Chương 49: A little test

Ritsu argued with clear frustration in his voice.

"How is Konoha ever going to send shinobi to help clear the bandits? You are already fighting three of the great villages at the same time. They do not have anyone to spare to send on a long journey to the Land of Claws, Daimyo-sama."

"And even if they sent someone, it would be too late for the villages that would be ravaged by the bandits already. But Iwa is just right next to you, waiting to help its brothers in the Land of Claws and protect them from bandit savagery." Shikaku replied in a calm and steady tone.

"Our Konoha shinobi are good enough to root out pests. Just on our way here we encountered some Iwa 12-man scout party, and now not even their remains remain." That earned him a sharp glare from Ritsu, who did not think Konoha would be so blatant about killing Iwa shinobi and admitting it openly in front of the Daimyo. The two jonin argued back and forth for several minutes. Ritsu pushed the point of distance and immediate availability.

"Iwa shares a direct border with you. Our forces can move quickly and respond to threats the same day they appear. Konoha is far away. By the time their shinobi arrive, many villages would already be burned and looted. You cannot afford to wait weeks for help when danger is at your doorstep right now." Shikaku countered smoothly without raising his voice.

"Distance does not matter when reliability does. Konoha has a long history of honoring alliances even when it costs us. Iwa has a history of breaking them when it benefits them. Which partner would you trust with your country's future? The one who comes late but stays true, or the one who comes fast but leaves when it no longer suits them?" Ritsu shot back immediately.

"Trust is earned through action, not words. Iwa has already offered support and proven it by dealing with smaller bandit groups near our shared border. Konoha only sends words and empty promises while fighting on three fronts. How can you spare even a single team when your own villages are under threat?" Shikaku smiled faintly.

"Because we understand that helping allies today ensures they help us tomorrow. A strong Land of Claws means a stronger buffer against Iwa's expansion. We fight for long-term stability, not short-term gains. That is the difference between a true alliance and a temporary convenience." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"Enough," the Daimyo said, raising his hand to stop the debate. His voice carried the weight of authority. The room fell silent at once. He looked at both teams with tired but determined eyes.

"I have decided that the best way to find which village would be more suitable to ally with would be through a competition of the genin. The ones who represent both your present and future. I would have liked to give you a competition to just hunt down the bandits. But they are too spread out and we do not even know where their leaders are."

"I had asked you to bring your genin for this very reason." He looked directly at the genin and continued.

"I will give them two tests. One of them would be a test of your intellect and dialogue skill and the other a test of your fighting prowess. The first would be a debate. You would be speaking as if you are in my court and would be arguing against each other on why your village is better than the others. So the Konoha genin would be speaking why Konoha is better than Iwa and why we should be hiring them for the mission. And the Iwa genin would be speaking why Iwa is better."

Shunsui thought with a small internal smile, 'Did I come back to school from my previous life? It is a pity… for Iwa shinobi. I have always been good in debate competitions. Back on Earth I used to win trophies for arguing both sides of any topic. But still, this is going to be such a drag.' The Daimyo continued speaking in a firm voice.

"The other would be a test taken by my samurai. They would test the skills of your genin to see if they are capable enough to protect the Land of Claws in the future. Whether the Land of Claws' future would also be safe with them." Shikaku's voice echoed in the genins minds through Inoichi's telepathy technique. He immediately managed to deduce what the test was about. Shikaku said,'It is to test whether Konoha shinobi or Iwa shinobi could work together with the samurai when it would be time to hunt down bandits.

Samurai and shinobi do not get along easily, and if the country is to be cleared of bandits, both would have to work together. This test would show who could build that cooperation better under pressure and real conditions. So make sure to follow whatever the samurai are saying and be respectful of them.' Shunsui thought, 'I am pretty sure that Shikaku telling this was not something the Daimyo had thought and planned for. It is almost cheating now that we know the purpose of the test.'

'But I would have to give it to this Daimyo. While Iwa and Konoha are fighting out there on the battlefield with dozens of shinobi from each side dying each day, here he has made the kids fight in a little competition against each other.' Shunsui thought. He said to his teammates in a whisper, "When the news of our victory reaches the front, it would raise the morale of our shinobi and lower the morale of Iwa shinobi. It might help a lot of them out there on the frontlines."

Guy's and Genma's eyes brightened at the prospect of helping the Konoha shinobi fighting for their lives at the Iwa front, and they nodded in determination at Shunsui. As for why Shunsui had said "our victory," he knew that there was zero possibility of there being another outcome.