Yes, the Hokage

Back then, I was truly penniless; even a wolf could kill me.

"But when it comes to wanting something, I dislike being given it by charity, even if that person is Minato." It was rare for Feng Lan to open up to someone like this, not because Pakula was anything special, but because this person posed no threat to her, and she didn't care even if she knew many things.

"I will only take what I want, including my own place to live!"

Even though he clung tightly to Minato's coattails, everything he has today is something he earned himself, not something given to him by anyone.

“I know you are already heartbroken, so after receiving some warmth from me, you want to use these things as support in your life and a belief to keep living. But if I may be so bold… such a thought is naively laughable.”

As mentioned earlier, Feng Lan is the kind of person with extremely strong intrinsic motivation who never cares about other people's opinions and only has his own goals in mind. He will be grateful for Minato's kindness and take Minato's thoughts into consideration when doing things, but he will not regard Minato as his belief in living.

"A person's life is incredibly precious. You were not born as a soulless flower, tree, or bird without wisdom, but as a human being. That alone is one in a million."

“I don’t live for anyone else, I live only for myself, and I… I hope you can do the same.”

"If you can't find your way in life for the time being, you can stay here and search slowly. But in the end, I hope that you will walk the path you want by your own choices and judgments, rather than being swept along by something and becoming 'my possession'."

Feng Lan said calmly, "What do you mean by 'ninjas are just tools'? Obedient puppets without self-awareness are what Danzo wants. The guys around me must at least be living people, not walking corpses that have lost their ability to think for themselves. Those kinds of guys aren't sharp enough. I prefer to use sharp knives... even if they're easy to cut your hands."

"You may become my most useful subordinate if you are used as a tool, but you will never become a subordinate who can stand alone in critical moments."

"me……"

Pakula's eyes welled up with tears again. She felt she had just cried all her tears, she had resolved to abandon her emotions and self, to live only as a tool, but now...

Hearing Feng Lan's refusal, she couldn't help but cry, "Thank you, Lord Feng Lan, thank you..."

"No need to thank me. You're just feeling lost right now and can't find the meaning of life."

Fenglan began to speak from a philosophical perspective: "When a person cannot bear the question of 'Who am I?', the most direct way to escape is to say 'I no longer need to answer this question.' Becoming an object means that 'you don't need to think, you don't need to choose, and you don't need to bear the consequences.' Everything is decided by the master, and you are only responsible for carrying it out."

"This is essentially a form of self-destruction on a spiritual level: since Pakura is suffering too much, then kill [Pakura] and leave only a shell that can carry out orders... This is actually an inevitable choice that someone who has been brainwashed to the extreme by the education that 'ninjas are tools' would make when they have no other choice. If I were to agree to this, it would be too cruel. After all, I am not some kind of demon."

Upon hearing this, Pakula couldn't help but twitch, clearly realizing that what had been said was true.

Feng Lan smiled and concluded by quoting Orochimaru's words when he kidnapped Kimimaro: "Perhaps life has no inherent meaning, but as long as you live, you can find interesting things, can't you?"

He casually took the flower from Pakula's hand, played with it for a moment, and then handed it back: "Just like you discovered this flower, and I discovered you."

"Yes……"

Pakula stopped handling the flower as before and instead took it with both hands, holding it carefully to her chest.

"Alright, I've been talking a lot today. You must be tired of listening. You should get some rest." Feng Lan waved her hand. "There are blankets, charcoal, hot water, and food over there... You'll be standing next to me at tomorrow's Five Kage Summit."

"Yes." Pakula first acknowledged his task, then said, "Lord Fenglan, may I... not sleep for a while?"

"Sure, what do you want to do?" Feng Lan said, already lowering her head again to write the proposal.

“I want to... watch you work here and pour you tea.” Pakula’s voice was soft and gentle.

"Pour some tea..." Feng Lan smiled. "The last person to pour me tea was Shisui, and the one before that was Minato... Sure, you can just stay here and watch. Anyway, I'm going to sleep soon. If I don't get enough rest, I won't be able to deal with those old foxes tomorrow."

Pacula reached out and stirred the fireplace to make it burn brighter: "You're right."

