In addition to devoting some of his attendant ninjas to collect and organize information about the so-called three holy places within each ninja clan, Uchiha Tokumitsu also began to issue secret missions to the three columns of conquest troops stationed in the southern archipelago of the Kingdom of Water, ordering them to send people to sneak back to the Kingdom of Water. Gather intelligence in the Kirigakure controlled area.
In addition, Uchiha Tokumitsu also fabricated a lot of false arms trade contracts to confuse the public, and issued a large number of arms purchase requirements to the family and various affiliated ninja clans. In this way, he accumulated armaments in a concealed manner. Also provide blood transfusions to families and allies.
Conquering Kirigakure and capturing Uchiha Madara is definitely not an easy task, so Uchiha Tokumitsu must be 100% focused on pre-war preparations and strategic deception.
After struggling for a while, Loquat Juzo, who returned to Kirigakure from the battlefield of Thunder Country, finally received the "visa permission" from the shogunate, and successfully arrived at Fubo, the Country of Uzumaki, on a Kirigakure armored ship that needed to be returned to the factory for overhaul. city.
The arrival of the envoy did not disrupt the shogunate's ordnance preparations. Just at the port, Loquat Juuzang saw no less than ten black iron-clad warships docked at the berth, and there was a clanking noise in the enclosed Lingang Shipyard. However, it is unknown how many warships are being built.
Loquat Juzo felt a little heavy.
There is also a ship repair yard built with the aid of the Tokugaku Shogunate in the Kirigakure Ninja Village, but the technical level is really limited and can only carry out routine maintenance. War damage and overhaul must be returned to the original factory, which also limits the frequency of use of the Kirigakure ironclads.
But it's not that Kirigakure doesn't want to repair and maintain the warships himself, but that his technical level is indeed limited. Even if the assisting shipyard technicians are willing to teach without reservation, Kirigakure has not been able to train a few capable workers who can get started.
This is also a pity for Uchiha Tokko.
After all, the research and development and iterative updates of chakra technology require a lot of investment in manpower and material resources. Because Kirigakure failed to draw Kirigakure into this chakra technology arms race, Kirigakure's investment in conventional ninjas will not be affected. The difficulty of conquering Kirigakure in the future will not be reduced.
However, Uchiha Tokko then thought about it and thought of a new way to trick people.
…
"General Tokumitsu, I am here to pay my respects on the order of my village Mizukage-sama."
Uchiha Tokko met with Loquat Juzo and Konashi Atsushi in the great hall of the shogunate. They had not seen each other for many days. After experiencing the battlefield of the Land of Thunder, Loquat Juzo's energy became calm and concise, and it seemed that he had some strength. Made considerable progress.
Judging just from the movements during the salute, Loquat Juzo's strength should now exceed that of the dead Watermelon Mountain Fugu Ghost.
It seems that Kirigakure should not be underestimated, and war preparations must be made more fully...
Uchiha Tokko thought secretly in his heart.
"You're welcome, two envoys, please take a seat..."
Uchiha Tokumitsu nodded calmly, "Long time no see, how are you, Mizukage-sama?"
"Lord Mizukage is still coordinating the war on the front line of the Kingdom of Thunder. Everything is fine."
Loquat Juuzang said seriously: "I was ordered to come here this time because I have three things to ask of the shogunate..."
"Say it."
Uchiha Tokko nodded.
"First, please ask General Deguang to send more manpower to help us expand the ship repair yard..."
Loquat Juuzang said.
This is a more critical heuristic question.
According to the meaning of the Daimyo envoy of the Kingdom of Water, Uchiha Tokumitsu seemed to have unfavorable intentions towards the Kingdom of Water and Kirigakure, and therefore asked Kirigakure to withdraw his troops and return to the defense.
The reason why the request for assistance was made was to see whether the Tokoku shogunate still regarded Kirigakure as a profitable trade partner as before.
"Can!"
Uchiha Tokumitsu thought for a moment, then nodded and agreed: "But you have to pay more!"
"...Money is easy to talk about."
Loquat Juuzang breathed a sigh of relief.
He is also willing to do business with Kirigakure, which shows that the Tokumitsu Shogunate does not have many ideas in a short period of time.
Maybe it was just the envoy from the Daimyo of the Land of Water that annoyed him, and he felt his legs weaken after being frightened for a few words.
Loquat Juzo glanced at Konoe Atsushi calmly with contempt.
"Thank you Lord Deguang for your help."
Loquat Juzo bowed again and said respectfully: "This shows that the friendship between Kirigakure and the shogunate will last forever."
"certainly!"
Uchiha Tokko also agreed: "We are an indestructible alliance!"
After the two sides flattered each other with various clichés, Loquat Juuzang continued.
"This village plans to hire a part of the ninja army from the shogunate to participate in the battlefield of Thunder Kingdom. I don't know if this is feasible..."
"This is inappropriate."
