บท 158: 157-Help Me Help You
In the Land of Earth's capital, tensions were mounting. The recent murders had not only shaken the populace but had also directly impacted the Daimyo.
Unlike in the Land of Wind, where Satetsu had the relative freedom to manoeuvre with the village council, the situation in the Land of Earth was being blown out of proportion. The Daimyo, directly affected by the situation, was pushing for a swift and decisive response.
Satetsu's situation was delicate but manageable. As Kazekage, he wielded significant influence within the village council, which comprised various village and clan elders.
While he had to inform the Wind Daimyo due to the broader implications of the attacks on the nation's food supply and security, Satetsu had the advantage of being the one to break the news.
He knew the Daimyo well and could placate him if necessary. However, he was acutely aware that if the Daimyo were to become directly involved, the matter would become significantly more complicated.
Meanwhile, in the capital of the Land of Earth, the atmosphere was tense. The Earth Daimyo looked intently at the Tsuchikage, Onoki.
"So, what is our response going to be, Onoki?" the Daimyo questioned.
Onoki, who was well into his years with his hair now balding and grey, glanced at Asa, who was standing across from him. The Tsuchikage let out a deep sigh.
He had known Asa since he was a boy and had always treated him like a son. But recently, Asa had become distant, his actions unpredictable which worried him.
Onoki's mind raced back to the events that had led to this moment. He was aware that Asa had made a trip to the Land of Earth's capital, but he had not been privy to his exact plans. The sudden emergency summon had caught him off guard, and finding Asa in the midst of the turmoil was an unpleasant surprise.
'He was so innocent when he was younger,' Onoki thought, 'When Lord Mu died, I promised to raise him like my own son. I don't know why he's become so impatient. Does he think I enjoy being the Tsuchikage?
This is a tremendous responsibility. I don't even see myself as Tsuchikage in the next five years. As soon as Asa masters Lord Mu's Kekkei Tota, I'll gladly retire and leave the seat to him.'
"Lord Daimyo, while there are suspicions that the attackers were from Suna, we can't just go ahead and attack them. Our relationship with Suna has deteriorated over the years, and this could lead to a full-scale war."
Onoki pleaded, before continuing, "Starting a war with Suna right now wouldn't be beneficial for either of our countries. We are still in the recovery phase after the last war. Starting a new conflict would set us back significantly in the progress we've made.
Besides, I am wary of the other Kages. They are like vultures, always looking for an opportunity to take advantage. Konoha, Kumo, and Kiri would pounce on any sign of weakness. They would exploit the situation, just as I would if I were in their position."
"So, should we just ignore the crimes they committed against us?" the Daimyo asked.
"No, Lord Daimyo!" Usui responded promptly.
"You know how the nobles feel. They will demand some form of compensation to appease them. If we do nothing, you might lose their favour."
Usui's remarks seemed to sway the Daimyo causing him to sink into thought, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest of his seat.
'He is making sense; I need to do something,' the Daimyo thought.
Usui's words made sense. The nobles were a powerful faction, and their support was crucial.
Onoki, standing a few steps away, interjected "But Lord Daimyo, we cannot afford a war. Our forces are not enough, and we haven't been getting enough missions to support us apart from the funds you provide."
The Daimyo's gaze hardened as he considered Onoki's words. The financial strain was indeed significant, but the political pressure was equally daunting.
'I don't like doing this, but it seems that I have to,' the Daimyo thought. He took a deep breath and spoke,
"Onoki, I am sure you know that the nobles who I am trying to appease could very well rally and force me to reduce the funds we allocate to Iwagakure, making the financial situation that you are talking about worse. So help me help you."
Onoki's fists clenched involuntarily. The implications of the Daimyo's words were clear. The funding for Iwagakure was already stretched thin, and a further reduction could cripple the village's daily functioning.
'Did he have to resort to such tactics because of a few nobles?' Onoki thought.
The relationship between shinobi villages and their feudal lords was complex and symbiotic. While shinobi were often seen as tools of war and peace, they depended heavily on the financial and political support of their lords.
In turn, the lords relied on the shinobi for protection and military prowess. It was a delicate balance, and any disruption could lead to significant consequences for both parties.
Seeing that there was no way out of the situation, Onoki sighed deeply and made a decision.
"Fine, I will make plans to retaliate against Suna, but it will only be for show. If they also respond similarly, then we can put this matter to rest."
'I just hope that Satetsu does not escalate this.' Onoki thought.
The Daimyo's face lit up with a smile, his tension easing. "I knew you would see my reasoning, Onoki. Thank you for your cooperation."
Onoki bowed slightly, his mind already racing with the plans he needed to make. As soon as the meeting concluded, Onoki quickly left for Iwagakure with Asa by his side.
The journey back was filled with heavy silence, Onoki cursing under his breath at the situation he found himself in. He blamed Asa for much of the turmoil, believing that Asa's actions had exacerbated the crisis.
Little did Onoki know that Asa had, in fact, averted a far greater disaster.
By forcing Minato and his team to evacuate the Earth Capital quickly, Asa had prevented Yano and Renjiro from carrying out plans that could have unleashed further chaos.
As the two major shinobi forces prepared to retaliate against each other, Minato and his squad found themselves in the tranquil environment of Mount Myoboku.
Mount Myoboku was a place of surreal beauty and mystery. Waterfalls cascaded down cliffs, creating sparkling pools and streams that meandered through the lush foliage. The air was thick with the scent of flowers and the sound of croaking toads, adding to the serene atmosphere of the place.
The squad had been reverse-summoned there by Fukasaku to escape the dangerous situation they faced in the Land of Wind. However, this reverse summoning had not been straightforward.
Fukasaku had only been able to reverse summon Minato, the one with whom he had a summoning contract. The moment Minato arrived at Mount Myoboku, he was briefly exposed to the natural energy that permeated the environment.
This exposure enabled him to gather just enough Senjutsu chakra to teleport his squad to safety. Senjutsu was still something Minato was learning, he had not completely mastered it, but he had found a way to use it to supplement his chakra needs in dire situations.
Minato looked around at his team, "Is everyone okay?" he immediately asked when they arrived.
"We're fine," Hiro replied, though his voice carried the weight of their recent ordeal.
Sama nodded in agreement. "Thanks to you and Fukasaku-sama, we're safe."
Renjiro, though not a user of Senjutsu, could subtly sense the natural energy present. It wasn't a direct sensation but rather a prickling pain that reminded him of the first time he scaled the floating mountain where Uno and her kind lived.
'It seems that the natural energy here is not as dense as it was in the floating mountain where Uno and her kind live. Maybe it is because that was a mountain on a floating island,' Renjiro thought.
However, there was little time to sightsee. As soon as they arrived, Minato turned to Renjiro and Yano, "I need to know how your part of the mission went?"
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