As news of the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind successfully annexing the Land of Rivers spread throughout the Ninja World, Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure in the Land of Earth, began planning a similar expansion.
After discussing the matter with Iwagakure's upper ranks, he decided to follow the Third Kazekage's example and expand their territory and resources by invading the surrounding smaller countries.
After much deliberation, they decided to invade the Land of Grass, which bordered the Land of Earth, first.
Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, found a legitimate pretext for this invasion: he accused the Land of Grass of stealing Iwagakure's important ninjutsu. The upper ranks of the Land of Grass had always been known for their opportunism, accustomed to playing both sides among the major powers while studying and imitating the ninjutsu techniques of other nations. This behavior caused the Land of Grass to repeatedly break its promises, earning the resentment of quite a few ninja villages.
The Land of Earth's accusations quickly received the tacit approval of many nations, with some even choosing to turn a blind eye.
The Land of Grass was not a stable or trustworthy ally. Many nations believed that its repeated betrayals were bound to invite suppression from the major powers.
Located at the intersection of several great nations, the Land of Grass had always struggled to survive under their oppression as a small country.
The village of the Land of Grass liked to sustain itself by learning the ninjutsu of neighboring nations. However, it was precisely this opportunistic strategy that made the Land of Grass a target hated by all the major powers.
In the original story, the Land of Grass was also where Karin Uzumaki's mother died. Because of the Uzumaki Clan's healing physique, she was constantly