The room was steeped in silence, the flickering torchlight casting long shadows against the damp stone walls. The five self-proclaimed Kages sat there motionless, their gazes fixed on the Takikage as if waiting for him to confess that this was all some elaborate joke.
The name Land of Sky carried the weight of history, of failure, of a nation that had dared to overreach and had been crushed beneath the might of the Great Nations, Beneath Konoha's might to be specific.
The very idea that a remnant of such a place still existed, let alone stood before them, was almost laughable.
The Ishikage was the first to voice what all of them were thinking. His voice was low and gruff, "You expect us to believe this? That the Land of Sky, a nation that was wiped off the map nearly a decade ago, still exists? No one has seen or heard of a single survivor in years. And now, suddenly, one appears before us in the middle of our war deliberations?" His eyes narrowed at Konya Nao, the mysterious man who sat impassively before them.
The Kusakage folded his arms, his expression unreadable. "The Land of Sky was destroyed because it made the same mistake we risk making now—overestimating itself. They thought they could rise against Konoha and claim power, but in the end, it was their arrogance that led to their downfall. And now, you claim your people have been lying in wait all these years?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice, but beneath it, caution.
The Yugakage scoffed. "If there were survivors, why have we never heard of them? Not even a whisper?" His tone was sharp, probing. "We have eyes and ears in every corner of the continent, and yet not once have we caught wind of any remnants of the Land of Sky."
Konya Nao finally moved. He was calm, composed, the very image of a man who had expected this reaction. His lips curled into the faintest of smiles, though his eyes remained cold. "It is true that Konoha nearly wiped us out," he admitted, his voice smooth and deliberate. "The Land of Sky overreached in its ambitions and paid the price. But not all of us perished in that war. While the world believed us to be gone, we did what we should have done from the start—we adapted. We hid. We watched. And we waited."
His gaze swept across the room, gauging their reactions. "Unlike Uzushiogakure, which was utterly eradicated, we still had time to escape, to retreat into the shadows. And so we did. We learned our lesson well."
He took a step forward, his presence commanding. "Tell me, why did Konoha focus all its might on us? Uzushiogakure was sieged by multiple nations, and yet it was only the Land of Sky that Konoha deemed necessary to annihilate. Do you not find that curious?" He let the question hang in the air, watching as the leaders exchanged uncertain glances.
"The answer is simple," Nao continued, his voice carrying a quiet intensity. "Konoha fears change. It fears any force that dares to rise against its established dominance. The other Great Nations are no different. When we fell, they did nothing. They watched as we burned, though we had stood beside them in the battle against Uzushiogakure." His fists clenched, a trace of bitterness creeping into his tone. "None of them lifted a finger to help."
The words struck a chord in the room. The leaders had all seen the brutal nature of the major villages, and the shinobi world in general, firsthand. They had witnessed their own lands suffer, caught between the ambitions of Konoha, Iwa, Suna, Kiri, and Kumo. The hierarchy of power in the shinobi world was rigid, unyielding—and these men had long since grown tired of standing at the bottom.
Nao's eyes gleamed as he seized the moment. "But we are not bound to that fate. We do not have to remain pawns in their grand game. This war is an opportunity—one that will not come again for many years. Together, we can alter the course of history."
The weight of his words settled over them. The Takikage's face was unreadable, the Tanikage looked deep in thought, and even the usually unreadable Kusakage seemed intrigued. But one man was not so easily convinced.
The Ishikage was not swayed by lofty speeches or righteous indignation. He had seen too many men with grand ambitions fall to ruin. His fingers tapped against the hilt of his blade as he finally spoke. "It's a fine speech," he said dryly. "Truly. But let's be practical here. You claim to have survived, to have waited for the right moment—but tell me, what exactly do you have to offer? Because I assume, despite all your talk, you cannot offer us shinobi."
Nao held his gaze, unshaken. "No," he admitted.
"We are not yet strong enough to deploy forces in open war. But strength is not always measured in bodies." He let the statement linger before continuing.
"What I offer is something equally valuable. Resources."
The room stirred at that, interested but wary.
The Ishikage raised a brow. "Resources?"
Nao nodded. "We safeguarded our wealth before the fall of our nation. It was hidden, secured away from the eyes of Konoha. For years, we have used it to sustain ourselves, to rebuild in the shadows. But now, we are willing to use it for a greater cause." He spread his hands slightly.
"War is not won by soldiers alone. It is won by the ability to sustain them. Weapons, food, intelligence, infrastructure—these things require funding. And we have it in abundance."
A heavy silence followed.
The Tanikage was the first to break it. "You're willing to sponsor us? All of us?"
Nao inclined his head. "Yes. So long as your goals align with ours."
The Kusakage's lips twitched into a smirk. "Now that is an offer worth considering."
The atmosphere in the cave shifted. The leaders had come to this meeting wary, distrustful, but now… now they saw an opportunity.
Before the Takikage could continue, a sudden commotion at the entrance drew their attention. The sharp clack of hurried footsteps echoed through the cavern, followed by a blur of movement as a shinobi darted into the gathering.
Instantly, the leaders tensed, hands hovering over weapons, bodies coiled in anticipation of a threat. But the Takikage, recognizing the newcomer, raised a hand. "Stand down," he ordered, his voice steady. "He is one of my shinobi."
The shinobi, clad in the deep green of Takigakure, knelt before his leader, panting slightly from his haste. His fingers were clenched tightly around a scroll, and the urgency in his posture was unmistakable.
Wordlessly, the Takikage took the scroll and quickly unfurled it. His eyes scanned the contents swiftly, and as he read, a dark shadow passed over his expression. His jaw tightened, and his fingers unconsciously crumpled the edge of the parchment.
Sensing the shift in the room, the Tanikage spoke up. "What is it? What is wrong?"
The Takikage exhaled sharply, his voice grim as he delivered the news. "Amegakure has pulled out of our plans."
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