Mastermind of the Akatsuki

Hearing this, Ōnoki squinted his eyes slightly, becoming even more intrigued by Byakuya. 

Due to its geographic constraints, despite being one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Iwagakure lags far behind the Land of Fire's Konoha in terms of wealth and commission opportunities. 

Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the only one they surpass in wealth is Sunagakure, located in the arid desert. 

However, this does not mean Iwagakure lacks ambition regarding Sunagakure's lands. For Iwagakure, even the smallest bit of additional territory could solve employment issues for its ninjas. 

Of course, obtaining the Land of Grass or even Konoha's land would be ideal. But due to Konoha's extensive network of alliances, any attack on a neighboring smaller nation would effectively mean directly attacking Konoha. At the moment, Ōnoki had no desire to be dragged into a war. 

Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Ōnoki turned his gaze to Byakuya. He wanted to hear Byakuya's thoughts on Konoha and Sunagakure. 

He asked, "So I recall Konoha and Sunagakure haven't posed a direct threat to Amegakure, have they?" 

Byakuya nodded and replied, "Not at present, but the future is uncertain. Besides, if Amegakure wants to ascend to the ranks of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, we'll have to confront Konoha and Sunagakure sooner or later." 

"You want Amegakure to become one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages?" 

Ōnoki repeated the phrase a few times before saying, 

"I didn't expect you to have such ambition but making a move against the Five Great Shinobi Villages? Twenty years ago, your teacher Hanzo the Salamander tried, and we both know how that ended." 

Clearing his throat, Ōnoki continued in the tone of an elder sharing wisdom: 

"The reason the Five Great Shinobi Villages hold their status isn't just because of one or two powerful figures that intimidate the shinobi world. It's also because they have a substantial number of elite jōnin as their core strength, as well as enough chūnin and genin to maintain their size and influence. Without this foundation, even if you temporarily achieve parity with the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it would be like a meteor streaking across the sky—brilliant but fleeting." 

"I'm well aware of that history…" Byakuya paused briefly before continuing, "Any small village challenging the Five Great Shinobi Villages meets a grim end. After that defeat, my teacher spent over a decade regaining his ambition, entrusting his dream of joining the Five Great Shinobi Villages to us, the younger generation. That's why I'm here today, to discuss cooperation with you, Tsuchikage-sama. If we work together, we can severely weaken Konoha, stripping it of its title as the premier shinobi village and damaging its foundations." 

"What's the plan? Let's hear it." 

Seeing Byakuya's confident demeanor, Ōnoki grew intrigued. If Byakuya's plan was sound, he might even consider lending some support. While Ōnoki did not harbor ambitions of making Iwagakure the number one village, weakening Konoha would certainly be beneficial to Iwagakure. 

Realizing Ōnoki's interest, Byakuya didn't keep him in suspense. 

"Tsuchikage-sama, you must be aware of the long-standing conflict between the Senju and Uchiha clans in Konoha. When Madara Uchiha defected and later attacked Konoha, it deepened the rift between the two clans." 

Ōnoki nodded. He had heard of the tension between the Senju and Uchiha clans. However, he believed that no matter how severe the conflict, it wouldn't cause a major crisis for Konoha. Internal disputes could always be resolved through high-level meetings. 

For example, despite ideological clashes with his village's jinchūriki, Ōnoki shared the Will of Stone with them, ensuring unity within the village. 

Byakuya, seeing through Ōnoki's thoughts, chuckled lightly. 

"Tsuchikage-sama, Konoha's situation is far more complex than you imagine. From what I've learned, the tension between the Uchiha and Senju factions has become irreconcilable. They're on the brink of a coup." 

After pondering Byakuya's words, Ōnoki said, "So, you're suggesting I ignite the conflict between the Senju and Uchiha? That's something I can't do. Any overt action by me against Konoha would only unify them against a common enemy." 

Without hesitation, Byakuya responded, "As for igniting the Uchiha conflict, I've already made preparations. The Uchiha can never truly unite with Konoha's leadership. All I need you to do, Tsuchikage-sama, is to apply enough pressure along the border when the time comes. You could even launch an offensive against the Land of Fire. Amegakure has no interest in the Fire Country's territory." 

"No interest in the Land of Fire's territory?" Ōnoki frowned. "Then what do you want? Merely to see Konoha descend into chaos?" 

"Of course not…" Byakuya shook his head gently. "What I want is the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit. With the Sharingan, Amegakure can grow stronger." 

Ōnoki was momentarily stunned. He looked at Byakuya, a tinge of emotion flickering in his heart. 

The Uchiha Clan had once been incredibly glorious. In their prime, their leader, Madara Uchiha, could terrify most elite jōnin with just a glance. 

Yet, decades later, they had fallen to such a lowly state.

Not only had the Uchiha become a tool in Byakuya's scheme to ignite internal strife within Konoha, but even their Sharingan was now targeted, reducing them to mere pawns in the game. 

After a moment of reflection, Ōnoki began to carefully evaluate how much Iwagakure could benefit from this arrangement. 

First, weakening Konoha was undoubtedly advantageous for Iwagakure. By simply deploying a strong force along the border, he could tie down Konoha's troops, making their internal conflict unfold more smoothly. 

Second, Ōnoki could gain Byakuya as a covert ally. 

While Iwagakure and Amegakure might not form an official alliance, collaborating on this plan would place Amegakure in Ōnoki's debt. He could potentially use this leverage to ensure Amegakure aligned with Iwagakure in future endeavors. 

Furthermore, Amegakure's rise could serve as a counterbalance to Konoha and Kumogakure, creating new shifts in the shinobi world's power dynamics. 

As for claiming the Land of Fire's territory, Ōnoki had little interest. 

It wasn't that he didn't want the land; rather, Iwagakure's current strength wasn't suited to triggering another large-scale shinobi war. 

If something were to happen to him during such a war, Iwagakure would find itself leaderless and in chaos. 

Until he had groomed a suitable successor, Ōnoki had no intention of initiating another great war. 

Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Ōnoki suddenly remembered something and asked Byakuya, "Byakuya, why are you seeking cooperation with Iwagakure instead of other shinobi villages?" 

After a brief moment of contemplation, Byakuya replied, "During the last war, I had a falling out with the Fourth Raikage. I also despise Kumogakure's bandit-like ways, so I ruled them out as potential partners. As for Sunagakure and Kirigakure, one is pitifully weak, and the other is embroiled in the Blood Mist turmoil. Neither of them is worthy of collaborating with Amegakure."