Chapter 198: As Long As Kirigakure Launches an Attack, Everything Will Be Fine!
Kirigakure.
Kimimaro stood before the Third Mizukage with a face projecting absolute corporate loyalty, his expression devoid of both joy and sorrow.
He appeared to be nothing more than a biological tool awaiting his executive's command; wherever the Third Mizukage pointed his finger, Kimimaro would deploy his kinetic force.
Genji pondered the geopolitical board for a moment before speaking: "Based on the village's current internal metrics, your proposal to initiate a foreign war is indeed the optimal strategic choice..."
"The Blood Mist HR Purge Protocol has achieved its projected ROI in tempering the baseline combat parameters of our operatives. However, as you are aware, the Academy recently suffered a moderately severe security incident, and the resulting PR blowback has yet to be contained..."
He was referring to the catastrophic event engineered by Zabuza in his rebellion against Kirigakure's Blood Mist doctrine.
During the live-combat graduation assessment, Zabuza not only liquidated a massive percentage of his graduating cohort, but also inflicted kinetic damage upon several proctors, flatly refusing to issue a corporate apology.
Zabuza's extreme actions had sent shockwaves through a significant portion of the Kirigakure shinobi corps.
The operatives' neural pathways, previously numbed by years of high-pressure authoritarian rule, were violently stimulated back into active processing. Their tolerance for the Blood Mist's internal cannibalization was rapidly deteriorating.
No one explicitly endorsed Zabuza's extremist methodology.
However, the vast majority of Kirigakure personnel recognized the rotting, systemic truth of their village through this tragedy born of sheer desperation.
Was this even a shinobi village anymore?
It had devolved into a completely inhumane, zero-sum gladiatorial arena!
If this operational trajectory continued, rolling the timeline backward to the chaotic era of the Warring States might actually be considered a progressive corporate upgrade...
This tragedy catalyzed by the Blood Mist, combined with A-Huo and Black Zetsu covertly dismantling the psychological "Prisoner's Dilemma" that kept everyone isolated in fear, caused the wave of opposition against the Third Mizukage to scale exponentially overnight!
The Third Mizukage breathed heavily, silently cursing Zabuza's name.
"These operatives simply do not comprehend the macro-vision!"
"I engineered these protocols for the ultimate prosperity of Kirigakure! Why do they insist on obstructing my administrative directives?"
"Only war... only a total theater war will force the shinobi of the Mist to realize that the Blood Mist Protocol has elevated their combat effectiveness lightyears ahead of the global market average! I will lead them to seize the most fertile, resource-rich territories on the continent!"
"Once we secure that ROI, they will finally understand my painstaking dedication and recognize that my corporate strategy was correct all along!"
Genji nodded in agreement: "That is an accurate assessment, Lord Mizukage..."
In truth, even Genji felt the Third Mizukage had pushed the purge parameters too far.
However, he remained a staunch adherent to the doctrine of "I support whoever occupies the Mizukage seat," and had thus refrained from voicing any official dissent.
From Genji's analytical perspective, Konoha was currently exhibiting profound structural weakness. If their administration could not even maintain disciplinary control over their grassroots operatives, their operational cohesion was objectively inferior to a Warring States clan...
Even if Konoha had secured a lucky technological dividend—such as reverse-engineering Soragakure's aerospace cruisers—it would be strategically useless in a real engagement.
A veteran of the Warring States era, Genji intimately understood a fundamental corporate law:
If a collective entity cannot consolidate its assets into a unified fist, no amount of superficial resource wealth matters. Once kinetic hostilities commence, their actual combat output will drop below ten percent of their theoretical maximum!
"Konoha projects a superficial illusion of strength. However, managing arrogant, entitled shinobi and deploying advanced hardware requires an exceptionally high degree of organizational discipline and chain-of-command compliance. Only then can theoretical assets be converted into genuine military dominance..."
Genji narrowed his eyes, delivering his tactical analysis:
"The moment those insubordinate, pampered Konoha elites step onto an active battlefield, they will splinter into disorganized factions. They might even leverage the chaos of war to execute internal political purges, exposing catastrophic structural vulnerabilities..."
"It can be objectively stated: the stronger Konoha appears on paper, the weaker they are in reality!"
"Lord Mizukage, I preemptively congratulate you on leading Kirigakure to a monumental military triumph!" Genji concluded with absolute, unshakeable certainty.
Standing to the side, Kimimaro's facial muscles remained perfectly rigid, but internally, he was nodding in amused agreement.
In a vacuum, Genji's geopolitical logic was not entirely flawed.
Whether it was the Uchiha, the Kaguya, or any clan prone to spawning multiple high-yield powerhouses, similar fragmentation issues had historically manifested. A hidden village could easily be analyzed as a macro-scale shinobi clan.
It was the classic paradigm of "collapse brought on by uncontrolled strength."
"Genji is certainly no fool. He possesses genuine analytical substance; it is no surprise he has served as the strategic brain trust for three successive Mizukage."
"Unfortunately, his underlying logic is sound, but his foundational data parameters are completely wrong..." Kimimaro maintained his stoic facade, but whenever he recalled the Hokage's supreme, unassailable prestige within Konoha, he had to fight the urge to laugh.
What kind of legendary executive was Great-Uncle Tenzo?
A man who sat quietly within the Hyuga main house compound, rarely stepping out of doors, yet possessed the bandwidth to monitor every geopolitical shift across the shinobi market.
The three strategic directives Tenzo had provided him required only minor local adjustments before Kimimaro effortlessly ascended to the highest echelons of Kirigakure, cementing himself as the Third Mizukage's most trusted asset.
Yet an executive of that caliber—Tenzo Hyuga—had never exhibited a single millimeter of disloyalty toward Hiruzen Sarutobi. While mentoring Kimimaro, Tenzo had spoken of the Hokage with nothing but absolute, profound reverence.
Kimimaro was no fool; he could differentiate between forced corporate compliance and genuine devotion.
