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Furthermore, the village's Jinchūriki must be kept under close guard. If the Akatsuki could orchestrate a Nine-Tails Night and a Four-Tails Night, they could very well stage a Two-Tails or Eight-Tails Night.
A did not want to see Kumogakure thrown into chaos. The Two-Tails was manageable; he could suppress it. But if the Eight-Tails went out of control... Kumogakure's fate wouldn't be any better than Konoha's a decade ago. Even with all his confidence, A didn't dare claim he was stronger than his father, who had subdued the Eight-Tails.
"Immediately send people to guard Bee! Warn him not to wander off recklessly, or he'll face the consequences!" Compared to Yugito Nii, the obedient and sensible Two-Tails Jinchūriki, A was most worried about his brother, Killer Bee. His brother had a few screws loose, always seeking the spotlight with his rap concerts. He might even disregard A's warnings in search of "inspiration," roaming around aimlessly. If he happened to "roam" right into the Akatsuki's path, that would be a disaster. Even with Bee's formidable strength, A wasn't at ease. After all, the Akatsuki's demonstrated power was no joke. If Bee really blundered into them, Kumogakure might genuinely experience an Eight-Tails Night.
At least Uchiha Obito's other Sharingan eye is still locked away. A suddenly felt grateful that Obito's other eye remained hidden. With just one Sharingan, Obito could cause this much havoc. Who knows what absurd things he could pull off with both eyes reunited.
In truth, Obito did want to infiltrate Kumogakure to retrieve his Sharingan. Unfortunately, he had no leads whatsoever. Even Zetsu hadn't managed to gather relevant intelligence. Moreover, Nagato had explicitly stated that the Akatsuki would not storm Kumogakure to retrieve Obito's Sharingan. That was a matter Obito had to handle himself. Without assistance from the others, relying solely on himself, Obito's chances of retrieving his eye were minuscule. Perhaps one day this ambition might be realized. But one wonders if Obito, upon finally obtaining what he believes is his eye, might spit three mouthfuls of blood upon discovering it's not actually his.
As time passed, news of the Four-Tails Night shook the entire ninja world, much like the Nine-Tails Night had. Even the war rhythm between Sunagakure and Kirigakure was affected. Rasa immediately put war matters aside, ordering that Gaara be placed under strict guard, forbidden to leave the village and with his movement severely restricted.
On the other side, Kirigakure urgently sought to secure their own Jinchūriki. However, no one anticipated that the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, Utakata, having long endured ostracism from villagers and comrades, his psychological pressure immense, chose to defect.
In the past, Kirigakure's higher-ups wouldn't have paid it much mind, at most dispatching Hunter-nin to track him down. But after Iwagakure's Four-Tails Night disaster, the Mist Village leaders couldn't sit still. They hastily convened a high-level meeting, deciding to send more forces to retrieve the Jinchūriki at all costs. If retrieval proved impossible, they would kill him. It was better to let the Six-Tails die and slowly resurrect than to take the risk. Otherwise, if the Akatsuki decided to give Kirigakure such "treatment," the Mist Village wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Regarding the higher-ups' proposals, Yagura did not refuse and agreed decisively. Since it wasn't yet time to capture the Tailed Beasts, the Akatsuki had no need to obsess over pursuing the Jinchūriki. Having precise intelligence was sufficient. If Kirigakure wanted to chase, let them chase.
*****
Iwagakure.
Nearly one-third of the village lay in ruins. When the casualty statistics were placed before him, Ōnoki nearly blacked out on the spot. The numbers were utterly horrifying.
"Because the Four-Tails appeared in the dead of night, its attacks caused numerous buildings to collapse. Many villagers were buried under rubble before they could evacuate. Even more terrifying, the fires ignited by the Four-Tails claimed many lives, resulting in significant civilian casualties."
In the temporary conference room, the atmosphere was heavy. Everyone present wore grim, ashen expressions, their faces so dark they seemed capable of dripping water. An air of anger and profound grief blanketed Iwagakure. Each person carried a heavy heart. Those who had lost family members searched desperately for their loved ones' remains. The fortunate might find a body, even if incomplete, offering some small solace. The most horrific were those who found nothing—the fires had consumed far too much, including bodies.
"Reconstruction is an urgent priority. Compensation must also be distributed immediately. Additionally, the village needs to purchase massive quantities of supplies from outside."
"Most critically... the village has no money." No money meant no reconstruction, no compensation, no support for bereaved families to rebuild their lives. Not a chance.
Beyond funds and rebuilding infrastructure, the village also had to cover the living expenses of the now-homeless villagers. Once all these accounts were tallied, the sum would reach a staggering, heart-stopping figure.
Ōnoki opened the document, glanced at the astronomical figure required, and felt his eye twitch repeatedly. Given Iwagakure's current state, even selling himself wouldn't yield that much money. And this was only the first installment; more funds would be needed later for the village to fully recover.
"The Daimyo can provide a sum, but it will only be a stopgap measure." Whether a country's Daimyo was wealthy depended on the nation's resources and population. If the land was poor and sparsely populated, where would the Daimyo collect taxes? Among the Five Great Nations, the Land of Fire's Daimyo and the Land of Lightning's Daimyo were the wealthiest. The others lagged behind. The Land of Earth's Daimyo had always been closely aligned with Iwagakure. If the village needed money, he was willing to provide—provided he had it to give.
Bad news kept piling up, further darkening Ōnoki's mood.
After pondering for a while, Ōnoki's hoarse voice finally broke the silence in the conference room. "First, draw a sum from the Daimyo to manage the immediate crisis. Purchase as many supplies as possible, at least to sustain the displaced villagers. As for the rest... the village will find a way."
It was no longer just about disaster relief. Iwagakure had to find a way to produce sufficient funds and supplies to stabilize the village's situation. Ōnoki, who had previously harbored reservations, was now pushed to the edge of the cliff.
To save Iwagakure, only two options remained: either receive aid from other villages, or transfer the village's problems and conflicts onto others, plundering their resources and wealth to fill Iwagakure's gaping void.