Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 290 The Reactions of Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure

Meanwhile, in the Land of Earth, in Iwagakure (Hidden Rock Village).

In the office of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, many high-ranking officials of Iwagakure were gathered together, and the atmosphere was equally tense.

Onoki's short body hovered in mid-air, his brows furrowed as he stared at the image displayed on a special communication screen in front of him.

That was Muto Suke, the daimyo of the Land of Earth.

The man, with his meticulously groomed goatee, was staring wide-eyed, his face filled with excitement.

"The Land of Wind has now officially declared war on the Land of Stars! This is the perfect opportunity for us to strike!" Daimyo Muto waved his folding fan, his tone excited.

Ōnoki remained calm and asked, "Your Excellency, have we reached a formal military alliance with the Land of Wind?"

"An alliance? No, not at all." Muto shook his head. "The envoy from the Land of Wind did want to form an alliance, but considering the attitude of Konohagakure from the Land of Fire, and the potentially complicated diplomatic consequences, I have temporarily refused them."

He abruptly changed the subject, a greedy look appearing on his face: "However, this doesn't prevent our Iwagakure village from launching a separate attack! After all, it's an undeniable fact that the Star Ninja have repeatedly crossed the border to provoke us and attack our military outposts! We have every reason to launch a counterattack against the Star Country! If we can take over the Star Country, especially the Youhe Plain they control, that's a vast expanse of fertile land and a prosperous trade route!"

Onoki sighed inwardly. How could he not know that the wealth and allure of the Star Country were irresistible?

But as the Tsuchikage, he has more to consider.

He tried to persuade the daimyo, who was blinded by greed: "Daimyo, please analyze the situation calmly. The Land of Wind and the Land of Stars have just started a war, and the situation is still unclear. We have not fully grasped the strength of the Land of Stars, and that 'Shura' and Uchiha Hikaru are even greater variables. It is extremely risky to rashly get involved in the war at this time. I believe that the best time to send troops... is not yet ripe."

"The timing isn't right?!" Daimyo Muto's voice suddenly rose, filled with obvious dissatisfaction.

"When the Star Ninja slaughtered the nobles and daimyo of those small countries last time, I asked you to send the Iwagakure elites. You said the enemy's strength was unknown and we needed to be cautious! Later, I agreed to let you send those mercenaries and wandering ninjas to probe. And what was the result? We suffered considerable losses, and we did gather some intelligence. Now the Land of Wind is fighting the Land of Stars, and you're still telling me the time isn't right?!"

He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Onoki! Have you gotten old and become cowardly?! Don't forget, recently several of our Land of Earth's border outposts were attacked, resulting in ninja casualties. Shouldn't the Land of Stars bear the blame for that?!"

Onoki's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

There are indeed many suspicious points surrounding those border attacks. Wen Ya, the head of the intelligence department, has reported on multiple occasions that the methods used by the attackers and the traces left behind are somewhat strange, and the possibility that they may have been staged by other forces to frame the attackers cannot be ruled out.

But in the eyes of the daimyo, this was nothing more than an excuse for Iwagakure to be afraid of war.

Faced with the daimyo's wrath and relentless pressure, Onoki knew that refusing to send troops out completely was no longer an option.

"Your Excellency, please calm your anger." He took a deep breath and compromised: "How about this? I will immediately dispatch more elite spies to investigate the Star Kingdom's troop deployment and movements on the border with the Wind Kingdom. If... if the main force of the Star Ninja is indeed tied down by the Wind Kingdom, leaving their rear vulnerable, I will decide whether to send troops, and on the scale of the deployment, depending on the specific circumstances. What do you think?"

"That's more like it!" Hearing Onoki finally relent, Daimyo Muto's expression softened somewhat. He snorted, "Remember, opportunities are fleeting! I hope to hear good news from you soon!"

After he finished speaking, the communication screen went dark.

A brief silence fell over the office.

The tall, burly man, Huang Tu, stepped forward, looking at his father with concern: "Father, the Star Kingdom has explicitly denied attacking our border outposts and has instead accused us of attacking theirs. Wenya's analysis also suggests there are indeed suspicious points surrounding the previous attack..."

Wenya, standing to the side, added, "Lord Tsuchikage, based on the traces at the scene and the casualties, the attacker's behavior pattern is different from the usual style of the Star Ninja. We cannot rule out the possibility that it was a third party, such as Konoha or Kumogakure, who disguised themselves and framed the attacker."

Onoki slowly descended from the sky, sat down in his chair, rubbed his throbbing temples, and his face was full of exhaustion and helplessness.

