Akatsuki.

"Let's get going already, Baki-sensei." Temari looked sideways to see the apparently stoic Kankuro, but she could see that he was just as sad as her. Baki knew all of this, but merely nodded.

"Okay then, let's go."


===With Tsunade===

The Godaime Hokage casually walked throughout the forest that surrounded the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

The Senju heiress took this time in great appreciation, acknowledging the sunlight bathing her skin as well as the some winds easing her troubles away. She was practically dancing between every step she took with a great smile on her face. Behind her, Naruto and Kakashi were looking at each other, wondering what was going on with their leader in command. A couple of hours ago, they were all in the room together, discussing the Kage Summit and the possibility of the five villages finally coming together to rid the world of the Akatsuki.

Naruto at first assumed that Tsunade would have picked Asuma to go together with Kakashi, but he was not so surprised about the reasoning.

In the end, this meeting is going to involve him in more ways than none, so at least he should be in the room when everyone else decides to play with his life.

As to why the Godaime Hokage was feeling this happy, well, this happens to be the first time she had ever set foot outside Fire Country ever since she was appointed Godaime Hokage.

"You know, I should get out of the village more…this feels great, isn't it? Not having to deal with Shizune on my ass the entire time, bugging me with the village reports…not having to deal with the elders complaining for a living!"

Kakashi listened to it all in a sweat drop.

"I was wondering, before, why I was chosen to follow you in this meeting. Now, I know." Tsunade laughed as she turned towards perhaps the only shinobi in the village who couldn't give a rat's ass about the Hokage's words just now.

"True that someone like you who lacks morals could ever criticize me for wanting a vacation once or twice. Aside from that, however, it's been a long time since I was out there, simply getting a booze and throwing money at the gambling machines."

"Well, now, you can call it a mission and get one of the Chuunin to do it for you." Tsunade snorted, feeling unashamed for using the village's structures to handle her debt, until it was finished.

"I remember Ino complaining about doing it once or twice. Now, do you mind if I ask a question about the meeting?" Tsunade and Kakashi eyed one another, before she urged him to go forward. "Being the last Jinchuuriki still alive, what are the odds of them getting a majority vote of some kind and outvoting Konoha?" Kakashi knew where his little brother was heading towards and it was indeed something that everyone pondered at one point. Tsunade, however, turned to ease the blond Jonin's concerns, right away.

"Naruto, right now, there isn't anything settled in one way or the other. This meeting happens to be the second time the Kages have ever gathered. And don't worry…they have no authority over you, only I do."

"I am aware of that, however, in a moment of impasse, if Konoha decides not to go along with what they had decided for my benefit, then…" Kakashi soon placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"You are getting way ahead here, Naruto-kun…it's not like Tsunade-sama going against the other Kages would cause an act of war with Konoha as the enemy."

"Sometimes, I forget that you've been through so much and yet are still due to know much about the world of politics, Naruto…" Kakashi and Naruto looked at the village leader as she spoke. "The Raikage is out for blood no doubt because of what happened to his brother, but the Akatsuki subject is a tender spot for everyone involved in this meeting. Although each village has their own Jinchuuriki, we have knowledge that the villages had entanglements with the organization in the past. So, if any sort of agreement shall happen in this meeting, it will only happen once all the dirty laundry between all five villages are over and done with. And trust me, there is a lot of bad blood throughout the years." That was the understatement of the century, but it was the truth in the end.

"…knowing about the other Kages, the odds of a joint agreement is slim to none, Naruto." Tsunade sighed in dismay, wondering about the odds indeed of something good happening out of this meeting.

"Now, a part of me wonders if accepting the invitation was the right thing to do. Well, at least I get to get out of the village for a while and leave Shizune to deal with the mess. Wait, we could stop at a gambling village on the way…"

Naruto and Kakashi both sweat dropped this time, wondering if they will be the last ones to arrive.


===In Iron Country===

As soon as they crossed the border to Iron Country, a heavy snowfall began to descend from the sky.

The overall temperature dropped almost instantly, forcing all three Konoha residents to tune up their fire chakra nature.

