Yagura cursed the Kaguya Clan bitterly in his distress, and it took him a long while to calm down.
Once he had regained his composure, he began considering what to do next. Should he send a fleet to rescue the clan-affiliated ninja trapped there? If so, how should he rescue them? This failed surprise attack had clearly resulted from an information leak beforehand—would it affect the offensive against the Land of Wind? Should he abandon the surprise attack entirely and recall the Shinobi Army on the other front, or devise a new plan of attack?
A single setback had set off a chain reaction throughout the entire plan, raising a series of problems. Yagura found himself overwhelmed by countless tangled concerns and unable to make a decision, so he summoned Kirigakure's upper ranks to discuss the matter.
At this time, most of Kirigakure's high-ranking officials were away with the troops. Those remaining in the village were all Yagura's trusted subordinates. Their loyalty was beyond question, but they were all ninja skilled in combat and had achieved little in strategy. After receiving the news, their only thought was to obey orders and offer their full support; none could provide any useful advice. This discovery left Yagura, who had continually elevated his own status through bloody methods, both gratified and disappointed.
He was gratified because his policies had clearly worked. If things continued this way, he would only need to deal with the clan faction and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen before achieving his goal of ruling all of Kirigakure as a dictator. But he was disappointed because those harsh policies had worked too well, turning all his subordinates into yes-men without minds of their own. In a situation like today's, he could not even find anyone to discuss the problem with. They