"Yo, bro, A, what's the deal?"
Killer B sang in his unique rap cadence the moment he stepped through the door.
"B, now is not the time for jokes. This is war!" Veins throbbed on the Fourth Raikage's forehead as he endured his brother's terrible rhythm.
"War?" Hearing the long-absent word, B immediately dropped the act. His expression sobered as he asked in a normal tone, "What happened?"
Mabui stepped forward, her eyes scanning the documents in her hands as she spoke calmly. "The shinobi we sent to Konoha were discovered while carrying out their mission. According to current intelligence, Arui and his team were intercepted by the young patriarch of the Uchiha clan while attempting to abduct some of their members. During their escape, they were completely routed. They have since been executed, and their bodies were returned to the village. Along with them came a letter of accountability from Konoha's Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi."
Killer B fell silent for a moment before looking up with genuine confusion. "Isn't that standard procedure? We do the exact same thing when we catch spies from other villages."
Mabui had no response to that.
"You idiot who knows nothing but singing awful songs!" the Fourth Raikage roared. He brought his fist down hard on Killer B's head. Thwack! A massive lump instantly rose on his head. "How dare the Uchiha clan execute shinobi from Kumogakure! This is an insult! It means they look down on our village, and they look down on me! I will definitely make Konoha understand the consequences of underestimating us!" the Raikage fumed, his voice echoing off the walls.
"Lord Raikage, the village suffered heavy losses during the Third Great Ninja War," Mabui advised smoothly, flipping through her reports. "Because we were defeated, the Daimyo drastically reduced our financial backing. A few short years of recuperation simply isn't enough to sustain a prolonged conflict."
She paused, ensuring he was listening. "Therefore, I suggest we delay any immediate declarations of war. Instead, we should issue our own letter of accountability, demanding Konoha compensate Kumogakure for our 'losses.' During this time, the village can quietly shift into a state of wartime readiness. If Konoha refuses our demands, I suggest you personally lead a quick assault to shatter their frontlines. If we win, we can extort a massive sum to relieve the village's financial deficit."
Mabui wasn't just his secretary; she was Kumogakure's chief strategist. Given the village's current economic strain, her advice was the most pragmatic path forward.
The Fourth Raikage nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing. "Then we'll send a letter to Konoha first. This time, I'm going to make that old monkey bleed!"
Emphasizing his point, he reflexively slammed his fist into the sofa beside him. Boom! The piece of furniture exploded into splinters and fabric, sending stuffing raining down across the entire office.
Mabui sighed. "Lord Raikage, the cost of a replacement sofa will be deducted from your stipend."
"Gah!"
....
"Has there been any reaction from Kumogakure?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind the Hokage's desk, looking over a fresh stack of reports.
"Just today, Kumogakure delivered a diplomatic note and a letter of accountability," Shikaku Nara replied, organizing the newly acquired intelligence. "They wholly deny giving orders to their delegation to kidnap anyone, claiming that Konoha is framing them. Furthermore, they demand we hand over the murderer who killed their shinobi, along with a massive amount of funds and supplies as compensation."
Shikaku looked up, his expression grim. "The Fourth Raikage also threatened that if Konoha doesn't meet their demands, Kumogakure will initiate a new war."
"And what do you think Konoha should do, Shikaku?" Hiruzen asked faintly, taking a slow drag from his pipe.
Shikaku glanced at the Hokage and couldn't help but inwardly pause. In just a few short days, the already aging Hiruzen seemed to have withered even further. His eye sockets were sunken, the wrinkles on his face were carved deeper, and he looked like a man standing on the edge of the grave.
Shaking off the thought, Shikaku lowered his head and answered honestly. "If Kumogakure refuses to back down, this war will be inevitable."
-"Why is that?"
"Because the Uchiha clan will never hand over their young patriarch," Shikaku explained with a shake of his head, "nor can Konoha afford to pay such an exorbitant ransom."
-"And if war truly breaks out? Does Konoha have a chance of winning?"
"If the Uchiha clan serves as the vanguard alongside the other major ninja clans, we will certainly have the strength to fight back," Shikaku analyzed. "But if the Fourth Raikage personally enters the battlefield, I'm afraid it will devolve into a brutal war of attrition."
Hiruzen fell silent. The office was quiet save for the soft crackle of burning tobacco. Finally, he spoke.
"If that's the case... then let's go to war."
He lowered his head slightly, exhaling a plume of gray smoke. "The Uchiha are Konoha's Uchiha. It is high time they did their part for the village."
Though the words sounded patriotic, the chilling undertone in his voice made Shikaku break out in a cold sweat.
Making a polite but hasty excuse, the Nara clan head practically fled the Hokage's office.
'Ever since Danzo's death, the Third Hokage has become more and more terrifying,' Shikaku thought, his heart still pounding as he walked down the corridor. 'He has been completely swallowed by his own hatred. Perhaps... it really is time for a new Hokage.'
It didn't take long for the contents of Kumogakure's demands to spread throughout the entire village. When the civilians and shinobi heard the stipulations, an uproar swept through Konoha.
"Has Kumogakure gone mad from poverty? They want ten billion ryo in compensation for a few dead spies?"
"A billion tons of grain and a hundred million tons of refined iron? Could Kumogakure even use that much material in ten years?!"
"The most outrageous part is demanding Konoha hand over the young patriarch to pay for those thieves' lives!"
"What kind of status do those lowly spies have to be compared to the young patriarch?"
"If you ask me, killing those bastards only dirtied the young patriarch's hands!"
For the first time in a long while, the village shared a unified hatred toward an outside enemy. They staunchly refused to bow to Kumogakure's ridiculous extortion.
Meanwhile, deep inside the Uchiha Compound, Jie Uchiha and Fugaku sat across from one another in the study.
"Kumogakure has taken the first step exactly according to plan. Should the clan enter a state of wartime readiness?" Fugaku asked, looking toward his son.
"We can begin making quiet preparations, but there's no need to rush," Jie replied with a calm smile. "Someone else is going to be far more anxious than us. Right now, the Uchiha clan simply needs to stay within our compound and appropriately express our absolute refusal to yield to Kumogakure."
He picked up his teacup, taking a slow sip. "Once he's pushed to the brink, he will come looking for us on his own."
Fugaku remained silent for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Then we will follow your plan, Jie."
Jie set his cup down, his eyes gleaming with a profound, calculating light. "If you want a horse to run, you have to feed it first. If they want to scheme against the Uchiha, they're going to have to pay us some interest."
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