A few days had passed since the Nine-Tails' Yin half had been safely sealed inside Menma.
News soon reached Yagura from Sunagakure—Shukaku had gone berserk again.
Yet another rampage.
It wasn't the first time.
Thanks to Kirigakure's heavy economic infiltration into Sunagakure, major incidents like this couldn't be hidden from the Mist's intelligence network anymore.
While the specific reason Gaara had lost control of Shukaku again remained unclear, this monthly "rhythm was clearly abnormal.
Even the Nine-Tails' sealing into Uzumaki Menma had gone smoothly without a hitch.
Yagura suspected Rasa had returned to his old habits—testing Gaara's worth again.
Sunagakure was given the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, and yet here Rasa was squandering the opportunity. That's not how you treat a gift, Rasa.
We gave you a chance, and this is how you use it? Shameful.
Letting Shukaku rampage in the village center, without any regard for civilian casualties or property damage—did Rasa care nothing for his people?
Kirigakure's business centers had been strategically placed outside the heart of Sunagakure under Yagura's orders, scattered across other cities in the Land of Wind. He had always been on guard against Rasa becoming "Mr. Asset-Test".
Rasa had bet everything on the Tailed Beasts, sacrificing the lives and livelihoods of his shinobi and citizens, just so Shukaku could occasionally show up and wreck the place.
Was Sunagakure planning to tear itself down like a condemned slum project?
...
"Lord Mizukage."
A diplomat knocked lightly, then entered the office, approaching Yagura's desk with a document in hand.
"What's this?"
"The Daimyō wishes to meet with you."
Yagura opened the document and gave it a quick glance. It matched what the envoy had just said.
The newly appointed Daimyō was a bold and fiery woman named Oda Nobuna.
Back when the previous Daimyō was still alive, Yagura had met her a few times. She'd proven to be a capable leader.
After the death of the former Daimyō, she had seized power by defeating several of her brothers in a bloody succession war. Kirigakure had supported her and played a significant role in her rise.
Without that support, the Land of Water's Daimyō would have ended up like the others—just another forgettable face.
The scheduled meeting was set for early tomorrow morning, with flexibility if Yagura needed to reschedule.
He quickly reviewed his workload.
Nothing too urgent.
If there had been, he wouldn't have had the time to be slacking off, munching on Sunagakure gossip.
He instructed the diplomat to respond to the Daimyō's office and confirm the meeting.
...
The next morning, Yagura departed from Kirigakure and made his way to the Daimyō's residence.
During this Daimyō's reign, the title of Mizukage carried considerable weight.
He was welcomed by armed guards from the outer gates to the inner hall, eventually led into the castle's main tower.
"Yo! Mizukage, you made it!"
Oda Nobuna tossed aside the matchlock firearm in her hand as she greeted him. A nearby guard swiftly caught the weapon midair.
She wore an outfit patterned like tiger hide—bold and striking—but wildly out of sync with the traditionally solemn style of the tower.
Yagura stepped forward and knelt formally before her.
"Lady Oda, what is it you needed to discuss with me?"
"Drop the formal tone already. You're young—stop imitating those crusty old men and their fake bureaucratic talk."
Nobuna bent one leg, leaning forward on her knee. "Listen, if those old fossils try giving you trouble, just tell them to come see me."
"You're worth way more than that lot."
Yagura couldn't help but agree—compared to the many bland and useless Daimyōs of the world, Nobuna was unique and fiercely capable.
"Alright then, let me try again."
He relaxed a little, speaking more naturally. "So, what did you call me here for?"
"That's better. Gimme a sec..."
Nobuna rummaged through a stack of documents and quickly pulled one out. She spread it on the desk and tapped the paper.
"The recent Tailed Beast rampages in Sunagakure—last month and again this month. I assume you've heard about them?"
"Yeah. We got the intel."
"We've got a lot of people stationed in Sunagakure."
Nobuna hesitated, then said,
"So I'm guessing you knew Shukaku would go out of control again? That's why you warned your merchants to avoid the area?"
"Correct. I strictly forbid Kirigakure merchants from going deep into Sunagakure. There's plenty of business to do in other parts of the Land of Wind."
That applied to Kirigakure citizens.
The business empire that started in the Mist had spread across the Land of Water and beyond.
Once the industries expanded, the Mist and the country itself became functionally independent—everyone earning their own profits.
Yagura gave a small smile. "But if your people won't listen, there's not much I can do."
Unlike in Kirigakure, where Yagura's word was law—absolute and unchallenged—he had no such authority over Water Country's merchants.
"If the Mizukage says it, it must be right! Just follow orders!"