Uchiha Tokko immediately shook his head and refused. Then he explained: "The ninja armies of the shogunate have been placed under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General's Palace. They are the standing ninja armies of the Country of Fire. They are no longer private armies in the past, so it is inconvenient to participate in the Kumogakure battlefield where the armistice agreement was signed. .”
"But if Kirigakure is interested, I can introduce Mr. Hanzo's Rain Ninja Army. They are also elite troops with good combat capabilities..."
Uchiha Tokko suggested very enthusiastically.
Loquat Juzo felt relieved again.
Although the Tokoku shogunate rejected Kirigakure's war employment, this was reasonable.
With the wealth of the shogunate, Uchiha Tokumitsu was foolish enough to be willing to throw his ninja army into a battlefield beyond his control to earn a meager commission.
"Rain Ninja Village..."
Loquat Juuzang was not disappointed either. After all, this request was actually part of the temptation, and it didn’t matter whether it was successful or not.
"Forget it, after all, they are nothing compared to the ninja army of the Uchiha clan. Even if they are hired, they will not be of much use..."
Like Kirigakure, the ninjutsu that Ume Ninja Village is good at is mainly water escape. Although the ninjutsu styles of the two ninja villages are different, ninjutsu with the same attribute cannot provide attribute restraint on the battlefield, so Kirigakure Yin also had no intention of spending unnecessary money to hire Yu Ren.
"In addition, it is about expanding arms procurement..."
Loquat Juuzang took a deep breath and said the core request: "This village plans to purchase four additional armored ships and a batch of special detonating charms, kunai and other ninja tools."
"Kirigakure is unstoppable on the battlefield in the Kingdom of Thunder. The shogunate's armaments have shown great success many times in battles. As a supplier, I am naturally very pleased..."
Uchiha Tokumitsu nodded as he spoke, and there was some embarrassment on his face at the right time.
"It's just that... the recent arms production may be slightly insufficient."
Loquat Juuzang had a calm expression on his face, with just a hint of regret, but his heart was tense.
The reason why he proposed to purchase armaments was because Kirigakure also learned that Konoha had stepped up the production and hoarding of armament supplies, but he did not know where it was intended to be used.
According to past experience, ninja tools, especially special items such as detonating talismans, are usually prepared three to five months before the war, because the inventory of ninja tools has certain risks. Chakra fluctuations cause a big explosion, and storing it for too long may reduce the power of the detonating talisman.
"Although the supply of ninja tools may not keep up, there is still no problem with armored ships. If Kirigakure needs it, we can sell up to six ready-made warships at one time..."
With a warm smile on his face, Uchiha Tokumitsu promoted Loquat Juzo.
"Four armored ships are enough...but it would be a pity if there are not enough ninja weapons..."
Loquat Juuzang's tone was a little regretful, but then he thought of another question.
There is conclusive information that the shogunate and Konoha are hoarding military supplies in large quantities, but Uchiha Tokimitsu said that the supply is insufficient...
In this case, if it is not intended to attack Kirigakure, where will those military materials be used?
Even the shogunate can sell ironclad ships that are invincible in naval battles, but why don't they even plan to export ninja tools that have no technical content?
Loquat Juzo was thinking about it in his mind while continuing to talk with Uchiha Tokimitsu.
Suddenly, Loquat Juuzang thought of another possibility——
"Could someone have made a reservation with the shogunate to purchase ninja tools first?!"
Thinking of this, he immediately felt horrified.
Given the current situation in the ninja world, a ninja village that still has needs and willingness to purchase large quantities of armaments must be a ninja village that is in a state of war.
After excluding his own ninja village, the answer is ready to come out——
"Kumogakure!"
The more Loquat Juzo thought about it, the more he felt that his guess was right.
Considering that Kumogakure once issued bonds on the Uchiha Clan's stock exchange and Kumogakure's recent counterattack, we know that after surrendering to Konoha and Iwagakure, Kumogakure must not be willing to surrender to the third ninja village. Therefore, it is very possible that he will once again offer conditions for arms purchase that the Uchiha clan cannot refuse!
What's more, although the conversation between the two parties just now was extremely harmonious, and Uchiha Tokumitsu's attitude was also very friendly, both Kirigakure and the shogunate knew that there would be a battle between the two sides in the future!
In this way, it is logical for the shogunate to sell arms to Kumogakure in order to delay the situation on the battlefield of Thunder Kingdom and thereby weaken Kirigakure.
Loquat Juuzang, who consciously guessed the "truth", felt a little uneasy after feeling a little calmer.
The good news is that the shogunate will not cross the sea for the northern expedition for the time being. The bad news is that Kumogakure's strength may be strengthened with the support of the Tokumitsu shogunate. The price Kirigakure needs to pay to win the war will definitely be greater!
Later, Uchiha Tokumitsu hosted a banquet for Loquat Juuzang. Although both parties had their own agendas, there was harmony at the table and it seemed that their friendship would last forever.
