Chapter 55: The Daimyō: Do You Think I'm an Idiot?
"Why do you all look like you have no idea what I'm talking about? Was any part of that difficult to understand?"
Hiiro Rinko propped his chin on his hand, tapping his fingers on the table. His flat tone threw a bucket of cold water on the room's atmosphere.
Feeling the room's eyes on him, he recognized a few familiar—and long-dreaded—gazes. It was that clear-eyed, idiotic stare he'd seen so often when he first started teaching the Barrier and Sealing Corps.
His PTSD was flaring up.
He flicked his wrist, pulling a pen from his scroll, and spun it between his fingers. He then turned, pointing the pen at the source of each stare as he continued his dry explanation.
"Ah, Senju Tobirama died suddenly, and the next Hokage hasn't been chosen. Even if he named a successor in his will, the words of six guards who failed their mission to protect the Kage will be hard to believe. At this moment, Konoha's internal situation will definitely become turbulent—that's what you're all thinking, right?"
"If you know that, then why are you saying this?!"
A man who looked unfamiliar—probably one of the recently promoted Jōnin—slammed his hands on the table and stood up, demanding an answer.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"A good opportunity? Good for what, exactly? Have you considered whether we can even win?"
His eyes were practically dead. Hiiro Rinko didn't even bother to look at the man. "Just because a sixty-something-year-old Kage, who was due for retirement in a few years anyway, is dead, you really think Konoha is defenseless?"
"If Konoha was that easy to take, would we still be squatting in this hellhole of a desert?"
"Kumo's Raikage is also dead. Whether the Gold and Silver Brothers were manipulated or just hot-headed, Kumo will have to respect the Second's dying wish to 'sign the peace treaty' in order to calm the village. They won't mobilize at this time."
"Kiri… they're too far from the mainland, too many variables. And considering the seasons and ocean currents, they couldn't land an invasion force until next spring or summer anyway. So, they're out."
"Iwa might actually join in, but knowing that old dwarf Ōnoki's personality, Iwa will absolutely not be the first to make a move."
Ticking them off on his fingers, Rinko let out a heavy sigh. "When you really add it up, we can't beat Konoha on our own. In the end, we'll probably just get blindsided by Iwa."
"We'd be the villains for attacking first, we'd most likely lose the fight, our only potential ally might backstab us if things go bad, and we'd end up helping the enemy. This whole deal sounds like a losing trade."
"In conclusion, my analysis is done. Who's for it, who's against it?"
With that, Rinko leaned back in his chair, bored. He noted how uncomfortable the chair was and made a mental note to research new upholstery fabrics.
"I have a question. Rinko, I understand everything you said, but what did you mean by 'helping the enemy'?"
This time, the question came from a civilian-staff member in the resources department, who was mainly in charge of logistics and accounting. He wasn't well-versed in the other villages' affairs.
"It's simple. With the Second Hokage dead, if we attack, aren't we just giving Konoha's leadership a perfect excuse to ease their internal pressure?"
Rinko's tone softened. He was a familiar colleague who often came to get supplies, and he genuinely didn't know this stuff.
"Those men just now were all hoping Konoha would collapse into a serious internal conflict. That is absolutely not going to happen."
"Konoha has more shinobi clans than Suna, and they're more independent. This makes their leadership's internal network complex; pulling one thread moves everything. No faction would dare make a big, open move at a time like this and leave themselves exposed."
Although he vaguely remembered something from the story about the Uchiha Clan being wiped out after a failed rebellion, based on the intel he had now, the Uchiha were just an independent-minded clan. They were nowhere near a coup. In fact, one of Senju Tobirama's own disciples and guards was an Uchiha. Expecting them to cause a huge incident was unlikely.
Thinking this, Rinko's analysis continued.
"Furthermore, Senju Tobirama was handling Konoha's internal affairs even when Senju Hashirama was alive. The larger a system, the more it runs on inertia. Even with him dead and no new Hokage, the systems he built can run stably for a good while."
"Besides, Konoha is a massive enterprise. They can easily divert their internal struggles into an external war, settling their power disputes with post-war military honors. It would also give the Konoha shinobi, who are enraged by their Kage's death, a place to vent... Hah... just thinking about it sounds like a tough fight."
"In summary, I see no benefit in attacking Konoha right now. Casualties are unavoidable in war, but taking such unnecessary losses is just stupid."
"Rather than that, I think we should just sit back and see how bright Konoha's fire burns. Maybe toss some kindling in from a distance, and make our move once we're actually ready."
He paused, his expression suddenly changing. "Wait a minute. Lord Ebizō circulates regular intelligence summaries on the other villages. Have you all... not been reading them?"
Since it was a formal Jōnin meeting, Rinko used his uncle-in-law's formal title.
"We read them! But even so, analyzing all this so quickly is... difficult..."
Being called out like that, the other Jōnin looked embarrassed. "And in the end, this is all just your speculation, isn't it? We should wait for the spies to report back."
"Ehh… fine. Then I have another reason."
Rinko didn't even have the energy to respond to that weak comeback. He just turned his head to his acquaintance in the resources department. "Here, tell them. How much stuff does Suna import from the Land of Fire every month? And how much of a discount do we get compared to market price?"
The logistics-nin's eyes went wide with understanding, and he immediately rattled off a long, precise string of figures.
"Did you get that? It's fine if you didn't. What those numbers mean is simple: The Land of Wind and the Land of Fire are in a 'honeymoon period.' Our trade is booming."
"At a time like this, we go to our Daimyō and say we want to attack Konoha. Do you really think he's going to approve the budget?"
The red-haired young man's face was blank. He made a 'money' gesture with his fingers and asked in a grave tone.