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A faint, almost imperceptible twitch tugged at the corner of Shikaku's mouth. He chose the path of discretion, lowering his gaze to stare fixedly at a point in front of him, adopting an air of detached neutrality.
This was not a topic he could casually engage with. It would inevitably lead back to the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage had maintained an iron grip on village affairs, consolidating matters of all sizes under his personal purview to handle them one by one. That tradition had, in many ways, carried over.
Shikaku dared not pick up the thread of the complaint because he couldn't be sure if Kazuki's target was the Third Hokage's legacy or if it was simply a weary gripe about an overwhelming workload.
Dropping his hands, Kazuki addressed the solemn-faced Shikaku. "Relax. I called you here today just for a casual talk, no official business. By the way, have you eaten yet?"
"...?"
'You dispatched an Anbu agent to summon me, making me rush to the Hokage Administration Building in a state of high alert, and now you tell me it's just for a casual chat? Not official business? There's a particular phrase on the tip of my tongue, and I'm debating its appropriateness.'
Shikaku's face settled into an expression of profound internal conflict.
"Hahaha..."
Kazuki laughed openly, reached over to clap Shikaku on the shoulder, and gestured for him to follow.
Shikaku was utterly speechless, but there was nothing he could do about Kazuki. He could only trail behind as Kazuki led him out of the administration building. The two of them walked at a leisurely pace all the way to the banks of the village's small river.
Stopping by the water's edge, Kazuki gave a signal. Anbu operatives materialized and began producing items from storage scrolls. Watching as they efficiently unsealed various bottles, jars, and a large, freshly marinated beef leg, Shikaku felt his eyelid twitch several times.
He's planning a full-blown outdoor feast?
Is this truly appropriate during working hours?
Advisor-sama, you skipped work entirely yesterday, and today you're starting your shift with this?
Mentally sighing, Shikaku went to gather firewood and got a crackling fire started.
Kazuki placed the skewered beef leg over the flames on a makeshift spit and began tending to it. As he brushed on oil, he glanced sideways at Shikaku.
"I intend to take you with me to the border tomorrow to meet with the Raikage."
"Your meaning is... the village is highly likely to become involved—no, to actively participate in a war?"
"Correct."
Conversing with a sharp mind was always efficient. A mere hint was enough for them to follow the trail of logic to its intended conclusion, sparing one the need for lengthy explanations.
Setting the basting brush aside, Kazuki sat down cross-legged. "The fact that the Raikage has secretly sent envoys to the village at this juncture, seeking a meeting with me—and a clandestine one at that—speaks volumes. He has likely set his sights on Iwagakure."
Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages and their Kage, the Raikage possessed the most volatile temper and the most relentless thirst for vengeance.
If not for that deeply ingrained desire for retribution, in the original course of events, uniting the five villages would have been far more difficult, as they would have lacked a definitive leader. Konoha could have assumed the role, but its authority was insufficient at the time.
If that's the case, then the situation is indeed quite serious.
Shikaku frowned, his mind racing.
Kazuki motioned for an Anbu member to take over managing the fire, then continued. "The Raikage's capacity for vengeance is formidable, no less potent than my own. The death of the Third Raikage left a dagger permanently twisted in his heart. Were it not for his responsibilities to his village, and if he possessed absolute certainty of success, he would have moved against Iwagakure long ago. In truth, during the Third Great Shinobi War, one of the key reasons Iwagakure was so quick to end hostilities—aside from their own resource depletion—was their fear of an assault from Kumogakure."
Konoha's official narrative proclaimed that Namikaze Minato single-handedly struck such terror into Iwagakure's heart, and that the destruction of a critical bridge forced them to sue for peace.
The reality, however... Minato was peerless, and a main supply bridge was destroyed, but did that mean Iwagakure couldn't find an alternate route?
To put it bluntly, Ōnoki simply didn't want to fight anymore.
Because the risk of having his homeland invaded was too great.
Compared to the threat posed by Minato or a disrupted supply line, Kumogakure—poised to strike directly into the Land of Earth's territory at any moment—was the far more terrifying prospect.
Shikaku nodded slowly, offering no argument.
Though he and Minato had been close friends, he had to acknowledge that the village's propaganda and Iwagakure's actual reasons for ending the war were entirely different. A blocked route could be circumvented. Minato was a legend, but Iwagakure was not comprised of weaklings. In comparison, the threat from Kumogakure was the most existential.
This was evident even in the postwar negotiations. Iwagakure offered Konoha not a shred of respect, refusing to pay a single coin in war reparations.
Publicly, it was said the Third Hokage magnanimously waived the reparations. In reality, Iwagakure simply refused to pay. The "voluntary waiver" was a face-saving measure forced upon Konoha by circumstance.
"Currently, Iwagakure's economic and intelligence situation is teetering on the brink of collapse. Meanwhile, we made preemptive moves, stationing forces at the border and leaving Iwagakure no opening. When the internal pressure within the village builds to a critical level, Ōnoki and Iwagakure's council of elders will be forced to make a choice: to divert that pressure outward through war. Given that attacking the Land of Fire is not a viable option, Iwagakure has no choice but to passively select a different target."
"So, Advisor-sama, you are suggesting Iwagakure might attack the surrounding minor nations?"
Shikaku picked up a stick and began sketching a simple map on the ground, outlining the Lands of Fire, Earth, and Lightning. Around the peripheries of these three great powers, he drew the rough shapes of several smaller countries.
"If Iwagakure launches a war, the Land of Fire is undoubtedly the prime target due to its immense wealth. Successful plunder there could solve Iwagakure's immediate crises. But the Land of Fire is untouchable for them. The Land of Lightning presents an even greater challenge. That leaves..."
Shikaku's eyes traveled over the smaller nations before coming to a rest on one.
The Land of Waterfalls.
Other minor nations were either embroiled in their own chaos, barely surviving, or possessed resources too paltry to meet Iwagakure's needs.
Therefore, the Land of Waterfalls emerged as Iwagakure's optimal choice.
Firstly, the country's geographical position was unique and defensible. Secondly, its land was reasonably fertile. While it couldn't compare to Konoha's abundance, it ranked among the better-off minor nations. The fact that this country had once purchased a tailed beast demonstrated its not-inconsiderable wealth.
Most critically, Takigakure, the Village Hidden in the Waterfall, possessed a tailed beast of its own.
Once you've decided to wage war, who the hell cares about the old rules of the shinobi world?
You just fight.
While looting resources, with a stroke of luck, they might even manage to capture the Seven-Tails and bring it back to Iwagakure.
Kazuki glanced at the crude map etched in the dirt and gave a slight smile. "The Land of Waterfalls occupies a special position. It remained untouched by all three Great Shinobi Wars. Furthermore, the country has a substantial population and fertile land, meaning it has undoubtedly amassed significant wealth over peaceful years. Seizing the Land of Waterfalls could quell the internal strife within Iwagakure."
"But..." Shikaku hesitated, the protest dying on his lips.
The Five Great Nations were not supposed to casually invade minor countries. It was a foundational agreement among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
"When your own village is on the verge of exploding, who has time to care about agreements?" Kazuki stated the cold facts.
"Besides, if I were Ōnoki, I would conquer the Land of Waterfalls with lightning speed, crush Takigakure, and strip the country of all its resources and wealth. As long as they don't attempt a permanent occupation of the land itself, even if the other villages voice objections, the situation won't escalate to an irreparable point. Moreover, once the village's internal pressure is relieved, Iwagakure will no longer fear the prospect of a new war. This is the classic strategy of sustaining war through war itself!"