Chapter 245
Orochimaru walked to the table, pulled two scrolls out of his bag, and opened one of them—it was a detailed map of the eastern coastal region of the Land of Whirlpools!
This map was extremely detailed, including the location of the Kirigakure vanguard's main camp and marking a radius of 100 kilometers around it. Within this area, thirteen large villages and nearly a hundred small villages inhabited by people were all clearly labeled.
It even indicated the approximate population of each village.
Among the large villages, the most populated one had nearly 20,000 residents, while the smallest had fewer than 100 people, consisting of just over a dozen households.
This level of detailed population distribution intelligence was clearly provided by their undercover reconnaissance team.
"According to the information from our reconnaissance forces, the Kirigakure vanguard will be dispatching a large number of ninjas this morning to these locations..." Orochimaru pointed at several large villages on the map. "These villages, which have a high population and active commerce, are all targets of Kirigakure!"
"What is Kirigakure trying to do?" Tsunade asked with a frown.
Haruto Saito had also approached the table, his gaze shifting toward Orochimaru.
"They're after money," Orochimaru replied coldly, glancing at the three of them before turning back to the map. "Based on current intelligence, the Kirigakure vanguard is sending their forces to these villages with the likely goal of taking control and imposing taxation. They may even demand back taxes from past years, which would allow them to establish a firm grip on this region!"
"They're trying to stockpile war funds?" Tsunade said, her frown deepening.
"That seems highly likely," Orochimaru responded. "Given the strength of the Kirigakure vanguard, they could easily subjugate these villages by force. However, that would create widespread panic. They can't simply kill everyone, nor can they restrict population movement. If they gain a reputation for brutality, the entire population in this region could flee within a short time."