Before the Land of Lightning officially entered the war, they consciously gathered information on every battlefield, including the battle in the Land of Grass that occurred shortly before their declaration of war. In that battle, the new ninja tools used by Konoha Hidden Leaf Village immediately caught the attention of intelligence ninjas, who wrote a report and sent it back to the village.
With just one glance, the higher-ups of Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village determined that these ninja tools were specifically designed to counter the rock defenses that Iwagakure Hidden Stone Village excelled at. From the results of their initial deployment, the effect was remarkably significant. Although Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village already had its own advantages, they were also very interested in other applications of these new ninja tools. Among them, they were most curious as to why these new ninja tools could continuously throw explosive tags without fear of depletion.
Although Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village was moving towards a peaceful path similar to Konoha Hidden Leaf Village, their belligerent nature still ran in their blood, and their pursuit of power would never cease. After realizing the strategic value of the explosive cannon, some people in Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village couldn't help but be tempted, hoping to obtain some samples for research.
Thus, after officially cooperating with Konoha Hidden Leaf Village, the Third Raikage tentatively asked if they could sell them some explosive cannons. He didn't have very high hopes in his heart, as the value of these ninja tools was very high, and it was unlikely they would be easily sold to other countries, even if they were allies.
"It shouldn't be that easy to convince him, right?" Sora asked. Although she already knew that Fumori Masaki had agreed to the matter, she felt that the process couldn't have been that smooth.
"No, it was very smooth. The moment I brought it up, he almost didn't hesitate and nodded in agreement," the Third Raikage said.
Not only that, besides agreeing to sell the finished explosive cannons to the Land of Lightning, Fumori Masaki also offered to sell some related research technologies. However, Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village would need to exchange certain technologies other than money, primarily some of Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village's research achievements in Lightning Release.
The Third Raikage immediately understood that Konoha Hidden Leaf Village's goal was to effectively deal with Iwagakure Hidden Stone Village, because one of the technologies they requested was research on Lightning Release explosive tags. Traditionally used explosive tags were based on Fire Release secret techniques, and were deeply favored by ninjas due to their powerful destructive force and the additional effect of causing burns. However, with the passage of time, ninjas also began to consider sealing other ninjutsu into talismans.
There are two requirements for making talismans like explosive tags: one is powerful destructiveness, and the other is ease of production. If either of these is lacking, their value will decrease. Among the five elemental chakras, Fire Release and Lightning Release are the most suitable for making talismans. Other elements would have shortcomings; either their destructive power is insufficient, and even if it were to be compensated, it would increase production costs, thus failing the second condition, or they are inherently difficult to produce.
Both Fire and Lightning attributes are easy to satisfy both conditions. However, the problem with Lightning attribute is that it is too active, making it troublesome to find suitable materials. If the materials are not easily obtainable, it would lead to the condition of easy production not being met. Nevertheless, Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village, which has used Lightning attribute for many years, has already developed a suitable set of Lightning Release secret techniques for sealing strength and appropriate materials.
During the First Great Ninja War, the Lightning Release explosive tags used by Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village caused significant trouble for Iwagakure Hidden Stone Village in certain areas. If Konoha Hidden Leaf Village could obtain Lightning Release explosive tags, combined with the terrifying output capability of the explosive cannon, Iwagakure Hidden Stone Village's rock wall defenses would become incredibly fragile and vulnerable.
"No wonder he agreed to even provide the technology. He probably doesn't want us to control the production of Lightning Release explosive tags, and he also doesn't want to spend time overcoming the manufacturing technology for Lightning Release explosive tags," Sora realized with a sudden understanding.
Because Lightning Release explosive tags lose their effect after use, there is no chance of retrieving them on the battlefield. Under normal circumstances, Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village would not easily reveal the manufacturing technology of Lightning Release explosive tags, even if Konoha Hidden Leaf Village is an ally of Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village.
But now Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village has its own needs, and Konoha Hidden Leaf Village also has needs in this area, so both sides naturally hit it off. The Third Raikage had not yet announced it in the high-level meeting, but given the Raikage's position in Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village, such a mutually beneficial matter, even if there was resistance, would certainly be approved.
"You should think there's no problem, right? Although we have to give away the manufacturing technology for Lightning Release explosive tags, I think the research value of the explosive cannon is higher," the Third Raikage said.
