"Reduce the military budget?" the hawkish elder slammed his hand on the table. "Are you joking? Iwagakure has always been eyeing us like a hawk. If they learn that we've reduced our military budget, those monkeys might just launch another war!"

"That's why we need an alliance! An alliance!" the reformist elder of Sunagakure retorted, a dark shadow crossing his eyes.

An alliance. This was the agreed-upon strategy from the beginning.

The original plan was to form an alliance with Kirigakure, leveraging their ninjas to counter Iwagakure. The offering for this alliance was Pakura. Under the guise of a secret mission, they would transfer Pakura to Kirigakure, and whatever happened afterward…would be Kirigakure's concern. They would handle everything.

However, just as this secret transaction was about to commence, Kirigakure unexpectedly imploded.

The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, with whom they had negotiated, suddenly changed his tune, refusing contact with their envoy and instead forming an alliance with Konoha.

Konoha!

In Sunagakure's list of enemies, Iwagakure ranked first, and Konoha a close second. Allying with the friend of an enemy was unthinkable.

That left only one village for a potential alliance-Kumogakure.

"Kumogakure also harbors deep resentment towards Iwagakure. If we exploit this resentment, Iwagakure will be forced to turn their attention to Kumogakure, naturally reducing the pressure on us," the reformist elder explained.

His words prompted deep thought among the assembled elders, sparking a flurry of ideas:

"We could emulate the Konoha-Kiri Alliance, establishing a mutual defense pact with Kumogakure. This would alleviate the defensive pressure on our borders. If those Iwa monkeys attack us regardless, Kumogakure can send reinforcements or even launch an attack within Iwagakure's territory."

"Unable to focus on both fronts, Iwagakure would be hesitant to invade the Land of Wind, even if they wanted to."

"This way, the funds allocated for military development can be reallocated."

Based on the concept proposed by an unnamed political scientist from the Land of Fire:

The more a village spends on military development, the less it spends on public welfare. Less spending on economic development leads to lower GDP, which in turn leads to less funding for military development…

Thus, creating a vicious cycle. The reformist elder firmly believed in this concept. The solution to breaking this cycle was simple-

An alliance! It was akin to transferring the burden of their village's military expenditure onto another village, sharing the pressure of national and village defense.

The remaining funds could then be used for public welfare, boosting the village's GDP. Come to think of it, Sunagakure wasn't short on local specialties. There was gold buried beneath the desert, chakra metal mines waiting to be excavated, and an abundance of desert shinobi beast meat…

It was just that the village was too impoverished. Every year, a significant portion of their budget was spent on maintaining ninja tools eroded by wind and sand, as well as maintaining puppets, subsidizing ninjas, funding the Ninja Academy, and other military-related expenses.

If these funds were consistently invested in Sunagakure's economic development, it was unimaginable how prosperous the village could become!

A cloth on our heads, but the richest in the shinobi world!

Some elders, proponents of a pacifist approach, who advocated for Sunagakure to become a permanently neutral nation, abandoning all involvement in shinobi conflicts, completely abolishing the military system, and focusing solely on economic development and the pursuit of pleasure, nodded in agreement.

"We should allocate all funds to economic and public welfare development! Sunagakure should have done this long ago!"

"The first step is to buy water! Let every Sunagakure villager have access to unlimited water, instead of fighting tooth and nail for their meager rations!"

"Next, we can export hand-washed, seven-times-rinsed ninja tools as premium trade goods to other villages. They'll definitely sell out!"

"Madmen! Ridiculous!"

"I protest!"

"Alright… enough arguing," the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, seated at the head of the table, finally spoke. "As per tradition, we'll proceed with a vote."

"Proposal: Form an alliance with Kumogakure, reduce a portion of the military budget, and allocate the funds to public welfare and economic development."

As Rasa finished speaking, the influential elders of the village began the traditional hand vote.

Five minutes later…

"Eleven votes in favor, five against. The proposal passes."

