allendalepharm Chapter 491 Formal Declaration of War
Chapter 491 Formal Declaration of War
The previously harmonious atmosphere in the meeting room was instantly enveloped by an invisible pressure. The air in the room seemed to solidify, creating a suffocating and oppressive feeling. The emotions of everyone present were like a powder keg that had been ignited, instantly becoming restless and agitated.
Especially Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage; his usually calm and profound eyes were now filled with anger and doubt. He suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on the conference table with a dull thud.
"This so-called plan is utterly absurd!" Gaara roared furiously, his voice deafening and echoing in every corner of the meeting room. "You actually want all the ninja villages to abandon their yearning and pursuit of a better life, and instead place all their hopes on your empty, illusory genjutsu? Doesn't that mean that everyone is voluntarily giving up the hope of survival?"
The others nodded in agreement, expressing their strong approval and support for Gaara's words. They knew perfectly well that they could not easily abandon the earnest expectations of their entire ninja village, nor were they willing to entrust their future to a life manipulated by others and without their own control.
The masked man showed no surprise at the sight, as if it were all within his expectations. He spoke slowly, his tone calm and steady: "The hope you speak of is no different from giving up; it is nothing but self-deception. Looking back on everything you have experienced, it all proves that your so-called hope is nothing but utter delusion."
"Hmph, you should just obediently hand over the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, and then obediently assist me in completing my grand plan. Otherwise, don't blame me for the flames of war and the smoke of battle! Once this war breaks out, I don't need to say more about the consequences!" the masked man said coldly, his words revealing an undeniable authority.
"You...you actually dare to mention war?" Gaara's eyes widened, staring incredulously at the mysterious masked man before him. His body trembled slightly, and his voice stammered with extreme surprise. Clearly, for Sunagakure, a village dedicated to maintaining peace, war was undoubtedly a terrible nightmare.
However, in stark contrast to Gaara was the Raikage standing to the side. He stood there calmly, his face showing no fear. After all, as a Kage who had fought countless battles and weathered countless storms in the Fourth Shinobi World War, how could the mere word "war" easily frighten their powerful Kumogakure village? However, when he heard the masked man demand the Eight-Tails, a sense of doubt welled up in the Raikage's heart. He frowned, his eyes widened, and he roared at the masked man, "Eight-Tails? What exactly is going on? Has our Eight-Tails already been..." At this point, the Raikage suddenly stopped, as if he had thought of something unpleasant.
"That's right, the capture of the Eight-Tails failed. It actually escaped." The masked man's tone revealed a hint of frustration, as if he was quite surprised and dissatisfied with the result. Recalling the scene at the time, even he himself had not expected that, even with his personal intervention, the cunning Eight-Tails Jinchuriki would still be able to successfully sever one of its tails and use the opportunity to escape.
Gaara, standing to the side, instantly turned extremely serious upon hearing this news, his previously calm expression turning grim. He clenched his fists, his eyes fixed firmly on the masked man, and declared without hesitation, "No matter what, we will never hand Naruto over to you!" He knew the importance of Naruto and the deep bond between Naruto and Konoha; he could not allow the enemy to succeed.
At the same time, the Mizukage nodded in agreement without hesitation: "That's right! Our Hidden Mist Village is not so easily subdued by threats from others, much less will we hand over Naruto Uzumaki to help the wicked complete your so-called false plan!" Her words were resounding, fully demonstrating the Hidden Mist Village's determination to resist foreign enemies.
At this moment, the Tsuchikage, Onoki, also appeared extremely serious, but his tone was relatively calm. He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the Raikage, and asked, "Raikage, what are your thoughts?"
Faced with the Tsuchikage's question, the Raikage abruptly stood up, his eyes wide with rage, and roared in response, "Hmph! What a joke! I will never hand over my brother! Even if it means fighting to the death, I will protect him!" It's important to understand that the Five Kage Summit was able to proceed smoothly precisely because he mistakenly believed his brother had fallen into the hands of the Akatsuki. Now, knowing that the capture of the Eight-Tails had failed, his resolve to protect his loved one has only grown stronger.
