"Yan didn't just go to the border to pick a fight with Iwa or ease tensions. Showing off his strength was also a warning—to Akatsuki."
"A warning? But Akatsuki's gone quiet lately."
The Third blinked, confused.
Tsunade barely held back a sigh.
*He really is getting old. Too set in his ways to see something this obvious?*
No wonder Konoha struggled so much before.
She used to think the Third had simply done his best—made some mistakes any leader might make. But now?
Now she saw how *wrong* that was. How had he already forgotten Akatsuki's threat?
No wonder Konoha kept lowering its guard during peacetime. If even the *Hokage* grew complacent, what hope was there for the rest?
"No."
Jiraiya shook his head grimly, correcting the Third:
"Akatsuki's more dangerous than any village. Until they're wiped out, the entire world's at risk."
"Yan's message is clear—since we can't find them, we'll make sure they *fear* us. Let them know targeting Konoha comes at a brutal cost."
As long as this organization isn't wiped out, the ninja world will keep facing serious danger.
"I think Yan's intention is pretty clear—since they can't find the Akatsuki, they're showing their strength instead, letting them know that Konohagakure isn't easy to mess with."
"If they want to come after Konohagakure or try to capture its Tailed Beasts, they'll have to pay a heavy price."
"I believe the goal is twofold: to push Akatsuki to shift their attention to other villages."
"It might not be the most fair approach, but it's done to protect Konohagakure and keep the village safe."
"Force them to focus on other villages instead. It's not pretty, but it protects our home."
Against a foe like Akatsuki, sometimes the best defense is making yourself too thorny to touch—while pointing them toward softer targets.
Just like Yan had once sacrificed Kirigakure's interests, this show of strength was strategic.
After all, nobody wants to grab a porcupine.
Enemies with soft fur or tough hides were still easier to deal with.
Even if they were hard to beat, at least they didn't stab your hand just by touching them.
Is that really true, though?
The Third Hokage looked doubtful.
Jiraiya went on to remind him:
"Don't forget, Yan leaked Kirigakure Village's secrets… and not long after, Kirigakure was attacked by the Akatsuki."
Considering Obito's dark turn, if those secrets hadn't been leaked, Konoha would've been the first target.
Having Kirigakure out front took the heat off us.
Sure, it wasn't the most noble move, but let's be honest—Konoha and Kirigakure aren't family. If I'm going to sell someone out, who else would it be?
"..."
*Cough cough!!*
The Third Hokage felt a little embarrassed. Thankfully, besides Shizune, both Tsunade and Jiraiya were his students.
Even if it was awkward, it was all in the family.
At least the news wouldn't spread—Shizune was Tsunade's student too, so technically still part of the circle.
Thinking that, the Third Hokage let out a small sigh of relief.
Good thing Tsunade couldn't read his thoughts. Otherwise, she'd definitely tear into him.
Still clinging to that "we're all family" nonsense, even after all these years of politics? Haven't you had enough?
"Anyway, this whole thing is good for us. No downside."
Jiraiya kept explaining his reasoning, and finished with a pointed reminder for the Third Hokage. His thoughts weren't much different from Tsunade's:
"Old man, you're not getting any younger. Don't do anything that'll make people lose trust in you.
Yan's not like me or Tsunade—if you cross him, he'll strike back."
"And you know full well—someone in his position can get revenge real easily."
"..."
The Third Hokage's face darkened. A little annoyed, he snapped:
"You think I'm that reckless and shameless?"
"Yes."
Tsunade and Jiraiya nodded at the same time.
They had known him long enough to know exactly how he worked—that's why they had to speak up.
They were really trying to help him avoid doing anything stupid again.
"Why you little—"
The Third Hokage nearly coughed up blood from the anger.
You're falsely accusing me! I should sue you for slander, you know that?
This is defamation!
There were no secrets kept—no secrets in the border camp, none in the village. Which meant the news would spread quickly. In just a short time, it could reach every major village, and then ripple outward even more.
"He's already grown this strong, huh?"
Oonoki stared at the intel scroll in his hand, his brow tightly furrowed.
In Yan, he saw a shadow of Uchiha Madara.
The stronger Yan showed himself to be, the worse it was for Iwagakure Village.
It looked like Konohagakure's overall strength level needed to be re-evaluated.
Never underestimate how much of a difference one powerful person can make to a village. A strong enough fighter can change the course of a war. That's dangerous—if your intel is outdated and you misjudge your enemy, the cost in a war could be devastating.
For most powerful ninja, the worst they do is kill a lot of enemies on the battlefield. But judging by the Susano'o Yan used, someone like him showing up in a fight would be a total disaster.
At least things didn't completely fall apart with Konohagakure before this. Even if things got tense, both sides still showed some restraint.
Even if we lost face, it wasn't as bad as Sunagakure Village. Rasa really got humiliated—chased around like a rat and stomped on.
Thinking about Rasa's situation made Oonoki feel a bit better. When you're embarrassed, comparing yourself to someone worse off helps you feel a bit more balanced.
"Raise Uchiha Yan's threat level by two more ranks."
"But... if we do that, Uchiha Yan's threat level will be higher than yours, Tsuchikage-sama..."
The assistant was a little stunned.
Wasn't that a bit too much?
"No. If he can control that kind of power, then yes—Uchiha Yan is more dangerous than I am. And way more dangerous than the Raikage too."
"Yes, understood."
The Tsuchikage's assistant quickly left to update Yan's risk level. At the same time in Kumogakure Village, the Raikage was doing something similar.
"This is pressure, plain and simple."
Yan showed his power and made it clear he wouldn't back down. It wasn't just aimed at Sunagakure Village. He was also sending a message to the other villages.
Especially Iwagakure and Kumogakure—they've always had their eyes on Konohagakure.
And of course, there's also the Akatsuki lurking in the shadows.
They were definitely one of the targets too.
Otherwise, there'd be no reason to make such a big deal over a small conflict and take things so far.