"This time, we need to make it clear to Grass Village that the Four Great Shinobi Villages are not to be trifled with!"
"They actually sent a reporter to infiltrate our meeting? What does this signify? What are they trying to imply?"
"Are they suggesting that we, the Four Great Shinobi Villages, are incapable of handling them?"
"This is an utter disgrace!" The commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces slammed the table in fury. The humiliation was palpable. A secret meeting of the Four Kage had been breached, and Grass Village had dared to send an infiltrator?
Not only did Grass Village manage to infiltrate, but their agent had the audacity to reveal himself and even aim a camera directly at them for an interview. This was an outrageous insult. If the so-called star reporter hadn't escaped so swiftly, they would have already captured and punished him.
Everyone in the room was seething with anger. They unanimously agreed that even if a full-scale war was not immediately feasible, Grass Village needed to understand the collective strength of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Therefore, they decided: this time, they would set aside their differences, form a united front, and jointly declare war on Sand Village.
At that moment, Danzo, temporarily appointed as the Chief Strategist of the Allied Shinobi Forces, surveyed the united and fervent troops before him with a satisfied smile.
Sensing the moment was ripe, he struck his cane forcefully against the ground and proclaimed, "The shinobi world has had enough of these meddling reporters!"
His commanding voice cut through the room, capturing everyone's full attention. Raising his fist once more, he declared, "Punish the wicked, Destroy the grass thieves!"
Instantly, the war room reverberated with the collective cry, "Punish the Wicked, Destroy the Grass Thieves!"
Danzo continued with fervor, "Again, follow my lead! Punish the Wicked, Destroy the Grass Thieves!"
"Punish the Wicked, Destroy the Grass Thieves!" the voices rang out once more, rallying behind his call.
"Let's work together to make Grass Village pay!" Danzo's voice boomed, and the response came back in unison, "Make Grass Village pay!"
As the echoes of their battle cry filled the room, the Kage of the other three villages looked upon Danzo with admiration. They couldn't help but internally commend him—this man was indeed a veteran of the three great shinobi wars. With such a strategist guiding them, it was no wonder Konoha thrived.
Danzo glanced over the determined faces of the shinobi, nodding with satisfaction. As he took in the high morale of the troops, he felt a hand tugging at his sleeve. Turning, he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi looking at him with a concerned expression.
"What is it?" Danzo asked.
Hiruzen, puffing on his pipe, spoke in a low, worried tone. "This isn't what we agreed upon, Danzo. Now is not the time to start a war with Grass Village. You're aware of the situation in Konoha. Besides, Grass Village's strength is formidable. If something goes awry, we could find ourselves in serious trouble."
Danzo met Hiruzen's gaze with a calm smile. "Don't worry, Hiruzen," he reassured. "I have everything under control. I'm not planning to initiate a full-scale war with Grass Village at this moment. You'll soon see the brilliance of my strategy."
With that, Danzo tapped his cane lightly, his eyes fixed on Sand Village, gleaming with the confidence of a master strategist.
…
On the other side, Initially, everyone was stunned by the news of Grass Village's involvement. After all, The chaos stirred by the Fourth Kazekage seemed entirely disconnected from Grass Village. Then, Why The Grass Village was being blamed when they had no involvement in the matter?
When Akihiko first received the intelligence from Sand Village, he was internally fuming at the Allied Shinobi Forces for their lack of ethics. They were unjustly accusing innocent parties. Grass Village had done nothing to warrant such blame. Why were they being targeted?
However, upon receiving the urgent intelligence from Grass Village, Akihiko fell silent, his anger replaced by contemplation. Hanzo also grew quiet, both men momentarily at a loss for words.
Their expressions reflected a complex mix of emotions. The audacity of the news reporter was undeniable. Not only had he previously infiltrated the Uchiha clan to secure exclusive news, but now he had also managed to sneak into the secret Four Kage meeting.
The reporter's boldness in staying for the entire meeting, and then daring to conduct interviews afterward, was nothing short of a blatant insult. No wonder the Allied Shinobi Forces were so enraged.
"Back in my day, I wasn't this daring," Hanzo sighed, shaking his head. "I fought against three Kage simultaneously, but I never would have dared to humiliate the Five Great Shinobi Villages like this."
"Indeed. I never expected anyone to be so audacious." Akihiko nodded in agreement. What kind of motivational speech did Mubuki give them to make them so fearless? He sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.
Hanzō then asked, "So, what's your plan now?"
He was aware of Akihiko's true intentions. The 'Devour Sand Plan' aimed not only at acquiring their secret techniques but also at 'recruiting' their puppet masters. Reflecting on the 'Fake War Plan' from years past, Hanzō couldn't help but smile wryly.
"What's next?" Akihiko sighed deeply. "We help them, of course. Sand Village is our ally."
According to the intelligence gathered by Grass Village, despite the Allied Shinobi Forces' accusations against them, their main army was clearly focused on Sand Village from the start. Their objective had always been specific.
After he spoke, Hanzo frowned slightly and asked, "Are you planning to intervene?"
