Hearing this, the eyes of the three elders flashed with a brilliant light. Even Utatane Koharu, who had always kept her eyes narrowed in her old age, opened them wide.
Clearly, all three of them were tempted.
If they could truly make Sunagakure a vassal of Konoha, then Konoha would have no fear of a Fourth Great Ninja War.
The difference between a one-on-four and a two-on-three scenario was simply too great.
"Kogetsu, your idea is good, but the risks are not small," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a rather grave expression after calming down.
Kageyama Kogetsu put down his teacup and chuckled. "There are risks in everything. As long as the potential reward is great enough and the chances of success are high enough, it's worth a try."
"No matter what, Konoha will not lose out this time."
"First, Sunagakure has lost over a thousand elite ninja. They will have no choice but to adopt an elite-only policy, which is different from just having a small number of ninja. Their foundation has been severely damaged."
"Second, Rasa's three children, and even Sunagakure's Jinchūriki, are in our hands. We hold immense leverage."
"This time, even if we can't turn Sunagakure into a vassal, I will make them bleed heavily and ensure they obediently follow Konoha's lead within the alliance from now on."
Hearing this, the three of them exchanged glances, instantly understanding each other's thoughts.
"In that case, let's give it a try. What is your specific plan?" Sarutobi Hiruzen said, nodding emphatically.
"We will try diplomacy first, and resort to force later."
"How do we do that?"
"First, we send someone to Sunagakure to demand an explanation and have them send someone with authority to Konoha for negotiations."
"Then, we prepare war supplies and order the Southwestern Border Force to enter the Land of Rivers and station troops on the border of the Land of Wind."
The three of them nodded in agreement.
"By my estimation, with Sunagakure's very survival at stake, the high-ranking officials will surely ask the two old-timers, Chiyo and Ebizō, to come out of retirement."
"The person who comes to Konoha for negotiations will certainly be one of them. The two are quite wise and will likely offer benefits to the other three great ninja villages in exchange for their support."
"Given the way the three great villages operate, they will certainly intervene. They don't care about having a just cause," Sarutobi Hiruzen analyzed seriously.
Tch, as if Konoha cares so much about having a just cause. At most, we show some consideration for the major nations. As for the smaller countries, we enter and leave as we please.
"If they intervene, the matter will be settled," Mitokado Homura said with a grave expression.
"That's right. They might even use Sunagakure's request for aid as a pretext to directly declare war on Konoha," Utatane Koharu added, her face also grave.
"Rest assured, I have my own ways of dealing with it."
"Besides, as long as we reach an agreement with Sunagakure quickly enough, they won't have a chance to intervene."
"As for the person going to demand an explanation, I'll have the Golden Eagle take him to Sunagakure," Kageyama Kogetsu said, looking completely confident.
Damn it, if the three great villages dare to intervene, he might just have to pay their villages a visit and stir up some trouble.
If the three great villages are all preoccupied with their own problems, how will they have the energy to intervene?
Given that Kageyama Kogetsu had never failed before, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other two, out of trust, didn't ask for the specific details.
"Wouldn't it be better to send them with the Flying Thunder God Technique?" Utatane Koharu asked with a slight smile.
"There's no need. With the Golden Eagle's current speed, a round trip will take at most a day."
"The messengers sent by the other villages have all been intercepted by Konoha."
"Even if the three great villages receive the news, establish contact with Sunagakure, and then prepare for war, there won't be enough time."
"We can just have the Golden Eagle bring them back as well."
"The three great villages haven't prepared for war. Are you really afraid of mere verbal threats?"
"Besides, are we supposed to let the Sunagakure envoy walk slowly all the way to Konoha?"
...
Even if a White Zetsu from Obito's group leaked the information to Iwagakure and Kumogakure, there wouldn't be enough time.
After all, the two great villages couldn't use a White Zetsu as a messenger to establish contact with Sunagakure, could they?
