Kumogakure Assembly, special session.
"This can't continue like this," protests one of the village councilors. "The losses we've suffered are unacceptable, especially since we're not even in a war against another of the major villages."
"Our Daimyo is furious about the nation's loss of face and especially about the sanctions imposed on him by the Lands of Fire and Water," says another of the councilors, an elderly woman, addressing the Raikage directly. "Your little tantrum, or show of power as you wish to call it, has made us look like villains to the world. If we don't do something, even the smaller nations will sanction us."
"Please, the underlying problem is knowing who the hell is supporting the rebels. This night attack isn't the work of an ordinary person; it all smacks of another village interfering. Kirigakure may be weak right now, but this type of attack is typical of them," says one of the military commanders.
"I'm calling everyone to order. This meeting is to discuss the next steps in this difficult situation. No one here would have imagined that this small nation would become such a headache. We're all dismayed by recent events, but let's remain calm and not point fingers at things that should be investigated at another time," Mabui intervenes, with his usual serious tone, trying to calm the crowd.
"It's easy for you to say. I lost my son in this stupid war, and I still don't see the benefits it brings to our village," an older man responds angrily.
"Many of us have been asking for weeks why we're involved in this troubled and deadly civil war," says a member representing the civilians. "The hospital is full of wounded ninjas, and many will end up with permanent physical damage. Is it really worth continuing to be involved in this?"
"Many of the merchants are already warning that things will start to rise in price if the sanctions remain in place in the land of lightning. It doesn't matter what we earn in this war if we're going to have to spend it to offset the coming inflation," warns another of the civilian representatives.
"That's not all. This morning, news arrived that the merchant associations in the land of iron are considering cutting off the sale of essential metals to our village," says the village's economic affairs officer.
To the surprise of many, the Raikage, a man with a hot temper and known for reacting violently to any threat to his authority, remains completely silent, his posture thoughtful and his face utterly serious, despite Mabui's attempts, through gestures, to get the man to defend himself against the councilors' accusations. For nearly an hour, the man has remained calm, listening to everything the others have to say, to the point where some seem ready to launch much more personal attacks on him.
"I've given you time to say whatever you want, and it seems there's a general consensus that my administration has caused enormous disaster to the village's interests," the Raikage says for the first time, his tone firm and with great seriousness. "If I were in your shoes, believe me, I would think the same thing and much more, but unfortunately, you're not seeing the full picture of what's happening."
A's words, which seem to be charged with a threatening aura, calm everyone in the room and make the man's message carry more weight.
"I know very well that our campaign in the Land of Noodles appears to be a downright disaster from certain points of view," the Raikage continues, "And in a sense it is, but if we consider who we are facing, things change entirely… Those famous rebels are nothing more than puppets in a much larger game, one that unfortunately none of us could have foreseen. The two attacks on our encampments in Sakon, as well as the constant harassment of our supply lines, are the work of an organization called 'The Divine Order,' which is made up of rogue samurai and ninja from various parts of the region."
"Where did you get that information?" asks one of the council members.
This time Mabui intervenes, "Of the more than 500 captured rebels, we managed to interrogate a few who had more in-depth knowledge of the rebel situation. It seems that the entire idea of the revolt was instigated by a power foreign to the Land of Noodles, suspected of originating from the Land of Fire. Apparently, all the weapons and new explosive technology were donated by that organization, with the explicit motive of being used against the ninja superiority, clearly predicting involvement by us or others."
"That's not all," the Raikage adds, "This organization has been providing direct support to the rebels, attacking our logistics and carrying out attacks such as those on our camps. I even suspect they may be involved in the murders in the Capital of the Land of Noodles… At first, the situation didn't make sense to me. Why would such an organization seek to control such a small nation through such an open and destructive war? Why give such advanced weaponry to a group of civilians as weak as these rebels?"
Silence falls over the room, with many of the councilors confused, but some have already begun to show expressions of deep concern about what the Raikage has said.
"It's a damn message!" exclaims A, slamming one of his fists on the table, "A message to everyone that simple civilians, with the proper training and the appropriate weapons, can effectively oppose ninjas and chakra users… Everyone already knows that a Kumogakure army was stopped in its tracks in a city through the strategic use of explosives and these new weapons, which have already begun to circulate throughout the region… The rebels were so effective that our village had to resort to destroying the city in order to defeat them. That is the message everyone knows, and the sin I committed by not realizing what was really going on until now."
Then everyone seems to understand what the Raikage is referring to, showing expressions of surprise and some of fear, completely changing the focus of the discussion.
"They want to undermine the authority of the Daimyos and the power of the large villages," exclaims one of the military advisors.
"How could no one have seen this coming? Those weapons, along with the tactics used by the rebels, must be being studied by every nation in the world."
"Not even jounin are safe. The Phantom Marksmen proved that during the last attack on the city."
"No wonder that old Hokage didn't do anything in the first place. Either he knew it was all a trap, or he's even in on it."
"I highly doubt he wants to diminish Konoha's power. We need to investigate this organization and what its true intentions are…"
Speculation continues for a long time, with everyone concluding that the village has fallen into a sinister trap, as the war has no real purpose, but rather the purpose itself is war. With such a scenario, the council had no choice but to ignore the Raikage's mistakes, propose Kumogakure's immediate withdrawal from the land of noodles, and begin preparing for what some speculate will be a future conflict the likes of which no one has ever seen.
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