The place Fuma pointed to was not just an island, but rather a small island nation.
Orochimaru frowned. Fuma's choice was far beyond his expectations.
"Fuma-kun, plotting against Kirigakure will be extremely difficult. Perhaps we should start with some smaller shinobi villages."
In Orochimaru's mind, their target should be some mid-sized shinobi villages with good terrain within the shinobi world.
For example, the Land of Frost, the Land of Tea, or the Land of Hot Water.
Although the native shinobi in these small nations were weak in combat, they had good land and economic resources. If handled properly, they could develop quite well.
Even the Land of Iron or the Land of Frost, which had relatively strong military forces, could be taken over if they gained support from local clans. Orochimaru had confidence in that.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru established Otogakure in the Land of Rice Fields with the support of the Fuma Clan.
Fuma shook his head, pointing at the smaller shinobi villages on the map.
"Orochimaru-kun, you know why these small countries haven't been swallowed up by the larger nations, right?"
"Their true purpose is to serve as buffer zones during wars between the great nations, acting as firewalls to prevent the flames of war from reaching their own lands."
"Even if these small countries enjoy temporary peace, they do so under the gaze of the great nations. Ultimately, they are small, weak, and easily destroyed—nothing more than a fragile illusion."
"Without vast lands and deep populations, even if we occupy these small countries and build our own shinobi village, at best we'd be another Amegakure, incapable of establishing a true foothold in this world."
"In my plan, I intend to take the Uchiha Clan away from Konoha. These small nations are not enough to protect our Uchiha bloodline limit."
Given the mobility of shinobi, the shinobi world's map was incredibly small. Geopolitics played a significant role here.
Konoha was frequently attacked by the four other great villages not just because of the lush forests of the Land of Fire, but also due to its poor geographical location.
The Land of Fire was in a precarious position, bordered by the Lands of Earth, Wind, and Lightning, always at risk of being sandwiched by enemies.
From a geographical standpoint, the most favorable position in the shinobi world was the Land of Lightning, a nation of hills and peninsulas, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
During a world war, the Land of Lightning could quickly send out troops and take advantage of the chaos.
Orochimaru nodded, agreeing with Fuma's analysis.
[If Fuma-kun also plans to take the Uchiha Clan, then a small nation certainly won't be enough to hold them.]
"So, are you suggesting we take the Uchiha Clan to join Kirigakure?"
"Pardon me, but with the Uchiha's reputation in the shinobi world, defecting to another country would also make it difficult to receive fair treatment."
Fuma laughed heartily at this and patted Orochimaru on the shoulder.
"Since we're both aiming for a grassroots movement, why would I lead the Uchiha Clan to join another village?"
"We're going to establish a shinobi village where you and I hold absolute authority."
Fuma stopped being cryptic and began explaining his plan in detail.
"The key reason I chose Kirigakure is its isolated geography. It's an island nation, cut off from the other great nations."
"Once we succeed, we can adopt a policy of isolation, thoroughly reforming Kirigakure and the Land of Water without interference from the other great nations."
"And the current policies in Kirigakure provide us with a great opportunity. The Third Mizukage and the various shinobi clans are at odds, with a split already forming."
Orochimaru's eyes lit up. He was starting to understand Fuma's plan.
"That's true. Many of the test subjects Danzo sent me were defected shinobi from Kirigakure."
Fuma's mouth twitched, internally sighing.
[No matter where you go in the shinobi world, it's impossible to escape Danzo's influence.]
"The reason for Kirigakure's division lies in the Third Mizukage's weak foundation and illegitimate claim to power. His own combat ability isn't strong enough to command respect, and his political skills are terrible."
"He can't balance the various powers within Kirigakure, so he resorted to purges, turning the village into the 'Bloody Mist' to maintain unity."
Kirigakure was a truly sinister place.
The Land of Water, where Kirigakure was located, was an isolated island nation surrounded by resource-rich archipelagos. It should have been a nation enjoying peace.
Unfortunately, the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki, was a madman and a battle-crazed lunatic, squandering the nation's potential.
During the First Great Shinobi War, he and the Second Tsuchikage of Iwagakure ended up killing each other over a trivial dispute regarding the spoils of battle.
Unlike Konoha or Iwagakure, Kirigakure did not have a clear system of succession between masters and apprentices. The major shinobi clans all vied for control, plunging the country into chaos.
The Third Mizukage only managed to ascend to power due to his service as a bodyguard to the First and Second Mizukages.
However, he quickly became a puppet for the shinobi clans that controlled the country from behind the scenes.
That all changed when the Third Mizukage sealed the Three-Tails within himself.
Though he wasn't a perfect jinchuriki, he could still use the power of the tailed beast, drastically increasing his strength.
Resentful of the clans that had controlled him for over twenty years, the Third Mizukage began brutally purging them.
In his mind, these bloodline-limit clans, though stronger than average shinobi, were merely a source of greater unrest.
In other villages, bloodline limits were highly sought after and considered treasures, but in Kirigakure, they had become death sentences.
Orochimaru's eyes glowed with excitement as he studied the intelligence Fuma had compiled on Kirigakure. His snake-like pupils gleamed with interest.
For someone like Orochimaru, who detested monotony, nothing could offer more exhilarating change than overturning an entire nation, aside from pursuing ultimate transformations in ninjutsu.
"So, all we need to do is gather the clans opposing the Third Mizukage. We can raise a formidable force and further intensify the conflicts within Kirigakure."
"After that, we simply wait for the Mizukage to react. He won't sit idly by as this force grows."
"But the power of his tailed beast is a joke compared to the Uchiha Clan. If he dares to make a move, we'll have the moral high ground to strike back, executing a decapitation strategy and seizing Kirigakure."
Fuma had developed a strategy capable of eliminating most shinobi in the world without making a sound.
With Kushina's Kagura Mind's Eye to detect enemies, Minato's Flying Thunder God to infiltrate, Uchiha Setsuna's Mangekyo Sharingan to cast illusions, and Fuma's immense strength to suppress the tailed beast, it was a flawless plan.
Moreover, with Orochimaru's face-swapping technique, they could even create a new "Third Mizukage."
A simple skin replacement, and no detection technique could see through it. It was far more efficient than what Obito had done in the original timeline.
Fuma pulled out a scroll, and with a puff of smoke, a stack of hefty money bills appeared.
These were the fruits of Fuma's tireless efforts.
"So, Orochimaru-kun, your task is to head to Kirigakure, intensify the internal conflicts, and gather the persecuted bloodline-limit clans."
"We'll have people, money, and weapons. I, along with the entire Uchiha Clan, will fully support you!"
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