After Ron sent everyone back, the world did not remain calm. Things quickly became heated and active across the ninja world. The meeting had only been a formality; the true actions that would shape the future had already begun, and the ripples were spreading throughout the shinobi world.
Inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in thought as he listened to the report of a young prodigy, his disciple's disciple. Standing before him was Namikaze Minato, just sixteen years old, his expression calm but edged with frustration.
"Hokage-sama," Minato began, bowing his head slightly, "I must apologize for disappointing you. The Land of Snow is completely sealed off. I could not even enter. Each time my team attempted to infiltrate through the border near the Land of Hot Springs, shinobi were already waiting. It was as if they knew the route we would choose in advance. This happened multiple times. In the end, we had no choice but to withdraw. The entire territory is being heavily monitored."
Hiruzen's brows furrowed. After a long pause, he asked, "What about the Aburame clan's insects, or your own summons? Did either manage to gather any information?"
Minato immediately understood the reasoning. Konoha had many methods of reconnaissance. The Aburame clan's kikaichu/parasitic insects could scout silently for several hundred meters from their host, detecting chakra and enemy movement without drawing much attention. More than that, Minato himself was a summoner of the toads of Mount Myoboku, one of the three great holy places. Among them were tiny frogs perfectly suited for infiltration, small, covert, and capable of human speech. In theory, if they had enough chakra, they could even perform a reverse-summon to extract Minato from enemy territory or send him there. It was a rare but invaluable espionage method.
But Minato shook his head. "Unfortunately, even that failed, Hokage-sama. Before the insects or the small toads could even enter the Land of Snow's territory, they were detected and destroyed. It seems even the faintest trace of chakra cannot pass unnoticed. Whoever is guarding that border can sense and strike at anything, no matter how small, long before it crosses."
He paused, then added thoughtfully, "However… It seems they are focused purely on defense. They do not pursue us beyond their borders. I believe they sensed us from far away, but as long as we didn't attempt to force entry, they ignored us. Our probing was tolerated, but any attempt at penetration was not."
Hiruzen exhaled slowly, his face solemn. "So. Kumogakure truly intends to close itself off… and not only itself, but its ally, the Land of Snow as well. The fact that they ignored the Aburame's insects after destroying them, instead of retaliating, is telling. Their vigilance is not aggression; it is calculated defense. Stricter than even during wartime."
His gaze hardened as he continued. "It has been several years since the destruction of the Uzumaki clan, yet we still know nothing of the true situation inside the Land of Lightning. Their shinobi remain quiet, taking only public tasks abroad, never drawing suspicion. No hidden operations, no provocations. And now, with the announcement of the Land of Snow's permanent union, and never having heard of an alliance with the Land of Lightning, where one nation joins another… it is a decisive blow. We feared Kumogakure's ambition would resurface, and it seems our fears were not that accurate, at least for now. Still, they remain a hidden threat!"
Minato nodded silently. He understood the weight of the Hokage's words. Since the annihilation of the Uzumaki clan, the balance of power in the ninja world had shifted drastically.
Traditionally, the smaller countries tried to remain neutral, maintaining goodwill with Konohagakure and the Land of Fire. They had good reason. The Land of Fire was rich in resources and population, making trade and cooperation profitable. More importantly, Konoha had never been the aggressor in any war; it had always defended its allies or itself. The other great nations had invaded, plundered, and fought for dominance, but Konoha's record was different. This gave the small nations confidence that aligning with the Land of Fire was safer and more beneficial.
Yet neutrality for small nations was a fragile stance. They could not afford open hostility toward any of the Five Great Powers. Thus, while they leaned toward Konoha, they also maintained a careful distance, ensuring they were not drawn directly into conflicts. In practice, this meant that Konoha received the lion's share of mission contracts and unofficial support, while the small countries maintained their political neutrality intact, not blocking the other five superpowers.
But everything changed after the fall of Uzushiogakure/Uzumaki Village. The other three great villages, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure, formed an unprecedented external alliance. They reached out to the small nations with promises: even if wars broke out, the allied great nations would coordinate their attacks on the Land of Fire directly, sparing the territories of the smaller states. No looting, no destruction, no forced occupancy during war, so long as the small nations cooperated.
This offer was something the smaller countries could not refuse. For the first time, they were guaranteed protection from collateral damage, something even Konoha had never explicitly promised. The result was devastating for Konoha; its influence over the small nations waned, its mission contracts diminished, and it found itself isolated and pressured, harassed by Iwa, Suna, and Kiri.
Only recently had the situation begun to stabilize. Through the efforts of the Land of Fire's daimyo and Konoha's diplomacy, new agreements were reached. Trade tariffs were made mutual rather than one-sided. Where once merchants from small countries had been taxed unfairly in the Land of Fire, while there was no such taxation the other way, not even any such tax in many cases paid to the small countries, now both sides recognized each other's rights, even if they were not equal, at least it wasn't free or complete exploitation as representation required power. These reforms earned goodwill and restored some balance due to their immense effects.
Predictably, the alliance of Iwa, Suna, and Kiri responded by offering similar agreements. Thus, after years of tension following the Uzumaki clan's fall, the small nations had found themselves in a stronger position than ever before. Now, they were once again neutral in the struggles of the Five Great Powers, but this time, neutrality came with increased rights, protections, and prosperity.
The ones who had benefited most from the turmoil were not the great nations, but the small countries that had once been powerless.