https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-616-Ye-Cang-I-ll-Be-the-Kazekage-/12943329/
Chapter 617: The Crumbling Suna Ninja!
Chapter 617: The Crumbling Suna Ninja!
"If I don't become the Kazekage, how will you elders deal with Konoha's counterattack?" Ye Cang posed a counter-question.
This was her true trump card.
Suna was already the weakest among the five great ninja villages, even with the boost in strength due to the emergence of guano and black oil.
The more ninja they had, the greater the consumption, and the unfair treatment from the Land of Wind's aristocracy made the Suna ninja's situation dire. On top of that, the distribution of mission quotas forced them to collaborate with Orochimaru, leading to the creation of the Konoha Collapse Plan.
It wasn't that they didn't recognize their own limitations in comparison to Konoha; they just had no choice but to oppose them.
The problem was that the Land of Wind's aristocracy not only reduced their funding but also assigned mission quotas to Konoha. If they didn't resist, Suna might cease to exist.
The sudden attack from Konoha indeed caught everyone off guard.
"How is that possible!" Even Chiyoki couldn't help but exclaim.
Enma Hayate would, at most, send someone to reprimand them, and then they could put on a show of reconciliation and sign a peace agreement.
Even if Suna ended up merging with Konoha, it would be a blessing in disguise.
But they never expected Konoha to actually launch an attack.
Even if Konoha successfully invaded the Land of Wind, they wouldn't gain anything; the Land of Wind was nothing but sand. Surely they weren't here to steal sand?
Indeed, Konoha's invasion of the Land of Wind had no benefits, and their supply lines were incredibly challenging.
On the other hand, if Suna invaded the Land of Fire, they would reap immense rewards, and their supplies could be easily acquired locally, making it a breeze.
This was the real reason Konoha had never invaded the Land of Wind.
If there were benefits to be gained, even if Enma Hayate disagreed, the martial factions like Danzo and the various ninja clans wouldn't pass up such an easy target.
But this time, it was about revenge, eliminating a potential threat, and the struggle for black oil profits that allowed the counter-attack plan to go through smoothly.
Of course, there was another critical reason: to boost Asuma's record.
This was why the Hokage lineage didn't stop Danzo's 'revenge' plan.
No one doubted the authenticity of this intelligence; the Heavenly Castle, or the forces behind it, would never joke about such information.
After all, verification was too simple.
"The Konoha ninja army might have already crossed the border. Elders, since you disagree with me becoming the Kazekage, I can only take the lead and leave first!" Ye Cang threatened.
This was out of character for Ye Cang, but if it was for the good of Suna, she could be the 'hero of Suna' and do it.
Just like before, she was willing to do anything for Suna, even if it meant being hated and despised.
In fact, if not for the example of Kirigakure, she wouldn't be so determined.
But after witnessing Kirigakure's transformation from the 'Bloody Mist Village' to its current happy state, she secretly decided to make Suna as prosperous as Kirigakure.
This idea was shared by the ninja she had trained.
Note that ninja villages are different from nations.
Ninja villages are like mercenary groups; at most, they have deep ties to their host nations, but their loyalty lies with their village first.
So, ninja villages don't have concepts like 'patriotism.'
No!
In the Shinobi world, such concepts don't exist.
The Suna ninja's reluctance to support Ye Cang's rise was more out of concern and resentment.
They worried that if Ye Cang became the leader, would Suna become a subordinate of Konoha's subordinates?
And naturally, they looked down on the Heavenly Castle, a 'minor power.'
No matter how profitable it might be, they were one of the 'Five Great Ninja Villages.' How could they stoop to being beneath them?
It was as if Ye Cang's path to leadership was as challenging as climbing to heaven.
Under normal circumstances, it was impossible.
But now, things were far from normal.
The Konoha army had arrived! Don't be fooled by Suna's frequent invasions of the Land of Fire; they knew Konoha could only defend and wouldn't take the offensive.
Now that Konoha had taken action, Suna clearly understood the gap in strength; they were no match.
Anyone could be a keyboard warrior, but when it came to actual combat, they became cowards.
Just as Ye Cang was about to turn and leave, she was stopped.
"Wait!" Hai Ryozen called out, his voice trembling.
The harder he had been earlier, the more embarrassed he felt now.
"Oh, I wonder what Elder Hai Ryozen has to teach us. I'm in a hurry to get back to the Heavenly Castle, and you all don't seem to like me anyway... right?"