Upon returning to Kirigakure, he had simultaneously consolidated his own underground faction while relentlessly studying civic and cultural texts to decompile Konoha's success.
He discovered that the Hyuga main house and branch house had been deeply, structurally bonded to the village infrastructure, achieving an exquisite, unbreakable corporate equilibrium...
From Hizashi Hyuga's deployment, to the establishment of the Konoha High Commission, to the integration of Anbu, the monopolization of diplomatic portfolios by the main house, and the total systemic reform of the next generation...
Kimimaro could practically visualize Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting across from Tenzo, sipping tea and smoking his pipe, as he methodically, effortlessly wove the Hokage's executive authority into the very fabric of the Hyuga clan, painting them completely in the colors of the Will of Fire.
It was as if the Hokage had pacified an entire millennial clan over a casual afternoon smoke...
Most crucially, the transaction resulted in a universally celebrated, win-win outcome.
The Hyuga main house relinquished their archaic, localized supremacy, but secured the highly lucrative, first-mover advantage of monopolizing Konoha's diplomatic and international trade portfolios. Furthermore, it permanently eradicated a millennium of accumulated hatred and friction from the branch house.
As for the branch house, the decommissioning of the Caged Bird Seal was the ultimate, universally popular administrative masterstroke.
Whenever Kimimaro audited this data, he felt a profound sense of awe.
Across the shinobi market, genuine bilateral cooperation was a statistical rarity. Scenarios where both factions walked away with massive positive ROI were virtually non-existent.
Yet somehow, every single case study involving the Hokage concluded with exactly that outcome...
"Kimimaro, what is your assessment?"
The Third Mizukage was immensely satisfied with Genji's analysis.
He was currently operating like a drowning man; even if he only managed to grasp a fragile reed, he had to pour all his psychological capital into believing it was a certified life raft.
Moreover, Genji's analysis was not entirely baseless; it represented the seasoned, cynical statecraft of an experienced operator.
"Lord Genji's analysis is exquisitely sophisticated. I am merely a junior operative; I feel the disparity in strategic vision between myself and a veteran like Lord Genji is simply too vast..."
"As you are aware, our Kaguya clan has historically possessed zero aptitude in the 'strategy' vertical. Though I have aggressively attempted to compensate for this deficit and match your operational tempo..."
Kimimaro offered a slightly naive, earnest smile: "I simply cannot process the data at that level. Therefore, my conclusion is that I should merely execute your direct orders. That yields the highest operational efficiency."
The Third Mizukage let out a rare, genuine laugh.
"You... you must not depreciate your own asset value so harshly!"
"The Kaguya clan's cerebral processing capacity is indeed, how should I phrase it..." The Third Mizukage paused, unable to suppress a chuckle. This was a classic, running corporate joke within Kirigakure:
"It certainly has a universally recognized reputation. But you are an anomaly!"
Even Genji offered a polite smile. The Kaguya clan's utter lack of intellectual bandwidth had been empirically verified over a millennium. For them to spawn an operative like Kimimaro, who possessed the capacity to follow basic instructions, was already a statistical miracle.
It wasn't as if they were dealing with the Hyuga clan. Did anyone actually expect a tactical genius to emerge from that lineage?
History had proven that operating in close proximity to the Hyuga did not artificially inflate the Kaguya clan's IQ...
What Genji remained blissfully unaware of, however, was this:
Historically, the joint ventures between the Hyuga and Kaguya possessed strict operational boundaries. But Kimimaro had been actively subjected to Uchiha psychological recalibration, holistic Konoha cultural immersion, and Great-Uncle Tenzo's unrestricted, proprietary mentorship...
"I see immense potential in you, boy. Remain close to my office and continue your administrative training!"
The Third Mizukage nodded with deep satisfaction.
Kimimaro's heart stirred. This was an overt executive signal indicating he was being groomed for the succession pipeline...
Yet Kimimaro simply offered another earnest, loyal nod, keeping his mouth firmly shut.
The Third Mizukage and Genji exchanged a glance, both breaking into laughter, shaking their heads in fond amusement.
He couldn't even parse a direct promotion hint?
Truly, foolish in the most endearing, reliable way...
"Genji, issue a village-wide directive immediately. The time has come to validate the ROI of the Blood Mist Protocol on the global stage!"
The Third Mizukage shot a final, approving glance at Kimimaro before his expression hardened into absolute executive severity:
"Dispatch diplomatic envoys to Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure! Inform them that Kirigakure is mobilizing to carve up Konoha's market share. Anyone who wants a cut of the profits needs to fall in line behind our vanguard!"
"To demonstrate our absolute corporate commitment, we will be the first to launch an amphibious beachhead assault on the Land of Fire! Full mobilization!"
"Ensure those other executives understand one critical parameter: even if they intend to fracture the coalition and cannibalize each other after securing their respective territorial dividends, they must maintain absolute unity until Konoha's infrastructure is completely liquidated! We cannot allow a repeat of the First Great Shinobi War, where the coalition panicked at the first sign of friction and immediately turned their weapons on each other!"
As an ancient veteran of the shinobi market, the Third Mizukage had served as the personal bodyguard to the First Mizukage.
He had lived through the Warring States era and survived two complete Great Shinobi Wars...
The catastrophic collapse of the four-village coalition during the First Great Shinobi War remained vividly seared into his memory.
At that time, Konoha had lost both Hashirama and Madara. Even though Tobirama Senju had deployed tactical doctrines that still haunted the Third Mizukage's nightmares to this day, the other four major hidden villages also commanded breathtaking, generational talents...
If they had maintained a unified corporate front, they absolutely possessed the kinetic yield to win!
But twisting four rival cartels into a single, cohesive rope was functionally impossible.
Konoha was undeniably a terrifying threat.
But the historical blood feuds between the other hidden villages were equally lethal; an inherent, unbreakable chain of suspicion governed their interactions.
