The council hall was silent.
Hyuga Yu raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping over Orochimaru's face before finally settling on the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
"Orochimaru's proposal is quite insightful."
He spoke in an even tone, without the slightest trace of emotion.
The expressions of those present varied. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, the smile on his lips unchanged, but a flicker of wariness passed through the depths of his pupils. He had expected Hyuga Yu to object, rage, or even turn hostile on the spot. The one thing he had not expected was agreement.
"The changes in the Land of Lightning began with Kumogakure. Led by shinobi and driven by an arms race with Konoha, they developed new technologies."
Hyuga Yu swept his gaze over everyone present, then said calmly, "From this perspective, the future development of Konoha and the Land of Fire lies in the same direction."
"If the Land of Fire can overtake them in this transformation, not only will it resolve the current predicament, it will remain unbeatable for the next thirty years."
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire's eyes lit up. He first glanced at Orochimaru, then turned to Hyuga Yu, tapping his folded fan against his palm. "Heavenly Ninja thinks so too? Then we truly see eye to eye."
"However."
Hyuga Yu changed tack, turning his gaze toward Orochimaru, his tone still calm. "Orochimaru said that with merely 'half of the restructured military budget,' he could develop technology surpassing that of the Land of Lightning."
He paused and tilted his head slightly, as if calculating something.
"Forgive my bluntness, but that is impossible."
Orochimaru's smile stiffened slightly.
"The Land of Lightning already held an advantage in basic industry. Later, it absorbed the Biological Modification Technology painstakingly developed by Iwagakure from the