Everyone perked up, gazing at Hōzuki Mangetsu with excitement.
His words struck a chord with them.
Whether it was a country or a village, growth and strength depended on a solid material foundation.
The people of the Land of Water had lived for generations on this barren land, isolated from the rest of the world. They couldn't engage in large-scale production, so naturally, they lacked the resources to support the country's development and strengthen its ninja village.
To claim fertile land, they had to resort to war.
The Land of Fire was full of hypocrites. It occupied the most fertile land while calling on its neighbors to live in peace and avoid war.
That was easy to say when you weren't the one suffering.
If the two countries had been in each other's shoes, they would have waged war to seize fertile land, too.
So Konoha's vision of peace didn't hold water.
A-Jian and Harusame exchanged glances, then slowly nodded.
They were members of the Neutral Faction and didn't take part in the power struggle between Terumi Mei and Suikazan Fuguki. But that didn't mean they didn't care about the village.
Everyone knew how difficult things were for the Land of Water. The only way to escape this predicament was to wage war.
And the Land of Fire, with its fertile land, was the ideal target.
Water and fire were incompatible; sooner or later, the two countries would go to war. It was for the Land of Water, for Kirigakure, and for the sake of giving their descendants a better life.
"Mangetsu is right!"
Harusame pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "We can endure a little hardship and suffering if it means our descendants will have a good life."
Hōzuki Mangetsu's words had struck a chord with everyone. Even some members of the Neutral Faction agreed with his view.
For the future happiness of the Land of Water, they had to fight this war—and win it.
Terumi Mei still wore a smile, but it had grown a little cold.
She had never expected this Hozuki junior to side with Suikazan.
His words did sound somewhat reasonable, but she was still displeased.
Some were pleased, while others were troubled. Terumi Mei was unhappy, but Suikazan Fuguki was grinning from ear to ear.
The two sides had been evenly matched, but with Hozuki Mangetsu's intervention, the neutral forces had joined the pro-war camp. Suikazan Fuguki hadn't expected that.
"Brother Mangetsu is right. Water and fire can't coexist, and this war is bound to break out sooner or later. We can't let this opportunity slip by. Don't worry, Mizukage-sama. Water overcomes fire. We're sure to win this time."
He spoke with absolute confidence.
Absolutely not!
A sharp glint flashed in Terumi Mei's eyes. She would never let Suikazan Fuguki start a war. It would undermine her faction's growth. So she signaled for Ao, who stood beside her, to speak. As another aide to the Mizukage, Ao carried considerable weight.
Ao understood and cleared his throat, about to speak.
The two had already formed an alliance, and naturally, they wouldn't let Suikazan Fuguki get his way.
But...
Hōzuki Mangetsu abruptly changed course. "I also disagree with Suikazan's proposal."
What?
His words left everyone stunned once again.
Hōzuki Mangetsu had rejected Terumi Mei's proposal, so everyone had assumed he supported Suikazan's. He seemed to have more than enough reasons to persuade them.
But Hōzuki Mangetsu had only been bluffing. Now he'd rejected Suikazan's proposal, too, leaving everyone confused.
Hōzuki Mangetsu spoke in a grave voice. "Kirigakure and Konoha are both major ninja villages with considerable strength and large numbers of shinobi. If war breaks out, it certainly won't end quickly. It will inevitably become a war of attrition. Then the deciding factors will be each side's finances, resources, and manpower. In every regard, Konoha has the advantage over Kirigakure. If we rashly start a war, Kirigakure will be the one to lose. We also have to consider how the involvement of other ninja villages could affect the course of the war. Although there's been discord among Konoha's High Command, there's no evidence that the two sides will go to war. So it would be unwise to send in troops now. It might even invite retaliation from Konoha, which would hardly be worth it."
Everyone nodded once more.
They suddenly realized that what Hozuki Mangetsu said seemed to make sense.
"Well said!"
Terumi Mei smiled again. She didn't know what Hozuki Mangetsu was up to, but these words worked in her favor.
The boy had a way with words. A few sentences were enough to sway the room. She'd never realized it before.
Suikazan Fuguki's expression darkened. He said coldly, "Hozuki Mangetsu, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Hōzuki Mangetsu shrugged. "The war between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire must happen. It has to happen—but not now. War determines a nation's fate, so we can't take it lightly. Unless we're certain of victory, we absolutely mustn't launch an attack recklessly. What I mean is that we should prepare for war while we wait for the right opportunity."
"We agree with Hozuki Mangetsu!"
A-Jian and Harusame of the Neutral Faction stood up. Both were cautious men, and they strongly agreed with Hōzuki Mangetsu's proposal.
"Very good!"
Yagura, the Mizukage, stood up as well, though there wasn't much difference between him standing and sitting.
"Hozuki Mangetsu, you haven't disappointed me. We'll do as you say for now. We'll wait for the right opportunity and make our preparations."
With that decision, the matter was settled.
After all, he was the leader of the village.
Suikazan Fuguki was naturally unwilling to accept it, but there wasn't much he could do. Hōzuki Mangetsu's analysis had won over most of the room. And with Terumi Mei's opposition, his plan had failed this time.
He had been defeated by Hōzuki Mangetsu.
Just you wait!
After the Fourth Mizukage left, a sharp glint flashed in Suikazan Fuguki's eyes. He glared at Hōzuki Mangetsu and Terumi Mei, then gave a few cold snorts before leaving with his men.
"Little Hozuki, you certainly have a way with words!"
Terumi Mei approached with a bright smile. Ignoring the gazes of the others, she moved close to Hōzuki Mangetsu and said flirtatiously, "The way you looked so confident just now really made my heart flutter!"
"Well said, Mangetsu!"
Ao came over too and gave him a thumbs-up.
If they hadn't managed to stop Suikazan Fuguki's plan this time, the two sides would have had no choice but to openly turn against each other.
Neither Terumi Mei nor the clans behind her wanted that. After all, they weren't ready yet.
Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled faintly. "You flatter me, Sister Mei. I was just talking nonsense. Suigetsu and Chojuro are waiting for me to train with them. See you!"
With that, he turned and left.
Only after Hōzuki Mangetsu had gone far away did Terumi Mei's smile fade.
"Ao, don't you feel like Hozuki Mangetsu has changed?"
Ao nodded. He felt the same way.
Hozuki Mangetsu was infamous among the Mist Ninja for his cruelty and bloodlust. Though powerful, he wasn't particularly clever, so Terumi Mei's faction had never paid him much attention.
His remarks at this meeting had impressed them both.
Something seemed a little off, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what it was.
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