In the royal palace of the Land of Rice Fields, a male ninja with long black hair and an Otogakure forehead protector hurried over to Zhijiu.
"Lord Zhijiu, the Land of Lightning has replied. They're willing to accept our allegiance and send ninja from Kumogakure to help defend the Land of Rice Fields against the Land of Fire, but they've also set conditions."
Dressed in plain cloth robes, Zhijiu beamed when he heard that Kumogakure was willing to protect the Land of Rice Fields. Everything had gone just as he had expected. The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning would never willingly let the Land of Rice Fields side with the Land of Fire.
"Tell me, what are their conditions?"
Though he had not slept all night, Zhijiu was exhilarated by this wonderful news. He personally stepped up to the ninja and helped him to his feet.
"They need the Land of Rice Fields to prove its loyalty. We must declare war on the Land of Fire first."
Zhijiu's hearty laughter stopped abruptly when he heard the Land of Lightning's condition.
"Are you certain this is what the Land of Lightning demanded?"
Zhijiu was indeed a hardliner who wanted to preserve Otogakure, but that did not mean he blindly craved war.
If the Land of Rice Fields attacked the Land of Fire, wouldn't that hand them the perfect pretext? Once war broke out, he would no longer have any say in when it ended.
If the Land of Lightning sincerely wanted an alliance with the Land of Rice Fields, they would never ask it to start a war. This reply seemed more like a trap laid for him by the Land of Fire.
"Tell the Land of Lightning that we will not initiate a war against the Land of Fire.