"We will dispatch envoys to Kumogakure to forge the alliance. Each department should submit a list of personnel for downsizing. Regarding the outdated puppets… see if anyone is willing to salvage them. In short, clear them out of the village's storehouse. The Ninja Academy's training curriculum can also be adjusted accordingly…" The reformist elder listed several cost-cutting measures, with downsizing being the most direct.

"Now that we've confirmed Sunagakure's strategic direction, let's discuss how to utilize the funds saved from the military budget." The reformist elder was already thinking about spending the money before it was even saved.

"After the policy is implemented, we can save approximately two billion ryō annually from military expenditures. Speak your minds!"

The hedonistic elder immediately raised his hand. "Road construction, purchasing water, and building a cinema."

"As everyone knows, Sunagakure is not without resources. However, the initial investment is substantial, requiring long-term operation to recoup the costs. Furthermore, due to environmental factors, the transportation costs for exporting goods from Sunagakure are too high!"

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"Constructing a safe and efficient trade route in the name of the village will undoubtedly boost Sunagakure's economy!"

"Then there's the matter of water."

"The people of Sunagakure, both villagers and ninjas, endure a harsh life. That's why we've been so desperate to expand our territory for decades. We live in the shinobi world, but our lives shouldn't revolve solely around war. We should allow our weary souls to rest and find respite."

"The uses for water are numerous… Villagers could bathe daily! We could enjoy beer! Metal ninja tools like kunai would be protected from the harsh elements, allowing us to export them as premium goods to other villages. Our poison-coated kunai have always been popular, but the attrition rate is too high!"

"The same goes for the cinema. Sunagakure doesn't have a public cinema. We should enhance the villagers' cultural experiences! Let them enjoy and explore new forms of entertainment."

He pulled out a copy of "Iki" from his pocket and patted the cover. "I used to think the shinobi world was small, so small that I believed everyone lived the same way we do in Sunagakure."

"But after reading the almost documentary-like travelogues within, I realized that the shinobi world can be vast, so vast that there are many new and exciting things and forms of entertainment that I've never even heard of…"

"The villagers… they suffer too much."

As he spoke, the hedonistic elder's eyes filled with tears, his voice choked with emotion.

His display moved many in the room. Even the hawkish elders, who had been eager to retort, felt their fervor diminish.

Their advocacy for expanding the village's military might and waging war stemmed from the desire to break free from the constraints of their environment, plunder resources, and secure a place for their village in the world.

Despite their differing philosophies on village development, their ultimate goal was the same: to improve the lives of the villagers.

"Trade, road construction, purchasing water…"

"Let's address the first two points."

"If you want to prosper, you must first build roads. With our current funds, we can likely only afford to construct a single route for safe passage of trade caravans. Which nation should we establish a trade post with?"

A giant map of the shinobi world was spread across the conference table as the Sunagakure leaders pondered.

The Land of Wind bordered the Lands of Birds, Rain, and Rivers.

Smaller villages were out of the question. They were too insignificant. If Konoha or Iwagakure decided to sabotage them, Sunagakure would have to deploy ninjas for protection, putting the cart before the horse.

Reaching their ally, Kumogakure, for further trade would require traversing the Lands of Rain, Grass, Rivers, Frost, and Hot Water, sneaking between the colossal nations of Earth and Fire.

Traveling south by sea would mean circumnavigating half of the shinobi world, passing through Kirigakure's territory to reach the Land of Lightning. The shortest distance between two points was a straight line. The fastest and most convenient route was still directly across the Land of Fire to the Land of Lightning.

Thus, the problem circled back.

Konoha seemed to be an insurmountable obstacle for Sunagakure!

"How about… we establish a trade post directly with Konoha?" someone suggested. This appeared to be the best solution.

"Didn't we just decide to ally with Kumogakure? How can we trade with Konoha? Have you forgotten the animosity between our villages? Besides, Kumogakure and Konoha have always been at odds."

"Eh, don't be so short-sighted! The alliance with Kumogakure is a military pact! Trading with Konoha is an economic and cultural matter, an economic alliance!"

