It was rare that my office wasn’t large enough for a eting. But considering all that had been summoned and the paper clustered state of it, the conference room on the sixth floor would more than suffice.
“Sir, we can expand our operations against their supply lines, destroy their outposts and hinder their logistics before—” Shigeru Funato was cut off.
“Before the war?” Fuguki questioned, his deepened voice sending doubt at Shigeru’s idea. He looked away from the father and son pair of Funatos and attempted to lock eyes with , “Mizukage-sama, just send us. Send your Seven Swordsn and Kumogakure will learn its place.”
Uncle snorted at my side, shaking his head disappointedly at Fuguki, “Even if the ‘seven’ swordsn weren’t actually four—”
“Raiga is on a mission.” I muttered, fist hoisting up my cheek.
“Right, so that’s three swordsn. No. Sending you, any of you, isn't a good idea.” Uncle said.
Lord Funato stood from where he’d lingered with his son, Shigeru, one of Kiri’s Jounin Commanders. His cane clacked against the floor as he spoke in a hoarse voice, “The very fact that our Swordsn are incomplete is reason for Kumogakure’s brazenness but a strong response is needed, warranted, in fact. We cannot let such blatant interference go unpunished.”
At the corner of the room was i, her head hung in sha, guilt eating at her from the insides. Her report was curt, detailed but concise— Kumogakure had crossed yet another line. To her credit, she argued in favour of the possibility that this was all just a terrible coincidence, a misunderstanding and not a purposeful ans of aggression on Kumo’s part.
But her argunt was weak, even weaker than the one I told myself before calling this eting. There was no denying the facts as they were presented, Kumogakure had done this on purpose, just as they’d planted spies and funded secret entrances.
As Lord Funato sat, Lady gumi spoke to his declaration, “Yes, that much is obvious, Lord Funato, but any further escalation ans Kirigakure will be headed to war in a matter of months. If they were going to back down then they would’ve long ago.”
I felt her eyes on on that last statent, she, like the rest of my council, knew that another war was the last thing I wanted. Well, a war with Kumogakure anyway, the war I was preparing for war with the Akatsuki, with Agakure should they make a move.
Yet, it was evident that what I wanted wouldn’t always be what I got. I set my attention on Kurohane, I’d called the ANBU-nin into the eting as he was third after Reina and Raiga, “Any updates on the hunt for the Masked Man, Kurohane?”
“Nothing we can act on yet, sir.” He said and I could hear the disappointnt in delivering that non-news to .
I breathed in deep and scanned the room. Kisa and Fuguki stood side by side, Juzo was nowhere to be found and certainly not on a mission. At the far left corner was i and her subordinate, San Karatachi, a clansman of mine that bore a striking resemblance to , at least according to Uncle— personally I didn’t see it. Shigeru Funato, Junko Hoshigaki and three other Jounin Commanders stood nearest to each other, I recalled so of their nas from the war and had given so assignnts but right now, each of them rely wanted a chance at another all out war to prove themselves to their clans.
With the exception of Junko. She looked as tired and disappointed as I was, but she’d co out of retirent in full after our conversation about the realities of the enemies the shinobi world had yet to realize they were at war with. Her eyes lit up with a fire at the ntion of the Masked Man but until Reina brought back so actionable information, there was little else we could do except prepare for Agakure.
Except, this isn’t about A. I bit my cheek, my thoughts spiralling away as every option presented to looked worse than the last. “Any word from Baron Watanabe? Is the Lightning Daimyo sanctioning these attacks?”
I asked as a general question but really only Kurohane and my councillors would have a clue. The forr answered in the sa disappointed tone from earlier, “No sir, at least all evidence points to the Lightning Daimyo’s ignorance about shinobi matters, his only concern now seems to be recovering from the latest shinobi war.”
Seated at my extre right, beside Uncle, Lord Funato leaned forward so I could see his displeased, wrinkled old face, “This has past the point of the Daimyo’s concern, whether or not he is involved does not change the fact that Kumo has taken violent action against us in the past few months. The aggression is blatant and a proportional response is needed.”
He struck his cane then waved it at the gathered Jounin Commanders, “Preparations against Kumogakure and its allies should be made, their supply lines across our seas should be dissolved or co-opted and Hunter-nin should be on the lookout for any Cloud shinobi. Executions on sight!”
Before I or my less warmongering councillors could say anything, Junko stepped forward, standing out against Fuguki’s massive form with her hands asking for patience as she spoke, “I think we’re all ready for a stronger response against Kumogakure, but I believe there are also greater threats out there, threats the Hunter-nin squads would be better off chasing than Kumo-nin.” Her sharp eyes cast a knowing look on each of us seated before the group, I gave a curt approving nod and she continued to her suggestion.
