"So let me ask you this, have we managed to disrupt them?
Have we weakened them?
What have those sent to infiltrate the Land of Fire actually accomplished?
How many victories have they achieved?"
"The enemy has already struck deep into our rear, and you still want us to keep circling?"
Hōzuki Soen wasn't buying it.
Why had Yagura, this little runt, been appointed commander?
Why was all authority given to him?
"Sir, we can't wait any longer. The village is waiting for us to send back news of victory, but here we are, playing hide-and-seek at sea."
"Exactly, Yagura-sama. We control the sea. We decide when to fight and when to retreat. Everyone here is chomping at the bit."
With Hōzuki Soen taking the lead, everyone else chimed in.
Yagura's face darkened.
"Since both the Mizukage and the Master trusted me enough to hand over everything, I must be responsible to the village.
To everyone here.
An all-out assault won't benefit us in any way; it will only give Konoha the upper hand."
The sea was Kirigakure's main battlefield. Forcing a confrontation meant giving up their home advantage. It would play straight into Konoha's hands without them even trying.
An all-out attack on Konoha's camp would be a battle of attrition, something Yagura wanted to avoid because he knew Kirigakure couldn't afford it.
Even though Konoha had just emerged from the Second Shinobi War, and Kirigakure had been developing at a steady pace, the village's foundation was fragile, made even worse by the erratic decisions of the Third Mizukage.
Right now, Kirigakure is like a sick patient who is far from recovering. How could it hope to fight a giant?
Sunagakure had already served as a cautionary tale. Initially, they had held their own against Konoha, but as the war dragged on, their resources dwindled, and they weakened.
Their supply lines couldn't keep up, and the tide turned in Konoha's favor.
And that was with Konoha fighting on two fronts.
"I will send people to eliminate the enemies infiltrating our rear, but we cannot launch a full-scale assault on Konoha's camp."
See, this is Yagura for you!
The enemy is walking all over him, and he still wants to keep circling, playing hide-and-seek with Konoha!
Hōzuki Soen spread his hands, pacing around the command room.
"Still want to drain Konoha's strength?"
Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits deflated.
The dissatisfaction with Yagura only grew.
Hōzuki Soen saw the rising discontent and acted decisively.
"If you want to keep circling, go right ahead. Yagura, if you're scared of Konoha, I am not."
"What do you mean?" Yagura realized something was off.
Hōzuki Soen was making a move.
"Do I really need to explain what everyone already knows?"
Hōzuki Soen sneered.
"When Hoshigaki Fuguki was killed, you, Yagura, led a team to investigate and ran into Konoha's prodigy, Yagami Takuya. Yet you didn't even have the courage to make a move. Instead, you turned tail and ran. Am I lying?"
Wait, what?
The details of that incident had been kept quiet by the Master and Yagura. They didn't want to stir up a fuss since it wouldn't benefit Kirigakure.
They had only announced that the Samehada was taken.
Many in Kirigakure believed Samehada had been taken by Konoha, who refused to return it, even through negotiations. Along with the assassination of the Third Mizukage, this had sparked the war.
As for Yagura's retreat, few knew about it.
Hōzuki Soen brought it up now to tarnish Yagura's image, to make people lose faith in him.
"Yagura, you have truly disappointed me. You are unworthy of leading us into battle against Konoha. I will never accept a coward as my leader."
Hōzuki Soen wanted to seize command!
Yagura realized it now.
He had thought Hōzuki Soen was merely unhappy with his decisions.
He hadn't realized the dissatisfaction wasn't just about him but about power.
Master was right; this war was a severe test for Kirigakure.
When Master had said that, Yagura had assumed it was because of the village's fragile state.
But now he understood it was about Kirigakure's internal conflicts.
Realizing this, Yagura's anger subsided. He said coldly:
"If my leadership leads to great losses for the village, I will personally seek punishment from the Mizukage. You can call me unworthy or a coward, but until the Mizukage strips me of my authority, I will not change anything."
"If you cannot accept my leadership, you are free to leave."
Provoke me?
Keep dreaming.
Knowing Hōzuki Soen's intentions, Yagura wasn't going to foolishly play into his hands.
"Leave, or stay and watch. The choice is yours."
"This..."
The ones who had backed Hōzuki Soen now hesitated. They had stirred the pot, but that didn't mean they were ready to abandon their posts.
If Yagura reported this later, they'd be in serious trouble.
Hōzuki Soen didn't fear Yagura or any repercussions because the Hōzuki Clan was powerful within Kirigakure and didn't fear Yagura.
Hōzuki Soen had the backing; they didn't.
"Hmph!"
Trying to corner Yagura, only to have the tables turned, Hōzuki Soen looked around at those who had fallen silent and snorted in disgust, storming out of the command room.
"Stop!!"
Just as Hōzuki Soen was about to leave, Yagura's voice rang out.
"What now? Trying to pin your mistakes on me?"
Hōzuki Soen turned back, glaring at Yagura.
Ignoring his mocking tone, Yagura pointed to the map:
"If you think I'm unfit, then why don't you lead a team and eliminate the infiltrators in our rear?"
He had to send Hōzuki Soen away. Leaving him here would only cause more trouble.
"What if I refuse?"
"This is an order!!" Yagura shouted angrily.
"If you think the Hōzuki Clan can protect you from disobeying military orders, then go ahead and leave. But if you don't have the guts to risk it, then take your team and eliminate those enemies!!"
"If you dare walk out that door, I will report everything to the village immediately and let the Mizukage and Master deal with you."
Are you seriously threatening me?
Hōzuki Soen's eyes widened.
Yagura stared coldly at him, not caring about the perception of others.
Yes, he was threatening Hōzuki Soen.
If you leave, if you disobey, then I will make sure the Mizukage knows. Let's see what he does with you.
If the Third Mizukage got mad enough to kill Hōzuki Soen, Yagura doubted the Hōzuki Clan would stir up trouble over him.
Even if they managed to pass the Mizukage, there was still Master to deal with.
For the sake of the bigger picture, for Kirigakure, Hōzuki Soen would be sacrificed.
"Fine, I'll go!!"
After a moment of hesitation, Hōzuki Soen finally relented, gritting his teeth as he left the command room.
If the Third Mizukage and Master got involved, it wouldn't end well for him.
Yagura, you'd better not slip up. Pray your plan works and defeats Konoha!!
After dealing with Hōzuki Soen and sending him to eliminate the infiltrators, Yagura turned to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
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Next Bonus: 2100 Power Stones. ╰ (´꒳`) ╯
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 345+ at patreon com/ Emik01. ಥ‿ಥ
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