Chapter 198: Of course
Attacking the Land of Rain?
In the meeting room of the Kazekage building, after hearing these words, the assembled members reacted exactly as Shimizu had before them, each one visibly stunned.
Yuji understood that with the intelligence of the people gathered at this table, none of them could fail to grasp the implications of inciting another war, especially during what was the most critical and promising period of development the Sand Village had ever experienced.
Most importantly, their target would be the Hidden Rain Village where Salamander Hanzo himself resided.
But strangely, although the idea shocked everyone present, looking around the table, not a single person raised a direct objection. Because the matter was of such enormous importance that speaking carelessly felt dangerous.
Yuji had not summoned all the senior officials. Only seven people were present: himself, Rasa, Ebizo, Chiyo, Shimizu, Sasori, and Yura stood nearby as guard. These seven were, without question, the most absolutely trustworthy people available.
"Tell us a little more," Chiyo said after a long pause, exhaling slowly and fixing her gaze on him. This Fourth Kazekage must already have a complete plan in mind.
"Looking at the current state of the ninja world and the trajectory of the war, the other four hidden villages can sustain fighting for roughly another year. With each already having inflicted serious losses on the others, their overall condition will be further worn down by then.
This means that once the Great Ninja War ends, when we launch our military campaign against the Hidden Rain Village, the geographical location of the Land of Rain and the disruption it would cause to the ninja world’s balance, combined with various political factors, will leave the other villages effectively powerless to intervene even if they want to."
He continued.
"Of course, this situation is not absolute. But given the depleted state of their basic fighting forces, even in the worst case scenario where all four great hidden villages somehow joined forces to attack us, our village’s combat strength would be entirely sufficient to withstand it.
Any all-out offensive they could mount would necessarily be limited to probing actions and short-term engagements, because their situation simply cannot support reigniting a prolonged war."
"In other words, as long as we hold against their first strike and they realize there is no realistic prospect of success, the four great ninja villages will naturally pull back. I believe none of them harbor a genuine intention of perishing alongside us over the Land of Rain."
"Besides, no village would sacrifice its own future and its people’s hope for the sake of the Land of Rain."
"For us, the end of this great war is actually an extraordinarily good opportunity."
The people around the table exchanged glances after hearing this.
The Fourth Kazekage’s analysis was sound. This kind of strategic foresight was something they could all see the logic of, even if they could not have arrived at it independently.
"Secondly, we have already sold medicine to Konoha. Our village’s pharmaceuticals have been distributed throughout the ninja world for several years now. Although the other villages have not had the energy to focus on researching our medicines during the war itself, Konoha possesses a large quantity of finished products.
Combined with their diplomatic connections to several major nations, the smaller nations and villages that have not been severely affected by the war and are connected to Konoha, the Hidden Stone, or the Hidden Cloud, are almost certainly already conducting related research quietly."
"Furthermore, the prices of medicinal raw materials have recently been rising sharply across the world. Many forces are secretly purchasing medicinal herb materials in bulk. This is very likely connected to several major nations. Although the ninja villages are financially strained, they still hold enormous capital compared to ordinary powers."
"From the very beginning, our Sand Village’s monopoly on medicinal raw materials was our core advantage. That advantage is ceasing to exist. Considering the direction things are heading, once the war ends and the other hidden villages can redirect their attention to our pharmaceutical industry, counterfeit products will appear on the market at an astonishing speed."
"Right now our pharmaceutical resources are monopolized with no real substitutes available. But once counterfeits appear, given the countless connections between the small countries and villages linked to the four major nations, seizing back market control will be essentially impossible."
"The so-called market, in the end, under conditions where interests can be shifted, operates primarily on existing relationships and trust. Our only lasting advantage is that over these past several years, through our connections and commerce, the Sand Village’s pharmaceutical products have built genuine renown and a strong brand reputation.
Even when a large volume of counterfeits appears and takes a share of our market, we can still retain a meaningful portion of it."
"But the village’s economic development going forward must rely on continuously launching new categories of pharmaceuticals, maintaining our leading position in the sophisticated end of the industry so that other villages cannot keep pace with our development speed.
Furthermore, the village’s network of treatment partnerships, the diversified markets we have built through temporary medical teams and expanded trade, and completely new categories of medical equipment will all contribute. But the rate of income from these will certainly not match what we have now."
"It can still allow the village to maintain a certain standard of income, but not at this level."
The mood around the table grew heavier as they absorbed this.
They had indeed been too immersed in the intoxicating pace of the village’s rapid development to calmly consider the danger that was approaching. What would the Sand Village do once it lost its pharmaceutical advantage?
While it would not immediately revert to its previous state, over time the advantage would inevitably diminish. The village might even be surpassed again by the major ninja villages.
"The problem we need to solve right now is the village’s fundamental issue, not just the Land of Wind’s immediate concerns," Yuji said, extending one finger.
