All Crows Are Equally Black

As the foremost ninja village in the ninja world, Konoha's strength was obvious to all.

Since the Warring States Period and the First Great Ninja War, Konoha had dominated the entire ninja world with unrivaled power, bolstered by the legacy of its predecessors—towering Susanoo, Wood Golem, and Thousand-Armed Buddha.

By the Second Great Ninja War, Ninja Hero Sarutobi Hiruzen, the darkness of the ninja world Shimura Danzō, the Sannin of Konoha, the White Fang of Konoha, and other elites had still kept Konoha's military strength a full tier above that of the other ninja villages.

Even now, in the Third Great Ninja War, with Konoha fighting one against four, its strongest force—the "Kage," symbolizing a ninja village's highest combat power—still remained firmly seated in Konoha, controlling the overall situation.

The military strength of Konoha in the Land of Fire was like an unsolved mystery.

Even after one trump card after another had been revealed, there was always another waiting in reserve. Konoha seemed to always have something up its sleeve, filling the other ninja villages with despair.

But now, with even the Jinchuriki, their "deterrent trump cards," sent onto the battlefield, Kirigakure suddenly realized that mighty Konoha seemed to have very few cards left to play.

"The victory in this war will belong only to us!"

Yoru's voice brimmed with confidence, and everyone in the tent was equally assured.

So what if they had a Jinchuriki? Even Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, had died at their hands. How could a mere Jinchuriki stop Kirigakure's advance?!

Now that Tsunan Town had fallen, the entire defensive line of the Land of Fire was like a bride in her wedding chamber, waiting to be plucked at their pleasure.

They could enter the heartland of the Land of Fire without restraint. While posing an enormous threat to Konoha, they could also freely pillage the prosperous cities within the Land of Fire, obtaining vast amounts of wealth and resources to strengthen themselves.

Although both sides had suffered tremendous losses in this battle, the ultimate victor was still Kirigakure!

"Yoru is right. In the end, we won this battle!"

Yagura burst into laughter. "Rest up, everyone. I have already reported all of your performances to Mizukage-sama. Once you have recovered, the vast resources and wealth of the Land of Fire will be waiting for us!"

"Hahaha! Long live Lord Yagura! Long live Lord Yoru!"

The Kirigakure Ninja laughed and cheered, as though they could already see the immense wealth of the Land of Fire's prosperous cities falling into their own hands.

Yoru also revealed a faint smile.

He was not surprised by this situation, because the country where he had been born was Kirigakure, not Konoha.

In the ninja world, the Land of Fire, situated in the central region, was the most prosperous.

The Land of Fire stood at a vital transportation hub, a major route connecting north and south. Its unique geographical location had drawn in a great number of talents and resources, making it the strongest military power among the Five Great Nations.

Combined with its fertile, flat lands and abundant vegetation resources, all of it had pushed Konoha to the pinnacle of the ninja world.

It had also made it a thorn in the flesh of countless nations and forces.

A man's only crime was possessing a treasure.

Why had the great ninja wars broken out time and again?

At the root of it all, it was because of poverty.

Because resources were distributed unequally, because they were jealous of the resources and wealth controlled by Konoha and the Land of Fire!

Although Kirigakure was known as one of the Five Great Nations, at the end of the day, it was merely an island nation. Aside from fisheries, seventy to eighty percent of every other material they needed had to be imported from other countries.

And among those imports, the Land of Fire accounted for the overwhelming majority.

Therefore, every year, Kirigakure in the Land of Water had to spend enormous sums to obtain those goods. They were even frequently subjected to malicious price hikes and restrictions...

It was not just Kirigakure. The situations in Sunagakure and Iwagakure were more or less the same.

Under such circumstances, what could solve this problem?

It was simple.

War!

Through war, they would no longer need to be drained dry by merchants, no longer need to be controlled and constrained, no longer need to expend enormous resources just to trade for a few scattered scraps.

What, you said such behavior was shameless, vile, immoral banditry?

Then let him ask this.

During the Warring States Period, hadn't the Senju Clan and the Uchiha used precisely this method to establish Konoha?

All crows were equally black. No one had the right to mock anyone else!

After the meeting ended, before Yoru could return to his own tent, he saw Terumi Mei waiting for him with a Scroll in hand.

"What is it?"

"I pulled up intelligence regarding the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

Leaning against the tent's entrance, Terumi Mei waved the Scroll in her hand. "Bring that red-haired girl under your command over here too. I think she might be able to play a crucial role in dealing with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

"Yumi?"

Yoru raised a brow and nodded. "Indeed. As a member of the Uzumaki Clan, Yumi has quite a few connections to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. She might really produce unexpected results."

"The Uzumaki Clan? No wonder... Hey, what kind of look is that?!"

"? As the current head of the Mist Intelligence Division, I thought you would recognize Yumi's identity at a glance from her distinctive red hair."

Watching Terumi Mei gradually lose her composure, even looking ready to pounce on him and bite him, Yoru held her little head down with one hand while gesturing to the ANBU ninja beside him, signaling him to fetch Yumi. He then reached out, took the scroll from Terumi Mei's hand, and opened it to read.

There was not much information in the scroll. Its main focus was on Mito Uzumaki, the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

As for Kushina Uzumaki, there were only a few brief lines.

Yoru was not surprised.

Kushina had been extremely well protected by Konohagakure in the early days. Other than Konohagakure's upper ranks, almost no one knew about her.

Had it not been for an accidental eruption of Chakra that forced Kushina into the public eye, the identity of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would have remained a mystery.

Coupled with Kirigakure's decayed intelligence department, Yoru already found it remarkable that they even knew the name Kushina Uzumaki.

"According to the intelligence, the current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is a clanswoman of Mito Uzumaki. Therefore, aside from the power of Tailed Beast Transformation, we can basically measure her other abilities against the traits once possessed by the Uzumaki Clan."

"During the Second Great Ninja War, Uzushio Village in the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed. We in Kirigakure obtained quite a bit of information on the Uzumaki Clan. This clan was exceptionally skilled in Sealing Techniques and Barrier Techniques. Their physiques were also extraordinary, with outstanding physical capabilities and considerable taijutsu prowess. On the battlefield, they could attack, defend, and control the overall situation—they were incredibly versatile."

"Combined with the Nine-Tails' unique nature, Kushina Uzumaki is undoubtedly an existence comparable to Jiraiya of the Sannin. Once she enters Tailed Beast Transformation, the terrifying burst of power she unleashes makes her far more threatening than Jiraiya of the Sannin!"