But for merchants under Oda Nobuna's jurisdiction, Yagura could only pass along suggestions. Whether they listened was another matter entirely.
Merchants chased profit. Words from a Mizukage or a young Daimyō didn't necessarily carry much sway.
Sunagakure was the largest population center in the Land of Wind—and therefore the biggest market. Ignoring it would be a massive financial loss.
Ignoring money? Who in their right mind would do that?
So now that trouble had arisen, it had landed right back on Nobuna's desk.
"So damn annoying!"
She rapped her knuckles against the desk. "Sometimes I really want to chop off their heads and use their skulls as sake cups."
"You sure you'd still be able to drink from that?"
"I'll give one to you."
"Thanks, but I'll pass."
Yagura had seen his fair share of blood and gore, but even he had his limits.
After venting, Nobuna got down to business. "Mizukage, help me contact the Kazekage. Tell him to knock this crap off."
Yagura's expression didn't change. "Sis, you think Sunagakure is like my Kirigakure? You think I can just give orders over there?"
"You're too cautious, Yagura!"
Her tone hardened.
Her Mizukage was powerful—but way too conservative!
Nobuna looked at Yagura with a mix of frustration and disappointment.
"Sunagakure's food supply! Its military resources! All of it depends on our imports! If the Kazekage dares say no, we have plenty of ways to deal with him!"
"He keeps letting the Tailed Beast go wild in the village—he's clearly trying to drag us down with him!"
She nearly slammed the desk in frustration, stepping closer as her words grew more intense.
Back during the Third Great Ninja War, when Kirigakure was still in shambles and surrounded by threats, Yagura had shown fierce ambition. He'd led the Mist from near-bottom to the top of the shinobi world.
Yes—top of the shinobi world. Nobuna knew the Mist's current strength better than anyone.
Over the years, they'd expanded their military ranks and absorbed rogue ninjas from all over. Kirigakure's standing force had surpassed 20,000, nearing 30,000.
Pure numbers-wise, they could go toe-to-toe with both Konoha and Kumogakure.
Everything was in place—it was time to act. And yet Yagura now played it safe at every turn.
Peace had lasted too long. Nobuna could no longer see that fire in his eyes.
So with this Sunagakure mess as the excuse, she was going to lay it out for him.
...
Yagura caught her drift. He opened his mouth, about to mention he'd just stolen half of Kurama from Konoha.
But he held back. The fewer people who knew about that, the better.
Who knew what this bold and brash woman would do with such information?
Having been questioned, Yagura first reflected on whether he truly had become too passive.
Outwardly, it was true—he hadn't made any bold moves in a while. He'd focused on consolidating past victories, letting the Fourth Raikage flex his muscles instead.
Kirigakure really had earned its spot as the strongest shinobi village. In terms of Kage-level powerhouses, they outnumbered any of the other four great villages.
Aside from recently capturing half of the Nine-Tails, Yagura hadn't taken any other steps to strengthen Kirigakure or weaken his rivals.
"Alright, alright."
Admitting he may have slacked off a bit, Yagura let Nobuna push him into action.
"What do you want me to do? Kirigakure is the Land of Water's hired ninja village—we're open to suggestions."
Nobuna looked pleased with his attitude. "Talking to you is so much easier. Not like dealing with those dusty old men."
"You're what, twenty? Already thinking about retirement? No way!"
"My ambitions need your strength!"
And now, they reached the heart of the matter—the real reason she'd summoned him today.
She spread out a map of the shinobi world across the desk.
Tapping a fan lightly against the Land of Wind, she began,
"Let's talk about Sunagakure. They're our allies, right?"
Yagura responded, "We've invested a lot into infiltrating Sunagakure. The whole point was to tie them to our war chariot."
If Kirigakure's infiltration of Konoha was around 40–60%, then their grip on Sunagakure was at least 95%.
The Five Great Nations constantly shifted. Yesterday's enemy could be today's ally.
Just look at Ōnoki of Iwagakure—he was the mastermind behind the Third War and still managed to backstab Kumogakure in the end.
Allies weren't reliable. It was far more practical to bind Sunagakure tightly to the Mist—so tightly they'd never dare turn traitor.
"The Fourth Kazekage is too ambitious," Nobuna said. "I've looked into the Land of Wind's Daimyō—he's an idiot. Doesn't even like his own Kazekage."
Disliking your own village's Kage? That was fine in private, but this fool had made it public—so much so even the Daimyō of the Land of Water had heard.
Definitely an idiot.
Yagura was quick to respond. "Replace him?"
The simplest and most effective solution.
If Sunagakure's leadership insisted on acting independently, just swap them for someone loyal to the Mist.