Faced with the Kage's tough attitude, the masked man's tone changed. It was no longer a friendly, negotiating tone, but a chilling one. He said, "Although I have lost my power, I still possess the power of all the tailed beasts I have collected so far! You will have no chance of winning."
"I will never give up hope!" Gaara's eyes widened, his teeth clenched, his usually calm face now incredibly serious due to the surging emotions within him. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying unwavering determination and strength.
The other leaders standing beside him wore the same expressions. Their gazes were fixed firmly ahead, as if they could pierce through the thick fog and see the dawn of victory. There was no hesitation or fear, only an unwavering courage to forge ahead and never retreat.
As leaders of the major ninja villages in the ninja world, they bear the hopes and trust of countless people. Faced with such a severe threat of war, they know they cannot afford the slightest slackening or cowardice. Because if they choose to retreat, they will lose not only their personal honor, but also the future and hope of their entire village and even the ninja world. Therefore, no matter how powerful the enemy or how difficult the situation, they will not hesitate to hold on to the end until final victory is achieved.
The masked man slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone present. He carefully observed their expressions—doubt, disdain, anger… Clearly, these people had no agreement whatsoever with his proposed plan. However, this did not shake the masked man's unwavering belief.
He knew his plan might seem overly idealistic to others, but so what? He had already made up his mind and would never give up easily. Because he wanted to completely end this world filled with cruelty and bloodshed, and use his own hands to build a brand new world as beautiful as a dream. There would be no strife, no pain, only endless happiness and peace.
But these stubborn people before him had become obstacles on his path to realizing his ideals. Since that was the case, then let war decide the final outcome! Who would have the last laugh and become the true ruler of this world? The masked man clenched his fist, his eyes revealing a resolute determination. A world-shaking battle seemed inevitable…
"Alright! I hereby formally declare war on you for the Fourth Shinobi World War!" The masked man's deep and authoritative voice, like a thunderclap, ripped through the sky and echoed for a long time. His tone was exceptionally firm, and every word struck the hearts of everyone present like a heavy hammer.
The masked man stood high above, looking down at the crowd. His figure was shrouded in an aura of mystery, making it difficult to discern his true face. However, from his resolute words and unwavering stance, one could sense his deep-seated determination and conviction in this war.
Faced with this sudden declaration of war, the Tsuchikage frowned, a look of disbelief on his face. He hesitated before asking, "You mean the Fourth Shinobi World War? Are you serious?" He couldn't understand why this mysterious masked man would make such a momentous decision so easily. After all, launching a Shinobi World War was no small matter; it meant countless lives would be lost in the flames of war, and the entire shinobi world would be plunged into chaos.
The Tsuchikage pondered to himself, wondering who this person was. How dare he challenge the combined power of the five great ninja villages single-handedly? Did he truly possess some unknown powerful methods or cunning schemes? Or was he driven to desperation, choosing this perilous path as a last resort? Various questions flooded his mind, but the Tsuchikage could not find the answers for the time being.
The masked man did not respond to the Tsuchikage's question. He slowly rose, his face grim, like a silent mountain. His eyes, hidden behind the mask, coldly swept over everyone present, as if trying to etch each face into his mind. Then, his deep, threatening voice broke the brief silence: "See you on the battlefield next time!"
The words had barely left his lips when a shocking scene unfolded. A strange light suddenly emanated from around the masked man's body, followed by the appearance of a massive spatial vortex. This vortex, like a colossal beast with its jaws wide open, mercilessly devoured all light and energy in its vicinity. As the spatial vortex continued to rotate and expand, the masked man's figure gradually became blurred, eventually disappearing completely from everyone's sight.
The expressions of everyone present instantly turned incredibly solemn and serious. They knew all too well what war meant—endless slaughter, bloodshed, and death. Every war brought immeasurable destruction and suffering, but now, facing the impending great battle, they had no other choice.