Iwagakure's Decline
Let's be honest: after Ōnoki and Murasaki died, Iwagakure's top-tier strength collapsed.
Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi were stronger than quasi-Kage level—barely. But super-Kage? Not even close. The rest—Mahiru, Bunya, Ōishi—could maybe scrape quasi-Kage on a good day.
And without a tailed beast?
Fifth Tsuchikage Kitsuchi's Iwagakure was a shadow of what it had been under Ōnoki.
That's why a village with 13,000 ninja had been blockaded at home for over a year by a Wind-Cloud Alliance detachment of less than 10,000.
Too scared to move.
Because when your people aren't reliable, you can't feel confident.
And with Four-Tails Son Gokū "on the run"—no tailed beast in hand—they couldn't stand tall.
The Son Gokū Problem
Kitsuchi gave ANBU Captain Mahiru a death order:
"Find Son Gokū. At any cost."
Mahiru deployed every ANBU ninja. Carpet-bombed southern Iwagakure territory with search teams.
Finally found traces at a volcanic crater.
Kitsuchi immediately organized a sealing team.
Son Gokū slaughtered them all.
Because Jinghang had already wiped out Iwagakure's main sealing team. (See Volume 3, Chapter 14.) The survivors were too green to matter.
If this had been Ōnoki, he'd have led the elite jōnin himself. Fought Son Gokū head-on with Dust Release.
But Kitsuchi wasn't Ōnoki.
He didn't have his father's skills. Wasn't confident in the village's elites.
And if they failed—
—the Wind-Cloud Alliance was still camped at the border.
The risk was too great.
Until this summit.
When he finally swallowed his pride and asked Jinghang for help.
"Oh, that?" Jinghang's tone was bored. "We'll see."
Kitsuchi's face twitched.
(What the hell does "we'll see" mean?!)
As the comedy troupe leader once said: the most infuriating phrase in the world is "we'll see."
Help? Or not help?
Do it? Or don't do it?
Kitsuchi had come with nothing. No gifts. No tea. Just empty flattery and a request.
He was trying to freeload.
(Come on. That's Four-Tails Son Gokū. You want me to work for free? Just because your head looks like a chamber pot?)
Jinghang glanced at Kitsuchi's protruding forehead.
(At least Yagura knew to pay interest. Bow his head. Play little brother.)
(This guy? Pathetic.)
Seeing Jinghang wouldn't bite, Kitsuchi swallowed his words.
Jinghang moved on.
The Alliance Charter
Unlike the war reparations—where every village fought over every ryō—the Ninja Alliance Charter passed instantly.
Because everyone could see what it really was:
An Elder Council for the entire ninja world.
All seven major villages got decision-making power. All their old money-making schemes stayed intact.
(Where else do you find a deal this good?)
All seven Kage signed.
Solemnly swore to uphold ninja world peace.
Jinghang smiled.
(Empire building, one signature at a time.)
"Now—" He leaned forward. "—we move to the third agenda item. Regarding—"
The explosion shattered the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Glass rained down.
Then—battle cries.
Thousands of them.
The seven Kage rushed to the broken windows.
"What the hell are those?!" Amamiya's voice cracked. "There's—three thousand? Four thousand?!"
"At least five thousand," Jinghang said coldly. "And probably more in the sea."
The beach was covered.
Dense swarms of White Zetsu—like red crabs crawling ashore—charged toward the villa.
The Iron-Blooded Youth Corps held the perimeter. Four hundred elite Kirigakure ninja cutting down White Zetsu left and right.
But there were too many.
Jinghang's eyes narrowed.
(This shouldn't be possible.)
Timeline-wise, Madara should be dead by now. Or dying.
How could he have enough chakra to activate five thousand White Zetsu?
"Brother Jinghang!" The Third Raikage pointed. "Look!"
On a boulder in the distance, a figure sat.
Long black hair. Black combat gear with red layered armor. A war fan strapped to his back. A massive war scythe in his hands.
Blood-red eyes.
Staring at the villa.
"So what you said was true," Hiruzen whispered. "He really is alive."
Jinghang strained his vision.
"Lord Hokage—you're wrong. He's dead. Look at his face."
Hiruzen pulled out his crystal ball.
"Telescope Technique!"
Madara's face appeared.
Cracks in his skin. Edo Tensei markings.
"He's... Impure World Reincarnation," Hiruzen breathed.
"Who is he?" Yagura and Kitsuchi asked in unison.
Jinghang's expression was grave.
"The source of this world's chaos. The evil eye. Someone who should have died long ago."
"Uchiha Madara."
His voice carried across the beach.
"Junior ninja of this world—"
His scythe gleamed.
"—come. Let me, one who walks from the past, test your mettle."
(Author's Note: I never understood why Edo Tensei Madara gets summoned in his prime youth, but Edo Tensei Hiruzen gets summoned as an old man. Plot convenience, I guess?)
[Iwagakure's Humiliation: Kitsuchi's weakness (can't match Ōnoki). Freeloading attempt (wants Jinghang's help for free). "Chamber pot head" insult (Kitsuchi's deformity mockery). Yagura comparison (one submits properly, one tries to mooch).]
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