The Land of Demons lay to the northeast, near the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water—in other words, close to the Land of Lightning. Kazemori Masaki could not help recalling the campaign in the Land of Lightning in which he had fought. It was an unforgettable memory, his first time stepping onto a battlefield.
The others did not share Kazemori Masaki's feelings. None of them had experienced a Shinobi World War firsthand, and they were admiring the scenery around them. They were within the Land of Hot Water, whose pleasant natural beauty made visitors reluctant to leave.
After the First Shinobi World War, the Land of Hot Water had realized that its military strength could never make it a dominant power in the shinobi world. It had resolutely abandoned its shinobi village, cutting off its ample funding and instead turning to its natural surroundings to pursue development under the protection of a great nation.
Because of the Land of Fire's performance in the Shinobi World War, the Land of Hot Water had chosen it as its protector, sending envoys to pledge allegiance in exchange for protection. As a result, Yugakure Ninja Village no longer held such an important position within the country and stopped training combat personnel.
Kazemori Masaki remembered that Yugakure Ninja Village would later be called the "Village That Forgot War." The Land of Hot Water had a clear understanding of the state of the shinobi world. It accepted its position as a small nation and no longer dreamed of achieving supremacy through force. Taking this path could be called a reluctant concession, but it was the right choice.
Had the Land of Rain understood this, perhaps it would never have become the "Land of Weeping." But Hanzō had emerged, giving the Land of Rain