Yet surely they shouldn't have devolved into total chaos the moment they encountered operational resistance?
The Third Mizukage sighed. In reality, simply establishing basic organizational discipline within one's own village was difficult enough, let alone maintaining a stable, high-trust coalition with rival superpowers.
"Konoha's Will of Fire doctrine... I suppose it possesses some marginal utility in that regard..."
The Third Mizukage let out a cold, dismissive snort:
"If it were not for the lingering prestige of the God of Shinobi, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's foolish, bleeding-heart diplomacy, a more aggressive Konoha might actually serve as the perfect external pressure-cooker to force the other four hidden villages into a permanent, unified alliance."
But under current market conditions, to mobilize the other four hidden villages, the Third Mizukage had no choice but to position Kirigakure as the spearhead.
While this guaranteed his forces would absorb the absolute brunt of Konoha's defensive firepower—a maneuver that carried immense overhead costs with no guaranteed profit—he had exhausted all other administrative options.
If he delayed any longer, Kirigakure would detonate into a full-scale civil war!
Genji nodded: "Every strategy carries dual variables. The Will of Fire has fostered complacency among Konoha's grassroots operatives, while simultaneously misleading the rival villages into underestimating their threat level..."
"There is no need for anxiety, Lord Mizukage. The moment we establish a beachhead in the Land of Fire, the other cartels will inevitably launch their own offensives. Our display of commitment in this venture is unprecedented in shinobi history."
The Third Mizukage nodded in agreement.
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently operating under the corporate brand of "Hashirama," rather than the terrifying moniker of "Madara"...
Thinking of this, the Third Mizukage felt a pang of historical regret.
How did the Ghost of the Uchiha lose the engagement at the Valley of the End?
If he had managed to secure a victory over the God of Shinobi, even if it resulted in mutual, catastrophic injuries... the geopolitical landscape would have been perfect...
Kimimaro blinked slowly, remaining entirely silent.
He had personally witnessed Hiruzen Sarutobi deploy Ice Release within the Academy training grounds...
The apocalyptic kinetic density of that jutsu... Kimimaro suspected not even the supreme patriarch of the Yuki clan could replicate it...
"I wonder if the Hokage's combat metrics have scaled even higher during the two or three years I have been deployed overseas?"
"Does he resemble the Ghost of the Uchiha? Negative, that is statistically improbable. Great-Uncle Tenzo never flagged that data point in his briefings..." The thought brought a wave of intense nostalgia for his time as an exchange student in Konoha.
Despite wielding immense executive authority in Kirigakure, Kimimaro walked on thin ice every single day. A single misstep could trigger fatal paranoia and systemic questioning, rendering peaceful sleep a biological impossibility.
Yet during his residency within the Uchiha compound, Kimimaro had slept deeply and soundly every single night. Even the ambient air had felt saturated with tranquility.
In an environment as toxically unstable as Kirigakure, let alone Kimimaro, even Genji and the Third Mizukage found it impossible to rest. Every operative treated their peers as active hostile threats. The ambient psychological tension radiated from the lowest-tier Genin straight up to the executive suite, generating a constant, agonizing friction.
"Deploy! Transmit my mandate to every operative in the village!"
The Third Mizukage waved his hand expansively, rolling his shoulders to prepare for combat.
A vicious, predatory glint flashed in his eyes. Compared to the other Kage on the continent, he held a classified, supreme trump card.
He possessed the authorized bandwidth to interface with the Three-Tails!
Through specialized sealing architecture, even without submitting to full Jinchuriki integration, he could actively siphon chakra from the beast...
Combining Kage-tier combat metrics with the auxiliary power of a Tailed Beast, the Third Mizukage harbored absolute confidence in his maritime supremacy...
"If only I possessed the administrative clearance to dominate the Three-Tails back then..."
"That absolute maniac would never have defeated me! I possess an overwhelming desire to exhume his corpse and demand a rematch..." The Third Mizukage muttered to himself. Even after all these decades, the sheer corporate humiliation of losing to Gengetsu Hozuki burned like acid in his veins.
Kirigakure.
Internal Affairs Division.
A highly classified, subterranean safe house.
Kimimaro, Yuki, and Kisame sat in a tight triangle.
The three Konoha exchange alumni had established a solid operational footprint within Kirigakure. Leveraging Kimimaro's executive status to exploit the systemic blind spots of the Blood Mist Protocol, they had successfully aggregated a highly motivated, vibrant underground syndicate.
"The Third Mizukage has finally authorized a formal declaration of war against Konoha!"
Kimimaro's face was a mask of absolute severity:
"You two must disseminate this directive to all our affiliated operatives immediately: the moment you encounter Konoha personnel on the grid, you execute an immediate tactical retreat. I will generate falsified operational orders assigning our units to 'strategic evasion and logistical support' tasks. If any of our assets get Konoha blood on their hands, our future integration will be catastrophically compromised..."
"Brief them thoroughly. Ensure they understand this is strictly for their own survival. You and I possess granular data on the baseline quality of Konoha's operatives. Their training intensity and organizational discipline are variables Kirigakure simply cannot match."
"Furthermore, Kirigakure currently maintains a normalized diplomatic and economic partnership with Konoha. Executing a sudden, unprovoked corporate backstab will inevitably trigger the unmitigated fury of the Leaf. If our units push too close to the vanguard and get liquidated by retaliatory fire, it would be a tragic waste of human capital."
"We did not endure the trials of the shinobi world simply to serve as disposable cannon fodder for an incompetent CEO like Kitori!"
Kisame and Yuki nodded with natural, unforced synchronization: "Understood! We will execute the directive!"
During their deployment in Kirigakure, they had firmly established Kimimaro as the undisputed strategic brain trust of their syndicate...
The man was undeniably brilliant and ruthlessly effective!
It reached the point where Kisame had once privately queried Kimimaro: "Brother, I am a shark-human hybrid. I mean absolutely no offense by this, but I must ask... are you certain you possess Kaguya genetics?"
