As the number one shinobi village in the ninja world, Konoha's strength was undeniable.
From the Warring States Period to the First Great Ninja War, Konoha relied on the overwhelming might left behind by its first generation—be it the towering Susanoo or the Veritable 1000-Armed Kan'on—to dominate the entire shinobi world.
Even during the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha's strength remained unmatched, with legends like the "Ninja King" Hiruzen Sarutobi, the shadowy genius Danzo Shimura, the Sannin, and the famed "White Fang" Hatake Sakumo—all forming a core that placed Konoha a tier above any other village.
Even in the current Third Shinobi World War, Konoha continued to fight on four fronts simultaneously, while still keeping its most powerful symbol of military might—its Kage—safely seated in the village to command the war effort.
Konoha's power had long become an enigma.
No matter how many trump cards were revealed, there always seemed to be another in reserve. This endless supply of "next moves" left the other shinobi villages in utter despair.
But now…
With even their ultimate deterrent—the Jinchūriki—thrown onto the battlefield, Kirigakure began to realize something:
That mighty Konoha may no longer have many cards left to play.
"Victory in this war… will be ours."
Yoru's words rang with certainty, filling the war council with renewed vigor.
What of a Jinchūriki? Even one of the legendary Sannin—Jiraiya—had fallen at their hands. A mere Jinchūriki could not stop Kirigakure's advance!
Now that Jinnan Town had fallen, the entire defensive line of the Land of Fire was like a newlywed bride on her wedding night—completely vulnerable, free for the taking.
They could march freely into the Land of Fire's heartland, threatening Konoha's core while pillaging its prosperous cities for vast wealth and resources.
Though both sides had suffered heavily, the final victor—was unmistakably Kirigakure.
"Yoru is right. In the end, we've won this war!"
Yagura laughed heartily.
"Everyone, rest well. I've already reported all of your accomplishments to the Mizukage. Once you recover, the riches and resources of the Land of Fire await!"
"Long live Lord Yagura! Long live Lord Yoru!"
The Kirigakure shinobi burst into cheers, already imagining the gold, riches, and plunder from the Land of Fire's abundant cities falling into their hands.
Yoru simply smiled faintly.
He wasn't surprised—after all, he was born in Kirigakure, not in Konoha.
In the shinobi world, the Land of Fire—centrally located—was the most prosperous of all nations.
It sat at the crossroads of the continent, connecting north and south, amassing talent and resources. Fertile land and dense forests gave rise to an unmatched military force, propelling Konoha to the top of the Five Great Nations.
And naturally, this made it a thorn in the side of many other nations and factions.
"An innocent man gets killed for his wealth."
Why had the previous ninja wars broken out?
At the root—it was poverty.
It was all because of unequal distribution of wealth and jealousy toward Konoha and the Land of Fire's vast resources.
Kirigakure may be one of the Five Great Nations, but ultimately, it was an island nation. Outside of fisheries, it relied on importing nearly 70–80% of its goods—many of which came from the Land of Fire.
Every year, Kirigakure spent a fortune on imports—often dealing with inflated prices and intentional market manipulation from foreign merchants.
And it wasn't just Kirigakure—Sunagakure and Iwagakure faced similar circumstances.
So, what was the solution to this economic stranglehold?
Simple:
War.
Through war, they could stop bleeding money, break free from economic shackles, and seize what they needed without having to trade for scraps.
"What? You say this is immoral? That it's theft, villainy, unjust?"
Well, ask yourselves this—
Didn't the Senju and Uchiha do the exact same thing to build Konoha during the Warring States?
All crows under heaven are the same black. No one is innocent.
As the meeting concluded and the shinobi began to disperse, Yoru had just returned to his tent when he found Terumi Mei standing at the entrance, scroll in hand.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I pulled intel on the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki," Mei replied, leaning against the post and waving the scroll. "Get that red-haired girl from your squad over here. I think she might be key to countering the Nine-Tails."
"Hiromi?" Yoru raised a brow. "True… as a member of the Uzumaki Clan, she does have a strong connection to the Nine-Tails. Maybe she really will be useful."
"Uzumaki, huh? That explains it—hey! What's with that look!?"
"As the current head of Kirigakure Intelligence," Yoru said casually, "I assumed you'd recognize a red-haired Uzumaki the moment you saw one."
Mei's expression darkened. She nearly lunged at him, but Yoru simply pressed a hand to her forehead and motioned to a nearby ANBU to go fetch Hiromi. Taking the scroll from Mei, he unfurled it.
The scroll didn't contain much—it focused mostly on the First Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Mito. There was barely a sentence or two about Kushina Uzumaki.
Yoru wasn't surprised.
Konoha had kept Kushina extremely well-hidden in her early years. Outside of the village's upper echelons, almost no one knew her identity.
It wasn't until a violent surge of chakra accidentally revealed her secret that Kushina was publicly acknowledged as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
Given how outdated and decayed Kirigakure's Intelligence Division was, the fact they even knew Kushina's name impressed Yoru.
"According to this report, the current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is a member of the same clan as Uzumaki Mito. So besides her Tailed Beast Transformation, we can basically treat her as a typical Uzumaki."
"Back during the Second Shinobi War, when Uzushiogakure was destroyed, we Kirigakure obtained a fair amount of data on the Uzumaki. That clan was known for their sealing techniques and barrier ninjutsu. Their physical resilience was absurd, with excellent constitution and outstanding taijutsu prowess. On the battlefield, they could fight, tank, and even support—true all-rounders."
"Add in the Nine-Tails… and it's safe to say Kushina Uzumaki is at least on par with Jiraiya. If she enters Tailed Beast Mode, she becomes an even greater threat than one of the Sannin."