"Who's in favor?"
"Who's against it?"
"Isn't this an outright threat?"
Although they had already witnessed Naruto's terrifying strength, hearing these words still made everyone uncomfortable.
"No matter how strong you are, can you really be stronger than the entire shinobi world?"
"Why did we even come here? Wasn't it out of respect for you?"
"You invited us, and we showed up, didn't we?"
"What—do you want to turn the entire shinobi world into your personal dictatorship?"
Yet another problem soon became apparent.
Naruto was simply too strong.
Even though his words were arrogant enough to make people want to rush forward and slap him, not a single person present dared to stand up and openly oppose him.
It was absurd.
"Remember, you represent the Four Great Shinobi Villages, as well as the other villages!"
"With so many envoys present, are there really no brave ones—aside from those reckless idiots from the Land of Lightning?"
However, Naruto would soon prove that the people of Kumogakure weren't brave at all.
They were simply brainless.
Seeing that no one dared to object, Naruto nodded in satisfaction.
"Very well. Before this meeting ends, I have one final reminder."
"I do not wish for anyone to be absent."
"Otherwise, you will bear the consequences."
"I am doing this to prevent future threats."
"At the same time, I must solemnly remind all of you—"
"I do not need peaceful negotiations to unify the shinobi world."
He's insane.
This thought arose not only among the envoys who had never interacted with Naruto before, but even among those who knew him.
Kurotsuchi never imagined that Naruto would reveal such ambition in such a short time.
Although she had once held favorable feelings toward him, when it came to choosing between personal emotions and her village, someone like Kurotsuchi would undoubtedly choose the latter.
In the heavy silence, Kurotsuchi was the first to stand up.
She bowed slightly toward Naruto and spoke calmly.
"I understand Leader Uzumaki's intentions. Please allow me to return and report this matter to the Tsuchikage."
Naruto nodded lightly.
With a heavy heart, Kurotsuchi turned and left the hall.
This incident weighed heavily on her mind.
No matter which outcome occurred, it was not something she wished to see.
If Naruto succeeded in uniting the shinobi world, he would become an existence above all Kage.
At that point, the entire shinobi world would effectively become his personal dictatorship.
As someone who always viewed matters from her village's standpoint, Kurotsuchi absolutely did not want Iwagakure to have such a superior looming over them.
After all, even the Daimyō and the shinobi villages maintained an equal relationship.
And if the opposite happened?
If the shinobi world rejected unity and turned against Naruto—
If Naruto couldn't withstand it, then his fate would be…
That outcome was equally unbearable to her.
Caught between emotion and responsibility, Kurotsuchi's mood was naturally bleak.
After she left, the remaining envoys followed one after another.
Their words were polite, but their expressions revealed varying degrees of dissatisfaction.
Even Kakashi looked at Naruto with visible surprise.
The Ōtsutsuki threat had not yet manifested, and the idea of alien beings was simply too unbelievable.
To any rational person, it sounded like an excuse to dominate the shinobi world.
Kakashi couldn't help but think the same.
Only Sakura Haruno—foolish as ever—wanted to stay behind.
Because to Sakura… ahem—
In truth, she didn't care about politics or the future of the world.
She only valued family and love.
In front of Naruto, she could easily lose all rationality and turn into a thoughtless girl.
In the end, Kakashi dragged her away.
Soon, most of the hall had emptied.
Ao of Kirigakure coughed lightly, snapping Mei Terumī out of her thoughts.
She came back to herself, her expression instantly turning serious.
This was her working mode.
"Then Kirigakure will also take its leave," Mei Terumī said directly.
"This matter is too important. Even as Mizukage, I must consult the Council of Elders."
As for Zabuza and the Executioner's Blade—
She didn't dare mention it. Not at all.
Ao and Chōjūrō thought the same.
Naruto was far too dangerous to provoke.
He was already challenging the entire shinobi world—there was no telling when someone might attempt to assassinate him.
It wouldn't be too late to talk about Zabuza and the blade then.
However, just as Mei Terumī was about to leave with Ao and Chōjūrō, Naruto stopped her.
They might have avoided the topic—but Naruto hadn't forgotten.
"Mizukage-sama, please wait."
The hall was now mostly empty, and Naruto's voice echoed clearly.
Mei Terumī stopped, turned around, and looked at him expressionlessly.
She assumed Naruto was about to force Kirigakure into a stance.
Instead—
Naruto's expression softened, and he smiled.
"As for Zabuza, I think it's better if we speak frankly."
"Oh?" Mei Terumī hadn't expected Naruto to raise the issue himself. After a moment's thought, she nodded. "Very well."
The two sides sat down again.
Naruto had already considered this matter carefully.
Zabuza was undeniably a valuable asset.
But the Executioner's Blade was far too important to Kirigakure.
Demanding to settle everything with money alone would be insulting.
That was why Naruto waited until everyone else had left.
Now, there were no other village envoys present.
Only Naruto, Mei Terumī, Ao, and Chōjūrō remained.
After sitting down, Naruto paused briefly before speaking.
"Since no one else is here, I'll be direct."
"Zabuza has already joined our Snow Shinobi Village."
"The Executioner's Blade will not be returned to Kirigakure."
"I'm willing to accept reasonable conditions from Kirigakure."
"Or—you can choose to use force to reclaim Zabuza… or the blade."
The meaning was clear.
Either negotiate, or fight.
In any case, neither Zabuza nor the Executioner's Blade would be returned.
This was a promise Naruto had made to Zabuza—and he had no intention of breaking it.
Chōjūrō, still young and hot-headed, immediately grew anxious.
"You don't even understand what the Executioner's Blade means to Kirigakure!"
Naruto glanced at him once, ignored him completely, and continued watching Mei Terumī.
Ao quietly pulled Chōjūrō back and whispered sharply, "Shut up."
Mei Terumī fell silent, deep in thought.
A military conflict with Naruto was impossible.
Kirigakure would rather abandon both Zabuza and the blade than provoke him.
But since Naruto was offering a peaceful resolution, she might as well secure some benefits for her village.
After a moment, Mei Terumī spoke.
"Kirigakure will not revoke Zabuza's bounty," she said evenly,
"but we will cease all Anbu pursuit."
This would preserve Kirigakure's public dignity.
"Second," she continued,
"you must publicly donate 500 million ryō to support Kirigakure's port-opening project."
That way, outsiders would believe Kirigakure abandoned the pursuit purely for financial reasons.
In the end—
It still came down to face and money.
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