"Personally, I think there's no problem. Explosive tags have already spread throughout the ninja world, and Lightning Release explosive tags are similar. On the other hand, the explosive cannon, and the things that can be extended from this device, I think will be very interesting," Sora said.
In Sora's mind, this deal was excellent, and they might even gain more advantages, because although the research technology for Lightning Release explosive tags was a secret, Konoha Hidden Leaf Village also had some powerful Lightning Release ninjas. Given enough time, they would certainly be able to figure it out; it was merely a matter of time.
Konoha Hidden Leaf Village might want to quickly gain an advantage in the war against Iwagakure Hidden Stone Village, which is why they chose to trade and use Konoha Hidden Leaf Village's strong production capacity to manufacture Lightning Release explosive tags, rather than purchasing them from Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village. This gave Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village the opportunity to obtain the explosive cannon.
Although Konoha Hidden Leaf Village provided finished products and only sold part of the technology, not all of it, Sora felt that Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village should be able to shorten the research time for the explosive cannon and quickly produce finished products, just as Konoha Hidden Leaf Village would certainly quickly master the manufacturing method for Lightning Release explosive tags.
"With the explosive cannon as a foundation, we should be able to develop some corresponding ninja tools based on the characteristics of our Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village," various ideas couldn't help but surface in Sora's mind.
"Indeed, their Konoha Hidden Leaf Village has its own characteristics, and our Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village also has its own," the Third Raikage nodded. Just like the unique puppet jutsu of Sunagakure Hidden Sand Village, even if other ninja villages had techniques with similar principles, it would be impossible to perfectly imitate puppets. Puppet jutsu is a system that includes cultivation secret techniques; it's not something that can be perfectly mimicked by just making a tool. Each ninja village has different characteristics.
However, neither of them would have imagined that this was just optimistic speculation. How could Fumori Masaki easily sell important technology? The explosive cannon was not something that could be easily replicated. On such matters, he would not easily let himself suffer a loss.
The explosive cannon is different from ordinary ninja tools like kunai and shuriken. It was developed by the Konoha Research Department after many years of studying the remnants of the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets, combined with the steadily evolving craftsmanship of Konoha Hidden Leaf Village. Relying on the resource advantages of the Land of Fire, their craftsmanship absolutely surpassed that of other countries. Even if Fumori Masaki provided some of the technical principles and manufacturing essentials for the explosive tags, it would not be easy to first bridge the gap in manufacturing craftsmanship.
Even if Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village could catch up in craftsmanship and overcome the technical essentials in a short time to produce explosive cannons, they would face another problem. Because Konoha Hidden Leaf Village sold the manufacturing technology of the explosive cannon, the people of Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village instinctively believed that the reason the explosive cannon could continuously throw explosive tags was inherent to the cannon itself, unaware that it was due to the chakra storage blocks.
It's like selling only guns but not bullets. While a ninja's own chakra can support powerful firepower, it cannot be compared to Konoha Hidden Leaf Village with its chakra storage blocks. This cannot be said that Fumori Masaki is playing dirty; it's that the other party assumed the explosive cannon had this effect. He merely utilized the other party's preconceived notion and didn't mention certain things. It's because the other party didn't ask, not because he didn't say, so he naturally sold it.
The most crucial point is that the explosive cannon is just one of the more important achievements of the Konoha Research Department. In fact, subsequent new ninja tools related to the explosive cannon, namely the second and third phases, have successively been put into preliminary production. Other new ninja tools are also in the planning stages, but due to certain factors, they cannot yet be widely used or manufactured.
This Second Great Ninja War was an unavoidable event. Therefore, Fumori Masaki had long planned, in addition to further promoting the ideology of Konoha-ism, to weaken the power of other countries and profit from them in terms of resources and technology, using this as a foundation to enhance the strength of the ninja village.
Although the explosive cannon made its debut in this war, it was no longer a cutting-edge invention. After this war ends, the explosive cannon should become a relatively outdated tool. Even if Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village manages to develop the explosive cannon in the future, as long as they cannot solve the problem of chakra storage blocks, they cannot be compared with Konoha Hidden Leaf Village. By the time they solve all the problems, including the war's buffer period, Konoha Hidden Leaf Village would have already developed even more powerful and advanced ninja tools.
