At this moment, First Prince Kyu was holding an emergency meeting in the council hall.
Kyu sat in the main seat, dressed in dust-stained armor, his expression grim.
On the map before him, the red markers representing his sphere of influence were surrounded by blue, yellow, and brown markers representing Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure.
His voice was low, filled with suppressed fury. "Ministers, speak. What should we do now? Kumogakure captured our quarry again yesterday, Iwagakure is reinforcing its troops in the east, and Sunagakure has cut off our supply routes. If this continues, we will be swallowed by them sooner or later."
The council hall was silent. Several old ministers bowed their heads, their brows furrowed.
The young generals clenched their fists, their eyes full of indignation, but no one dared to speak first.
The situation had deteriorated to the extreme. Almost every method they could think of had been tried.
They sent people to seek peace with the other princes, but were jointly rejected by the Second, Third, and Fourth Princes. They sent envoys to lobby various countries, hoping they would withdraw their troops, but they were turned away before even entering the opposing camps.
After a long silence, the Minister of Finance finally stepped forward. His hair was white, his face full of wrinkles, and his voice carried a hint of helplessness.
"Your Highness, First Prince, the three nations are powerful now, and we cannot resist them with our own strength alone. In this old minister's opinion, perhaps we can seek foreign aid."
Kyu looked up, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes, only to quickly dim. "Foreign aid? Besides those princes and the three nations, who else can help us? The Land of Earth, the Land of Lightning, and the Land of Wind are all supporting other princes. Are you suggesting we seek out the Land of Water?"
The Minister of Finance quickly said, "Precisely the Land of Water. Your Highness, consider this. After the Land of Water occupied Uzushiogakure more than two months ago, there has been no further movement. They have neither continued to advance into the heartland of the Land of Fire nor supported any prince. Shun is an ambitious man. He will certainly not be content with just occupying Uzushiogakure. If we proactively seek his help and offer him great benefits, he might very well make a move."
A young general immediately retorted, "Seek help from Shun? Sir, have you forgotten? The Land of Water is our enemy. Their occupation of Uzushiogakure was a provocation to the Land of Fire. If we invite them in again, wouldn't that be inviting a wolf into the house? By then, the land of the Land of Fire might be swallowed whole by them."
The Minister of Finance sighed. "But do we have any other choice now? If we don't seek help from the Land of Water, we won't last half a month. By then, let alone land, we won't even be able to save our lives. Shun is very ambitious, but what he needs most right now is for the Land of Fire to continue to be in chaos, not to be solely occupied by the other three nations. If we promise him 5 cities in the east and annual grain tribute, he will weigh the pros and cons and choose to help us."
The council hall fell silent again, and the ministers split into two factions.
One faction supported seeking aid from the Land of Water, believing it was the only way to survive.
The other faction strongly opposed it, fearing they would invite a wolf into the house and plunge the Land of Fire into an even deeper crisis.
Watching the bickering ministers, Kyu gently tapped the table with his five fingers, struggling intensely in his heart.
He hated the Land of Water, hated Shun for occupying Uzushiogakure, but he even more did not want to lose his current power, nor did he want to die amidst the chaos of war.
The Minister of War stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I believe that the Minister of Finance makes sense. Shun, though ruthless, also values profit. We can first send an envoy to the Land of Water to gauge his attitude, and then make a decision. If he demands an exorbitant price, we can then think of another solution. If he is willing to act, we can at least buy time to reorganize our forces and plan our next move."
Kyu was silent for a moment, then finally made up his mind.
He slammed his hand on the table, his voice firm. "Do as you say. Immediately send an envoy to the Land of Water to meet Shun. Tell him that as long as he is willing to send troops to help us repel the three nations, I am willing to cede 5 cities in the east to the Land of Water and pay 500,000 koku of grain to the Land of Water annually."
(T/N: 1 Koku = 150 kilograms so 75000 tons)
"Your Highness is wise."
The ministers bowed one after another, and the atmosphere in the council hall finally eased.
That afternoon, the envoy, carrying Kyu's personal letter, galloped towards the Land of Water.
He wore the clothes of an ordinary merchant, with the secret letter tucked in his arms, avoiding the patrolling ninjas of the three nations along the way, traveling day and night without daring to stop for even a moment.
He knew that this letter concerned the fate of the First Prince and the future of the Land of Fire.
Meanwhile, in the royal palace of the Land of Water, Shun was sitting in his study, looking at the report on the situation in the Land of Fire sent by his spies.
When he saw that the territory of First Prince Kyu had shrunk, with only 9 cities remaining and the news of Hiruzen executing the captive Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado clans, a faint smile appeared on his lips, and his fingers gently tapped the table.
Tetsu stood by, respectfully asking, "Your Excellency, the situation in the Land of Fire is becoming more and more chaotic. Should we seize the opportunity to advance and take the eastern cities of the Land of Fire?"
Shun shook his head, his eyes full of calculation. "No rush. While Hiruzen's execution of the three clans can awe people, it will also cause discontent among other clans. Currently, the three nations are vying for territory in the Land of Fire. If we rashly intervene, we will only become the target of all. It's better to wait and see what choices the princes of the Land of Fire will make."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a guard's report came from outside the door.
"Your Excellency, an envoy from the Land of Fire's First Prince Yuanichi Kyu requests an audience, saying there are important matters to discuss."
Shun raised an eyebrow. "Oh? He comes at a good time. Let him in. I want to see what benefits Kyu can offer me."
He had long anticipated that Kyu would seek foreign aid, but he hadn't expected it to come so quickly.
It seems that the chaos in the Land of Fire is about to usher in new variables, and the Land of Water is about to play a more important role in this game.
The envoy was still slightly out of breath when he entered the study.
He held the secret letter with both hands and respectfully presented it to Shun. "Your Excellency, this is a personal letter from the First Prince. He earnestly requests your military assistance. If you can repel the three nations, the First Prince is willing to cede 5 cities in the south and pay 500,000 koku of grain annually."
Shun took the secret letter, slowly opened it, and as he read, the smile on his lips grew wider.
He looked up at the envoy, his tone somewhat playful. "Go back and tell your First Prince that I refuse to provide assistance."
The envoy was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded. "Your Excellency, are the conditions we offered unsatisfactory? If so, we can discuss them further."
Shun smiled calmly and said, "How about this, I will invite the First Prince and the Fifth Prince together. I want to talk to them."
The envoy bowed and saluted. "Very well, I will convey your message to the two princes."