"Finally, we're on our way!"
Sitting atop the giant bird, Deidara was in an exceptionally good mood.
As the village of Konohagakure grew smaller in the distance, his excitement only increased.
"This time, I'm going to blow Kumogakure sky-high!"
"Tch, I feel like you just want to play around."
Kitagawa Minamoto rubbed his chin thoughtfully, convinced he had guessed correctly.
"All that talk about honor and taking responsibility alone... Are you secretly Deidara the Young General?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, if your village faced a rebellion, what would you do?"
"Impossible! That's a joke. But if it did happen, I'd blow them all sky-high!"
"..."
Mei Terumi rolled her eyes at Deidara's response, while Minamoto sighed deeply.
He reached out and patted Deidara's shoulder, speaking with a faint smile.
"Why blow them sky-high? Just send your troops with steel rods to chase the rebels down and give them a good beating."
"...Huh?"
Deidara looked confused, while Mei Terumi shook her head, thinking this approach hardly seemed reliable.
"Alright, enough joking around. Let's talk about the follow-up plan."
Sitting atop the bird, Minamoto pondered for a moment before speaking again.
"Kumogakure is no small village, and it's involved in many interests. We need to discuss how to distribute those interests carefully."
"Uh, can we even decide that? We haven't even..."
Mei Terumi looked puzzled, feeling it was premature to discuss victory before the battle had even begun.
"Hmm, I think it's worth discussing."
Deidara hummed twice before falling silent, clearly unsure how to approach such topics.
Seeing this, Minamoto spoke directly.
"They have abundant mineral resources, and they've plundered countless secret techniques from other ninja villages and clans.
In addition, they have significant interests in the Land of Hot Water, and they also possess two Tailed Beasts. So..."
"They definitely won't agree to give up the Tailed Beasts. Just look at Sunagakure—that was evident enough."
Mei Terumi followed Minamoto's train of thought, though she found it a bit outrageous.
"Besides that, their maritime trade is strong, they control several nearby islands, and they've monopolized many fishing grounds."
"Then we can split their mineral resources and demand they transfer their fishing grounds to you."
Minamoto rubbed his chin, speaking decisively.
"Additionally, they must hand over all their secret techniques and research data, pay hefty war reparations, and relinquish their task quotas in the Land of Hot Water, Land of the Moon, and Land of Frost—all of which will belong to us."
"..."
Mei Terumi gasped audibly, realizing just how ruthless Minamoto was. This was practically driving Kumogakure to the brink!
After all, ninja villages relied heavily on task quotas and the support of their Daimyō.
"Yikes!"
Suddenly, she sensed that Minamoto might have ulterior motives.
"Uh, should we restrict their number of active ninjas?"
While Mei Terumi was deep in thought, Deidara asked curiously.
"I heard from the old man that although Kumogakure participated in the Third Great Ninja War, their battlefronts weren't extensive, so they didn't deploy many ninjas.
Even though their Third Raikage died in our territory, it pushed them to withdraw from their fight against you guys, and they never fully engaged with us either."
It was true that Kumogakure suffered losses during the Third Great Ninja War, such as the death of their Third Raikage.
But in terms of overall casualties, they likely had the fewest among all villages.
They didn't engage in prolonged battles with Konohagakure or other villages, unlike Iwagakure and Sunagakure, which suffered heavy losses.
This was also why they had the audacity to provoke Konohagakure, framing them and the Hyūga Clan, nearly sparking a war.
"That's actually a good suggestion."
Minamoto rubbed his chin, looking genuinely intrigued.
"Task quotas should definitely be reduced. Keeping so many ninjas is pointless for them anyway. Restricting their numbers makes sense."
"Yeah, yeah! And should we demand they cede territory?"
Deidara grew more excited, prompting Minamoto to tilt his head thoughtfully.
"That could be considered. Also, retiring so many ninjas without addressing them would be troublesome. Should we send them to work in various places?"
"That might work. I heard they're as strong as oxen—why not send them to the Land of Earth to mine?"
"...Deidara, that's too much. Are you planning to make them plant cotton too?"
"Huh? Not a bad idea."
"Figures—you're an evil blondie."
"Hey!"
"..."
Watching the two grow increasingly absurd, Mei Terumi fell silent.
They hadn't even fought yet, and they were already discussing post-war reparations?
Unable to bear it any longer, she interrupted them.
"Hold on! Aren't you two getting ahead of yourselves? I think we should focus on the battle plan first."
"That's true..."
