The Difference Between Ocean and Land

In the Land of Whirlpools, Shuichi and Akiha returned to the site of their previous battle with the corpses. Aburame Shihei remained calmly guarding the area, indicating that there were only three Mist Jonin in this region.

"This Shark Man's physical vitality is astonishing. My Kikaichū discovered that even after his death, a considerable amount of chakra remained in his body."

Shuichi put down the third corpse and then examined it one by one. Due to the short time, he couldn't analyze anything and could only say, "Take it back to the Corpse Disposal Unit for research. These are all unique to the Land of Water; they might be very valuable."

During his observation, he discovered that not only the Shark Man, but also the Hozuki Ninja who appeared normal on the outside had sharp teeth.

"How did this grow?" Shuichi wondered to himself. He remembered that Zabuza and Ringo Ameyuri also had this feature, so it seemed to be a characteristic of the other party. "Could it be to make it easier to eat fish? Wouldn't it be quite unromantic for them to engage in mutual kissing or more advanced oral exercises? The people of Kirigakure are truly pitiful..."

Harboring a slightly dark thought, he played a prank on Kirigakure. With swift movements, he collected the corpses and led his teammates back to the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools.

After returning safely, they exchanged signals with the Konoha Ninja on guard and learned that no Mist Ninja had come to their location in the near future. "It seems the Land of Water is not yet prepared for a large-scale war. We need to hurry up and carry out reconnaissance..."

They have now completed three-quarters of their reconnaissance mission. The final plan is for multiple Konoha teams to converge somewhere on the eastern coastline, thereby ensuring that the entire Land of Land of Whirlpools remains under their control.

The next day, high on a cliff by the sea, Shuichi stood on a rock gazing into the distance. The sea breeze constantly tousled his dark purple hair. His field of vision was so wide that it would be difficult for an enemy to sneak up on him unnoticed.

Four Jonin had already gathered behind him, waiting. A blond, middle-aged man quickly ran over. "Sorry, I'm a little late because my teams have a lot of wounded."

Konoha dispatched dozens of small teams to clear out the Land of Whirlpools, including Shuichi, with a total of 6 Elite Jonin leading the teams.

"One of my squads is missing; they're probably killed," Shuichi said. "However, I've already wiped out all the enemy reconnaissance teams in the northern area—a total of three Jonin and six Chunin."

"We encountered about 10 enemies here, including two Jonin. One of them slipped underwater and escaped, so we couldn't give chase," Yamanaka Taichi said with a hint of helplessness. "The Kirigakure's fighting style is indeed fierce; my team has lost half its strength..."

The other Jonin also took turns reporting on the situation in their respective areas of responsibility; some were completely safe and no one was lost, while others had suffered minor casualties.

By unfolding a strategic map and marking all the locations of enemy encounters, a pattern can be easily identified. "The Mist Ninja primarily operate in areas with abundant water, allowing them to utilize the terrain for both combat and escape."

Shuichi moment before speaking, "The enemy hasn't launched a large-scale war yet, but once they do, they'll need supply lines. Has the village tested how far this place is from Senpan Island?"

Senpan Island is the westernmost island of the Land of Water, bordering the Land of Whirlpools. It faces the Land of Whirlpools across the sea, so the enemy will most likely be coming from that direction.

"Tests have been conducted. Due to the unpredictable nature of the sea, even Chunin cannot cross it directly," said Sarutobi Keito, one of the Jonin. "However, the people of the Land of Water have a much deeper understanding of the sea's climate than we do. If they choose to cross the sea during calm times, some of the stronger Chunin should be able to manage it."

"Therefore, Kirigakure still needs ships to launch a large-scale attack, and even Jonin successfully cross the sea, they will need time to recover their strength." Shuichi looked at the sea. "I understand. The enemy will definitely use Ocean Current to transport supplies and troops."

"Ocean Current?" The Jonin were all a bit confused.

As ninjas grow older, their knowledge increases, but Konoha Ninja rarely interact with the ocean. Even when they go on sea missions, they only travel by ship because learning these things is meaningless; the land surrounding the Land of Fire alone is enough to keep them busy for a lifetime.

"Ocean Current are the flow of Seawater." Shuichi gestured for the others to look over, pointing to the coast of the Land of Water. "There are many Seawater here. This one to the west flows through several islands. Continuing forward, you'll get close to the Land of Whirlpools. Following this route, you can easily transport supplies..."

After saying that, he stood on the edge of the cliff and pointed below, "Ocean Current also change direction with seasonal changes or tectonic movements..."

After his explanation, the Jonin seemed to understand something: if Kirigakure didn't use ships, they would have to send elite ninjas to forcibly cross the sea to fight.

By utilizing the currents of the Seawater surrounding the Land of Fire and the Land of Whirlpools, they could easily choose suitable attack locations. After all, the coastline was simply too long, making a comprehensive search impossible given Konoha's insufficient fighting strength...

Everyone thought to themselves, "We're both Jonin, so why are you so outstanding?"

If Shuichi could hear their thoughts, he would probably be happy to reply, "Reading more books is beneficial; please call me the Ninja Encyclopedia."

"So, it seems our defense of the Land of Whirlpools isn't very effective?" Sarutobi Keito said, somewhat annoyed. He pointed to a large area of land to the south of the Land of Fire. "The Kirigakure Village can easily land here using the Ocean Current, while we'll have a hard time detecting them."

"No, that's not it. It's because the ships have to return after they've made their journey, and the route without going through the Land of Whirlpools is too long, meaning it would take much longer to transport supplies," Shuichi continued to explain. "So the Land of Whirlpools is still the first choice, but we need to be extra careful because..."

He drew two lines on the map, one from the edge of Senpan Island along the northern coast of the Land of Whirlpools, and another in the south, both eventually connecting to the territory of the Land of Fire. "The enemy army can take the shortest route, while we can send a small number of elite troops from the north and south to land from behind and surround the Land of Whirlpools."

Seeing the Jonin of the several Jonin present, this was a situation quite different from the wars waged by the other major powers.

In short, while Kirigakure's ability to advance head-on is weak, its initiative surpasses that of other countries. The fact that they can directly place the battlefield within the Land of Fire is truly terrible news.

Uchiha Fugaku, one of the Jonin, said after listening, "Why don't you Shuichi-kun, arrange the Land of Whirlpools? Even if the village changes its tactics, it will take time. We must hold out here until new orders arrive."

The Konoha High Command is in a real bind, having to mobilize manpower in all four directions. It's understandable that they didn't plan ahead well for the Kirigakure front, and as ninjas, they have no choice but to carry out the mission despite the difficulties.

The others exchanged glances. "Agreed!"

"Agree!"

"Agree!"

Originally, everyone was responsible for a specific area, but after reconnaissance, it was discovered that naval warfare was completely different from land warfare, so Shuichi was temporarily promoted to "Frontline Commander".

He did not refuse, and after gathering all the squads' strength, he immediately set up a special defensive line. At the same time, he sent a ninja back to report this decision and the Kirigakure front back to the village.