My Sign-in System in Naruto

Haru exited his inner world, and his Asauchi had undergone subtle changes.

After subduing the earth giant and the lightning dragon, Haru had obtained his true Zanpakutō.

Of course, even as a true Zanpakutō, it remained in its unreleased state during normal times. Only through Shikai would it undergo a complete transformation.

"It's already dark outside."

Haru glanced out the window and decided to rest, preparing himself for the meeting the next day.

The night passed without incident, and Haru slept soundly until the next morning. After enjoying a breakfast with the unique flavors of the Land of Iron, he accompanied the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, to the meeting location.

Hiruzen was dressed formally.

No matter the cause of this meeting, he understood that it would determine the future relationship between Konohagakure and Kumogakure.

Even though this wasn't the first time they had attempted to form an alliance, Hiruzen still hoped for a positive outcome.

"Lord Hokage."

Mifune had also prepared early.

If Konoha and Kumo were to go to war, his territory could become a battlefield, which was something he wanted to avoid.

To ensure the meeting went smoothly, Mifune had brought along Chōkichi and Rikaku.

"Lord Mifune."

Hiruzen smiled at Mifune, and the two walked side by side toward the meeting room.

"With all due respect."

Mifune spoke in a low voice. Long before the Kage Summit had been decided, he had already learned the cause of the conflict through various channels.

Konoha and Kumo had intended to form an alliance, ending the war and allowing both sides to embrace peace.

To demonstrate their sincerity, Kumo had even sent a high-ranking ninja as their representative.

However, this ninja, who held a high position in Kumo, had died in Konoha.

For Kumo, this was not only a significant loss but also a humiliation.

The Raikage had been furious, declaring that he would rather reignite the war than let the death of their representative go unanswered.

"If Konoha is willing to show some humility and take responsibility for this incident, I will do everything in my power to facilitate this alliance."

Mifune shook his head.

"Although the Land of Iron has always maintained a neutral stance in the shinobi world, we are well aware of the pain that war brings."

"Sometimes, enduring humiliation is not shameful but a step toward a better tomorrow."

Hiruzen hadn't expected Mifune to say this. He had assumed that Mifune wouldn't take sides.

But this was understandable.

Precisely because the Land of Iron was neutral, Mifune could offer an objective perspective.

Since the Third Great Ninja War, both Konoha and Kumo had focused on recovery, but their development had taken different paths.

Especially after the Nine-Tails' rampage.

The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and countless other shinobi had perished, dealing a heavy blow to Konoha.

In contrast, under the leadership of the Fourth Raikage, Kumo had quickly recovered from the shadow of the Third Raikage's death.

Moreover, they had cultivated two perfect Jinchūriki.

As someone who deeply respected Hiruzen, the "Shinobi God," Mifune's instincts leaned toward helping Konoha overcome this crisis.

In his view, if Hiruzen showed even a little humility, he could help reestablish the alliance.

Peace was what mattered most.

Soon, both parties arrived at the meeting room, where the Raikage, A, was already seated.

Haru glanced around and noticed that, aside from Shi and Yugito, Darui was also standing behind A, looking as listless as ever.

As Haru and Hiruzen entered, Shi and Yugito's gazes turned toward them.

Especially Shi, who immediately became alert the moment Haru walked in.

"Raikage."

Hiruzen greeted A with a smile, taking his seat and placing his Hokage hat on the table.

As the leader of the Land of Iron, Mifune naturally took the host's seat.

However, A wasn't particularly accommodating. Seeing Hiruzen's friendly gesture, he crossed his arms and let out a cold snort.

Haru and Yamato stood silently behind Hiruzen.

"I believe everyone here understands why we've gathered. So…" Mifune took a deep breath, intending to ease the tension in the room.

However, he was immediately interrupted by the Fourth Raikage.

"The representative held a position in Kumo second only to mine, yet he died in Konoha."

"And this happened while he was on a mission to form an alliance."

A spoke first, emphasizing the incident and highlighting Hiruzen's incompetence.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, if you wish to reestablish the alliance, you must show sincerity."

"Where is the killer who murdered our representative?"

Bang!

A slammed his hand on the table, his presence overwhelming, as if to say that if Hiruzen didn't hand over the killer, there was no point in continuing the discussion.

Behind him, while Darui remained as listless as ever, Shi and Yugito were both intensely serious.

No matter the reason the representative had gone to Konoha, the fact remained that he had died.

Kumo undoubtedly held the upper hand in this matter.

In truth, A's intentions were clear.

No matter how much Konoha tried to suppress the information, the killer was undoubtedly a member of the Hyūga clan.

As the clan head, Hiashi Hyūga was naturally responsible.

Handing over Hiashi's body was the only logical course of action.

"If Konoha cannot even show this level of sincerity, then there's nothing left to discuss."

A's words were firm as he leaned back, his gaze fixed on Hiruzen's eyes.

The Konoha of today was no longer the powerful village it had been during the Third Great Ninja War.

If war broke out between them, other villages might seize the opportunity to join in.

As long as Hiruzen hadn't completely lost his mind, he should understand that showing humility and making concessions were his only options.

His only way out.

In other words, this meeting wasn't a negotiation but an opportunity for Kumo to claim their spoils.

As a village that valued martial prowess, Kumo would undoubtedly see a significant boost in their combat power if they unlocked the secrets of the Byakugan.

Meanwhile, Mifune, the leader of the neutral Land of Iron, remained silent.

It was as if Mifune had sided with Kumo, supporting A's demands.

In Mifune's view, on one side was Konoha's peace, and on the other was the killer of Kumo's representative.

As the "Shinobi God" Hiruzen couldn't possibly fail to understand which was more important.

The Land of Iron had remained neutral precisely because it could make the right decisions in such critical matters.

However, just as everyone expected Hiruzen to compromise on this issue…

Haru, standing behind the Third Hokage, spoke softly.

"Even if we're assigning blame, shouldn't we first address Kumo's kidnapping of Hinata?"