Ao's Shock and Anger

Of course, the main focus was still on the Land of the Sea.

As mentioned before,

the Land of the Sea was an important maritime route connecting the Land of Water to the mainland. If one didn't want to take the long way around, it was the crucial passage between them. At the height of its power, the Land of Water had controlled the entire Land of the Sea and had nearly annexed it outright. Its forces had even pointed toward the Land of Eddies and the Land of Waves, two small countries on the edge of the mainland near the coast. The Land of Water and Kirigakure were largely responsible for the fall of the Land of Eddies. The Land of Water had occupied its territory for a time. Like the Land of Waves, it was an ideal forward base from which the Land of Water hoped to launch an invasion of the mainland. However, in the wars that followed, Kirigakure suffered a crushing defeat, forcing the Land of Water to withdraw its influence from the Land of Eddies as well.

Later, during the Fourth Mizukage's reign,

a series of absurd policies were enacted.

Mist Ninja were killed in droves.

Mist Ninja defected in droves.

The numbers were beyond counting.

Kirigakure's strength declined rapidly.

As a result, the Land of Water could no longer control even the Land of the Sea.

It could only let it return to the status of an independent minor country.

But it remained under the Land of Water's influence to a large extent. One day, when Kirigakure had fully recovered and the Land of Water made its return, the Land of the Sea would surely be destroyed. Unfortunately, before the Land of Water and Kirigakure could act, the forces of the Land of Snow