Baki stood behind Rasa and said quietly:
"Lord Kazekage, should we strengthen our contact with Iwagakure?"
"Hidden Xuan Village's influence keeps growing. I'm afraid..."
"I know."
He sighed and tossed the intelligence onto the desk.
"Let's keep watching for now."
Iwagakure, Land of Earth.
Ōnoki floated in midair.
A huge Shinobi World Map hung on the wall before him.
He had already circled the Land of Lightning's territory in red.
"Uchiha Xuantou... what an appetite."
There was a hint of anger in Ōnoki's voice:
"Swallowing the Land of the Moon wasn't enough. Now he wants to devour the Land of Lightning too."
"If this continues, who will be next?"
"Our Land of Earth, or the Land of Wind?"
Kitsuchi stood behind him without speaking.
"Kitsuchi."
After a long deliberation, Ōnoki looked at Kitsuchi and said:
"Send people to Sunagakure and Kirigakure at once. Contact Rasa and Mei Terumi."
"We must unite with the other great nations to impose sanctions on the Uchiha. We cannot let them keep expanding like this."
"Otherwise, once they've finished consolidating their hold on the Land of Lightning's territory, we'll never have another chance."
Hearing this, Kitsuchi suddenly asked:
"What about Tsunade in Konoha? Should we send someone there too?"
Ōnoki shook his head decisively:
"Tsunade is too close to Uchiha Xuantou. She won't side with us."
Kitsuchi frowned slightly.
"Father, will Rasa and Mei Terumi... agree to ally with us?"
Ōnoki snorted.
"They will!"
"Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure. Three ninja villages against Hidden Xuan Village and Konoha."
"That's three against two. We have the advantage!"
"They won't pass up such a good opportunity to profit from war."
Kitsuchi immediately nodded, turned, and left the office.
One month later, at the Daimyo's Residence of the Land of Lightning.
The imperial hall was brilliantly lit and