The domineering Uchiha drove the Third Hokage mad!

Chapter 349 The Princes Kneel and Deliver the City

Inside the council chamber of the Water King's palace, wisps of sandalwood incense rose from a bronze incense burner.

Minato Namikaze, dressed in a white Hokage robe, strode in.

Holding a letter with a gold-embossed cover, he said with some concern for the country and its people, "Lord Sanfeng, Prince Yuanshi Qiang's letter has arrived. In it, he says that the Land of Earth is ambitious and has squeezed the resources out of his territory, leaving his people in dire straits. He is willing to offer all his territory to the Land of Water."

Uchiha Mitsunori reached out and took it; the gold-embossed cover read "Letter of Surrender from the Land of Fire".

He slowly unfolded the book, his gaze sweeping over its contents.

"It seems that the three great powers have already squeezed the Land of Fire dry, so they're throwing this hot potato out to us, leaving it up to us to decide whether to take it or not."

Hiashi Hyuga said somewhat seriously, "In the past month or so, there has been an increase in unexpected incidents. It should be that the three major powers are targeting our Land of Water in a planned manner."

Nara Shikaku took out a thick list from his bag, which recorded the current resource status of various cities in the Land of Fire, with many places marked with red crosses.

He pushed the list in front of everyone, his expression grave: "Look, everyone. The granaries in most of the cities of the Land of Fire are so empty that rats could run through them. The situation is even worse; more than half of the mineral resources have collapsed. The remaining mineable deposits are either extremely low-yield veins that require a huge amount of manpower to repair. The three great powers have calculated that we would take on this mess and spend a lot of resources rebuilding it."

Logistics Minister Kurama Unkai sneered, his tone laced with sarcasm: "They're using someone else to do their dirty work. The Land of Fire is short of food and resources, and they barely have any decent houses. It's obvious that the three great powers have already reaped all the benefits, leaving behind a mess, and they want us to be the suckers, using their national treasury resources to fill this hole."

Nara Shikaku closed his eyes and pondered for a few seconds, then crossed his hands in front of him.

"It's not as simple as just filling a hole; this is a three-pronged strategy. First, they want to cripple our economy through relief and reconstruction. Second, the Land of Fire has been embroiled in war for years, resulting in a complex population structure that could lead to internal instability and prevent us from expanding outwards. Third, once we take over the territory, the Land of Dawn will become our neighbor. They will secretly sow discord between us and the Land of Dawn, causing us to fight each other, so they can reap the benefits."

Kurama Unkai picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and added, "I just did a rough calculation. If we were to take over the Land of Fire, we would need to allocate at least 800 million tons of grain, and invest a large amount of timber and steel to rebuild infrastructure... It would cost approximately 6000 billion taels of resources..."

"Yunhai, you only see the immediate investment, not the long-term benefits."

Amidst the discussion, Hyuga Hiashi slowly walked to the map and gently placed his finger on the "Land of Fire" area.

"We were all once people of the Land of Fire, and what we know best about the Land of Fire is not its mineral resources, but its geographical location. It is located in the center of the ninja world, bordering the Land of Earth to the north, the Land of Wind to the west, the Land of Lightning to the east, and our Land of Water to the south. Food, silk, and ninja tools all pass through here."

"In the past, the Land of Fire became the richest country in the ninja world by collecting tolls and engaging in trade. In recent years, war has scared away merchants, burned down farmland, and the three major powers have only focused on plundering without developing their own resources, which is why it has become what it is today. As long as we restore trade and reclaim farmland, the Land of Fire can become self-sufficient in less than three years, and may even be able to provide us with food and money in return."

As a former citizen of the Land of Fire, Minato Namikaze also has deep feelings for the Land of Fire, recalling its past wealth and glory.

He stood up and echoed, "Advisor Hiashi is right. Moreover, by accepting the four princes, we can demonstrate the Land of Water's tolerance to the ninja world... Many small countries are worried about being swallowed up by large countries. Seeing how well we treat the Royal Family of the Land of Fire, they might take the initiative to come and submit."

"Ladies and gentlemen, please look here!"

Hiashi Hyuga lightly tapped the border area between the Land of Fire and the Land of Dawn on the map, his expression turning serious.

"Even without the machinations of the three great nations, Akatsuki's expansionist ambitions cannot be concealed. Now that we have taken over the Land of Fire, we can use it as a shield to build fortifications and deploy ninjas on the border, keeping the battlefield within the Land of Fire's borders. This is better than letting Akatsuki's ninjas directly attack the Land of Water's homeland."

"If the war spreads to our homeland, the losses will be far greater than the 6000 billion we have invested so far. Therefore, taking over the Land of Fire is not only a moral obligation, but also a strategic necessity."

As everyone chimed in, the commotion in the council hall gradually subsided, and all eyes turned to the Uchiha Mitsurugi.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, taking in their expressions.

"Issue the order to accept the four princes' surrender, but take back their military and administrative power, leaving them only with a life of luxury. We can give them dignity, but we cannot allow them to interfere in politics again, lest they use the old forces to create chaos."

"clear!"

The official in charge of paperwork immediately took out paper and pen, ready to record the decision for later dissemination.

Uchiha Sanfeng paused briefly, giving everyone time to process the decision, and then glanced at the documents on the table again.

"In addition, have the Ministry of Government select one thousand officials from various regions... Five hundred of them must be knowledgeable in agriculture, able to build water conservancy projects and guide farming... Five hundred of them must be knowledgeable in administration, able to maintain order and handle disputes among the people. Together with ten thousand ninja troops, they must set off for the Land of Fire within three days."

"We will first take over the densely populated major cities like Daming Prefecture, Yan City, and Feng City. Once we stabilize the core areas, we will gradually advance to smaller cities. We must not rush things. The focus of this mission is to appease the people and restore order. Any soldiers who dare to harass the populace or loot will be executed immediately without exception!"

Everyone knew this was a difficult task, and no one dared to raise any objections.

"clear!"

As the order was given, a brief silence fell over the council chamber.

Uchiha Mitsunori placed the official letter on the table and gently tapped it: "Minato, send Kakashi to Flame City and Uchiha Shisui to Maple City... They are both former Konoha ninjas, familiar with the customs and culture of the Land of Fire, and can pacify the people more quickly. In addition, transfer 1000 million tons of grain from the Land of Water's granaries and distribute it to the people of the Land of Fire first, especially Flame City and Spring City, where the people have been starving for several days."

Upon receiving the order, Minato Namikaze stood up: "Understood, I'll arrange it right away!"