Board Thread:Theories and Speculation/@comment-3568954-20180914003134/@comment-1458758-20180914005117

Interesting theory, though I think more likely that, since Orochimaru is an international criminal, any sort of political sway he had, especially over the land of sound is null and void and it's just that he still has strategic value to the Five Nations alliance.

He might have had control of the country at one point, but that literally doesn't stop five other, bigger, more influential countries from forcing their will in the situation, especially since Orochimaru was already a criminal from Konohagakure and invaded the country to begin with.