Do You Want to Start a War?
Xu Fan's words caused an immediate uproar.
No one had expected the quiet guard behind Sarutobi Hiruzen to speak so brazenly—let alone speak that.
Even Hiruzen's face showed astonishment.
General Mifune of the Land of Iron scowled sharply, clearly signaling that Xu Fan had spoken out of turn.
The Fourth Raikage, A, widened his eyes in disbelief.
In truth, Xu Fan's words didn't need to be spoken aloud. Everyone present already understood the unspoken truth behind the meeting. Sarutobi Hiruzen knew. Mifune knew. And Xu Fan certainly knew who had orchestrated the failed kidnapping.
But diplomacy is often a theater of silence—where truths remain unspoken, and appearances are everything.
In these high-level talks, no one cared about the actual cause of conflict. Only strength—political leverage and military power—mattered.
And by that measure, the current state of Kumo (the Hidden Cloud Village) clearly had the upper hand over a weakened Konoha, still recovering from the Nine-Tails' rampage.
Xu Fan's bluntness did more than shock the room—it deeply embarrassed Hiruzen.
Yet even after a moment of silence, the Raikage recovered quickly from his surprise.
What truly caught A off guard was that Xu Fan wasn't backing down. He didn't care about the heavy atmosphere in the room, nor about the glares of powerful men around him.
Xu Fan stepped forward, positioning himself beside Hiruzen, and stared directly at the Fourth Raikage, his tone accusatory.
"What's wrong?"
"As the Raikage of Kumogakure, do you not even have the courage to admit your own actions?"
"Enough." Mifune's voice was cold and sharp. He had never imagined that one of Hiruzen's guards would be so disruptive.
Was this a deliberate move? Did Konoha actually want to start a war?
And Sarutobi Hiruzen—why did he remain silent?
Xu Fan's reckless words were tearing apart a rare opportunity to rebuild an alliance between Konohagakure and Kumogakure—a peace that had eluded both nations for years. Mifune himself had worked tirelessly to make this summit happen.
Yet the Hokage didn't even attempt to silence Xu Fan.
Xu Fan raised his voice again, steady and unwavering.
"Am I wrong?"
"The leader of Kumogakure used this very alliance summit as a cover to infiltrate the Hyuga compound at night and attempt to abduct Hyuga Hinata, the heir to the clan."
"How is anyone supposed to believe Kumo came here seeking peace?"
He narrowed his eyes at A.
"Unless... this so-called peace was a ruse, and your envoy came with a secret mission from the start."
Xu Fan let the silence linger.
"Frankly, Raikage, this seems to be a habit of yours."
"What did you just say?!" barked one of Kumo's shinobi, furious.
Tensions erupted in the room. Xu Fan wasn't just referencing Hinata—he was dragging up history.
Even A froze in shock, not at the accusations, but at Hiruzen's utter lack of objection.
"What the hell is going on?" A muttered, voice low and dangerous.
He leaned forward, hand braced on the table, ready to strike.
In his mind, there was no way Xu Fan would speak this way unless under Sarutobi's orders.
But he was wrong.
Sarutobi hadn't given the order—Xu Fan was acting on his own.
And yet... A recognized something familiar in the young man's presence.
The aura of a Senju.
During his era, Hashirama Senju negotiated with fierce conviction and dominance. Even Danzo Shimura's methods had been shaped by the legacy of the First Hokage's strength.
Hiruzen, too, knew very well: in negotiations between shinobi villages, truth and justice held little value. Strength was what decided outcomes.
Yes, Konoha had declined since the Nine-Tails' attack.
But with Xu Fan now standing where Minato Namikaze once did, that weakness was no longer so certain.
And the most important thing?
Yugakure's scheme was real.
Kumogakure's actions were deliberate.
And Hiruzen would no longer trade Konoha's pride for peace.
Xu Fan turned to the Raikage again.
"Am I wrong?" he said coolly.
"Ten years ago, Kumo shinobi tried to kidnap Uzumaki Kushina—Konoha's Jinchūriki of the Nine Tails."
"Don't tell me you've forgotten that, Raikage."
The room went silent.
A's expression darkened as the old memory surfaced—Kushina, the red-haired girl from the Uzumaki clan, nearly taken on her way home from the Academy. Konoha's elders had assumed Kumo was after sealing techniques...
But the truth was more dangerous.
Kumo had targeted the Nine-Tails itself.
The strongest of all the Tailed Beasts.
With a perfect Jinchūriki, Kumogakure could have eclipsed every other Hidden Village.
Xu Fan shook his head.
"First Kushina. Now Hinata Hyuga."
"What does a peace treaty mean to Kumogakure? A piece of paper to cover up your ambitions?"
"If Kumo can't show even the barest sincerity—"
Suddenly, the Fourth Raikage stood up violently, his chair crashing backward.
He had expected Sarutobi to stop this upstart—but the Hokage sat in silence.
Bang!
A's fist slammed into the table, sending cracks through the thick wood.
"Do you want to start a war?!" he roared, voice low but seething, eyes like a wild beast locked on prey.
He had already prepared for this possibility.
He had already calculated the odds—Konoha, weakened and without a reliable Jinchūriki, couldn't stand against Kumo's forces, especially if Killer B, the Eight-Tails' host, entered the battlefield.
"Hey!" Mifune shouted, clearly shaken. He turned to Hiruzen with desperation in his voice.
"Sarutobi! Control your man!"
Bang!
Xu Fan stepped onto the table, his presence commanding the entire room.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."