“Maybe it's ti to stun them with force and speed. Rather than waste ti with this back and forth and potentially get distracted while…while the Masked Man gets away, Kumogakure should learn how it feels to be under siege.” She took another step forward, heels clacking against the floorboards as she punctuated her point, “Sabotaged supply lines and dead civilians won’t cut it anymore, there needs to be real consequence, Mizukage-sama.”
I gulped and sat upright against the figurative wall I was being cornered into. Kumogakure was leaving little choice now, refraining from taking concrete actions against them, even for fear of a full blown war would paint as weak amongst all present, but more importantly, to Kumogakure themselves.
It was no news to that they obeyed the law of the mighty just like every other shinobi village out there, just like us. But if I continued to hold off on delivering wrathful judgent then they wouldn’t hesitate to continue as they have, leaving subtle, difficult to trace attacks and spies. Junko was right, they wouldn’t learn how pissed we are unless…
“What do you suggest?” I asked.
She pursed her blue lips together into a smile, “Kisa and a handful of coverts find and eliminate one of their elites. Doesn’t matter if it's a diplomat, the Raikage’s assistant or even a Jounin Commander, soone high up the food chain needs to be murdered.”
Kisa wore a wide grin at the ntion and eagerly stepped forward to show his willingness. He’d been quiet all this ti, simply content to listen and do as he was told, but clearly, like many others, he had a preference on what to do.
I shifted my gaze to him and said, “You realize if this isn’t done right? If there’s enough evidence to link back to us then we’d have to go to war or forsake you as a rogue-nin?”
Junko shook her head in vigorous disagreent, “Mizukage-sama, with all due respect our hands are being forced here. I think we’re well in our right to offer a response as blatant as they have and get away with it. They should fear the cost of war with the Blood Mist.”
“I agree.” i spoke up from her corner, she was more timid than she should be, guilt still eating her for not preventing the clients death. None of this was her fault. “None of this is our fault, Yagura-sama. We are protecting our own and the Hidden Cloud…they don’t want the sa peace you do.”
Truth be told, an all out war was the least of my worries at the mont, I had faith in my village’s ability to give Kumo a painful fight but a fight was not what I needed. I needed friends, allies against the bigger threat no one seed to see.
What happens if we go to war and never reconcile? Never see eye to eye and never trust each other again? I breathed in deeply, a dozen eyes pressed against , waiting for my word. It might be no different from now, can I really trust Kumo? Even if I were to reveal all that threatened the shinobi world…could I count on them not to be greedy hooligans?
The answer that sang in my head was a resounding no. I couldn’t trust them now and I couldn’t trust them after a hypothetical all out war. And so, knowing that I asked myself the next, most important question. How pivotal is Kumogakure to subverting Obito?
As it stood, I didn’t have nearly as much faith about throwing Kirigakure against A. In order to subdue Nagato we’d need to put our best foot forward and currently, aside from myself, i and the three of four Swordsn, Kirigakure was lacking heavy hitters. Mostly as a result of them not being grown up enough yet, there was a mass of potential in the Kaguya and Yuki clans but precious few were worth calling to fight a god.
With what we had, it wasn’t looking like a fight we’d walk away from unscathed.And that’s assuming Obito and Zetsu don’t get involved.
I gritted my teeth and let out a sigh, “Enough of this, leave us, all of you. I will discuss this with my council.”
The room emptied out, albeit sluggishly. i cast a sidelong glance at before she left with the others and I caught Junko doing the sa, except hers was filled with unspoken words regarding the Masked Man. I looked away from both as the doors shut behind them, leaving with my trusted councillors.
To my amazent none spoke up imdiately, we sat in each other's presence, soaking the silence and the weight of the decision we were to make. Even Lord Funato seed serene. In the end, I spoke first, “I need to get a ssage to the Raikage, an actual ssage, with words this ti.”
Lady gumi humd, “Still trying for diplomacy are you?”
“Should he abandon the carrot for the stick?” Uncle rebuked, nodding my way in agreent, “You want to be sure there’s no way to de-escalate before taking things further, don’t you?”
I nodded, “We simply demand compensation and a formal apology for all their transgressions thus far. Placing emphasis on their shenanigans that brought a client in the middle of our disagreents, the world should know as well. I want rumours spread around the Land of Lightning, Water, Frost and Tea, exaggerate the circumstances so they’re even more cowardly than they’ve been. I want the world to call the Raikage a spineless fiend so that when my letter reaches his desk, he has no choice but to decide if war is what he wants or if he can own up to his mistakes.”
Lord Funato scoffed, the clack of his cane resounded throughout the spacious hall as he stood to leave. He turned to and asked, “And when Unruly Ay chooses war, what will you do then, Yagura-sama?”
My lips parted to answer but not a sound ca out before Lord Funato walked away.
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