The official entry of the Land of Lightning into the war undoubtedly drastically changed the direction of the eastern front. Although the Land of Water is far from the mainland, making it difficult for countries without a powerful navy to threaten its homeland, it likewise cannot ally with other nations. The Land of Water is located in the eastern part of the Shinobi world continent, with the closest countries being the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. These two countries almost completely block the Land of Water's route to the Shinobi world continent.
Of course, the Land of Water could choose to bypass these two countries and seek help from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, but the distance is too great, and the effort would be disproportionate to the gain, so they would never choose that path. If the Land of Lightning had not entered the war or had not chosen to ally with the Land of Fire, the Land of Water could have chosen to land near the Land of Lightning to attack the Konoha ninja forces. However, that is now impossible.
Upon receiving this unfavorable news, the Third Mizukage knew that their most dangerous time was approaching. They could no longer slowly erode the Land of Fire's defenses. Once Kumogakure and Konohagakure had sufficiently coordinated their efforts, Kirigakure would face a pincer attack. He was not so arrogant as to believe that their current strongholds within the Land of Fire could withstand an assault from two ninja villages.
The Third Mizukage convened the high-ranking personnel currently fighting abroad on an island in the Land of Whirlpools to discuss the upcoming battle plan. Given the current unfavorable situation, Kirigakure had to immediately open up a new front in the war. If they couldn't establish a firm foothold on the Shinobi world continent, then profiting from this war would be out of the question.
After a detailed analysis of the Land of Fire's current defense lines, the high-ranking officials believed that either the Land of Water's existing strongholds needed to be further expanded, or equally strong strongholds needed to be established within the Land of Lightning, with both sets of strongholds mutually supporting each other to form a continuous defense line. Only then could they resolve the pincer attack situation.
"It's very troublesome. The Land of Fire's defenses are very strong, and it's impossible to break through them anytime soon," the Third Mizukage tapped the table lightly, his brows furrowed tightly. "So, should we establish strongholds within the Land of Lightning? The Land of Lightning has just entered the war. Although they've already mobilized a large army, they haven't had time to fully reach the border. With the convenience of the sea, we can indeed land quickly, but—"
"Even if we can preemptively occupy some land and establish strongholds, if they can't mutually support the strongholds here, it will be impossible to stabilize the entire war situation," one of Kirigakure's high-ranking officials continued.
"It's difficult. Just solving the problem of the road between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning is an issue. Establishing a second stronghold in the Land of Lightning probably won't have much effect."
"That's right."
"Makes sense."
Soon, one of the proposals was rejected by the Kirigakure high command. The remaining option was to use the strongholds within the Land of Fire as a base, further expand the occupied area, and establish a solid base. This would allow the Land of Water to deploy a large number of troops to the land and, based on the terrain, divide the battlefield where the Land of Fire and Land of Lightning fought together, thereby gaining a breathing space for themselves.
"Given the current strength of the Land of Fire's defenses, it's impossible to break through them anytime soon. Even if we could, we would have to suffer huge casualties, and we can't afford to lose that many people!" The Third Mizukage's voice slightly deepened.
The Land of Water is the smallest of the Five Great Nations, with only the Land of Wind, which is all flash and no substance, being comparable in size. Moreover, the Land of Wind rarely receives financial investment due to significant conflicts with its national nobility. However, while the atmosphere in the Land of Water is tense due to its harsh policies, at least both sides are in agreement on the surface, and there are no restrictions on investment in the ninja village's training. Even so, due to the limitations of its territory, the number of Kirigakure ninja produced is still insufficient compared to the other three nations.
A large part of the reason the war is currently in a stalemate is that Kirigakure dares not launch large-scale offensives. The enemy has previously demonstrated strong defensive capabilities, firmly blocking the Land of Water's army at its current position by utilizing favorable terrain, making it impossible to expand their strongholds.
