The Third Hokage pondered in silence for a while, then listened as Nara Shikaku continued, "According to our intelligence, most of the wandering ninja under Gato were former Kirigakure rogue ninja. This further proves my judgment. Unless something unexpected happens, the force backing Gato is Kirigakure!"
The Third Hokage nodded and casually asked, "If, as you say, the force behind Gato is Kirigakure, then why are they doing this?"
"After all, compared to the wealth of a small nation like the Land of Waves, establishing good relations with it and using it as a springboard to trade with the nations across the continent should be what the Land of Water, which has changed its policies and begun opening its ports, urgently needs to do, shouldn't it?"
Nara Shikaku shook his head, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Lord Third had already seen through it. Why ask me?"
The Third Hokage chuckled. "I wanted to hear whether you, my strategist, had considered anything I might have overlooked."
"Since that is the case, then I'll explain." After pondering for a moment, Nara Shikaku said, "Gato's role is equivalent to Kirigakure's black glove for rapidly amassing wealth. This exploitative extraction can subsidize part of the Land of Water's economy, which has suffered from years of civil strife and isolation. And the fate of black gloves is usually not a good one. Everyone knows that."
"When Gato's usefulness has nearly run out, Kirigakure will likely execute him on the grounds that he harbored Kirigakure rogue ninja. On one hand, they can claim all the wealth he has accumulated over the years; at the same time, they can recover some of the rogue ninja who defected during Yagura's era, replenishing Kirigakure's shortage of manpower."
"On the other hand, for political reasons,