Kirigakure had given Konohagakure and Sarutobi Hiruzen ample time to deliberate, hold meetings, and make their decisions. They had also provided a free trial of Kirigakure's ninja escort services.
Just as that free trial was set to expire, Konoha's diplomatic envoy, Sarutobi, arrived with an official response.
Konoha agreed to hire Kirigakure's shinobi as escorts for their exported goods, paying them at standard market rates based on shipping distance and cargo weight. If any conflicts involving Kirigakure shinobi arose during the escort missions, the payment rate would be raised to at least B-rank mission levels.
The negotiations were smooth, and both sides left satisfied.
With the contract signed and payment secured, Kirigakure's shinobi would now serve as paid escorts on Konoha's merchant ships.
The days of providing free services at the cost of their own casualties were finally over, and Yagura exhaled in relief.
This agreement was a closely guarded secret—none of the other villages were aware of it.
To outsiders, it simply looked like Kirigakure had taken over escort duties for both their own and Konoha's exports.
But those experienced enough to rise to the rank of Kage weren't so easily fooled. Even if they hadn't uncovered the specifics of the secret agreement, they could piece together the situation with a bit of deductive reasoning.
Would Kirigakure really work for free?
Not a chance.
The young Mizukage was shrewd beyond his years. The only plausible explanation was that Konoha had offered significant concessions in exchange for Kirigakure's escort services.
These two villages, taking advantage of Kirigakure's neutral stance and the current inability of the three great nations to pressure them, were secretly colluding!
And all the while, they could do nothing but watch as military supplies flowed steadily into Konoha, bolstering their war effort against them.
Meanwhile, Kirigakure was quietly making a fortune.
Who was more detestable in this underhanded alliance?
—Both of them!
As reports from the front lines came in, detailing mounting losses and financial strain, the three warring villages found themselves increasingly entangled in communication and coordination.
At the same time, Kumogakure had intensified its attacks on Kirigakure's forces.
Clutching the battle reports in his hands, Yagura called for an emergency meeting with Elder Genshi. Just the two of them—Kirigakure's highest decision-makers—held a private strategy session.
The casualties had exceeded Yagura's expectations, surpassing what was acceptable for a standard mission.
It wasn't a direct assault that concerned him, but the calculated nature of Kumogakure's strikes. They weren't engaging Kirigakure's heavily armed convoys but instead targeting smaller, more vulnerable units.
They fought with overwhelming numbers, using precision tactics to catch Kirigakure off guard. And given that Kumogakure's shinobi were, on average, stronger in one-on-one combat than Kirigakure's, the reports Yagura received were grim.
His expression mirrored them.
"Elder?" Yagura asked, anxious. "How should we deal with Kumogakure's attacks?"
"Calm down. Whether we negotiate or retaliate, we must first understand why Kumogakure is escalating its aggression against us."
Genshi was far more composed. "Don't just focus on the immediate situation—look at the root cause."
Understanding the problem was key to solving it.
Yagura nodded. "Kumogakure's actions send a clear message: in this war, the three great villages are starting to feel the pressure from Konoha. They're getting desperate."
"Exactly."
Genshi nodded. "We miscalculated one thing. Given Konoha's battlefield performance, this war isn't playing out as we expected."
From the start, they had assumed the war would drag on for three to five years.
Yagura had underestimated the butterfly effect of Kirigakure's involvement with Konoha.
Genshi, on the other hand, had failed to anticipate just how strong Konoha would be, even while fighting on three fronts.
He was beginning to reassess the legendary power of the village.
"No wonder the Tsuchikage was so adamant about launching a preemptive strike against Konoha. Even if they couldn't win, they had to weaken Konoha."
Ōnoki had planned meticulously before the war, yet Konoha, despite being caught off guard, had managed to turn the tide within mere months.
At this rate, things would deviate from their initial expectations.
"The key is Sunagakure," Yagura said, pointing at Kikyo Mountain on the map. "If they fall, Iwagakure and Kumogakure might pull back, even if they haven't suffered major losses."
As for how long Sunagakure could hold out… Yagura had little faith in them.
While both Sunagakure and Kumogakure had committed twenty thousand troops to attacking Konoha, that was all they had sent. It wasn't even their full strength.
Unlike Konoha and Sunagakure, which had no choice but to go all in, Iwagakure and Kumogakure had the advantage of strategic flexibility.
Now that Konoha had stabilized, winning the war would be far harder for them. They were unlikely to invest more resources into a losing battle—just like a stockholder wouldn't keep buying into a plummeting stock.
Konoha's resilience had forced Kumogakure to reconsider its approach. Rather than wasting more troops in direct combat, they had shifted to attacking Kirigakure's supply lines.
Now, Yagura and Genshi had two pressing issues to resolve:
Strategic Concern: They needed to shift the war's balance back in favor of the three great villages, prolonging the conflict.