The sky turned cloudy and the visibility was reduced to nothing but snow as a grumpy Tsunade advanced with Naruto and Kakashi following afterward. The grumpiness was a result of her getting vetoed by her entourage in her plans to stop by a nice inn to get some rest and gambling. As they ran throughout the snowy pathway, they could see the number of samurai guards standing into position to protect the castle in the middle of the area. They could also see the Three Wolves Mountain as well on the other side of the area.

In no time at all, the Hokage arrived at the area's main castle where three men stood waiting for her arrival. The one in the front wore a tunic on his head, had a wrinkled face, gray hair and gray beard.

He also positioned himself with great authority over the ones in the back,

"Greetings Hokage-dono, we have all been expecting you. I am Mifune, leader of Iron Country. Please come inside." Tsunade nodded as the three followed the leader and the samurai guards inside. Naruto, meanwhile, looked around the premises of the castle, feeling for chakra capacity and eventual routes out of this place. It was something they had discussed prior to crossing the border. Despite Iron Country being a neutral zone, they are merely samurai. If any Kage so desired to start something, it would be up to Kakashi and Naruto to keep Tsunade safe.

Soon, the Kage lined up at the half-round table while the guards went to their respective stations. Naruto could feel the other shinobi and kunoichi's eyes focused on him. Some of them he already knew…Temari, Kankuro and Darui from Cloud.

Their brief entanglement a few years back when Naruto's rescue squad was assembled to help protect Asuma, Shikamaru, Choji and Ino from Kumo.

Naruto could feel the man's seemingly bored eye looking at him, in a similar aloof way to Kakashi's behavior.

"Please remove your Kage hats and place them on top of the table in front of you…in response to Lord Raikage's request, the five kage have assembled here…" Mifune's deep voice called everyone into attention. "I am Mifune, the moderator of this meeting. As such, the Five Kage Summit Conference is called into order." After that line, the Kages eyed each other, as if they were in the middle of a poker table, neither daring to show anything aside from pure blank faces and blank expressions on their faces. Despite this meeting having a specific agenda, each Kage understood each other's precarious position, so neither one dared to begin right away.

To Naruto this was the first time seeing the other three Kages. Baki, the Kazekage, was the only one familiar face amongst the leaders. The Raikage was quite imposing as everyone told him he would be.

He could extend his chakra sensitivity towards everyone in the room, getting astounding readings about chakra nature and overall chakra capacity. For instance, the Tsuchikage had three very strong chakra natures…so does the Mizukage.

"Allow me first to extend my greetings, Hokage-dono…" Tsunade turned to Oonoki's condescending smirk. "It's not every day we get to sit together with the famous Shodaime Hokage's granddaughter, after all." Tsunade hummed with a smile.

"As much as I appreciate the kind words Tsuchikage-dono, I fear that it does not carry the intent behind it." The old man only smiled, initiating the banter. Tsunade resumed talking, however. "As a matter of fact, one must wonder why exactly is your presence here in this meeting, considering the fact that it's common knowledge that Iwagakure has never treated their Jinchuuriki appropriately." Oonoki wasn't expecting Tsunade to be this hostile at the first measure, but then again, Tsunade wasn't much attuned to the political ways of her predecessor.

"Oh…is that so, please enlighten me, then Hokage-dono, about my village's treatment of its Jinchuuriki." Tsunade openly snorted at the midget.

"Why it's no secret that when the time came, or rather the Akatsuki appeared to capture them, neither the Yonbi or the Gobi Jinchuuriki were inside Iwagakure, not even in Earth Country for that matter."

"Well, you know about their volatile nature, right Hokage-dono…Jinchuuriki, they tend to have more secret lives in the end…it's not like Iwa could hold them against their will. Not like Konoha that keeps its Jinchuuriki on a leash." Tsunade's vein popped in her forehead at the moniker mentioned. Aside from Konoha shinobi being called like dogs from the other villages, the previous Kyuubi Jinchuuriki were all kept in arms' length…some would say for their own protection, but it would be naïve not to believe it was out of the village's fear that the beast would manage to get out and cause havoc just like it did seventeen years ago.

"I believe it's high time we moved past it, fellow Kages…." The Tsuchikage and the Hokage turned to the exuberant Mizukage as she turned to speak. Baki, however, frowned at the Mizukage's words, because of the mist village's shady dealings in the past against Sunagakure. "In the matter of Akatsuki, as it's the topic of this meeting, I will acknowledge that as the Mizukage, Kirigakure has delayed a suitable action. However, having our tailed beast stolen is no cause for immediate fear. Controlling a tailed beast requires skill, knowledge and time…"

That knowledge the Mizukage was sharing was based on the premise that Akatsuki would bother to train Jinchuuriki to then turn them against the villages.