The question had made Kimimaro laugh out loud.
"Regarding Mei Terumi..."
Kimimaro pondered the variable for a moment: "Kisame, deploy subtle diplomatic signaling. Ensure she comprehends our operational posture. After all, we shared the same educational cohort in Konoha; we owe her that baseline professional courtesy."
Due to her clan's aristocratic standing, Mei Terumi harbored intense dissatisfaction toward the Blood Mist Protocol.
However, her anti-establishment sentiment was not as radically developed as Kimimaro's syndicate, resulting in her exclusion from their core executive circle.
Kimimaro's collaboration with her operated on a basis of unspoken mutual understanding; neither had explicitly declared their ultimate loyalty to Konoha.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Yagura Karatachi, Genji, and the Three-Tails will all be deployed to the absolute front lines during this campaign..."
"Let them absorb the vanguard pressure. We will preserve our viable combat assets and await the optimal window for me to re-establish secure comms with Great-Uncle Tenzo. From there, we await my direct tactical commands."
Kisame nodded, calculating the logistics:
"That should be highly executable. The village's internal infrastructure is currently fractured into dozens of competing factions. Never mind our deliberate evasion tactics; once the kinetic engagement initiates, the overlapping, contradictory orders from rival commanders will generate total operational chaos."
Genji's structural analysis of Konoha actually served as a flawless, hyper-accurate diagnostic of Kirigakure's current reality.
Once the war started, Kirigakure's abysmal organizational discipline would result in a totally disjointed command chain, making it trivial to obscure their movements in the fog of war.
Especially since the military oversight committee was currently operating under Kimimaro's direct administration.
"Battlefield variables are inherently volatile, but during this campaign, we must engineer a scenario that results in the permanent liquidation of the Third Mizukage. Optimally, we should also arrange for the termination of that meddlesome relic, Genji. Once those two assets are removed from the board, no entity within Kirigakure will possess the leverage to obstruct our takeover..."
Kisame stated with low, lethal intensity. Having his psychological loyalty thoroughly shattered by the Blood Mist, he had begun to drift toward a darker, more ruthless operational philosophy.
Remaining tethered to these parasitic executives in Kirigakure guaranteed a future devoid of any positive ROI!
Yuki added her tactical input: "If the window presents itself, we should also target Fuguki Suikazan, Jinpachi Munari, and Kushimaru Kuriarare for immediate liquidation. The psychological architecture of those three operatives is completely corrupted; they are addicted to mindless slaughter..."
A flash of genuine fury sparked in Kisame's eyes.
The "Heartless Duo" (Jinpachi and Kushimaru) executed their own village's operatives with extreme prejudice, and Fuguki Suikazan was nothing more than a sycophantic lapdog desperate for the Third Mizukage's approval...
"I will secure the operational window to terminate them! Leaving Samehada and the other Ninja Swords in their possession is a catastrophic insult to the weapons' prestige."
Kimimaro nodded, his voice dropping into a tone of solemn, executive gravity:
"Comrades, let us synchronize our efforts and permanently terminate the Blood Mist Protocol!"
Kisame and Yuki exchanged a glance, reaching out to grasp Kimimaro's hand. The three palms stacked heavily upon one another, cementing their corporate pact.
"For Market Peace and Kirigakure!"
This was the official, public-facing mission statement of their syndicate.
Kimimaro drew a deep breath, silently amending the oath within his own mind: "For my accelerated promotion to the Konoha High Commission!"
Several days later.
Kirigakure's diplomatic envoys arrived at the capitals of the rival hidden villages, delivering the Third Mizukage's formal pledge to serve as the invasion's vanguard.
Iwagakure.
A few days prior, Roshi had returned to the village, submitting comprehensive intelligence dossiers detailing the bilateral partnership between Amegakure and Konoha. He also presented a copy of Jiraiya's bestselling publication, Saving Elite Jonin Yashiro.
Upon auditing the intelligence, Onoki experienced a massive spike in strategic anxiety. He had never forecasted that even a subsidiary like Amegakure would be outfitted with Soragakure's aerospace technology...
This guaranteed that Konoha's primary forces were equipped with exponentially superior hardware.
For Iwagakure and the Land of Earth, aerial superiority was an asset that provoked both ravenous envy and profound dread.
The vast majority of the Land of Earth consisted of desolate, rocky badlands and jagged mountain ranges. While its geography was marginally more hospitable than Sunagakure's desert, its logistics and transportation infrastructure was severely crippled.
If they could secure mass-produced aerial transport units, the Land of Earth could resolve the vast majority of its supply-chain bottlenecks overnight. However, if an enemy cartel monopolized that technology, the strategic value of Iwagakure's impenetrable natural terrain would be instantly liquidated.
After reading Jiraiya's book, Onoki cursed Hiruzen Sarutobi's political cunning: "To deploy this level of targeted psychological propaganda! He is aggressively weaponizing the Will of Fire brand!"
"He is lauded as the Professor of Ninjutsu; he should be researching the five elements! Since when did he pivot into deploying macro-level Genjutsu?!"
"And they call him an honest, conservative executive! Is this how the God of Shinobi intended for the Will of Fire to be leveraged?!"
Despite his furious ranting, Onoki re-read the manuscript multiple times. When he ran the macroeconomic projections on the revenue generated by the "Sovereign Sage Pills," his complexion turned a sickly, ashen gray...
There was a high statistical probability that at least half of this data was empirically accurate!
If so, the threat model was absolutely apocalyptic...
Consequently, Onoki immediately scheduled an emergency summit with the Earth Daimyo. He issued an executive mandate classifying the book as prohibited contraband across the entire Land of Earth, strictly banning its sale and distribution under penalty of severe judicial prosecution.
The arrival of the Kirigakure envoy, however, flooded Onoki with aggressive, kinetic excitement.
Currently, the Third Tsuchikage convened an all-hands executive summit, scanning the assembled leadership: "What is your assessment?"
