Fugaku sat in his chair, his eyes burning with a rare, unrestrained excitement. "If Noa is able to master that jutsu to the level of the Fourth, it shifts our entire strategic foundation. And if he manages to teach it to Kakashi, Itachi, and Shisui..."
Shikaku nodded, leaning over the large tactical map spread across the Hokage's desk. "Our logistical and quick-response capabilities would be godly, to say the least."
Hirotaka picked up the thread, his tone smooth and calculated. "Indeed. We are following the schedule perfectly. But with this new logistical advantage, our moves in the Land of Grass have been incredibly successful, and so is the Land of Water. We are ready to implement the final stage of preparation."
At the mention of that 'final step,' Fugaku's good mood vanished, replaced by a dark grumble. Hirotaka noticed the shift immediately, catching the deep hesitation settling over Shikaku's features as well.
"I know you both do not trust Sunagakure," Hirotaka said, raising a placating hand. "You both bled fighting them in the previous war. However, if we are to reroute Iwagakure's inevitable aggression, we need Suna on our side."
Fugaku was the first to speak, his voice hard. "There is a reason for our distrust. They are treacherous by nature. At the first sign of weakness, Rasa would jump at our throats."
Hirotaka paced slowly around the edge of the desk. "I have already enticed the Fire Daimyo with the projected profits from annexing the Land of Water's trade routes. I am currently working on him to arrange a summit with the Wind Daimyo to bring Suna to the negotiating table. We can offer to return their Land of Wind missions. Furthermore, we can offer agricultural trade, selling them our crops, which we can only provide at the level they need, and water at a reasonable price, replacing the extortionate rates offered by Iwa that are currently destroying their economy, since Iwa cannot compete with our crop prices."
Shikaku interjected, tapping a wooden piece representing Iwa on the map. "The issue is that if Onoki offers them a better incentive, Rasa will not hesitate to betray us. We need Suna to aggressively harass Iwa's borders. They have to keep Onoki busy. Once we start our incursion into the Land of Water, Kumo will absolutely challenge us for control of the sea and might even directly support the Mizukage's faction on the ground. We cannot fight Kumo and Iwa simultaneously."
Fugaku shook his head slowly. "The carrot alone won't work, Hirotaka. We need a deterrent. An extremely powerful one."
Shikaku narrowed his eyes, staring hard at the map before speaking with a trace of doubt. "How about Lady Tsunade?"
The room descended into a heavy silence.
Fugaku sighed, rubbing his temples. "We already dispatched our best tracker ANBU, relying on Root's intelligence network just to find her. We even told her the truth, that Lord Hiruzen was severely injured in his last skirmish and requires urgent medical intervention. And yet, she still did not return."
Shikaku shrugged, leaning back. "She did not decline the offer, either. The shinobi who found her reported that she was extremely conflicted. She didn't outright refuse to return. She simply left the gambling den without saying a word."
Hirotaka smiled, a sharp, mercantile glint in his eye. "Then we give her the final push. How about we offer to completely cover her colossal gambling debts across the continent, in exchange for healing the Third? We frame it as a medical challenge that no one else can solve. Her pride in her medical expertise, combined with the incredible incentive of finally getting rid of the debt collectors' endless pursuit, will entice her to come back. Once she heals him, we regain a powerhouse like Lord Hiruzen. Even if he cannot fight, him staying in the village and showing himself in public would be noticed, terrifying the other villages now that they know the God of Shinobi is still alive. And then... we offer her more money to stay on the border with the Land of Wind."
A huge, sinister smile slowly spread across Fugaku's face as the sheer brilliance of the tactical move dawned on him. "She is still causing Suna's elders nightmares to this day. Lady Chiyo's hatred for how Lady Tsunade countered their puppet brigade's poisons during the Second War is legendary."
Fugaku looked at Hirotaka, thoroughly pleased. "Having a Sannin stationed there would indeed work as an incredible deterrent. And she wouldn't even need to fight, satisfying her desire to stay away from bloodshed. Just her presence would paralyze Suna's command from having any ideas."
The Hokage leaned back, steepling his fingers. "It is a great plan, Hirotaka. Well done. However, maneuvering all these pieces like buying Suna's loyalty, funding Lady Tsunade's return, and the eastern campaign will require astronomical funds. I am not sure the Daimyo will approve such a massive bill."
Hirotaka waved off the concern with an effortless flick of his wrist. "Handing Gato's corpse over to our proxies in the Land of Waves bought us immense goodwill, given how brutally he had oppressed them. Our allies used that political capital to seize absolute control of the ports and trade routes. Furthermore, with our forces stationed there ensuring that only our proxies conduct profitable business, the Fire Daimyo is now knee-deep in the new transit taxes we imposed on the shipping lanes. It has his mouth watering for what comes next. Believe me, Lord Hokage, when I show him the final projections, he will not mind the cost at all, especially given our incredible success in the Land of Waves. We have already shown him how effective we can be."
Shikaku then muttered, "Since we are accelerating our schedule, I think it is time to summon Lord Jiraiya back. Once he hears about Lady Tsunade's return, I am sure he will come back as well. Not to mention, I am sure he noticed Iwa's aggressive moves against us. Although he dislikes politics, he would never let the village down in a time of need. With him here, given his history with the orphans in the Land of Rain, we can convince him to help us stop the bloodline massacre in the Land of Water."
Fugaku nodded, agreeing with Shikaku's assessment. He formed a quick hand seal, dropping the privacy barrier around the office. He called out, and an ANBU appeared in the blink of an eye, kneeling on the floor.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Fugaku delivered his orders, his voice carrying absolute authority. "Send word to our ANBU trackers. Inform Lady Tsunade that we are willing to cover all of her gambling debts in return for her coming to the village temporarily to heal Lord Third, as his condition is beyond any medical nin currently in Konoha. Also, send a messenger to summon Noa in the morning."
The ANBU bowed his head. "As you wish, Lord Hokage," he said before vanishing in a silent burst of speed.
Fugaku leaned back and linked both hands under his chin, a dark gleam in his eyes. "Time to move things forward."