“I know… I know all these doubts.” He sighed, his voice hoarse. “But, Wenya, Huangtu… after the Land of Wind declared war on the Land of Stars, whether or not those attacks were carried out by Star Ninjas is no longer important.”

He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the other advisors and elders of Iwagakure, who all had solemn expressions in the office.

"What the daimyo needs is just an 'excuse' that can convince himself and the other nobles in the country." Onoki's voice carried a hint of sarcasm, but also a deep sense of powerlessness.

"And now, this 'excuse' is enough."

Everyone fell silent.

………………

The country of thunder, Yunyin Village.

Hidden Cloud Village, surrounded by mountains, is shrouded in damp mist year-round. The towering Raikage Building, like a mountain peak piercing through the clouds, symbolizes the village's resilience and strength.

However, at this moment, the office of the Raikage on the top floor of the building was filled with an atmosphere of suppressed rage.

The Fourth Raikage, A, a giant known for his ferocious lightning release techniques, was currently shirtless, revealing his rock-like muscles.

His right arm, where he had lost his right wrist, was wrapped in thick bandages. His only remaining left hand gripped a huge barbell that could crush an ordinary strong man. The muscles in his arm bulged like steel bars as he repeatedly lifted the heavy barbell overhead and then slowly lowered it.

Each exertion was accompanied by heavy breathing and a slight cracking of bones, like a ferocious beast imprisoned in a cage, eager to unleash its power.

A tall, dark-skinned man in linen clothing stood to one side, holding an urgent intelligence scroll. His voice was steady, yet his seriousness was palpable as he reported: "...Based on cross-verification of multiple intelligence sources, it can be basically confirmed that an elite force from the Sand Village of the Land of Wind has engaged in a fierce conflict with the Land of Stars. The Sand Village suffered heavy losses; the exact number of casualties is unknown, but several Jonin, including the advisor elder Ebizo, are suspected to have been killed. Several hours after the conflict, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, officially declared war on the Land of Stars."

Click!

As soon as Ma Buyi finished speaking, Ai exerted force with his left hand and slammed the heavy barbell hard onto the solid wood desk in front of him!

The sturdy hardwood tabletop groaned under the strain, then snapped and collapsed!
Documents and writing materials were scattered all over the floor!
"Shura!" Ai spat out the name through gritted teeth, his eyes burning with rage and hatred!
That guy inflicted casualties on Iwagakure that were no less devastating than a war!
Even the two perfect Jinchūriki, Yugito and Killer Bee, were seriously injured in the battle at Jigokudani. He himself had his right wrist crippled by the strange black chakra rods and had to cut off his right hand in order to continue fighting.

Even so, more than half of the elite troops who accompanied him to intercept Shura were killed in action!
But they couldn't even keep one of the other side alive!

What a disgrace! After the war, Ai issued the highest order, commanding the intelligence department under Mabui to use all the resources and channels of Kumogakure to search for Shura's whereabouts at all costs.

In addition, some clearly pointed information has recently leaked "inadvertently" from Konoha in the Land of Fire and Iwagakure in the Land of Earth. After cross-referencing and analysis, the vast intelligence network of Kumogakure has basically confirmed that the "Shura" who has repeatedly dealt heavy blows to Kumogakure is the actual controller of the Star Country, which has risen rapidly in recent years and annexed several countries!
"Shura... Star Kingdom..." Ai wished he could immediately gather all the elite forces of Yunyin, flatten the Star Kingdom, tear Shura to pieces, and wipe away his shame.

Mabui keenly sensed the Raikage's almost overflowing killing intent. She quickly stepped forward and cautiously advised, "Lord Raikage, please calm down!"

"The Land of Stars is located in the western part of the Ninja World Continent, far away from our Land of Lightning, and separated by several other countries such as the Land of Fire, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Rain. A long expedition would be difficult to logistically support, and we might encounter obstruction or even ambushes from other forces along the way. Even if we wanted to wage war against the Land of Stars, it would be extremely difficult, almost impossible."

Her words were filled with deep worry, fearing that the hot-tempered Raikage might, in a fit of rage, launch a massive expedition without regard for anything else.

She couldn't help but recall how, many years ago, the Third Raikage had single-handedly covered the retreat of the main force, only to be surrounded and attacked by tens of thousands of Iwagakure ninjas, fighting to the death and sacrificing his life heroically.

That painful lesson remains an indelible wound in the hearts of the Hidden Cloud Village.

She absolutely did not want to see the Fourth Raikage repeat the same mistake.

Ai took a few deep breaths, suppressing the urge to start a war immediately. He was not a reckless man who was completely ignorant of strategy.

He grunted, his voice low: "Ah...of course I know the distance is too far, it's impossible to hit them directly. I still have that much sense."

