Reborn as the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen

"I am willing to take on this supervisory responsibility," Kamado declared, his excitement making him momentarily speechless. This was a significant opportunity for the Iron Country to rise as the sixth great nation. He glanced nervously at the gathered Kage. As a neutral nation, the Iron Country was the ideal choice for oversight so none of the Kage objected.

"I have no issue with the Iron Country acting as the supervisor, but I strongly disagree with the handling of rogue ninjas," the Third Raikage said with dissatisfaction.

"Many rogue ninjas carry sensitive information from their original villages. Allowing other villages to capture them could threaten the peace of the ninja world," Ōnoki added.

"They deserve to die, but they also possess classified knowledge from their villages. This is a complicated matter," Kazawa said with frustration.

Shamon proposed, "What if each village is solely responsible for pursuing its own rogue ninjas? Other villages would not be allowed to interfere."

Sarutobi Hiruzen responded sternly, "Then tell me, Kages how do you propose we handle Kinkaku and Ginkaku?"

"They were rogue ninjas from Kumogakure, so naturally, their bodies should be returned to Kumogakure," Kazawa said indifferently.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened as he scanned the room, "Let's say, hypothetically, a Konoha ninja learns a forbidden technique, betrays the village, and wreaks havoc across multiple nations. Does this mean Konoha alone has the right to pursue them and at the same time no other village is allowed to act?"

Chiyo immediately stepped forward, pointing at Hiruzen, "Sarutobi! You're isolating yourself from the rest of the ninja world. You're the one fueling the flames of the next Great Ninja War!"

Her outburst made her recall a grim reality on how Sunagakure had suffered at the hands of rogue ninjas before. It was a humiliating memory.

"You dare—!" Danzo roared in anger. In a flash, he used the Body Flicker Technique, appearing beside Chiyo with a kunai aimed at her.

Clang! The attack was blocked by Third Raikage, forcing Danzo to retreat back to Hiruzen's side.

The Third Raikage glared, "Danzo, how dare you attack someone during the Five Kage Summit?!" Lightning surged around his body as he prepared to act, but Ōnoki placed a hand on his shoulder, motioning him to look at Hiruzen.

Hiruzen removed his Hokage robe, revealing a battle uniform beneath. He clasped his hands together, radiating chakra.

The Third Raikage hesitated, slightly shocked. Though he was powerful, he wasn't certain if he wanted to escalate this further, "...There are many of us," he muttered, restraining his Lightning Release armor.

Turning to Hiruzen, he added, "Danzo was too reckless. Attacking during the summit is unacceptable and should be punished."

Hiruzen let go of his stance, casually putting his Hokage robe back on. He smirked, "Punishment? No, no, no. When I return to the village, I'll be giving out rewards. Danzo is my teammate, my Hokage assistant. He simply acted out of loyalty to protect the dignity of the Hokage. I apologize for the misunderstanding."

Hiruzen then suddenly grew serious. "Do you all even respect the position of me the Hokage? Kinkaku and Ginkaku were rogue ninjas who attacked the Second and Third Hokage! And now, even an unknown woman dares to trample on the Hokage's authority? Do you not take the leader of a village seriously?" His imposing presence filled the room, pressing down on everyone.

Kazawa quickly spoke up in agreement, "The Kage position carries a dignity that must not be challenged!"

Ōnoki nodded, "The leader of a village should always be addressed with proper respect as 'Sir' or 'Your Excellency'."

Shamon immediately ordered Chiyo to wait outside the meeting hall for the remainder of the summit, and Danzo stepped forward to activate a barrier, sealing the room.

Seeing that the room had fallen silent, Ōnoki suggested, "I have a proposal. Let's modify the rogue ninja rule. If a rogue ninja is found in another country, the host village will be responsible for dealing with them. For example, if a rogue from Kumogakure is found in the Land of Earth, Iwagakure will handle the matter, and Kumogakure cannot interfere.

