Third Kazekage's eyelid twitched as his hand clenched unconsciously on his knee, knuckles paling from the pressure. Anger and unease tangled together in his chest, making his breathing tighten.
He had considered this possibility the instant it was raised, but these two were openly accusing him in public. They were accusing the soul of a deceased elder of Sunagakure of becoming an Espada-class that threatened the Shinobi World, trying to roast Sunagakure over an open fire and pin every debt of the 'Puppeteer' onto them.
Whether the 'Puppeteer' truly came from Chiyo's grandson's soul or not, as Third Kazekage, Third Kazekage could never admit such a thing here. He drew a slow breath and forced his voice steady.
"Third Kazekage-dono, Ryoma-dono," he said calmly, "your speculation is far too strained."
"First, according to intelligence from Root and data gathered on the Land of Hot Water battlefield, the 'Puppeteer' is clearly a young woman in both appearance and build. Our Sunagakure's Chiyo's grandson was an elderly woman, completely different aside from her hair color."
"Second, across the Shinobi World, there are not many, but certainly more than one Ninja skilled in Puppet techniques and the control of Chakra Threads. Dead Puppet masters are even more numerous."
He looked directly at Onoki and Ryoma as his tone hardened. "To link 'Puppeteer' to Chiyo's grandson based solely on the ability to control threads is an accusation without evidence, and I cannot agree to it."
With that, Third Kazekage let his gaze move away from them and slowly sweep over Mei Terumi and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"By contrast," he continued, "the newly joined 'Espada-class Four, Kyougan,' has already been confirmed as the posthumous form of Konoha's Fugaku Uchiha."
"And the 'Crimson giant' taken from Kirigakure by 'Espada-class One, Naruto Uzumaki,' according to Root's intelligence, was also formed from a deceased member of the Kaguya clan."
"As for the last known 'Espada-class Two, Ryoma'…"
Third Kazekage's eyes settled on Hiruzen Sarutobi, or rather, passed beyond him to the crimson curtain behind. "If 'Puppeteer' can be assumed to be Chiyo's grandson…"
His voice stretched slightly as he spoke. "Then that name, 'Ryoma,' and that style of fighting make it much easier to guess who it really was, don't they?"
All eyes turned at once toward Hiruzen Sarutobi. More precisely, they fixed on the curtain behind him, as if trying to pierce through it and see the Shadow hidden beyond.
Behind the curtain, Kakashi's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had gone pale. His breathing had grown ragged, and his body trembled with barely restrained fury.
His father had become an enemy of Konoha and the Shinobi World? These people were saying his father had turned into that kind of Guai thing after death.
"You!" Kakashi stepped forward almost by instinct.
He could endure insults aimed at himself, and he could endure doubts cast on Konoha. But his father had already taken his own life to atone for a failed mission of vital importance.
After death, by what right did these people brand him with the name of a Guai?
The Wrath churning in his throat was about to break free when a steady, powerful hand pressed down on his shoulder.
"Impossible." Ryoma's voice was sharp and cold, leaving no room for doubt. "Ryoma-senpai fell thirteen years ago."
"His soul has long since returned to the Pure Land of the Sage of Ryoma. It is impossible for him to become some so called 'Espada-class.'"
In response, Third Kazekage curled his lips into a cold sneer. "Impossible?" His voice suddenly rose. "Don't forget what that man who called himself 'Shadow' and 'Ryoma' said before leaving your Konoha."
"He said, 'My lord returns to the world.'"
Each word fell like a verdict as Third Kazekage swept his gaze across the hall. "What does that tell us?"
"It tells us that the 'Void Realm' has existed for a long time, long before we ever noticed it. And that 'Crimson giant' are formed when humans die with hatred, resentment, and other twisted emotions."
He slowed his speech deliberately, a cold smile on his face. "As for how your Konoha's Ryoma died, shouldn't you of the Konoha know better than I do?"
"Can you truly say he felt no resentment, no unwillingness, no bitterness at all?"
As a Kumogakure Third Kazekage who had only recently been fighting Konoha, Third Kazekage harbored some of the deepest hostility in the room. He showed no restraint in reopening old wounds, rubbing salt into the pain of Kakashi and Hiruzen Sarutobi alike.
"You…" Third Kazekage was about to continue.
"That's enough!"
A furious shout exploded through the hall, cutting him off. Hiruzen Sarutobi rose abruptly, the calm he usually wore gone, his face dark with anger as he stared at Third Kazekage.
"Third Kazekage-dono, you've gone too far."
"Heh heh heh." Onoki narrowed his sharp little eyes, smiling like an old fox. "Hokage-dono, there's no need to be so impatient, like a young man."
"We're only discussing a possibility. Why are you so tense?"
"If the Mei Terumi-dono's guess is correct, then the enemies we face are quite a few familiar faces."
Those words, pretending to mediate while actually stirring the fire, made Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression sink further. The atmosphere inside the Shrine grew heavier, pressing down on everyone present.
This Five Kage Summit aimed at the 'Void Realm' was nothing like the one that had once targeted the Akatsuki. Back then, the summit had taken place after years of peace across the Shinobi World, when the Five Great Nations were reducing their forces and the world was relatively calm.
Now, because of someone's schemes, war among the Five Great Nations had never truly stopped. Armaments continued to expand, and relations between the Five Great Villages were already strained to the breaking point.
Even under the calmer conditions of the past, a Five Kage Summit had nearly erupted into open conflict several times. In the current state, the danger was far greater.
No one spoke. The air felt like a loaded powder keg, waiting for a single spark to set it off.
Dingling…
The clear bell rang again, pure and hollow, as if it could wash the mind clean. This time it was unmistakable to everyone present. Compared to before, when the sound was drowned by confrontation, its effect now was fully felt.
In the instant when emotions were at their peak, an indescribable calm spread through the hall. Killing intent and suspicion were pushed aside as if swept away. Hiruzen Sarutobi felt the anger in his chest die down, the cold look in Third Kazekage's eyes faded, and Kakashi's trembling body slowly steadied.
The guards also relaxed, their tension easing all at once. The teasing smile on Onoki's face stiffened, and a trace of doubt flashed through his eyes. Inside the Shrine, the tight atmosphere seemed gently smoothed flat.
The strange change made everyone tense again in their hearts. What kind of power was this? Was it Genjutsu?
Their gazes drifted toward the curtain with open suspicion. From behind it, a calm and distant voice spoke again.
"No matter who the 'Espada-class' were in life, or why they were born as they are now, at this moment they are enemies threatening the survival of the entire Shinobi World." Miroku's voice remained steady and clear. "Clinging to their past has no meaning. It will only shake our resolve and divide our strength."
"I believe everyone gathered here did not come to argue about right and wrong."