Chapter 34

Shinki wouldn't take the jokes about sharing his food too seriously, nor would he foolishly agree to them. It wasn't that he was stingy; cooking for too many people was simply too much trouble. Plus, he couldn't keep using Kushina's "small treasury" to subsidize meals for the entire camp.

The New Year had finally arrived, and the ninjas at the camp used their limited resources to throw a small party. Shinki, however, chose not to join in the festivities.

"Plop!" 

"Plop!"

Lying on his bed, Shinki focused on the steady pulses of the Tenseigan's awakening.

---

**Konoha, Senju Compound**

"What's the matter, my dear? Why so glum?" 

Uzumaki Mito gently ran her fingers through Kushina's long red hair. Kushina forced a smile. "Nothing, Grandma, I'm fine."

Mito sighed softly and held Kushina's hand.

Feeling a pang of sadness, Kushina whispered, "I'm not happy, Grandma. I thought I'd get to spend the New Year with Shinki. He's my only real friend, but he was sent to the border camp and won't be back for at least a year. Sister Tsunade said the weather there is awful. I hope he's okay."

"He must miss me too."

Mito's heart ached, and for a moment, she didn't know how to console Kushina. Instead, she just sat with her, offering quiet support.

As for Tsunade and Nawaki, they were busy. Nawaki was off playing with friends, and Tsunade had been called into a meeting.

---

It was an important meeting, held on New Year's Eve. The Third Hokage didn't want to summon everyone on such a day, but circumstances demanded it.

The conference room in the Hokage's office building was packed. Aside from the Third Hokage, there were Elder representatives, high-ranking jonin, and other key figures. Almost everyone who could attend was present, except for those on missions and Shimura Danzo, who was notably absent.

The Third Hokage sat at the head, pipe in hand, blowing out rings of smoke.

"It's New Year's Eve," he began, "and like everyone else, I'd prefer to be celebrating with my family. But our enemies seem determined to ensure we don't have that luxury."

"Since last year, the Sand Village has been increasingly aggressive, sending its ninjas into the River Country and violating the peace treaties signed by the Five Great Shinobi Nations."

The First Shinobi World War had shattered the peace established by Hashirama Senju and tore apart the treaties he had fought to uphold. Although peace was reestablished after the war, with new treaties signed, time eroded their effectiveness. As each village rebuilt its strength, old ambitions reignited, leading to provocations and challenges.

Small nations, positioned between larger ones, served as buffer zones to prevent conflicts. But when a major village openly sent its forces into one of these buffer zones, it was seen as a provocation.

Currently, the Sand Village was openly provoking Konoha.

Meanwhile, the Rain Village was also restless. Under the leadership of Hanzo the Salamander, its strength had grown. Hanzo, like Shimura Danzo, was ambitious.

Hanzo wanted the Rain Village to rise, to grow strong enough to stand as an equal with the Great Nations, and to earn the title of *Kage*—to become the Rain Shadow.

The Third Hokage took a deep puff of his pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "In addition to the Sand Village, Hanzo's Rain Village has been testing our patience. Hanzo may be known as a demigod, but he is a leader driven by ambition."

"Compared to the Rain Village, we should focus more on the Sand Village," Utatane Koharu added. "The Rain Village may be formidable among smaller nations, but it's not a threat to Konoha. Our main concern should be the Sand Village."

Hanzo was strong, but no single individual, unless they were on the level of Hashirama Senju or Uchiha Madara, could pose a significant threat to the Great Nations. Hanzo's influence was limited; he could intimidate small nations but not the five major shinobi villages.

Even among the five major villages, power disparities existed. The Third Raikage was considered the most formidable of the current Kage, but even he and the strength of the Cloud Village couldn't suppress the others completely.

The Rain Village was powerful enough to influence smaller nations, but for Konoha, the real concern was the Sand Village's provocations.

The question was how to respond.

Aggressively sending forces into the River Country could escalate tensions, but it wasn't a simple decision.

Everyone turned to the Third Hokage, waiting for his thoughts.

"The village cannot afford to be passive. We need to respond decisively to show we won't tolerate these provocations. If we remain passive, the Sand Village will only push further," he declared.

But how to respond was still open for discussion.

"Hokage-sama, sending forces directly into the River Country might not be the best move," Nara Shikako, the strategist and head of the jonin class, spoke up. "We should respond, but we should do it in a way that doesn't mirror the Sand Village's actions. A direct confrontation in the River Country could be reckless."

Shikako's suggestion caught everyone's attention.

The Third Hokage nodded thoughtfully. "Are you suggesting the Rain Country as our focus, Shikako?"

Hiruzen's sharp political instincts picked up on what Shikako was implying. Provoking the Rain Village could shift the Sand Village's attention. With both Konoha and the Sand Village involved in the Rain Country, Hanzo's ambitions could be curbed.

"Yes," Shikako said. "If we shift our movements to the Rain Country, it would divert the Sand Village's focus and slow Hanzo's ambitions."

Murmurs filled the room as other leaders discussed the idea.

"Brilliant. That would respond to the Sand Village's provocation and curb Hanzo's aspirations," one senior ninja said.

"As expected from the sharpest mind among us," another added.

Tsunade, arms crossed, narrowed her eyes. "It's a sound strategy, but have we considered the reaction of the Rock Village?"

Why hadn't the Sand Village gone to the Rain Country instead of the River Country? It wasn't out of fear of Hanzo; the Sand Village simply didn't want to antagonize two powerful opponents at once.

Provoking Konoha in the River Country only brought Konoha into play. Moving into the Rain Country, however, would alarm both Konoha and the Rock Village.

The Rain Country bordered the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth. Any aggressive moves there would be seen as a threat by both Konoha and the Rock Village.

"Starting a strategy that targets both the Sand Village and the Rain Village might inadvertently drag the Rock Village into the conflict," Tsunade warned.

The room fell silent as everyone considered the potential implications.

**Avoid turning a plan against the Sand Village and the Rain Village into a three-way conflict involving the Rock Village as well.**

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