The capital of the Land of Wind was filled with solemnity.
In the grand hall of the palace, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind sat on his high throne, his gaze cold and stern, fixed directly on the kneeling messenger Ninja below.
"Tell the Kazekage to go to war immediately!" The voice of the Daimyo of the Land of Wind echoed in the spacious hall, carrying undisguised authority and oppression, "As the Daimyo, this is all the support I can give! If you cannot bring back enough benefits, then your Kazekage can forget about next year's funding!"
His words were cold and resolute, leaving no room for discussion. The messenger Ninja knelt on the ground, his body trembling slightly, clearly intimidated by the Daimyo's attitude.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind squinted at the messenger Ninja, a sneer of disdain playing on his lips. He thought to himself: These Ninja always want to get more resources and funds from me, but they never consider the actual situation of the country.
This year, the Land of Wind suffered severe disasters, grain production dropped sharply, and the domestic economic situation was very tense. Under such circumstances, the Kazekage still wanted more funds to support the war, which was simply a pipe dream!
If it weren't for the wise decision to stockpile most of the grain during the good harvest years, it would be difficult to even maintain the country's operation now.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind sighed inwardly, knowing that this war was crucial for the Land of Wind. If they could defeat the enemy, it would not only solve the domestic food crisis but also enhance the country's prestige and strength.
But if they failed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
However, the current situation no longer allowed him to hesitate too much. Instead of waiting for the domestic disaster to worsen, it was better to take this opportunity to let the Sand Ninja go to war, consuming a portion of the population in this way, which was a helpless choice.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind took a deep breath and looked at the messenger Ninja again, saying sternly, "Convey my words to the Kazekage exactly as they are, and tell him to act immediately!"
Compared to continuing to delay, whether it ultimately resulted in victory or defeat, it would be a beneficial act for him as the Daimyo. It was precisely because of this consideration that he resolutely chose to have the Ninja Village participate in this war against the Land of Fire.
However, unexpectedly, despite having reached an agreement on relevant terms with the Daimyo of the Land of Earth and the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, the Sand Ninja Village seemed to have its own agenda and had been deliberately delaying.
They even claimed that doing so was to ensure victory in the war, but in reality, his true purpose in launching this war was merely to consume the population and resolve his own contradictions through looting.
So, for him, what problems would victory or defeat bring? You know, four Ninja Villages joining forces to attack Konoha was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity!
After all, only the strong could make such a choice. Clearly, the Sand Ninja Village did not possess such strength and conditions.
Given this, instead of hesitating and being indecisive from the beginning, it would be better to decisively attack Konoha with other countries and seize some benefits during the chaos.
Even if they ultimately lost this war, it wouldn't be a big deal. After all, could they really fight into the great desert? As long as they relied on the desert as a natural barrier, they could completely take the opportunity to make a fortune, which was the wise move!
"What a pity, that utterly foolish First Kazekage, he completely fails to see this!" The Daimyo of the Land of Wind stood high up, his gaze like a torch, staring intently into the distance, but a cold sneer was hidden in his heart.
His evaluation of the First Kazekage was clearly not high; he considered him an out-and-out fool.
This contemptuous attitude perhaps stemmed from his dissatisfaction with the First Kazekage's decisions or his doubts about his leadership abilities.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind stood at the pinnacle of power, overlooking the entire country, his heart filled with worries about the nation's future and disappointment in the First Kazekage.
However, he did not show these emotions, only silently gazed into the distance, letting his thoughts drift in the wind. He secretly hoped that when the Sand Ninja attacked, a large number of civilians would follow to assist in the battle.
Regardless of winning or losing, as long as these excess people were consumed, it would also alleviate the difficult situation of the oases throughout the desert!
...
Inside the Mizukage's office in Hidden Mist Village, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like water could be squeezed out.
The First Mizukage Byakuren was furious, roaring at his subordinates below: "We can't wait any longer! The Daimyo has sent twelve urgent documents, like death warrants, telling us to quickly attack Konoha. We must join forces with the Ninja Villages of the other three great nations to launch a thunderous strike against Konoha, especially the Vortex Clan's Land of Whirlpools. We absolutely cannot let them continue to linger!"
"Damn it! If only we had more time, it would be enough to grasp the full scope of the situation." His disciple, the future Third Mizukage, narrowed his eyes and said with great regret.
"Currently, that cunning and treacherous Senju Tobirama is playing cat and mouse with the barbarians of the Hidden Cloud, and the Uchiha Clan's combat power is continuously being sent as reinforcements, fighting inextricably with the Hidden Cloud. Those of the Senju Clan are also entangled with Rock Ninja Village. As long as we patiently wait for one side to show a weakness, we can make a wise choice for our attack based on the strength of their support! If we act now, I'm afraid we won't get the most favorable outcome and will suffer greater losses!"
However, Hōzuki Gengetsu, the future Second Mizukage, who was standing by, slowly shook his head, his tone sounding a bit helpless: "The Daimyo naturally has his considerations. The economic development of Hidden Mist Village has been unsatisfactory for these past years, and there are no particularly outstanding industries to support the village's development. Since commercial ties with the continent were cut off, this land, originally scarce in resources, has been unable to meet the consumption brought by population growth after more than ten years of peace. Therefore, for us, starting a war, consuming the population, and plundering resources are the top priorities. As for the outcome of the war, it has become the least important thing. After all, we still have the ocean as a natural barrier, so even if the situation turns bad, we have enough retreat options."
As soon as he finished speaking, an elder interjected: "While that may be true, Konoha's morale is currently high; their fighting spirit is soaring. If we act rashly under such circumstances, we will definitely suffer heavy losses!"
Another elder echoed: "Yes, and according to the information gathered by our intelligence personnel, the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning are also unstable internally, and the war is probably not going to stop here; instead, it will fall into a prolonged quagmire." A hint of regret appeared on his face.
Clearly, the high-ranking Kirigakure Ninja in the Mizukage's office understood all this and naturally wanted to prolong the timing of the war.
Unfortunately, what they didn't know was that compared to their own ideas as a Ninja Village, the Daimyo himself was the controller of the country, possessing his own unique will as the Daimyo, and could forcefully initiate war.
Because Ninja cannot interfere with the Daimyo's ruling authority; this has been a tradition for a thousand years, and no one dares to touch it.
"Yes! It's truly a pity! But now, the Daimyo holds a large amount of supplies. If we don't take action soon, the financial support for Hidden Mist Village will likely be severely affected..." The First Mizukage sighed inwardly, feeling very helpless about the current situation.