Yes, the Hokage

The next morning, in the high-level conference room.

Konoha F3 were clearly prepared, so they weren't too surprised when they saw Shikaku appear behind Minato's chair and stand next to Furan.

“Shikaku…” The Third Generation stared at Shikaku for a long time.

"Third Hokage, thank you for your guidance over the years." Shikaku bowed deeply, but remained standing still.

"Hehe, it's normal for the younger generation to be attracted to the younger generation." The third generation smiled calmly, then his gaze fell on Feng Lan. "You're here to ask him for a seat as a formal advisor to the Elders' Council, the kind with voting rights."

“That’s right,” Feng Lan said with a smile.

"That's alright... Danzo is dead anyway." Speaking of Danzo, he couldn't help but sigh again. After all, Danzo was his best friend who had been his partner from genin to Hokage. All the past events... couldn't just be swept under the rug.

"Third Hokage." Feng Lan put away her smile and bowed slightly. "I have also arranged for someone to bring back Lord Danzo's body. Although he once went astray, he still made many contributions to Konoha. I will arrange for someone to send it to your residence after the meeting. Let his old friends hold a private funeral for him."

"well--!"

Upon hearing this, both Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were moved and sighed. However, Minato's reaction was even stronger than theirs, with a sorrowful expression on his face.

"Your empathy is truly remarkable." Feng Lan couldn't help but roll his eyes. He played the Danzo corpse card to gain more benefits, not to make you, this blond-haired guy, feel sentimental too!

“With Shikaku’s abilities and qualifications, he is indeed qualified to become the new elder advisor, but before that…” The Third Generation looked up at Fenglan, “Tell us in detail what you have been doing since you left the village.”

Clearly, these were the conditions set by the third generation. As someone accustomed to being in control, he strongly disliked the feeling of being kept in the dark, especially since this included the first and second generations of adults.

Feng Lan then began to selectively reveal information, the first one to be hidden was Kisame Hoshigaki, who was his key trump card for causing trouble in Kirigakure in the future, and he couldn't let the Third Hokage have any room to interfere—although the other party could most likely get some clues about this matter from Tsunade and Jiraiya.

As for the matter of the Takumi Village in Tanzaku Town, he did not hide it, because the Third Hokage's men would definitely know the specific situation if they went to the Takumi Village to place an order. He couldn't let Orochimaru kill even the people of Konoha.

The subsequent explanations were quite detailed, as there was nothing to hide. However, Feng Lan didn't elaborate on the specific effects of Kotoamatsukami, only stating that he had Shisui continuously use genjutsu to control Orochimaru, preventing him from recovering. He also withheld some details of the consensus reached with the Second Hokage; he couldn't very well openly tell these old guys that he intended to purge them, could he?

He hesitated for a moment before deciding not to speak about Madara and White Zetsu's situation. After all, the fewer people who knew about it, the better. Otherwise, too many people would gossip, and if Black Zetsu found out that he knew so much about him, there would be problems.

As for how he knew Killer Bee's location, he didn't specifically mention it, and the other party didn't ask any further questions. Obviously, everyone has their own trump cards, just like Feng Lan wouldn't ask how many people the Third Anbu had.

He didn't stop talking until he finished explaining how he used Amegakure and Sunagakure to make a public announcement. He then slowly picked up his cup and took a sip of tea.

"You really are..." After listening to Feng Lan's description, the Third Hokage sighed again, "You've accomplished something truly remarkable!"

The fact that his teacher, the Second Hokage, had a good opinion of Feng Lan and that he continued to follow his instructions without taking over the leadership of the team filled the Third Hokage with emotion, making him realize for the first time that he was truly getting old.

"It was just a small task," Feng Lan said with a smile. "It's my responsibility as the Fourth Hokage's advisor."

Then, the atmosphere in the conference room fell into an eerie silence. The Third Hokage closed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought or perhaps reminiscing, and no one spoke to disturb him.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke: "Then, let's begin the vote on whether to appoint Shikaku as an elder advisor."

Clearly, it passed unanimously. Although Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu didn't look too good, they still raised their hands in accordance with the Third Hokage. However, Shikaku didn't have much of a happy expression on his face. Even Fugaku, who was recording, was smiling more happily than him.

He pulled up a chair and sat down next to Minato and Shizune, nodding slightly: "Then, I look forward to your guidance from the Hokage and all the advisors. I, Nara Shikaku, am willing to do my utmost for Konoha."

“Oh, right, there’s one more thing,” Feng Lan said. “I’ve arranged for Orochimaru to be stationed in Takumi Village, where he will develop the most advanced ninja tools to atone for his sins. Third Hokage, I’ll leave the handover of these ninja tools to you.”