"Okay, that's about it."

Feng Lan stretched her neck: [Just one last trick is needed for her to reach a point where she wouldn't be in any danger even if that idiot blonde Minato took her as a subordinate. But this last trick… Granny Chiyo should already be arranging it.]

Chapter 119: Konoha Makes its Central Appearance

The council chamber of the Land of Iron is a hollowed-out mountainside, with a dome so high that it seems to have no end, like the open mouth of a giant beast.

The walls of the hall were made of rough, black rock, the surface unpolished and bearing the marks of chisels. This was not for aesthetic purposes, but for sound insulation and defense. Iron lampstands were embedded in the cracks of the rock, the flames flickering within the enclosed lampshades, casting a cold light that only stretched the shadows of everyone into sharp, rigid lines.

In the center of the hall stood a pentagonal stone table. The tabletop was wide enough for the five figures to sit on opposite sides without disturbing each other, yet close enough to see the trembling of each other's eyelashes. Each side was engraved with the emblem of the corresponding village: whirlpools, clouds, rocky mountains, mist, and sand patterns.

The emblem was inlaid using a cold-forging method, resulting in sharp edges that feel cutting to the touch—a deliberate design choice. It's said to be a reminder to everyone: when you sit down to talk, the knife is placed before you.

Five chairs were lined up behind the table, corresponding to the tabletop. The backrests of each chair were higher than the head of an average person, the seats were wide, and the armrests were heavy, making people appear smaller when they sat down—this was to weaken the aura of the shadows and make them subconsciously feel that the owner of this table was not themselves when they sat down.

Wow, so many hidden agendas in just one venue! The Land of Iron being chosen as the venue for the Five Kage Summit isn't just due to its relationship with the Hidden Cloud Village.

Feng Lan maintained his smiling face, but in reality he was squinting and looking around. This Five Kage Summit was a gathering of wise men, and he would feel restless if he didn't take the opportunity to cause some trouble.

Mifune sat at the north end of the round table, facing the door. Today he was not wearing his wartime armor, but a dark gray formal kimono. His hands were not on the hilts of his swords, but the presence of the sword at his waist was heavier than his hands.

When the iron gate closed and the room quieted down, the first thing that caught the eye in the entire hall was not the Hokage or the Raikage, but the distance between Mifune and the sword. It was a very strange feeling; even though his hands were on the table, the sword seemed to be right in his hands.

"Well, after all, he's someone who could defeat Edo Tensei Hanzo head-on, so he must have some skill." Feng Lan roughly understood why the Land of Iron had been able to maintain its neutrality for so many years.

The room first darkened, then the light shone on the flags symbolizing the five great nations, then on the five Kage's hats placed on the small table in the middle, and finally the five conference tables lit up one by one.

As expected, the first village to light up was Kumogakure. The Raikage rested one arm on the table, leaned forward slightly, and made the chair beneath him click. He looked like a crouching lion, his gaze sweeping fiercely over the other forces in the darkness.

Although he hasn't spoken yet, this guy is already on the verge of exploding. Everyone knows he was forced to apologize last night, and everyone knows his brother's life or death is unknown. Even during the Five Kage Summit, this guy could launch an attack at any time. He's like a volcano that's already smoking. No normal person would want to provoke him.

The two guys behind him are Yugito Futami... I don't recognize them.

Feng Lan frowned slightly. Three villages brought Jinchūriki to the Five Kage Summit: the Two-Tails from Kumogakure, the Five-Tails from Iwagakure, and the Three-Tails from Kirigakure. Aside from Kirigakure's Jinchūriki being outside the Kage realm, Kumogakure and Iwagakure clearly had the intention of taking action, which is why they brought guards.

The other guy was even more puzzling. He wasn't even a character from the original work. He looked tall and thin, his whole body shrouded in a robe, his face barely showing. He practically screamed "suspicious."

Feng Lan frowned. He was the kind of person who planned everything in advance and hated nothing more than variables. But variables did happen, and they happened in the most unstable and potentially explosive Cloud Village.

In the current situation, he couldn't use his senses recklessly, otherwise he would be discovered and become the subject of gossip in other villages. However, several inconspicuous insects quickly and silently crawled down the hem of his clothes and spread to various corners of the meeting place.