Akihiko shook his head and replied, "No, I plan to set up a recruitment booth behind Sand Village and see if anyone is looking for a job."
After all, regardless of the situation, it was Sand Village's responsibility to handle their issues with the Four Great Shinobi Villages, not theirs.
Hanzo looked at him curiously and inquired, "…Then why did you send Pakura to find that old woman?"
Akihiko responded with a slightly wry smile, "That was Pakura's own decision."
…
"You're here?" Chiyo glanced over at Pakura, who had just entered the room, her face impassive as she finished preparing for battle. "I thought you had really decided to abandon us!"
Pakura, leaning against the door with her arms crossed and lips pursed, did not directly respond. Instead, she remarked coolly, "Sand Village has certainly become quite the laughingstock lately."
She looked back calmly at Chiyo and continued with a sarcastic tone, "I've heard about the One-Tail Jinchūriki incident. The Fourth Kazekage really outdid himself this time. Not only did he betray his own village comrades, but he also tortured his own son."
Chiyo sighed, reflecting on the situation. "Gaara's situation can't be blamed entirely on the Fourth Kazekage. Sand Village's sealing techniques have always had their flaws, as seen with the first One-Tail Jinchūriki. The Fourth Kazekage used his own son in the Jinchūriki experiment to ensure its success. And you…"
Chiyo continued, "At that time, Sand Village was in a dire situation. The war at Kikyo Pass was critical, and the Daimyo of the Land of Wind wasn't providing military funds. Mist Village refused to cease hostilities. In such circumstances, the Fourth Kazekage had no choice but to…"
"Enough, I didn't come here to hear your justifications!" Pakura interrupted, her voice sharp with frustration."No matter how dire the situation was, could it be worse than a small village like Grass Village with no allies? He just kept choosing the worst solutions! Whether it's my situation, the Jinchūriki's, or this current mess!"
Pakura shook her head in disbelief, remembering how she had been shocked when she first heard about the Fourth Kazekage even sending his brother-in-law to assassinate his own son.
"Just as Leader Akihiko said, Sand Village's education system has its issues," Pakura shook her head, clearly frustrated.
Chiyo fell silent for a moment before smiling wryly and shaking her head. "Leader Akihiko is indeed an extraordinary ninja!"
Even Chiyo had to concede that the Grass leader's actions were beyond comprehension. Just look at Grass Village's reputation in the shinobi world—how badly had it been tarnished?
"T-To have such a figure emerge in the shinobi world is truly astonishing," Chiyo continued, praising Akihiko. "It's reminiscent of the era of the God of Shinobi and Uchiha Madara. Such ba-figures appear only once in many years."
Pakura's mouth twitched at Chiyo's words. Astonishing indeed, but why the hesitation? And why was Chiyo avoiding eye contact while praising him? Was she worried someone might overhear?
Pakura rolled her eyes and turned to Chiyo, asking, "What are you planning to do next?"
"Take the child away," Chiyo replied, surprising Pakura by not directly answering her question.
"Don't be surprised," Chiyo continued, shaking her head thoughtfully. "Even if we win this time, with the current circumstances, Sand Village's decline seems inevitable."
"So, you're planning to have some Sand Village shinobi leave the village," Pakura said, understanding Chiyo's intentions.
Ebizo, who was standing beside them, was stunned. He hadn't anticipated that his sister would take such a drastic step.
"And you?" Chiyo asked, her smile faint but knowing, as she turned to Pakura, ignoring Ebizo's stunned expression. "It seems you've made your decision as well."
"My affairs are none of your concern. I've already distanced myself from Sand Village," Pakura replied, frowning slightly at Chiyo. She sighed, adding, "As that guy mentioned, shinobi are often uneducated and resort to such methods."
Chiyo wasn't angered by Pakura's taunt. Instead, she looked at her with mild surprise. "Do you have another plan?"
Pakura didn't answer directly. Instead, she turned back and asked, "Are you familiar with Rain Village?"
Chiyo and Ebizo were taken aback, their hearts skipping a beat. Chiyo seemed to grasp the implication, her breath catching as she said, "You mean…"
"Since the Daimyo of the Land of Wind no longer sees a need for Sand Village, we should disband it." Pakura yawned nonchalantly and continued, "Then, just like the First Kazekage did, we could negotiate with the Land of Grass to establish a new Sand Village."
As Pakura concluded, Chiyo and Ebizo stared at her in disbelief. Was there really such a bold and audacious solution?
"And that's just the beginning," Pakura said, seemingly aware of their skepticism. She shrugged nonchalantly and added, "You two old-timers might want to take a page from the spirit of Grass Village."
"The spirit of Grass Village? Could it offer a way to revitalize Sand Village?" Chiyo and Ebizo quickly inquired.
Pakura tilted her head slightly, gazing thoughtfully at the sky. After a moment of contemplation, she let out a deep sigh.
As the two watched her, puzzled, a quiet, somewhat melancholic voice emerged. "If you consider it from a different perspective... Maybe there is?"
"?" Both Chiyo and Ebizo were left bewildered by the enigmatic remark.
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