The Land of Fire had an excellent geographical advantage, a prosperous economy, and vast fertile lands.
Even Sunagakure, which was currently allied with Konoha, deeply envied the Land of Fire's environment. This was the fundamental reason why, throughout history, the Land of Fire had always been the main target in the wars of the ninja world.
Konoha was the military power of the Land of Fire, which meant it had to bear the burden of this reality. If its power weakened, would the neighboring countries show any mercy?
This fertile land was something no other nation possessed. If the Land of Fire ever lost its ability to defend itself, it would undoubtedly be carved up like a delicious cake.
Thus, to protect itself, it needed a military force strong enough to do so.
The Land of Rain was small in size, but the power of Amegakure could not be underestimated.
Setting aside the fact that Ye Zi originated from the Land of Rain, his individual strength alone was already a formidable challenge for Konoha. Trying to deal with him head-on would undoubtedly result in severe losses. And that wasn't even considering the Sharingan squad and the Edo Tensei forces under his command, whose strength remained uncertain.
Even a village as powerful as Konoha could not afford the cost of taking down Amegakure and Ye Zi. The price of dealing with Ye Zi alone would be too great for Konoha to bear.
If they chose to ignore the cost and forcefully wiped out Amegakure, they would still fail to eliminate the true threat, Ye Zi. But if they focused on eliminating Ye Zi, they would no longer have the power to deal with Amegakure.
No matter which option they chose, the price would be so high that other nations might see an opportunity, break their treaties, and launch a joint invasion against the Land of Fire.
This was Konoha's concern. It was also Minato and Shikaku's concern.
Amegakure could be left alone for now, but Ye Zi had to be dealt with. His strength alone made him an undeniable threat.
Even setting Amegakure aside, taking down Ye Zi would not be an easy task. If they could bring other villages into the fight, even targeting Amegakure along with Ye Zi, that would be the best outcome.
The problem was, how could they convince the other villages to join?
"A catalyst?" Minato frowned.
Shikaku nodded slowly and explained, "At its core, this is still a matter of interests. Getting the other villages to join us against Ye Zi or Amegakure is already difficult. If we offered them enough benefits, they would certainly agree, but we cannot afford to do that."
"If we cannot offer them any benefits, then the only way to get them interested is by creating a reason, a catalyst or a motive."
"The key question is: Why should they fight against Ye Zi or Amegakure?"
"Our village has reasons to take action against them, but what about the other villages? They need a reason too. Sunagakure might agree, but Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure won't be so easily convinced. From their perspective, this is a thankless effort."
"This reason, this catalyst, is what will motivate them."
Ye Zi was from the Land of Rain and was a member of Akatsuki. However, Shikaku and Minato had always treated Ye Zi and Amegakure as separate entities. The reason was simple: if they couldn't frame the situation in a way that justified attacking Amegakure, then just eliminating Ye Zi would be enough.
In Minato's eyes, Ye Zi was a bigger threat than Amegakure, especially because of the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
"We cannot provide them with the benefits they want, nor can we create a justification ourselves," Minato sighed softly. This justification was the catalyst Shikaku had mentioned, but without it, Kumogakure and the others had no reason to act.
Shikaku said in a low voice, "That's why I don't think this alliance will succeed. But it's worth trying. Sharing our intelligence with them has no downside."
Minato nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. No matter what, we must fully explain the threat that Ye Zi and Amegakure pose."
Shikaku suggested, "Aside from sharing all intelligence about Ye Zi and Amegakure, we should emphasize the matter of the Tailed Beasts. Even if this doesn't succeed, we can still establish a connection for the future."
Minato's eyes brightened, and he agreed with Shikaku's suggestion.
"I'll leave the negotiations to you," Minato said without hesitation, placing this heavy responsibility on Shikaku. The latter accepted it without complaint.
"I'll organize the intelligence and set out immediately," Shikaku said.
"The sooner, the better," Minato nodded.
Without consulting the advisors, Homura and Koharu, Minato and Shikaku made the decision on their own.
.....
The Third Hokage's Residence
Ever since stepping down from office, Hiruzen Sarutobi had lived a relaxed life, free from heavy responsibilities. His days were spent enjoying tea and admiring flowers at home, occasionally strolling through the village. The Academy was the place he visited most often.
Although he could use various convenient methods to observe what he wanted, sometimes, seeing things with his own eyes was more enjoyable.
That afternoon was perfect for a cup of hot tea while admiring the flourishing plants in the courtyard. Just looking at the thriving flowers and greenery put him in a good mood, especially since the weather was pleasant.
Lifting his teacup, he took in the rich aroma, then turned his head to glance at the increasingly lush plants in the courtyard, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Just then, Hiruzen suddenly froze. He withdrew his gaze from the courtyard, slowly set down his teacup, though he continued to warm his hands around it. His eyes turned toward the somewhat empty living room.
A figure appeared before him without any warning. The individual had already removed their shoes, suggesting they were a rather meticulous Anbu member.
Hiruzen glanced at the barefooted Anbu and let out a faint, bitter smile. He then composed himself and looked at the masked figure before him, waiting for them to speak.
He knew that this Anbu was directly under Minato's command. If Minato had sent this Anbu to him, it must be for something important.
Indeed, the matter was of great significance, something Hiruzen would never have expected.
"Lord Jiraiya was killed in action while carrying out a mission." The Anbu lowered his head and relayed the message that Minato had instructed him to deliver.
Crack.
The expensive teacup in Hiruzen's hand suddenly shattered. The hot tea spilled over his aged hand, releasing wisps of steam and a rich tea fragrance. The shards of porcelain pierced into his palm, drawing thin lines of blood that dripped onto the table, mixing with the spreading tea.
Yet, Hiruzen seemed completely numb to the pain, he was frozen in place.
That teacup had been one of his favorites, a treasured gift from Jiraiya. During his travels, Jiraiya had come across this fine piece by chance and later gifted it to Hiruzen as a congratulatory present upon his retirement, symbolizing the start of a more peaceful life. From that moment on, Hiruzen had cherished this teacup dearly.
But today, upon hearing the news he had never wanted to hear, he lost not only his dear friend but also the cherished gift that carried his memories.
Seeing Hiruzen's reaction, the Anbu hesitated slightly but remained still, silently observing the dazed old man.
"I understand. You may return and report back."
After a long silence, Hiruzen's voice, now sounding even older, finally reached the Anbu's ears.
The Anbu hesitated for a moment before nodding in acknowledgment and then disappeared with a Body Flicker.
Once the Anbu had left, Hiruzen slowly opened his right palm and examined it. The shards of the teacup had embedded themselves deep into his flesh, and blood continued to trickle down.
Thinking of Jiraiya, Hiruzen's old eyes misted over. He reached out, carefully removing the porcelain fragments from his palm, then gently placed them on the table.
Looking at the shattered pieces of the teacup, an overwhelming weariness suddenly washed over him.
He didn't bother cleaning up the spilled tea, nor did he tend to his still-bleeding hand. Instead, he carefully picked up the broken shards and placed them neatly on the clean side of the table.
"Maybe… if I glue it back together, it can still be used," Hiruzen murmured, his voice heavy with sorrow.
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