Throughout the archipelagoes on the outskirts of the Land of Water, war engulfed the sky, land, and sea alike. Kirigakure's meticulously constructed defense system, built up over many years, had become perilously unstable in less than half a day.
Though the Mist Ninja resisted tenaciously, they simply could not halt Konoha's advance under the crushing weight of its absolute military power. All they could do was buy time.
Far away in Kirigakure on the central mainland, Yagura could scarcely believe the reports from the front lines. Skywalker's surprise attack had caught him completely off guard. The Konoha Shinobi Army stationed in the Land of Lightning should have needed at least a month to cross the vast sea and reach the Land of Water. Yet just five days earlier, Skywalker and Konoha's forces had still been obediently stationed on the highlands of the Land of Lightning, and now he was receiving word that the borders of the Land of Water were under siege by several hundred thousand troops. It was simply preposterous!
Suppressing the absurdity he felt, Yagura carefully reread the battle report in his hands. When he saw the description of Konoha's strange new warships and their extraordinary speed, he finally understood. No wonder Konoha's ninja forces had crossed the sea in just five days—they had relied on those incredibly fast warships that required no sails!
Although Nawaki had deployed the carrier fleet during his seaborne raid on the Land of Lightning, he had deliberately kept it concealed and had not used the fleet's air force to attack the Land of Lightning. Furthermore, the entire Shinobi World had focused its attention on Konoha's ingenious tactics and brilliant victories, causing everyone to overlook the inconspicuous carrier fleet.
After reviewing the detailed frontline reports, Yagura immediately realized that the carrier fleet was