Ai walked to the window, gazing at the fortified village of Kumogakure nestled among the mountains, and said in a deep voice, "But we can't do nothing! Send out the village's best ninjas, skilled in infiltration and intelligence gathering, and find a way to infiltrate the Land of Stars! I need to know everything about that country, about the Star Ninjas, and about Shura!"

"Yes, Lord Raikage!" Mabui immediately bowed and accepted the order, recording it in his notebook.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, as long as it wasn't a direct war.

Mabui continued her analysis: "Judging from the current situation, the war between the Land of Wind and the Land of Stars is not expected to escalate to an uncontrollable scale for the time being."

"Konoha has just experienced internal strife with the Uchiha clan and the Hyuga branch family, which has affected its strength and internal stability. Although Sunagakure is their ally, Konoha is unlikely to send troops directly to support them. They are more likely to provide material, financial, or intelligence support."

She paused, her tone becoming somewhat uncertain: "However, it's hard to say about Iwagakure in the Land of Earth. The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, is a cunning old fox. There's no clear movement from Iwagakure yet, but if Sunagakure and the Land of Stars fight to the death, or if the Land of Stars' rear is exposed, that old fox might take the opportunity to launch an attack on the Land of Stars' rear and seize its benefits."

"Stabbing us in the back... just like when they ambushed our troops back then!" Ai chimed in, his voice filled with hatred for Iwagakure.

In that battle, the Hidden Stone Village mobilized its entire force, with tens of thousands of Hidden Stone ninja attempting to surround and annihilate an elite force from the Hidden Cloud Village, causing heavy losses to the Hidden Cloud Village!

At that time, the ninja world was in chaos, and if the Hidden Cloud Village suffered too many losses, the Hidden Leaf Village and the Hidden Mist Village would definitely come to attack.

If it weren't for his father, the Third Raikage, who single-handedly held off the enemy's retreat and fought against the Iwagakure army for three days and three nights, nearly wiping out the younger generation of Iwagakure, Kumogakure would probably have been severely weakened long ago.

The father's bravery and sacrifice are Ai's eternal pride, as well as a profound warning.

No matter how strong an individual is, there are limits in the face of the overwhelming force of war and absolute numerical superiority.

That's at least what he thinks now.

After recording the order to dispatch spies, Mabui asked again, "Lord Raikage, is there anything else you need to explain regarding this incident?"

Ai pondered for a moment, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He turned to Mabui and said, "Spread the information we analyzed earlier about 'Shura being very likely the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha who defected' through secret channels."

"If Shura really is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha who has defected, then Konoha will definitely not sit idly by this time! They will definitely send troops! In that case, even that old fox Onoki might get involved!"

"Yes! I understand!" A look of understanding flashed in Mabuya's eyes as he immediately grasped Raikage's intention.

Kill three birds with one stone: drive away one tiger to devour another wolf!
………………

The Kingdom of Water, the Hidden Mist Village.

Unlike the anger in the Raikage's office, the atmosphere in the highest power center of Kirigakure was exceptionally heavy, oppressive, and even tinged with sadness.

The short-statured Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, sat in the main seat as if bearing an immense burden.

Facing the few remaining high-ranking members of Kirigakure below, Yagura lowered his head deeply.

"Gentlemen... I, Yagura Karatachi, as the Fourth Mizukage, was manipulated by the enemy using genjutsu for several years... bringing immeasurable losses and disasters to the village. I... am ashamed of the name of Mizukage, ashamed of every villager and ninja who trusted me."

His voice was hoarse, filled with pain and self-blame.

After Kisame Hoshigaki betrayed and assassinated Yagura, he left some information for Mei Terumi and Ao, which could be considered his last act for Kirigakure. This deepened the two's suspicions about Yagura. Some time ago, Ao used the Byakugan he had stolen to investigate Yagura and finally discovered the secret that Yagura was being controlled by a mysterious enemy.

Subsequently, under the guidance of Master Gen, and by utilizing Ao's Byakugan, Yagura broke free from that long, nightmarish control.

Yagura reviews the high-pressure "Blood Mist Policy" implemented under the influence of genjutsu over the past few years, and the resulting Bloodstained Clan rebellion, purges, large-scale ninja defections and deaths.

I felt as if my heart was being torn apart.

"Please allow me to formally resign from my position as Mizukage." Yagura raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, finally settling on Elder Yuanshi, who sat to the side, his body hunched over, holding a snake-shaped wooden staff.

"And I earnestly request Elder Yuan to take charge of all matters related to the election of the new Water Shadow."

[PS: Today's picture features the blonde, mature Samui and the dark-skinned secretary, Mabui.]

(End of this chapter)