Konoha Threat Theory

After the Jonin Meeting ended that day, the many resolutions announced by the Third Mizukage spread throughout Kirigakure at once, as fast as the wind.

First was the appointment of Kirigakure's prodigy and the Hozuki Clan's young clan head to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. People's reaction to this was actually fairly mild. After all, considering Hozuki Shingetsu's status, achievements, and strength, a minister-level position like Minister of Foreign Affairs was more than fitting.

In that regard, there was little anyone could fault the Third Mizukage for.

As for the Ninja Academy principal position Shingetsu had previously used as a pretext, only a few people knew about it. Most approved of Ren's decision not to follow Hozuki Shingetsu's wishes, but instead to give him a sinecure and let him settle down.

I don't know what you're trying to do, but making sure you don't get comfortable is just instinct for me as your enemy.

Judging by the way the Daimyo's Envoy had spoken up for Hozuki Shingetsu at the end, Ren's attempt to get the envoy to make things unpleasant for Shingetsu had failed. But it didn't matter. When the New Year's greetings came around, they could simply have Hozuki Shingetsu lead the delegation again. As was customary, it would be downright abnormal if Kirigakure's envoys weren't chewed out by the Daimyo.

What's more, Ren had learned through the grapevine that, with the Land of Water now carrying out a policy of isolation, the Daimyo—who thought it had made the country much safer—was considering further cuts to Kirigakure's military budget. Once Hozuki Shingetsu had finished paying his New Year's respects, Ren could spread the word and pin the blame on him, claiming that Kirigakure's military budget had been cut because he had offended the Daimyo.

Then Ren would see what kind of reputation Kirigakure's "Timely Rain" had left!

The second resolution Ren announced at the meeting, on the other hand, was a strict isolation and secrecy policy toward the outside world, in keeping with the Daimyo's wishes. It caused a much greater stir among the common people. After all, as a military stronghold, wasn't the livelihood of Kirigakure's civilians dependent on the money spent by shinobi?

Now that the village was sealed off, supplies from outside couldn't get in. What shinobi would come here to spend money?

But the voices of these commoners and Genin went unheard. After all, even under isolation, the truly powerful clans could still get their hands on those resources. Under this policy, they had instead become the monopolists. As beneficiaries of the system, they naturally wouldn't oppose it—though, of course, they still had to play along in public and join in the wailing.

Even so, Kirigakure's civilians could still get by if they worked hard after the village shut itself off. But the final resolution—the fixed number of shinobi positions, with the capable rising and the weak falling—was what truly provoked widespread discontent among the village's commoners.

What did this resolution mean?

For shinobi clans with long-standing traditions, it was easy enough to deal with. If need be, they could turn the positions into "iron rice bowls" and pass them down through the generations.

For the common people, though, it meant that unless they got incredibly lucky, their hopes of changing their fortunes by becoming shinobi, as they had in the past, were utterly shattered.

To put it in academic terms, the common people of Kirigakure had lost their means of social advancement.

But as the saying went, in a world where supernatural powers existed—and especially one where bloodlines gave people a tremendous advantage in battle—the opinions of commoners were sometimes utterly worthless.

A few dissatisfied people even went to Hozuki Shingetsu, hoping Kirigakure's "Timely Rain" would make it rain for them. Unfortunately, their Minister of Foreign Affairs had been "persecuted by a villain" and forced to sign a military pledge. He was currently at home, studying diplomatic policy day and night, and was temporarily refusing all visitors.

After a period of upheaval, the storm caused by the full Jonin Meeting gradually died down in Kirigakure. In turn, those who had settled down once again turned their attention to Hozuki Shingetsu, wondering what sort of way the Hozuki prodigy would come up with to use the authority over Kirigakure's propaganda that he had wrangled from the Mizukage to carry out his "Continental Balance Policy."

"Mm... That should do it. A little polishing, and it'll be ready to spread!"

Looking at the document he had spent several sleepless days compiling, Hozuki Shingetsu smiled with satisfaction.

"'Konoha Threat Theory'..."

"According to reliable intelligence, since its founding, Konoha's military spending has been on the rise. In particular, in the decade-plus since the First Shinobi World War, its military budget has increased by 1,000%. Moreover, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi has spared no effort in supporting civilian shinobi. As a result, Konoha's shinobi are packed shoulder to shoulder, their sweat falling like rain, and they jostle each other in the streets. In both shinobi numbers and quality, they can overpower the four great shinobi villages of Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure..."

"Statistics show that Konoha has a population of one million, yet produces tens of millions of Kunai, Shuriken, and explosive tags every year—more than ten weapons per person, on average. Surely they haven't made all those weapons just to set off fireworks and chop wood."

"According to an individual who wished to remain anonymous, a Sharingan wielder, Hokage advisor Danzo even boasted under Konoha's powerful military might, declaring, 'One Konoha shinobi is worth five from any other village!' He proclaimed that Konoha would destroy Kumogakure in one month, Iwagakure in two, Sunagakure in three, and Kirigakure in four, then sweep the world in May and establish the Pan-Konoha Co-Prosperity Sphere!"

"After an in-depth investigation, the author found that there was a reason for this 'Shinobi no Yami's' words. Konoha had been tainted by a cruel streak from the very moment it was founded. According to historical research, Uzumaki Mito, the direct-line noblewoman of Uzushio Village in the Land of Whirlpools, was forcibly taken by Konoha's founder, Senju Hashirama. Now Konoha even treats her as a cage for imprisoning monsters. It's truly infuriating!"

Below that, the editor listed a few figures.

A standing army of 50,000 shinobi, 5,000 jonin, 3,000 kekkei genkai users, and a military budget of fifty billion in Konoha Year 33. Dozens of countries were secretly under Konoha's control. There were even rumors that Konoha now had the power to depose the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, and that the current Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, felt the title "Shadow" didn't adequately convey his prestige and wanted to rename it "Fire Emperor"...

At the end of the article, the editor even cried out that as long as Konoha remained, the world would never know peace, branding it the "original sin" behind the world's unrest.

In the very last paragraph, this editor surnamed Gan, who wished to remain anonymous, even put his words into action, writing a solemn vow that he would fast for a day for every day Konoha refused to disarm itself.

The writing was vivid and impassioned.

After Ao and Hozuki Zangetsu read the document, especially its title and contents, their faces showed an indescribable expression.

How to put it? It was hard to judge.

"Shingetsu, are the figures in this document of yours actually real?" Ao asked curiously. By all rights, those figures should have been some of Konoha's most closely guarded secrets. How had an outsider like Hozuki Shingetsu found them out?

Could it be that the spies the village had planted had already gained access to intelligence of that level?

But that didn't make sense either. Unless the spies had been planted by the Hozuki Clan itself, how could Ren have handed this kind of information to Hozuki Shingetsu?

"Do you think Konoha is the root of the Shinobi World's unrest?"

Hozuki Shingetsu didn't answer him directly. Instead, he asked him a question.

"Of course not. Konoha has its problems, sure, but you can't possibly call it the original sin behind the Shinobi World's unrest, can you?"

"Exactly!" Hozuki Shingetsu nodded and smiled meaningfully. "How could there be real figures in something that's made up? Where there's a will to accuse, there's no shortage of excuses!"