Before Roshi, Han, or Kitsuchi could submit their analysis, Onoki unilaterally answered his own query:
"Konoha. We have zero choice but to initiate hostilities!"
"If we allow Hiruzen Sarutobi to maintain his current developmental trajectory, Konoha will secure another massive evolutionary leap. If we delay this engagement by another fiscal cycle, Iwagakure will be permanently priced out of the global market. Now is the optimal window to launch the offensive!"
"For the ultimate survival of Iwagakure, we must execute a 'Preemptive Corporate War.' Even if we fail to extract immediate, tangible ROI from this campaign, we must violently disrupt Konoha's unregulated expansion sequence..."
Onoki's gaze was lethal and uncompromising.
The doctrine of "Preemptive War" dictated that when an adversary's operational strength was projected to scale exponentially, and one's own faction lacked a viable mechanism for rapid growth, initiating hostilities early was mandatory to avoid being placed in an irrecoverable, subordinate position in the future.
This was a classic byproduct of geopolitical market mechanics.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi had been privy to Onoki's internal monologue, he would have accurately categorized the phenomenon as the "Thucydides Trap."
When a rapidly expanding, newly empowered entity threatens established market equilibrium and legacy monopolies, the incumbent powers inevitably succumb to profound paranoia and systemic miscalculation. This compounding terror possesses an extremely high probability of triggering total war.
This was especially true given Hiruzen's dual-pronged economic strategy...
He wasn't merely targeting the rival hidden villages; he had planted a massive, explosive financial singularity directly within the sovereign nobility of every nation.
For now, the resource capital and noble wealth of the Land of Earth remained somewhat stable, but long-term projections guaranteed that liquidity would eventually hemorrhage directly into Konoha's treasury!
That equated to Iwagakure suffering catastrophic internal capital bleed before a single kunai was even thrown.
What was the point of even fighting at that stage?
It was only today, upon executing a full retrospective audit, that Onoki realized the sheer, venomous brilliance of Hiruzen Sarutobi's economic statecraft!
"You summon us for an executive audit, refuse to grant us the floor, and simply dictate the policy yourself. What was the purpose of this summit?!"
Roshi retorted with intense dissatisfaction: "Your dictatorial management style is hardly a new development. Cease the performative theater of pretending you value external feedback!"
"If you intend to declare war on Konoha, issue the official mandate. If not, adjourn the summit immediately. I lack the bandwidth to waste on your bureaucratic posturing..."
With the threat of war looming, Roshi paradoxically felt an increased sense of operational security.
What was Onoki going to do? Liquidate him with Particle Style right before a major theater deployment?
In the interest of objective fairness, Roshi acknowledged that Onoki was a highly competent Tsuchikage.
He had managed to sustain the largest standing shinobi demographic in the world using the notoriously impoverished resources of the Land of Earth, and his day-to-day dispute resolution was generally equitable.
However, his leadership was suffocatingly autocratic. Toward a high-value strategic asset like Roshi—a fully matured Jinchuriki capable of autonomous Tailed Beast synchronization—Onoki projected zero institutional respect, constantly issuing barking orders and micromanaging his deployments...
This wasn't entirely an expression of personal malice on Onoki's part.
The chronic scarcity of resources forced him to enforce absolute, egalitarian suppression across all top-tier combat assets.
This generated a psychological illusion of equality among the lower-tier operatives, effectively transferring the administrative cost of governance onto the shoulders of the elite.
It was a tactic to maintain the compliance and morale of the vast majority of Iwagakure's rank-and-file without expending actual financial capital.
"Roshi, I sincerely hope your insubordinate temper translates into kinetic output on the battlefield."
Onoki narrowed his eyes, forcibly suppressing his rising fury: "If Kirigakure has genuinely committed to initiating hostilities as they claim, then Iwagakure must mobilize in tandem..."
"During this campaign, our absolute primary objective is the acquisition of Konoha's aerospace tech portfolio. Secondly, we must shatter the bilateral alliance between Amegakure and Konoha. Allowing an executive like Hiruzen Sarutobi to maintain a centralized, radiating logistics hub poses a catastrophic threat to our market..."
"Transmit my executive mandate: all shinobi are to transition to DEFCON 1 immediately!"
"Dispatch diplomatic envoys to Kirigakure and Sunagakure..."
Onoki ran the geopolitical calculus: "Inform the Third Mizukage: as long as his forces strike Konoha, Iwagakure will absolutely commit kinetic support!"
"Those starving hyenas in Sunagakure won't remain passive either. The Wind Daimyo and their barren geography have severely truncated their operational runway. If they continue to stagnate, they are mathematically guaranteed to fall out of the Five Great Villages index..."
Kitsuchi raised a hand: "Lord Tsuchikage, what is the protocol regarding Kumogakure?"
"Hmph. There is no need to interface with that brute..."
Onoki waved a dismissive hand: "Initially, I intended to open backchannel comms with him. But given his animal cunning, he undeniably recognizes the existential necessity of containing Konoha's expansion..."
"Furthermore, attempting to negotiate a stable, early-phase alliance with him yields zero ROI. Kumogakure's diplomatic policy is notoriously volatile; they flip allegiances faster than turning a page. Sending a Kirigakure envoy to their office serves the exact same purpose as sending one of our own."
Kitsuchi nodded thoughtfully.
He had often observed that despite his father and the Third Raikage constantly hurling venomous insults at one another...
Whenever a major crisis erupted, the cognitive processing of the two executives achieved bizarre, almost telepathic synchronization.
Roshi listened to Onoki's directives in silence, releasing a faint sigh: "I genuinely intended to find a window to conduct a physical inspection of the Konoha described in that book... It appears that opportunity has been permanently liquidated."
"If you possess zero desire to engage in this conflict, why are you complying with the deployment order?" The Four-Tails asked from within, genuinely puzzled.
