Chapter 78: Ishiro's Plan
After thinking for a moment, Ishiro said, "If Konoha and Suna haven't infiltrated the Land of Rain yet, we might be able to start working on establishing a small trade route sometime soon."
He pulled out a map and pointed to the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth. "When I return, I'll try to persuade the upper ranks, see if I can shift their attitude toward the Land of Rain. If I succeed, great. If not, I'll find a way to get stationed at the border, and you guys from Akatsuki can also arrange for some of your people there."
"That way, both of us can work together to provide some convenience for the traveling caravans. If the goods they're transporting benefit the common people in both the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth—like grain, farming tools, or fish—we'll escort them free of charge. At the very least, we'll guarantee their safety from the border to within the Land of Rain."
"With guaranteed safety, caravans will be more willing to do business. Especially when they learn that trading in agricultural goods will be protected, more merchants will be encouraged to take up this kind of trade."
"As a result, trade in such goods between the two countries will thrive, and the lives of the common people in both nations will improve."
After Ishiro laid out his plan, he saw admiration written all over the trio's faces.
He then discussed with Yahiko and the others how they would stay in contact going forward before parting ways. With the large sum of money Ishiro had given, Yahiko was fired up and ready to push Akatsuki's development even further.
As for Ishiro, his escort mission wasn't over yet. He still had to return to the Land of Earth and report to Ōnoki about Akatsuki's current status.
The rest of the mission went smoothly—none of the rogue ninjas they expected to encounter actually showed up.
Once Team 7 returned to the village, Ishiro immediately found Owl, and the two of them, along with the rest of Team 7, went to the Tsuchikage Tower to meet with Ōnoki. Four village advisors were also summoned, and a small high-level meeting was soon underway.
Ishiro began his report: "Tsuchikage-sama, during my mission in the Land of Rain, I made contact with the leaders of Akatsuki and confirmed that neither Konoha nor Suna has made any recent attempts to infiltrate the Land of Rain—or at least, not on the surface."
Taking a deep breath, Ishiro continued, "Akatsuki's ideology is somewhat naive, but they currently view Iwagakure favorably. I recommend that we form an alliance with Akatsuki and assist them in replacing the leadership of Amegakure."
He paused when he noticed the skeptical expressions on Ōnoki and the advisors' faces. Understanding their doubts, he quickly added, "Half a month ago, a core member of Akatsuki named Nagato achieved a breakthrough. He'll likely reach Kage level in the near future."
At that, everyone except Ishiro gasped audibly.
Influenced by the original timeline, Ishiro had once thought that reaching Kage-level was only the beginning. After all, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, even Kage-level fighters couldn't control the battlefield. But after so much time in this world, his view had changed. A Kage-level ninja could be a strategic pillar of an entire village.
Take Iwagakure, for instance. At present, Ōnoki was the only Kage-level shinobi in the village. According to the original story, by the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Iwagakure had produced only two more Kage-level fighters: the rogue Deidara and Kitsuchi. That meant in decades, only two had risen after Ōnoki.
Suna was a bit better, with figures like the Third Kazekage and Elder Chiyo. But even then, only four Kage-level fighters emerged in total: the rogue Sasori, the betrayed Pakura, and the father-son pair of Rasa and Gaara.
Now Ishiro was saying that the small, war-torn Amegakure had produced another Kage-level after Hanzo? This intel was no less shocking than the suicide of White Fang.
White Fang's death had caused Konoha to lose a Kage-level fighter, which led to the four great nations testing Konoha's borders. The resulting chaos had cost Konoha dearly.
One Kage-level ninja could influence the development of an entire country.
After recovering from the shock, Ōnoki asked gravely, "Ishiro, are you certain of Akatsuki's relationship with Hanzo?"
It was a critical question. If Nagato was aligned with Hanzo, Iwagakure's advantage in the region could disappear. After all, Iwagakure's only high-end combat power was Ōnoki himself and an unstable Jinchūriki.
Ishiro nodded. "Tsuchikage-sama, Akatsuki currently holds great respect for Hanzo. However, their methods are completely different from his. They're unconsciously challenging Hanzo's authority."
"In our conversations, I learned that Akatsuki has been absorbing and converting various factions within the Land of Rain, including defectors from Amegakure itself."
"More importantly, Akatsuki doesn't even realize they're overstepping. Their actions are driven purely by ideals. They don't understand the darkness in people's hearts, and they have no guard up against Hanzo."
"They still wear Amegakure's forehead protectors and consider themselves the rightful rulers of the Land of Rain. I believe it's only a matter of time before Hanzo makes a move against them."
