Sunagakure's Financial Crisis

Most of the ninjas present believed Hoshino Maki would sincerely admit his mistake, as abandoning his unit and letting the enemy escape was an undeniable fact.

But at this moment, Hoshino Maki directly attacked the conclusion, using a new reason to argue that Pakura's accusation was unfounded. He hadn't helped the Cloud Ninja escape; instead, he had prevented a war that would likely have been a failure for Sunagakure.

Although A was only one person, as the prospective Fourth Raikage, he mastered the highest level of Nintaijutsu.

There was no perfect ninjutsu in this world, but if one were to select the closest to perfection, Kumogakure's Nintaijutsu would certainly be in the running.

It strengthened the body's strength while greatly increasing speed. The Lightning Armor possessed the piercing power of Lightning Release and good defensive capabilities. If there was any drawback, it was the lack of long-range abilities.

And for an experienced and powerful ninja like A, there were naturally plenty of ways to close the distance.

Hoshino Maki's words caused many to involuntarily turn their gaze towards Rasa.

On one side was the son of the Third Raikage, and on the other, the disciple of the Third Kazekage. Who was stronger would greatly impact the morale of their respective villages.

Rasa's gaze was lowered, looking at the marble circular platform beneath Hoshino Maki's feet. He seemed to have entered a state of meditation.

In his opinion, this meaningless discussion was a waste of time. Once he resolved the issue with Shukaku, who was stronger would naturally become clear on the battlefield.

Speaking of which, it was a pity that the kid from the Koshu Clan couldn't withstand Shukaku's chakra and died from an explosion.

Right, what was his name again? Never mind, it didn't matter. The priority was to find the next candidate, not to participate in this pointless briefing.

Rasa's indifference did not cause dissatisfaction; his temperament was well-known.

Hoshino Maki took in the scene, realizing that in the eyes of Sunagakure's higher-ups, his great victory still placed him below Rasa.

After all, Rasa's current status was earned through ten years of hard work for the village. Even without the title of the Third Kazekage's disciple, he was among the very top in Sunagakure.

That was why he was wary of the other party, even going so far as to make it a condition for Chiyo to prevent him from going to the front lines.

"Now, does anyone still think that was a good opportunity to annihilate the Cloud Ninja?"

Hoshino Maki's words echoed in the assembly hall, and for a moment, no one responded.

"If what you say is true, then it indeed wasn't a good opportunity, but that doesn't justify you abandoning your post and making unilateral decisions about the war."

Chōjūrō spoke slowly, his deep voice instilling a sense of inexplicable conviction. Many nodded slightly upon hearing his words.

Hoshino Maki, however, shook his head. "No, the war ended when we broke through the Cloud Ninja's ambush. Their remaining forces were insufficient to invade the Land of Wind. So why should we continue fighting?"

Hoshino Maki spread his hands. Before Chōjūrō could speak, he continued:

"What is the purpose of war?"

"I don't know what the Cloud Ninja wanted, but I know our objective is to defend the Land of Wind. Hasn't that objective already been achieved?"

"To take it a step further, even if A wasn't there, would our fight with the Cloud Ninja be easier?"

"With the Kazekage absent, the village is at its weakest. Every ninja is precious, and their blood should not be shed for a pointless conflict! Their lives should not be wasted on such a meaningless battlefield!"

"I did this entirely out of consideration for the village's current situation. That damned Hatake Sakumo abandoned his mission for his comrades, so are the ninjas of Sunagakure supposed to stand by and watch their comrades die after completing their mission?!"

"I'm sorry! I-can't-do-it!"

Hoshino Maki's voice grew from calm to increasingly high-pitched, finally even extending his finger to sweep across the seats above, letting out a roar that was almost an accusation.

As Hoshino Maki's words fell, the scene fell silent. The ninjas did not whisper amongst themselves but silently lowered their heads, contemplating his words.

Jonin were not only tested on their combat prowess but also required to possess sufficient knowledge.

Of course, it wasn't as exaggerated as a sea of books in an anime, but it wasn't something ordinary ninjas could grasp in a short time.

Therefore, those who became Jonin possessed a certain level of critical thinking and were no longer mere mission executors.

This wasn't to say they didn't prioritize missions, but rather that they would efficiently use their abilities to complete them and also consider the village's benefits and development.

These were the people Hoshino Maki liked the most. If they were simply stubborn and blindly obedient, he wouldn't have suggested to Chiyo to hold this public trial.

Holding a public trial for himself would be like being a masochist.

Hoshino Maki shifted the topic from 'the crucial direction of the war' to 'post-war cleanup work.' The severity of the situation changed entirely.

