The Land of Waves lay in the eastern seas of the Land of Fire, wedged between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. It was an extremely inconspicuous island nation, and very little information existed about it.
Since the end of the Third Shinobi World War, Kirigakure of the Land of Water had entered an increasingly severe state of isolation, deliberately withdrawing its reach and rarely contacting the outside world. After its probes yielded no results, the Hidden Leaf Village gradually lowered its guard against Kirigakure and simultaneously reduced its intelligence-gathering efforts in the eastern seas.
As a result, the Land of Waves, situated on the border between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire, had effectively become an isolated island hanging beyond the world. Due to its pursuit of rogue ninja, Kirigakure likely knew far more about this country.
But Konoha lagged far behind. Its latest intelligence on the Land of Waves was still limited to a rough survey report from a year ago.
It was merely a country without even a hidden village. After losing Kirigakure's influence, Konoha clearly had neither the drive nor the interest to learn more about it.
It was worth mentioning that even Konoha's survey report on the Land of Waves from a year ago had been casually compiled by one of its ninja while carrying out an assassination mission.
That ninja's name was:
Ning Qi Hyuga.
After someone had burned Konoha's intelligence archives to the ground before defecting, Konoha's knowledge of the Land of Waves was reduced to vague impressions lingering in the minds of a few Konoha ninja.
And by the time Konoha rebuilt its intelligence on the Land of Waves, it would certainly be after the Fourth Shinobi World War. By then, even Ning Qi himself did