Tsunade stood behind her desk, letter in hand. Her amber eyes studied it, lips pursed, a frown tugging at her brow. The formal summons had come from Kumogakure, bearing the Raikage's personal seal, a demand for an emergency Five Kage Summit.
She turned toward Kakashi, who stood by the window with his arms folded, his Eternal Mangekyō spinning slowly in one eye as he scanned the horizon. Outside, the skies of Konoha were calm. Inside, tension sat thick in the room.
"They're calling for a summit," Tsunade said, tossing the letter onto her desk. "Raikage wants all five villages to unite against the masked man. He's trying to rally us now that he's lost his Jinchūriki."
Kakashi remained silent for a moment.
"Well?"Tsunade watched him carefully.
"We won't go."Kakashi's gaze didn't waver.
"You sure?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." He turned toward her fully now, face calm but serious. "Let them feel the weight of their arrogance. We warned them about Akatsuki long ago, sent messages, offered information, and even sent envoys. They ignored us. Now they want help?"
"They'll say we're abandoning them."
"They abandoned themselves."
"So what's the plan?"Tsunade crossed her arms, nodding slowly.
"We let them be bloodied by the masked man. Let A and Onoki feel the cost of their pride. Mei and Gaara won't go. I've already spoken with Mei, and Gaara knows better than to trust the others. We move only when he reveals his full hand."
"You really have grown into this role, you know." Tsunade smirked faintly.
Kakashi's voice was cool. "It's not about growing or anything. It's about making sure Konoha survives."
"You sure we should let him attack them?" She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
Kakashi's Sharingan eyes narrowed. "He'll go after the Jinchūriki, and they'll be forced to retaliate. That's when we step in. He'll be weakened, exposed, and surrounded. That's our window."
"Fine. I'll draft the refusal." Tsunade finally nodded.
She sat and began writing, her words sharp and precise. As she finished, Kakashi stepped forward, placing a single hand over the scroll. His Genesis Seal glowed faintly, and a wave of cold, oppressive chakra flooded into the paper.
"You're sealing chakra in a letter?" Tsunade blinked.
Kakashi said nothing, his hand still glowing.
"You're trying to intimidate them." Tsunade grinned.
"They'll accuse us of being in league with the masked man," he said flatly. "This will remind them that Konoha is not to be trifled with. Especially not me."
"Still angry about the Hyūga incident?" she asked softly.
"Raikage tried to steal a child and got away with it. And one of ours lost his life for no reason. Hiruzen buried it for the sake of diplomacy. I won't."
"Then let them tremble." Tsunade handed him the letter.
Kakashi vanished in a flicker of Flying Thunder God, reappearing at the messaging tower where the Falcon Division's couriers stood ready.
…
The Five Kage Summit–Iron Country
The tall structure of the Iron Tower stood solemn beneath the cold sky. Snow blanketed the area, but inside the summit chamber, the air was hot with tension.
Raikage A stood beside Darui, arms folded, fingers twitching with impatience. Onoki of the Stone sat across the polished round table, his short frame hunched, his son standing respectfully behind him.
"Still just the two of us?" Raikage scowled.
"Looks like it." Onoki grunted.
A slapped the table. "Unbelievable! First time in history the Five Kage Summit has been ignored!"
Three unopened scrolls sat before him, each bearing the seal of a different village. He snatched the first, cracked the wax, and read aloud.
From Sunagakure – Kazekage Gaara:
"Due to recent Akatsuki incursions and the near-fatal extraction of our Jinchūriki aka me. Sunagakure is focusing all efforts on internal recovery and stabilization. We will not attend the Summit."
A growled but moved on to the second.
From Kirigakure – Mizukage Terumi Mei:
"Kirigakure is presently undergoing critical reconstruction in the wake of the Blood Mist regime and its lingering effects, exacerbated by Akatsuki's manipulation. We decline the invitation. We recommend taking local defensive measures and reconsidering foreign intervention protocols."
Onoki snorted. "That's Terumi Mei's elegant way of saying 'we warned you.'"
A snarled, grabbing the last scroll with the Konoha leaf insignia. "Konoha. They wouldn't dare ignore me…"
But the moment the scroll was opened…
A pulse of chakra erupted from the parchment.
BOOM.
Crushing pressure slammed into the chamber. The table cracked as both Raikage A and Onoki were forced to their knees, brows dripping with sweat. Darui was slammed face-first to the floor with a groan. Onoki's son wheezed, hands trembling under the pressure.
The weight was suffocating, dark, vast, and dense. It felt alive.
It wasn't a simple chakra. It was Hatake Kakashi.
The pressure receded after several seconds, leaving behind only the scroll, now glowing faintly.
A and Onoki exchanged glances, stunned. Onoki's hands were shaking.
"That chakra…" he whispered. "It was… like Madara Uchiha's…"
Raikage gritted his teeth. "No. It wasn't Madara. It was something else."
He picked up the letter and read aloud, his voice cold:
From Konohagakure – Godaime Hokage Tsunade Senju:
"Konoha has recently endured a direct assault from the Akatsuki's former leader, Pain. The village is in the midst of rebuilding. The Rinnegan has been confirmed stolen by the masked man. Intelligence has tracked his base to the Mountain Graveyard, located between Takigakure and Otogakure."
She continued:
"We advise Kumogakure to focus on the retrieval of its Jinchūriki. Konoha will handle the masked man at a time and manner of our choosing."
A crushed the scroll in his hand.
Lightning crackled from his arms as he slammed both fists down, shattering the table into splinters.
"DAMN THEM!"
"That chakra… Lord Raikage… I've felt it once before." Darui staggered to his feet, face pale.
"Where?" A turned to him.
"A mission. I encountered a Konoha Anbu who radiated that exact chakra. I later found out, he was Hatake Kakashi."
"The copy Ninja, the one who defeated Pain…" Onoki muttered to himself.
"Now I know how Pain died," A said bitterly. "He didn't fall. He was crushed by that monster."
He paced furiously, fists clenched. "They know the enemy's location. They have more intel than the rest of us combined. They've already made alliances with Suna and Kiri. What is that Kakashi planning?"
Onoki remained seated, quiet.
"Raikage-sama… what should we do?" Darui approached, voice cautious.
A didn't answer. He stared at the broken table, rage seething in his chest.
But beneath the anger was something unfamiliar.
Fear.
That chakra had pinned him like an insect. The same man who was once just known for copying over a thousand jutsu had now become something else. Something beyond.
And that man now sat behind Konoha's throne, with the respect of the Hokage and the loyalty of two great villages.
Kakashi was no longer just a jōnin.
He was a king without a crown.
And Raikage A knew that anything they did from now on… would be within Kakashi's shadow.