Sunagakure's Provocation, Konoha's Counterattack

Jingyi would not take such joking words seriously, nor would he foolishly agree to them.

It was not that he was stingy; cooking for too many people was simply troublesome.

Besides, he could not keep using Kushina's little stash to subsidize the village's shinobi, could he?

The New Year had arrived. The shinobi in the camp used their limited resources to hold a gathering as a celebration, but Jingyi did not join the festivities.

Thump!

Thump!

Lying on his bed, Jingyi silently felt the Tenseigan's fetal movements.

Konoha, the Senju old residence.

"What is it, girl? Are you unhappy?"

Mito Uzumaki stroked Kushina's red hair. Kushina forced a smile. "No, I'm very happy, Grandma."

"Ah..."

Mito Uzumaki sighed and held Kushina a little tighter.

Only then did the aggrieved Kushina speak softly.

"Grandma, I'm unhappy. I thought I could spend a lively New Year with Jingyi. He's my only friend, but he went straight to the border camp. Sister Tsunade said the weather over there is terrible. I wonder whether he's doing well."

"He must miss me too, right?"

"..."

What could she say?

Mito Uzumaki opened her mouth several times, yet could not bring herself to offer any comforting words. She could only quietly stay by Kushina's side.

As for Tsunade and Nawaki...

Nawaki had gone to play with his classmates, while Tsunade had been called away for a meeting.

Holding a meeting on New Year's Eve was not because the Third Hokage enjoyed making people suffer, but because an important meeting had to be convened.

Inside the first-floor conference room of the Hokage Office Building, a major meeting was underway.

Aside from the Third Hokage, the Elder Council's two representatives, the representative of the Jōnin Corps, and the others qualified to attend, nearly everyone was present.

Other than those away on missions and unable to return to the village, along with the unlucky Shimura Danzō, almost everyone else had arrived.

The Third Hokage held a pipe between his teeth and smoked irritably.

As Hokage, he addressed the room. "Tonight is New Year's Eve. Everyone should be home with their families, enjoying the holiday. So should I. But the enemy clearly will not allow us to have a lively and peaceful New Year."

"Since last year, Sunagakure's shinobi have repeatedly entered the Land of Rivers, constantly provoking the village. They have violated the peace agreement signed by the Five Great Shinobi Villages."

The First Shinobi World War had shattered the peaceful Shinobi World created by Hashirama Senju and torn apart the peace documents he had led everyone in signing.

After the First Shinobi World War ended, the villages sat down for negotiations and signed new peace documents.

As time passed, each village gradually recovered its strength. Some villages began revealing their ambitions, baring their fangs at their neighbors and launching provocations again and again.

The purpose of the small countries wedged between the great shinobi villages was to serve as buffer zones between major powers, reducing friction and conflict between them and thereby lowering the chances of war breaking out.

Once one side openly sent people into a small country serving as a buffer zone, the other side would see it as a provocation.

At this moment, Sunagakure was provoking Konoha.

Sunagakure alone would have been one thing, but Amegakure was also unsettled. Under the leadership of the demigod Ibuse, Amegakure's strength was steadily rising.

Like Shimura Danzō, Ibuse was also an ambitious man.

His ambition was to lead Amegakure into flourishing, growing ever stronger, and earning the right to stand on equal footing with the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

He wanted to bear the honored title of Kage!

He did not want to hear people call him the leader of Amegakure. He wanted to become the Rain Kage!

The Third Hokage took a hard drag from his pipe and exhaled a large cloud of smoke. "Besides Sunagakure, Amegakure, under Ibuse's leadership, has also repeatedly tested the village's bottom line. This demigod is an ambitious leader."

"Compared to Amegakure, the village should pay greater attention to Sunagakure." Utatane Koharu took over from the Third Hokage.

"Amegakure may be powerful, but only among the smaller countries. Even with Ibuse, the demigod, it cannot threaten the village. Therefore, Sunagakure should be the focus of our defenses."