"I am, fundamentally, an operative of Iwagakure. While I harbor profound distaste for Onoki's administration, I maintain loyalty to the Land of Earth."
Roshi shook his head: "This is the inescapable tragedy of my current biological spawn-point. There is no alternative. I can only pray that in my next lifecycle, I spawn in an era of absolute market peace, where I can operate as an autonomous, free-roaming monk."
The Four-Tails paused, surprised.
These specific ideological leanings were precisely why the Four-Tails had agreed to establish a cooperative synchronization with Roshi in the first place.
He was not a man addicted to slaughter...
"The Old Man, in his earliest days, was also a monk striving to engineer a world of absolute peace..."
"What a profound tragedy that his corporate vision failed..."
"I wonder if your consciousness is still active today? Even if you are, I suppose you are simply in deep hibernation somewhere..."
The Four-Tails lowered its massive, simian head, its emotional matrix clouded with complex nostalgia.
Kumogakure.
The Third Raikage delivered a mobilization address functionally identical to Onoki's.
The core thesis: Konoha's developmental trajectory could no longer be permitted to run unchecked. Now that Kirigakure had volunteered to serve as the vanguard, failing to capitalize on the momentum would be an act of gross corporate negligence.
"Plunder!"
"Liquidate their aerospace tech portfolios, their Kekkei Genkai assets, and their proprietary jutsu libraries!"
"We will not restrict our acquisitions to Konoha. The moment the coalition inevitably fractures into chaotic free-for-all engagements, we must execute high-velocity raids to hijack resources from the other hidden villages..." The Third Raikage crossed his massive, muscular arms:
"We must confront the objective reality: our market share has already fallen significantly behind Konoha's!"
"Our previous inaction was dictated by the certainty that if we launched a unilateral strike, Onoki and the other cartels would simply wait for us to exhaust our capital before swooping in to steal the dividends. Now that Kirigakure is willing to operate as the ablative armor, we cannot let this window close..."
"Since we are operating from a deficit, the most efficient method to close the gap is aggressive, unrestricted acquisition."
"Rest assured, my brothers! The Fourth Raikage, Killer B, and I will be standing at the absolute vanguard of the formation..."
The Third Raikage's voice boomed with lethal authority: "Follow my lead!"
The assembled Cloud shinobi erupted into thunderous, fanatical applause. There was zero internal opposition.
Compared to Iwagakure, Kumogakure possessed superior natural resources and an executive whose charismatic leadership was aggressively extroverted. Consequently, the Cloud boasted an organizational discipline second only to Konoha.
"Comrades, you must hardwire this variable into your operational awareness: whether it is Kirigakure, Iwagakure, or Sunagakure... if Konoha successfully withstands the initial pressure wave, there is an extremely high statistical probability that one of our 'allies' will execute a corporate backstab to recoup their operational losses..."
Dodai provided the critical strategic addendum: "In the geopolitical arena—especially among the Five Great Villages—the concept of a 'true ally' is a total fabrication!"
The Third Raikage nodded in fierce agreement; Dodai had vocalized his exact internal calculus.
If Konoha proved exceptionally resilient, rendering profitable extraction impossible...
The Third Raikage would simply identify the optimal tactical window, tear a massive chunk of flesh out of one of the other coalition villages, and execute an immediate, clean extraction back to the safety of Kumogakure...
Furthermore, the Third Raikage was absolutely certain Onoki had drafted the exact same contingency plan.
Sunagakure.
"This represents Sunagakure's ultimate market opportunity!"
Rasa waved his arms aggressively, his facial features contorted with fanatical ambition: "Kirigakure has voluntarily exposed themselves! The other three Great Villages are mathematically guaranteed to match their deployment. This is our divine mandate to secure fertile, high-yield territory!"
"Lord Kazekage, issue the mobilization order immediately!"
"I volunteer to command the vanguard! I will lead our elite corps and establish absolute dominance for Sunagakure on the battlefield!"
The Third Kazekage narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling upward in satisfaction.
The diplomatic environment here contrasted sharply with Iwagakure and Kumogakure, who maintained functional, aligned consensuses with their respective Daimyos.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's dual-pronged economic offensive—targeting both the hidden villages and the feudal nobility—had inflicted suffocating, multi-spectrum agony upon Sunagakure, a village that historically suffered from deeply strained relations with the Wind Daimyo.
The Daimyo was already refusing to allocate domestic capital to his own military. Now, that liquidity was hemorrhaging out of the country entirely, flowing directly into Konoha's treasury?
It was an absolute corporate outrage!
Watching the nobles of the Land of Wind bypass the state apparatus to conduct high-volume trade with Konoha via the Amegakure logistics hub, the Third Kazekage was driven to such a state of desperate fury he seriously considered deploying an assassination squad to liquidate the Daimyo and install a more compliant executive!
But executing that protocol was impossible.
The Hyuga main house, operating as Konoha's elite diplomatic and sales division, maintained deep, continuous engagement with the independent nobility of the Land of Wind. If the Daimyo died under suspicious circumstances, Konoha's intelligence network would flag the anomaly instantly...
If an assassination plot against a Daimyo was exposed, Sunagakure would be slapped with the ultimate geopolitical taboo. The other four hidden villages would immediately form a coalition to legally annihilate them...
But now, the paradigm had shifted entirely...
The moment total war was declared, the Wind Daimyo and his nobility—regardless of their cozy economic ties with Konoha—would be legally obligated to fully subsidize Sunagakure's military campaign.
Chiyo listened, nodding in slow agreement. She had historically been a staunch advocate for kinetic action against Konoha.
She harbored a bitter blood feud against the Leaf. As a veteran of the Warring States era, she possessed an innate, biological paranoia toward any entity wielding the combined genetics of the Senju and the Uchiha.
"However... did we not just ratify a formal non-aggression treaty with Konoha?"
Pakura furrowed her brow, raising her hand to voice her dissent.
The moment that sentence cleared her lips, the assembled Sunagakure executives stared at her as if she were a newly discovered species of livestock...
