Chapter 290: Where Is Pakura?

Every one of the enormous trees was thick enough to require several people to encircle its trunk.

They intertwined and climbed over one another.

Onoki’s aged eyes widened to their limit.

His feet unconsciously edged forward until half his body extended beyond the cliff.

A fear buried for decades crawled up his spine.

"This..."

The giant trees below didn’t stop.

They bent in midair and fitted themselves together.

Thick trunks formed indestructible support pillars.

Countless branches wove themselves into smooth walls and roofs.

Towering watchtowers rose in all four directions.

Heavy wooden fortifications rapidly extended to both sides, enclosing an area of tens of thousands of square meters.

In little more than a dozen breaths, an enormous military fortress capable of housing tens of thousands—with complete defensive facilities—appeared from nothing before them.

Not a single mason had been used.

Not one brick or stone had been laid.

Beside Onoki, the muscles across Ay’s face twitched.

"Are you kidding me?"

He turned to look at Minato, then back at the massive fortress below.

How much money would Kumogakure need to spend to construct an encampment of that size?

How many shinobi would have to work day and night for months?

And now?

It had appeared in the blink of an eye.

Rasa stood on the other side, his expression extraordinarily grim.

Sunagakure was surrounded by yellow sand. Keeping even one tree alive required exhausting effort.

Yet Konoha could casually produce an entire forest fortress.

Such unreasonable dominance in resources filled him with intense helplessness.

Minato still wore a warm smile.

But now, a trace of pride rarely seen in him had entered it.

"Everyone," he began in a clear, gentle voice. "The allied forces’ accommodation problem has now been resolved."

He made it sound trivial.

"Hokage, that is... Wood Release," Onoki said with certainty.

He had lived through that era and personally witnessed the might of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage.

He could never mistake the power that once suppressed the entire Shinobi World.

Minato calmly met his gaze and nodded.

"That’s right. It’s Wood Release."

The skin across Onoki’s face twitched as he forced the corners of his mouth upward.

"It is truly fortunate that your village can solve the enormous problem of the encampments."

His words were polite.

But beneath his broad sleeves, both hands had long since clenched into fists.

Hadn’t Hashirama Senju died long ago?

Where had Konoha found another monster capable of Wood Release?

The chakra required to create an enormous fortress instantly...

If this person fought freely on a battlefield, Iwa’s entire army wouldn’t be enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

Once the war ended, a Konoha possessing Wood Release would undoubtedly tear apart the current balance among the Five Great Nations.

Ay and Rasa exchanged a look.

Neither spoke.

But at that moment, their vigilance toward Konoha completely surpassed their fear of the unknown enemy.

Minato observed every change in their expressions.

This was precisely the effect he wanted.

He intended to use absolute, overwhelming power to force these scheming men into behaving honestly.

"There’s no need for excessive concern," Minato reassured them at the appropriate moment. "During the war, this power will be directed at our enemy."

Onoki clenched his back teeth.

Was that a warning not to make any secret moves?

Minato gave them no more time for wild speculation and stepped aside to reveal the path down the mountain.

"You have all confirmed the encampment. Please proceed to the conference room. It’s time to discuss the specific details of our joint defense."

Ay exhaled heavily through his nose.

Without responding, he strode down the mountain.

Onoki and Rasa followed quickly, each carrying his own concerns.

...

Inside the Hokage Building’s conference room, the representatives of the five major powers took their seats.

Minato sat steadily at the head of the long table.

Mei occupied a seat diagonally opposite him.

Onoki, Ay, and Rasa sat along the two sides.

The atmosphere was unbearably heavy.

Onoki cleared his throat and prepared to address the central issue.

Minato raised a hand first.

"Please wait a moment. One person has not arrived yet."

Onoki frowned.

Ay’s temper immediately flared.

The leaders of all Five Great Ninja Villages were present. Who else could they possibly be waiting for?

Who dared display such arrogance that five Kage-level figures had to sit and wait?

Mei lowered her eyes to conceal the amusement within them.

Just as Ay prepared to erupt, the conference room door opened from outside.

Kitahara Kaede walked in.

He wore Konoha’s standard Jonin vest and moved casually.

There was no trace of nervousness on his young face despite facing the most powerful figures in the world.

Onoki stared at him and froze.

He was far too young.

Judging by appearance alone, he couldn’t possibly be older than twenty.

An absurd thought suddenly flashed through Onoki’s mind.

He pointed directly at Kaede.

"Hokage, that Wood Release just now..."

He paused, as though the next words were difficult to say.

"Don’t tell me he was the one who used it."

Minato smiled and nodded.

"That’s right. It was him."

Two faint inhalations sounded inside the conference room.

Ay and Rasa’s gazes locked onto Kaede.

That monstrous technique had altered the terrain and produced a fortress in an instant.

And it came from this young brat?

Kaede continued forward beneath their oppressive stares without slowing.

He pulled out the chair beside Minato and sat.

Then he removed a scroll from his ninja tool pouch and spread it across the table.

"Since everyone is here, let’s discuss the important matters directly."

He tapped several points on the defensive map.

"The allied encampments will be divided into four sectors, each equipped with an independent Sensory Barrier."

"Konoha’s ANBU will coordinate intelligence sharing. Each village will retain command over its own forces, but during battle, every unit must obey unified orders from headquarters..."

Every arrangement struck the heart of the problem and followed airtight logic.

Several times, Onoki attempted to interrupt and find fault so he could seize some initiative.

But before he could speak, Kaede’s next flawless provision closed the opening.

Ay felt equally frustrated.

The young man not only possessed unfathomable strength but also arranged troops and defenses with the experience of a seasoned commander.

Rasa simply closed his mouth completely.

He had already decided that Sunagakure would say as little as possible during this meeting and follow Konoha’s pace.

Across the table, Mei rested her cheek on one hand and watched Kaede from the side.

Her beautiful eyes didn’t blink, remaining completely attached to the man.

Outwardly, she appeared to be listening carefully to Konoha’s defensive strategy.

But the corners of her lips suddenly formed a meaningful smile.

’Why hasn’t that woman Pakura reached Konoha yet?’