Though interrupted, Minamoto only paused briefly before smiling at Mei Terumi.
"But don't worry. Whether we succeed or not, we must remain confident. After all, the three of us are no ordinary individuals, right?"
"Uh..."
Mei Terumi hesitated, while Minamoto continued.
"At the very least, I can guarantee your safety and ensure we all get out alive. Trust me."
Looking at Minamoto's confident smile and hearing his resolute tone, Mei Terumi felt a sense of calm wash over her.
Though she still doubted the feasibility of their mission, Minamoto's presence reassured her.
"Yeah, yeah! I promise I'll blow them sky-high!"
Deidara chimed in enthusiastically, prompting Mei Terumi to shake her head.
"Alright, let's look at the intel and finalize our battle plan."
"Actually, I think we can relax a bit."
Minamoto's gaze shifted forward, toward the Land of Hot Water.
"I've been to the Land of Hot Water several times, but I've never had the chance to enjoy their hot springs. Maybe this time I should give it a try?"
"Huh? Why couldn't you go before?"
Deidara asked curiously, and Minamoto sighed.
"Minors weren't allowed entry. But now, without Kakashi-sensei or the Pervy Sage around, we can use the Transformation Technique!"
"Really? Hmm! Let's check it out!"
"Sure!"
"You two..."
Before they could finish, Mei Terumi, her face flushed, grabbed both of them by their collars.
"Get a grip, you idiots!"
"How's the troop assembly coming along?"
"Preparations are underway, Lord Tutai."
In the Land of Lightning, within Kumogakure, the village's high-ranking officials gathered in the Raikage's office, their expressions grim.
The situation was dire. Though they had anticipated trouble, the scale of the crisis was overwhelming.
Not only had their Raikage died, but Sunagakure had surrendered, and both Kirigakure and Iwagakure had allied with Konohagakure.
Naturally, Kumogakure was next in line for confrontation.
Fortunately, they were well-versed in handling crises following the death of a Raikage.
Even in the face of major challenges, they managed to remain calm and formulate strategies.
"Since the troops are assembled, proceed with deployment. Ensure strict surveillance of movements from Konohagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure."
Tutai, Kumogakure's top strategist and trusted confidant of the Third Raikage, took charge.
He was the one who had guided the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee in mastering the "Double Lariat."
Now, only he could calm Killer Bee's anger and maintain control over the situation.
"Also, isn't the Chūnin Exams in Konohagakure about to begin?"
"Yes, Lord Tutai."
An ANBU member bowed in response, prompting Tutai to sigh.
"We must remain vigilant during this period. Who knows if they'll launch a surprise attack?"
"Tutai-sama, aren't you being overly cautious?"
One of Kumogakure's elders frowned, questioning him.
"And what are our odds in this three-front war?"
"Odds..."
Tutai frowned at the question, knowing its implications.
Though reluctant to answer, he didn't believe their chances were entirely hopeless.
"Victory is forged through determination and depends on the opponent's weaknesses."
"Oh? What's your plan?"
"Konohagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure have longstanding tensions. Their alliance is purely driven by mutual interests."
"You intend to sow discord? But our relations with Iwagakure and Kirigakure aren't great either."
"Unequal distribution of benefits will inevitably fracture their alliance. But before that, we must remain strong and resilient."
Tutai's voice was firm as he clenched his fist, addressing everyone present.
"Only by being strong enough to withstand their attacks can we exploit their weaknesses, deceive, promise, and even offer portions of our gains—such as our secret techniques."
"As long as they fail to unite and are blinded by greed, we can endure and overcome this crisis!"
"So..."
Tutai slammed his fist on the table, his voice rising.
"Everyone, the fate of Kumogakure rests in your hands!"
His passionate speech stirred the hearts of everyone present.
Even the elderly council members couldn't deny the logic in his words.
An alliance born of greed could be fractured with the right tactics.
They refused to believe these villages could remain united indefinitely.
"A single village cannot breach Kumogakure..."
After all, the era of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha was long gone.
Boom—Boom—Boom—
Suddenly, a series of deafening explosions erupted, flames engulfing the village as violent shockwaves shattered the Raikage office's windows!
"What's going on?"
"What happened?"
"Are Konohagakure's forces attacking?!"
The intense blasts rattled everyone's nerves. Tutai rushed to the window, his jaw clenched as he surveyed the chaos.
Amidst the flames consuming the village, a white bird circled leisurely in the sky.
And a figure descended rapidly toward their location.
"Looks like this is the place..."
(End of Chapter)
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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