Had this woman liquidated all her cognitive processing power to fuel her combat training? How could an executive output a query that painfully naive?
Did anyone on this continent genuinely believe shinobi peace treaties held more structural integrity than toilet paper?
"That is not the angle I intended..."
Pakura shifted uncomfortably under the intense, derisive scrutiny: "My point is, if we unilaterally shred the peace treaty, regardless of its actual legal weight, the operational fury of the Konoha corps directed at us will escalate to maximum yield..."
"Konoha's military capacity is formidable. We secured empirical data verifying this during both our border skirmishes and their surgical strike against Kusagakure."
"Should we not maintain a posture of strategic observation?"
Pakura carefully modulated her phrasing: "If Konoha's defensive perimeter collapses, it will not be too late for us to enter the market..."
"Furthermore, auditing the Amegakure case study, there is a viable argument for pursuing a new multilateral alliance with Konoha and the Rain. The economic dividends of that model are substantial. What is the board's assessment?"
Before the Third Kazekage could respond, Rasa locked eyes with his superior, instantly read the room, and slammed his hand onto the table, roaring:
"Pakura! If you lack the required executive bandwidth, cease attempting to destabilize military morale!"
"Do you believe the other three hidden villages are operated by fools?! You think they will simply bleed their assets dry while we wait to swoop in and steal the harvest?! If we attempt that playbook, the microsecond we enter the theater, the other cartels will instantly pivot and launch a coordinated strike to annihilate us!"
Chiyo nodded slightly. That logic was flawlessly sound.
Playing the geopolitical fence was an exceptionally high-risk, high-skill maneuver. A slight miscalculation, and the village would find itself crushed between two opposing juggernauts.
"A joint venture with Konoha?! How do you even have the audacity to propose such a strategy!"
Rasa's eyes burned with vicious, uncompromising ambition:
"Amegakure is satisfied subsisting on Konoha's table scraps; playing the role of an obedient guard dog is Hanzo's prerogative! Are you genuinely equating Sunagakure—a sovereign Great Hidden Village—with a pathetic, micro-cap subsidiary?"
"If you possess the diplomatic leverage to force Konoha to cede prime agricultural territory to us, then by all means, execute the deal!"
Pakura, choked by Rasa's aggressive rhetoric, found herself temporarily unable to formulate a counter-argument.
"Let me brief you on a core operational truth, Pakura. Never forget the supreme mandate of the First Kazekage!"
Rasa cited historical precedent with righteous fury: "During the inaugural Five Kage Summit, Lord Reto demanded sovereign territory from the other four Kage directly to their faces! He was only denied because they formed an illegal cartel to reject his terms!"
"Fertile territory... that has been Lord Reto's singular obsession since the incorporation of this village..."
"Pakura, are you actively advocating for the betrayal of the First Kazekage's foundational Will?!"
Dropping a political liability of that magnitude onto her head caused Pakura to flinch in genuine fear, shaking her head rapidly in denial.
The First Kazekage, Reto, was a historical anomaly whose audacity had once left Tobirama Senju utterly speechless.
During the first Five Kage Summit, leveraging the fact that Sunagakure already possessed the One-Tail, Reto refused to purchase additional Tailed Beast assets. Instead, he aggressively demanded the transfer of Konoha's fertile agricultural land. The critical variable was that Reto wasn't offering to purchase the land with capital; he demanded it as an absolute entitlement!
Furthermore, he demanded a thirty percent cut of the capital the other villages paid to purchase their Tailed Beasts. If his terms were not met, he threatened to veto the global peace treaty.
Tobirama had nearly laughed out loud during the summit. Did this man genuinely believe Hashirama was an idiot?
Fortunately, the other three First Kage immediately intervened, informing Reto that if he maintained that posture, he should prepare to absorb an immediate, multi-front kinetic strike!
However, the primary catalyst for their intervention was highly likely a desire to prevent Madara and Tobirama from using Reto's arrogance as a casus belli to initiate total war...
But Tobirama had permanently logged Reto—and Sunagakure as a corporate entity—into his threat matrix. He repeatedly briefed young Hiruzen Sarutobi that any cooperative agreements signed with this specific village must be treated with extreme skepticism...
"Since there are no further objections..."
The Third Kazekage nodded slowly, preparing to finalize the mandate. However, at that exact moment, Sasori drawled with lazy, contemptuous indifference:
"I endorse Pakura's proposal!"
Chiyo and Ebizo both froze. Why is my precious grandson issuing public statements without running them by me first?!
Rasa and the Third Kazekage were equally stunned. Sasori's psychological profile was notoriously introverted and apathetic; he virtually never engaged in executive debate...
"I have already established that this operation aligns with the First Kazekage's foundational Will. Do you still intend to support Pakura?"
Rasa's brow furrowed into a deep, aggressive scowl.
"What 'Will'? A delusional fantasy of securing a secondary Tailed Beast dividend and walking away with nothing?"
Sasori scoffed with open derision: "Cease weaponizing Lord Reto's name to intimidate the board. Sunagakure's actual corporate expansion was entirely driven by the Second Kazekage, Lord Shamon's, R&D breakthroughs in Puppetry. That technology single-handedly compensated for the village's catastrophic resource deficits..."
"Regarding the Puppetry vertical, I am objectively the supreme technical authority within Sunagakure. None of you even qualify to audit my work..."
"The Sand Manipulation jutsu you all rely upon was also invented by Lord Shamon, merely hybridized with Magnet Release."
"I demand to know: have you inherited the operational Will of the Second Kazekage? You constantly advocate for kinetic warfare. Your bandwidth would be vastly better spent auditing and optimizing our internal resource allocation! Did Sunagakure extract a single positive dividend from the Second Great Shinobi War?"
"My parents are authorized to die in service to Sunagakure, but I absolutely refuse to allow them to be liquidated by the incompetent decision-making of this executive board!"
