Hattori , Puppet Tyrant in Sand

The words from Ebizo left Hattori feeling stunned, as if his entire mind were engulfed in shock.

The disappearance of the Third Kazekage, the death of the Third Raikage in battle, and the conflicts among Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Konohagakure, soon to involve Sunagakure and Kirigakure too…

All five great nations were getting drawn into the chaos. Isn't this the beginning of the Third Shinobi World War?

"But according to the timeline of the *Naruto* story, this war shouldn't break out until a year later. Why is it happening sooner? Is it… because of me?"

With this thought, Hattori frowned, realizing events were developing beyond his expectations.

Ebizo's mention of "Kikyō Mountain" also filled him with a sense of dread.

He had a feeling Sunagakure was in for serious trouble.

Yet, he couldn't just voice this outright to Ebizo, so he opted to offer some indirect advice instead.

"Elder Ebizo, I don't think Konoha will be so easy to crush. How about we wait and let the other three great villages weaken them? Then, if Konoha truly falters, we can make our move. What do you think?"

"Of course not! You can't approach war that way!" 

No sooner had Hattori finished speaking than Ebizo shook his head adamantly.

"The relationships between the villages are extremely complicated, changing from moment to moment. If we simply stand by, we may never get another opportunity like this!"

He gave Hattori a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. With the four great villages striking Konoha together, everyone will put in their best effort, aiming to kick them while they're down. Konoha, fighting on four fronts, will inevitably collapse!"

"What if Konoha isn't fighting on four fronts?"

In response to Ebizo's reasoning, Hattori offered a counter-scenario.

"What if Konoha decides to withdraw from other battlefronts for the time being and focuses solely on us? Would we be able to withstand it? Or, how long could we hold out?"

"This…"

Ebizo fell silent, frowning as he contemplated Hattori's hypothesis.

"You're only speculating. With four villages attacking them, Konoha wouldn't likely prioritize us. After all, Sunagakure isn't the strongest village, nor the weakest. Why would Konoha single us out?"

"Because they would attack the closest threats first."

Hattori's face grew serious.

"Among the five great villages, the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water are far from the Land of Fire, with no fundamental conflicts of interest. But the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth? Different story."

"Hm?"

Ebizo's brows knit even more.

"You're suggesting that the proximity and competing interests between the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth could prompt the Land of Fire to prioritize us?"

"Not both of us—just one!"

Hattori clarified, explaining further.

"You mentioned earlier that Iwagakure is already battling both Konoha and Kumogakure, while Sunagakure is, for now, unoccupied. If you were Konoha, who would you target first?"

"Obviously… Ah…"

Ebizo's eyes widened as the implications set in.

"According to your reasoning, it's possible. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is known for being decisive and proud—he could very well do something like that!"

Ebizo's face also turned somber.

"This means we can't delay the battle. We must launch a full-scale assault and aim for a decisive victory before Hiruzen can react!"

Hattori: "(╭°A°`)╮"

So, after all that, he's still sticking with this approach? Did I just waste my breath?

Ebizo, noticing Hattori's expression, raised an eyebrow.

"What's that look for? You have a better idea? Let's hear it!"

"Fine."

Seeing Ebizo's curiosity, Hattori nodded and began to explain.

"My idea is to avoid attacking Konoha. Since we've already misled Kirigakure and Iwagakure with the false rumor of an alliance with Konoha, why don't we go ahead and make it real?"

"Make it real?"

Ebizo, sharp-minded, immediately grasped Hattori's intention.

"You're suggesting that while the other three villages are busy attacking Konoha, we actually ally with them, helping them fight Iwagakure and Kirigakure in exchange for compensation?"

"Exactly!"

Seeing that Ebizo understood his point, Hattori nodded eagerly.

"We wouldn't just earn compensation, but also access to essential supplies before the war, support during it, and a share of the resources afterward. Konoha would agree to those terms!"

"Things aren't that simple."

Though Hattori's eyes sparkled with excitement, Ebizo only sighed and shook his head.

"In the end, our village serves the Land of Wind. If the Daimyo doesn't approve an alliance, it's impossible. And the Daimyo's ambition is to take a slice of the Land of Fire's 'cake!'"

"…"

Hattori fell silent, realizing he'd made a fundamental miscalculation.

War is just politics by another name. The same holds true in the shinobi world.

In other words, the village is merely a weapon, and the one wielding that weapon is the Daimyo and noble class of the Land of Wind.

The war between Sunagakure and Konoha is inevitable.

Seeing Hattori's expression, Ebizo sighed in resignation.

"I understand that you have the village's interests at heart, but there's little we can do. And besides, the disappearance of the Third Kazekage likely has ties to Konoha. Old grudges don't easily fade."

"…"

Hattori remained silent.

Even though he knew the Third Kazekage's death had nothing to do with Konoha, he couldn't say a word about it.

Ebizo, noticing his silence, patted him on the shoulder again.

"Alright. You've traveled far to get here; you must be exhausted. Rest well, and leave the planning for this battle with Konoha to me. Don't worry about it too much."

With those words, he gave Hattori's shoulder a final pat and walked out of the tent.

Hattori, as if he hadn't heard, sat there in deep thought, lost in silence.

Standing just outside the tent, Pakura furrowed her brows, concern etched on her face.

"He… will be okay, right?"

As she considered stepping inside to offer him some encouragement, she suddenly saw Hattori stand up, clench his fists, and punch the air forcefully.

"Damn it, Konoha? Hiruzen Sarutobi? Jiraiya and Orochimaru? Minato with his Flying Thunder God technique? I'm not afraid of you, not one bit!"

Pakura: "…"

*(End of Chapter)*