The atmosphere inside the Kazekages Office suddenly shifted from shock to a suppressed, yet excited, restlessness upon learning about Konoha's Nine-Tailed catastrophe and the death of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Led by Rasa, the main war faction, including several high-ranking officials and radical elders, barely concealed the flames of revenge and expansion burning in their eyes.
Soon after, an emergency high-level meeting was convened. The Fourth Kazekage Rasa sat in the main seat, joined by Chiyo, Ebizō (who, though retired, was still present), Baki, Pakura, and Sayo, who had recently joined the decision-making layer as the Minister of Research and Development Department.
At the start of the meeting, Rasa immediately set the tone. His voice was deep and powerful, carrying an undeniable resolve: "Gentlemen, you all know Konoha's situation. The Fourth Hokage has fallen, and the Nine-Tailed rampage caused catastrophic losses within the Village. Their fighting strength is at an unprecedented low. This is a heaven-sent opportunity for Sunagakure to avenge its past humiliation, reclaim the lost territories of Kikyō Mountain, and even seize greater benefits! My intention is to immediately mobilize our forces, march into the Land of Rivers, and point our swords toward the Land of Fire!"
His words were like a spark thrown onto dry firewood, instantly igniting the emotions of several high-ranking members of the war faction.
"Kazekage-sama is brilliant! The shame of Kikyō Mountain is etched into our bones! Now is the time for revenge!"
"Konoha has bullied us too much! The massive indemnity still suffocates us to this day. This grudge must be settled!"
"Strike while they are weak! If we don't act now, when will we?"
The atmosphere in the meeting room quickly became heated, and the cries for vengeance grew louder.
However, at this very moment, a clear, calm, yet extremely resolute voice rang out decisively, like ice water poured into boiling oil:
"I object!"
All eyes instantly focused on the source of the voice—Sayo. He stood up, his expression calm, but his black eyes gleamed with undeniable determination.
"Minister Sayo, what is the meaning of this?" an elder from the war faction frowned and asked, his tone laced with displeasure.
Rasa also looked sharply at Sayo, his gaze deep, carrying scrutiny and a hint of displeasure.
Sayo met everyone's gaze without fear and spoke in a steady, clear voice: "Gentlemen, the satisfaction of revenge is tempting, but please calm down and consider carefully: Is war truly the best option right now?"
Without waiting for a rebuttal, he continued to elaborate on his viewpoint:
"First, Konoha's foundation remains. Yes, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself, and Konoha was indeed severely damaged. But don't forget, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi is still alive, and though the 'Sannin' are famous throughout the Ninja World and their whereabouts are uncertain, they might return if the Village is in danger! The foundations of great clans like the Uchiha and Hyuga are intact, and the strength of the Anbu and Root remains. Their overall power still far exceeds our estimates. A starved camel is still bigger than a horse; if we attack rashly, we may not gain an advantage, and could even fall into another bitter fight, repeating the mistake of Kikyō Mountain!"
"Second, the international situation is perilous. We just signed a peace treaty with the Kirigakure, but their greedy ambitions have never disappeared. If Sunagakure's main forces become deeply entangled in the Land of Fire battlefield, who can guarantee that the Kirigakure won't break faith again and attack our rear? Iwagakure's Ōnoki is cunning, and Kumogakure's Fourth Raikage A is hot-blooded. Would they simply stand by and watch us start a war? Once our Village shows signs of fatigue, they are highly likely to attack us simultaneously, and Sunagakure will face utter destruction!"
"Third, and most importantly," Sayo's voice suddenly rose, carrying a gleam of idealism, "what does Sunagakure truly need? Is it short-term territorial expansion, or long-term development and prosperity?"
"Once war begins, all resources, manpower, and materials will once again be diverted toward conflict. The nascent Ecological Transformation Project will inevitably stagnate, or even fail! We will fall back into the death cycle of 'fight—consume—become poorer—fight again'! Is it better to use countless lives and resources to gain a war of uncertain outcome, or use these resources to build a better homeland? Which choice is more beneficial to Sunagakure? The answer is obvious!"
Sayo's words were forceful and logically rigorous, containing both a sober analysis of reality and a grand vision for the future, standing in stark contrast to the war faction's fervent desire for revenge.
A brief silence fell over the meeting room. Ebizō thoughtfully stroked his beard, while Elder Chiyo watched Sayo with a complex expression, then looked at Rasa.
"Nonsense!" a high-ranking official couldn't help but slam his hand on the table and stand up. "Development? Without powerful military strength and sufficient territorial resources, how can we talk about development? Konoha's weak period is fleeting. If we don't fight now, should we wait for them to recover and continue to oppress us? Minister Sayo, have you perhaps been scared stiff by Konoha?"
These words were quite rude, bordering on an accusation.
Sayo's eyes suddenly turned cold. He glared fiercely at the official, and an invisible aura faintly emanated from him—the pressure belonging to a Pseudo-Kage Level expert—causing the official's heart to seize up.
"Am I afraid?" Sayo's voice was icy. "If I were afraid, I wouldn't have piloted a Gundam alone across the sea to breach the Kirigakure defenses! If I were afraid, I wouldn't be standing here arguing with you all! It is precisely because I know that war brings only destruction and suffering, and precisely because I see the hope and future in peaceful development, that I resolutely oppose dragging the Village into war again!"
He turned to Rasa, his gaze burning: "Kazekage-sama! A temporary victory might erase our shame, but only continuous development and prosperity can truly win us dignity! Please invest resources and energy into construction, not destruction! Sunagakure's future should not be built upon another mountain of corpses and sea of blood!"
Inside the meeting room, the radicals who supported war and Sayo, who supported development, formed a sharp opposition. The two sides were diametrically opposed, exchanging fierce words. The concepts of peace and war violently clashed at this moment.
Everyone's eyes ultimately turned toward the silent Fourth Kazekage Rasa. His decision would directly affect Sunagakure's future destiny.
Rasa's fingers slowly tapped the table. His expression was stern, and his eyes moved between Sayo's resolute face and the eager gazes of the war faction, sinking into deep contemplation. This fierce debate concerning Sunagakure's choice of path had temporarily reached a stalemate.