Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 475 The Talks Begin

[Saville branch reports: "Xiao's" Afei has reappeared in the city; this is his second visit to Savile City this year.]

[Beichen received this. Don't worry about him. He's busy today; he's probably just passing by.]

Could it possibly extend into the desert?

Space-time ninjutsu—where's not it just a passing by?

That's true.

With the Five Kage Summit imminent, Tobi still managed to go shopping in the Land of Owls, which is thousands of miles away. This makes one realize how convenient space-time ninjutsu is. It would be great if this technique could be popularized for daily transportation. Unfortunately, the current Flying Thunder God Formation still cannot meet the standard for transporting living beings.

"I didn't expect it to be you, Naruto, attending this meeting. Should I congratulate you first on achieving your dream?"

When faced with Gaara walking towards him, Naruto's response was much more restrained. He smiled but maintained a conservative social distance, saying, "It's been a while, Gaara. You look like you've recovered quite well."

"I'm alright, but Shukaku lost some chakra and hasn't recovered. That's probably Akatsuki's special technique. You need to be careful too; I heard Akatsuki attacked you once." Gaara, distracted by the lack of a handshake, was more concerned about Naruto's safety and directly explained his situation. His older brother and sister behind him looked genuinely helpless; they certainly weren't going to reveal their weaknesses!

“More than once, I’m standing here thanks to them. I’ll explain the details during the meeting; everyone will know anyway.” Naruto stepped over Gaara and walked forward, the two taking seats in adjacent areas. The seats in the lounge weren’t close together; each seat was separated by a small table, ensuring a balance between intimacy and distance.

With the leaders all seated together, what could the guards do? They could only stand in a row, of course. Temari and Kankuro recognized the one closest to them; although he was wearing the most common green vest in Konoha, his gray-white eyes and the green markings on his forehead made him easily recognizable.

"Neji, aren't you going to introduce him?" It's no wonder Temari was curious; the other guard Naruto brought was just too unconventional. Instead of standing on guard like the other guards, he sat down and closed his eyes to rest.

Neji almost showed a troubled expression, because his white-haired companion was a newcomer who had recently joined Konoha. No one knew what "East Wind" had discussed with the new Hokage; all they knew was that scarce supplies had suddenly become abundant, the prices of daily necessities had dropped, the restless hearts of the villagers had quickly stabilized, and Izuma, who was beside him, had become one of the first ninjas to join Konoha.

Of course, a ranking assessment was still necessary, but the Five Kage Summit came suddenly, and Izuma didn't have time to participate in the formal assessment. When the advisory group tried to add people to the Hokage's guard, Naruto simply and brutally proposed a tournament. The Hyuga's eyes were essential for the guards, Neji's position couldn't be changed, and Izuma's position needed a sufficiently strong ninja to protect the Hokage's safety.

In the chaos of battle, Izumi single-handedly wiped out the group recommended by the advisory board, without using any killer moves from beginning to end. He appeared nonchalant and at ease, securing the position through sheer skill.

“His name is Izumi, and we don’t know each other very well.”

Temari was filled with confusion. This level of escort mission should be filled by the most trusted partners. Naruto's social circle couldn't be so extensive that even his companions couldn't know each other well, could it?

This line of thinking is understandable. After all, Sunagakure has declined to the point where it can't even elect a Kazekage after two years of delay. Even if their elite members don't get along, they've at least managed to be familiar with each other. But in a behemoth like Konoha, if the middle-level members don't interact frequently, they might not even know each other. However, Naruto's social circle has exceeded Temari's imagination. This is a difference in perception caused by perspective, platform, and scale.

Surprisingly, the last to arrive was none other than the Raikage, who initiated the meeting and was known for his volatile temper. It wasn't that he intentionally wanted to be late; rather, he had a troublesome younger brother at home. To bring Killer Bee back from his outing, A had to personally go and drag him back to Kumogakure before setting off again. This back-and-forth trip took a considerable amount of time, making him the last to arrive.

Fortunately, he arrived not too late, and there was still some time before dinner. Given the ninja's straightforward nature, perhaps they could reach an agreement in an hour or two?

There was no fancy ceremony when the five Kage entered. The layout of the meeting hall was also very simple. The semi-circular table in the middle was big enough for the five Kage to sit down, while their guards stood behind five banners with the characters "water," "wind," "fire," "earth," and "lightning" hanging in order. They were completely out of sight from the area where the Kage were located.

Mifune took his seat opposite the Five Kage and announced the start of the meeting as the meeting's host, witness, and neutral party.

"Please place the Five Kage's hats in front of you."

The only one present who was properly wearing a straw hat was the Tsuchikage; the other four Kage simply took it off from their backs or waists and placed it on the table.

"In response to Lord Raikage's call, the five Kage have gathered here today."

"I am Mifune, the ruler, and the Five Kage Summit will now begin."

"What kind of opening is this? It's so unprofessional!" Naruto, who had chaired countless meetings, complained. "Shouldn't we have simply decided on the meeting topic beforehand? Even though the Raikage's letter has been delivered, at least give a formal explanation. Relying entirely on improvisation will easily turn into a wrangling session."

Sasuke in the mental space raised an eyebrow. He had originally wanted to ask if Naruto was very experienced, but when he thought about the scale of "Hui," he immediately understood. He had attended the meeting according to Naruto and his seniors' script before, and he really didn't think these seemingly tedious procedures were necessary. After hearing Naruto's explanation, he understood that they were clearly the crystallization of the seniors' experience.

Naruto's words proved prophetic. Gaara, the Kazekage and a victim of being kidnapped by Akatsuki, spoke first, but his manner of speaking was too direct, even carrying a hint of command, which made some people uncomfortable.

"I'll speak first, listen..."

Tsuchikage Onoki remarked with a teasing tone, "The Five Kage have really changed a lot. To become Kage at such a young age, they are truly formidable young talents."

"Lord Fengying, it seems your father taught you very well."

The initial praise seemed perfectly normal, but the last sentence was sarcastic and sarcastic to Gaara. The Land of Earth and the Land of Wind were constant rivals; he couldn't possibly be unaware of how the former Kazekage had treated Gaara—it wasn't the behavior of a father, but rather treating Gaara as a heartless tool.

But Gaara's pain had been soothed by new bonds, and he was not angered by those words at all. He simply watched Onoki perform quietly.

"...It's a pity they didn't teach them manners."