Chapter 233: Opposing Defeat, Not War Itself
"What's impossible about it?" Lord Sora Tani waved his folding fan arrogantly, head held high as he regarded Jiraiya with disdain.
"Jiraiya, you truly aren't qualified to be Hokage!"
"You fundamentally fail to understand—shinobi are born as tools for killing and plunder."
"Shinobi don't produce anything. Where do you think their food and drink come from?"
"If you don't let them kill and plunder, they simply can't survive. They'd have no reason to exist whatsoever."
"They certainly don't want casualties, but what they fear far more is suffering losses without gaining any benefits!"
"Just like your current situation."
"How is that possible?" Jiraiya utterly refused to accept Lord Sora Tani's worldview, immediately protesting: "We shinobi have always exchanged mission completion for payment. Where's the depravity you're describing?"
"Missions?" Lord Sora Tani sneered dismissively. "Then answer me this—which of those missions doesn't require killing?"
"Even reconnaissance missions, protection missions—don't they still involve killing?"
"Of course, finding lost cats and dogs doesn't require killing. Let's see if they'd starve doing only those tasks!"
"Today I'll teach you something. These ninja clans? They're hunting dogs. You must feed them bones and meat."
"As long as there's profit to be gained, they'll accept any number of casualties among their lower-ranking members!"
"They've never opposed war itself—only defeat!"
"Understand?"
Jiraiya considered carefully and realized he couldn't actually refute it.
Could it be that shinobi, at their very foundation, were fundamentally incompatible with peace?
The moment this thought emerged, Jiraiya felt his entire worldview shatter.
His chest tightened painfully. The world spun around him. He staggered backward several steps before collapsing heavily to the floor, unable to recover for a long moment.
Lord Sora Tani snapped his folding fan shut with a sharp crack, pointing it toward Jiraiya's direction as he spoke lightly:
"Jiraiya, leave war matters to Kazuma. You should obediently return to your village reconstruction!"
"Village development—such weighty matters aren't something a naive fool like you can handle."
"Once we conquer those small villages, resources will flow endlessly. You won't need to worry about lacking funds."
"As long as you behave and listen, you'll remain the village's most beloved Lord Hokage in the future."
After finishing, Lord Sora Tani swayed his folding fan, departing the room with leisurely, swaggering steps, leaving Jiraiya sitting alone, face filled with confusion and despair.
But moments later, Jiraiya rallied himself, charging from the room like a madman, roaring at the top of his lungs.
"I will stop you!"
"I absolutely won't allow war to break out again!"
He sprinted all the way to the Hokage's office, violently shoving the door open.
Kazuma sat behind the Hokage's desk, his assistant Mizuki standing behind him. A group of jonin sat in rows facing them. When they noticed Jiraiya's entrance, they merely glanced once before averting their gazes.
Jiraiya's eyes swept across the jonin's faces. Realizing that Ino-Shika-Cho and other familiar faces weren't present, his heart relaxed considerably, relieved that not everyone was so shortsighted.
"Kazuma, Lord Sora Tani mentioned launching a war. Did you know about this?"
"Ah, Lord Jiraiya, perfect timing! We're discussing exactly that!" Kazuma greeted Jiraiya with a broad smile, gesturing invitingly. "Should we target the Land of Rivers or the Land of Hot Water? What do you think?"
"Both nations have substantial territory and excellent resources."
"The Land of Rivers produces master blacksmiths. Their weapons sell throughout the world. After conquering them, we'd definitely profit enormously."
"The Land of Hot Water has excellent medical resources and grain production. The former would complement Konoha's medical system nicely, while the latter would perfectly satisfy the village's food needs."
"Wait!" Jiraiya interrupted Kazuma's words in shock. "Shouldn't you be helping me stop Lord Sora Tani?"
"Why do you seem so enthusiastic instead?"
"And you!"
Jiraiya pointed at the clan jonin, demanding harshly:
"Have you all forgotten the pain and suffering the village just endured?"
"We just ended a war. Are you already eager to launch another?"
Some jonin met his gaze shamefully lowered their heads. But others glared back fearlessly, shouting in response:
"Of course we don't want war, but we still need to eat!"
"Our businesses were destroyed. Without stable income, what are we supposed to do?"
"Also, because we lost the last war, merchants are doubting our village's strength! Fewer and fewer missions are being commissioned here."
"If we don't quickly launch an external war to prove Konoha Village's strength remains intact, future missions will only decrease further—even commission fees might drop."
"This time we're specifically targeting the weak. On one hand, we'll obtain resources to resolve our urgent needs. On the other, we'll display our military capabilities and restore the major merchants' confidence!"
Jiraiya erupted in fury, glaring at this outspoken dissenter and roaring:
"What utter nonsense!"
"Even civilian jonin aren't claiming they can't survive. Why are you clan jonin crying poverty to me?"
"Konoha Village's reputation was built through years of successful mission completion. What does one war's outcome matter?"
"After previous Great Ninja Wars, when other nations were defeated, their mission systems didn't collapse!"
"Moreover, only during peacetime do major merchants commission missions here. Once war begins, which merchants would dare come?"
"You clearly just want to wage war and plunder other nations' wealth. Don't spin these self-righteous excuses for me!"
After Jiraiya exposed everything so bluntly, the speaker's face darkened into sullen silence.
Jiraiya turned toward Kazuma, sweeping his hand decisively:
"I absolutely refuse to approve this aggressive war!"
"If the nobles wish to provide resource support, naturally we welcome it. But if they think that giving some money lets them manipulate us into launching foreign wars, that's pure delusion!"
"If the village lacks money, everyone should work harder and earn more mission rewards."
"As long as we're sufficiently diligent, even if it takes more time, we can still rebuild the village to its former prosperity."
"When Konoha Village was first established, conditions were certainly far worse than now. Yet our predecessors persevered. There's no reason we descendants can't do the same."