Immediate Threat: They had to respond to Kumogakure's increasing attacks.
"Should we reduce our support for Konoha?" Yagura asked.
"Not yet."
Genshi stopped him. "Konoha and Sunagakure are fully committed. Iwagakure and Kumogakure are not."
Instead of weakening Konoha, they should focus on forcing Iwagakure and Kumogakure to commit more resources.
"Besides, cutting ties with Konoha now would be disastrous."
Kirigakure was still developing various internal projects. Just as Konoha needed them for supplies, they needed Konoha for economic support.
Maintaining neutrality was Kirigakure's goal in this war, but they also needed to ensure that no single village became too dominant. A prolonged war was in their best interest.
For months, Yagura and Genshi had played their diplomatic cards right.
But their delicate balancing act had to remain a secret. If they were too obvious in their maneuvers, they would lose credibility with all sides.
If they suddenly abandoned Konoha to appease Kumogakure, they would lose everyone's trust.
Yagura took a deep breath. "So, what do we do about Kumogakure?"
"We wait."
Genshi remained firm. "Let them escalate further. The more unreasonable their attacks, the more justified our response will be."
Yagura frowned at the casualty reports. "But…"
"Being a leader means making hard choices."
Genshi's voice was gentle but firm. "You need to be ruthless when necessary—just like you were with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
Yagura fell silent.
"You must let Kumogakure believe we are weak and exploitable," Genshi continued. "Then, when they overextend, we will strike back with overwhelming force."
Yagura hesitated. "Who will lead that attack?"
Genshi's gaze was unwavering. "You, Mizukage."
...
Kirigakure...
As Yagura thought about the current state of his village, his vision darkened for a moment.
Besides himself, there was truly no one else who could handle this task.
If this were five years later, when Mangetsu and Mei Terumi had grown up, he wouldn't have to worry about lacking capable subordinates.
But right now, he was alone.
There was an unspoken rule in the ninja world.
The strongest Kage among the Five Great Shinobi Villages would not enter the battlefield unless absolutely necessary.
Even with Konoha's war reaching this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi had yet to personally take the field.
Because once a Kage joined the fight, their counterpart on the opposing side would have every reason to do the same.
Before Yagura took over as Mizukage, the old Third had already informed him of this unspoken agreement: "If I step onto the battlefield, the Third Raikage will have every right to do the same."
Elder Genshi nodded in agreement.
The second issue was how to deal with Kumogakure.
A decisive strike to cripple a large force of Kumo shinobi—along with either defeating or at least holding their Raikage to a draw—would force Kumogakure to reassess their stance towards Kirigakure and Konoha.
Bringing a Kage into battle was the only viable solution outside of traditional warfare.
"...Damn."
Yagura recalled how he had once been taken down with a single move by the Third Kazekage.
He was confident in his ability to decimate a thousand-strong force of Kumo ninja.
But if his opponent was the Third Raikage...
That man was a giant who had once single-handedly fought the Eight-Tails to a draw, battling until both of them collapsed from exhaustion.
That kind of feat spoke for itself. There was no doubt about it—among Kage-level shinobi, the Third Raikage was in a league of his own.
And the Three-Tails he controlled had five fewer tails than the Eight-Tails.
[Isobu: No argument there.]
Acknowledging the vast gap between himself and the upper echelon of Kage, Yagura chuckled bitterly.
"You really do have faith in me. If I lose, won't that just make things worse?"
He didn't even believe he had a fifty-fifty chance.
"I always thought the old Third was a crafty fox, but you're no different."
Throwing him into this situation like this...
Yagura found it all too familiar—and painful.
"Hah, I learned from the best."
With risk came reward. Elder Genshi had steeled his resolve—he was betting everything on Yagura.
"There's one more thing."
As Mizukage, Yagura quickly accepted his role. "At the very least, I'll get a chance to meet the Third Raikage face to face."
Returning to the core issue at hand...
They needed to tip the balance of the war slightly in favor of the three major villages while maintaining their fragile alliance with Konoha.
Repairing relations with Kumogakure, pushing them to invest more resources into the war, and ensuring the conflict dragged on...
Peace was built on the range of one's cannons. Nowhere was this principle more applicable than with Kumogakure.
Unlike the chronically weak Sunagakure, Kumogakure had both a strong national foundation and an aggressive Raikage, whose diplomatic stance was well known throughout the shinobi world.
When it came to Kirigakure providing Konoha with reinforcements, the Third Raikage had sent only a single diplomatic protest.
After Yagura flatly rejected it, he immediately dispatched troops for a surprise attack—escalating the situation until it had reached its current state.
Yagura's mission was to become the very cannon that would force the Raikage to reconsider his actions, redirecting his focus entirely towards Konoha instead.
As for negotiations, peace talks, and any potential exchange of interests...
That would depend on whether Yagura had the strength to sit at the negotiation table with the Third Raikage.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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