As long as he maintained a technological gap with the other side, Fumori Masaki felt that selling it was fine. He could also use these "outdated" items to acquire raw materials for his new technologies, providing convenience for his more advanced ninja tools. Why not?
It's important to know that unlike explosive cannons and Lightning Release explosive tags, which disappear after a single use, even their remnants hold significant research value. On the battlefield, given Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village's nature, they would certainly not miss an opportunity to acquire explosive cannons. Rather than letting them secretly obtain the technology, it's better to actively sell it, which brings both money and some needed technology.
Of course, while the explosive cannon is valuable, it's not extraordinarily so, and the technology exchanged for it wouldn't involve Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village's Lightning Release secrets. However, Fumori Masaki felt that these alone held immense value for the already established Konoha Research Department. In this transaction, his side would definitely not lose out.
Neither Sora nor the Third Raikage knew about this at the moment. Even if they found out later, they could only blame their own carelessness and shake their heads at the other party's cunning. They wouldn't say that Fumori Masaki was too despicable or anything. In this matter, both sides got what they wanted, and it wasn't a truly complete cooperation. Not only Fumori Masaki, but Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village also had its own ulterior motives. One could only say they were outmaneuvered.
"The explosive cannon deal should happen later. The current goal is still the battle with Kirigakure Hidden Mist Village, right? Have you thought about how to cooperate?" Sora asked.
"Kazamori has already told me the preliminary strategic objective," the Third Raikage then informed her of the blockade tactic Fumori Masaki had discussed, saying, "I think it makes a lot of sense. There's no point in dragging things out with the Land of Water, an island nation. It just causes unnecessary losses. After driving them off the continent, we'll blockade them, preventing resources from flowing in, forcing them to give up on their own. That's better than completely subjugating them."
"It's also because we don't have a strong navy," Sora said.
"A navy wouldn't be very useful anyway. The only place it would be effective is that cursed Land of Water. Why bother expending so much effort on a major nation far from the mainland? It's better to focus on the countries on the continent," the Third Raikage shook his head.
If the Land of Water were just a country of ordinary strength, then occupying it would be fine. But its strength allows it to rank among the Five Great Nations. Regardless of how it exploits the potential of its islands, it is at least a very troublesome opponent. Unless one is truly powerful and has the leisure to interfere with an island, or if the Land of Water possesses extremely important strategic resources, why would anyone want to fight such a troublesome country?
And the Land of Water has neither strategic resources worth risking for, nor is it a weak country. The Land of Lightning itself is not the overlord of the continent. Even the currently most powerful Land of Fire must take the Land of Lightning and Land of Earth seriously. In such a situation, who has the leisure to deal with the Land of Water when the problems on the continent haven't even been resolved? Since it's not so urgent and necessary, why invest funds in developing a navy?
This is a problem that both the Land of Fire and Land of Lightning face now. Even if they suffer this loss, it will likely only be temporary. Investment in the navy will never exceed that in the army, unless one day something worth pursuing is discovered overseas. But whether such a thing truly exists, no one can say.
After all, even the Land of Water, which is most skilled in navigation, hasn't explored anything worth pursuing overseas. If something truly valuable were discovered, it wouldn't need to wander around the ninja continent, which is full of powerful enemies, occasionally showing its presence and hoping to occupy certain lands to enhance its national power.
However, with the Land of Fire and Land of Lightning standing in the way, the Land of Water's ambitions are probably impossible to realize. Its potential is too poor; if it cannot obtain other fresh blood, it cannot possess national power surpassing that of the Land of Fire and Land of Lightning. Even if it wins temporarily, it will be driven away.
However, the Land of Water was still a nuisance that would occasionally pop up. The Third Raikage felt that this time, they had to thoroughly crush it so it wouldn't jump out and annoy people again. According to the current ninja world situation, he vaguely had a feeling that in the future, only the Land of Fire, Land of Lightning, and Land of Earth would stand firm in the ninja world. He would work with the Land of Fire to suppress the Land of Earth, and then it would be a struggle for dominance between the Land of Fire and Land of Lightning.
Who will be the future ruler of the ninja continent depends on the efforts of the Third Raikage and Fumori Masaki, and their successors.