Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 411

The further north you go, the colder the air becomes, and the vegetation is gradually replaced by snow.

The cold wind swept across like a knife, whipping up snowflakes that stung our faces.

Looking out, the world was a vast expanse of silvery white.

It's hard to imagine that a prosperous country could exist in such a harsh environment.

The Land of Iron, a unique nation in the ninja world.

There are no ninjas here; the place is entirely ruled by a samurai class who believe in the way of "sword" and "sincerity."

They are renowned for their exquisite forging skills.

The vast majority of standard kunai and shuriken circulated in the Five Great Nations and even the entire ninja world.

And the high-quality samurai swords are all made by craftsmen from the Land of Iron.

With this unique technology and a huge arms trade.

The Land of Iron has accumulated enormous wealth and influence, enabling it to maintain neutrality amidst the five great powers.

It does not depend on any party.

This is precisely the important reason why the Fourth Raikage chose this location for the meeting.

To ensure the fairness and security of the talks, and to prevent either side from gaining a geographical advantage.

As the four approached the meeting place designated by the Land of Iron.

A magnificent samurai-style castle built against the mountainside, with several warriors from the Land of Iron appearing in the distance, clad in heavy iron armor, wearing helmets, and carrying katanas at their waists.

Their steps were steady, and their aura was restrained, clearly indicating that they were all well-trained elites.

"Is that the Fifth Hokage of Konoha Village ahead?"

The lead warrior's voice was loud and clear, with a metallic quality, and it came through the wind and snow clearly.

Tsunade stepped forward and displayed the Hokage's keepsake.

"We've been waiting for you. Please follow us. The lounge is ready."

The warriors bowed respectfully and then led the way.

The heavy castle gates slowly opened, shutting out the wind and snow outside.

A warm fire burned inside, dispelling the chill.

Led by the samurai, the four arrived at a spacious, simply furnished yet powerful lounge.

To their surprise, there were already people in the lounge.

They are representatives from Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand, the Land of Wind.

The Fifth Kazekage Gaara, along with his sister Temari and brother Kankuro.

"Gaara!"

Naruto's eyes lit up, and a bright smile immediately spread across his face as he quickly walked over.

Although Gaara's temperament remains aloof, the fierceness and loneliness of yesteryear are long gone from his brows.

"It's been a long time, Naruto."

Gaara's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, his voice calm.

Temari greeted them with a smile: "Yo, Naruto, Sasuke, it seems you've become the Hokage's bodyguards."

Kankuro nodded in agreement.

As allies and close friends, the atmosphere among them was relaxed and pleasant.

Naruto enthusiastically shared his experiences on the road with Gaara, while Temari and Tsunade chatted about topics between women.

She would occasionally tease Sasuke about his perpetually icy expression, but Sasuke would just glance at her and not bother to refute her.

This harmonious atmosphere will not exist once the other films arrive.

Not long after, the door to the lounge was pushed open again.

The delegation that has entered this time is from Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village) in the Land of Earth.

The leader was a short, elderly man with a goatee who was floating in mid-air.

The Third Tsuchikage Ohnoki.

Following behind him was Heitu, who was wearing a red cheongsam and had a lively and cheerful personality.

And the tall, silent, and steady Akado.

Onoki's gaze swept over everyone in the room.

He lingered on Tsunade and Gaara for a moment, nodding slightly as a greeting.

He then found a place to sit down, closed his eyes to rest, and looked completely at ease.

Just as Onoki entered the room, in Naruto's consciousness space, Madara Uchiha, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened one eyelid.

There was a hint of amusement in it, as if it were some old, worn-out object.

"Oh? That kid Onoki... he's become the Tsuchikage too?"

Ban's voice echoed in the consciousness space, carrying a hint of condescending sentiment.

Nine-Tailed Fox lay on the water's surface, lazily flicking its tail: "What? Old Spotted Man, are you two very familiar?"

Ban closed his eyes again, his tone flat and calm: "It's nothing. Many years ago, when he was still a brat who didn't know the immensity of the world, I 'played' with him for a while."

