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"Just… why?"
A deathly silence descended upon the Raikage's meeting room. Everyone stared at the copies of the *Konoha-Kiri Treaty*, bearing the official seals of both Konohagakure and Kirigakure, bewildered and speechless.
"This is absurd. Have those Mist lunatics lost their minds?"
"They signed this treaty with Konoha without even sending an envoy to negotiate with us in Kumogakure."
"Are we that hated?"
It wasn't just the alliance between Kirigakure and Konoha that stung. Attached to the treaty was Kirigakure's official statement condemning Kumogakure, declaring economic and cultural sanctions, and an investigation into the assets of Land of Lightning citizens within the Land of Water… Fortunately, the Land of Water was an isolated nation, and Kumogakure's assets there were limited.
But money aside, what about their pride?
This was a resounding slap in the face to Kumogakure in front of all the shinobi villages, a humiliating blow to their reputation.
Had the Great Kumogakure Co-Prosperity Sphere plan crumbled before it even began? Had the Raikage's entrepreneurial venture met a premature demise? A's breathing grew ragged as he crumpled the Konoha-Kiri Treaty in his fist.
A felt a pang of bitterness.
They had both toiled to establish footholds in Kumogakure. Konoha attracted all the high-quality refugees, leaving Kumogakure with the dregs who only boosted the crime rate.
Setting that aside, if they could have swayed Kirigakure to join the Great Kumogakure Co-Prosperity Sphere, some sacrifices would have been worthwhile. A short-term loss for a long-term gain.
But instead… Kirigakure, like a heartless lover, ran off and snuggled up with Konoha, the very village that had tormented them for so long.
"Elder Advisor, what do you suggest we do?"
Elder Advisor had kept his eyes closed since A entered the meeting room. Finally, he opened them and spoke words no one expected:
"The alliance between Kirigakure and Konoha… may not be a bad thing for us."
"?"
"Why do you say that?"
Elder Advisor spread the Konoha-Kiri Treaty on the table, pointing to the clause about investigating the assets of Land of Lightning citizens in the Land of Water.
"The Third Shinobi World War just ended. Every village's military budget is at a historic low. For now, we don't need to worry about a large-scale war."
"Kirigakure issued this clause to sanction us economically. Do they not know how much of our wealth is actually tied up there, how much damage they can truly inflict?"
"No, they know better than anyone. They issued it for superficial reasons, a meaningless gesture."
"Therefore, we shall respond in kind. Expel all businesses and assets from the Land of Water and Kirigakure. This strong response will, at least, preserve our village's face."
The other elders nodded in agreement.
Everyone was currently focused on recovery. It would take time to rebuild their forces for another large-scale war. Therefore, localized skirmishes and these "sanction wars" became the norm.
Since they couldn't flip the table through all-out war, they would play the game strategically, accumulating their own chips while depleting the enemy's.
What Kirigakure could do, Kumogakure could do as well!
Mabui, the young secretary observing the meeting, spoke up. "The Land of Water and Kirigakure have considerable business interests here. If we expel them all… how will we compensate for the resulting gaps?"
The Land of Water had numerous businesses in the Land of Lightning, such as fish farms and blacksmithing workshops. Expelling them would impact the needs of Kumogakure's citizens.
"Regarding that…" A wise smile curved Elder Advisor's lips. "In my opinion, the Land of Hot Water can easily replace the Land of Water. And there's also the Land of Iron, the Land of Bears, the Land of Artisans, and the Land of Flowers along the coast… While their craftsmanship may not match that of the Land of Water, it's not unusable."
"This will completely fill the market gap, and we can even leverage our position as a major village to secure more favorable terms."
"The same applies to exports. We'll direct our goods towards these smaller nations."
"Thus, Kirigakure's economic sanctions, instead of harming us, will actually allow us to surpass our previous standing!"
Elder Advisor's words dispelled the cloud of uncertainty hanging over everyone. Frowns turned into expressions of relief.
Excited discussions filled the room once more. "Brilliant! What a splendid plan!"
"Expelling these major nations' businesses during peacetime carries risks, but since Kirigakure initiated this, we can't be blamed."
"Those Mist bastards would never dream that their sanctions would actually benefit us."
A crossed his arms, exhaling slowly.
He was no longer the same A. Following Elder Advisor's suggestion, he had already devised further strategies:
"Elder Advisor, you just mentioned 'responding in kind,' correct?"
"Hmm? I did. Is there a problem, Fourth Raikage?"
"I'm thinking, since Konoha has allied with Kirigakure, we can do the same. But not with those Mist bastards or the Land of Earth…"
"You mean… Sunagakure!"
It was well known that Kumogakure and Sunagakure, separated by the vast expanse of Konoha, didn't share a border. Geographically, their relationship had always been relatively amicable, without major conflicts.
They had even cooperated during the siege on Konoha and against their shared neighbor, the Land of Earth.
Due to the distance, Kumogakure hadn't prioritized an alliance with Sunagakure, but now, the timing seemed perfect.
[Ally with Sunagakure, establish a military and economic partnership, and form a united front against our common enemies, Konoha.]
This was A's plan!
Although the Third Shinobi World War had ended, and relations between Sunagakure and Konoha had somewhat improved, the past wounds would never fully heal. Wasn't the current state of the shinobi world a result of "making the enemy suffer equally" and "generations of accumulated hatred"?
With reasoned arguments and emotional appeals, the embers of hatred within Sunagakure could easily be rekindled.
Elder Advisor beamed with pride. "Excellent, A. You've convinced me that even if I were to die tomorrow, you could govern the village well."
