"Lord Hokage, are you serious?" a Jonin questioned, his voice tight with disbelief. "Returning the Tailed Beasts to the other villages at a time like this! This is precisely a time of turmoil... If you give them back now, doesn't that mean your power will be..."
Naruto knew what the shinobi wanted to say, but his decision was made and wouldn't be easily swayed. He looked at the Jonin, his expression becoming unprecedentedly stern.
"My strength doesn't need enhancement from any Tailed Beast!" Naruto stated firmly. "Besides, these Tailed Beasts rightfully belong to the other great villages! Konoha possessing them for all these years is long enough!"
Hearing Naruto's resolute tone, everyone fell silent. They could sense his growing impatience and recognized he wouldn't tolerate anyone defying his will. After so many years in office, Naruto had long since developed the imposing presence of the Hokage. Most shinobi didn't even dare to breathe too loudly in front of him.
The entire office was utterly silent, yet this silence didn't signify unified agreement. The room was roughly divided into two factions. One faction, naturally, consisted of Shikamaru and others comprising Konoha's core leadership – the loyal Hokage faction. The other group represented the remnants of Konoha's old establishment. Although official positions like Konoha Advisors or Elders no longer existed, the shinobi influenced by their thinking remained. These individuals were extremely dissatisfied with Naruto's decision to return the Tailed Beasts. In their view, Konoha had obtained these powerful beings through its own strength, so on what grounds should they be returned? Weren't these the same Tailed Beasts the First Hokage had originally distributed among the villages? By that logic, they argued, the Beasts still technically belonged to Konoha, so what was wrong with Konoha reclaiming them? Different interpretations of history fueled these opposing viewpoints.
Naruto turned his head towards Sasuke, who stood nearby. "Sasuke, what's your opinion?"
Sasuke, who hadn't voiced any opinion thus far, instantly understood Naruto's intention upon hearing the question. Perhaps Naruto was worried some individuals still harbored dissenting thoughts and was seeking Sasuke's backing. If even Sasuke publicly supported Naruto's decision, these dissenters would likely become much more cautious, perhaps even abandoning any opposing ideas altogether.
A faint smile touched Sasuke's lips. Naruto had certainly grown; he now understood how to leverage influence to manage opposition. And currently, he was leveraging Sasuke's own formidable influence.
"Of course, I support you," Sasuke stated plainly. "Returning the Tailed Beasts is fine. It saves us the headache of these guys arguing about it constantly. Besides," he added dismissively, "they're just Tailed Beasts. Nothing significant."
Hearing Sasuke's words, the shinobi harboring reservations felt even more resigned. Probably only Sasuke Uchiha in the entire shinobi world would dare speak of the Tailed Beasts so lightly. But then again, they had to admit, to someone like Sasuke, the Tailed Beasts were probably like pets – beings he could suppress effortlessly. Thinking further, they rationalized that as long as Sasuke Uchiha was allied with Konoha, even if the Beasts were returned now, retrieving them again someday would likely just be a matter of him lifting a finger. So perhaps there was no need to worry too much for the time being.
"With your support, I feel reassured!" Naruto smiled, relieved. He knew Sasuke understood exactly what he was doing and was grateful for his willingness to back him up at this crucial moment.
"However," Naruto continued, his expression turning serious again as he crossed his arms, "since we're returning the Tailed Beasts, we can't just do it casually!" He closed his eyes, thinking. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly opened them and addressed everyone present.
"Restart the Kage Summit!"
Shikamaru looked startled. Restart the Five Kage Summit? But organizing such a meeting now was vastly different from before. "Naruto," he cautioned, "each village now has more than... one Kage! The global political landscape is already deeply affected by this! Holding a summit now..."
"I know," Naruto interrupted, "but I want to use this opportunity to assess them myself!" Having never met these Kage from the past, Naruto was uncertain about their true intentions or hidden agendas. If any of them harbored inappropriate ambitions, he wouldn't simply let them run rampant. His plan was clear: capture them, bring them back to Konoha, wait for Sasuke's 'device' to be repaired, and then send them directly back to their original times.
"Naruto," Shikamaru pressed, "convening a summit now is incredibly risky. Those shinobi brought here by the chaos might seize the opportunity to cause trouble! Based on recent reports, in Konoha alone, we've already encountered over a hundred shinobi from other eras." He elaborated that while some were cooperative (allowed limited freedom under surveillance within Konoha), the uncooperative ones were all captured and handed over to the Scientific Sealing Team, now sealed within special containers, awaiting transport back. "We've only captured a portion of them," Shikamaru warned. "There's still a small number of powerful individuals from the past who haven't been caught, some might not even have been detected yet. Holding a summit under these conditions is dangerous. We don't know what might happen."
Naruto fell silent for a few seconds, considering the risks. "There are risks," he conceded finally, "but I still need to confirm things face-to-face!" He glanced at Sasuke.
Sasuke was also thinking. Logically, all these Kage brought by the chaos should simply be captured and sent back. However, political considerations regarding the Five Great Nations had led to the temporary measure of allowing them to return to their villages. But this decision had clearly led to an increasingly complex and dangerous situation. Sasuke's way of thinking wasn't burdened by the same political complexities as Naruto's. Perhaps, he mused, they could use this summit as the perfect opportunity to capture all these past Kage directly and decisively. As for the potential political fallout with the Five Great Nations or the status of these individuals... Sasuke couldn't care less. He already had enough major problems to deal with; it was better to resolve these 'minor' issues quickly.
He gave Naruto a firm nod.
Seeing Sasuke's agreement, Naruto's last lingering worry vanished. "It's decided!" he announced, his voice ringing with authority. "Notify the other villages immediately! If they want their Tailed Beasts back, they must attend the summit!"
He raised his voice, ensuring everyone heard the conditions clearly. "I demand that every single one of their Kage attend. No exceptions! Konoha will likewise attend with all of our Kage present... and furthermore," he added, looking briefly towards the Sage of Six Paths who was also present, "Lord Sage of Six Paths will accompany us."
The Sage, who had previously stated he wouldn't refuse if his help was needed, seemed to understand Naruto's intentions and gave a cooperative nod, indicating his agreement.
Naruto's final statement hung in the air, an unmistakable, veiled threat. If the other villages refused Konoha's terms or caused trouble, not only would they forfeit any claim to the Tailed Beasts, but their historical Kage might very well find themselves captured and imprisoned by Konoha.
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