"Why did our village recover the slowest after the Second Great Ninja War? It was not simply a matter of finances or management."
"The problem is also constrained by the circumstances and population of the Land of Wind. For villages like Konoha and the Hidden Cloud Village, even when their front-line combat forces suffer heavy casualties, they can rely on the natural population and resource advantages of the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning to quickly replenish through policy measures and existing systems. With mature and well-developed training frameworks, they can restore their village’s condition at the fastest possible speed."
"Therefore, our village’s current glory is only temporary. If we cannot solve the fundamental pain points of the Land of Wind, everything else is ultimately meaningless."
"We currently possess greater development potential than we ever have. If we do nothing with it, we will waste these resources and allow our advantages to be gradually erased by time, giving the enemy the opportunity to study, imitate, and eventually surpass us.
Everything we and those who came before us have sacrificed would amount to providing the village with a brief period of prosperity, only for it all to be lost again one day."
"Therefore, for the Sand Village to truly thrive in a completely new era..."
He paused.
"To become the leading force in the ninja world, we must do everything possible to strengthen the village’s internal foundation. Facing future uncertainties, we must do even more. Not simply spend down our current advantages and wait passively for the day of decline to arrive."
"Economically, our current system can barely sustain future development on its own. In terms of population, I will have the Daimyo’s office expand the distribution of the fertility medicine. Militarily, the village has acquired new bloodlines and obtained a large volume of ninjutsu resources.
The educational system and reforms have been implemented and we need to continue expanding the village’s ninja population. Therefore, the only remaining fundamental problem is resources."
Chiyo and the others understood immediately upon hearing this.
Resources were like sustenance bestowed by the earth itself. If you had them, you had them. If you did not, you did not. Currently, the village could rely on the high value of its pharmaceutical products to exchange for other things. But resources would eventually be consumed.
In the future, as the value of medicinal products gradually declined, the village would eventually have to face this reality directly.
One should not be deceived by how much the Sand Village had earned in recent years or by the complete transformation it had undergone. Even with everything they had accumulated, compared to the resource base of a great nation, it was still like losing a single hair from nine oxen.
Many great nations had resources that could regenerate continuously. As long as the resources existed, wealth was inexhaustible. And resources carried that particular attribute, a guaranteed long-term value that pharmaceutical profits, however impressive in the short term, simply could not match.
Setting aside everything else, the question of food supply alone was enough to illustrate the point.
"What about the Daimyo?" Chiyo glanced at Yuji with a meaningful expression.
"Do not worry. The Daimyo also agrees with my thinking on this," Yuji said with a smile.
Chiyo said nothing.
She was not foolish. For the past two years, the Daimyo’s Mansion had continuously provided financial aid to the Sand Village, and she had already formed her own guess about the underlying reason. After all, even the Daimyo of the Land of Wind had not spoken so cooperatively without cause.
"Once the population increases, the first thing to address is the food problem. The situation in our Land of Wind must also be improved," Ebizo said. "Furthermore, the entire industrial sector needs to develop. In terms of industry, that is actually the least of the obstacles."
"Therefore, moving against the Land of Rain is a necessary step," Yuji continued.
"First, Salamander Hanzo’s standing is not what it once was, and the internal turmoil within the Land of Rain, even after all this time, shows no signs of subsiding. On the contrary, it is worsening. Taking action against him is the optimal approach."
"If we can conquer the Land of Rain and incorporate it into the Land of Wind’s territory, you all understand what that means."
"In terms of conquest, incorporating a nation requires the collapse and rebuilding of its governing structure. The Land of Rain has no Daimyo, which is very advantageous for us. As long as we can destroy the Hidden Rain Village, we can consider ourselves to have effectively conquered the Land of Rain."
At this point Chiyo thought of something and spoke in a low voice.
"But we cannot simply bring it under the Land of Wind’s control so easily. To completely subdue the Land of Rain is not a simple matter. We would also need to resolve their domestic chaos, unify their internal government structure, and bring it under genuine control. Otherwise, we will end up in the same situation Hanzo is currently in, with chaos everywhere within the Land of Rain and continuous internal rebellions and uprisings."
"We must not fight with everything we have to win this war, only to inherit an enormous ongoing problem."
"That is a valid concern," Shimizu agreed.
"The plan has two key points," Chiyo said, fixing her gaze on Yuji and speaking slowly. "First, we must ensure that the village’s military strength is completely secure, and that under all potential threats, we can still manage to take on the Hidden Rain Village."
"Second, considering your position as Kazekage, do you actually have the ability to surpass Salamander Hanzo, change the situation in the Land of Rain, and accomplish something even that old devil himself was never able to do?"
Yuji chuckled quietly and replied with two words.
"Of course."
...
Stones 💎💎
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