The Muroku Brothers had not caught the implication in Ronglin's words, but Uchiha Diqin immediately guessed what he wanted to do.
The conclusion startled Uchiha Diqin—Ronglin wanted to swallow up the Land of Rain.
This was no joke. Leaving aside the Land of Rain's harsh environment, poverty, and backwardness, annexing it would bring no benefits to either Konoha or the Land of Fire. Not only that, it would trigger a whole series of negative consequences.
Its poverty and backwardness meant that after Konoha annexed the Land of Rain, it would certainly have to take responsibility for the lives of its original residents. They could not be allowed to continue living in such misery.
Then there were the Rogue Ninjas constantly causing trouble everywhere, which were already a headache. Most seriously, once the Land of Rain was annexed, the borders of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth would directly connect.
That went against the original intention of the First Five Kage in supporting the smaller nations. When the borders of major nations connected, friction could easily arise. This was a very dangerous move—one careless mistake could trigger a war.
"Why not?"
Rather than being concerned after hearing this, Ronglin crossed his arms and smiled.
"I want to annex the Land of Rain. So what if our border connects with the Land of Earth?"
"But, but..."
Uchiha Diqin grew anxious. This was not simply a matter of two major nations sharing a border, was it?
"I know."
Ronglin knew what Uchiha Diqin was worried about. He shook his head to signal that she need not continue, then spoke first.
"Annexing the entire Land of Rain means that all of its people will become a burden on Konoha, and even the entire Land of Fire. We will need to arrange