"Hmm?" The Third Hokage was slightly taken aback at first, then nodded. "Alright, I will take care of it."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's gazes softened somewhat again.

Feng Lan's move may seem like a concession, but there are many deeper reasons behind it. First of all, the arms business is indeed very profitable, but the capital required is astronomical. He only has 20% of Konoha's finances and has to support the various expenses of his private army. He simply cannot afford such a large project.

So instead of robbing Peter to pay Paul, it's better to be generous and do the Third Hokage a favor... And this favor actually doesn't cost much, because the trade with Takumi Village was controlled by the Third Hokage anyway. He just intervened and said he wouldn't compete with him for the time being. In any case, the ninja tools he brought back would eventually be distributed to his side anyway.

The most important thing right now is the Five Kage Summit. Both sides still need to unite against external threats. Since the Third Hokage has already made concessions and promoted Shikaku to the Elder position, we should also make appropriate gestures to avoid making the relationship too strained.

Just like how the Third Hokage never mentioned the Rinnegan before, and how he didn't bring the Edo Tensei Twin Shadows back to Konoha, since it's a game of chess, we should play by the rules and use our brains instead of swinging the chessboard at our opponent's head.

"Now, let's talk about the Five Kage Summit." Now that the atmosphere had eased, Feng Lan started a new topic. Everyone's expressions became serious, and even Fugaku, who was writing with his head down, temporarily stopped writing and looked up.

“First of all,” Feng Lan held up a finger, “the location of the talks was proposed by Yunyin and will be held in the Land of Iron. It seems that all parties have reached a consensus on this, but the key is who will go, how many people they will bring, and… where our bottom line is.”

“The samurai of the Land of Iron have claimed to be neutral for many years, but they are not without bias.” Mitokado Homura slowly said, “These guys talk a good game, but they have secretly sent information to Kumogakure. When we get there, we can’t trust the samurai’s words completely.”

"I see……"

Feng Lan nodded. This was something that wasn't in the original story, and only these old guys who had dealt with it would know about it. It seemed that her initiative to make friends earlier had worked.

"In fact, the Five Kage Summit was only held once, during the time of the First Hokage. Although there have been subsequent proposals, they have all failed to be initiated due to various hostile relationships and lack of cooperation."

Koharu Utatane said calmly, "You really caused a huge commotion this time, so much so that even Iwagakure and Kirigakure felt threatened, which is why they agreed."

“The Hidden Mist Village might be because they feel threatened, but the Hidden Stone Village…” The Third Hokage frowned, “Onoki is most likely stirring things up. He’d love for the Hidden Cloud Village to start a war. You should be careful of this old guy and not fall into his trap.”

It can only be said that the wisdom of the older generation is sometimes very important. Fenglan kept in mind all the key points mentioned by F3.

"In principle, only the current Kage of the five great nations and their two bodyguards are allowed to set foot in the Land of Iron to participate in the meeting." The Third Hokage glanced at Minato. "Minato, who are you planning to bring?"

"Of course it's Fenglan and..."

Minato only mentioned Fenglan's name before he stopped, because he was drunk yesterday and hadn't thought about the Five Kage Summit at all. Fenglan added, "He and Obito are guarding Orochimaru in Takumi Village, so he is the most suitable candidate to be his bodyguard."

"Are you only planning to bring two people?" Xiaochun from the dormitory raised an eyebrow. "Fenglan, you're not the kind of person who follows the rules."

“Of course.” Feng Lan said with a smile, “The reserve team includes Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, Torune Aburame, and Hana Inuzuka from the Inuzuka clan.”

F3 wasn't surprised that the Inuzuka clan was involved, but the Third Hokage frowned: "Just this many people?"

"That's all." Feng Lan nodded. Since they had decided not to actively attack the enemy, there was no need to bring too many people. Minato and Obito's combat power was more than enough, even a little more. The others could focus on their functional roles.

Rin is an essential medical ninja, Kakashi is responsible for protecting her, and the presence of these two will allow Obito to unleash even greater power.

Aburame Torune was in charge of monitoring the insects, making up for the fact that Byakugan wasn't brought along on this mission.

As for Hana Inuzuka, she was naturally in charge of tracking. Although she was known as the Yellow Flash, it was unlikely that anyone would dare to attack her. However, if anyone really tried to do something reckless, it would be her turn to step in and use her ninja dogs and her sense of smell to take down the fleeing soldiers one by one.

