章節 55: Chapter 55: The Plan in Motion

"What about the Hidden Moon Village?"

Someone quickly voiced the question, noting that the plan had not accounted for how the Hidden Moon Village should be dealt with.

The others also turned their gaze toward Mochizuki Hui.

Under his mask, Hui's lips curled into a small smile before he began speaking, "Ninja villages have always depended on the nations they serve. The Hidden Moon Village will have two choices in the midst of this internal conflict.

"First, they could choose a side, aligning themselves with one of the factions.

"Or, they could remain neutral and wait for the civil war to end, pledging allegiance to whoever emerges victorious.

"But regardless of which option they choose, it won't affect our plan much.

"If the Hidden Moon Village pledges itself to one faction, then we'll simply pose as rogue ninjas hired by the opposing faction.

"If the village itself becomes divided, with different factions backing different sides, let them tear each other apart.

"And if the Hidden Moon Village chooses to remain neutral, they will be forced to fight against the Tree Nation once our plan reaches the stage where the Tree Nation invades the Moon Nation.

"When the Fire Nation intervenes and the Moon Nation collapses, whatever the Hidden Moon Village wants to do by then will be too little, too late.

"The only thing we need to ensure is that the Hidden Moon Village remains unaware that all of this is being orchestrated behind the scenes.

"As for wiping out the Hidden Moon Village? That would only alert them unnecessarily, and I don't recommend it.

"Once the Moon Nation falls and the Fire Nation steps in, everything will be settled. Without the Moon Nation to support them, the Hidden Moon Village will just become a group of wandering ninjas within the Fire Nation's territory.

"I think we all know what happens to wandering ninjas within a nation's borders."

Why does it seem like some people can think so deeply and plan so far ahead?

Staring at Mochizuki Hui's small frame, the gathered ANBU members were internally shaken. Some were even feeling a bit uncomfortable.

If they could, they would have probably said, "You're making us look useless!"

"An excellent strategy! Now, based on Squad Four's captain's proposal, let's discuss any suggestions or improvements," the Division Captain said with admiration in his voice. It was clear that the reputation of Squad Four hadn't disappointed him.

"I agree with the strategy proposed by Squad Four's captain."

"I do as well."

"We can discuss the finer details."

"Let's go with his plan!"

One by one, the squad captains voiced their agreement, fully supporting Mochizuki Hui's proposal.

"Since we're all in agreement, let's refine the specifics and proceed with the plan," the Division Captain concluded.

...

In the Moon Nation, inside a high-ranking official's estate.

This official was a general with military power, commanding a strong force.

Four years had passed since the last Great Ninja War, and the Moon Nation had long since returned to a state of peace.

For those four years, the general had lived in comfort. But every now and then, the memory of his failed power grab still gnawed at him.

He had been so close to seizing the position of Daimyo back then—just a little more and he would have succeeded.

But in the end, he had failed. If not for his control over thousands of soldiers, he might have been killed in the power struggle.

Today, however, a mysterious guest arrived at the general's estate.

This guest was supposedly a man of great talent who had initially sought to offer his services to the Daimyo, hoping to fulfill his political ambitions.

However, after being humiliated by a minor official in the Daimyo's court, he left in anger and turned to the general for support instead.

The general received the man warmly, and after a lengthy conversation, they found they shared similar views and aspirations. They quickly became allies.

Soon after, secret orders began circulating. The general's army started moving.

Two days later, the general's forces launched a surprise attack on several towns loyal to the Daimyo, employing blitzkrieg tactics. Before the Daimyo's forces could respond, the general had already captured several key locations.

The news spread like wildfire, and the Daimyo was furious.

In response, the Daimyo's loyalists began their counterattack, and civil war broke out within the Moon Nation.

The sudden conflict left the Hidden Moon Village in a state of confusion. They had always dealt with foreign ninja villages, and now an internal war had erupted—who were they supposed to help?

Some suggested aiding the Daimyo in suppressing the rebellion, while others advocated supporting the general to reshape the country.

But the leader of the Hidden Moon Village quelled all these voices, deciding to remain neutral and await the outcome, while watching which side offered better incentives.

The Moon Nation was a small country. The larger nations had no interest in involving themselves in such a minor internal conflict—they simply didn't care about this backwater place.

But the neighboring Tree Nation thought differently. Under the influence of certain officials, the Daimyo of the Tree Nation was persuaded to launch an invasion of the Moon Nation.

War erupted as the Tree Nation attacked, and the already strained Moon Nation, weakened by its civil war, struggled to defend itself. They were forced into negotiations, temporarily uniting to fend off the external threat.

This development put the Hidden Moon Village in a tough spot. They had planned to profit from both sides of the internal conflict, but with the Tree Nation's invasion, their position had become awkward.

Faced with no choice, the Hidden Moon Village fully committed itself to the fight against the Tree Nation, intending to send a message to both the Daimyo and the general: "We may stay out of your internal struggles, but when it comes to external threats, we don't hesitate."

With the Hidden Moon Village now fully engaged, the Moon Nation was able to stabilize the battlefield somewhat. Although they were still at a disadvantage, they hadn't yet lost hope.

At this critical juncture, the mysterious man advising the general proposed a new strategy: seek aid from the Fire Nation and be prepared to make some sacrifices.

"As long as we can destroy the Tree Nation, anything we sacrifice can be reclaimed from them, and more," the man had said.

This idea resonated with both the general and the Daimyo. If they could borrow the strength of the Fire Nation to crush the Tree Nation, their territory would expand significantly, and they could avoid further infighting.

Thus, an emissary from the Moon Nation was dispatched to the Fire Nation, seeking aid.

In response, after receiving the message from Mochizuki Hui, Senju Tobirama began to act. He worked with the Fire Nation's Daimyo to squeeze as many concessions as possible from the Moon Nation.

In the end, a treaty was signed. In exchange for ceding some land and population, the Moon Nation asked the Fire Nation to secretly send reinforcements.

With everything in place, the plan moved into its final phase. Fire Nation forces, including ninja squads, quietly made their way into the Moon Nation.

Mochizuki Hui, having received confirmation of the Fire Nation's involvement, began the next step of his plan: assisting the Tree Nation in destroying the Moon Nation once the Fire Nation's troops had entered and the Moon Nation had publicly announced the arrival of their reinforcements.

That day, the ten squads of the First ANBU Division began their mission of assassinating key figures within the Moon Nation.

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