"I am afraid that the luxury of time is something we don't have Mizukage-dono." Mei Terumi, the Mizukage, turned to Tsunade as she placed both hands joined together. "Akatsuki does not wish to focus on the concept of Jinchuuriki, but rather to harness the full power of the tailed beasts directly. It was within the material that Konoha had attempted to disclose with all the other villages after Akatsuki's first failed attempt to extract the Ichibi from Sabaku no Gaara. However, aside from Suna, the other villages all but denied even receiving it." The Tsuchikage snorted at that notion.

"Yeah, as if we can expect Konoha to be that altruistic, Hokage-dono. It certainly didn't work out in the past, now did it?" Tsunade was seriously getting a migraine having to listen to the Fence Sitter for more than a second.

"Amusing indeed Tsuchikage-dono…now I wasn't expecting that this meeting would take a trip down memory lane, but I guess one can never be that naïve, isn't it?" The Iwa leader frowned at the Hokage's words. Iwa and Konoha's protection detail began to tense up as they felt the great animosity still alive between them. Of course, both of Tsunade's loved ones were killed in the war against Iwagakure, so it stood to reason that she would have a hard time letting it go in favor of the meeting's main topic. And the number of casualties suffered by Iwa because of the Yondaime Hokage's hands was still fresh, it seemed.

The sudden spike in chakra, however, made all of the guards from all five nations jump immediately into action the second the Raikage screamed bloody murder, just before smashing his fist on the table.

"Enough of this!"

It didn't take one second for the room to be completely filled with shinobi, all of them placed in front of their respective leaders, in preparation for a battle royale. The moderator took a deep breath, wondering if this meeting was going to be fruitful or not.

"Everyone, this is a place of discussion. Please refrain from any disruptive actions." Each of the leaders quickly urged their guards to stand aside, though the Tsuchikage paid special attention to Naruto, focusing on the hair similarity. "Now, let us continue."

The Raikage took a seat after his own outburst and looked at his fellow Kages.

"The Leaf, Rock, Sand and even Mist…Akatsuki was formed by rogue ninja from the four shinobi villages. Also, both Suna and Iwa had used the Akatsuki organization for several assignments. Most recently, Suna had used them to invade Konoha."

Baki frowned, really having no excuse, considering his own actions in the invasion. Tsunade had her eyes closed, before turning in for Suna's benefit.

"Raikage-dono, whereas Sunagakure had indeed admitted to their actions, they have long ago made amends to Konoha. So, don't bother attempting to turn one against the other." Baki chose the opportunity to finish the defense.

"Not to mention, Raikage-dono, that whereas the other villages were heading towards stability and demilitarization, Kumo had seen fit to increase their strength, steal classified ninjutsu from other nations…Kumo has certainly not made everyone's lives any easier." Tsunade nodded and even the Tsuchikage agreed, as he turned to the Raikage.

"Kumo may have no connections to Akatsuki, Raikage-dono, but your actions throughout the years had fueled their growth in more ways than a local use of their efforts from the rest." The Raikage snarled, but chose to compose himself, as he turned to Mei.

"However, the most suspicious is no doubt the Hidden Mist!" Mei just looked at the Lightning leader's accusations. "You Mist do not conduct diplomacy…there are even rumors that Akatsuki originated from the Mist!"

Tsunade saw her fellow female Kage look down ashamed for that matter, despite this needing to be put out in the open.

"Ah, since we have come here, I will speak honestly…there were indeed suspicions that someone was manipulating the Yondaime Mizukage and could very well be that Akatsuki was behind it, calling the shots." Tsunade took a deep breath.

"There is something that the two Jonin I brought here today can testify…" Everyone turned to the Hokage. "After the defeat of Pein, the seemingly leader of the organization, another Akatsuki operative appeared…and this man has the Sharingan." Everyone tensed up immediately afterward.

"We know that Uchiha Itachi was one of the members, Hokage-dono, before your Jinchuuriki defeated him. Itachi was the last born Uchiha left standing."