"Exactly. Best to remove him entirely."
Nobuna had clearly thought this through already.
"That puppet master defector of yours from Sunagakure—maybe he can be the next Kazekage?"
"You mean Sasori?" Yagura shook his head. "He's not the type to care about the Kazekage title."
"Just an idea," she said without pressing.
Her objective remained the same: remove Rasa and install a pro-Mist faction.
"Understood," Yagura said with a nod.
The broad strategy was settled.
The First and Third Great Ninja Wars were both fought for this exact reason.
If they repeated Konoha's mistake, and Kirigakure became too powerful, it would just end up surrounded and targeted by the other major villages.
Even if they won, it would be a pyrrhic victory. Their forces on the mainland would be uprooted by the other nations, and they'd be forced to start all over again.
That's what Yagura feared most. It's why he had remained low-key and cautious all these years.
Since the Fourth Raikage enjoyed playing the part of the frontman, Yagura was happy to let him have the spotlight. Meanwhile, he and Kirigakure continued to build power in the shadows.
Compared to the Land of Fire and Konoha, the Land of Water and Kirigakure had two natural advantages: the isolation of the surrounding sea, and a landscape that was far less fertile—meaning it was less tempting to invade or compete over.
Of course, that geographical advantage came with its own drawbacks.
Once war broke out, it became difficult for Kirigakure to protect its assets on the mainland. Their overseas outposts were easily uprooted by local forces.
So if they were going to tally up their allies and enemies, Yagura recalled the wisdom of a great man who once said: "Understand clearly who your friends are, and who your enemies are. Make more friends, and fewer enemies."
His grip tightened around the folded fan in his hand, now fully clenched. Oda Nobuna's eyes lit up instantly with excitement.
"Of course," she said. "The wisdom of the great ones."
"Then who's the enemy?"
Yagura asked her directly, "Do you think it's Konoha… or Kumogakure?"
Iwagakure had recently suffered a major cut to their war budget, thanks to the daimyo's office. They'd been downsizing ever since. The jinchūriki of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails had already left the village. Faced with pressure from Kumogakure, Ōnoki had been forced to retreat again and again. Only by allying with Konoha had they managed to hold the line.
That left only two serious threats to Kirigakure: the ever-aggressive Kumogakure, and the long-standing powerhouse, Konoha.
Right now, Kumogakure was clashing directly with both Konoha and Iwagakure.
In the year or two following the Third Great Ninja War, Kirigakure and Kumogakure had enjoyed something of a honeymoon period, even standing on the same side for a while.
But in the past couple of years, as Kirigakure's military strength caught up, and especially since they refused to take sides against Konoha and Iwagakure, Kumogakure had begun to distance themselves. They were clearly wary of a now-powerful Kirigakure.
So to summarize, the current state of affairs looked like this:
Konoha & Iwagakure vs. Kumogakure / Kirigakure & Sunagakure.
"...Kumogakure," said Oda Nobuna.
"I thought so too," Yagura nodded.
There was no question about it.
Joining the alliance against Kumogakure would be a three-on-one—morally and strategically justified. Joining the alliance against Konoha and Iwagakure would make it a two-on-two stalemate.
Not to mention it might make them look like opportunists who couldn't make up their minds.
But they were all refined, educated people. They preferred to call it "making full use of our geographical advantages."
And honestly, Kumogakure had brought this on themselves. Their aggressive, domineering diplomacy had ruined their reputation across the board.
Under their pressure, the bloated Konoha and weakened Iwagakure were gasping for breath. They'd be more than happy to see Kirigakure pick a side.
"This is a formal alliance request from the daimyos of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth," Oda Nobuna said, revealing her ace up the sleeve.
Yagura quickly reached for the letter.
There was no doubt—this had the fingerprints of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Ōnoki all over it.
"Well, well…"
Those two crafty old men. They'd clearly learned from him how to use the daimyo's office as a diplomatic tool.
If Oda Nobuna had committed to this path without discussing it with him first, Yagura would have had no choice but to acknowledge and go along with it.
Just like years ago, when he dealt with the Wind Daimyo and Rasa.
Luckily, the daimyo he supported wasn't some useless puppet.
"Alright. Send them a reply," Yagura said, feeling like this trip had definitely been worth it. "We'll completely puppetize Sunagakure, then cripple Kumogakure, and finally step on Konoha's throat."
The first two steps would take some time and effort. The last one, ironically, would be the easiest.
After the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had consumed much of its own strength through internal conflict. From the Nine-Tails incident to the Uchiha Massacre, it had been nothing but internal strife.
Yagura had simply picked up the spoils of that chaos.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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