16
But the Third Raikage, the Third Kazekage, and Ōnoki of the Two Scales were different.
Whether it was the Land of Whirlpools or the Captains of the Land of Whirlpools, they had only ever existed in their intelligence reports.
Seeing them with their own eyes, this was the first time.
And this exchange made them understand that this Captain, and the Land of Whirlpools behind him, were not simple!
Indeed...
No wonder the Land of Whirlpools dared to send only one Captain to such an important occasion.
They had the capital for their arrogance!
Moreover, it was rumored that the Land of Whirlpools had thirteen such Captain-class figures!
If this intelligence was true, then I'm afraid...
The structure of the Shinobi World would change sooner or later.
Of course, a mere exchange of taijutsu didn't reveal much.
However, it did make them slightly acknowledge Shunsui Kyoraku.
But the Third Raikage didn't think so; he only felt that he had lost face.
As the dignified Raikage of the Kumogakure, he couldn't even take down a single Captain from the Land of Whirlpools?
Then how could he compare himself to the Lord Soul King of the Land of Whirlpools?!
A glimmer of anticipation flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes.
He was inwardly hoping that the Land of Lightning and the Land of Whirlpools would fight.
This way, not only could he divert the attention of the Land of Whirlpools, but he could also take the opportunity to develop.
Third Raikage, he has humiliated you so much, please don't hold back!
But clearly, the Third Raikage was no hothead. He suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice:
"Why didn't your country's Lord Soul King come to participate in the Five Kage Summit! Is it because you look down on us other four nations?!"
With one sentence, he dragged the other three nations into the water and used that momentum to pressure Shunsui Kyoraku.
Damn, there are really no simple characters among those who can become Kage!
The others cursed inwardly, but at the same time, they wanted to hear Shunsui Kyoraku's response.
Shunsui Kyoraku chuckled and said: "Forgive my bluntness, but you all only have the strength of mere Captains in my Land of Whirlpools. How could you be worthy of sharing the same frame as our Lord Soul King?"
"Arrogant!!"
"How conceited!!"
"Don't speak too soon!!!"
With one sentence, he offended three nations.
Only Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent.
In an instant, the other three Kage turned their gazes toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Everyone is condemning Shunsui Kyoraku, why are you just sitting there?
What could Hiruzen Sarutobi do? He had just been beaten up by the Land of Whirlpools recently; he had no standing!
However, Shunsui Kyoraku's arrogance had immediately provoked public anger, which was a result he liked to see.
He even wished Shunsui Kyoraku would be even more arrogant, striving to make the other three nations send troops to the Land of Whirlpools!
Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, Mifune spoke up: "Everyone, since everyone is here, let's get straight to business!"
If we drag this on any longer, the venue fee paid by the Raikage won't be enough!
The Third Raikage snorted coldly, but he didn't continue to press the issue and took the opportunity to back down.
After all, he knew the real purpose of holding this Five Kage Summit.
It concerned the survival of the Land of Lightning; he had to endure as much as he could.
Once this matter was over, he would get his revenge sooner or later!
Ōnoki of the Two Scales and the Third Kazekage also remained silent.
The Third Kazekage was silent because Sunagakure was currently at war with Konoha, and he didn't want to antagonize the Land of Whirlpools and create a powerful enemy.
Ōnoki of the Two Scales was silent because of his advanced age; any major movement might cause him to throw out his back. He preferred not to act if he didn't have to.
Soon, the Five Kage Summit proceeded in a strange atmosphere.
Ōnoki of the Two Scales spoke up: "Alright, Raikage, state the purpose of convening this meeting."
He didn't want to waste any more time; he was old and not suited for long journeys.
The Third Raikage looked at everyone and said: "The main purpose of this meeting is the new creature that has appeared in the Shinobi World: the Hollow!"
When mentioning the Hollows, the Third Raikage subconsciously glanced at Shunsui Kyoraku.
He had always believed that the Hollows were related to the Land of Whirlpools.
Whether it was the Space-Time Ninjutsu or the ability to release their Ninja Blades, it all had similarities to the Land of Whirlpools.
Moreover, the Land of Whirlpools claimed to be irreconcilable with the Hollows.
But if they didn't have a guilty conscience, why would the Land of Whirlpools crusade against the Hollows?
Perhaps these Hollows were created by the Land of Whirlpools conducting some inhumane experiments.
But the Land of Whirlpools wouldn't admit it, and he had no evidence, so he could only let it be.
"Hollows?"
This word made everyone except Shunsui Kyoraku and Nanao Ise freeze for a moment.
It was as if they hadn't expected the Third Raikage to convene the Five Kage Summit so solemnly just for this matter?
Even if the Hollows suddenly appeared and you destroyed the Land of Grass, in their eyes, it wasn't worth such serious attention.
The Third Raikage saw right through what they were thinking and said: "You must not underestimate them!"
"The ordinary Hollows are one thing, but they also have humanoid Hollows that possess intelligence!"
"These Hollows are even capable of wrestling with Tailed Beasts!!"
"What?!"
"Impossible!"
"Raikage, if you keep making jokes like this, then there is no need for this meeting to continue."
The Third Kazekage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Ōnoki of the Two Scales almost instantly denied the Third Raikage's words.
Just kidding, how could there be anyone in this world capable of wrestling with a Tailed Beast?!
Since the passing of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, it had become rare to see figures capable of keeping Tailed Beasts in check.
The Third Raikage did not get angry out of shame because of their denial.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he probably wouldn't have believed it either.
Fortunately, a machine called a video recorder had recently appeared in the Shinobi World. The intelligence department had studied it and felt it was very useful for recording intelligence footage, so they purchased one.
When the Hollows invaded the Land of Lightning, it finally came in handy.
"Blue B."
The Third Raikage gave an order, and Blue B carried a machine onto the table in the conference room.
He also hung a screen in front of the video recorder.
They were all familiar with video recorders, so they understood what the Third Raikage meant.
Soon, footage from the Land of Lightning appeared.
The group watched with full concentration.
The Third Raikage did not hold anything back; since he wanted to invite the major nations to crusade against the Hollows together, sharing intelligence was inevitable.
When the footage showed Grimmjow capturing the Two-Tails, the expressions of the group finally became grave.
And upon seeing Yammy wrestling with the Eight-Tails, their hearts suddenly sank.
"It's actually true..."
The Third Kazekage spoke first.
How could such creatures capable of rivaling Tailed Beasts appear in this world?!
Ōnoki of the Two Scales kept a straight face, not knowing what he was thinking.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also remained silent, seemingly digesting the reality of this matter.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed; he seemed very interested in this creature called a Hollow.
Shunsui Kyoraku continued to lazily drink his small cup of sake, seemingly uninterested in the footage inside the video recorder.