Chapter 167 - 165: The Wild One, Azula

When the Third Kazekage finished speaking, Ōnoki froze for a solid second, mouth hanging open, looking downright comical. Azula found his face hilarious and genuinely regretted not having a camera in her hand.

Even Hanzo was struggling to keep his composure, realizing Ame had very likely already lost the game.

His original plan had been to cooperate with Ōnoki and Satō, and if that fell through, he'd resigned himself to abandoning them and siding with Konoha. Too late now. Satō had jumped ship before the confrontation even started.

Azula glanced at Satō, and he gave her a small nod. She understood. The reason he'd mentioned it here was to openly declare his allegiance to their camp.

"Alright. Konoha welcomes a new ally. We'll discuss the details in private. What do you say, Third Kazekage?" She offered him a sliver of respect now that he was hers.

That form of address from Azula was unfamiliar to Satō, but he didn't let it show. "Of course."

Watching the exchange, Hanzo and Ōnoki traded glances. Ōnoki's expression had turned grave.

Next to speak was the Raikage. "Excellent decision, Kazekage. Your intelligence hasn't let me down. Now that I think about it, how about some cooperation with Kumo?"

"Suna sends raw ores and puppet-grade materials, and Kumogakure sends refined metals and lightning-conductive alloys."

Suna sat on a mineral-rich desert and excelled at puppetry. Kumo had mountains full of rare ores and top-tier refining capabilities. A had aimed well. Cooperation between them would benefit both sides without question.

Before Satō could even answer, Akiko spoke up.

"Kiri also hopes for cooperation with Suna. We know the Third Kazekage is an expert in Bijū research, having developed Magnet Release based solely on the One-Tail, and even assisted in the method for Sand Release. If possible, Kiri would like to cooperate on this point." Akiko didn't say much, but when she spoke, she dropped bombs.

The tailed beasts were the foundation and ultimate trump card of every village. No village would ever let their Bijū interact with those of another village, but Akiko was seeking cooperation directly with the Kazekage.

'No, isn't this a little too much benefit for allying with them?' The Kazekage kept his face calm with great effort, but internally, he was so stunned he didn't even know what to say. 'If I'd known I'd benefit this much, I wouldn't have hesitated for a single second.'

"Of course," he answered. "Suna is very happy to cooperate with Kumo and Kiri, and thanks both Kage."

At that, he paused, then let out a breath. "Your visions reach so far. I'm certain when the next generation speaks of this moment, they will admire the foresight of the Raikage and the Mizukage."

There was a touch of flattery in his words, but who didn't enjoy being flattered after doing something right? Even Akiko, cold as she seemed, smiled just a little.

And so, the Kage Summit, which should've been drowning in schemes and conspiracies, had turned into four friends chatting about life while the others sat right there with them, present but very much not part of the group.

'Five Kage. Four have banded together, and I'm the one left out.' No matter how stubborn he was, Ōnoki had reached the end of his ideas.

The best path remaining was to admit defeat and try to join the group, even if, as the last one in, he'd probably have to pay a price. The second option was to keep up his cooperation with Hanzo and try to find a solution, no matter how difficult, but he knew that was his worst choice by far.

He considered other paths too. Becoming completely neutral, for instance. No more attacks, no more provocations.

But he knew that option was no different from suicide. If he did that, Hanzo would immediately jump to Azula's camp, and the others, already cooperating, would develop far faster and eventually surpass him entirely.

Once that happened, Iwa wouldn't be any different from those minor villages without a Kage, just with a bigger stretch of land.

Once again, Ōnoki lifted his head to look at Hanzo. Hanzo looked back at him, their eyes meeting, an exchange they'd made more than ten times since entering the room, as if each was hoping the other would suddenly pull a magic solution out of thin air.

Unfortunately, it never came.

"Ōnoki, you are too quiet, which is unlike you. Do you have some kind of concern? If so, speak, lest you make it feel as if we are banding together and ignoring an old man." Azula spoke, giving Ōnoki a chance.

Azula's question caught Ōnoki off guard. He'd been left out of the conversation for a while now, but he forced himself to calm down, knowing his next words would determine the future, and most likely even the fate of Iwa itself.

Ōnoki sighed. "I'm just feeling a little melancholy. I was born near the end, but I still remember a bit of what it was like before the villages were created. I've lived from that era all the way up to now."

"From a time when you couldn't trust anyone outside your own clan, to a time when you could trust people from different clans and names because you belonged to the same village. That was the revolution the First Hokage caused." He spoke with the air of an old-timer reminiscing about the past.

"Now, I'm witnessing the start of a new era all over again. One where villages that were so hostile to each other not so long ago are cooperating. It's only natural I'd get lost in my thoughts."

As he spoke, Tobirama, who was standing behind Azula without drawing any attention, realized something. 'Is she making Big Brother's dream a reality? The one he had before he died? To see the villages cooperate with each other like the clans did in the past, and bring a deep peace to the world?'

He looked at Azula with new depth. Up until now, he'd never been able to associate 'Uchiha' with 'peace'. Her methods were definitely dominant, but even he knew it was exactly what he'd do in her place. Maybe he'd even use more forceful methods than she did.

Azula just looked at Ōnoki with a smile on her face, fully aware he was fishing for pity. A man with no shame like him would do anything as long as it benefited him.

"So, Third Tsuchikage," she addressed him directly. "Ready to be part of this new era, or do you have other ideas?"

'Always so direct, these Uchiha,' Ōnoki thought, a bad memory surfacing.

"Of course Iwa is ready for a new era. We'll be more than willing to cooperate with the other villages, hoping to contribute to peace in the shinobi world." He set aside every plan he'd had to stir up conflict between Konoha and Kumo before stepping in.

He knew all too well that at a moment like this, the only move was to swallow every last thought he had and go along with the popular decision.

Seeing Ōnoki's choice, Hanzo wasn't about to be left in the dust. "It's a pleasure for me and for Ame, as the host of this summit that will undoubtedly change the world. In the future, Ame is also willing to take part in any cooperation with all villages for the prosperity of the shinobi world."

He truly wanted to raise Ame's status to the same level as the five great villages, but he knew that was impossible during this summit, where he was supposed to be nothing more than a neutral spectator.

Still, seeing a scene like this unfold, Hanzo, who'd always had the guts to declare war on all five villages at once in the future, couldn't stand just watching.

"Clap."

"Clap."

"Clap."

Azula clapped her hands. The others instinctively moved to follow, ready to applaud the arrival of a new era, but she spoke instead. "In that case, I have a new proposal. An idea I've had in my head for a very long time. I have several names for it: the Ninja Federation, the United Villages, the Shinobi Union, the Council of Kage. Pick whichever one suits you."

(END OF THE CHAPTER)