Kushina's curiosity was piqued: "Huh? Mr. Madara, you actually have such refined tastes? Playing games with people?"

Nine-Tailed Fox chuckled and bluntly exposed, "Come on, with that guy's stinky temper back then, he wanted to trample the whole world under his feet."

"The 'play' he's talking about probably isn't the kind of game you're thinking of, like dropping a handkerchief or playing hide-and-seek."

Minato smiled helplessly to the side, not participating in this "casual chat".

Outside, the arrival of Iwagakure made the atmosphere in the lounge slightly more formal, but it was still relatively peaceful.

However, this peace was soon shattered.

Accompanied by a series of heavy and oppressive footsteps, and an undisguised, thunderous aura of chakra.

The initiator of this Five Kage Summit—the Fourth Raikage A of Kumogakure—entered with his two guards.

Ray Shadow Ai was extremely burly, with dark skin, short blond hair, and a thick beard.

Just standing there, it's like a volcano about to erupt.

That raw, unyielding strength, impatience, and unquestionable aura instantly filled the entire room.

It made the air seem thick and sticky.

Following behind him was Darui, who had a white spiky hairstyle, a lazy appearance, but considerable strength.

And Xi, who has excellent perception and medical abilities.

The Raikage's gaze swept across the entire area as if it were a physical entity, lingering briefly on Tsunade and Gaara.

Finally, he glanced at Naruto seemingly casually and let out a barely audible snort.

Then he sat down in one of the main seats with a flourish, arms crossed, eyes closed, to rest.

But his taut muscles and twitching brows showed that his anger was far from over.

Finally arriving was the representative of Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist of the Land of Water—the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi.

She was a mature and beautiful woman with a graceful figure and bright green eyes that, while smiling, concealed a sharp edge.

She wore a blue strapless dress with a white robe over it, exuding a unique charm.

Following her was Qing, who was wearing an eye patch.

Mei Terumi's arrival seemed to inject a gentle, refreshing breeze into this room filled with masculine energy and tension.

But no one dared to underestimate this female figure who brought an end to the Blood Mist Village.

As Shuiying took her seat.

The leaders of the five great ninja villages, representing the most powerful forces in the ninja world today, and their guards, have finally all gathered in this castle in the Land of Iron.

The atmosphere in the small lounge was extremely tense.

The Kazekage's composure, the Tsuchikage's cunning, the Raikage's fiery temper, the Mizukage's allure and danger, and the Hokage's unwavering resolve and decisiveness...

Five distinct auras collided and intertwined, creating an invisible pressure in the air that seemed to dim even the glow of the fire.

The ease I felt when talking with Gaara and the others earlier had completely vanished, replaced by a tense feeling of impending doom.

All the guards, including Naruto and Sasuke, unconsciously straightened their backs, their eyes sharply focused on their own Kage and everything around them.

They knew that this Five Kage Summit, which would determine the future of the ninja world, was about to officially begin in this icy and snowy landscape.

They are witnesses, participants, and guardians.

Chapter 436 Undercurrent

In the core conference room of the Iron Country castle, five "Kage," representing the highest authority in the ninja world, were seated around a huge round table.

The air was thick with an invisible stench of gunpowder, far colder and more biting than the wind and snow outside the window.

The meeting had barely begun when a fierce verbal battle ensued.

The Fourth Raikage, A, was the first to launch an attack.

He slammed his huge fist on the table with a dull thud.

His eyes widened in anger as he scanned the other four figures, his voice loud and accusatory:

"The Akatsuki organization! This malignant tumor that plagues the entire ninja world!"

"According to the intelligence we currently have, its core members include people from your other villages, in addition to our own Cloud Village!"

"Orochimaru, a rogue ninja from Konoha; Sasori, a rogue ninja from Sunagakure; Deidara, a rogue ninja from Iwagakure; and Kisame, a rogue ninja from Kirigakure!"

"Isn't this evidence of your negligence in supervision, your tolerance of the rogue ninja's escape, and the resulting disaster today?!"

This accusation is extremely sharp, directly attributing the birth of "Akatsuki" to management problems in other villages.