Konoha still lacked enough intelligence on Kirigakure. Otherwise, they wouldn't be at such a disadvantage.
"It'll work," Takuya said confidently with a smile. "Even if Yagura is cautious and doesn't make mistakes, what about everyone else? Don't forget, the clans within Kirigakure aren't exactly united. Yagura is the Third Mizukage's enforcer, his bloody hatchet-man. There are plenty of people in Kirigakure who aren't happy with him."
"If the fighting drags on, if Kirigakure keeps facing setbacks and constant harassment, someone's bound to rise up against Yagura. When that happens, Yagura will have no choice but to fight back."
"And think about this," Takuya added, narrowing his eyes toward Kirigakure's direction. "Do you think the Third Mizukage, who dared to declare war against Konoha without hesitation, will just sit by while Kirigakure keeps getting embarrassed and harassed?"
"He wasn't exactly known for his calm demeanor, and being controlled has only made things worse. If he was willing to start a war with Konoha without thinking twice, do you think he'd hesitate to order Yagura to engage us directly?"
That's why Takuya opposed Jiraiya and Orochimaru's plan.
Defend? Hell no. This place was way too far out, and there was no telling when reinforcements would arrive—or if they'd make it at all!
Takuya wasn't about to put his fate in someone else's hands.
Even with Orochimaru's excellent tactical experience, Takuya had no intention of handing over control to someone else. He liked being on the offensive, not waiting around.
"With Minato here, we can fight when we want and leave when we want. If Kirigakure likes to play this island-blockade game, then we'll use our mobility to turn their islands upside down and see how long Yagura and Kirigakure can hold out."
As long as they kept their numbers manageable, Minato could always move them away if needed. They held the advantage.
Why should Kirigakure get to pick and choose? Harass us when they want, avoid battle when they want? If they want to play the harassment game, then let's fight fire with fire.
"I can't move that many people at once," Minato said, raising his hand hesitantly. Though he'd mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, this version of Minato was still not the fearsome "Yellow Flash" that terrorized enemies during the Third Great Ninja War.
"So what do you think?" Jiraiya looked at Takuya, who didn't seem concerned.
"That's fine. We don't need to move everyone at once. We can adjust the pace as we go," Takuya said. "Of course, this is just my suggestion. If you don't think it's feasible, we can stick to the original plan."
In truth, the most effective strategy would be to attack Kirigakure directly. If even the village itself was under attack, then no matter how confident Yagura was, he'd have no choice but to fight back against Konoha.
But an all-out attack on Kirigakure was too risky, and Takuya knew Jiraiya wouldn't agree. Instead, he suggested wreaking havoc on the surrounding islands to force Yagura's hand.
Destroying all the islands, razing their military outposts, eliminating all stationed shinobi—how long could Yagura maintain control then? Even if he could keep his composure, how long would his followers remain loyal?
Takuya understood all too well how fragile Yagura's position was within Kirigakure.
Many people in Kirigakure weren't happy with Yagura. The moment things started going wrong, the entire village could descend into chaos. And if Yagura didn't want his forces to fall apart, his best option would be to face Konoha head-on to quell internal dissent.
"You've given me a very tempting suggestion," Jiraiya admitted, clearly torn. He turned to the group, asking, "What do you all think?"
Since it was a tough call, it was better to hear everyone's thoughts before deciding.
The most frustrating part for Jiraiya was that Takuya only brought up this idea after they had already reached their destination. If Takuya had mentioned it before they set out, Jiraiya would have had more time to consider it. But now, with their operation underway, they needed to decide—and quickly.
The rain kept pouring as everyone stood there, soaked on the beach. Takuya even put away his umbrella—it was one thing to avoid getting wet on the journey, but now that they had arrived, using an umbrella seemed out of place.
Everyone exchanged looks. After some thought, Hyuga Junichi spoke up. "I think we should stick to the original plan. Reinforcements could arrive at any time, and there's no need to stir up more trouble."
Typical Hyuga response.
In Konoha, the Hyuga Clan was known for their aversion to risk, their preference for stability. Junichi's stance was no surprise.
"Stir up more trouble?" scoffed a Uchiha jonin. "I support Takuya's suggestion. Staying here is actually the most dangerous option. Who can guarantee that reinforcements will arrive before we're surrounded? Or how long it'll take for them to get here after we are surrounded?"
A little aggression, a little risk—if it forced the enemy into a direct confrontation, it was worth it.
Wasn't this mission risky to begin with?
"I agree with Takuya's plan as well," another chimed in.
"I still think sticking to the original plan is best. If something goes wrong, the consequences could be severe," said someone else.
Some wanted to take risks; others didn't. It wasn't surprising to see them divided—especially when it came to Hyuga and Uchiha. Those two clans always seemed to be at odds.
"Alright, enough. We're not here to argue," Jiraiya said, stepping in to stop the dispute between the Uchiha and Hyuga Jonin. He turned to his student. "Minato, what do you think?"
Minato didn't hesitate. "I think Takuya makes a good point. Our mission isn't just to break through the enemy's island blockade—our main goal is to provoke them, and force them into a direct confrontation.
"Since that's our objective, and we can't guarantee that reinforcements will arrive smoothly, why not be a bit more aggressive?"
They'd come this far already; why not push just a bit further?
As long as they achieved their goal, nothing else mattered.
Minato doubted that Kirigakure could just sit back while their islands were taken out one by one. And even if they did, they'd just keep at it until Kirigakure reacted.
As long as Minato left Flying Thunder God markers behind, they could return anytime to keep causing trouble. From the moment Minato had stepped onto the battlefield, it meant Kirigakure wouldn't have a moment of peace in the days to come.
Would the reinforcements arrive smoothly?
Minato wasn't sure. He also didn't believe that Konoha's reinforcements could easily make it through.
Don't forget who controlled the sea routes.
Since that was the case, why not join Takuya and go all in?
If Kirigakure remained indifferent, they'd just keep stirring things up, pushing until they finally got a response. And if things got too heated, they could simply leave.
After all, their ships were safely stationed, and Minato could easily take them back to the vessels whenever needed.
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(P)(S): This is a bonus chapter for reaching 900 power stones! The next bonus will unlock at 1,300 power stones.
I hope you're enjoying the story so far—please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts! I'm working on improving my translations, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Do you find the chapter titles too revealing? Also, for those who feel the chapters are short, the raw text is about 1,400-1,500 words, but after editing, it becomes around 1,200 words. This editing helps reduce the filler and smooth out the original language structure.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 340+ at Patreon com/ Emik01. ಥ‿ಥ
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