Living in the World of Naruto, Marrying Tsunade

Especially with that old fellow's newly forged Thunder Blade—rumor had it the weapon could even control lightning itself. If that were true, Yoshida Eiichi might already possess strength at the mid-Kage level, perhaps even approaching high-Kage. Even Ebizō would no longer be able to treat him as just a craftsman.

Still, he understood clearly that this mission did not represent him alone—it represented the entire Land of Wind, and even the future Konoha Encirclement Allied Forces. That alliance would gather nearly one hundred thousand shinobi. Against such power, a small nation like the Land of Craftsmen would be as fragile as an ant.

If they dared harm him, they would face the wrath of the entire alliance.

With that assurance, Ebizō knew that even if the negotiations were difficult—and even if Yoshida Eiichi was eccentric—his life would not truly be in danger.

After settling the arrangements regarding the Land of Craftsmen, Chiyo continued:

"Since someone is already assigned there, I'll arrange the rest of the countries that require envoys."

At first glance, it might seem enough just to send representatives everywhere, but the details mattered greatly. For example, the mission to the Land of Craftsmen centered on securing ninja tools. For that purpose, the Land of Wind—and the alliance as a whole—was prepared to pay a substantial price.

As for the other nations, Chiyo had already identified several key targets during her earlier deliberations.

Shamon nodded for her to continue and remained silent. Having capable subordinates was something he welcomed—it spared him considerable effort.

Besides, the future of the Land of Wind would eventually pass into younger hands. One day he would die, and if the next generation proved capable, he could leave with peace of mind.

Though he appeared to be only in his early forties, he was actually already past fifty—nearly sixty.

His youthful appearance was simply the result of good upkeep. In truth, some of the gray-haired elders present were not much younger than he was.

After all, Shamon had been active since the founding of the Land of Wind itself. In terms of age, he was not far behind the First Kazekage.

The other Second Kage of the Five Great Nations were already dead. Only he remained.

Originally, he had thought this Second Great Ninja War would likely be where he met his end.

But then Arata had appeared out of nowhere.

That alone had forced the war toward an abrupt conclusion. If the fighting continued, it would not just be his death—the entire Land of Wind might be dragged down with him. Until the alliance was fully established, they absolutely could not afford to provoke Konoha again.

He had even imagined how he might die—either outmaneuvered by Ōnoki or ambushed by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Both were cunning men, no less calculating than himself.

Though those two were only in their thirties, their experience was already formidable.

As for Chiyo and Ebizō, despite being called elders, they were only around forty—still young compared to him.

Letting the younger generation step forward had always been something Shamon supported. Old men should do what old men were meant to do—when the time came to sacrifice themselves for the village, those who had lived long enough should be the ones to step forward.

Chiyo, unaware of the thoughts running through his mind, simply continued:

"The Land of Rice Fields must be won over. It lies between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire. If we cannot secure that route, the Land of Lightning won't be able to threaten the Land of Fire effectively. Besides, the Land of Rice Fields produces abundant grain and could supply the alliance with large quantities of food."

The Land of Rice Fields had previously intervened when the Land of Lightning retreated, becoming a natural buffer zone between two major powers. Without it, countless wars might have erupted between them already.

Even so, the Land of Lightning had never stopped trying to invade. Their ambition was clear—they wanted to conquer the Rice Fields and gain direct access to the Land of Fire.

Unfortunately for them, the nation's terrain was difficult. Though rich in farmland, its borders were surrounded by swamps, cliffs, and ravines—ideal defensive terrain.

Even the powerful Land of Lightning had struggled to make progress there.

And there was another reason.

The Land of Rice Fields had long maintained close ties with the Land of Iron.

Though the Land of Iron did not border Lightning directly—with the Lands of Claws and Fangs in between—they understood the principle of shared fate. If the Rice Fields fell, they too would eventually face invasion.

Thus, for decades, the two countries had maintained a semi-allied relationship.

The Land of Iron, true to its name, was rich in iron ore—second only to the Land of Craftsmen in production across the shinobi world. If the Land of Rice Fields joined the alliance, then winning over the Land of Iron would likely follow naturally.

That would provide yet another major guarantee for iron resources.

Although the Land of Iron was composed entirely of samurai, no shinobi nation dared underestimate them.

Unlike ninja—whose appearance rate among the population was extremely low—samurai formed the majority of their society.

With a population of only around one million, the Land of Iron effectively possessed one million combatants.

Even the elderly, women, and children possessed respectable swordsmanship. With roughly ten years of training, many could reach strength comparable to a genin.

Though the samurai system was slower than ninja training, it provided a solid base of mid- and lower-tier fighters.

The true weakness of samurai lay in their upper ranks. Reaching Kage-level required attaining the level of a sword master—something few possessed the talent to achieve. That was why the profession had gradually declined.

Still, if the alliance could gain the recognition of the samurai nation, its middle and lower combat strength would grow enormously.

Since the Land of Rice Fields bordered the Land of Lightning and already harbored grievances against it, persuading them would be difficult.

In the end, Chiyo decided to handle it personally.

After all, she already planned to travel to the Land of Lightning as an envoy—she might as well persuade the Rice Fields along the way.