"Our initial guess wasn't wrong. The Akatsuki's objective really was to harass our rear lines. No one expected them to go this far..." Ōnoki said, sounding as though he was defending himself, or perhaps offering an explanation.
"Enough! What's done is done. Are you planning to sit here and wait to die?" Uchiha Shunichi glared at Ōnoki.
He had never imagined that the so-called Five Great Shinobi Villages could be so cowardly. A single defeat had left them unable to recover, sitting here complaining like a pack of bitter housewives.
"We've already lost this war. Instability in the rear is now a reality, and supplies can no longer reach us as smoothly as before."
"More importantly, there's the morale of the shinobi on the front lines. Once word spreads that the daimyō's residences have fallen, panic is inevitable," Mei Terumi explained when she saw that Uchiha Shunichi did not understand.
"We aren't trying to run away. Our only chance now is to force a decisive battle. But first, we need to find where the enemy is hiding!" Gaara added.
Tsunade said nothing more. She did not know what to say.
"What do you intend to do about the rear? If all the nobles and all the city lords are killed, does that mean the world has to end?" Uchiha Shunichi calmed down and asked.
At those words, none of the five Kage present spoke. It was as though they were wary of something...
Just then, Shikaku Nara, who had remained silent until now, said, "Shunichi, I think I understand what you mean. But you need to understand that we're shinobi. We have neither the experience nor the ability to govern an entire country."
Hearing that, Uchiha Shunichi laughed in anger.
"Shinobi? No ability? Who besides you has the ability to