The second village to light up was Iwagakure. Onoki's little potato-like figure could barely peek out from behind the table, with a smiling expression on his face. His old eyes were not cloudy at all, but rather surprisingly bright.

[His son, Huang Tu, and Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki.]

Feng Lan probably knows about Huang Tu's abilities; they are very strong, but they don't pose much of a threat to the current situation. As for Han... this guy has almost no role in the original work; only in the Minato Chronicles do we know that he can fully transform into a tailed beast and launch a tailed beast ball.

Feng Lan glanced at Han a few more times, and the guy actually reacted. His eyes, hidden under his straw hat, stared straight at him, and he released a wisp of steam from his body.

[Interesting, she's actually a sensory ninja.] Feng Lan shifted her gaze, something that wasn't mentioned in the original work.

The insects just released were the latest intelligence insects bred by the Aburame clan. Neither I nor Minato could sense them, but their sensory abilities were mainly for preparing for the Flying Thunder God Technique. It's hard to say whether other ninjas specializing in sensory abilities could detect them.

If this Han really finds out...

The third one to light up was Kirigakure. The Mizukage Yagura, who was sitting there, was a rather young-looking boy, but his age was obviously much older than he appeared. He placed his hands on the table with his thumbs touching, striking a pose reminiscent of Commander Ikari's photo. His eyes were also very peculiar, not being any known eye technique, but rather like whirlpools in deep water.

The Raikage's attitude was one of anger, while Onoki was all smiles, and Yagura was completely expressionless, like a silent abyss, but when you stared at him, you felt as if the abyss was staring back at you.

The two people behind Yagura are old friends of Naruto fans: Zabuza Momochi, who single-handedly defeated the entire Team 7, and Mei Terumi, who had a conversation with Feng Lan last night.

Mei Terumi's outfit was the same as last night, while Zabuza's appearance was very similar to when he was on the run. However, he did not have the Executioner's Blade behind him. The reason was simple: after the battle that wiped out the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, our benevolent and charitable Kaede directly confiscated the swords of the six fallen ninjas.

With Samehada now stolen by Kisame, the seven legendary swords that Kirigakure was so proud of have now been completely destroyed.

Considering that it might be useful at the Five Kage Summit, Feng Lan naturally brought along the sealed ninja sword scroll. However, when to play this card depends on the timing.

The fourth table to light up was Sunagakure. As soon as this table lit up, it instantly attracted everyone's attention because the guards standing behind Kazekage Rasa had changed. They were no longer Granny Chiyo and Pakura, but Ebizo and Maki.

【I see.】

Feng Lan narrowed his eyes slightly. It was obvious that Sunagakure hadn't just brought two guards to the Five Kage Summit. There must be a small team stationed on the border of the Land of Iron. After Pakura was sold out last night, it wouldn't be difficult to urgently transfer a replacement.

However, replacing only one person would seem too deliberate, so they simply replaced both of them, giving others the impression that Sunagakure is full of talented people and that losing Pakula wouldn't matter.

Sensing the Raikage's undisguised gaze, Rasa's hidden gold dust began to slowly spread between his fingers. It wasn't that he really intended to make a move, but rather that he instinctively used this method to bolster his confidence.

Whether it's national strength or combat power as a Shadow, he's probably the weakest. Right now, the only thing he can rely on is the one who will ultimately take center stage to help him share the burden.

"Click—!"

Finally, the lights on Konoha's side came on. Minato Namikaze, sitting in his seat, wore a gentle smile and said nothing. However, his presence immediately spread at an astonishing speed, and the gazes that had just been on Rasa were now focused on this side.

Although he seemed to be the most amiable person in the conference room, everyone knew that once a fight broke out, the first to move would not be the Raikage's fist, the Tsuchikage's Dust Release, or Yagura's Tailed Beast Transformation, but this man.

The name "Golden Flash" itself is incredibly intimidating; no further explanation is needed.

The two people standing behind him were also incredibly dangerous.