Tsunade turned to Baki.

"This foe's identity is still unknown to us Kazekage-dono. However, it stands to reason that aside from Hoshigaki Kisame…" The Raikage snarled at the name. "This enemy is most likely to be the organization's true leader."

"This is quite troubling indeed Hokage-dono. If possible, Konoha has its hands in Akatsuki's creation right up with Hidden Mist, then."

Tsunade frowned at that, but she knew that Danzo was the one behind this entire mess, when he sided with Hanzo.

"Allow me to speak on behalf of the smaller nations…" Mifune said so, clearing his throat and taking the attention away from the squabble between hidden villages. "I would like to point out that the organization has timed their movements up to perfection. The hidden villages speak plainly about stabilization, but nations have private suspicions and the Akatsuki took advantage of that weakness to amass its power. This level of suspicion and the shadow game of shinobi has led to the empowerment of a mercenary organization." Each of the Kage present in the room acknowledged the wisdom of the samurai leader.

"What are you getting at, Mifune-dono?" The Raikage asked and the aged Samurai leader turned to him.

"It is extremely rare for all five kage to assemble. I wasn't even alive when the last one occurred. This is a golden opportunity as any right now for the five hidden villages to form a temporary alliance…" Each Kage responded the same about that, though Mifune kept on finishing his train of thought. "Until the Akatsuki is eliminated, why not establish the world's first Allied Shinobi Forces of the Five Hidden Villages?" The Raikage's first obvious response was to snarl at the mere thought of it. Here he was pointing fingers at everyone else and now he would have to join forces with them.

Kakashi up in the stands looked at Naruto sideways, before looking at Tsunade. Both of them had quickly understood what Naruto was talking about prior to them arriving at this meeting.

"Joining forces and efforts seem a bit far-fetched at the moment, Mifune-dono. There are a lot of bad history between the five hidden villages…" Baki pondered the question out loud and Mifune nodded.

"Please understand that my intention is not merely to erase the past, but together fix the present issue regarding this organization that quite frankly none of the hidden villages had managed to deal with on its own, Kazekage-dono. Sure, Konoha has dealt a sustainable blow to their forces by taking out even the de facto leader of the organization, but Akatsuki is still out there placing an uncomfortable leash on all of you and on all the Daimyo as well." Mifune had allowed the idea to sink in for a while, before presenting the bigger issue moving forward. "Should an alliance come to fruition, it's imperative that a Chain of Command is established."

"I am not saying that I agree with this alliance of yours Mifune-dono, but considering the possibility, who would we choose to lead this so-called Allied Shinobi Force of yours." Oonoki asked with derision present in his voice.

"If the decision were to be taken by the Kages, only arguments would follow, so please I ask you to respect the position of the neutral nations…and allow me to come up with a suitable proposal to decide who amongst the Kages that are more suitable for the role of leader of this alliance. Presently, out of the five hidden villages, only Konoha has a Jinchuuriki, the Kyuubi, who according to intel provided, has so far dealt the most blows to the organization. As such, it's my understanding that Hokage-dono must be the one appointed to take up leadership of this Alliance."

Tsunade looked at the elder Samurai leader in surprise, and so did the others. The Raikage, however, responded by screaming in indignation.

"Why the Hokage, huh!? None of the Akatsuki comes from my village…I should be the one leading this alliance!"

Mifune, though, only looked deeply into the Raikage's eyes and pointed to the table or more precisely towards the hole that the Raikage caused.

"Raikage-sama presents passion and strength, which could be essential to bringing the strong ones together. However, in order to beat an organization who can operate through the shadows, one must not allow emotions to get in the way." Mifune, then, turned to the others present. "Both Suna and Iwagakure have relied on the Akatsuki in the past and Lady Mizukage's Hidden Mist is said to be the birthplace of Akatsuki. As I said before, Tsunade-dono and Konoha still possesses the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and to this point has all the major qualifications to lead this alliance."

The Kages looked at one another for a while, but everyone then looked at the still flabbergasted Tsunade who was still due to emit a single word about this new mess she had gotten herself in.


Author Note

Ok, that's it for now.

Next chapter shall mark the initiation of the Fourth Great Ninja War as well as what that will mean for our much needed hero.

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Next update: Nidaime no Sairin