"So, Mizukage-sama, you mean to open up a new front elsewhere? But as we discussed earlier, the Land of Lightning isn't a good option." One of the high-ranking officials said.
"Yes. Therefore, I've decided to open a second stronghold in the Land of Fire, but not here. Instead, it will be in the southern part of the Land of Fire." As he spoke, the Third Mizukage pointed emphatically at a spot on the map of the Land of Fire. "If we can capture this location, it will create a coordinated response with our original strongholds and force the Land of Fire's troops to retreat, allowing us to establish a defensive line against the Land of Lightning."
Everyone immediately looked at the location the Mizukage pointed out and began to ponder. Advancing from this area would be equivalent to carving a gap in the Land of Fire's rear. The Konoha ninja forces would easily find themselves caught between two fronts, and they would certainly choose to retreat and adjust their defenses. This would give Kirigakure a chance to breathe, but the problem was—
"This place is a bit far. Although we can use our navy to move quickly, Konohagakure will definitely notice. Even if the defensive forces there aren't very strong, we'll probably have to commit a lot of troops," someone said. "Moreover, to force the Land of Fire's troops to retreat, we must also apply an equal amount of pressure from our side. Combining both would be necessary to achieve this goal. If we calculate it this way, we'd have to commit almost half of our forces. If we fail…"
"If we fail, we'll just have to scurry back to the Land of Water, rely on our naval defenses to prevent them from landing, and then try to negotiate a proper ceasefire agreement." The Third Mizukage let out a deep sigh.
Everyone else remained silent, evidently agreeing with the Third Mizukage's conclusion. This was a do-or-die situation: either they opened a new front and reversed the unfavorable situation, or they would be completely defeated. Even if the strongholds could be retained after the battle, how long could they last after losing advantageous territory?
"So, it's an all-out battle next? I wonder what price we'll have to pay," someone murmured.
"I have great faith in the strength of our village's ninja. They will never be inferior to any Konoha ninja. I firmly believe that in the face of the village's and nation's interests, they will display unprecedented power, surprising us, including those people from Konohagakure." The Third Mizukage spoke earnestly, his gaze sweeping across each person's face as if confirming something.
Feeling the Third Mizukage's gaze, everyone's reactions varied slightly. The Third Mizukage's eyes were very small, appearing like mere slits, but the gaze cast from those slits was as sharp and cold as a blade, sending shivers down one's spine.
"I know some of you think we should abandon this war because the situation doesn't look good, and when it's time to give up, you should. But don't forget, we are ninjas, ninjas hired by the nation. The Daimyo hasn't chosen to surrender yet, but we're choosing to give up. This is undoubtedly a betrayal of our ninja traditions. We can persuade the Daimyo to abandon the war, but until the Daimyo speaks, we cannot slack off in the slightest. Once others find out, wouldn't we become the laughingstock of the Shinobi world? Do you want that?" the Third Mizukage said coldly.
Everyone lowered their heads, displaying contemplative expressions, their thoughts unknown. At this moment, the Third Mizukage continued, "Moreover, we've already made many sacrifices in this fight. Do you think it's appropriate to return without gaining anything? Until we truly have no other options or the Daimyo chooses to give up, we must fight with all our might, fully committed to finding the enemy's weaknesses, then exploiting and expanding them to create opportunities for ourselves. In the upcoming battles, I hope each of you will act this way. As long as you give your all, even if you sacrifice your lives, I guarantee the village will treat your families well. But if anyone is found to be slacking in battle or colluding with the enemy, then don't blame me for being merciless!"
As he spoke, the Third Mizukage's voice was as cold as ice and snow, chilling to the bone. Everyone quickly declared that they would certainly give their all for the village. Some even apologized to the Third Mizukage, saying that their resolve had been shaky before, but after the Mizukage-sama's guidance, they finally understood what attitude they should adopt towards this war and would never slack off.
