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"Nothing is impossible. The most fundamental relationship between nations is interest, and wars also arise from this. Without interest, who would want to risk enormous dangers to participate in war? This is the essence of this world; all act for profit," Ōnoki said calmly.
"But despite that, I still don't quite trust those fellows from Kumogakure. You must understand that our relationship with them is very bad, and how could the hatred accumulated from successive Great Ninja Wars be so easily resolved with just an alliance request?!" the elder said, his voice laced with emotion.
"That's well said, we cannot trust Kumogakure!!!" The rest of the elders also expressed their stance, while some others remained silently in thought.
"I never said we should forget the grudges between us and Kumogakure, but have you ever thought about how these grudges originated?" Ōnoki said calmly.
"Of course, it was war. Haven't countless ninjas from our side died at Kumogakure's hands in the successive Great Ninja Wars?" one of the elders said, somewhat displeased.
"Then why did we participate in those wars!?" Ōnoki asked again, his expression unchanged. "Of course, it was for... for..." The elder was about to say something, but seemed to recall something else, becoming hesitant.
"Precisely. It was for interests and resources. It was to allow our Land of Earth to develop, to allow us and the people of our country to live better!!! This is the fundamental purpose of war!!!" Ōnoki said with a cold snort.
"The reason we developed such deep hatred with Kumogakure was to seize resources and interests. Now, we can obtain vast resources without much effort, yet you yourselves are fixated on the past grudges with Kumogakure. Isn't this putting the cart before the horse?" Ōnoki said with a cold voice.
The elders who had previously objected instantly stiffened. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, and they were momentarily too intimidated to speak. "Lord Tsuchikage is right. Our temporary alliance with Kumogakure doesn't mean we've forgotten our hatred for Kumogakure. It's just that right now, we have a common objective and shared interests with Kumogakure.
If we were to fight to the death with Kumogakure now, neither side would benefit. Furthermore, Konoha and the Sand Village are severely wounded and can no longer restrain us. This is the perfect opportunity for us to borrow a path through the Land of Rain and invade the Land of Water!!!" One of the elders who had been silent throughout the discussion spoke up.
"That's well said. If we remain in this deadlock with Kumogakure, no one will benefit. Moreover, if we want to invade the Land of Water alone, we must pass through the Land of Rain, and Kumogakure would absolutely not permit that. Conversely, if Kumogakure wanted to borrow a path through the Land of Rain to reach the Land of Water, our Iwagakure would fully obstruct them. This way, no one benefits.
It's better for each of us to take a step back, form a temporary alliance, and first take down the Land of Water. Our Iwagakure's strength is no worse than Kumogakure's; there's no need to fear them!!! Furthermore, this is also the best opportunity to narrow the resource gap between us and Konoha. Once Konoha and the Sand Village recover their strength, it will be quite difficult to take down the Land of Water again," another elder, who had also been silent just now, nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. I'm afraid those fellows from Kumogakure think the same way, which is why they sent this alliance request. They also know that to borrow a path through the Land of Rain, they must pass our hurdle. If we play tricks on them during this, they would pay a considerable price, and taking down the Land of Water would be meaningless then," another elder nodded and said.
"That's well said. It seems you all understand now. Putting aside the richness of the Land of Water for a moment, just looking at the mystery of Kirigakure as a village, and its strength and actions in swallowing up the surrounding small countries, it's no small threat to both our Iwagakure and Kumogakure. After all, its location is truly too dangerous. It was fine before, as this country had little military power, but now, it's time to deal with this problem," Ōnoki said with a cold laugh.
"Then, can we demand a little more benefit? After all, Kumogakure is asking us for an alliance," an elder began to say.
"No." Ōnoki slowly shook his head. He lifted his teacup and slowly took a sip of hot tea, then said, "Those fellows from Kumogakure are incredibly arrogant; they have no gene for compromise in their bones. Wasn't the beginning of the Great Ninja War without their shadow? The fact that they can now propose an alliance is probably their greatest compromise."
"I am quite clear on the personality of that brat, the Fourth Raikage. If we now demand more benefits, we will definitely infuriate that fellow. Even if it means fighting us to the death regardless of the consequences, then it wouldn't be worth the loss. For now, let's agree to their terms. But who knows what will happen in the end? After all, so-called alliances are just a piece of waste paper to villages like ours; in the end, it's still about who speaks with their fists," Ōnoki said with a cold laugh.
"Then it's decided. Agree to Kumogakure's request, and we'll write a secret letter and send it to Kumogakure in a little while," Ōnoki said. Everyone nodded, and the matter was thus settled.
And in Kumogakure, located in the Land of Lightning, countless towering peaks pierced the sky. On these peaks, many pavilions and houses could vaguely be seen, and at the foot of the mountains lay the magnificent village.
At the very top of one of Kumogakure's highest peaks stood a massive circular building. This was where the Raikage worked. A fierce and formidable middle-aged man, covered in muscles, with bronzed skin, sat heavily on a nearby sofa. He exuded an aura of dominance. Beside the sofa lay a white hooded cloak with the character Lightning written on it. This man was the current leader of Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage, A.
"Boss, do you think Iwagakure will agree to our request?" a black-skinned young man with short white hair covering one eye, sitting beside the Raikage, asked with some uncertainty.
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