The elders exchanged glances, momentarily bewildered by the hedonistic elder's argument.

Could alliances be this… flexible?

Someone caught the key point and questioned, "Even so, setting aside past grievances, if Kumogakure and Konoha go to war, whose side will we take?"

"Militarily support Kumogakure, economically support Konoha! I don't see the need to rigidly tie economics and military matters together."

"Look at the shinobi world today. Despite the bitter grudges left by past wars, trade continues as usual, except for Kumogakure and Kirigakure, and the Land of Rain, of course."

Since the end of the Third Shinobi World War, the Land of Rain had remained isolated, refusing trade with other villages, shrouded in mystery.

Kumogakure and Kirigakure were the first to propose economic sanctions against each other, a pioneering move in the shinobi world, paving a new path for others.

"Look at Kumogakure and Iwagakure, Kumogakure and Konoha. Despite their fierce battles, their economies are now intertwined."

"If they can do it, why can't we? In my opinion, we should officially propose large-scale trade with Konoha and ask them to assist in constructing the trade route."

"Even if war breaks out in the future, we can simply avoid the main trade routes. We haven't abandoned our resentment, but we are currently prioritizing development and accumulating strength…"

Enlightened by this new perspective, the elders felt a sense of liberation.

The hedonistic elder's argument was like a key, inserted into the lock of the Sunagakure leaders' outdated mindset. Click. The lock opened.

Viewing inter-village relations from this angle, the seemingly irreconcilable animosity with Konoha could be temporarily set aside.

"Build roads to Konoha, trade with Konoha, buy water from Konoha?"

"I object to that last point!" A hawkish elder voiced his dissent. "Why not buy water from the Land of Rain? Their water should be the cheapest besides Kirigakure's. Moreover, with that old geezer Hanzo around, we can have him poison the water, then use it to clean and maintain our ninja tools, treating it as a secondary poisoning process. Wouldn't that be even more profitable when we sell them?"

"You warmongering fool! If Hanzo poisons the water, how will the villagers use it?"

"Forget the villagers, even normal ninja wouldn't be able to use it! Would we have to rely on Chiyo-sama's antidote pills?"

"In my opinion, let's have Konoha handle everything! Their water is cheap, and it would be a gesture of goodwill, encouraging them to help us build the roads. Two birds with one stone!"

"The biggest question now is, we are willing to temporarily reconcile for economic gain, but… what about Konoha? Are they willing to let go of the past?"

Silence descended upon the conference room. An unspoken understanding hung in the air.

Almost simultaneously, they recalled the previous plan to ally with Kirigakure. Such matters…naturally required a "hero" to make a sacrifice.

However, this time, no one volunteered. Sending a Suna hero to their death once was a necessary evil. But to do it again with a different village… the Suna elders still had some pride. No one wanted to bear the burden of such a sin.

"I'll go," Pakura's voice echoed as she entered the Kazekage's conference room.

Her fair, smooth back seemed to brighten the somber room. It was strange to think that someone from the windswept Land of Wind could maintain such flawless skin.

"Pakura, you're here."

"Fourth Kazekage-sama." Pakura nodded, completely unaware of the plot against her.

Initially, she found the idea of washing kunai with water absurd. But after eavesdropping outside the conference room, her perspective shifted.

A thousand readers, a thousand interpretations of "Iki." Now, Pakura saw in the act of "washing kunai" a chance for peace.

If a hero like herself were to make the ultimate sacrifice… wouldn't it allow the villagers of Sunagakure to live the blissful lives depicted in "Iki"?

Pakura didn't fear death. As a ninja, she was prepared for such an eventuality.

To hear of such enlightened ideas in the morning, one could die content in the evening!

This seemed to be the only way for her to enter Konoha, to step into the world depicted in "Iki"… She had to consider whether this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

With her life as the price, the village and Konoha could temporarily set aside their hatred and engage in genuine exchange.

The villagers could live more comfortably, and she, Pakura, could finally witness the village that shone like a beacon of civilization in the shinobi world.