Soon, four letters of allegiance arrived at the Royal Palace of the Land of Water.
Shun sat in the main seat, toying with the national letter in his hand, his eyes deep.
Minato, dressed in the Hokage robe, held the official letter from Tsuyoshi and quickly walked to Shun's side.
He bowed slightly, a barely perceptible sigh in his voice. "Your Highness, Second Prince Tsuyoshi wrote very sincerely in his letter, saying that the iron ore in Flame City has been so exploited by the Land of Earth that the veins are almost empty, and the common people barely have iron pots to use."
"He said that in offering the city, he doesn't seek a title, only that we can open our granaries and provide a full meal for the people of Ink City."
Shun did not speak immediately, only raising his hand to take the letter.
The handwriting on the parchment was scrawled, with even a few ink stains blurred by tears, making it possible to imagine Tsuyoshi's despair when he wrote it.
His fingertip traced over the blurred words. The three great nations had indeed drained the Land of Fire before they were willing to throw out this "hot potato."
Shikaku rubbed his temples, picking up the list of plundered goods from the three great nations from the table.
"It's not just Ink City. Now, the granaries in most cities of the Land of Fire are so empty that rats can run freely, and half of the mines and other resources have collapsed."
"The three great nations must have calculated that we either take it on or watch the Land of Fire be annexed by the Land of Akatsuki."
Unkai, the Logistics Minister, spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "This strategy of 'killing with a borrowed knife' is quite clever. Now the Land of Fire lacks food and resources, it seems the three great nations drained the Land of Fire dry before throwing it to us."
Shikaku closed his eyes in thought for a few seconds, his gaze somewhat cold. "This move by the three great nations is indeed shrewd."
"Using our hands to take over the Land of Fire not only weakens the Land of Fire but also aims to drag down our economy, and it can also provoke our relationship with the Land of Akatsuki. It's killing three birds with one stone."
Hiashi stood before the territorial map, pointing to the location of the Land of Fire. "The foundation of the Land of Fire has never been its mineral resources, but its geographical location, it is the central region of the Ninja World."
"Grain, silk, and ninja tools circulate here, which made the Land of Fire the richest in the Ninja World."
"But these past few years, constant warfare, merchants afraid to come, farmlands burned, plus the three great nations only plundering and not protecting, made the Land of Fire look like a drained bone."
He recalled the past wealth and glory of the Land of Fire, sighing, "As long as we can restore trade and re-cultivate farmland, the Land of Fire will recover very quickly."
Minato also had deep feelings for the Land of Fire. He quickly nodded in agreement. "Advisor Hiashi is right. Although in the short term we will have to invest funds for food and water conservancy projects, and disaster relief... the land of the Land of Fire is fertile."
"As long as the people are settled, there will be a good harvest next year. Moreover, by accepting the four princes, we can also demonstrate the Land of Water's magnanimity to the Ninja World."
"Many small nations are currently worried about being swallowed by larger ones. Seeing us treat the Land of Fire's royal family well, they might proactively seek to join us."
Hearing the Hokage's praise, Hiashi's gaze returned to the territorial map. "Even without the three great nations' schemes, the Land of Akatsuki would eventually border us."
"By taking over the Land of Fire now, we can establish defenses in advance, keeping the battlefield within the Land of Fire, which is better than letting the Land of Akatsuki attack the Land of Water itself."
After listening to everyone's discussion, Shun slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"Since Shikaku has seen through the schemes of the three great nations, and Hiashi and Minato have clarified the pros and cons, then we will take on this game concerning the Land of Fire."
"Announce that we accept the allegiance of those four princes, but we will reclaim all power from their families, only preserving their wealth."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in understanding.
Shun paused slightly, giving others time to think.
"Additionally, have the Ministry of Political Affairs select one thousand officials familiar with agriculture and governance, paired with ten thousand ninja troops, to depart for the Land of Fire within three days."
"Upon arrival in the Land of Fire, first take over the daimyo's residence, Flame City, Maple City, and other major cities, then gradually advance to smaller towns."
"The focus of this mission is to appease the common people and restore order."
His words were concise and clear, without any prevarication.
Everyone knew this was a daunting task, yet no one dared to raise an objection.
"Understood."
As the command was given, the council chamber fell into a brief silence.
Shun placed the national letter on the table, gently tapping the surface. "Minato, send Kakashi to Flams City, and Shisui to Maple City. They both spent time in the Land of Fire, familiar with the customs of the Land of Fire, and can appease the people more quickly."
"Also, from the Land of Water's granaries, first allocate 10 million tons of grain and distribute it to the people of the Land of Fire, especially Flame City and Spring City, where the people have been hungry for several days."
Upon receiving the order, Minato stood up. "Understood, I will arrange it right away."
But just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard someone call him.
Shikaku suddenly stood up and called out, "Minato, wait a moment."
"I suggest forming 'Land of Fire Takeover Agency,' led by me, drawing Anbu personnel to join."
"The three great nations have certainly left many spies in the Land of Fire. They will not willingly watch us take over smoothly."
"They might spread rumors like 'the Land of Water intends to slaughter the people of the Land of Fire' or deliberately provoke our relationship with the Land of Akatsuki."
"We must investigate in advance and deal with it promptly. We cannot let them ruin this important matter."
Minato rubbed the back of his head, smiling as he replied, "Shikaku, do as you say. You can pick anyone you want for the Takeover Agency, and if you need to mobilize Anbu, just come to me for approval."
Shun walked to the territorial map, extended his finger, and gently traced the vermilion border of the Land of Fire.
His fingertip moved from the farmlands of Flame City, to the iron mines of Maple City, then to the water pipelines of Spring City, finally stopping at the small port of Ink City.
He took a deep breath before stating heavily, "The three great nations think that by throwing us a mess, they can drag us down. But they forgot that what the common people want is not 'princes' or 'city lords,' but a life where they can eat in peace."
He withdrew his finger, turned to face everyone, his eyes gleaming with firm resolve. "As long as we can ensure the people of the Land of Fire have enough to eat and stable homes, as long as we can enable them to pick up their hoes to farm and their goods to trade again, even a mess can become the Land of Water's most solid foundation."
The sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, golden rays spilling onto the territorial map, making the vermilion mark of the Land of Fire even more vibrant.
Everyone in the council chamber looked at Shun's back and suddenly felt that this Daimyo of the Land of Water before them could not only see through the schemes of the three great nations but also grasp the fundamental law of governance.
And this, perhaps, was the true reason why the Land of Water could rise in a chaotic world.