How would they explain such a rapid means of communication to their own high-ranking officials?
If Obito chose to intervene alone and start a war, he would first have to get past the Kirigakure elders, like Gen.
Kirigakure's reforms, modeled after Tobirama Senju's, were the least thorough. The Mizukage's power and status were the lowest among the five great ninja villages!
The administrative power of Kirigakure was in the hands of Gen, who was equivalent to the great elder of a clan.
Controlling Yagura was already Obito's limit; he couldn't control anyone else in Kirigakure.
If Obito could act without any restraints, Kirigakure would have been destroyed long ago.
Kirigakure's strength had weakened significantly, so the probability of them sending troops was extremely low.
Even if Obito's group managed to persuade Gen and the other high-ranking officials through various means, it would be too late.
...
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other two quickly shook their heads.
What a joke. After weathering so many storms over the years, why would they be afraid of verbal threats when there wasn't enough time?
That's right. It's like my pistol has no bullets or the bullets aren't loaded. What's there to be afraid of?
"Then who should we send as the envoy to Sunagakure to demand an explanation?"
"This person must be measured in their words and actions. We can't actually push Sunagakure to the brink and cause them to act recklessly."
As Mitokado Homura spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Utatane Koharu rapidly considered potential candidates...
"Let it be Lord Jiraiya," Kageyama Kogetsu said in a deep voice.
"Huh? When did Jiraiya get back? Why didn't I know?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked surprised and annoyed, immediately firing off a triple-take of questions.
"He's been back for a while. Lady Tsunade is back too."
"They both took part in the battle outside the village today. You should receive the news today, if you haven't already," Kageyama Kogetsu said with a chuckle, casually selling the two of them out.
The legendary Sannin, and they didn't come back to serve him sooner. How outrageous!
Look at the great contributions Orochimaru has made!
"Those two bastards! I'll definitely teach them a lesson!" Sarutobi Hiruzen cursed angrily.
"If Jiraiya is back in Konoha, he is indeed a good choice. Although he's usually unreliable, he's very dependable when it comes to serious matters."
"Agreed."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu stated their agreement one after another.
Although Sarutobi Hiruzen was angry, he also expressed his approval.
"Then you can convey the contents of our meeting to him. After you've given him a good scolding, put him to work."
"Alright."
Kageyama Kogetsu stood up and walked to his desk. He took out a scroll and a brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write a formula on the scroll.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other two stood up and walked over.
"This is a temporary summoning contract for my summoning animal. You can activate it by inputting chakra. It can be used a total of three times, just in case of any accidents."
Kageyama Kogetsu rolled up the scroll and handed it to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Good. Very thoughtful."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was all smiles, feeling proud of the Hokage he had chosen.
"It's always good to be prepared. I'll have to trouble the two of you to prepare the war supplies."
"There's no need to prepare too much. The chances of Sunagakure acting recklessly are extremely small," Kageyama Kogetsu said, turning his head.
"Understood," Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu said, nodding with smiles.
...
While the Konoha leadership was in heated discussion, everyone in Konoha, residents and visitors alike, was fervently discussing the day's events.
The Land of Wind Daimyō was furious. Sunagakure had actually put him under a jutsu while carrying out their plans. This was intolerable!
It was an act of utter rebellion! He would cut Sunagakure's funding again when he got back!
The Land of Fire Daimyō and others, for various reasons, firmly supported the Land of Wind Daimyō's actions!
However, it was highly unlikely that the Land of Wind Daimyō would be able to return to his loyal capital. Although Rasa was dead, the plan was still in motion. Ninja were stationed on every road leading back.
On the other side, after finishing his work, Jiraiya invited Tsunade to an izakaya for a drink, but they were intercepted by Sarutobi Hiruzen on the way.
The two were called back to Hiruzen's home and given a thorough scolding.
It was only because of the important matter at hand that they weren't scolded for much longer...
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