Ye Cang's gaze swept meaningfully across the group of Suna elders.
Among these people, aside from Chiyoki and Hai Ryozen, the rest had their own private agendas and were deeply entangled with the aristocracy. It was because of their existence that the Sunagakure village couldn't develop.
Yes, with the help of the Heavenly Castle, the Suna ninjas' income had indeed increased significantly, but they were still forced to confront Konoha, and the water beneath the surface ran deep.
Even though the aristocracy bore most of the responsibility, these elders were also to blame.
Even though Chiyoki and Hai Ryozen could control themselves and their clansmen, it didn't mean they could control everyone. That's why Ye Cang's ascension to Kazekage wasn't just about taking the position; it was also an opportunity to purge the upper echelons of the Suna ninja.
"No, as a Suna ninja, you can stay in the village!"
Hai Ryozen could only acknowledge Ye Cang's 'Suna ninja' identity, temporarily calming her down.
"Is that so? I'm really looking forward to the upcoming Kazekage 'election'!"
Ye Cang nodded and left.
She wasn't in a rush.
Time was on her side.
If Konoha didn't make a move, she might have needed to employ various tactics to secure the Kazekage position.
But now, there was no need for those underhanded methods.
Of course, if the Suna ninjas would rather be killed by Konoha than let her ascend to power, that's another story.
In the meeting room!
After Ye Cang left, the elders spoke up.
"Hai Ryozen, do you really want her to become the Fifth Kazekage? She's from the Heavenly Castle!"
"That's right, do you want us Suna ninjas to be subordinate to Konoha?"
"We can't let Ye Cang become the Kazekage!"
...
Most of the elders' attitudes were resolute.
They absolutely would not allow Ye Cang to ascend.
Her volatile personality, coupled with their lack of connection to her, meant that if she were to ascend, they would face significant trouble.
"Is that so? I just hope you won't regret today's words!"
Chiyoki suddenly stood up, gave the elders a deep look, and left with a parting remark.
She was well aware that these elders had private dealings with the aristocracy. If it weren't for their importance to the village and her own questionable methods, Chiyoki would have taken action long ago.
Now, as they vehemently opposed Ye Cang, it was clear how much of it was for their own interests.
Just as Chiyoki opposed Ye Cang becoming the Fifth Kazekage, it was out of concern for the instability of the Heavenly Castle and the potential harm to Suna ninjas.
Otherwise, siding with the Heavenly Castle could have brought better days to Sunagakure, and she didn't have much objection to that.
Even if it meant her own authority would be greatly affected, she didn't mind.
She had never liked power; she only sought to protect Sunagakure. If someone could make the village better, she wouldn't hesitate to give up her authority.
On the other side!
Ye Cang naturally stayed in Sunagakure, and when the order to attack came, she feigned sickness, stomachaches, and 'that time of the month'... and so on.
In any case, she wasn't going to take action.
The Suna ninjas, of course, wouldn't sit idly by as Konoha attacked, so they gathered their forces and fought back, with even Chiyoki and Hai Ryozen joining the battle.
The problem was that Konoha completely disregarded martial ethics and brought out their trump card.
Airships and aerial bombardment!
It was almost a replica of the Heavenly Castle's tactics, and the Suna ninjas were crushed.
While Suna ninjas did have airships, their numbers were pitifully small. Aside from the exorbitant price, maintenance was also a hassle, so they had never been prioritized. Most of Sunagakure's purchased airships were directly resold for profit.
The aristocracy of the Land of Wind devoured the airship shares, and they went to great lengths to destroy, transfer, or damage the village's remaining airships... and so on, because these airships would sever the chains binding Sunagakure.
The result!
On the Konoha side, Asuma solved the logistics issue with airships, and combined with the numerous explosive tags raining down from above, they directly crushed the Suna ninjas, who had the advantage in both terrain and numbers.
If it weren't for Chiyoki and Gaara joining forces to block the pursuit, they might have been surrounded and annihilated, rather than just suffering a major defeat.
When the remaining Suna ninjas returned, Ye Cang's 'illness' suddenly disappeared.
Her back no longer ached, and her legs were no longer weak.
In the Kazekage Tower.
This meeting was extremely solemn, attended not only by the elders but also all the Jonin in the village, including Gaara.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how to counter Konoha or whether to surrender directly.
(End of Chapter)
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