Surrender and Alliance

A few days later, the storm of public opinion directed at Konoha finally subsided. The upper echelons of every nation cast aside the idea of joining forces against Konoha. Though the four great nations were deeply unwilling to accept this outcome, there was nothing they could do about it.

Konoha held the carrot of economic benefits in one hand and wielded the stick of military force in the other. Dividing and dismantling the nations was simply too easy. Even the four great nations, which bore the brunt of it, each harbored their own schemes and hesitated when facing Konoha. The smaller nations, long accustomed to groveling, were even less capable of unity. Their so-called alliance had been a joke from the start.

The Land of Lightning, which was most directly involved in this matter, made no moves after its verbal posturing. There was not the slightest sign that it intended to send troops to rescue the Land of Hot Water.

Kumogakure's leadership thought much the same as the other nations. They believed that Skywalker's goals had been the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Snow from the very beginning, and that everything he had done was merely an attempt to reenact what had happened in the Land of Birds and the Land of Demons.

Konoha had deliberately deployed one hundred thousand shinobi to surround Yugakure without attacking, while stationing another one hundred and fifty thousand at the border of the Land of Frost. This was most likely a scheme to lure Kumogakure into abandoning its defenses and engaging in open battle!

Having convinced themselves that they had seen through Skywalker's plan, Kumogakure decided to hold its ground and refuse to sortie. They became even more confident in the defenses along their own border, believing Skywalker would surely be