The Tide of Battle Turns

Because of Sasori's voluntary confession, coupled with Konoha's declaration, public opinion throughout the Shinobi World completely reversed. Konoha now stood on the moral high ground!

Nawaki had always attached great importance to the righteous cause behind a war. Others might not understand its significance, but Nawaki knew that it could sometimes play a decisive role in determining victory or defeat. A righteous cause represented the will of the people. As the saying went, favorable timing was inferior to advantageous terrain, and advantageous terrain was inferior to unity among the people. Those who followed the Way gained many allies; those who lost it found few. These familiar principles all demonstrated the importance of righteousness in war.

Nawaki had gone to great lengths to track down Sasori's whereabouts and deliberately had Konan invite him into Akatsuki in order to destroy the unity of the Land of Wind.

Judging from the current outcome, his plan had succeeded completely.

This incident had affected the civilians of the Land of Wind the most. After Sunagakure's propaganda, they had originally believed themselves to be victims and had prepared to unite as one in facing the nation's crisis. But then they suddenly discovered that their own country had been the true culprit behind the conspiracy to start the war. The people's fighting spirit instantly collapsed, and they became deeply disappointed in the government that had deceived them.

Some even came to hate Sunagakure because of it. For instance, many civilians in areas occupied by Konoha had suffered tremendous losses, even losing their homes and families, because they had supported Sunagakure's guerrillas. Originally, they could comfort themselves with the honor of being heroes resisting an invasion. But after discovering that they had been deceived and exploited, their convictions utterly crumbled, and they inevitably came to hate Sunagakure, which