Most importantly, these four people do not need to hide outside the Land of Iron like the ambush troops of other villages, but can be carried by Obito's Kamui space.

"Alright then." The Third Hokage didn't press the matter further. "With the Yellow Flash around, no one should be foolish enough to have any ulterior motives. In terms of wits, it's unlikely that you'll be at a disadvantage with me around."

“That’s right.” Minato smiled brightly. “With me and Fenglan here, Konoha will never be underestimated!”

"Hmm." The Third Hokage's eyelids closed slightly, as if he were somewhat tired. "Then, I look forward to your performance."

Both Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were startled. It felt like... Hiruzen was considering stepping down and giving way to a more capable person.

Shikaku narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly sensing a subtle atmosphere. Could it be that he had made the right bet, and things were going in the best possible direction, with a peaceful handover between the old and new generations?

"Please rest assured, Third Hokage."

Finally, Feng Lan, with his usual smiling expression, brought the brief high-level meeting to a close: "We will not let you down."

Chapter 111 The Land of Iron

After crossing the northern border of the Land of Fire, the terrain gradually rose. The broad-leaved forests on both sides of the road gradually turned into coniferous forests, and ice crystals began to appear in the air. The soles of our shoes crunched over the frozen ground, and our breath began to condense into white mist.

The Land of Iron is a plateau country surrounded by mountains, covered in snow all year round. The climate is cold and resources are scarce. Because of this, the ninjas made a pact long ago not to attack this country that is inhabited only by samurai.

Of course, just as Fenglan said, rules are meant to be broken. During World War II, the Land of Iron briefly clashed with Amegakure, but suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Hanzo of the Salamander. So when he heard Mitokado Homura say that the Land of Iron was not as absolutely neutral as rumored, Fenglan was not too surprised.

After all, whether they are ninjas or samurai, they are all human and have selfish desires.

The core of the Land of Iron is a massive mountain city, with layers upon layers of walls rising up the mountainside. The entrance is an astonishingly large three-sided cave, which from a distance looks like three giant snake heads with their mouths open.

【I see.】

Feng Lan surveyed the barren, desolate snowfield with an impassive expression: "The Land of Iron favors Cloud Village; they're probably relying on aid from there."

Along the way, although we occasionally saw villages, they were like the Inuit people living in the Arctic. Although they had their own unique way of life and culture, they could not escape the constraints of scarcity.

He began to seriously consider the possibility of bringing the Land of Iron under his control, while following Minato through the border checkpoint and into the city.

Although it was a city, its prosperity was far inferior to that of Konoha Village. Before Feng Lan could take a good look around, a burly man with bandages wrapped around his head strode over. To his left was a bald man with one eye blind, and to his right was a middle-aged man who was over two meters tall.

"You must be tired from your long journey, Fourth Hokage. I am Mifune, the Admiral of the Land of Iron." His voice was deep and resonant, like the clanging of metal, and he exuded an air of authority.

"I am Minato Namikaze," Minato greeted kindly. "These two are Feng Lan and Obito Uchiha."

"Please follow me, all three of you." Mifune nodded slightly in greeting. "Please rest here for the night at the inn. The Five Kage Summit will officially begin tomorrow."

"It sounds like we're among the last to arrive," Feng Lan said with a smile.

“Indeed, people from the other four countries arrived a few days ago,” Mifune said calmly.

Wow, you're really impatient!

Feng Lan's eyes flickered slightly. Konoha and Kumogakure were the closest to the Land of Iron, and it was only natural that Sunagakure was eager to come early since it was the core topic of the talks. But she didn't expect Iwagakure and Kirigakure to arrive so early as well.

You should know that I only spent one more day in Konoha, held a high-level meeting, organized some personnel, and deliberately left some loopholes. Yet you, Kirigakure, were able to arrive before me even though you're separated by the sea. That's truly impressive.

"Who are the people from different countries?" he asked, trying to get more information out of them.

“I only know the Kage of each village, and I’m not very familiar with the others. If Advisor Fenglan is interested, you can go and meet them yourself,” Mifune said calmly. “Anyway, this mountain castle is less than half the size of Konoha Village. You’ll all run into each other eventually.”

Wow, that's a bit barbed.

Feng Lan's smile remained unchanged: "Thank you for your guidance, General. I... really need to pay a proper visit to the elites of various countries."

The city was really small, and soon everyone arrived at the inn. Apart from the gentle and kind Minato, even Obito couldn't help but frown slightly, after all, he was a sensitive Uchiha.