A minor transgression of acting without authorization versus saving the lives of countless Sand Ninjas. It didn't seem like such a big problem anymore, did it?

The Jonin pondered, especially Hoshino Maki's final example—Hatake Sakumo.

This name had been a sore spot for Sunagakure for a long time. Sunagakure ninjas would become enraged upon hearing his name.

The Sand Ninjas insisted that if not for him, Sunagakure would have achieved unprecedented success in the previous Ninja World War.

However, these feelings became somewhat ambiguous after the White Fang's suicide.

Ninjas hated the strong, feared the strong, and at the same time, admired the strong.

Sunagakure had served as a stepping stone for Hatake Sakumo, making him famous throughout the ninja world. Yet, upon hearing the news of the White Fang's death, especially the manner of his death, few celebrated loudly.

A powerful ninja who could single-handedly block the Sand Ninjas' advance, yet he died due to the gossip of villagers and comrades. It was somewhat ironic and made Konoha a laughingstock among other ninja villages.

It was truly something to be able to force the death of such a powerful ninja from one's own village.

Kirigakure: What are you implying? Do you want to be pursued by ninjas?

Afterward, Konoha did not offer any explanation for the White Fang's death, merely quietly burying his remains in the Konoha Graveyard, where heroes were eternally remembered.

This actually indicated that Konoha deeply regretted the impact of the public opinion at the time.

Now, was Sunagakure going to tread the same path as Konoha?

Thinking about it, unlike Konoha's White Fang, who failed a mission to save someone and caused his comrades to die, this young man destroyed the enemy's ambush, saved his troops, and routed the enemy. He even drove away the Cloud Ninja frontline troops without shedding blood. He should be a meritorious official!

Many Jonin looked at the young man on the platform, undergoing a public trial, and felt a sense of absurdity.

Why are we publicly trying a great meritorious official of the village?

The atmosphere at the scene became somewhat strange.

Hoshino Maki paused for about half a minute after speaking, giving them time to think.

This combo of rhetorical questions, the village's righteousness, and White Fang's tragic case—friend, if you don't reflect now, what are you waiting for!

Hoshino Maki believed that after the meeting, most Sand Ninja would not hold any hostility towards him once his words spread. Even as Hoshino Maki's plan unfolded, they would spontaneously support him as the next leader of Sunagakure.

But this was only the secondary objective of this briefing. His target had always been the Elder Council and the leaders of the major clans; these were the true brains of Sunagakure.

Even if they were greatly shocked by his words just now, they wouldn't immediately prostrate themselves and obey him like in a novel. They only believed in profit.

"Some say I let those Cloud Ninja go, creating a threat for the future. Then I ask, if this tiger's claws are extended and severely beaten back with a stick, will it still reach out in the direction of the stick the next time?"

"But if you push him to a dead end, with nowhere to retreat, it will only ignite his ferocity and make him fight to the death."

"At that time, without Lord Third Kazekage, how can we face Third Raikage and the experts of Kumogakure?"

"Oh, right. I heard a piece of news in the Cloud Ninja camp: the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki of Kumogakure can now control the Tailed Beast freely."

The large venue was silent at first, then immediately became noisy.

"Are you sure?! This is no joke!"

"Impossible, no one can completely control a Tailed Beast!"

"Wasn't Bunpuku able to?"

"You mean the One-Tails Jinchuriki? Isn't he already dead? And if he could truly control it, why would the village lock him up?"

"That's true."

"..."

Pakura stared intently at Hoshino Maki, her eyes almost spitting fire. She had no idea about this matter!

On the way back from the front lines, they barely saw each other. She only heard that he was fighting fiercely with other ninja. Now that she thought about it, it was a terrible move.

If only she had put aside her prejudice back then... Pakura recalled the subtle look he gave her and resolutely shook her head.

She only regretted that her punch still landed!

"Are you sure?"

Chiyo, who had been silent since the meeting began, finally spoke. Everyone present immediately fell silent, and only Chiyo's voice could be heard in the hall.

"I'm not sure, but I can't afford to gamble."

Hoshino Maki's expression was calm. It would be strange if he answered with absolute certainty. Appearing to admit that there was an element of gambling was a normal reaction, and no one would blame him for it.

If what he said was true, then Kumogakure's current strength would be enough to silence even the most hawkish hardliners.

At some point, the situation in the venue gradually shifted from 'judging a war criminal' to 'although there were minor flaws, the merits outweigh the demerits.'

"But you should have reported to the village first. If the situation was urgent, you could have used a summoning beast."

Chiyo's sudden words surprised many.