Rasa's expression locked in stunned paralysis.
This chronically depressed, reclusive teenager had suddenly developed an incredibly sharp, venomous rhetorical bite?
And he possessed the tactical awareness to weaponize the Second Kazekage's legacy to counter the First's?
Sasori smiled faintly to himself, struck by a profound appreciation for the sheer volume of eccentric, high-tier talent operating under Lord Tobirama's umbrella.
Naturally, he hadn't formulated this rhetorical attack strategy himself.
It had been meticulously workshopped for him by A-Huo and the other "Six Kage," who possessed exhaustive, granular intelligence regarding the historical gossip and political leverage points of every hidden village.
As long as the resulting internal chaos exclusively damaged Sunagakure, they were perfectly happy to supply the ammunition...
Chiyo blinked forcefully but maintained absolute silence.
For her, the fact that her precious grandson was actively engaging in Sunagakure's political discourse—breaking out of his severe depression—was a massive, overriding victory. Every other administrative concern was strictly secondary.
As for openly contradicting the Third Kazekage? Chiyo couldn't care less.
Furthermore, Sasori's logic was impeccably sound...
In terms of institutional seniority and foundational legitimacy, Elders Chiyo and Ebizo possessed corporate equity fully equal to, if not exceeding, the Third Kazekage's!
"I will state my position plainly. You may initiate this war, and I will participate. However, I hold zero confidence that Rasa and the Kazekage possess the operational capacity to project meaningful combat power once decoupled from Sunagakure's localized desert environment..."
Sasori shrugged indifferently:
"If this campaign results in another catastrophic defeat, I expect a formal, public accountability audit. I have reached the absolute limit of my tolerance for mediocre executives executing flawed strategies and refusing to absorb the institutional consequences."
Having delivered his verdict, Sasori stood up and exited the conference chamber without waiting for dismissal.
"Chiyo, did you authorize this insubordination?" The Third Kazekage demanded, his face darkening with fury.
"As you are aware, my grandson possesses a notoriously isolated personality. Since the trauma of losing his parents, he has suffered from chronic clinical depression..."
Chiyo waved a dismissive hand, her gaze remaining entirely unyielding:
"I advise you not to internalize his remarks, Lord Kazekage. Sasori was merely venting. He was likely triggered by the memory of his parents sacrificing themselves for the village."
"I will issue him a strict disciplinary reprimand upon my return. In the interim, I strongly suggest you focus your executive bandwidth on formulating a strategy to secure victory in this impending war!"
Pakura watched the exchange unfold, her mouth slightly ajar in sheer astonishment.
So this is how high-level corporate warfare is truly waged?
Compared to this, her political instincts were functionally identical to a Genin's!
The Third Kazekage narrowed his eyes. There were days he genuinely questioned the chain of command...
Was he the supreme executive of Sunagakure, or was Chiyo the actual CEO?
"To solidify my absolute authority as the 'Perfected' Kazekage, I must secure an overwhelming, undeniable military victory!"
The Third Kazekage cemented his operational resolve.
One month later.
Ichiraku Ramen.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Might Dai sat shoulder-to-shoulder at the counter, ravenously consuming massive bowls of the establishment's latest culinary innovations.
After polishing off an indeterminate number of servings, they finally wiped their mouths, looking thoroughly, profoundly satisfied.
"The craftsmanship of Teuchi and Ichiraku is scaling with terrifying velocity..."
Hiruzen offered his genuine, heartfelt endorsement:
"I had heard rumors circulating the village that Ichiraku possessed the latent potential of a 'Ramen Sage.' Initially, I assumed it was exaggerated marketing hype, but upon empirical verification, the data is flawlessly accurate!"
The Sage of Six Paths let out a booming laugh, his eyes crinkling with warm, merchant-like humility: "You flatter me, Lord Hokage! I am unworthy of such a grandiose title. I am merely gratified that the Hokage finds my product satisfactory!"
Hiruzen chuckled warmly: "You are far too modest..."
Hiruzen harbored profound, instinctive respect for individuals who achieved excellence through grueling, dedicated manual labor and honed craftsmanship.
The warmth in the Sage of Six Paths' eyes deepened considerably.
Having observed Hiruzen Sarutobi extensively over the past operational cycle, the Sage's assessment remained exceptionally positive.
He treated the village's operatives with genuine warmth and egalitarian respect, and he maintained a ruthless, uncompromising dedication to his personal cultivation.
He was a highly promising asset—perhaps one worthy of a subtle, localized divine intervention...
However, the Sage had not yet finalized the parameters of that intervention. Should he provide assistance? And if so, through what mechanism?
More critically, the Sage's primary objective remained auditing Hiruzen's executive response to the impending theater war.
Might Dai and Hiruzen rose from their stools.
The two men conversed easily as they walked down the street.
"Lord Hokage, Commissioner Orochimaru's integration protocol utilizing Yamato's genome and the First Hokage's serum was a complete success! My biological hardware has fully adapted!"
Might Dai flexed his massive arm: "I have never experienced such overwhelming kinetic density in my life!"
Hiruzen laughed warmly: "Outstanding!"
His lunch with Might Dai today wasn't merely a casual encounter; it was a scheduled debriefing to audit the results of the Hashirama cell inoculation trials.
Current metrics indicated absolute success.
However, Might Dai possessed a highly anomalous physiological profile entirely devoid of elemental chakra affinities. To achieve universal, mass-market deployment across Konoha's forces, the R&D division required further, exhaustive clinical testing. But having secured Patient Zero, the subsequent phases would accelerate exponentially.
As they arrived at the Hokage Administrative Building, Hiruzen intended to conduct a deeper tactical review with Might Dai.
Suddenly, Danzo breached the executive suite, bursting through the doors. His single visible eye was blazing with uncontainable, ecstatic fury, and his voice trembled with a rare loss of administrative composure:
"Hiruzen! The Third Mizukage has completely lost his mind! He has officially declared war on Konoha!"
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