As one of Sunagakure's senior officials for many years, Chiyo understood what the Wind Shadow meant the moment he spoke.
The Land of Wind covered a vast area, though more than ninety percent of it was desert.
But it was not poor. Prospecting for gold and mining mineral deposits in the desert brought in money, while the harsh environment made its ninjas tenacious and strengthened their resolve.
After the Staircase Mountain Treaty, most of the Land of Wind's taxes and mineral deposits had to be handed over to Konoha. What remained had to support the entire country.
The Daimyo was also deeply dissatisfied with Sunagakure's earlier defeat, and the village's funding and other resources began to dwindle sharply.
Without money or resources, Sunagakure's recovery progressed slowly, and it gradually fell behind the other great nations.
Rather than continue developing at that pace, they might as well take a gamble. At the very least, they could save more than half the Land of Wind's annual revenue.
That money would be enough to restore normal operations in Sunagakure and put its recovery back on track.
Whether they would still honor the Staircase Mountain Treaty in five years would depend on how Sunagakure's strength compared with Konoha's.
"I have no objection to your decision, Lord Wind Shadow. This really is a good opportunity. The Daimyo would be delighted if it worked out," Chiyo said.
The Third Kazekage said, "Exactly. The Daimyo is already drifting away from Sunagakure. Those short-sighted fools.
"At a time like this, the capital should be giving Sunagakure financial support. Once we regain our strength, the Staircase Mountain Treaty will be nothing but a scrap of paper.
"Instead, they're slashing our military budget to fund the lavish lifestyles of certain people in the capital."
Ninjas were moving frequently within Kumogakure.