After each leaving a few parting words, Ōnoki and the Raikage led their ninja troops back the way they had come.
The Seven-Nation Allied Forces had secretly invaded the Land of Fire, only to lose before the fighting even began.
They had paid no reparations, but this outcome hurt more than being forced to cede land and pay compensation.
They had never expected the Land of Fire to change hands so quickly.
And its new ruler had taken the exact opposite approach.
He had completely abandoned the old system of enfeoffing lords used by the great powers of the shinobi world. Instead, he had thrown open the borders and actively invited neighboring small countries to settle within them.
Just how much resolve did it take to make such a decision?
The representatives of the four sides left with heavy hearts. They knew perfectly well what this news meant.
Once the Daimyo's Residences of the Four Great Nations learned of it, they would undoubtedly take drastic action.
It might even spark the Fourth Shinobi World War outright.
After all, watching an enemy grow stronger step by step hurt even more than growing weaker themselves.
Among the representatives of the Seven Nations, Ōnoki and Raikage A were exceptionally powerful.
When they emerged from that vast illusion ninjutsu, they had considered finding Naruto's real body and challenging him to a decisive battle.
In the end, however, they abandoned the idea because of the twenty thousand allied troops under their command.
After all, it had taken only an instant to pull that army of twenty thousand into the genjutsu world.
Naruto had already overlooked their hostility and released them from captivity.
If they went back in out of resentment immediately after getting out...
None of the four could guarantee that they would make it