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Deidara couldn't help but frown. He wanted to take down the strongest— Kazuki—not Shisui or Itachi.
Uchiha Shisui…
Forget it, cross that name off the list!
Having just suffered a major loss at Shisui's hands, Deidara wasn't eager to lose again. Until he was absolutely certain, he wouldn't mess with Shisui.
Which left… Uchiha Itachi?
Unbeknownst to Ōnoki, his attempt at guiding his disciple had led Deidara, with his peculiar thought process, to set his sights on Itachi.
And the result of targeting Itachi… well, it would be something Deidara would never forget.
After Ōnoki and his group left, Tsunade finally came to Kazuki's office.
"I can't believe Ōnoki agreed to such an outrageous condition. Then again, I thought you'd fleece the Rock Village for all they're worth," she said.
Given Kazuki's character and past habits, he'd typically seize any opportunity to squeeze something out of others. But this time, he hadn't gone after the Rock Village's money or resources.
Instead, he'd turned them into Konoha's blade.
"In the past, the village was short on money and resources, so we had to find ways to get them elsewhere. Now that Konoha's on the right track, why bother with that?" Kazuki replied.
If he could avoid it, Kazuki had no interest in stirring up trouble like this.
The Cloud Village had already developed a conditioned reflex—whenever they dealt with Uchiha Kazuki, they knew they'd lose a chunk of their resources.
"And you have the nerve to say that, Tsunade? Doesn't your conscience hurt?" Kazuki shot back. "If it weren't to secure your position as Hokage, do you think I'd go through all this trouble?"
"Ahem!" Tsunade coughed, feeling a bit guilty under Kazuki's meaningful gaze. She quickly changed the subject. "Once Ōnoki returns to the Rock Village and starts condemning the Grass Ninja Village—or even purging their leadership—I doubt any small ninja village will dare cooperate with them in the future."
You're overthinking it.
"Normal cooperation won't be an issue," Kazuki said. "But shady deals? Those villages will think twice. Once you've done something like this, whether you betray them or not, others will always be wary of you. This move wasn't just about making Ōnoki trip over his own feet. It's a warning to the rest of the ninja world. Don't toy with Konoha's reputation or try to scheme against us."
Kazuki rubbed his temples, a headache brewing. "The village has always projected an image of peace-loving. Over time, that's given people the impression we're pushovers, someone they can step on whenever they feel like it. Changing that perception will take time. I want everyone in the ninja world to understand: when Konoha doesn't want to start trouble, no one should come looking for it."
"You're right," Tsunade agreed.
Kazuki's philosophy clashed somewhat with that of the Third Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and Tobirama Senju. But Tsunade found herself largely in agreement.
She didn't want to target or bully anyone without reason, but she also didn't want to see others picking fights with Konoha for no cause.
People said Konoha had been on a downward spiral since the days of Hashirama and Tobirama, claiming the village's strength had waned.
It was true that Konoha wasn't as dominant as it was in Hashirama's era—after all, Hashirama and Madara Uchiha could sweep through anything together.
But to say Konoha was weaker than in Tobirama's time? Kazuki wouldn't accept that.
Over the years, Konoha's strength hadn't diminished—it had grown stronger.
Yet, Konoha remained a juicy target, something everyone wanted a bite of.
The root cause? Konoha's foreign policies and methods were too soft.
If Konoha's Hokage had even a fraction of the ruthlessness and vindictiveness of the Cloud Village's Raikage…
Let's just say the Sand and Mist Villages wouldn't dare provoke Konoha so casually.
The Sand Village would stay put, the Mist Village would stick to their islands, and Konoha's strength wouldn't have been worn down.
Would the Rock Village have dared to start a war then?
They'd probably have had their skulls cracked open.
Look at the Cloud Village. Since the Third Raikage took over, their strength steadily grew. With their "you touch me, I bite you; you glance at me, I kick you" attitude, they forced the Rock and Mist Villages to back off.
The Cloud Village maintained that approach, and as a result, they thrived, with no one daring to provoke them.
Meanwhile, Konoha, constantly preaching peace and love, became a target for anyone to take a swing at.
They knew that even if they attacked Konoha, they'd be forgiven in the end—maybe a light reprimand, at most.
No big deal. They might not even need to pay reparations.
Konoha, fearing another attack, would rather sacrifice some interests for the sake of stable development and peace.
"We've made some progress," Kazuki said. "At the very least, after this, Ōnoki won't dare mess with us again. As for the Sand Village…"
Despite their struggles, the Sand Village's ninjas were cocky.
They kept stirring up trouble at the border, pulling small stunts. Konoha couldn't exactly start a war over minor conflicts like that.
Kazuki's smile turned cold. "I'll make them realize that repeatedly pulling these stunts will have consequences."
It seemed that just after giving the Rock Village a beating, Kazuki was ready to stir up some trouble for the Sand Village—give them something to chew on.
"You sure it won't backfire?" Tsunade asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
Kazuki spread his hands, exasperated. "See? I mention it, and you're already worried about things going wrong. Why are we the ones worrying, while the Sand Village doesn't have to?"
"Aren't they afraid of war?"
"If every little stunt led to war, the ninja world would be a bloodbath by now. It wouldn't be this stable."
"…"
Looks like I've got some issues with my mindset too.
Realizing her own flaw, Tsunade gave a wry smile.
"Fine. I'll handle village affairs, and you take care of external matters. If you're confident, go for it. It'd be good to make the Sand Village settle down. Those jerks love causing trouble at the border and targeting the Land of Fire's caravans."
The Sand Village's actions weren't lethal, but they were infuriating—like a piece of gum that stuck on your shoes. It doesn't hurt, but it's annoying.
They'd sneak into the Land of Fire without permission, take a stroll, and if caught, claim it was a misunderstanding and retreat immediately. Or they'd throw a few harmless punches before leaving.
When they encountered the Land of Fire's caravans, they'd find fault even if there was none, harassing them and causing endless headaches.
*****
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