Even without the daimyo of the Land of Water's request, Yagura could not tolerate the existence of the three great fleets.
Using the name of fleets to occupy the Northern Sea of the Land of Water—
Where did that leave Kirigakure?
How would the shinobi world view Kirigakure from now on?
"Assemble the army!"
Yagura once again gathered a shinobi army and rushed toward the Northern Sea of the Land of Water at extreme speed.
"Face to face, even if the three great fleets join forces, they still won't be my opponents."
"Now that they've occupied the Northern Sea, it looks impressive on the surface. But in truth, they've tied themselves down."
"Kirigakure will win this battle!"
"The three great fleets will cease to exist!"
However, just as Yagura led the shinobi army into the Northern Sea of the Land of Water and approached the three great fleets—
The three great fleets did not even put up a symbolic fight.
They fled directly.
"Hm?"
Yagura frowned.
"What is going on?"
"The three great fleets don't want the Northern Sea anymore? They announced that they had occupied the Northern Sea, yet the moment I arrive, they flee in such a sorry state. Aren't they afraid of becoming a laughingstock in the shinobi world?"
"They don't want the profits of the Northern Sea?"
But the three great fleets had thought the situation through very clearly.
With Yagura's previous display of strength, the fleets could not confront Kirigakure head-on.
Fighting when they could not win was not courage.
It was stupidity.
Fleeing directly and preserving their strength was the best choice.
Face?
How could that be more important than life?
If they lost face, they could regain it later.
If they lost their lives, then they would have nothing.
Right now, retreating without fighting in the face of the Kirigakure army would indeed make them a joke.
But as long as they successfully attacked Kirigakure afterward, the three great fleets would recover all the face they had lost.
The one who would become a laughingstock then would be Kirigakure.
As for the benefits of the Northern Sea—
Those benefits had originally belonged to the Land of Water and Kirigakure.
Losing them was not worth feeling pained over.
Besides, could Kirigakure's army remain permanently stationed in the Northern Sea?
Could Yagura stay in the Northern Sea forever?
Impossible.
Once Yagura left, the three great fleets' opportunity would arrive.
They would strike directly and take the Northern Sea back.
And if Yagura did not leave, that would be even better.
The three great fleets could directly attack Kirigakure.
Yagura was only one person. If he guarded the head, he could not guard the tail.
When Yagura saw the movements of the three great fleets, he instantly understood their plan. His expression darkened.
"Shameless!"
"Utterly shameless!"
A jonin entered the tent and asked Yagura,
"Mizukage-sama, what should we do next?"
Yagura's eyes flickered.
"Select an elite shinobi unit to remain stationed here. Everyone else will return to Kirigakure."
"But…"
The jonin hesitated.
"Mizukage-sama, if the three great fleets attack, what should we do? Without you here, they simply won't be able to withstand the three great fleets' assault…"
Yagura cut him off.
"Am I supposed to stay here forever? If I am absent from Kirigakure, the situation there will be even more dangerous."
Very quickly, news that most of Kirigakure's army had withdrawn spread.
Uchiha Yashiro, Kaguya Den, Fuguki Suikazan, and Jinin Akebino gathered together.
"Yagura has left. The remaining Kirigakure shinobi are nothing to fear. We can attack now and take back the Northern Sea!"
Kaguya Den was already impatient.
Uchiha Yashiro shook his head.
"Not yet."
"Yagura withdrawing may not be a real withdrawal. I understand politicians like them. Every single one of them is crafty. He might be hiding in the shadows, waiting to ambush us."
"Wait a little longer."
Kaguya Den and the other two exchanged glances.
"Then we'll wait a little longer."
One day passed quickly.
The three great fleets did not make a move.
The Kirigakure shinobi stationed there let out sighs of relief.
"They didn't come attack us."
"Looks like the three great fleets aren't much after all. They must be afraid."
"After all, we represent Kirigakure."
These people seemed to have completely forgotten that the Kaguya clan had dared to launch a rebellion even inside Kirigakure itself.
And the Uchiha, Jinin Akebino, and Fuguki Suikazan were none of them easy opponents.
Kaguya Den looked at Uchiha Yashiro.
"Yashiro, are we still waiting?"
Uchiha Yashiro nodded.
"Wait a little longer."
The second day.
The third day…
Kaguya Den's patience had already run out. He could no longer endure it.
"Yashiro, are we still waiting?"
Uchiha Yashiro saw through Kaguya Den's thoughts. After considering it for a moment, he said,
"My personal opinion is that we should wait a little longer. But if you truly cannot wait, then you can make a move ahead of time."
"But I'll say this in advance. My Uchiha clan will not participate."
Jinin Akebino snorted coldly.
"We don't need the Uchiha to act. We're enough."
"Other than Yagura, there's no one I fear with this Blastsword in my hands."
Following the orders of Kaguya Den and Jinin Akebino—
Very quickly, the Kaguya Fleet and the Ninja Blade Glory Fleet completed their assembly.
"Kill!"
The two fleets launched a fierce assault on the Kirigakure shinobi stationed on the island.
"You little Kirigakure bastards, die!"
"You dogs who surrendered to Yagura and betrayed the orthodox Kirigakure have no right to live in this world."
"All of you, die!"
Jinin Akebino charged into the crowd with the Blastsword in hand.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Every swing of his blade brought an explosion.
Ordinary Kirigakure shinobi could not withstand exploding tags detonating at such close range, especially not when one slash followed another without pause.
Soon, several shinobi died beneath Jinin Akebino's blade.
The shinobi of the Kaguya clan had bloodshot eyes as well.
This was not the Uchiha's Sharingan.
It was pure congestion.
They had killed until their eyes went red.
The Kirigakure shinobi fell into panic.
"Enemy attack!"
"Not good! Not good! The three great fleets are attacking!"
A figure watched from the shadows.
"The Kaguya clan, Jinin Akebino, Fuguki Suikazan… aside from the Uchiha, they're all here."
"Will the Uchiha come, or not?"
Yagura looked into the distance, his eyes flickering.
When he heard the Kirigakure shinobi calling for help, his expression sank.
"I can't wait any longer. If the Uchiha don't come, then they don't come. Consider them lucky!"
Just as the Kaguya Fleet and the Ninja Blade Glory Fleet were killing to their hearts' content—
Yagura suddenly appeared.
A layer of scarlet chakra violently seeped out of Yagura's body, covering him like a cloak. His body leapt into the air.
A mass of highly condensed chakra appeared in front of him.
"Kaguya clan, Jinin Akebino, Fuguki Suikazan—come receive this Tailed Beast Ball!"
"With just you lot, you dare swagger around?"
"The weak should have the self-awareness of the weak!"
"Kirigakure is not something you can provoke again and again."
"And I, Karatachi Yagura, am not someone you can afford to offend."
"Tailed Beast Ball!"
"Go!"