Chapter 463: Everything Can Be Negotiated!
Konoha had issued an ultimatum to the other five villages.
They were Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure, and the Land of Iron. In short, these were the only five villages currently capable of posing a threat to Konoha after their main forces left for war.
The smaller villages posed no meaningful threat or strength. Even if they dared to stab Konoha in the back, they likely wouldn't be able to breach its defenses.
So, for the time being, they could be ignored.
Of these five villages:
Iwagakure naturally followed Konoha's lead. They had already prepared their troops early and began moving toward the gathering point in the Land of Frost.
Kumogakure was the second to agree and join the war. Initially, many thought Kumogakure, which had a lot of blood feud with Konoha, would reject this war. However, who would have thought they would respond so enthusiastically? Whether they were impressed by Minato's strength or worried that Iwagakure would become an even greater threat after gaining advantages from this war, Kumogakure chose to side with Konoha.
For Kumogakure, while Konoha was hated, Iwagakure, which had defeated the Third Raikage with numerical superiority, was seen as even more cunning and despicable. Kumogakure respected strength, and they deeply despised the scheming Ōnoki. If they had to choose, they would rather side with Konoha than watch Iwagakure dominate them. Kumogakure's joining also left Tobirama, who had returned, feeling disappointed, as he lost the chance to seek revenge...
Meanwhile, Sunagakure initially refused. Sunagakure had always been at the bottom among the five great villages, and their Fourth Kazekage and Jinchūriki had just died. They had no desire or courage to get involved in a large-scale war on the Moon. However, after efforts from Danzo's spies infiltrating the village, using the former Root spy network and his connections in Sunagakure, he continuously persuaded and incited...
Additionally, seeing Iwagakure and Kumogakure also joining, Sunagakure finally agreed to join the ninja alliance. They also wanted to avoid the possibility of being punished by Konoha and the other villages after the war.
Lastly, Kirigakure and the Land of Iron rejected Konoha's proposal.