The Daimyō understood what Ye Feng meant. Although he felt humiliated, circumstances left him little choice, so he could only take the opening offered to him and say:
"Can Konoha really guarantee that it won't interfere in the Land of Fire?"
Ye Feng said with a smile:
"Rest assured, Daimyō. Starting a war wouldn't benefit us either. Konoha only pursued reform because we had no choice. I'm sure you're well aware of the outcome of the Third Shinobi World War. If Konoha's ninja hadn't fought without fear of death, Konoha would probably have been carved up by the Four Great Shinobi Villages long ago. We're merely seeking the strength to protect ourselves. And with a stronger Konoha, you can rest easy in your position as Daimyō, and even stand above your counterparts in the other four nations. But if Konoha is destroyed, I don't need to explain what will happen to you, do I?"
"You had no choice?"
The Daimyō didn't believe Ye Feng's nonsense, but the latter part of his speech had struck a chord with him.
Konoha had won this world war. Although it had been a costly victory, it was a victory nonetheless. This had also imperceptibly established Konoha's position as the Number One Great Shinobi Village, and the Land of Fire was showing signs of becoming the greatest nation along with it. This made the Daimyō feel a notch above the other Daimyō when he stood before them.
But if Konoha had lost this time and been carved up by the Four Great Shinobi Villages, the Land of Fire would have lost its greatest fighting force.
Never mind whether the Land of Fire would become the weakest of the Five Great Nations-even its continued existence would have been in question.
After all, the Land of Fire