On the right is Uchiha Obito, a previously unknown but recently rising star who is said to control the power of both the Uchiha and Senju clans. He is the one who defeated and captured the legendary Lavi.

Having the ability to defeat a perfect Jinchuriki in direct single combat, the deterrent power this brings on the battlefield is unimaginable, even surpassing Shisui's Body Flicker Technique.

On the left is Feng Lan. If the two above represent the "strength" of Konoha, he undoubtedly represents the "intelligence" of Konoha. Reorganizing Konoha, incorporating Amegakure, forming an alliance with Sunagakure, and suppressing Kumogakure... behind every major event, there is this guy's shadow. There are even rumors that he is the actual decision-maker of Konoha, and the Fourth Hokage is just an empty shell.

After their gazes swept over the incredibly powerful trio, the other three great nations' eyes flickered slightly as they discovered an unexpected bonus: behind Minato stood not two people, but three.

Between Feng Lan and Obito stood Pakura, a Sunagakure ninja known for her scorching style. She was quite famous in the ninja world, but now, in this position...

No one openly looked at her, but everyone was checking her condition out of the corner of their eye. The hero of Sunagakure was sitting behind the Hokage's advisor. This scene didn't need any explanation; it was enough to say everything—Sunagakure and Konoha were definitely not just a simple alliance.

Rasa's fingers clenched and unclenched under the table, and Raikage's gaze swept over her like a blade scraping across ice.

Pakula himself stood there quietly, still wearing his signature backless dress, but the Sand Village headband was no longer on his forehead.

This wasn't Fenglan's request; it was something Pakula had torn off himself early this morning before setting off. He didn't just throw away the headband he tore off; he carefully tucked it into his arms.

He was neither a member of Sunagakure nor a member of Konoha. He had no identification, no affiliation, and was simply a guy standing there.

Her gaze met Luo Sha's briefly before she calmly looked away, her eyes devoid of anger, only conveying the message, "I understand."

Chapter 120 The Five Kage Summit: The Beginning

"Then... the Five Kage Summit shall officially begin."

After making this announcement, Mifune, as the host, fell silent for a while, and the competition between the villages began.

"That's really interesting."

Before the Raikage could erupt, Onoki spoke first, deliberately glancing at Pakula and then at Rasa: "What's the hero of your village doing here in Konoha?"

Rasa and the others had clearly anticipated being questioned, and calmly replied, "Because Sunagakure and Konoha have reached a closer cooperation agreement, Pakula has been sent as the liaison between the two sides to facilitate more rapid and effective communication."

They had clearly figured it out. Since they couldn't get rid of their identity as Konoha's underlings, they might as well stick to it for now and gain more benefits from it in Konoha. Anyway, as long as everything was attributed to Pakura's personal actions in the future, Mimi could simply cut ties and deny everything.

Of course, there is a huge flaw in this...

"Oh? Is that so?" Onoki immediately noticed and looked at Pakula with a smile. "May I ask, hero, is this how it is?"

That's right, the flaw lies with Pakura herself. If she really were to confront Sunagakure and recount how she was ruthlessly abandoned, then the carefully crafted story by Rasa and the others would be instantly shattered. Sunagakure would face the embarrassing situation of causing a huge commotion right at the start of the Five Kage Summit, and they wouldn't even have the face to hold their heads high if they wanted to take a bite out of Kumogakure later.

But Rasa clearly trusted Pakula a lot. He was willing to bet that this hero, who had been bathed in the Will of the Wind for many years and whom he had personally nurtured, would not be able to sever his feelings for the village even if he was abandoned!

[Ugh, this is really annoying.]

Feng Lan curled her lips. If she were in Pakura's situation, she would have clung to Minato's coattails last night and openly confronted Sunagakure today. Firstly, it would allow her to vent her anger at being abandoned, and secondly, this kind of dramatic break with her former employer would obviously help her gain more trust from her new employer.

But clearly, Pakula wouldn't do such a thing: "Lord Tsuchikage, Lord Kazekage is right. I am currently serving as the bridge connecting the two villages."

Her voice was weak and listless, but resolute: "I feel extremely honored to be entrusted with this important task."

