NOVEL NEXT Arc V Chapter 5
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Arc V Chapter 5
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Asami played dumb. Lesser men might have fallen for her act, but not Shikaku. He didn’t buy her act. The girl knew that he saw through her. The girl was prepared to wage war. She only needed the authorisation of the village council, a single decision and the world shall burn. Fortunately, Asami wasn’t the Hokage, otherwise she would have plunged Konoha already into the Fourth Great Ninja War.
“...” Shikaku leaned back in his chair, his eyes wandering around, staring through the open window. Today was such a lovely day, the shining sun, the cloudless sky, the chirping birds, and he remained stuck here. “I think that I begin to understand why you are so interested in annihilating the invasion force. You already plan the next war. That’s why you want to encircle them.”
Asami smiled with innocence. “How so? Please enlighten me.”
Shikaku folded his hands. “You hope to subdue Suna quickly through a decisive victory at the chunin exams, so that we have a free hand against the other hidden villages, don’t you?”
No answer, no reply, no response followed, only silence. Asami clapped her hands. “Fumihiko, assist me. Our friend deserves some applause.”
“...” Her assistant joined her, albeit hesitantly.
Asami and Fumihiko clapped together. Their applause unsettled Shikaku. Their gesture didn’t feel like praise, quite the contrary.
Asami smirked. “Astute observations, you are correct, Shikaku. My primary concern was never the invasion. Sunagakure and Otogakure don’t pose any major threat. They are militarily too weak to challenge Konoha. Nevertheless, our strategic position forces our hand. We need to act. We need to strike sooner rather than later. Because our enemies grow stronger with every day passing. We don’t have the time, nor the troops, to fight over worthless sand and scorpions. Suna is a barren desert.
A decisive victory during the chunin exams should prove sufficient to break their morale and dissuade from future foreign adventures. A victory will force them to the negotiation table and make them sue for peace.
With our western flank secured, we can then turn our attention to the Iwa-Kiri-Kumo alliance. We need to dismantle it. To achieve such, we will need to eliminate one hidden village.”
Iwa is a possible candidate, but not the best option. Too resilient. A prolonged campaign will be necessary to take them down. Kiri is the weakest village among them, but they can be dealt with later. My personal recommendation is Kumo.”
“...” Shikaku stiffened. Megalomania had finally befallen her. Not only was she about to spark the Fourth Great Ninja War, but she also wanted to challenge the military giant Kumo. He still remembered the last war. Kumo proved to be a formidable enemy.
“Do you have any objections, Shikaku?” Asami tilted her head.
“No, none. None whatsoever.” Shikaku drummed his finger on the table, his sarcastic undertone tangible. “Not that I am curious, but why exactly Kumo? Kumo is the strongest village by far. They will be a difficult opponent.”
Asami hid behind a benevolent smile. “I am aware of such. Kumo is our strongest enemy, but that also means that if we manage to take out Kumo, Iwa and Kiri will follow soon. Without Kumogakure providing the bulk of the forces, the alliance will quickly fall apart.”
“...” Shikaku fell silent. He would present her thoughts to the village council as requested. Although not necessarily the best choice, her ideas deserved to be discussed thoroughly. The village council would need to decide. “I hope you realise that your actions will spark the Fourth Great Ninja War ...”
Asami showed no doubt, no hesitation. “I do, but if necessary, so shall it be. I swore to protect Konoha, and I intend to keep my word.”
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