The Third Kazekage's Decision

Inside the training ground.

Kushina and Mikoto had finished their training.

As the only two people present who had never been to the battlefield, everyone was curious to see their strength.

The final result was a victory for Kushina.

Under Uzumaki Mito's tutelage, while Kushina's Sealing Technique could not be called overwhelmingly powerful, she was already able to use it with proficiency.

Mikoto, however, was already fifteen years old and had yet to awaken her eyes.

The longer Senju Genma spent with Mikoto, the more he felt she was different from the other members of the Uchiha Clan.

She was too gentle, completely lacking the arrogance, coldness, pride, and aloofness that characterized the rest of her kin.

Still, Senju Genma felt that Uchiha Mikoto was a wife-worthy prospect for the future.

Genma suspected that if he were to die in front of an Uchiha, Mikoto's talent might finally be triggered.

As a transmigrator and the young clan head of the Senju Clan, Senju Genma understood the Uchiha Clan better than anyone.

People originally believed that the Senju Clan valued love over ninjutsu as their source of strength, while in contrast, the Uchiha Clan placed the power of ninjutsu above all else.

But that was not the case; no clan possessed a love as profound as the Uchiha. They were the most emotionally rich clan in the ninja world.

For the Uchiha Clan to awaken the Sharingan, they required intense emotional stimulation.

When they experienced extreme hatred, sorrow, pain, or frustration, a special chakra would surge in their brains, acting upon their optic nerves to cause a change in their eyes.

These were the eyes that reflected the heart; the Sharingan synchronized with the power of the soul, allowing one to grow stronger rapidly.

The more sensitive an Uchiha was, the more powerful their ocular strength would be once they awakened those intense emotions.

Senju Genma stepped forward and gently wiped the sweat from their bodies.

Bright red and raven-black hair draped over their shoulders, their fair skin as smooth as mutton-fat jade. Their dark eyes shone with a mischievous glint, and beneath their high-bridged noses, their pink lips were slightly upturned, revealing two entirely different kinds of cuteness and beauty.

The training ground was bathed in the glow of the setting sun, making the sweat on their skin appear exceptionally crystalline and translucent, a feast for the eyes.

Suddenly, Senju Genma frowned, feeling a chill run down his back.

Turning around, he saw Uzumaki Mito glaring at him, the killing intent in her narrowed eyes seemingly coalescing into substance.

Senju Genma could only inwardly lament his bad luck, feigning composure as he returned to sit beside Uzumaki Mito.

Kushina and Mikoto exchanged a glance, both seeing the disappointment in the other's eyes.

Uzumaki Mito opened her eyes. "Genma, as the wife of the clan head, I have walked on thin ice my entire life."

"You must understand, in the future, you will be the clan head. You must be cautious in your words and actions from now on!"

The wife of the clan head?

The clan head?

These two positions certainly carried heavy responsibilities!

Senju Genma nodded and replied, "My Lady Mito, I understand!"

The afternoon of training ended quickly. After Uzumaki Mito returned to rest, the five of them prepared to head home.

"Brother Genma, I'm hungry. Let's go to Nakamura Ramen!" Kushina suddenly spoke up on the way home.

During the time Senju Genma was away at war, Kushina had been ordered by Uzumaki Mito to stay within the clan compound, which had truly stifled her.

Senju Genma was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

Otsutsuki Teuchi was truly worthy of his reputation; he had captured Kushina's stomach at such a young age. It seemed I should find time to ask him for pointers.

"Alright!"

"I want to go too!" Tsunade raised her hand to make her stance clear.

Now that the war was finally over and they were back in the village, what was the point of staying in the compound? Of course, she wanted to go out and have fun with Genma!

Mikoto and Konan also indicated they wanted to tag along.

The five of them left the compound together, walking and stopping along the way, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere until they reached Nakamura Ramen.

Inside Nakamura Ramen.

Senju Genma ate his ramen while watching the busy Teuchi.

There was a reason why Ichiraku Ramen would become so popular in Konoha in the future.

Teuchi's ramen was getting better and better!

It was a pity that there was no "Ichiraku Ramen" yet, nor was there the best seasoning for "Ichiraku Ramen"—Ayame's smile.

Time passed quickly, and the hard-won six months of peace slipped away in the blink of an eye.

Land of Wind.

Inside the Hidden Sand Village.

In the Kazekage's office.

The Third Kazekage frowned as he looked at the mountain of documents piled up on his desk.

Because Hanzo had surrendered to the Land of Wind, the Hidden Sand Village had gained a six-month window to recuperate.

During these six months, however, the situation in the Hidden Sand Village had not improved; due to limited resources, internal conflicts remained acute.

Although the Third Kazekage and advisors like Chiyo and Ebizo had worked to implement various policies to ease the village's internal tensions, their efforts proved largely ineffective.

With resources limited and economic development stalling, the finances of the Land of Wind were in deficit, and the Daimyo continued to slash the budget allocated to the Hidden Sand Village.

The income of the ninjas began to plummet, and voices of discontent within the village grew louder.

The Hardline Faction within the Hidden Sand Village, having realized that domestic issues remained unresolved, began to publicize the situation extensively, causing their own influence to expand rapidly.

"Lord Kazekage, this cannot go on," Ebizo spoke up first, looking quite anxious. "Relying on Rasa's Gold Dust is merely treating the symptoms, not the disease. It cannot solve our financial problems, and I fear it will escalate into a civil war before long!"

Chiyo sat in her chair, lost in thought, before finally letting out a helpless sigh.

"We have already made every effort we could; now, there are only two ways forward."

"We either follow the wishes of the Hardline Faction, launch a war to expand outward and plunder resources, and shift our internal conflicts into external ones through war."

"Or..." Chiyo glanced at the Third Kazekage and spoke slowly, "Or we reduce the domestic population through civil war."

The Third Kazekage looked up at Chiyo.

In her youth, Chiyo had been a beauty, and even now, in her early forties, she could still be considered quite charming.

However, the Third Kazekage was not admiring her beauty, but rather lamenting the ruthlessness of this woman.

Reduce the population?

How many people would need to be eliminated for the country's resources to no longer be in such short supply?

The Third Kazekage closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before saying, "Let us go to war!"

"Go to war? Continue the war against the Land of Rain? Or perhaps the Land of Earth, which is currently fighting the Land of Lightning?" Chiyo asked, somewhat puzzled.

The Third Kazekage said solemnly, "We go to war against the Land of Fire!"

"War against the Land of Fire? We couldn't possibly win, could we?" Chiyo remained skeptical.

The Third Kazekage thought for a moment and said, "The Land of Fire suffered no real losses after their war with the Land of Rain; it is foreseeable that they will continue to grow stronger."

"The Land of Water has closed its borders and is the weakest, while the war between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning is intense. Our own internal conflicts in the Land of Wind are irreconcilable; our decline is inevitable."

"Allowing the Land of Fire to develop in peace is too dangerous for us."

"The Land of Rain has no value; even if we annexed it, it would be useless!"

"The Land of Fire is wealthy. If we happen to win, even a small piece of their territory would be enough for our needs."

"If we lose, it won't be a major issue. Konoha lacks the strength to completely annihilate the Hidden Sand Village, and in such a scenario, they would have no interest in occupying the territory of the Land of Wind."

"While weakening Konoha's strength, the village can also reduce its own number of ninjas."

The expressions of Ebizo and Chiyo grew complex.

So, you were the most ruthless one of all!