Chapter 272: Kazekage Ninja- - 61: Abandon Illusions, Prepare for Battle
"Damn it, how ruthless! Konoha’s out to wipe us off the map!"
Rasa slammed the intelligence report down, cursing under his breath.
"Hmph! Doesn’t Konoha always parade around with its so-called pacifist image? What now—lose a little money and suddenly they’re all about playing dirty? The hypocrisy is truly something to behold," sneered Karuke, administrator of the Moon Lake New District.
"Konoha wouldn’t stoop that low, would they? They’ve got no reason to attack us," Finance Minister Kamizuru Kumo said, frowning.
"Reason? The only reason they need is that you have more money. Or your people are living better. Or they’ve got more ninja than you. That’s all the excuse they need! You’re old enough to know better—don’t get soft in your old age. It’s laughable," scoffed Ryohei, chief of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
"Alright, enough! I called everyone here to discuss strategy and assign combat duties. You can shout yourselves hoarse, but Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura won’t lose a single hair over it. This is top-secret intel passed on by Zenmeng and confirmed by other sources—Hiruzen Sarutobi has already issued a covert general mobilization order. Even the ninja school teachers have been pulled from class to enlist. War is at our doorstep. Let’s skip the complaining and get down to business," said Yamashita Tetsu, head of Intelligence.
"What else is there to say? Let’s teach those bastards a lesson," Karuke said, cracking his knuckles.
"As for the Yuexi Peninsula, we’re ready for anything. Before he left, Commander Maki gave strict orders: the Fourth Division and all security forces are fully armed and on standby, waiting for the Kazekage’s command," reported Xuechi Gaojin, special envoy from the Yuexi Peninsula.
Inside the command center of the Kazekage Tower, all of Sunagakure’s top brass had gathered, the room buzzing with debate. But at the center, Jinghang, the Third Kazekage and supreme commander, was silent, marking up a massive map of the ninja continent with a red and blue pencil.
"Alright, that’s the lay of the land," Jinghang said, nodding in satisfaction at his handiwork.
Three bold red arrows stabbed across the map from different directions, all converging on Sunagakure and the Moon Lake New District. The strategic picture was exactly as the intel had described.
"Quiet down—listen up," Jinghang announced, tossing his pencil aside. Instantly, the room fell silent.