In Naruto: Reborn with a Chat Group-Chapter 176 - 174: First Great Unification Conference.

[Ito Makoto: It's nothing, really. I just want to establish a mafia organization! From now on, Konoha will have one voice, my voice! The voice of Makoto!]

[Uchiha Madara: Hah! This kid's got some nerve.]

[Senju Tobirama: So, you're basically setting yourself up to replace that damn monkey. On paper, he will be in charge, but in reality, you will be the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, right?]

[Ito Makoto: Nonsense! I have zero interest in becoming Hokage. Sensei is going to step down sooner or later. Honestly, even though he's my teacher, he hasn't exactly been great at his job. Tsunade is the best candidate for the next Hokage.]

[But Konoha is a mess right now. The higher-ups are all scheming behind the scenes, each playing their own little political games. If we don't clean things up, there's no way Tsunade, Jiraiya, or even Orochimaru will ever willingly return to the village.]

[Speaking of Orochimaru, I've said it before, he's a genius. What's the big deal about a little human experimentation?]

[There are plenty of enemy ninja out there. If we need test subjects, just grab a few from a village that doesn't obey Konoha. Problem solved.]

[People act like human experimentation is some great crime, but let's be real, how many people die in war? The casualties from one war could supply a lifetime of experiments.]

[Senju Tobirama: You're thinking way too far ahead. The people you've gathered are still just kids. If you want them to take charge of their clans, you'll have to wait years for that to happen.]

[Ito Makoto: Have you already forgotten what's inside me? I've got a whole bunch of Nine-Tailed Foxes! When the time comes, I'll hand out one to each of them. With their clan's secret techniques on top of that, Taking down every other village will be as easy as flipping a switch.]

After chatting with the heavyweights in the group, Makoto turned his attention to the future top fighters of Konoha standing before him. Without hesitation, he raised his glass.

"Six years ago, we all entered the academy, each of us dreaming of becoming great ninja!" he paused, letting the words settle before continuing.

"But over these six years, we've all been through a lot. Some of us have experienced huge changes in our families." Makoto glanced at Sasuke.

"Some... well, some were just losers."

"I was one of those losers."

The moment Makoto said that, the room fell silent. Everyone was now focused on him. Shikamaru took a slow sip of his drink, his eyes narrowing slightly as he listened.

But before Makoto could continue, Naruto suddenly jumped in.

"Makoto! I was at the bottom of the class too! But thanks to you, I've come so far! Now, I'm a great ninja!"

Makoto smiled at Naruto's words, then turned his gaze toward Shikamaru. The two simply locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them.

Shikamaru let out a sigh, scratching his head as if this whole conversation was just one big hassle.

"Man... what a drag..."

Ignoring the lazy genius, Makoto continued.

"My late father once had a fortune teller read my future. She said I was destined to become a leader, one who would need to make many sacrifices to reach his goal."

He paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"But I disagree with that."

"I believe that life and death are in our hands, not fate's. We've studied together for six years and we know each other better than anyone. So, I won't hide anything from you."

"Last time, when Team 7 and I went on a mission, I personally helped Sasuke and Naruto get much stronger. Right now, the two of them are miles ahead of the rest of you."

Hearing this, everyone turned to Sasuke and Naruto with skeptical looks.

Without hesitation, both Sasuke and Naruto nodded, confirming Makoto's words.

Seeing their reactions, Makoto continued.

"That's exactly why I don't want us to fall behind."

"The Konoha we live in today still belongs to the older generation. Not to us."

"But that has to change."

"I want our voices, our generation's voices, to be heard in the village."

Raising his glass once more, Makoto smirked.

"So, here's to the future clan leaders. May we all rise together."

After hearing Makoto's words, everyone immediately understood, he was trying to form a group.

Almost everyone here was the heir to their family's clan. If they could truly unite, they would become a force no one in Konoha could ignore.

Sasuke and Naruto didn't say a word. Instead, they simply took a sip of their wine, silently making their stance clear.

Meanwhile, Ino wasn't even paying attention to his words. Instead, she suddenly grabbed Makoto's arm.

"Makoto-kun! No matter what you do, I support you!" she declared confidently.

Hinata, standing nearby, wasn't as bold.

She lowered her head slightly, fidgeting with her fingers. "I-I will support you too..." she mumbled softly.

At that moment, all eyes turned to Shikamaru, who had been quietly observing Makoto. He let out a small sigh.

"Makoto... are you seriously trying to compete for the Hokage position? That's way too early for us. We're still kids. Our families don't even take us seriously yet."

"But the thing is... I can't figure out what your goal actually is. It doesn't seem like you're after the Hokage position. So tell us, what are you trying to do?"

Makoto chuckled and shook his head. "Hokage? Nah. I don't care about that small stuff."

He then explained his great dream, the same great unification dream he had once shared with Team 7.

By the time he finished speaking, the room had fallen into stunned silence.

"I never expected this..."

"Makoto, you actually have that kind of dream?!"

"This is crazy... but damn, it's exciting!"

"I feel like my blood's boiling just thinking about it!"

"But is something like that even possible?"

Even Shikamaru, the ever-cautious genius, looked completely shocked. He rubbed his temples before speaking.

"Hey, isn't your plan a little too outrageous?"

Makoto's response was simple. "Where there's a will, there's a way. With all of you backing me up, I know we can make it happen."

Shikamaru stared at him for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.

"Man... what a drag. But you know what? It does sound kinda fun. If we're gonna do something this crazy, might as well go all the way. Who knows? Maybe one day, we'll actually pull it off."

With that, everyone raised their glasses.

This group of young shinobi, who would later become legends, had just taken their first step toward something far greater than they could imagine.

This day would go down in history as the first Great Unification Conference.

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