Nearly fifteen years had passed since the last war in the shinobi world. On the surface, the shinobi world seemed peaceful and tranquil, free of unrest. Beneath that calm, however, hidden currents quietly stirred, and the leaders of the Five Great Shinobi Villages each weighed the future with their own agendas in mind.
Over the years, Chiyo and Ebizo had visited the Capital more than once to seek an audience with the Daimyo, hoping he would agree to restore military funding to Sunagakure Ninja Village. Every time, they were refused.
The aging Daimyo no longer possessed his former ambition. Dazzled by commercial trade along the border, he delighted in the gifts offered by ministers and merchants and had become completely immersed in this pleasant atmosphere. He had no interest whatsoever in Sunagakure Ninja Village's desire to strengthen its military and establish its standing through war. In fact, he even found it rather distasteful. They might have expanded the Land of Wind's territory in the past, but hadn't they lost all those gains in the last war?
The Daimyo had conveniently forgotten that he himself had made the decision to wage the last war. Even if he remembered, he would never consider himself at fault. He would only blame Sunagakure Ninja Village's incompetence. If they were so useless, why should he risk squandering vast sums of money to fund their military?
Were shinobi villages not becoming increasingly important in the modern shinobi world, the Daimyo might well have terminated his employment arrangement with Sunagakure Ninja Village altogether, sparing himself the expense of supporting its people. Even without providing military funding, he still had to spend money to maintain their everyday livelihoods. In his eyes, that was already more than generous, yet Sunagakure Ninja Village kept asking for more. It was utterly