Naruto: With Favorabiltity System

Chapter 375: Haneda: Why Does This Make Me Look Like a Villain?

Shikaku's mind was spinning with question marks as he processed Haneda's request. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

Wasn't Haneda supposed to be a strong advocate for peace? He even included the ideals of love and harmony in the academy's textbooks.

Then again, sitting in the Hokage's chair for too long could change anyone's perspective—perhaps even to the point of prioritizing the growth and dominance of the Land of Fire.

After a moment of contemplation, Shikaku spoke cautiously:

"Hokage-sama, to be honest, the other four great nations already hold enough grudges against Konoha that they'd jump at the chance to attack us if they could."

"Oh?" Haneda raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

Shikaku continued, "For starters:

The Fourth Raikage's humiliation at being captured by you is a sore spot for Kumogakure.

The death of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, at your hands is a deep scar for Iwagakure.

The abduction of Gaara, the only jinchuriki of Sunagakure and son of the Fourth Kazekage, remains an unforgivable act to them.

Then there's your direct intervention in Kirigakure's internal affairs, which led the new Mizukage, Mei Terumi, to put a bounty on you. A rather unique bounty, if I may add, involving… certain personal conditions."

Shikaku cleared his throat awkwardly before continuing, "On top of that, there's the matter of the Land of Fire no longer having a daimyo. The previous daimyo was… publicly executed by you in front of his court."

"Let's not mince words here, Hokage-sama. The shinobi world has endured you for a long time because you're simply too powerful. If they thought they had a chance, they'd already be marching toward us."

Haneda muttered under his breath, "Why does this make me sound like a villain? I'm just carrying the weight of the Land of Fire and Konoha's thirteen provinces on my shoulders."

He raised his voice slightly. "Shikaku, let me ask you this—what gives these blood-sucking parasites the right to criticize me? I led a revolution the rest of the world wouldn't dare attempt!"

Shikaku couldn't help but feel there was a humorous undertone in Haneda's words, even though they were technically true. Still, he chose to ignore Haneda's theatrics and instead focused on the matter at hand.

"Hokage-sama," Shikaku began, "if your goal is to provoke the other great nations into attacking us, there is a simple method. You could declare that you're suffering from a terminal illness and hold a grand funeral in advance, similar to what the First Hokage did."

Haneda frowned slightly. "You're suggesting I fake my own death?"

"Yes," Shikaku confirmed. "Both you and the First Hokage are widely regarded as 'gods of the shinobi world.' With such a precedent, the other nations would have no reason to doubt the authenticity of your condition. This would prompt them to act, thinking Konoha would soon lose its greatest pillar."

Haneda rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Shikaku's suggestion was far more efficient than the strategy he had originally envisioned. His initial plan involved pressuring the other nations to the breaking point, forcing them to unite against Konoha.

However, there was a clear flaw in that approach: Haneda was too powerful. The nations might suppress their anger and grievances out of fear, prolonging the inevitable confrontation.

Furthermore, Haneda realized that directly targeting the ruling class of other nations—the daimyos—might lead to widespread suffering among ordinary people. If the rulers retaliated by exploiting their citizens to recover their losses, it could trigger uprisings and revolutions.

Haneda wanted a controlled Fourth Great Ninja War, not a chaotic world war. The former was a conflict primarily between shinobi villages, with limited civilian casualties. The latter, however, would be a catastrophe involving widespread destruction and death.

Haneda sighed. "Your suggestion makes sense, but it doesn't quite fit my style."

"After all," he added with a wry smile, "I'm known for having a vindictive streak. In other villages, my name alone is enough to stop children from crying."

Shikaku chuckled inwardly. It was true—Haneda's reputation for ruthlessness and cunning was legendary. If Haneda were to stage his death, it wouldn't be in a quiet, peaceful manner.

Shikaku offered another idea: "In that case, Hokage-sama, you could use the jinchuriki as a starting point. Both Iwagakure and Kumogakure have seasoned jinchuriki. If you were to publicly defeat or even kill their jinchuriki, it would cripple their military strength and provoke outrage."

"To outsiders, it would appear as though you were trying to preemptively weaken the other villages to protect Konoha after your death. This would justify their retaliation."

Shikaku continued, "Additionally, you could escalate tensions economically. For example, impose higher tariffs on exports, restrict the sale of essential goods like grain, and so on. This would anger not only the shinobi villages but also the daimyos, who rely on such resources to maintain control over their nations."

Haneda nodded in agreement. Shikaku's plan was well thought out and aligned with the framework Haneda had already been considering.

Targeting the jinchuriki was particularly compelling. After all, the original timeline had shown the Akatsuki systematically capturing jinchuriki to further their own goals. Haneda could replicate this strategy but with a twist—he wouldn't kill the jinchuriki, only severely injure them.

The tailed beasts were critical to the Moon's Eye Plan and Black Zetsu's ultimate scheme. Without them, the plan would fall apart.

Moreover, Haneda had recently learned that the tailed beasts were reviving earlier than expected. This revelation prompted him to accelerate his plans for the Fourth Great Ninja War.

"Alright," Haneda said decisively. "We'll proceed with your plan, Shikaku. Once you've worked out the details, let me know. I'll play my part."

Haneda smirked. "And don't worry—I've been 'acting' since the day I arrived in this world. I've had plenty of practice."

At that moment, Kakashi suddenly appeared in the room via Flying Thunder God. He was holding a bag of books and noticed the serious atmosphere.

"What are you two plotting this time?" Kakashi asked with a grin.

Shikaku glanced at Haneda, then said casually, "Hokage-sama was just asking how we could get the other nations to attack Konoha first."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so it's about the Fourth Great Ninja War?"

Shikaku subtly shifted his focus to Kakashi, though his question was clearly directed at Haneda. "Speaking of which, Hokage-sama, what's the real reason behind your desire for war?"

Haneda sighed softly and answered, "War is the means to an end. It's about unification—about creating lasting peace."

He paused, his gaze steady. "Shikaku, don't you think there are too many fragmented nations in this world?"

Shikaku hesitated. To him, the number of nations had always been a given—an unchanging reality. But Haneda's perspective was different, shaped by ideals of unity and strength.

"…I see," Shikaku murmured.

Kakashi, meanwhile, folded his arms and smirked. "Haneda, you always were ambitious. But I have to admit, you might be onto something here."

Haneda chuckled. "Well then, let's give the world something to talk about."

…

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