Sunagakure's Peace Talks and Nawaki's Ambition

The situation in the Land of Wind underwent a shocking reversal within a month. The Konoha Shinobi Army, once trapped in a difficult position, swept through the land, capturing cities and territories and annexing vast tracts of land and population.

Although every nation had anticipated that Sunagakure would be in trouble once the truth behind the Third Kazekage's assassination was exposed, none had expected the situation to deteriorate so quickly. At this rate, within a few months, Konoha might occupy more than half of the Land of Wind! Nawaki had once again taught the upper echelons of every nation a valuable lesson: public sentiment was incredibly important in war! The Land of Wind, once united from top to bottom, was utterly different from the present-day Sunagakure, which had lost the people's support. Konoha's guidance of public opinion in this affair also left every nation in awe. After this incident, all nations began attaching unprecedented importance to public opinion and the will of the people. At the very least, they would not repeat the absurd blunders of Sunagakure's leadership.

Other nations still had the chance to learn from this lesson and correct themselves, but Sunagakure, serving as the negative example, no longer even had that opportunity. Both the populace and the Daimyo government were deeply disappointed by Sunagakure's string of disastrous performances. The Daimyo government viewed matters differently from ordinary civilians. They had no issue with Sunagakure's leadership concealing the whereabouts of the Third Kazekage's corpse or plotting to ambush Konoha; in the beginning, they had even fully supported them. They were all politicians, after all, and had long been accustomed to such schemes and intrigues. What they could not accept was that every single one of Sunagakure's plots had failed! First, the hundred-thousand-strong Shinobi Army sent to ambush Konoha was