No one could predict how many assassins would be drawn in by the unprecedented bounty.
But from this moment forward, Veigar would have to tread with extreme caution, because countless killers now had their eyes on him.
Perhaps none of them could match Veigar's power in direct combat. But then again, what assassin fights fair in open battle?
Poison, traps, threats, these despicable and underhanded methods were their true weapons.
From now on, no matter where he was, Veigar would have to stay on high alert. He never knew when or where someone would suddenly emerge, aiming to collect the massive reward on his head.
Because Veigar's head was worth far too much.
With two bounty notices combined, the price on Veigar's head had soared to 130 million ryō.
And to those eager to claim that fortune, Veigar wasn't some seasoned jōnin with years of fame on the battlefield. No, he was just a ten-year-old child.
This illusion made them believe their chances of success were far higher than they actually were.
After dismissing the ANBU, Hiruzen massaged his aching temples.
Veigar had stirred up quite the mess this time.
Even the Third Hokage himself couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.
But Hiruzen didn't have time to dwell on Veigar's problems, war with Sunagakure now demanded his full attention.
"Hokage-sama, the village advisors and all clan heads are assembled in the council chamber."
"When would you like to join them?"
No sooner had the ANBU withdrawn than his ever-diligent secretary arrived to brief him on village affairs.
"Understood," Hiruzen said simply.
"Tell them I'll be there shortly."
With that, he picked up two scrolls from his desk and gave a nod of dismissal. The secretary bowed and exited the room.
Upon arriving at the council chamber, Hiruzen sat at the head of the table. Arrayed before him were over twenty senior figures, Konoha's entire high command.
Calming himself, Hiruzen began:
"Everyone, the reason I've called you here today is to discuss a single issue."
"I'm sure you've all heard of the Sand Elder's death on the front lines. I have two intelligence reports here. Read them, and we'll proceed with deliberations afterward."
He handed the scrolls to Danzo and Koharu, seated to his left and right.
One scroll contained a detailed transcript of the battlefield analysis Orochimaru had sent back, documenting Veigar's strategic insights with nothing omitted.
The second was a report from an embedded operative in Sunagakure, outlining everything that had occurred in the village over the past few days.
Meanwhile, three of the other Great Nations, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure, were holding high-level meetings of their own, each centered around developments involving the Sand Village.
...
Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
The Third Raikage, a rugged and imposing man, had summoned all his senior officials. In the meeting hall, he slammed his palm on the table.
"You've all seen the intelligence. Now, what do you have to say?"
Though Kumogakure's military strength rivaled even Konohagakure, the Raikage had initially decided to launch an offensive the moment he read the report. However, he quickly reconsidered after receiving a sealed message.
A personal letter, from Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage.
And not just to him. Rasa had sent identical messages to the Third Tsuchikage and the Fourth Mizukage as well.
In the letter, Rasa laid out the current state of Konoha, calling on the other villages to join in declaring war, surrounding the Leaf and forcing it into a war on all fronts.
It was part of a broader strategy; if Sunagakure's next move was to succeed, Rasa would need the other villages to cooperate.
He wasn't naïve enough to expect them to jump in immediately.
What he did hope for was something subtler: a show of force. A coordinated increase in military presence along the Land of Fire's borders, making it appear as though war was imminent.
If the three other Great Villages simply moved their troops, that alone would serve Rasa's purposes well enough.
It would split Konoha's attention and forces, giving his and Chiyo's plans a much higher chance of success.
Whether that success ultimately came to pass… that would depend on fate.
Rasa had done everything he could. If this wasn't enough, well, then all he could do was sigh and accept defeat.
"Raikage-sama, I fully support declaring war on Konoha and sending troops to the Fire Nation border."
Renjou Furuyama, a representative of the Furuyama Clan, was the first to rise in support of military action.
His beloved grandson had died during Konoha's Chūnin Exams. Now, with Veigar's name resurfacing, his thirst for revenge had reached its peak.
"Raikage-sama, I agree."
"So do I."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
One by one, Renjou's allies raised their hands. Almost a third of the room supported the call for war.
But then came a voice from the opposition.
"Raikage-sama, I object."
The speaker was Kamikaze Yotsuki, a representative of the Yotsuki Clan, and political rival of the Furuyama.
He had spoken up only after receiving a private warning from the Raikage himself.
Not to mention, he wasn't about to let Renjou get his way so easily.
"I object as well, Raikage-sama."
"We mustn't deploy troops."
"I also vote against it."
Just as swiftly, the Yotsuki faction raised their hands, gaining a slight majority.
The remaining members either remained silent or sat undecided.
Renjou's face darkened. He shot the Raikage a venomous glare.
He knew the truth, all three Raikage in Kumogakure's history had come from the Yotsuki Clan. Every time the Yotsuki representative spoke, it was as good as the Raikage's word.
Because in the end, the Raikage was one of them.
The debate dragged on for some time, but eventually the village settled on a compromise:
They would send reinforcements to the Land of Fire's borders, but stop short of a formal declaration of war.
Under the pretense of holding joint military exercises in the Land of the Moon, Kumogakure would apply pressure on Konoha.
As for whether those "exercises" would escalate into full-blown war...
They would wait.
Wait for the right message.
Wait for the right opportunity.
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]