Naruto: Starting with Infinite Chakra-Chapter 173: Courting Death

"In some ways, Konoha taking Tetsuishi Town makes things easier for us," the Iwagakure elite jōnin said. "Now we can apply pressure and force them to share the profits. They won't have a choice."

"Konoha doesn't have the ability to hold the town alone. If we stand firm, they won't dare reject us outright. At most, they'll just take the lion's share," he added confidently.

...

As the shinobi of Iwagakure and Sunagakure closed in, Jiraiya remained expressionless, though a sharp glint flashed through his eyes.

"The iron mines in Tetsuishi Town are too valuable. There's no way Sunagakure and Iwagakure will just stand by while we claim them," a Nara clan elite jōnin murmured, furrowing his brows slightly.

"They can dream," Raiden scoffed coldly. "We paid the price to take this town. If they want a share, they'd better be prepared to trade their lives for it."

"Sunagakure and Iwagakure are allies now. If we refuse to concede even a little, they might resort to force. And we'd still have to deal with Amegakure's counterattacks. That would put us under enormous pressure," Hyūga Tetsuki said, his voice tinged with concern.

"If we antagonize both Sunagakure and Iwagakure, our operations in Amegakure will become much harder," he continued. "We'd essentially be fighting three nations at once, which would be a massive burden on us."

He had a point. If Konoha pushed too hard, it could find itself in a precarious situation. While Sunagakure and Iwagakure weren't as powerful as the Land of Fire, they were still great nations. A war against them would inflict serious losses on Konoha.

"Konoha will take full control of Tetsuishi Town. As for Sunagakure and Iwagakure—" Jiraiya's eyes gleamed with determination. "They're not qualified to demand a share."

Jiraiya had no intention of making any compromises. In the Second Shinobi War, Konoha had clashed with Sunagakure and Iwagakure in Amegakure and emerged victorious, even against both nations at once. There was no need to back down now.

With Konoha's current strength, they were more than capable of handling a three-front war in Amegakure. In fact, Jiraiya had been considering using this conflict as a stepping stone to ignite a full-scale shinobi world war—one that would lead to the unification of the ninja world under Konoha's rule.

In the original timeline, after the battles in Amegakure ended, Konoha had invaded Sunagakure's territory, and Sunagakure's forces had been unable to stop them. If not for Hiruzen Sarutobi's soft-heartedness, Konoha could have wiped Sunagakure off the map.

Right now, Konoha was at its peak. During the Third Shinobi War, Konoha had held its own against three great nations simultaneously. Only after that war did its power begin to decline. If Jiraiya wanted to unify the ninja world, he had to act while Konoha was still strong.

"This is Konoha's territory now. Halt immediately, or I'll take it as an act of aggression against us," Jiraiya called out from atop the walls.

"Jiraiya, this is Amegakure's land. Since when did it belong to Konoha?" the Iwagakure elite jōnin responded with a smirk.

"I recall Tetsuishi Town always being part of Amegakure as well," the Sunagakure jōnin chimed in.

"Tetsuishi Town belongs to Konoha now. That's all there is to it," Jiraiya declared firmly. "I know exactly what you two are after, so let me make it clear—Konoha will not be sharing the iron mines with you. Your nations have no place here."

"Jiraiya, don't be so hasty. The mines hold a vast amount of resources. Do you really think Konoha can control them alone?" the Iwagakure elite jōnin asked, his tone darkening.

"Konoha's greed is truly astonishing," the Sunagakure jōnin added. "Trying to hoard Tetsuishi Town's resources all for yourselves? You might be strong, but even you can't take on the whole world."

"If Konoha refuses to negotiate, we will take what we want by force," the Sunagakure jōnin warned.

Their orders from above were clear: no matter what, they had to secure a portion of Tetsuishi Town's resources—even if it meant war with Konoha. With their alliance, they had the confidence to take on Konoha in Amegakure. If they wanted to negotiate, they had to show strength first.

"Iwagakure is of the same mind," the Iwagakure elite jōnin stated. "We will have our share of the iron mines—no matter the cost."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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