Everyone in the tent understood the implication behind the Yuki Clan head's final words: if all eighty thousand of them died heroically in battle, then with no evidence left, the Mizukage would have no way to pin any crimes on them. Moreover, by then the remaining branches of their clans would no longer pose a threat to the Mizukage and would most likely be taken in and used by him. In this way, although the clan faction would lose all its fighting strength, it could preserve hope for the future.
After the clan heads present figured this out, their eyes lit up. This outcome was not the worst possible one for them. As long as their clans could continue, compared to abandoning their own relatives, this kind of self-sacrifice better suited a shinobi's beliefs and was easier to accept emotionally.
The situation was simple now. If Konoha refused their previous terms, they could still preserve the seeds of their clans. If Konoha agreed, their eighty thousand men would not even need to become prisoners and could withdraw unscathed! This was far better than the previous situation. The only difference was the added variable of western Land of Fire!
As for the Yuki Clan head taking their lives as bargaining chips without authorization, none of the higher-ups present were dissatisfied. They knew this indecisive man's personality all too well. If Skywalker had not driven him into a corner this time, he would never have been so decisive. Besides, these terms were vastly better than before. Not only did no one step forward to undermine him, they all wore expressions of readiness to die and decided to take the gamble.
Through his Sensory Technique, Nawaki took in every change in the Mist Ninja higher-ups' mindsets. Wearing an admiring expression, he said, "The