In the meeting room of the Kazekage's office, the atmosphere was tense.
The Third Kazekage was still fuming over the fact that the Daimyo had withheld military funding, causing Sunagakure to miss out on a significant opportunity.
"Are we going to participate in this war?" one of the higher-ups asked hesitantly, his voice uncertain in the heavy atmosphere.
The Kazekage clenched his fists, his teeth grinding audibly as he replied, "Participate? Of course, we have to! Even if there's no opportunity, we'll create one. Our neighbor, the Land of Fire, is rich in resources. If a full-scale war breaks out, Kumogakure and Iwagakure will undoubtedly target Konoha. We need to find the right moment to strike and seize something from Konoha while they're busy fighting!"
Ebizō, his expression calm but his eyes sharp, interjected, "Your idea is good, Kazekage-sama, but Konoha now has the Yellow Flash. He's held his own against both the son of the Third Raikage and the Eight-Tails jinchūriki on the battlefield, even gaining the upper hand. Konoha also has many powerful shinobi. If we try to play the role of the opportunist, we might end up paying a steep price."
"We can't worry about that. As long as the benefits outweigh the losses, we have no reason to back down." The Kazekage's voice was firm.
"...In that case, I suggest we send someone to infiltrate Konoha as a spy," Ebizō proposed, folding his arms thoughtfully. "If they can earn Konoha's trust, they could gather valuable information about Konoha's secrets, high-level ninjutsu, and even their kekkei genkai. When the time comes to invade Konoha, this spy could guide us from the inside, ensuring we get what we want."
The Kazekage's eyes lit up at the idea, but his brows quickly furrowed in concern. "That's a good idea, but it won't be easy to execute. How do we successfully plant someone inside Konoha? Although a full-scale war hasn't started yet, Konoha is already on guard due to the friction with Kumogakure, and Iwagakure is watching for any chance to enter the fray. Konoha will be highly vigilant against spies."
"That depends on whether you're willing to make a sacrifice, Kazekage-sama." Ebizō's tone grew serious.
The Kazekage looked at him intently. "Speak your mind."
Nodding, Ebizō continued, "To attract Konoha's attention, we need something of significant value, like powerful ninjutsu or secret techniques. But you know, Kazekage-sama, given our current situation, Konoha wouldn't be interested in what we have to offer.
What could capture Konoha's interest… is a kekkei genkai. If you're willing, we could send a ninja with a kekkei genkai as our spy."
The Third Kazekage's expression became grave. "A kekkei genkai… We don't have many kekkei genkai users in Sunagakure, and even if Konoha were interested, they wouldn't just accept someone from us, especially not in this tense climate. It would be too obvious."
Ebizō shook his head. "Of course, we wouldn't offer them directly. We'll have to be more subtle. I have a plan, if you'd care to hear it."
The Kazekage gave a slow nod, prompting Ebizō to outline his strategy. "Iwagakure is eyeing Konoha warily, and Konoha is undoubtedly keeping watch on them as well. We could propose an alliance with Iwagakure, offering them a kekkei genkai user as a gesture of goodwill and in exchange for some resources, like kunai and explosive tags.
Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage, is a greedy man, and since the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth are separated only by a few small countries, he'll be wary of us once the war starts. If we take the initiative to form an alliance and offer him a kekkei genkai user while assuring him we won't attack Iwagakure, Ōnoki will likely agree to the terms in exchange for a few resources."
The Kazekage's expression softened as he listened, seeing the potential in Ebizō's plan.
Ebizō continued, "However, when we hand over the kekkei genkai ninja, we'll make sure Konoha 'accidentally' learns of this exchange. They'll undoubtedly try to intercept the transaction to prevent our alliance with Iwa. When they succeed, our kekkei genkai user will become their prisoner, and our perfect infiltrator.
In this way, we'll gain the supplies we need and successfully plant our spy in Konoha. If anything goes wrong, Iwagakure will blame Konoha, not us. Then, we can sit back and watch as the war unfolds, waiting for the right moment to strike Konoha."
The Third Kazekage and the other senior officials of Sunagakure pondered Ebizō's plan carefully.
Chiyo calmly sipped her tea, feeling proud of her brother's ingenuity. The plan was well thought out; all it needed was the Kazekage's commitment, and it could very well succeed.
After a moment of contemplation, the Third Kazekage made his decision. "Sunagakure is too weak to pass up any opportunity. I agree with Ebizō's plan. What do the rest of you think?"
Chiyo set down her teacup and nodded. "I agree."
The other advisors voiced their agreement as well.
Seeing no objections, the Third Kazekage immediately declared, "Then we'll proceed with Ebizō's plan. After this meeting, I'll draft a letter to Ōnoki proposing an alliance, and we'll send it as soon as possible."
Ebizō offered a final reminder, "Kazekage-sama, there's one more thing. The chosen kekkei genkai user must be absolutely loyal to Sunagakure, and to prevent Konoha from probing their memory, we need to take precautions.
So, Kazekage-sama, do you have someone in mind?"
The Kazekage thought for a moment before a candidate came to mind. Just as he was about to speak, Ebizō cut him off.
"This is something only you should know, Kazekage-sama. The fewer people who know the identity of the spy, the safer they will be. If their name spreads, it only increases the chances of them being exposed.
Also, choose carefully who will accompany the spy to meet Iwagakure. They shouldn't know the true purpose, only that they're delivering a kekkei genkai user as part of an exchange with Iwagakure. If necessary, they must be willing to sacrifice themselves for the mission's success."
The Kazekage nodded solemnly. "Understood. I'll make the necessary arrangements. This meeting is adjourned."