After the Kirigakure armored ship was repaired, Loquat Juuzang no longer stayed and quickly returned to the battlefield of the Kingdom of Thunder by boat.
"Step up the deployment of military forces! We must fight quickly!"
This is the countermeasure that Loquat Juuzang came up with.
Kirigakure has no way to prevent Kumogakure from obtaining the shogunate's military supplies, so the only way is to end the battle quickly before Kumogakure gets more supplies!
In Kirigakure's consciousness, the so-called speeding up the end of the battle means speeding up the defeat of the opponent!
So, to achieve this goal, we need to recruit more ninja troops and raise more supplies to join the war!
Loquat Juuzang has already thought about this problem.
There are nearly seven thousand ninjas of all kinds in the Kirigakure Ninja Village who are stationed in the Kingdom of Water, either stationed in various places for security, or performing tasks in various places. Although this group of ninjas is mixed, and their combat effectiveness is not elite, they are still ninjas after all. Pulling it onto the battlefield can always play a certain role.
…
Just when Uchiha Tokumitsu was preparing his troops and not forgetting his strategic deception, an extremely explosive news came from the Kingdom of Wind far away in the arid desert on the western border of the Ninja Continent——
Led by the Kazekage, the third generation of the Sunagakure Ninja Village, Sunagakure gathered ninja troops to burn the Wind Temple, captured the Wind Country's Daimyo Mansion, and killed a large number of Wind Country ministers and nobles who advocated cutting military spending.
In addition, Feng Ying also coerced the contemporary Dai Ming of the Kingdom of Wind to abdicate, passed the Dai Ming's position to the Crown Prince, and proclaimed himself "Regent Guan Bai"!
"The Third Kazekage...is he so brave?"
Even Uchiha Tokumitsu couldn't help but be stunned after hearing the news.
As the Shadow of a Village, the Third Kazekage can be said to have set a precedent in the world of ninja by abolishing the name of the clan.
Even during the bloody warring States period, such transgressions rarely occurred.
What's more, not only did the Third Wind Shadow kill a large number of ministers and nobles, but he also called himself Regent Guan Bai and was in charge of the military and political affairs of the Country of Wind. This was equivalent to completely tearing apart the system of one village and one country and trampling on it a few times. But his behavior is much more reckless than that of Uchiha Tokumitsu!
“How did the village House and Senate respond?”
Uchiha Demitsu asked the intelligence ninja who came to report.
"Tsunade-hime proposed in the Senate to launch a conquest of Sunagakure to support orthodoxy and maintain order in the ninja world..."
The intelligence ninja replied.
"Pfft!"
Uchiha Tokko couldn't help but sneer.
"...However, the Quad Speakers are non-committal. Except for the limited support from the Senate families, Ino Shikacho, other ninja clans are not interested."
The intelligence ninja added.
"I see……"
Uchiha Tokko nodded.
The reaction of the ninja clans in the Senate was not surprising. In the final analysis, it was because in a remote and remote place like the Country of Wind, there would be little benefit even if they won.
Moreover, when marching in the scorching desert, they not only have to be wary of Sunagakure's attacks, but also pay attention to sandstorms and the endless vicious beasts and poisonous insects that emerge in the desert. Therefore, the Konoha ninjas naturally lack interest in the drudgery of conquering Kirigakure.
The Konoha ninjas had suffered great losses when they went to the Country of Rain, where it rained all day long, so naturally they were not willing to go to the Country of Wind to fight Sunagakure.
"In addition, His Highnesses from the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth both issued extremely harsh condemnation edicts..."
The intelligence ninja continued: "Therefore, according to analysis, the daimyo may mobilize the ninja village to fight..."
"It's natural... the daimyo nobles are afraid that their own ninja villages will imitate them~"
Uchiha Tokko was in a very happy mood.
After all kinds of twists and turns in the ninja world, he finally brought about the first and most obvious butterfly effect!
"Notify the village that I will go back at some time in the near future..."
After thinking about it for a while, Uchiha Tokumitsu decided to temporarily put down the strategy for the Kingdom of Water and go back to the village to mingle with various forces to see if he could make the Uchiha clan progress further.
"As you command!"
The intelligence ninja prepared to leave after receiving the order.
"besides……"
Uchiha Demitsu suddenly thought of something.
"Arrange someone to make an appointment with the Senju clan. I'm very interested in Tsunade-hime's proposal..."
Uchiha Tokumitsu decided to add some credibility to his strategic deception, so that Kirigakure could safely deploy his troops to the battlefield of the Kingdom of Thunder.
"I obey your orders!"
The intelligence ninja left in a hurry.
Uchiha Tokumitsu continued to ponder and deduce the possible impact of the changes in the current situation.
There was an unexpected situation at the construction site that delayed the update. I can only update one chapter today. I hope all book friends will forgive me~ I will keep track of the other chapter I owe.
(End of chapter)
