Three months had passed since Kumogakure initiated its war.
During these three months, Konoha and Cloud engaged in numerous battles on the front lines.
Thanks to the combined efforts of Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Three Ninjas, and many elite shinobi from various clans, Konoha barely managed to stop the offensive of the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee, preventing the Cloud forces from advancing further into the Land of Fire.
On the eastern coastal battlefield, leveraging the power of bloodline users, Konoha achieved considerable success, holding back Cloud's elite troops at the coastline and launching flank attacks.
Surprisingly, the bloodline limit that shone brightly on the Cloud battlefield was not the Uchiha's Sharingan but rather the Hyuga clan's Byakugan.
The Byakugan's range extended for over ten kilometers, allowing for effective strategy formulation to prevent Cloud forces from landing.
Moreover, the Byakugan's ability to see chakra pathways gave the Hyuga ninjas a significant advantage in combat.
With their family's secret technique, the Gentle Fist, they could often defeat shinobi of equal rank swiftly, and even when facing multiple enemies, they only faced slight disadvantages.
The rise of the Byakugan led the ninjas in the camp to admire the depth of the Hyuga clan, while simultaneously derailing Fugaku's plans for military merit and rising in rank.
This development also sparked hostility from the Uchiha toward the Hyuga.
Both clans began debating which was the true strongest doujutsu techique in the village: the dynamic vision of the Sharingan or the penetrating capability of the Byakugan.
Jiraiya watched the Uchiha and Hyuga squabble but was too preoccupied to deal with such trivial matters.
Firstly, since the Senju clan integrated into Konoha, the Uchiha and Hyuga had been vying for the title of the strongest ninja clan. Secondly, the situation on the front lines was not as smooth as anticipated.
Although he had led the troops to resist the attacks from Kumogakure, the Land of Hot Water had fallen into Cloud's hands.
If the current situation continued, the Land of Hot Water would eventually become Cloud's possession, which might be Kumogakure's original strategic goal.
However, that was something the old man absolutely could not accept.
There had to be buffer countries between Konoha and the other major ninja villages; otherwise, the pressure on the borders would be immense. Doubling the existing number of ninjas was not a feasible option.
Apart from this was the logistical issue.
Ever since Shikaku's letter was sent to Amegakure, military supplies had kept pace with consumption. However, the quantity of supplies needed for the war exceeded his expectations.
The old man had recently begun complaining about financial issues, urging him to be more frugal.
If this continued, the village would be unable to produce enough cash for payments and would have to defer payments temporarily, hoping to settle them after receiving war reparations.
One troubling matter after another left Jiraiya increasingly frustrated, growing to dislike the Hokage position even more.
As a frontline commander, he was already overwhelmed with so many responsibilities; becoming Hokage would mean spending twenty-four hours a day in an office. It was simply a cage that restricted a ninja's freedom.
---
Meanwhile, a monthly high-level meeting was taking place within Amegakure.
Once everyone was seated, Yahiko took a deep breath and said, "It has been three months since Kumogakure launched its attack on Konoha. Although our Amegakure hasn't directly participated in the war, we have been significantly affected.
Firstly, the trade routes to the Land of Fire have been disrupted. Many wandering ninjas have taken advantage of the situation to attack merchant caravans, causing considerable trouble for the village.
Secondly, the orders from Konoha have put a lot of pressure on our village's production."
At this point, Yahiko deliberately paused, his expression grave.
Seeing this, Nagato felt a sense of foreboding rise within him. Did this mean the village would be drawn into this battlefield?
However, Byakuya remained calm since he understood the village's situation and was looking forward to Yahiko's next remarks.
At this moment, Yahiko glanced at Konan, who immediately took out the financial report and, with a blank expression, said, "In the past two months, the village's financial income has increased several times as we've earned what we would typically make in several years. If the war continues, we could earn even more."
Hearing this, Nagato asked, somewhat confused, "Isn't it a good thing for the village to make money? Yahiko, why do you look unhappy? With this money, the village can develop and build up significantly. If we can fully construct the water conservancy projects within the Land of Rain, the children won't have to go hungry anymore,"
Byakuya patted Nagato on the back and chuckled, "Yahiko is conflicted inside. He doesn't know whether to continue the arms trade because it involves the organization's principles. Yahiko's dream is world peace; he wants to facilitate a treaty between Cloud and Leaf to achieve that peace. But the profits from selling arms and medical supplies in Amegakure are too substantial. This goes against the organization's ideals, yet we have to do it to develop the organization."
After listening to Byakuya's analysis, Nagato understood Yahiko's mental state.
However, he had long moved beyond Yahiko's ideals and developed his own understanding.
After gathering his thoughts, Nagato spoke up, "Yahiko, I think you don't need to be so conflicted. Our capabilities are still limited since till now, we can only operate within Amegakure. Besides, we are selling to Konoha, which didn't initiate this war. Everything we do is for world peace!"
"Well said, Fam!" Nagato's statement prompted Byakuya to applaud.
As expected from the original Pain, who brought suffering to the world in later years, he could present the arms trade as something noble, claiming that Amegakure sold arms for peace.
However, these platitudes weren't what mattered most; what truly counted was securing tangible funds.
If possible, Byakuya intended to prolong the war as long as possible, allowing Leaf and Cloud to bleed each other dry and even sell off core interests.
For example, Konoha's bloodline limits and secret techniques, as well as Kumogakure's body enhancement techniques and chakra application skills.
But this situation couldn't last long. The very fact that Konoha had to issue IOUs for arms trade indicated that they had little war potential left, and the same was likely true for Kumogakure.
Next, it would be the Akatsuki's turn to make a move.
With this thought in mind, Byakuya turned to Yahiko and said, "Yahiko, Nagato is right as we are on the side of justice. However, relying solely on the arms trade isn't wise. When the time is right, let's step in to mediate this battlefield."
Byakuya's words fell like a boulder into a lake, stirring up great waves in Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato's hearts. This Byakuya, this murder child, who loves chaos and bloodbath, was talking about mediation?!
They looked at Byakuya with incredulous eyes and then asked in confusion, "Really? Byakuya, you won't take the opportunity to profit but instead choose to mediate this war?"
Byakuya nodded, "Why of course. After all, I've always loved peace~."