The Land of Lightning's official entry into the war undoubtedly transformed the situation on the eastern front. Although the Land of Water's distance from the continent made it difficult for any country without a powerful navy to threaten its homeland, that same distance prevented it from joining forces with other nations. The Land of Water lay east of the Shinobi Continent, closest to the Lands of Fire and Lightning, and those two countries blocked almost every route it could take onto the continent.
Of course, the Land of Water could bypass those two countries and seek help from the Lands of Wind and Earth, but the distance was too great, and the costs were wholly out of proportion to the gains. That was not a viable choice. Had the Land of Lightning stayed out of the war or declined to ally with the Land of Fire, the Land of Water could still have landed near the Land of Lightning to attack the Konoha ninja forces. Now, however, that was impossible.
Upon receiving this grim news, the Third Mizukage knew their most dangerous days lay ahead. They could no longer slowly chip away at the Land of Fire's defensive lines. Once Kumogakure Ninja Village and the Konoha ninja learned to coordinate smoothly, Kirigakure Ninja Village would face attacks from both sides. He was not arrogant enough to believe that the foothold he had established in the Land of Fire Territory could withstand attacks from two shinobi villages.
The Third Mizukage summoned the senior officers currently fighting abroad to the islands of the Land of Whirlpools to discuss their next battle plan. With the situation so unfavorable, Kirigakure Ninja Village needed to create a new opening on the battlefield immediately. Unless they could secure a firm foothold on the Shinobi Continent, any