Chapter 175: Byakuya's Prophecy

Despite harboring doubts about Byakuya's motives, Yahiko took the initiative to ask, "Byakuya, when would be the right time to encourage Konoha and Kumo to hold peace talks?"

Byakuya gently shook his head and said earnestly, "Yahiko, I know you're anxious, but please be patient. Let me explain the cause and effect of the situation first."

Yahiko nodded slightly, and Konan and Nagato also displayed eager expressions, eager for knowledge.

After gathering his thoughts, Byakuya turned to Yahiko and asked, "Why do you think Kumogakure chose to attack Konoha?"

"To seize control of the Land of Water and the Land of Fire, and to claim the title of the strongest ninja village," Yahiko replied.

Byakuya nodded and continued, "Then why does Kumogakure dare to attack Konoha? Aren't they afraid of a counterattack from Konoha?"

Yahiko pondered for a moment and answered, "It's because Minato-senpai died during the Nine-Tails Incident. If Minato-senpai and Kushina were alive, Kumogakure definitely wouldn't be brave enough to attack."

"Then why has Konoha faced attacks from other ninja villages during previous Ninja World Wars?"

Upon hearing this, Yahiko fell into deep thought. He vaguely sensed what Byakuya was implying but couldn't quite grasp it.

Seeing this, Byakuya reflected on the situation and said, "The reason Konoha and the Land of Fire have been attacked in past Ninja World Wars is simple: their land is too rich. The Land of Fire occupies nearly sixty percent of the most valuable land in the ninja world, far surpassing other great nations. This fertile land was secured by the First Hokage and the 'Shura' of the ninja world. With the strength of the First Hokage, he could suppress all ambitious individuals while Konoha relied on the Land of Fire's superior conditions to continuously harvest resources from surrounding great nations, growing ever stronger."

However, all of this was built upon the foundation of the First Hokage's life. Once the First Hokage died, wars over the Land of Fire would erupt. Through one victory after another, Konoha barely managed to retain its territory, maintaining a fragile balance.

But, oh well, the Nine-Tails Incident shattered that balance, allowing Kumogakure, which had preserved considerable strength during the last Ninja World War, to challenge Konoha once again. However, while Kumogakure has the strength to challenge Konoha, I don't believe they will succeed."

"Why?" Konan asked curiously. She had always been very attentive to finances but knew little about the strengths and histories of the various ninja villages.

Byakuya smiled and replied, "Although Kumogakure has top-tier powerhouses like the Fourth Raikage and the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, the quality and quantity of their upper ninja can't compare to Konoha's. Once it enters a war of attrition, no ninja village can outlast Konoha unless Konoha punches its own guts with internal strives."

'But Konoha had already experienced the Nine-Tails Incident…' Konan thought inwardly, wondering if Byakuya was getting off track since they were discussing how to promote peace between Kumogakure and Konoha.

Noticing the expressions on their faces, Byakuya continued, "To return to the main topic, the reason Kumogakure initiated this invasion is that they have the strength to attack Konoha and seek to claim the title of the strongest ninja village. In my view, we have only three possible ways to stop this war. The first is to assist Kumogakure in completely defeating the Land of Fire, swallowing the Land of Water and parts of the Land of Fire…"

Upon hearing this, Yahiko shook his head, "We cannot assist Kumogakure."

Byakuya then raised his second finger, "The second option is for us to join Konoha as mercenaries. With our accumulated strength over the years, we could help Konoha defeat Kumogakure."

Nagato and Konan exchanged glances; the second option sounded appealing.

By joining Konoha as mercenaries, they could help resist Kumogakure's invasion while also earning a considerable sum of money to fund the development of the Land of Rain.

However, they were still eager to hear the third option, so they all turned to Byakuya.

Byakuya revealed a sly smile and raised a third finger, saying meaningfully, "The third option is for us to declare war on both Konoha and Kumogakure simultaneously! As long as we create a common enemy for Konoha and Kumogakure, and push them to the brink of destruction, they will come to understand each other and move towards peace."

At these words, the atmosphere in the office instantly became tense and subtle.

Byakuya's last suggestion was indeed a good one, but the difficulty of implementation was quite high. After all, how could Amegakure possibly contend with both Konoha and Kumogakure at the same time? If they had that capability, they would have intervened to stop the war long ago.

Seeing the others fall into silence, Byakuya chuckled, "I was just joking. What I really mean is that we should wait until Konoha and Kumogakure have exhausted themselves before we intervene in the war… And as for the specific timing, I don't know yet. We'll wait for Jiraiya to seek help on his own."

Upon hearing this, Yahiko and the others sighed softly. Byakuya's approach would indeed maximize the interests of the Village of Rain, and they were no longer the hot-blooded youths they once were.

As passionate youths, they now realize they need to balance their dreams with reality.

However, was it too cruel to wait for their Jiraiya-sensei to come begging for help? After all, he had taught them for three years and was like a father to them.

At that moment, Yahiko suddenly changed expression and looked toward the door.

A puff of smoke appeared at the office entrance, and a young toad tumbled out.

This toad looked quite youthful, still retaining a tadpole's tail. Upon seeing Yahiko, it opened its mouth and spat out a scroll, then released itself from the summoning technique.

Watching the scene unfold, the ninjas present did not stop the toad from leaving.

They all understood that the toad was Jiraiya's summoning creature, coming from Mount Myoboku, and the message it delivered was undoubtedly related to Jiraiya.

Byakuya took a few extra glances at the toad, mentally noting its chakra signature. He also felt curious about whether the toad knew of his secret actions, considering that the toad was quite influential in the original timeline.

However, the predictions of the toad sage were always vague, only offering ambiguous keywords.

A ninja with sky-blue eyes is the child of prophecy, pointing occasionally to Nagato with the Rinnegan, then to Minato and Naruto.

He thought to himself that he could also come up with some cryptic sayings.

"The boy with the divine bloodline will ultimately save the world. The chosen one who saves the world is not a summoning beast or a tailed beast, but a living human."

While Byakuya mused to himself, Yahiko had already picked up the scroll from the ground.

After reading the content of the letter, Yahiko's mouth twitched slightly, his expression turning nuanced as he looked at Byakuya.

Noticing the change in Yahiko's expression, Nagato and Konan also leaned in to take a look, and the three of them turned to Byakuya, their faces filled with curiosity.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Byakuya noticed their gaze and said in dissatisfaction, "What are you looking at me for? Look at the contents of the letter! Do you expect me to know what it says?"

Upon hearing this, Yahiko hesitated, exchanging glances with Nagato and Konan before saying, "Byakuya, you might actually know what's inside. We've finished reading it, and the contents just so happen to respond to your earlier prophecy—Jiraiya-sensei really has come to us for help."