No one expected that just as the matter was about to be dismissed, Chiyo would instead continue to press. Weren't they on the same side?

"It's my fault. I thought Lord Hoshino could use the Summoning Technique, so I didn't leave any ninja who could use it behind."

Kojima stood up from the crowd, bowed deeply with an apologetic expression.

Chiyo nodded and said lightly, "Hoshino Maki indeed had no prior contact with the Summoning Technique. In the future, you need to communicate more with your comrades about such matters, understood?"

Hoshino Maki nodded and sincerely apologized for his oversight.

"In that case, let this matter come to a close."

No one expected Rasa to suddenly speak, bringing the matter to a conclusion.

Chōjūrō frowned upon hearing this, his gaze quickly sweeping over Chiyo, Hoshino Maki, and Rasa.

The performance just now was not brilliant. It was merely a case of both sides taking a step back. Hoshino Maki admitted his rashness, the village acknowledged his actions, and everyone was a united and loving family.

But he hadn't expected the final piece to be Rasa. That situation was very unfavorable for him.

Chōjūrō lowered his eyes, his gaze obscure, lost in thought.

With the matter resolved, just as some ninja were getting up to leave, Chiyo suddenly spoke, "Please wait a moment, everyone."

Everyone was stunned, then respectfully sat back down.

Chiyo stood up and slowly, as if a candle in the wind, walked to the center of the platform, gasping for breath twice. "This time, Hoshino Maki led the reinforcement troops to achieve a great victory against the Cloud Ninja ambush, capturing over 70 people, including 43 Jonin."

The ninja present erupted in an uproar. They knew a batch of prisoners was being held by the Chiyo Clan, but they never expected so many Jonin among them. If the speaker wasn't Chiyo, they would have definitely thought it was fake news.

43 Jonin—the number of Jonin stationed in the southern part of the Land of Wind was not much more than that!

They had lost count of how many times they had been surprised today, and all these surprises were related to the young man standing behind Chiyo.

The last young man with such extraordinary talent was Chiyo's grandson, Sasori, and before him was the man with red hair and a cold expression sitting behind the Elder's seats.

"What are your thoughts on the prisoners?"

The people present were first stunned, then their faces became fanatical, and they scrambled to voice their ideas, with even some tribal leaders unable to contain their inner agitation.

Deciding the fate of over forty Jonin, what kind of feeling was that?

Even the leader of Takigakure, known as the 'Sixth Ninja Village', didn't have such authority!

Hoshino Maki remained silent, instead secretly recording the expressions of everyone present.

Some said they should be tortured to death to appease the spirits of their fallen comrades;

Others suggested crippling the male ninja and throwing them into the desert to be fed to demonic beasts, while the female ninja could be kept for everyone to 'educate' properly;

Still others proposed sealing their chakra and using their lives as a final lesson for the Genin about to graduate from the ninja academy.

In short, the vast majority wished for them to die in agony.

This wasn't to say that Sand Ninja were inherently cruel, but rather that the overall environment of the ninja world was like this. Humane actions were rarely heard of in a year, so if captured, one shouldn't hesitate to commit suicide immediately.

If it weren't for Pashira's persuasion and Hoshino Maki seizing the opportunity while they were dazed by the sudden defeat to place seals within their bodies, preventing them from committing suicide, there might not have even been twenty prisoners.

The Elders were also whispering amongst themselves. Chōjūrō didn't participate, instead contemplating the other party's intentions.

He didn't believe Chiyo would genuinely ask for everyone's opinion while holding these prisoners out of kindness.

Huh?

A form was handed to him.

He looked up and saw attendants from the Chiyo Family distributing forms to everyone present.

Many glanced at the paper, filled with dense numbers that made their eyes swim, and distractedly tossed it aside.

As ninja, they disliked dealing with numbers.

Chōjūrō picked it up and heard Hoshino Maki's voice: "This is the village's financial situation for the first half of the year. Compared to the same period last year, revenue has decreased by 30%. Considering the winter and war factors, this year's income might only be 45.3% of last year's."

Hoshino Maki stated this calmly, but it was more chilling than anything he had said before.

The village was out of money!

Thanks to @浮生还梦是空的 for the monthly ticket! Thank you all for your support!

Although there was some dissatisfaction, it hadn't reached the point of breaking down. While the previous book was cut, I finally managed to test Qidian's censorship scale with over a hundred images. I didn't expect it to tighten again with this new book.

Furthermore, the day before yesterday, I was told to change the synopsis because it used a few common phrases from news reports, claiming it was trying to capitalize on official media.

All I can say is that the most conservative place in the entire Chinese internet right now is online literature.