The Land of Water, in the Kirigakure.
When Karatachi Yagura received the news, he was slightly taken aback. It wasn't that he hadn't anticipated this possibility, but rather that the Cloud Ninja's actions were too decisive and swift, dispatching troops to press towards the Land of Hot Water without any hesitation.
'This Lord Raikage really isn't worried at all. Isn't he afraid this is a sign that an alliance between Kirigakure and Konoha is about to begin?'
Karatachi Yagura touched his chin, thinking silently to himself.
If it were him, he would at least test the waters first before making a decision.
For example, why not send someone to contact Kirigakure to find out more about the situation? Rushing in like this carries a bit too much risk.
"No, this isn't recklessness, it's a swift and decisive move after careful consideration. After all, it's just the Land of Hot Water. As long as it doesn't penetrate deep into the Land of Fire, Konoha probably won't make a big fuss. Besides, this is a choice where you can advance or retreat at will. Well, although they used our Kirigakure as a pawn, the timing was indeed excellent. I should thank you!"
As the Mizukage who held the reins of power over the village, his initial doubts only lasted a few seconds before he quickly realized that the Third Raikage A's goal had been clear and unambiguous from the very beginning!
In other words, people in small ninja villages are limited by their own perspective and cannot see the truth, but it's different in large countries.
Yagura was quick to react; the Cloud Ninja's deployment of troops was a huge boon for Kirigakure, allowing them to put pressure on Konoha together—why not?
'A peace treaty? Well, let's see if you've offered enough bargaining chips, Third Hokage!'
Karatachi Yagura looked at the map on his desk, his gaze fixed on a particular corner, a deep greed gleaming in his eyes.
In this world, as long as one is not insane or completely consumed by negative emotions such as hatred, there is nothing that is not negotiable!
The only difference is the size of the chips.
At the moment the Cloud Ninja pressed forward, Karatachi Yagura did indeed have the thought of either starting a Shinobi World world war.
This is a preliminary assessment based on the current situation, as well as pressure from other people within the ninja village at different levels!
However, this thought was fleeting.
Starting a major war is easy, but achieving one's goals is very difficult!
The actions of the Sunagakure side, in particular, were extremely strange.
Karatachi Yagura Cloud Ninja used their main force to invade Konohagakure's true sphere of influence. But Yagura didn't need to be so cautious. Otherwise, Kirigakure would very likely become the pitiful scapegoat!
If the Mist Ninja are defeated, his hard-won position as Mizukage will be in jeopardy!
Yagura was unwilling to gamble with such a large stake!
Therefore, the optimal solution is to mutually exploit the Cloud Ninja, squeeze out some of the Konohagakure's interests, and expand the Mist Ninja's operational scope!
Anyway, with Genji inside to help him 'suppress' dissenting opinions, Yagura didn't need to worry about this aspect at all.
A joint operation by the four major ninja villages.
This also put Konohagakure, which was at the center of the storm, in an even more difficult situation.
The Third Hokage's face seemed to have aged considerably in just a few days.
On one hand, they immediately mobilized available personnel to form a support force, which, under the leadership of Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo, advanced to the front lines to strengthen border defenses. On the other hand, they also accelerated negotiations with Kirigakure, and the bottom lines that they had previously wanted to hold onto were now being conceded.
Even with the Kumogakure, the Third Hokage once again yielded his bottom line, now only demanding that the Land of Hot Water not fall completely under the Kumogakure's sphere of influence.
The situation in the Shinobi World also became unpredictable in an instant.
However, this has little to do with Qi.
After returning to the ninja village, Kei only took half a day to visit his nominal comrade, Hozuki Shingetsu, with a flower basket and fruit, before throwing himself into his training.
During this Chunin Ninja Exams, the clashes with many geniuses, and especially the battles against the elite forces of Root, allowed Kei to accumulate a great deal of experience!
This gave Qi a clearer understanding of the power he currently possessed, and his control over Ice Release also improved significantly!
Furthermore, regarding Wind Release and Water Release techniques, Qi also realized that he could not simply rely on Ice Release unless his power could reach the level of the First Hokage's Wood Release, which could overpower all opponents with sheer force!
However, this is clearly still wishful thinking. As things stand, the difference between Kei's Ice Release and Hashirama Senju's Wood Release is truly vast!
Therefore, Qi needs more attack methods and patterns.
To enhance your personal abilities!
The more vulnerable a child is, the more attention needs to be paid to this aspect.
Moreover, in his spare time from cultivation...
Kei also took the opportunity to look after his younger brother, Minazuki Takahiro!
The training ground.
It was the forest that Qi often went to, not far from his clan's settlement.
Ice Release!
"Buzz!"
While Qi was strengthening his own training, he was also giving Takahiro a partial breakdown demonstration. Ice Release, as Kekkei Genkai formed by the combination of Chakra and water Chakra, is very easy to fail if not controlled carefully!
In this respect, Qi is highly experienced.
As someone who's been through it all, I naturally don't want to see my younger brother make the same mistakes. However, it's not something that can be avoided simply by having someone teach him.
Otherwise, human history wouldn't be described as a spiral progression.
It should rise in a straight line.
"Did you see that clearly? You're focusing on minute details, always trying to unleash as much power as possible—that's the main reason for your failure!"
After releasing the Ice Sealing Technique, Qi looked at Takahiro, who was sitting not far away with a thoughtful expression, and said...
"But, Brother Qi, isn't the purpose of this Ice Sealing Technique to control a large area? If that's not the case, then the spell is practically meaningless and ineffective, isn't it?"
Compared to Qi, Takahiro, who was much more immature, tilted his head and asked with a look of confusion.
"That statement itself isn't wrong, but you need to prioritize. If you can't even master the technique itself, how can you talk about area coverage? Takahiro! The Ice Sealing Technique is the foundation of our Ice Release. If you can't even reliably master this, then everything else is pointless. It's almost July now. If you don't meet my requirements in the next few months, then you'll have to enroll the year after next!"
Qi looked at Takahiro, who was much shorter than him, with a serious expression, and said in a deep voice.