Additionally, if a rogue ninja attacks another ninja, the attacked ninja has the right to retaliate. Any spoils will belong to the victor, while the body will be claimed by the country where the battle happens. If the fight occurs outside the five great nations, the attacker can claim the body. What do you think?", Ōnoki looked at Hiruzen expectantly.

Hiruzen hesitated before nodding, "Then let's proceed with the Tsuchikage's suggestion. Mifune please take note. Everyone, if you have any further suggestions, feel free to share them. But let's avoid unnecessary violence—Danzo, I'm talking to you. Stay out of this."

Danzo whose face turned red, grumbled, "Fine I'll step out." With that, he grabbed a scroll, handed it to Kagami, and exited the room.

Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples. Danzo is acting so reckless. Where's the 'Darkness of the Shinobi World' he always talks about?

Trying to refocus the conversation, Hiruzen continued, "Now, about ninja attacks on civilians—does anyone have any objections?"

Ōnoki spoke first. "No objections, but what about samurai?"

Kamado quickly answered, "Samurai are also forbidden from harming civilians without cause."

The room echoed with agreement.

Kazawa then brought up another issue, "We need to discuss the cross-border missions. For instance, if a Konoha team is escorting a caravan through the Land of Water, conflicts with Kirigakure patrols can arise."

Hiruzen proposed a solution, "For cross-border missions, we should establish checkpoints. Any team entering a country must report to the nearest ninja station, providing mission details, registered ninja, and equipment. The stationed ninjas will then issue temporary clearance documents, which will have anti-counterfeiting measures.

If a team is caught without valid documentation, they can be arrested. If a capture mission is involved, the host village must be notified and will handle the situation. Only the host village has the right to execute capture missions within its borders. Any other thoughts?"

Ōnoki recognized the political brilliance of the idea—it not only solved the issue but also strengthened the authority of hidden villages over their territories. "The Hokage's idea is excellent. I agree," said Ōnoki.

Raikage and Mizukage soon followed, and Kazekage quickly voiced his approval as well.

Shamon then brought up a new concern, "What about small nations caught between the great nations? For example, the Land of Birds relies on Sunagakure for missions. Does that mean Sunagakure has jurisdiction over it?"

Silence filled the room. Each great village had a small country under its influence—Konoha controlled the Land of Grass, Sunagakure the Land of Birds, Iwagakure the Land of Demons, Kumogakure the Land of the Moon, and Kirigakure the Land of Rivers.

Kazawa spoke firmly, "Small nations lack the strength to protect themselves. We, the great villages, must ensure their safety. Kirigakure will take responsibility for the Land of Rivers, though we regret being unable to extend our help further." The irony of his words was not lost on the room. He was seizing more control while sounding benevolent but the others also approved of it.

"I agree," the Kage echoed.

The summit ended with mutual satisfaction—without war, the great nations had divided the power among themselves.

Finally, Shamon proposed, "Let's formalize the Five Kage Summit into a permanent organization—the Five Kage Federation. We should convene regularly to address major issues."

Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly spoke to keep the discussion on track, "I previously suggested that the Five Kage Summit be held every five years. However, matters concerning the ninja world, whether it's big or small must be handled through cooperation among the five great villages. To facilitate this, I propose that each of our villages station a small number of ninjas in the Land of Iron. This will serve as a direct communication channel between our nations."

He continued, "For major crises, we will convene a Five Kage Summit. But for small matters, representatives from each village will coordinate through the Five Kage Association. The General's Mansion in the Land of Iron will continue to act as the secretariat for this effort."

The Third Raikage Ay, was the first to respond, "The Hokage has thought this through well. I have no objections."

Onoki, Kazawa, and Shamon all nodded in agreement.

After a brief moment of thought, Onoki added, "The Five Kage Association should have a permanent base. We cannot rely on the General's Mansion indefinitely. General Kamado, would you be willing to construct a dedicated venue for the Five Kage Association in the Land of Iron? It should be large enough to accommodate our representatives where it will be installed with secure barrier to ensure confidentiality. The cost of construction will be shared equally among the five nations."