Whether it was the leader Mifune, the samurai of the Land of Iron, or even the innkeepers, everyone's manners were impeccable. However, within this near-perfect etiquette lay a lukewarm hostility, like a small thorn stuck in the flesh—difficult to see, but ultimately unsettling.

Just like when you're targeted by a cunning stepmother, you can't find fault with her, but you're still unhappy.

The rooms provided by the Land of Iron certainly can't compare to those in Konoha, but ninjas are never picky people. It's common for them to squat in tree hollows and stuff rations into their hands when they're on a mission, so they naturally won't say much.

Feng Lan casually tossed her luggage into a corner, pulled out a hooded black robe and put it on: "I'm going out for a stroll."

"Where are you going?" Minato immediately looked over.

"Scouting the spot, feeling the line, baiting the hook." Feng Lan's words didn't sound like anything good.

"I'm going too!" Minato jumped up immediately.

“No, you’re too conspicuous, especially with that blond hair.” Feng Lan immediately expressed her disdain. “If you want to come with me, you’ll have to dye that thing green.”

"Hmm..." Minato hesitated for a long time before finally sitting back down in his chair in frustration. "No, Kushina will be angry."

"I was just saying it offhand, and you actually started thinking about it." Feng Lan rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't even take you if I shaved my head."

"Fenglan, you've tricked me again!"

"Lord Fenglan, do you need guards?" Obito asked immediately.

"It's alright. You and Minato both have my Flying Thunder God kunai. This city isn't very big. If we really encounter danger, I can just use Flying Thunder God to run back." Feng Lan smiled. "Go and take care of those guys in the Kamui dimension. They must be quite bored."

"Yes!" Upon hearing that he was to take care of Rin, Obito immediately became excited and accepted the order without hesitation.

So Fenglan calmly pushed open the door and walked out, shutting out Shuimen's complaints. However, just as she stepped out of the inn, she was stopped by the samurai guarding the gate.

"Mr. Fenglan, where are you going?"

"Just wander around and experience the customs and culture of the Iron Kingdom," Feng Lan said with a smile. "Is that not allowed?"

“Of course not.” The samurai immediately shook his head. “But I must remind you that the Land of Iron is a country of samurai. Even if you can use sensory ninjutsu, please do not activate it indiscriminately. This violates our country’s laws, and the worst outcome could be deportation.”

"Oh?" Feng Lan raised an eyebrow. "I understand."

[Interesting. Leader Mifune keeps saying he only knows a few Kage and isn't familiar with the guards, yet he can call out my abilities even from a gatekeeper. Especially his deliberate way of saying it—it's almost like he's reminding me to use my sensory abilities.]

[Who exactly made him say that to me? Mifune? Or some other force leaning towards Kumogakure? Or was he bribed by someone to do it on purpose?]

As Feng Lan thought this, she unceremoniously activated her perception ability and immediately discovered that something was wrong.

There was a warrior hurrying along not far in front of me, I could see him with my eyes, but I couldn't sense him at all!

There are only two possibilities in this situation. First, this guy is also a master of sensory ninjutsu and is using his ability to protect himself from being detected by others, just like Karin in the original work protected herself from being discovered by Nozomi.

The second point, of course, is...

Feng Lan followed silently, but after the other person turned a corner, they suddenly disappeared.

[Hmm, so it really is a White Zetsu.]

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "This Five Kage Summit is truly rife with undercurrents."

The appearance of White Zetsu in the Land of Iron doesn't mean they're planning to pop up at a crucial moment like in Shippuden. These guys' actual combat strength is average, and it's not realistic for them to assassinate Kage-level powerhouses. So the most likely explanation is that they're contacting someone.

The Hidden Cloud Village, which reveres power and plunders the bloodline limits of other villages, the Hidden Stone Village, which frequently employs the Akatsuki in the original work, and even the impoverished Hidden Sand Village, could all potentially cooperate with the forces behind White Zetsu—as long as they can offer enough benefits.

It's not impossible that even Kirigakure, which is currently hosting the Battle Royale tournament in the Village of Blood Mist, could be involved. Although Obito, who controlled Yagura, was on their side in the original work, the environment of Kirigakure is naturally conducive to a large number of rogue ninjas engaging in dirty backroom deals with White Zetsu.

[Who could it be?] Feng Lan's eyes darted around, her cupid's pumping as images flashed through her mind, finally settling on Onoki. [Hmm, that old guy is definitely the most suspicious.]

As he walked, lost in thought, he suddenly heard a clear voice behind him: "Fenglan...Advisor?"

"The chief advisor?"

Feng Lan turned around and saw Pakula looking pleasantly surprised: "You've arrived!"