Hearing this, Rasa breathed a long sigh of relief. Although he felt guilty, he was quickly overwhelmed by further thought. He couldn't keep taking the beatings passively; he had to find a way to fight back. With Konoha as its backer, Sunagakure had to show some toughness and take a big bite out of Kumogakure.

[This is really like helping someone sell themselves out while still counting the money for them.] Feng Lan sneered inwardly. No wonder Pakura's anger and hatred after being resurrected in the original work were dispelled by his disciple's few words. This Will of Wind is really good at brainwashing.

"Oh?" Onoki was clearly unwilling to give up so easily. "Then why aren't you wearing a Sunagakure headband?"

Pakula was momentarily speechless, but Fenglan quickly came to her rescue: "According to the laws of the Land of Iron, each Kage can only have two bodyguards. The fact that Pakula isn't wearing a headband means that she's not standing here as a ninja, but as an ordinary person. This way, it doesn't violate the rules of the Land of Iron, and it also allows her to get relevant information in time, so that the two sides can communicate and exchange information later."

"Hmph." Ōnoki, having failed to provoke them, could only snort coldly. "Is it really necessary to find loopholes in the rules just for the convenience of your two kingdoms, Wind and Fire? Lord Mifune, this is probably not quite appropriate."

His goal was simple: since Fenglan had admitted that Pakura wasn't standing there as a ninja, he should just kick him out and save face for Konoha.

Mifune didn't actually want Pakura to come in from the beginning, but last night Fenglan caught him in a weak spot. He was afraid that if he refused, the other party would bring up the issue of the Land of Iron being unfair and Konoha not getting involved. So he could only turn a blind eye.

Now that Onoki had started, he naturally wanted to retaliate fiercely for what happened last night, so he nodded: "Hmm, what the Tsuchikage said makes sense. I think we should..."

“That won’t do.” Before he could finish speaking, Feng Lan interrupted him, “Mr. Mifune…”

“Advisor Fenglan.” However, Onoki interrupted Fenglan again, “If I remember correctly, we should be at the Five Kage Summit right now. Your role as an advisor should be to assist the Hokage, not to speak on his behalf.”

“The Tsuchikage speaks well.” Feng Lan smiled calmly. “As a lowly public servant of the village, I should be the one to receive the profound thoughts of great figures. However, after Konoha and Sunagakure reached an agreement last night, Pakura was temporarily assigned to my command. Since the Tsuchikage is asking about my subordinate, I should naturally help answer. After all, the Hokage is very busy and doesn’t have to worry about everything.”

"As for Mr. Mifune..." He turned his head and once again uttered a series of long and difficult sentences, "I am honored to speak here because of your country's kindness. Although it seems a bit unwise to express too many personal opinions directly or indirectly, a neutral country should not show obvious deliberate bias. However, I have cautious doubts about whether it is possible to express the subtleties of politics and the beauty of compromise and balance in villages in a general, complete and unbiased manner in diplomatic events such as this, so that ordinary people can understand it in a certain way. Perhaps you should change your wording and shift your focus from abstract concepts to concrete examples, without weakening the conceptual integrity of your comments."

Mifune: "...Huh?"

Clearly, given his level, he couldn't understand the words of a master of this caliber. In fact, let alone Mifune, the only people in the entire room who could understand what Feng Lan was saying without their brains getting confused were Onoki and Ebizo.

[Tch, what a cunning kid. He's on par with that Hiruzen Sarutobi when it comes to talking.]

Onoki knew that Fenglan was trying to avoid the main issue, and was about to speak again when a voice that sounded somewhat childish but was unusually cold rang out: "Lord Hokage, I also have something I would like to ask."

When the most mysterious and unpredictable Yagura opened his mouth, Onoki was unwilling to provoke him for no reason. Everyone knew that the ninjas from Kirigakure who came out of the Blood Mist Village were all madmen, and normal people naturally did not want to get involved with this group of mad dogs.

Besides, wouldn't it be better to let this mad dog go up and bite Konoha first, while I prepare to pick up the scraps from behind?

As soon as Yagura spoke, Feng Lan's vigilance increased even further, though he still wore that smiling expression. Minato nodded in acknowledgment, "Lord Mizukage, please speak."