"Unfortunately for them, Akatsuki is too naive and won't see it coming, so they'll likely suffer heavy losses initially."
"But Hanzo is unaware of Akatsuki's true strength. If he doesn't plan carefully, he'll suffer as well."
Ōnoki and the advisors exchanged excited glances. They understood what Ishiro meant: once the conflict erupted, a prepared Iwagakure could reap the rewards.
An elderly male advisor asked, "Ishiro, do you think Konoha will get involved?"
The question struck Ishiro as odd. Typically, the high-ups wouldn't ask a subordinate such a direct question—they had other channels of intel and were capable of making informed decisions.
Still, Ishiro didn't hesitate. "I believe Konoha definitely will. Danzo's Root division likely supported various factions in the Land of Rain to pressure Hanzo from the start."
"They shifted focus due to recent events, but once things stabilize, they'll interfere again."
"That said, Akatsuki's growth has exceeded expectations. Root might change tactics. If Hanzo is willing to make some concessions, they may work with him to crush Akatsuki."
"But if Root succeeds, the Land of Rain may no longer remain neutral in future wars."
After listening to Ishiro's analysis, the upper echelon exchanged meaningful glances. Ōnoki then said, "Understood. We get your point. You're dismissed for now. We'll assign your next task once a decision has been made."
"Yes." Ishiro and his team bowed and left.
But the real meeting had just begun.
Ōnoki looked around and asked, "What do you all think of Ishiro's report?"
The middle-aged female advisor said, "I believe Ishiro's judgment is sound. Judging by Danzo's style, it's possible that his initial support of Rain factions was meant to pressure Hanzo into submission."
The elderly female advisor added, "Agreed. If not for the recent chaos, Danzo might've already acted."
The middle-aged male advisor said, "Danzo won't let go of the Land of Rain. He'll move again—I support Ishiro's assessment."
"If that Akatsuki member is really about to become Kage-level, let's stall Root for two years and give Danzo a 'surprise.'"
The elderly male advisor shifted the conversation. "Let's not rush the Land of Rain strategy. Let's talk about Ishiro's placement."
The advisors exchanged looks, then Ōnoki gave the final word. "Since we consider him a candidate for the advisory council, let's give him more opportunities to grow. Start with the Land of Rain. Let's see if he can trip up Root."
The advisors nodded in agreement.
"Should we promote him to Jonin?" one asked.
Ōnoki thought for a moment. "Not yet. Too early a promotion isn't wise. Let's promote Ikura instead. His talent is already recognized, and the other nations are watching him."
"We can display him openly to draw attention, while hiding Ishiro's importance in the shadows."
"As for Ishiro's promotion—didn't he mention opening a trade route with Akatsuki? Let's make that his trial for promotion to Jonin."
Unaware of how seriously the upper ranks were now treating him, Ishiro was currently conducting research for the trade route. The conversation with Yahiko had been spontaneous, and while the idea was still in its infancy, not yet a feasible plan, it demanded thorough investigation. He needed to determine what items could be traded effectively.
Ishiro had no prior experience in commerce, either in his past life or in his current one. He decided to consult professionals for advice.
He wouldn't naively approach merchants directly; with his current skills, extracting useful information from these seasoned traders would be too challenging. Moreover, since these merchants were civilians from the Land of Earth, they couldn't be coerced like enemies.
Instead, Ishiro sought out Tanaka. Tanaka's family was one of the larger ninja clans in Iwagakure, with many business interests, including commerce.
Tanaka and Ishiro had both joined the Anbu but served in different units. They didn't often meet, but Ishiro had inquired about Tanaka's whereabouts from Owl and learned that she was due back in the village soon. That's why he decided to visit Tanaka's residence.
When Ishiro arrived, Tanaka was at home practicing. Notified by her servants of his visit, she was somewhat surprised. Given their familiarity, she didn't change out of her practice gear and came out in her workout outfit.
Seeing her attire, Ishiro felt a sudden urge to spar, remarking, "Are you training? Perfect, let's spar a bit. It's been a long time since we've had a session."
Tanaka was eager as well. Ishiro was one of the first of their age group to advance to Chunin, and he had quickly become one of the special Jonin, far ahead of his peers.
She was curious about the gap in their skills now, so she responded enthusiastically, "Sure. We haven't sparred since our team was disbanded. It just so happens my father is home; he can act as our referee."
Ishiro nodded. He had met her father, Inoue, before—during their school days, Tanaka had asked her father to help find some medicinal recipes for Ishiro. As one of her few close friends, her father was also familiar with Ishiro and another teammate, Shouhara.
Thus, the stage was set for their spar in the Tanaka household's training yard, an encounter that would soon delve into more than just physical combat.
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