Two weeks after Madara and Black Zetsu's plotting, the Kage of the four Great Shinobi Villages received identical intelligence: Sunagakure (and Iwagakure) was in negotiations with Kumogakure (and Kirigakure) about launching a joint siege to destroy Uzushiogakure. Once the village fell, its Sealing Jutsu secrets would be up for grabs—each village would claim loot based on its own merits.
The four Kage regarded the report with restrained interest. Could it really work? Of course they were tempted. Every time a jinchūriki succession occurred, it brought chaos and bloodshed. If the seals had been stable, jinchūriki wouldn't have been so feared and ostracized in their villages. One wrong move, and they could go berserk—two strikes, and lives were lost. Who would dare get close?
But Land of Whirlpools' sealing jutsu were something else. With that level of jutsu, future jinchūriki incidents would be far less worrying. Two villages had already agreed to strike—and joining them meant another advantage. Their previous hesitation was because they feared Konoha. Konoha and Uzushiogakure could easily repel two Great Shinobi Villages.
Now, add a third—and everything shifts. A fourth village joining the alliance would make the offensive unstoppable. If the Four Great Shinobi Villages combined to eliminate Uzushiogakure, even Konoha wouldn't dare intervene. Keep the plan secret, and nothing could stop it. Traps, conspiracies—they didn't matter. Being used as a pawn was a small price for such gain.
This was the reality of political alliances: no permanent friends or enemies—only shared interests. As long as the Kage were united, they'd support the plan wholeheartedly. Rewards with zero risk? That was enough.
So they covertly dispatched their trusted jōnin to a clandestine meeting. After the meeting, the joint assault was formalized—and each village began secretly mobilizing forces. This would be a lightning strike. Despite Land of Whirlpools' isolation, it lay dangerously close to Konoha. A full-scale invasion would backfire. That's why no one would send masses of chūnin and genin; instead, they discreetly gathered elite jōnin for the task.
A week later, some twenty-some jōnin from each village, led by high-ranking village officials, silently converged at Kirigakure's docks by sea. Around a hundred elite jōnin stood assembled—a force neither small nor dismissible.
Kirigakure Elder:
"Mysterious ocean whirlpools surround Uzushiogakure. Ordinarily, it's impossible to enter the Land of Whirlpools without a guide from its citizens. Only on June 15th each year, when the ocean whirlpools are at their calmest, is it possible to force an entry."
Iwagakure Elder:
"Today is June 12, which means there are three more days. We'll lie in wait and stay alert. Above all, make sure no Konoha spies spot us in Kirigakure. Understood?"
Kirigakure's elder shot a glance at Iwagakure's but stayed silent. He couldn't assert there were no spies in Kirigakure himself.
What the Jonin of the four great shinobi villages didn't realize was that, in a thicket not far from them, a White Zetsu was quietly observing everything. After seeing the Jonin gathered at the Kirigakure's dock, White Zetsu silently burrowed back underground.
...
Inside the underground cavern, White Zetsu reported to Madara:
"Lord Madara, the four villages indeed formed an alliance. They've gathered at Kirigakure's dock, awaiting calmer whirlpools to launch their attack on Land of Whirlpools. Should we alert Konoha? Their forces could weaken Konoha further."
Madara couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. This time, everything was going according to plan. He knew those people all too well. Tempted by the benefits of sealing jutsu, the destruction of Land of Whirlpools was already a certainty. Now, all that remained was the matter of the vessel.
"No need. The matter of the vessel is too important—better to avoid unnecessary complications. Just follow them closely and identify suitable vessels once they breach Uzushiogakure. Try to find as many children as possible as backups. If necessary, help them hide. I can erase their memories afterward."
"I understand, my lord," Zetsu responded, then vanished.
...
Three nights later, four large ships slipped past the weakened whirlpools and steamed toward Land of Whirlpools. None of the ninja noticed that a figure—identical to one of the jōnin—had appeared in the cargo hold.
On Uzushiogakure's watchtower, a young Uzumaki clan member stood guard. His eyes were fixed straight ahead. For some reason, he felt an unusual sense of unease tonight. He had shared his premonition with the others in the clan, but they dismissed it, saying he was simply too tense. But was that really the case?
Suddenly, the young Uzumaki Clan member's pupils widened. In the distance, he vaguely saw four large ships forcing their way through the ocean whirlpools, heading straight toward them. A terrifying thought struck him at once. His face turned pale, and he opened his mouth to shout, "Enem—"
But his words were cut short. A kunai slashed his throat, and his cry turned to guttural silence.
A Kirigakure jōnin sneered:
"Idiot. If you could see the ships, did you really think we wouldn't be prepared?"
He discarded the body with disdain.
"Truly a village blinded by peace. To have only one person on night watch... it would be an injustice if such a village wasn't destroyed."
Before the warships even touched shore, over a hundred shinobi sprang from their decks—crossing the waves like specters. Land of Whirlpools' end was underway.