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Meanwhile, in Grass Village, Mubuki was diligently attending to customers from various ninja villages. He spoke with an air of pride and camaraderie, "I'm here to personally assist you because of our previous friendship. When your group visited us as tourists, you spent generously, didn't you? Let me tell you a secret, when our leader heard that you were coming to buy vests, he initially wanted to offer the standard 50% market price discount, but I couldn't accept that. Our bond with your village is special, and you deserve better treatment."
"I was furious when I heard about the standard discount, Can our relationship be compared to others? No way! Fifty percent is underestimating the friendship between us," Mubuki continued, "So, I persuaded our leader, and we managed to get you an additional 10% discount. For every one hundred million Ryo purchased, you'll save one million Ryo more than other villages. And for every one billion Ryo, it's ten million Ryo cheaper, and for every ten billion Ryo, it's a whopping one hundred million Ryo cheaper. This is a significant amount!"
He continued to assure them, "You'll receive priority shipments too, something even our old allies like Konoha don't get. We want to make sure our cooperation remains pleasant and fruitful."
Mubuki's words seemed to have a rehearsed quality to them. In fact, if representatives from different villages heard him speak, they might realize that he used the same persuasive tactics with each of them.
"Believe me, I'm here because of the pleasant cooperation we've had in the past," To another group from Kumo Village, Mubuki put on a similar performance, claiming that their cooperation had been the most enjoyable. "What? Grass Village has cooperated with other ninja villages too? That's different! While we have worked with Mist, Iwa, and Konoha, our most enjoyable cooperation has been with you from Kumo Village."
He proudly showed them a document with the words "10% more discount." Mubuki emphasized, "Look, I've fought really hard to get you a 10% extra discount. You deserve the best treatment for being such great allies."
"Rest assured, I guarantee you'll be the first to receive your order." He moved from one group to another, repeating the same claims of exclusive discounts and priority shipments. Each village representative felt special, believing that Grass Village valued their relationship above others.
Grass Village had been bustling with activity during this period. After the advertisement of Iwa Village purchase, numerous ninja villages rushed to buy ninja vests, aiming to equip their lower-ranking ninjas for the battlefield.
As the head of Grass Village's Intelligence Department and Foreign Affairs Department, Mubuki temporarily acted as a receptionist, ensuring that every purchasing representative received a warm and courteous welcome.
Despite the immense workload brought on by the war, Mubuki, the seasoned head of Grass Village's Intelligence and Foreign Affairs, managed the situation with incredible composure. His skills in deception were unmatched, and he seamlessly handled each customer, no matter how important or insignificant they were.
Thankfully, Konan, had a strong interest in financial matters maybe due to her having past experiences of poverty. she proved to be a valuable asset in lightening Mubuki's burden. Without her assistance, he would have surely succumbed to exhaustion. The demand for ninja vests was not limited to the Five Great Ninja Villages; numerous small ninja villages and clans also sought their services.
As the war raged on, the smaller ninja villages had no choice but to participate, regardless of their willingness. The influence of the major villages and the prevailing circumstances forced them to join the conflict. Even those villages located near Grass Village were compelled to join the war, as the flames of conflict engulfed the entire shinobi continent.
Fortunately, Grass Village wisely chose to give up the Kannabi Bridge and remained uninvolved in the major village conflict. This strategic move granted them a temporary respite from the chaos. Had they not taken this approach, they could have been entangled in the conflict, siding with Iwa in one moment and supporting Konoha the next, adding to the chaos and uncertainty of the situation. Instead, they focused on preserving their own peace, wisely avoiding entanglements in the ongoing battles.
However, As the leader of The Land of Grass, Akihiko was acutely aware that the current state of peace would be short-lived. The ongoing deadlock between the major villages meant that Grass Village would eventually be dragged into the war, whether they liked it or not.
Inevitably, they would become a target of either Konoha or Iwa, and in the worst-case scenario, they might face attacks from both sides simultaneously. The entire ninja world was engulfed in conflict, and it was unrealistic to expect Grass Village to remain undisturbed.
Hence, Akihiko believed it was crucial to take the initiative and leave no room for speculations from other ninja villages. He wanted to dispel any notion that Grass Village was secretly aligning with either Konoha or Iwa. Instead, he wanted to make it clear that Grass Village was an independent entity, not a follower of either major village. He emphasized this point to those gathered before him.
"Therefore, let us seize the initiative and remove any doubts from the minds of other ninja villages. We must ensure that Grass Village's intentions are clear, with no suspicions of us secretly aligning with Konoha or Iwa," Akihiko asserted while addressing the assembled individuals. "It is vital that they understand we are not followers of either Konoha or Iwa!"
As the words settled in the meeting room, a sense of realization and concern washed over the attendees. They couldn't afford to be complacent any longer. Given Grass Village's strategic location, they were at a high risk of getting entangled in the conflicts between the major ninja villages.
