Inside the throne room of the Land of Water's Royal Palace, Mabui delivered a piece of intelligence.
The characters "Land of Fire Daimyo Passes Away." at the start were very eye-catching.
Shun continued to read the intelligence, his gaze distant. "The Land of Fire's game of chess is finally about to fall into chaos."
He pondered for a moment, then lightly tapped the table. "Summon Minato, Shikaku, Hiashi, Genji, Tetsu, and Unkai to the conference hall for a meeting."
"Yes, Your Excellency!" The Uchiha Anbu bowed respectfully, then instantly vanished.
A short while later, Seventh Hokage Minato, leading the others, used Flying Thunder God to arrive at the Royal Palace conference hall.
The intelligence scroll was spread open on the table, revealing the portraits and backgrounds of the five princes.
The First Prince, Yuanichi Kyu, had the support of the Land of Fire's nobility and the highest popular acclaim.
Therefore, the four princes, along with a portion of the nobility, spread rumors that the First Prince, Yuanichi Kyu, had poisoned the Daimyo, causing widespread discussion in the country.
The Second Prince, Yuanichi Tsuyoshi, was currently in close contact with Iwagakure.
The Third Prince, Yuanichi Takashi, was backed by the Land of Lightning Daimyo.
The mother of the Fourth Prince, Yuanichi Rito, was a princess of the Land of Wind.
The Fifth Prince, Yuanichi Ko, in order to protect himself, even proactively offered a condition. He was willing to cede the land of Uzushiogakure to the Land of Water, asking only for support in his bid for the Land of Fire Daimyo position.
Minato leaned over the scroll, his fingertip lingering on the words "Uzushiogakure " for a long time, his brow slightly furrowed.
His wife, Kushina, was born into the Uzumaki clan and used to tell him many stories about Uzushiogakure.
Now, with Uzushiogakure becoming a bargaining chip, he couldn't help but feel a sense of complexity.
Shikaku's gaze swept over everyone as he said, "Over the years, many scattered Uzumaki clan members have come to seek refuge. Currently, there are over a hundred Uzumaki clan members within the Land of Water. Should we use the Uzumaki clan's name to formally take over the former site of Uzushiogakure? This would give us a legitimate reason and also appease the Uzumaki clan members."
At this, Hiashi and Tetsu both nodded in agreement.
Acting in the name of the Uzumaki clan would not only avoid criticism of "occupying Land of Fire territory" but also leverage the Uzumaki clan's prestige to consolidate control over Uzushiogakure, a good move.
Hiashi said calmly, "Shikaku is absolutely right. Uzushiogakure's geographical location is special. Controlling this area allows us to both attack and defend, it's very good."
Tetsu also nodded in agreement and said, "Your subordinate is willing to lead two thousand ninjas, and we can reach Uzushiogakure within a day. As long as Your Excellency agrees, I can certainly take over Uzushiogakure."
The will of those in the conference hall gradually leaned towards occupying Uzushiogakure.
Even the 81-year-old Genji stroked his bald head and mused, "This action expands territory and brings internal stability, it is a wise strategy."
But just then, Shun slowly shook his head. His fingertips continuously tapped the table, making a "thump-thump" sound, like a splash of cold water on everyone's hearts.
"No."
Everyone was stunned.
Unkai was the first to speak, "Your Excellency… Do you mean to say there is a hidden danger in this action?"
Shun rose and walked to the window, looking at the scenery outside the hall.
He said, "If we act in the name of the Uzumaki clan, we can indeed legally take over Uzushiogakure. But then the four princes of the Land of Fire would immediately cease their internal strife, raise the banner of 'expelling foreign enemies,' and unite with the Lands of Earth, Lightning, and Wind to use the opportunity to pressure us. What we want is to stoke the fire, to make the Ninja World chaotic, not to get deeply entangled in it and slow down our own development pace."
Shikaku gently stroked his beard and said, "In that case, we only need to dispatch troops to garrison Uzushiogakure, creating a false impression of occupation. Externally, we would still claim to be assisting in maintaining order and protecting Uzushiogakure's displaced people, without emphasizing actual control of Uzushiogakure. This way, the princes of the Land of Fire should not band together against us."
Shun's gaze swept over everyone, his tone calm and firm. "These years, we have built water conservancy projects, developed commerce and education, and reclaimed fertile land, which is to accumulate grain widely."
"We have strengthened ninja capabilities and expanded the ninja scale, which is to build high walls."
"We have not rushed to contend for Ninja World hegemony and focused on internal development, which is to slowly claim kingship."
"Now, our food is abundant, and our combat strength is stable. As long as we maintain this pace of development, we will inevitably be the largest country in the Ninja World in the future, so we don't need to rush."
Upon hearing this, everyone finally understood completely.
Previously, they had only considered the strategic value of Uzushiogakure, but had not realized the deeper strategy behind not formally occupying it.
Now, hearing the profound strategy of accumulate grain widely, build high walls, slowly claim kingship, they understood that Shun did not want short-term gains, but long-term Ninja World hegemony.
Even the 81-year-old Genji couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Excellency's broad-mindedness and long-term planning are beyond this old subject's capabilities."
As long as the Land of Fire fell into prolonged internal strife, the Lands of Earth, Lightning, and Wind would inevitably be drawn into it. At that time, other countries would not have the energy to pay attention to the changes in the Land of Water.
Tetsu sincerely exclaimed, "Shun-sama's consideration is comprehensive. I will now select the generals to garrison Uzushiogakure, prioritizing ninjas with overseas combat experience and cautious conduct, ensuring they do not proactively provoke conflicts, and focus only on defense and intelligence gathering."
Shikaku then thought about the details of the subsequent disruption and said, "We can send spies to deliver false information to the five princes, making them suspicious of each other and fight even more fiercely."
Shun nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. All departments should act quickly. As for the Fifth Prince, send an envoy to reply, saying that we can assist in maintaining order in Uzushiogakure, but will not provide military support, nor will we interfere in his struggle with the other princes."
Minato led the bow. "Yes, Your Excellency."
After everyone dispersed, only three people remained in the study.
Shun pulled Mabui into his arms, his right hand gently lifting her chin. "Mabui, I'm plotting against the Land of Lightning, you won't resent me, will you?"
Mabui's cheeks flushed, and she gently shook her head. "Everything Your Excellency does is for the future of the Land of Water, how could I resent you?"
Shun smiled slightly and gently kissed her. "Mabui, I know you still care deeply about Kumogakure in your heart. However, I can tell you that in the future, I will unify the Ninja World and end the wars in the Ninja World, so Kumogakure will either surrender or be destroyed."
A hint of complexity flashed in Mabui's eyes as she said, "I believe you, Your Excellency. If Kumogakure can adapt to the general trend, surrender is also a way out."
Shun gently blocked her lips with his index finger and said, "Mabui, what you said there was a bit insincere. You've been on the battlefield, you should know that every war kills many people. And only by unifying the Ninja World can we end wars. I probably won't make a move on Kumogakure within 10 years, so you have plenty of time to think."