"Go to war?"
Kaguya Masao had barely finished when Uchiha Makoto saw the Akatsuki Village leadership exchange looks, then break into heated chatter.
"This is too rash."
"How can war be treated like child's play?"
"Clan Head Kaguya, don't bring your clan's bad habits into an Akatsuki council."
War isn't something you declare with a few words. It costs lives and mountains of money.
When the explosive tags go off, it's gold by the wagonload. That's just a slice of the military expenses. Kunai, shuriken, all the common consumables aren't even counted yet, not to mention logistics, pensions, and more. Every line item is terrifyingly large.
The shinobi-village era has only just begun. The clans have barely stopped fighting for a year or two. This is a precious window of peace.
Every village is feeling its way across the river, trying to adapt to this new age. For now, most are pouring funds into internal development; military budgets are a small slice. Only a few, like Uchiha Makoto, have shoved massive sums into the war chest. Akatsuki's secret explosive tag plant hasn't paused since it opened.
And there's something else. War between shinobi villages has never happened in history. If it starts, when does it end?
No one can predict how brutal it will be, but one thing is certain: it will be worse than anything before, and many will die.
Most of those present survived the Warring States by luck. Given a chance to live quietly, who wants to die?
And to start a war over two chunin?
Is that reasonable?
Shouldn't the priority now be developing the village, investing those funds into the new generation, and keeping relations with neighbors stable to avoid major clashes?
For an incident that killed shinobi from two great villages, shouldn't both sides minimize the impact, negotiate compensation, shake hands, and preserve this hard-won peace?
Why jump straight to war?
It wasn't just the small clans objecting; most of the great clans did as well. Even the bloodline clans Yuki and Kurama disagreed with Kaguya Masao. Could someone please throw that battle-crazed loudmouth out?
Uchiha Makoto frowned.
He understood their thinking. Peace is hard-won. Over two chunin. And they are already dead.
No one spends heavily for the dead.
If Akatsuki now attacks another great village, the gains won't match the cost. They're all adults; adults weigh pros and cons. Acting on impulse only makes things worse.
It's like when the Hyūga handed over a substitute, Hyūga Hizashi, to preserve peace. The village gained quiet growth and spared countless lives. From Hiruzen Sarutobi's view at the time, for a Konoha desperate to recuperate, it was a bargain.
Relations between villages are human dealings, not endless killing.
But Uchiha Makoto and these leaders were thinking on different planes. The leaders cared about the patch of land before them: Akatsuki is thriving, coffers full, the young growing strong. Why ruin it for two chunin?
Makoto had the god's-eye view. He knew what was coming. Once Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara fall out and Madara defects from Konoha, the First Great Ninja War will be on a countdown. The Valley of the End will light the fuse. That fuse is the mobilization period. Konoha will fight four villages at once. How could Akatsuki escape the storm?
For the future's sake, since Kumogakure has already given a pretext, Akatsuki cannot miss this chance to weaken them. With Hashirama and Madara as the floor, this war won't be lost, likely a one-sided fight.
He could never say that aloud. Even if he told them a Great Ninja War was coming, they wouldn't believe it.
People care most about what's right in front of them.
"Quiet."
The hall fell still.
"Faced with this situation, there are six usual responses.
"One, do nothing.
"Two, issue a statement of regret.
"Three, lodge a formal protest.
"Four, halt aid.
"Five, sever relations.
"Six, declare war."
"Doing nothing brands Akatsuki and Konoha as weak. A statement or a protest shows no strength.
"As for halting aid, we give none to Kumogakure. Severing relations is the same; we have none to sever.
"That leaves the sixth. Declare war."
He laid out six options and cut the first five, leaving only one.
The leadership stared, stunned by the long chain of words, hearing clearly only the last three: declare war.
"Light Shadow, please reconsider."
"It isn't that serious."
"It's just two chunin. Must this become a war?"
