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It was a binary choice.
Choosing external conflict ant potential bankruptcy if they failed. Even if the Raikage's prestige held the village together, their economic strength would regress years, and without the daimyo's aid, the Raikage Tower's control over the Kumo Shinobi would reach its lowest point since the village's founding.
Kumogakure lacked a unifying "Lightning Will"; the Kumo Shinobi were bound together by—less noble ans. Money, territory, the promise of a better life—these were their motivations. If the Raikage Tower lacked funds, it couldn't command their loyalty.
War was expensive.
Acquiring vast quantities of military supplies, paying pensions, rewarding kills, commissioning dangerous missions...
Could they truly expect Shinobi to fight solely out of patriotism?
If they followed the ministers' suggestion, focusing on internal stability—pacifying the nation through warfare—The Kumo Shinobi's energy would be consud by dostic affairs. For at least a year, perhaps longer, any plans for a joint invasion of Konoha would be shelved.
The Finance Minister offered a guarantee: "The assets confiscated from those treacherous rchants and nobles who profited from this disaster—will be split fifty-fifty between the Raikage Tower and the provisional Land of Lightning governnt!"
Sanctioned plunder!
Sanctioned enrichnt!
This was the "legitimacy" many Shinobi craved during peaceti.
With this authority—they could target anyone whose property, whose wife, they desired, labeling them "profiteering capitalist scoundrels" before seizing their assets and eliminating their families.
The Kumo Shinobi, like unleashed beasts, would ravage their own nation. The violence and darkness inherent in Shinobi nature, freed from legal constraints, would be unleashed inwards.
Even if the Daimyo's governnt could eventually be restored, the consequences would be devastating.
Once Shinobi tasted such freedom, forcing them back into their cages would be—difficult.
Offering such terms was a desperate asure. Desperate tis called for desperate asures. To restore order, they had to rely on the power of these crude Shinobi.
Hearing this promise...
So of the elders, initially hostile, their expressions shifting, revealed their true intentions.
Perhaps—this was their chance to seize control of politics, military, and economy, to break free from the Shinobi's traditional role, to finally step onto the grand political stage! A Shinobi who didn't aspire to beco a minister wasn't a good Shinobi!
The elders' ambitions flared.
The Raikage's expression, however, darkened.
A was a professional Shinobi, a traditional, pure Kumo Shinobi.
Shinobi were ant for war! ant to unite and crush other villages, proving their supremacy!
He knew his Kumo Shinobi. He'd intended to channel their pent-up aggression, sparked by Arnold's death, towards Konoha.
But now?
Arnold hadn't died, lingering stubbornly in Konoha. And the Land of Lightning was plagued by chaos, offering nurous targets for plunder.
A had read books. Even if he hadn't, he knew—aggression could only be redirected once! Once unleashed dostically, against the Land of Lightning's own people, their desire to fight Konoha would vanish.
They'd be too busy plundering, enriching themselves through sanctioned banditry. Who would care about fighting Konoha? Raiding a single rchant's estate yielded greater profits than completing missions or fighting wars, without the risk of death.
A knew he had to make a choice.
He spoke slowly, "This matter—give two days to consider."
"Lord Raikage!" an elder exclaid, agitated.
"I said," A's voice bood, "Give two days!"
Kumogakure's future—greatness, or gradual decline—rested on his decision.
After dismissing the others, the Raikage summoned his trusted subordinates, including Mabui. "You reported that the Raikage Tower's wealth is only sufficient for one large-scale military operation?"
"Perhaps not even that," Mabui replied, holding a thick stack of files. "Our calculations were based on receiving the daimyo's subsidy. Now that the Daimyo's governnt is bankrupt—forget subsidies, even Shinobi tool aid is gone. The Raikage Tower must cover this deficit. Kumo Shinobi might have to—purchase their own equipnt..."
Typically, Shinobi received Shinobi tool subsidies based on rank.
Elite Jonin received ten standard kits—high-quality kunai, shuriken, dical bandages, even expensive exploding tags. Jonin received five, Tokubetsu Jonin four, Chunin three, Genin one.
Shinobi tools, like condoms, were essential, and for reputable Shinobi, never enough.
Sotis, ten kunai were expended in a single encounter.
Once the free supply ran out, they had to buy their own.
During warti, the village covered expenses exceeding the free allotnt. Even with tight finances, they reimbursed a significant portion of equipnt costs. How could you expect Shinobi to risk their lives if you didn't provide them with the necessary tools?
But with the Raikage Tower's current financial state, even subsidizing equipnt purchases was impossible.
The Raikage's expression grew grimr. He sat silently at his desk.
"Perhaps—this is all Konoha's conspiracy!"
Though lacking direct evidence that Konoha orchestrated the tulip bubble, the Raikage sensed sothing—amiss.
Everything felt—strange.
He wanted a direct confrontation with Konoha, but Konoha had struck from behind, draining the Land of Lightning's wealth, leaving Kumogakure unable to wage war.
Kumogakure—had been outmaneuvered! Denied even the chance for a direct confrontation.
Either gamble the nation's fate, the village's fate, relying on his personal charisma to rally the Kumo Shinobi, persuade them to fight with self-funded equipnt, and clash with Konoha. Victory ant regaining everything, reclaiming the wealth plundered by Konoha. Defeat ant the Raikage's authority shattered, the Raikage Tower's credibility destroyed, Kumogakure's demise.
Or—accept a slow decline. Obey the provisional governnt's command, choose internal stability over external conflict. This process would be long, irreversible—Even as Raikage, he couldn't guarantee his authority would survive. Perhaps the Shinobi, accustod to the spoils of dostic plunder, would lose their edge, forgetting what it ant to be—pure Shinobi.
"Lord Raikage, do we fight?" Mabui asked.
"Hmph..." The Raikage exhaled sharply, his eyes hardening with resolve. "Kumo Shinobi die standing, never kneeling! We must fight Konoha! We will fight!"
"As for the money—I will personally negotiate with the clans!"
Unaware of the clans' secret dealings, the Raikage convened an ergency, closed-door eting in the Raikage Tower that night.
aning, anyone who leaked the contents of this eting would face the Raikage's wrath.
A death sentence.
"Gentlen, you are the pillars of Kumogakure. I won't hide the truth from you. The village—is facing an existential crisis."
"I plan to unite with Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure, launching a four-village joint invasion of Konoha! In fact, the Kage of our villages have already t in secret, setting the date for the attack one week from now..."
His words sent shockwaves through the room.
Even the clan representatives who had previously supported the Raikage were stunned, leaping to their feet. "Lord Raikage! Why weren't we consulted?! How could you make such a decision unilaterally?"
"Now you decide to attack Konoha? What about the Land of Lightning? What about the rebels, bandits, and criminals running rampant?"
"Priorities must be set! We understand that a confrontation with Konoha is inevitable, but war cannot break out now! The imdiate priority is suppressing the dostic rebellion!"
Soone was agitated.
Such a golden opportunity! Setting aside loyalty to the daimyo, the Land of Lightning was ripe for plunder. Sanctioned banditry—their chance to rise through the ranks—was right before them!
The concept of social hierarchy in the Shinobi World had existed since ancient tis...
Even the Sage of Six Paths, despite being born to Kaguya, who was rejected by the daimyo, despite saving the world and passing the Shinobi Creed to Asura, the Ōtsutsuki "empire" lasted only two generations before crumbling, fading into history.
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