"Honestly, then they should just ask for help!" After hearing Orochimaru's explanation, Akaseki felt rather contemptuous of the Land of Iron's attitude.
"Heh, the people of the Land of Iron are worried that asking a major ninja village for help would compromise their neutrality." Orochimaru shook his head, equally dismissive.
As long as the Land of Iron could withstand the Land of Rain's offensive on its own, at least the Five Great Ninja Villages would not rashly intervene there, just as Kumogakure had never dared invade the Land of Iron directly!
If Kumogakure entered the fray itself, Konoha and Iwagakure would definitely ally with the Land of Iron's samurai. Then Kumogakure would not only have to face those samurai, who were no pushovers outside the Five Great Nations, on their home turf, but also endure a pincer attack from Konoha and Iwagakure with "help from the locals." It could very well lose all its fighting forces in the Land of Iron.
Now, however, with the Land of Rain attacking and Kumogakure poised to strike, neither Konoha nor Iwagakure dared make any major moves. Even if Konoha wanted to help, it could only send elite squads to escort supplies under the banner of "normal trade," intervening indirectly.
"We have to sneak around even when we're helping them." Akaseki curled his lip, displeased.
"Yes, so those samurai in the Land of Iron aren't really our comrades, much less our employers. Konoha simply needs them as a buffer between its north and the Land of Lightning," Orochimaru said matter-of-factly.
The Land of Lightning lay on a peninsula in the continent's northeast, and the Land of Iron blocked the land bridge connecting it to the mainland.
Of course, they could bypass the land bridge and come directly by sea, as they had during their