Chapter 68: Four Kage Summit.

Half a month later. In a town in the Land of Wind, Zenkichi and Pakura sat across from each other. At this time, both were using the Transformation Jutsu to disguise their appearances. In the nearby alley, a Sunagakure shinobi was on patrol. "You should be worried now, right?" Zenkichi raised his teacup and said casually. "I really didn't expect it..." "But thinking back, there were actually many clues in the past." "It's funny how I was too naive at the time to notice the signs, let alone the danger hidden within them." Pakura sighed, her expression tinged with complexity. "Now I have a question. Why did you help me?" "Don't tell me you saved me without any reason." "For Kirigakure, killing me—a Suna shinobi—would've been the safest move, right?" "Or... do you think you can recruit me?" Pakura looked at Zenkichi with intrigue. "To recruit you? Yeah, that was the idea." "How about it—work with me?" Zenkichi smiled, completely unashamed. Pakura pondered. "What's your goal?" Zenkichi said, "The First Hokage created the one-country-one-village system. After decades of practice, it's clear that it's a failure." "The wars and disasters caused by decaying villages aren't much different from the chaos of the Warring States era." "If anything, the only difference is the age of the soldiers." "Back then, kids as young as four or five were sent to war. Now, they're at least six or seven." "I've decided to change the current ninja world and reshape it according to my own ideals." "I've imagined these changes countless times—now I finally have the chance to make them real." A light flashed in Zenkichi's eyes, and a bright smile crossed his face. Pakura asked thoughtfully, "According to your ideals? What kind of world are you trying to create?" Zenkichi smiled. "At the very least, a world where someone like you—an upright fool—won't be discarded so easily." Pakura smiled faintly. "Alright. I'm in. What do you want me to do?" Zenkichi mused, "Originally, I thought of having you return to Sunagakure and wrestle for power with Rasa. But the more I think about it, the less necessary that seems." Pakura sighed. "You sure think big. Rasa is the Fourth Kazekage. I'm just a jōnin with a bit of fame." "Even if people call me a hero of Sunagakure, I'm still far beneath him in status and influence." "Fight him for power? That's just not realistic." Zenkichi scoffed. "Really? I don't think it's that hard. Rasa's thinking is... unorthodox, to put it nicely. Beating him wouldn't be that difficult." 'Just look at his ridiculous decisions in the original timeline!' 'Before Gaara was born, Rasa sealed Shukaku inside him. His wife died giving birth. All because of Rasa.' 'And to test the seal's effectiveness, he even had his brother-in-law try to assassinate Gaara.' 'Gaara killed him. Rasa couldn't stop him. And that only pushed Gaara further into darkness.' 'And that's not all. Rasa tried multiple times to kill his own son. His logic is twisted beyond saving.' 'So why not find the right moment to form a special unit? Someone like Pakura, whose strength and reputation rival Rasa's, could very well rise to the top.' 'For now, looking at the reactions from the other major villages, we probably don't have to wait long.' 'But thinking about it again—it might be too troublesome and time-consuming. Maybe it's not worth it.' 'His strange policies will ruin his reputation on their own. With the way his mind works, getting played into a corner is inevitable. It'll be hilarious.' 'A man like Rasa should just step down.' 'Even after he was reincarnated by the Edo Tensei, he was a disgrace. Gaara sealed him with no resistance.' 'He was the only one among the three Kage-level shinobi who couldn't break free of the Edo Tensei.' 'And the way he died? Taken down by Gaara and Kimimaro. It was pathetic.' "Judging from the current situation, it's best to keep the fact that you're still alive under wraps. When I launch my assault on Sunagakure, you'll appear and destroy their morale." Zenkichi had decided—Pakura's appearance would shatter Sunagakure's fighting spirit. But this tactic would only work once, so her survival had to remain a secret. If Sunagakure caught wind of it, they'd spin the narrative and weaken the effect. Pakura shrugged. "So you're telling me my current mission is... doing nothing? Just hiding?" Zenkichi replied seriously, "If you're bored, you can wear a mask and act as my personal ANBU." "Of course, you'll need to avoid using your signature Scorch Release. That won't be a problem, will it?" Pakura said proudly, "Don't underestimate me. Even without Scorch Release, I'm more than capable of holding my own as an elite jōnin." "I'm proficient in taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, wind release, and fire release." Zenkichi nodded approvingly. "In that case, starting today, you're my personal ANBU." "Your codename will be... 'Y'. What do you think?" Pakura answered calmly, "No problem. But more importantly—I want to hear your next move." "If you plan to change the world, you must have a real strategy, right?" Zenkichi smiled. "Next, we're heading overseas. I'm calling back all of my loyal disciples and subordinates." "The four major villages are about to act. We need to see what moves they'll make." "At the very least, they'll definitely unite to face me—the common enemy." "Maybe we'll even see a Four Kage Summit. Just thinking about it is exciting. When that happens, we'll make our move." "Even if it doesn't have the prestige of a Five Kage Summit, it's still a rare, high-level gathering." Under the joint initiative of Iwagakure and Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure had reached a preliminary agreement. Now, they were trying to pull Konoha in as well. They didn't want Konoha standing on the sidelines. Although Tsunade's previous decisions had left a bitter taste, Konoha's power was too significant to ignore. --- Become a patron to get access to 70+ chapters in advance. Patreon.com/Zphyr_