"How many people do you think we should bring with us?"
Third Raikage A adjusted his robe in front of a mirror, then turned to ask his secretary, Dodai.
Dodai respectfully handed over the conical hat and replied,
"It's hard to say. During the first Five Kage Summit, the First Raikage only brought the Second Raikage as his sole bodyguard."
The Third Raikage thought for a moment, shook his head, and said,
"This time is different."
He took the hat but didn't put it on immediately.
"That meeting was called a peace summit, but it was more like an alliance of the various ninja villages. At the time, while all the villages were still in their infancy, Konoha was already overwhelmingly powerful. They had legends like Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, and Tobirama Senju—all top-tier shinobi. Konoha could have easily taken on all four other villages simultaneously. The summit, under the guise of balancing the distribution of tailed beasts, was more about establishing Konoha as the leader of the alliance."
Dodai nodded thoughtfully.
"You see things clearly, Lord Raikage. That was indeed the case."
The Third Raikage smiled faintly.
"But the situation is different now. From Konoha's performance during the Second Great Ninja War, we can see that their dominance is beginning to wane. First, they suffered losses against the Third Kazekage in the Land of Wind. Then, they nearly stumbled against Onoki in the Land of Rain. Such setbacks would have been unthinkable during the era of Hashirama and Tobirama. It's evident that with the passing of the older generation of absolute powerhouses, Konoha's unshakable dominance has started to falter."
Dodai, however, had a different opinion.
"Even so, the current Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is known as the 'Ninja Professor' and is said to be unmatched in his era. And let's not forget other formidable shinobi like Danzo, Sakumo Hatake, and the Sannin."
"Exactly. I said their dominance has only started to falter. A ship as massive as Konoha's doesn't rot overnight. What I mean is that while we used to be far beneath them, we can now at least reach their shoulders. And I can predict that, with time, this gap will visibly shrink. Within one or two generations, our Kumogakure will absolutely be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Konoha."
At this moment, the Third Raikage resembled a far-sighted strategist, his sharp historical insight contrasting starkly with his rugged exterior.
"So, what do you plan to achieve at this summit?" Dodai asked.
"Of course, we need to flex our muscles! Even though we're still at a disadvantage, it's precisely in such times that we must hold our heads high."
The Third Raikage rolled up his sleeve, flexing his bulging biceps.
"This summit will be the starting point to show the world our determination to rise. We need to tell everyone that this world isn't dictated by Konoha alone."
Dodai pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Then should we bring the entire guard squad?"
The Third Raikage's personal guard consisted of ten elite jonin, each a battle-hardened warrior of Kumogakure.
"Hmph! That's too small-minded."
The Third Raikage scoffed, clearly dissatisfied with Dodai's suggestion.
"Then how many should we bring?" Dodai inquired.
"Prepare around fifty or sixty," the Raikage replied.
"What?!" Dodai was taken aback. Fifty or sixty elite jonin could annihilate a small country. Was this a summit or a declaration of war?
The Third Raikage chuckled and said,
"Don't be so surprised. Think about where the summit is being held—it's in Sunagakure, the Land of Wind.
The Third Kazekage, Jinghang, is quite the young prodigy of our time. From the intelligence we've gathered over the years, it's clear that this young man is very capable. On the surface, he appears submissive to Konoha, but behind the scenes, he's been amassing strength. He's also quite shrewd—he's managed to consolidate power internally and has led several successful military campaigns externally.
He's definitely a contender for the future power struggle. If we don't bring enough people, how can we make an impression? This summit isn't just about Konoha; Sunagakure is also part of the equation.
Whether we end up cooperating or opposing them in the future, we can't afford to be underestimated.
Oh, and bring Kōichi along this time. He's about the same age as the Third Kazekage and should be exposed to such events."
Kōichi was the Third Raikage's eldest son and the future Fourth Raikage. However, the title "A" did not yet belong to him.
"Understood. Then who will handle village affairs in your absence?" Dodai asked.
"Leave it to B. The A-B Combo must always have one member stationed in the village. You'll stay behind to assist him. Oh, and allocate some funds for travel expenses."
"Got it. How much should we allocate?"
"Set aside eighty million ryo."
"That much?" Dodai exclaimed.
"Sigh, my dear Dodai, we can cut back on other things, but we cannot skimp on appearances! Got it?"
Little did the Third Raikage know that this would be a decision he'd regret deeply. Most of that eighty million ryo would later be squandered at the gambling tables of the Crystal Palace, leaving the entire entourage nearly begging for food on their way back to the village.
Jinghang always worked efficiently. The inspection of the Yuexi Peninsula and the preparations for the Five Kage Summit were completed in less than half the allotted time. However, returning now would interrupt the vacation of Tsunade and the "Kurenai Travel Group," who were still enjoying themselves. Jinghang decided it was better not to spoil the mood.
He considered indulging himself for a few more days, but one matter continued to weigh heavily on his mind, keeping him awake at night.
Do you remember the giant Jueyue who emerged from the ground during the interception of Kazama Xu? That Format Ring Sealing Technique had left Jinghang with a genuine sense of mortal danger. If not for Gaojin from the Blood Pool swooping in to save him, he might not have survived.
After that operation, the Sand-Rock War began, and Jinghang was immediately thrown into post-war reconstruction efforts, leaving him no time to dwell on the matter. But now that things had settled down, the memory resurfaced.
After the Battle of the Seven Wind Pass, Jinghang reviewed the testimony of prisoners interrogated by the intelligence division. Jueyue, it turned out, was a minor figure in Iwagakure, known only for his brute strength, earth tunneling techniques, and his massive build. The only extraordinary thing about him was the Format Ring Sealing Technique that stretched from the palm of his left hand to his right.
As for how the sealing technique worked, no one knew. It was merely noted that the technique had been passed down from the First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa.
Even Tsunade, after dissecting Jueyue's corpse, found nothing but the ring-shaped tattoo—no trace of any sealing formula. It was baffling.
Jinghang was proficient in sealing techniques, but only to a limited extent. He specialized in physical seals like Iron Sand Burial, while spiritual seals were outside his expertise.
Sealing techniques, as a form of ninjutsu, were vast and ever-evolving, with new innovations constantly emerging. It was a field so expansive that mastering it fully in a single lifetime was nearly impossible.
However, Jinghang wasn't overly concerned about most seals. While he wasn't a master of sealing techniques, he had studied their countermeasures extensively. Sealing techniques, at their core, were mostly chakra-restricting formations. Whether it was the Five Elements Seal, Four Symbols Seal, or Eight Trigrams Seal, understanding their mechanics often provided a way to break them.
But this Format Ring left him utterly perplexed.
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