It was an incredible sight, the daimyo and their aides from across the entire continent coming together to meet in a single building. They were separated by country at the ten rows of long semicircular tables arranged in concentric rings. The gazes of some hundreds of people were focused on the podium standing in the center.
The Land of Iron had worked at top speed to build this facility. The daimyo had put up a roof over the plaza where he spoke to his citizens and had exactly enough tables and chairs made specifically for this meeting.
It was an unprecedented summit. It was beyond anything ever seen before from start to finish.
Everyone there was worked up, full of fire before this weaponless battle. The meeting venue, a plaza with nothing more than a roof thrown over it, was exposed to the wind, and despite the cool breeze blowing in from all sides, Shikamaru was sweating.
Seated at the tables closest to the podium were the daimyo and aides of the five great nations. The Five Kages and faces from the hidden villages were in the row directly behind them. Shikamaru was in the section set aside for the village of Konohagakure near the middle of the long table. Beside Naruto, naturally.
“We’ve finally made it,” Naruto whispered to him before the meeting. His blue eyes were focused on the empty podium. “Whether we like it or not, this is where it ends.”
“Mm-hm.” Shikamaru agreed. “If more than half of the countries at this summit agree with the Land of Earth, then it’s full speed ahead to war. No one’s ever had a meeting like this before. If they get approval here, there’ll be no stopping the Land of Earth. They’ll pull in the countries that agree with them and invade the Land of Flowers.”
“We can’t let that happen.”
“Of course not.” He put his prayer into words.
There was no knowing the results of the meeting until they saw how it all played out. He couldn’t predict how many countries would be accepting of Danjo’s greed.
The instant the Land of Earth’s invasion was approved, they would no longer have the option of a covert attack on Danjo. There were too many countries assembled here to be able to carry out such an operation without suspicion. Not only was the Land of Iron providing security, the Five Kages also shared the responsibility to keep the meeting members safe. If Konoha tried anything funny, they’d be found out right away.
“It’s starting.”
A samurai sat down at the table next to the podium: the Land of Iron’s general. To keep the meeting running smoothly, it had been decided that the general of the Land of Iron, the host country and a neutral party, would act as chairperson.
“We will now convene the continental summit.”
At his word, the meeting began.
The chairperson gave a rough summary of the events leading up to the summit, as well as the statements from the discordant parties involved, the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire. The outcome they came to about this matter would change the fate of the continent. The entire audience sat in tense silence as the chairperson spoke.
Once the long explanation was finished, one of the central parties, Danjo was invited to take the podium.
As he stood there with a leisurely smile on his face, Danjo raised a hand toward the assembled members and bowed respectfully. He took a short breath, placed both hands on the podium, and began to speak. “There is a kind of human being on this continent known as the ninja,” the daimyo began. “Ninja… From the moment they are born, they are destined to fight. They can only find the meaning of their own existence in battle. They study the art of violence from a young age. They are taught by their parents and instructors to deceive others, and only once they become hardened professionals in battle can they be recognized as full-fledged members of their villages. Many of the people born to ninja in these ‘hidden villages’ do not doubt from the time of their birth that they will walk the path of the ninja. Even now as we sit here like this, new ninja are being born in every one of those villages.”
They only find the meaning of their existence in battle…
Shikamaru couldn’t completely deny what Danjo was saying. It was true that somewhere in his heart, he always sought to put himself into the middle of electric battle. That feeling was so deep in his bones, it would have been better to call it an instinct at this point. Most likely, the majority of ninja felt the same as he did.
Only by pushing themselves into extreme situations could they cultivate their jutsu and chakra. Although their individual aims might have been different, ninja walked the path of the ninja. And this was definitely not an evenly paved road. That was why ninja naturally acquired the habit of putting themselves into harsh environments. But did that mean in the end that a ninja’s only truth lay in fighting?
No. Shikamaru had a family he loved. He had comrades to protect. He was here in this place now for their sake. He was sitting there to stop the fight.
He couldn’t deny what Danjo was saying in his head, but he had no intention of simply sitting quietly and agreeing with him.
Oblivious to Shikamaru’s thoughts, the massive daimyo of the Land of Earth continued. “The history of the continent has been writ alongside these warriors. I do not intend to condemn them nor suppress them. On the contrary, I more than anyone affirm them and their existence. Which is why I have chosen this path!” Danjo waved a hand high in the air with a theatrical flare.
From beside him, Shikamaru heard a sound like something hard being ground to dust. Naruto was gritting his teeth and glaring at Danjo.
“I do not mean to say this is a matter of survival of the fittest. The Land of Flowers no doubt also has the weapons to stand up and face us. And there are those who would assist them. We do not devour the weak. We fight on equal footing, country to country. The sweet fantasy of peace robs the ninja of their very reason for being. We and the ninja are in a relationship of coexistence. Accepting them means accepting war. Unless we ensure a place for them, those of us who are not ninja will someday be dragged into their delusions just like we were with the previous great war. Is it not time at last for the world to channel their instinct to fight in an appropriate fashion in order to prevent massive chaos, as well as to accept open warfare as we did in the past?!”
“You gotta be kidding me here,” Naruto spat, his voice heavy. “He just wants to satisfy his own greed. And then he goes turning that into the meaning of a ninja’s existence!”
“Calm down,” Shikamaru murmured, touching Naruto’s clenched fists.