As expected, his decision met unanimous resistance. No one wants a war with no end in sight. If a war must come, not now. When? Certainly not now.
"Enough."
"You think avoiding this fight brings everlasting peace? Is that possible?
"As villages grow stronger, our conflicts will multiply like in the Warring States. A war without precedent will break out sooner or later. Right now we hold the advantage. We're flush with funds and shinobi. Since we have a pretext, why not use it to weaken, even eliminate, other villages? You fight not for yourselves, but for your descendants.
"Make this battle cement Akatsuki's status. Let those eyeing us in the shadows feel terror. Today they clash with us on missions and cause casualties. After this, the moment they see the Akatsuki headband, they will step aside.
"Because they will see how we value our own. Even over two dead chunin, Akatsuki will pounce like a starving wolf to avenge them."
His fervor set minds turning—especially the wavering small clans. In the Warring States, small clans had no say. On missions they stepped aside when great clans appeared. Even with casualties, they often lacked the courage to demand compensation.
They joined a great village to seek protection. If they still bow and scrape, what's the point? Who doesn't want a backer so that, facing a vicious enemy, a single line—"Lay a finger on me and our Light Shadow will bring the army and kill you all"—makes foes retreat?
A village should have that aura: "Never mind who's right. Why aren't you gone the instant you see Akatsuki shinobi?"
Just imagining it made their blood sing.
Seeing the shift, Makoto pressed on.
"You say it's not worth a war for two chunin. Then when is it worth it?
"At the last resort."
"And when is that last resort?
"If two chunin aren't enough, what about one jōnin?
"Still no?
"An entire jōnin squad?
"Not enough?
"A dozen jōnin?
"Still not the last resort?
"What if Kumogakure is already mobilizing and preparing to strike? Do we keep waiting?
"Must we wait until their army is at our gates to decide? Even then, will you say it isn't the last resort?"
The slicer's questions left them speechless. If "the last resort" comes too late, what then?
"This battle is necessary.
"I am resolved to fight."
He gave his final word. On matters of war, as Light Shadow he held the casting vote. He still spent the breath to align minds because shinobi would bleed for this. You must set the spirit first. He was already drafting essays to stir the ranks, hammering on village rise and shinobi dignity.
Every Akatsuki ninja should see themselves in the fallen duo. If you die on an Akatsuki mission, not only will your name be carved on the Memorial Stone and compensation given, the culprit will be beheaded and displayed. No matter who they are, even Kumogakure.
Everyone knows this job's danger. Average shinobi don't live past thirty. Any mission could be their last.
If their village is this domineering—spill our blood and someone must pay—then dying for Akatsuki is worth it.
The council ended.
Under a clouded mood the clan heads filed out. With Makoto immovable, the shadow of war returned. At least half did not want this fight. None yet dared to lead an open revolt against him.
They would wait. If the front struggled, if defeat came, they would swarm him, end his reign as founder and Light Shadow, maybe even throw him out as the culprit.
But that's the defeat cutscene.
Will we lose?
Impossible.
Will Konoha join Akatsuki against Kumogakure?
He thought not. Hashirama Senju is like these leaders; he won't launch a war over this. At most he'll pay the families and shake hands with the Cloud. If he had any ambition, the world wouldn't become what it does later.
Makoto didn't mind. Akatsuki only can't beat Konoha. Does anyone think we're weak?
We can't do one-against-four like Konoha, but we can crush one Cloud Village. Those hundreds of millions in ryo weren't for show. We'll bury them in explosive tags. Let the world learn what the Van Fleet ammunition expenditure means.
Even if Cloud were jōnin on average and full of kage-levels, if they can break through the barrage and punch a hole in our lines, fine.
Then he'll go to Konoha and ask Uchiha Madara.
"Lord Madara, our Uchiha are being mauled. If you don't act, won't the world laugh at our clan?"
In short, even if I'm surrounded by opposition, I haven't been defeated. Why brand me a war criminal?