Thus, everyone began to discuss the landing operation plan. Since this battle would determine the course of the war, they had to commit the vast majority of their forces, and there could be no slackening at this point. At this time, someone suggested deploying Tailed Beasts into this war, and not just one, but two Tailed Beasts.
"During the defense of the Land of Whirlpools, the Three-Tails' performance seemed to be just that, right? Even with an additional Tailed Beast, will it really work?"
"At that time, the jinchuriki only used a portion of the Tailed Beast's power; it wasn't much. Don't underestimate such strategic weapons. Moreover, the Three-Tails is more adept at exerting its power in the ocean, so its effectiveness on land is naturally not as great as the Six-Tails."
"Anyway, this is a decisive battle, so we shouldn't be too cautious. Let's just make good use of the Tailed Beasts' power. Even if the cost is a bit high, as long as it makes Konohagakure suffer, it'll be worth it."
"But Konohagakure has members of the Uzumaki clan. What if we use the Tailed Beasts' power recklessly and they snatch them away by accident?"
"How would they know we'd deploy Tailed Beasts at this time? And besides that old geezer Mito Uzumaki, who else can easily seal a Tailed Beast?"
"They're allied with Kumogakure. Since they know what advantages they'll have, they should also be able to guess what our reaction will be, right?"
"Do you think they're clairvoyant? If you're right, why are we even fighting? If they can predict all our plans, no one can win."
The conference room immediately erupted into a chaotic argument. Everyone had their own opinions, and as soon as someone spoke, others would retort. The Third Mizukage did not personally join in but watched everything from the side. Although the situation seemed disharmonious, he felt that this atmosphere was better than the previous silence. Everyone was trying to find a way to win the upcoming battle, which somewhat pleased him.
Although the specific plan had not yet been finalized, everyone had already established two prerequisites: one was that action must begin within a short time, and the other was that the power of the Tailed Beasts must be utilized. How and when to utilize the Tailed Beasts' power was the dilemma facing the Kirigakure high command.
Due to the first prerequisite, everyone's discussion pace was very fast, which also led to an inability to reach a unified conclusion. The Third Mizukage wasn't just observing from the sidelines; he was also contemplating the upcoming battle plan in his mind, based on everyone's suggestions.
Ultimately, the real decision-making power rested with the Third Mizukage; everyone else was merely offering suggestions. They all understood this, so they spoke freely, knowing they had no power to decide. They simply watched whose suggestions would gain the Third Mizukage's support.
"Alright." The moment the Third Mizukage spoke, all disputes ceased. Everyone looked at him, and they heard him say, "Having listened to everyone's opinions, I have made my decision. The upcoming battle plan will proceed according to this."
Immediately after the high-level meeting concluded, orders were dispatched from it, reaching every Kirigakure ninja squad, informing them of their upcoming missions. Among them, the recently established and highly prominent Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist also received orders; they would be the main force of the operation.
Hozuki Gengetsu, due to receiving punishment, lost the right to participate in high-level meetings. However, with the merits brought about by the formation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he gradually gained recognition within the village. He believed he would soon be able to return, but at least for now, he was still just a ninja who followed orders.
Looking at the orders he received, Hozuki Gengetsu let out a soft "Tsk." A comrade, also one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, noticed and asked, "Captain, what's wrong?"
"It's a bit of a shame I couldn't meet that Sarutobi Hiruzen. I wanted to introduce you all to him," Hozuki Gengetsu shook his head slightly, smiling. "Now, well, we have to go somewhere else and bring an unstable weapon."
Everyone knew about the grudge between Hozuki Gengetsu and Sarutobi Hiruzen. They had learned how to use their ninja swords through Gengetsu's guidance and held him in great respect, willing to fight Sarutobi Hiruzen with him. The person who received the corresponding mission said, "That's truly a shame, Captain. We'll help you deal with Sarutobi Hiruzen."
"You all need to be careful; that guy isn't easy to deal with. But, if you can capture him alive, bring him to me," Hozuki Gengetsu said.
Everyone agreed in unison.