Ibuse was indeed powerful. Without sufficient strength, he would not dare call himself a demigod. But one person's strength was useless unless he could become a second Hashirama Senju or a second Madara Uchiha. Otherwise, he simply could not deter anyone.

Even with the powerful Ibuse leading Amegakure, it could only threaten other small countries and villages. It could not threaten the position of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Because the two sides were not on the same scale.

One person's strength was useless. Not just Amegakure—even among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it would still be useless.

Tobirama Senju had once been strong enough, and Konoha was not weak either. Yet even together, they had still been unable to deter those with ambitions.

The Gold and Silver Brothers launched a coup whenever they wanted and started a war whenever they wanted. Who the hell cared about Tobirama Senju?

If it had been Hashirama Senju, the Gold and Silver Brothers would have obediently stayed down. But what the hell was Tobirama Senju to them?

By the same logic, among the leaders of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the Third Raikage could be said to be the most terrifying and troublesome, while Kumogakure's overall strength was not weak either. But could Kumogakure suppress the other villages?

Forget suppressing everyone. Just Ōnoki and Iwagakure alone were enough to give Kumogakure a headache.

So no matter how much Amegakure jumped around, it was merely a clown putting on a show. Only Sunagakure was worth Konoha's attention.

Paying attention to Sunagakure was the right strategy, but the question was how they should do so.

Surely they would not immediately send people into the Land of Rivers to provoke Sunagakure just because Sunagakure had provoked them.

Everyone looked toward the Third Hokage, wanting to know how their Hokage viewed the matter.

"The village cannot remain on the defensive. Since the enemy has already acted, we should make a move as well. Blindly remaining passive will only make them push further."

With those words, the Third Hokage had essentially declared that Konoha would retaliate.

As for how they would retaliate, that still required discussion.

"Hokage-sama, rashly sending people into the Land of Rivers is not the best choice."

As the Hokage's strategist and the head of the Jōnin Corps, Shikaku Nara offered his suggestion. "The enemy is provoking us, and we should strike back. But we should approach it from another direction instead of copying Sunagakure and invading the Land of Rivers."

Shikaku Nara's words drew everyone's attention.

The Third Hokage hesitated. "Shikaku, you mean the Land of Rain?"

To sit firmly in the Hokage's seat, the Third Hokage's abilities needed no questioning. His political instincts were equally sharp.

Was Sunagakure not provoking them?

Amegakure was also unsettled. Why not send people into the Land of Rain, agitate Sunagakure's nerves, and force Sunagakure to focus its attention on the Land of Rain?

With Konoha and Sunagakure both entering the Land of Rain, they could also curb Amegakure's development and Ibuse's ambitions.

"I think Shikaku's idea is excellent. It would answer Sunagakure's provocation while also suppressing Amegakure's growth and ambitions."

"As expected of the man with the sharpest mind. With just a few words, he linked Amegakure and Sunagakure together."

Many people in the conference room began discussing it in low voices.

Tsunade, her arms crossed over her chest, frowned as she listened.

"Everyone, Senior Shikaku's proposal is very good. If nothing unexpected happens, it can shift Sunagakure's attention to the Land of Rain. As the village and Sunagakure enter it, Amegakure's development will certainly be affected. But have you considered Iwagakure's reaction?"

Why was Sunagakure provoking Konoha in the Land of Rivers instead of going to Amegakure? Was Sunagakure afraid of Amegakure and Ibuse?

Of course not. It was simply that Sunagakure—or rather, the Third Kazekage—did not want to provoke two powerful enemies at once.

Provoking Konoha in the Land of Rivers meant provoking only Konoha. Provoking them in the Land of Rain would not only make Konoha nervous, but also agitate Iwagakure.

After all, the Land of Rain bordered the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth. Once one side became active there, it was equivalent to provoking two powerful opponents.

Do not devise a strategy against Sunagakure and Amegakure, only to drag Iwagakure into it as well.