"Indeed! Our Great Kumogakure Co-Prosperity Sphere plan hasn't failed. With the integration of those smaller nations' commerce, earning their gratitude and loyalty, we only need a powerful shinobi village to join us."
"Sunagakure is the final piece of the puzzle!"
"While engaging with Sunagakure, we'll also seize opportunities to sabotage the relationship between Konoha and Kirigakure, ideally breaking their alliance."
"That will be difficult, but we've already planted a valuable piece in Konoha. It won't be impossible."
A's biceps twitched. In this moment, even his muscles seemed to possess the power of thought. "Elder Advisor, are you referring to Samui?!"
"But Samui's identity in Konoha is that of an ordinary civilian. Even positioned beside Gojo Kaigetsu, she can hardly influence Konoha's major policies."
"Regarding that, A, your observation lacks depth."
Elder Advisor raised a withered finger, pointing to the line [Mei Terumi enters Konohagakure for training].
"There's a strategy in the Thirty-Six Stratagems that applies perfectly to this situation-"
"The Honey Trap!"
Raikage A, confused, scratched his head. "But… hasn't Samui already been assigned to get close to Gojo Kaigetsu?"
"Not quite~" Elder Advisor said cryptically. "What if Samui were to leverage her… assets… and claim that this ninja from Kirigakure is harassing, molesting, or seducing her?"
"??? But Mei Terumi is recorded as a female ninja, right?"
"A, must we be so rigid about gender? We only need the result of Samui being 'victimized' by Mei Terumi. Whether it's true or false is irrelevant. As long as Gojo Kaigetsu believes it, we succeed!"
"The key is for Samui to subtly provoke Mei Terumi, avoiding anything too obvious that would expose the ruse. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the honey trap would be greatly diminished."
"As long as Mei Terumi loses control of her emotions, the honey trap is half successful."
"And the other half?"
"The other half… is, of course, Gojo Kaigetsu flying into a rage on Samui's behalf, using his authority to humiliate Mei Terumi, thereby damaging the relationship between Konoha and Kirigakure. After all, having your young ninja go to another village for training only to be harassed is like being defecated upon!"
"If they have even a shred of ninja pride, they will inevitably clash with Konoha!"
Boom-
A flash of inspiration struck A like a bolt of lightning.
Thanks to Elder Advisor's guidance, his mind opened, his perspective broadening.
A muttered to himself, "Indeed, other ninja might endure it for the sake of their village, especially so soon after signing an alliance treaty."
"But based on the intel Samui has consistently provided, Gojo Kaigetsu is undoubtedly a lecherous, incompetent, mid-level ninja who relies on connections for his position as advisor."
"With the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, always there to clean up his messes, he acts with even greater impunity. The extent to which he humiliates the young Mist ninja depends entirely on the level of anger Samui incites in him."
Elder Advisor's eyes twinkled with satisfaction. "Precisely. The greatest evil of human nature is to inflict maximum hardship on others within the confines of one's limited power."
"Endure petty indignities to avoid greater disasters? Such considerations are beyond Gojo Kaigetsu. He abuses any sliver of authority he possesses. Fortunately, we have no such ninja in Kumogakure. Otherwise, I would personally purge them."
"Gojo Kaigetsu might not inflict actual harm on Mei Terumi, but knowing his character, his actions will be sufficiently repulsive to disgust her for quite some time."
Elder Advisor smacked his lips and shook his head, seemingly regretting a single flaw in his perfect plan. "It's a pity Mei Terumi isn't male. Then it would have been truly flawless."
"Regardless of whether Gojo Kaigetsu believes it or not, he must defend Samui's honor."
Enthusiastic discussion filled the meeting room once more, but this time, A remained silent.
Mabui, clutching her file, felt a chill creep into her heart.
While she had long accepted that ninjas were merely tools for completing missions, the village elders' words were utterly devoid of human compassion… completely disregarding the feelings of their female ninjas.
This village was truly efficient, but utterly lacking in warmth…
Mabui lowered her gaze, a wave of disappointment washing over her.
Due to the side effects of the Heart-to-Heart Communication Jutsu, she could sense some of Samui's experiences.
"Sharp words," "One-fingered Nukite"… the shame, and even a strange, indescribable emotion, she could vaguely perceive them all.
They were living, breathing people, not emotionless tools existing solely to complete missions!
"Mabui! Mabui!"
Elder Advisor's annoyed voice snapped Mabui back to reality. "Eh… Yes! Elder Advisor, what is it?"
"Spacing out during such an important meeting? Reflect on your actions when you return." Elder Advisor began with a reprimand. "When you can contact Samui, remember to relay the mission to her immediately."
"She is a crucial component of the Great Kumogakure Co-Prosperity Sphere plan. The plan's success or failure rests entirely on her shoulders!"
"Success is the only option. Failure is unacceptable!"
"Upon her successful return, I will personally award her with Kumogakure's prestigious Armbar Medal!"
"You will convey this, won't you?"
"Yes! Elder Advisor."
Mabui's spirit stiffened as she accepted the mission.
However, her heart grew colder. Success hinged on Samui's humiliation, rewarded upon her return with the Armbar Medal. But the elder advisor conveniently omitted the other half of the equation-
'What fate awaits Samui if the mission fails?'
'Will she even be able to return to Kumogakure?'
Mabui fell silent.
She dared not contemplate further. It was a forbidden thought. She feared that further pondering would taint her faith and waver her resolve.
As for how to describe the mission to her close friend… which parts to omit? Which parts to embellish? Which parts to add?
As a mere tool of the village, these weren't considerations she should be making.
But now…
Times had changed, and so had people.
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