It was astonishing to everyone that Grass Village had managed to maintain relative peace during this turbulent war. The village's "glorious reputation" gained from their actions during the Previous Wars played a significant role in this. Both major villages were wary of the potential chaos that dealing with Grass Village might bring, so, for now, they had left the troublesome village alone.
However, this situation wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later, Grass Village would be pulled into the war. In the current state of affairs, everyone was involved in the fighting, and it would be suspicious if Grass Village remained peaceful for too long. Others might start to speculate about their hidden motives.
With these thoughts in mind, the attendees in the meeting room realized that they couldn't afford to be passive any longer. They needed to proactively address their position in the war and make their intentions clear to avoid any misunderstandings from the other ninja villages.
As the group contemplated their next move, Uzumaki Yoshinori nodded with certainty after a thoughtful moment. He shared his perspective, saying, "If we ally with Konoha, we risk antagonizing the Four Great Ninja Villages, which could adversely affect our business. On the other hand, forming an alliance with Iwa seems like a viable option. Even if Iwa loses the war eventually, we can always realign with Konoha later. I believe Konoha wouldn't reject us either."
As Uzumaki Yoshinori concluded his statement, his audience continued to regard him with a mix of surprise and awe. The Uzumaki Clan's longstanding friendship with Konoha was renowned, a bond that ran deep through the generations. The idea of Yoshinori considering a casual betrayal of Konoha left them astonished. His words seemed to flow effortlessly, as if he had thought it through many times before. Undoubtedly, Elder Yoshinori of the Uzumaki Clan was a truly remarkable ninja from Grass Village.
"As a member of Grass Village, my foremost responsibility is to prioritize the best interests of our own village," Yoshinori confidently asserted. "There's nothing wrong with safeguarding our village's welfare. As for those who advocate for the interests of other villages, I can't help but wonder if they might be spies or traitors." He maintained his composed smile and added, "Even the Shinobi God himself has his own interests, don't you all agree?"
The atmosphere in the room shifted as the Grass Village ninjas expressed their unanimous agreement. They seemed unfazed by the idea of switching alliances and viewed it as a natural course of action for their village. Backstabbing was something they had grown accustomed to, and their shamelessness was evident in their nonchalant responses.
"We've backstabbed countless times, we're used to it!" one of them stated matter-of-factly, while others nodded in agreement.
"They can't even support Grass Village's business and expect us to sacrifice for them?" another ninja sneered, clearly dismissing any sense of loyalty to other villages.
"Definitely not me, what about you?" another ninja asked sarcastically, to which the reply was a resounding affirmation of refusal.
"Me neither, for sure!" another chimed in, emphasizing their unwavering commitment to prioritize their own interests.
Takumi, the leader of the Yuki Clan, who had recently joined the meeting, looked on in bewilderment. He had never encountered such brazen shamelessness before. Grass Village's ability to flaunt their opportunism and self-interest while appearing righteous was truly astonishing. It was a display of cunning and craftiness that he had never witnessed before. In his mind, he made a mental note to learn from these experienced and wily individuals, especially the likes of Elders like Yoshinori.
As the discussion continued, everyone finally turned their attention to their leader, awaiting his decision. For Grass Village at this moment, aligning with either Iwa or Konoha wouldn't significantly alter their situation, as both sides seemed evenly matched in the ongoing war.
However, to their surprise, Akihiko smiled and gently shook his head. "We won't be joining either Iwa or Konoha," he declared firmly. "In fact, we won't align ourselves with any of the Five Great Ninja Villages."
His statement left everyone perplexed, trying to grasp his intentions. If they wouldn't ally with Konoha or Iwa, then who would they join? Perhaps Kumo Village? But that didn't seem like a viable option either, as it could lead to being trapped between the forces of Konoha and Iwa, an undesirable situation.
As they hesitated, unsure of how to respond or persuade their leader, Akihiko spoke once more, his tone carrying a hint of sentimentality. "We won't join Kumo Village either. In fact, we won't join any of the Five Great Ninja Villages! We cherish our friendships with all of them dearly, and it's not an easy decision to pick sides when we share such close cooperation. I can't bring myself to clash with any of them."
With a warm smile, he extended his hand and gently tapped the table where the map of the ninja world was spread out. Everyone's eyes followed his hand, and they were taken aback when they realized he was pointing at Amegakure.
"So, let's take action against Amegakure!" Akihiko proclaimed, still wearing his smile as he observed the stunned expressions around him. "Of course, we must assess whether we can truly undertake such an action. However, we need a justifiable reason for our move. After all, we are a village that values peace."
The room fell into a moment of confusion and disbelief, as they never expected Akihiko would suggest an offensive approach. His decision left them at a loss, trying to grasp the true intent behind this unexpected turn of events.
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