At that very moment, during the Land of Fire's court assembly, the Daimyo had just issued a new order to those gathered—because the Land of Demons was playing both sides and refusing to take a consistent stance, troops would be dispatched to punish it!
The officials at the assembly paled in shock. They had never expected the Daimyo to resort to such a measure, and someone soon stepped forward to oppose him.
"Why?" The Daimyo stared at the official who had stepped forward, his gaze cold and sinister, as though he wanted to devour the man alive.
"Your Highness, although the Land of Demons has not publicly declared that it will follow our nation's lead, its stance still leans toward us," the official said, forcing himself to speak.
"That is only because they do not want to offend us." The Daimyo swept his hand fiercely through the air. "How can we tolerate this sort of attempt to please both sides? They must be punished! We must make them understand that they can either obediently follow the Land of Fire's lead or become its enemy!"
Everyone exchanged glances, feeling that this seemed deeply unwise. Neutral nations had positions of their own, and among them, the Land of Demons leaned toward the Land of Fire. Given time, it might truly join the alliance centered on the Land of Fire. But if they resorted to military action, then...
"For decades, our nation has always sent troops into battle under the banner of a righteous cause. The Land of Demons has done nothing wrong," another official stepped forward to say.
"How have they done nothing wrong? Our nation represents the side of justice in the shinobi world and has maintained the shinobi world order for years, yet the Land of Demons has no intention