"Then let's begin!"
Seeing that everyone had calmed down, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke again.
"The Hidden Rain Village's rapid rise is undoubtedly what sparked this turmoil sweeping the world!"
"They now effectively control the Land of Birds, the Land of Rivers, the Land of Grass, the Land of Waterfalls, the Land of Fields, the Land of Iron, and more."
"Together, these connected territories cover an area no smaller than any one of the Five Great Nations!"
"And these countries once played a vital role in easing tensions between our nations."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and spoke slowly, his expression grave.
"There are three questions before us."
"Do we fight this newly risen great power, or make peace with it?"
"If we fight, should the Five Great Nations unite? Can we bring our strength to bear as one and destroy this new threat once and for all?"
At that, Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the other Kage's expressions turn grave.
Clearly, every one of them feared the Land of Rain's power.
"If we make peace, how should we negotiate with them?"
"Should we impose limits on their territory, military strength, and even their government?"
"Or do the Five Great Nations even have the power to restrain them before they grow into a monster bent on swallowing the world?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's words echoed in the four Kage's ears, weighing heavily on them.
Fight or make peace?
That was the question before them.
A fight would undoubtedly be difficult.
In the war that had already dragged on for some time, the Land of Rain had shown formidable strength.
It had fought on three fronts against three nations at once without losing ground.
If full-scale war broke out, how many troops and resources would they have to commit? How heavy would their losses be?
After