112. Hikari’s Confrontation with the Kirigakure’s Jinchuriki (4)

112. Hikari’s Confrontation with the Kirigakure’s Jinchuriki (4)

As they continued their run through the jungle, Hikari's mind wandered to the implications of his recent victories.

The scale of his accomplishments dawned on him—defeating five of Kirigakure's most elite shinobi, in succession, sealing two of their legendary swords, and not to mention now capturing their two Jinchuriki.

He was aware that his name would soon echo not just along the front lines but potentially across the ninja world, likely marking him as the biggest enemy in the Kirigakure's history.

The realization brought a mix of pride and a sobering sense of the spotlight that would now follow him unlike ever before.

He contemplated the target that he might become for other powerful entities seeking to test their strength against his or to avenge Kirigakure's losses.

With the weight of his recent successes pressing on his mind, Hikari also started to formulate his next moves.

The staggering losses Kirigakure had suffered, particularly among their elite ranks, offered him a unique strategic opportunity.

'Soon, it will be time to end the war on this front entirely...', He mused, thinking about the overwhelming disadvantage Kirigakure now faced. Over the next few months, Hikari planned to capitalize on the morale advantage his victories had secured.

His goal was ambitious: leveraging his newfound Mid-Kage level capabilities, he intended to also use it, amongst other things, to conquer the entire continental territory of the Land of Water and push Kirigakure's shinobi forces all the way back across the sea.

Once established, this territory would serve as a strategic launchpad for an eventual invasion of Kirigakure itself to secure a victory against them and on this Hyuga-led front entirely.

However, despite the monumental victories he had achieved, Hikari maintained a clear and cautious perspective.

Hikari knew that understanding these dynamics was crucial, not just for comprehending the strength of his enemies, but also for planning his strategies in the ongoing and future conflicts.

By the time Hikari completed his assessment of the day's events, he acknowledged that the previous battle allowed him to truly break through the unofficial, solid Mid-Kage level which was a very positive development in terms of his personal power and at the level of stealing two-tailed beast effectively in political and geopolitical terms.

As Hikari and his forces moved swiftly further through the jungle, he mulled over the complex situation the sealed Jinchuriki, now basically entirely in his possession, through those two half-dead, half-alive bodies, posed precisely. Therefore, he thought about that after sighing,

'Having these Tailed Beasts in my personal possession is kind of a double-edged sword. It is not an entirely positive thing to current me. There's the obvious risk of others attacking to seize this immense power, and the Hokage's Faction will certainly demand I hand them over "to the village", meaning to them as they control the village administration nearly completely',

'Effectively strengthening the biggest internal adversary, close to me, while weakening Kirigakure—a nation I have no inherent quarrel with, across the sea. In that case, I have actually shot myself in the foot by going through with this, and I can't allow that to happen...',

'Our Anti-Hokage Faction isn't yet strong enough to openly defy the Hokage's Faction if they press the issue... Moreover...',

He continued in his thoughts, 'My skills in fuinjutsu aren't advanced enough, right now still, to try and attempt sealing the Tailed Beasts within myself or an ally, which could have offered a significant boost in our direct confrontations against the Hokage's Faction for the matter...',

'This truly is like holding a hot potato—dangerous yet potentially worthless if mishandled. The best course might be to leverage these beasts for a strategic advantage in other ways.',

'Hypothetically, If I could negotiate their return to Kirigakure in exchange for them ending the war, favorably and under the Land of Fire's and Konoha's interests and terms, submitting toward our main demands, it would have to be under a new, more amenable Mizukage—perhaps someone from the Kaguya or Yuki clans currently opposing the current leadership.',

'This move could not only earn me significant military merit but also forge a powerful new set of allies in Kirigakure, completely transformed under a leadership sympathetic to our cause.',

'While the Hokage's Faction could demand the beasts' transfer to Konoha, they're unaware of my plans to return them. I might manage to stall for time, maintaining the status quo long enough to execute my strategy. By that time, they couldn't do anything, as we, and mostly me personally, would have become war heroes who ended this bloody war, and freed Konoha's hands to fight against the other four great shinobi villages more. This could truly reshape the power dynamics in our favor, turning a precarious situation into a pivotal victory.',

Hikari's plan crystallized as he navigated the dense foliage, each step forward mirroring the progress in his strategic thinking. This deep game of political and military maneuvering was exactly the kind of challenge that spurred him on, a chance to use his wit and resources.