Chapter 197 - 197: Sunagakure at an Impasse
At this moment, the One-Tail Shukaku's jinchūriki—arguably the village's second-strongest combatant after Shamon—had not been brought to the battlefield. That alone showed that, despite his strength, his standing within the village was not particularly high.
From the original canon, it's known that Shukaku's first jinchūriki, Bunpuku, was kept confined within the village for most of his life after the beast was sealed into him. Sunagakure's sealing techniques were not especially refined—far inferior to the Uzumaki clan's—and combined with Shukaku's violent temperament, most hosts struggled to withstand its influence and often risked losing control.
For that reason, he was usually kept inside the village and rarely deployed in battle. Even after Bunpuku eventually reached a mutual understanding with Shukaku, the village still did not fully trust him, causing Sunagakure to lose access to what could have been a major military asset.
Even if Shukaku was considered the weakest of the Tailed Beasts, it still possessed late–Kage-level power. If allowed to fight freely, its Tailed Beast Bombs could threaten even peak Kage-level opponents.
In canon, Shukaku was defeated by Gamabunta and Uzumaki Naruto largely because Gaara's transformation was incomplete—half his body remained exposed—allowing Naruto to wake him with a direct hit. Shukaku never had the chance to display its full combat strength.
As for those present at the meeting: besides Shamon and the other three elites, Sunagakure had two elite jōnin participating in the war, along with ten elders. These elders were jōnin-level in strength and held considerable political influence.
This elder council had long existed in Sunagakure, somewhat similar to Konoha's advisors. Their authority wasn't as great, but they possessed limited veto power over the Kazekage's decisions and could vote on major matters. Even so, these roles granted them status and privileges.
Most of these elders were highly senior figures. Many had contributed greatly during Sunagakure's founding, so even Shamon treated them with respect.
Now, as the Sunagakure spy finished reporting all newly obtained intelligence about Arata, the entire war tent fell into an eerie silence.
The scene was almost identical to what had happened in Iwagakure's camp. It was no surprise—Arata's feats were simply too unbelievable.
Shamon, a veteran from the Warring States era, understood better than anyone what a peak super-Kage ninja represented.
Back then, the Land of Wind had quickly secured its footing in chaotic times thanks to its First Kazekage, who was at the early super-Kage level, and then began expanding toward the Land of Fire. But the presence of two monsters in the Land of Fire forced them to halt that expansion and instead ally with the Lands of Earth and Lightning.
Shamon had personally served as a guard at the First Five Kage Summit and was one of the few still alive who had witnessed Senju Hashirama's chakra firsthand. It was inhumanly vast and deep.
Even the Nine-Tails, the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, paled in comparison to Hashirama. Otherwise, why would the once-dominant Kazekage back down after Hashirama merely bowed his head? It was fear of Hashirama's power—nothing more. Had it been Tobirama bowing instead, the First Kazekage Reto would never have yielded.
Shamon had even witnessed a battle between Uchiha Madara and Reto. That clash devastated large stretches of the already barren Land of Wind. If Hashirama hadn't stepped in to stop Madara, the First Kazekage might have died then and there, never making it to the first summit.
So Shamon understood what "peak super-Kage" truly meant.
Sunagakure's system differed from other villages. High strength did not automatically mean high status; many elders rose through seniority. Their structure resembled a feudal monarchy more than a meritocracy.
Thus, many elders present were quite old and clearly grasped what a peak super-Kage signified.
For those over 50, the names Madara and Hashirama were like mountains pressing on their chests—legends that once made it hard for any nation to breathe freely. For a long time, the great nations had essentially banded together just to contain the Land of Fire's advance.
Their method was simple: whenever the Land of Fire attacked one country, that nation would retreat and cede land while harassing borders. Meanwhile, other nations would exploit the distraction to pressure the Land of Fire elsewhere.
After all, the Land of Fire only had two peak super-Kage fighters. Against tens of thousands of allied troops and multiple early super-Kage attackers, even it could be stretched thin.
That was why the Land of Fire never unified the world—because the other nations had managed to stay united. Otherwise, the shinobi world might have long since become a single empire.
That coalition war made everyone understand just how decisive a peak super-Kage truly was.
Now, although the Land of Fire's overall power had declined, if Arata truly reached that level, the other nations would have to set aside their grudges and form another grand alliance in the coming decades. Otherwise, they would be defeated one by one by Konoha.
Seeing the grim expressions around him, Shamon finally voiced his judgment:
"Iwagakure must have received the news as well. Knowing Ōnoki, he'll choose caution and withdraw first. That means Iwagakure may end up facing Arata alone."
Though Shamon couldn't fathom how a ninja relying solely on Lightning Release and no kekkei genkai could reach peak super-Kage, the intelligence was clear—he had to accept it.
Moreover, Arata's opponent had involved both the Nine-Tails and Wood Style. That alone demanded caution.
After all, Madara had once controlled the Nine-Tails, and Wood Release was synonymous with Hashirama. If Konoha somehow still had those old monsters in play, the situation would be extremely dangerous.
Until the truth was fully understood, Shamon had no intention of continuing such a risky war.
Because in this era of shinobi warfare, intelligence determined more than ninety percent of the outcome.