The Uchiha clan, which was wiped out entirely, lacked vision.

Chapter 233 Against defeat, not against war

Chapter 233 Against defeat, not against war

"What's impossible about it?" Lord Xu Gu arrogantly waved his folding fan, tilting his head back and glancing disdainfully at Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya, you really are not a qualified Hokage!"

"You simply don't understand. Ninjas are born to be tools for killing and robbing."

"Ninjas don't produce food, so where do they get their food and drink?"

"If you don't let them kill and rob, they simply can't survive, and they have absolutely no value in existing."

"They certainly don't want people to die, but what they fear even more is that after people die, they won't benefit from it!"

"Just like you are now."

"How could that be?" Jiraiya couldn't accept Lord Uoko's statement at all and immediately retorted, "We ninjas have always earned our rewards through missions. How could it be as despicable as you describe?"

"A mission?" Lord Xugu curled his lip in disdain. "Then let me ask you, which of those missions doesn't require killing?"

"Even on reconnaissance or protection missions, does that mean killing is not necessary?"

"Of course, finding cats and dogs doesn't require killing anyone. Just see if they starve to death doing only this!"

"I'll teach you a lesson today. These ninjas are like hunting dogs; they need to be fed bones and meat."

"As long as there's profit to be made, we can accept the deaths of countless members of our lower-class tribesmen!"

"What they oppose is always defeat, not war itself!"

"Do you understand?"

After careful consideration, Jiraiya realized that he really couldn't refute it.

Is it possible that ninjas are fundamentally opposed to peace?

The moment this thought entered Jiraiya's mind, he felt as if his entire worldview had been shattered.

He felt a tightness in his chest, the world spun before his eyes, he staggered back a few steps, and sat down on the ground with a thud, unable to recover for a long time.

Lord Xu Gu flicked his folding fan, slamming it shut with a "whoosh." He pointed the fan in Jiraiya's direction and said disdainfully, "Jiraiya, leave the war to Kazuma. You should go back and focus on rebuilding your village!"

"Developing a village is a big deal; it's not something a naive guy like you can handle."

"Once we take over those small villages, resources will flow in naturally, and you won't have to worry about not having money anymore."

"As long as you behave well, you will still be the most respected Hokage in the village in the future."

After saying this, Lord Xugu swung his folding fan and swayed as he left the room, leaving Jiraiya sitting there alone with a sorrowful expression on his face.

But a moment later, Jiraiya rallied, rushed out the door like a madman, and roared loudly.

"I must stop you!"

"I will absolutely not allow war to break out again!"

He ran all the way to the Hokage's office and barged in.

Kazuma was sitting upright behind the Hokage's desk, with his assistant Mizuki standing behind him. A group of Jonin sat in a row opposite him, but they only glanced at him before looking away.

He glanced at the faces of the Jonin and noticed that the familiar faces of Ino-Shika-Cho were not there. He immediately felt much more relaxed and relieved that not everyone was so short-sighted.

"Kazuma, Lord Xugu said he wants to start a war. Are you aware of this?"

"Ah, Jiraiya-sama, you've come at the perfect time! We were just discussing this!" Kazuma waved to Jiraiya with a broad smile. "Do you think we should choose the Land of Rivers or the Land of Hot Springs?"

"Both countries have considerable land area and abundant resources."

"The land of rivers is famous for its blacksmiths, and their weapons can be sold to various countries. If we take it over, we will definitely make a fortune."

"The country of rivers has excellent medical resources and food crop yields. The former can complement our Konoha Village's medical system, while the latter can meet the village's food needs."

"Wait a minute!" Jiraiya interrupted Kazuma in surprise. "Shouldn't you be with me to stop Lord Uotani?"

"Why do you seem so enthusiastic about it?"

"And you guys too!"

Jiraiya pointed at the Jonin of those ninja clans and demanded sharply, "Don't you remember the harm and suffering the village endured before?"

"We've just ended a war, are you already going to start a new one?"

Some of the Jonin who were under his gaze lowered their heads in shame, while others glared at him fearlessly and shouted, "Of course we don't want to start a war, but we still need to eat!"

"Our original businesses have all been destroyed, and we have no stable income. What are we supposed to do?"

"Also, because we lost before, those merchants have started to doubt the strength of our village's ninjas, and they're coming to the village to place fewer and fewer commissions."

"Why don't we launch a war to prove that our Konoha Village is still strong? I'm afraid there will be fewer and fewer missions in the future, and even the mission commission fees will decrease."

"This time we specifically targeted the weaker targets. On one hand, we can obtain some resources to alleviate our immediate crisis; on the other hand, we can demonstrate our military strength and give those big businessmen confidence!"

Jiraiya flew into a rage, glaring at the one who had spoken up, and shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting!"

"Even those commoner Jonin haven't complained about not being able to survive, so why are you, a clan Jonin, crying about being poor in front of me?"

"Our village's reputation has been built up over many years through a series of successful missions. What does the outcome of a single war have to do with it?"

"In previous Shinobi World Wars, other countries were defeated, but their mission systems didn't collapse!"

"Furthermore, only during peacetime do those big merchants send people to commission tasks. Once war breaks out, where would any big merchants come from?"

"You clearly want to start a war to plunder other countries' wealth, so don't give me these high-sounding excuses!"

After Jiraiya laid everything out for him, the man immediately turned gloomy and fell silent.

Jiraiya turned to Kazuma, waved his hand, and said firmly, "I absolutely disagree with this kind of war of aggression!"

"We welcome any resources the nobles are willing to provide. But if they think they can manipulate us and make us wage wars just because they've given us some money, they're just daydreaming!"

"If the village is short of money, then everyone should work hard to earn more mission bonuses."

"As long as we work hard enough, even if it takes more time, we can still rebuild the village back to its former prosperity."

"When Konoha Village was first established, the conditions were definitely much worse than they are now, but our ancestors persevered. There's no reason why we, their descendants, shouldn't be able to do the same."