After both sides issued their orders, the ships from the Land of Fire and the Land of Water soon left the harbor and headed towards the Land of Whirlpools.
Since the Third Mizukage had not anticipated this, he had to dispatch some of his attacking ships to intercept, but the Land of Fire, which was prepared, sent out a far greater number of ships than the enemy.
Although the Land of Fire did not have a strong naval fleet, through trade with small overseas countries, merchants often encountered pirate raids.
These pirates might have had backgrounds with the Hidden Mist Village, and regardless, they had inadvertently provided the Land of Fire's army and Leaf ninjas with training in naval warfare.
The moment the two sides met, fierce fighting immediately began.
The Third Mizukage issued a death order, vowing that even if they couldn't stop them, they would make the Land of Fire's army pay a huge price.
However, the outcome was not as smooth as the Third Mizukage had imagined.
The Leaf Village had a long-standing plan for protecting the Land of Whirlpools and possessed its own strategy for dealing with the Land of Water's navy.
The Land of Fire's navy was not solely focused on a decisive battle; avoiding the enemy was also one of their goals, but this was not something that could be resolved in a short time.
During this period, the people of the Land of Whirlpools were able to gather.
Just as the two navies began to engage, the capital of the Land of Whirlpools received news of successful urban resistance.
The entire court breathed a sigh of relief and began to debate the withdrawal suggestion put forth by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Some were temporarily swayed by the current victory, believing that with the terrain of the Land of Whirlpools and the assistance of Leaf ninjas, they could withstand the Land of Water's attack, making it unnecessary to leave their homeland for a strange country, even if that strange country housed a village founded by their in-laws.
The Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools was naturally very tempted by this point.
On one hand, he did not want to leave the land inherited from his ancestors, and on the other hand, he did not wish to transition from a monarch of a nation to a family head within a ninja village.
Even as the ruler of a small country, he was still a member of the nobility, which a ninja family head was not.
Meanwhile, officials represented by Uzumaki Kazuhiko explained that the Land of Water's army was formidable.
Although this battle was a victory, it was only a temporary advantage.
The Leaf ninjas currently remaining in the country were insufficient to repel the enemy's attack, unless more Leaf ninjas and the Land of Fire's army were to come further into the country.
"That might not be impossible.
Quickly inform the Leaf Village," the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools said.
He was usually reluctant to allow a large number of foreign troops into his country, but now, in desperation, he had no choice but to agree.
"Your Highness, if I may speak frankly, after the war ends, would Your Highness be willing to allow the Land of Fire's army to be stationed in our country?"
At this moment, a minister stepped forward and bowed to the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools.
"Th-that is, of course," the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools stammered, and the civil and military officials present could clearly see that he was not speaking from the heart.
"Your Highness, if you are unwilling to let the Land of Fire's army be stationed in our country, then even if we temporarily escape this calamity, we will not escape it in the future," the minister said.
"What do you mean?"
The Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools couldn't help but frown.
"Your Highness, you should understand that this time, it is because the Leaf Village realized early on that the enemy might attack our country, and thus ordered people to infiltrate our country.
This is the first point.
Even so, the Leaf Village cannot withstand the enemy's attack and has to rely on external aid again.
The Land of Water's army will certainly go to intercept them, and when the Land of Fire's army enters our country, they will inevitably pay no small sacrifice.
This is the second point.
And after arriving in our country, both sides will certainly engage in a major battle, which will again entail a huge cost.
This is the third point.
I ask you, once is one thing, but would the Leaf Village truly be willing to pay such a price multiple times?"
The minister slowly explained.
The Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools immediately understood the other party's meaning.
The Leaf Village was not a fool; how could they keep sacrificing for the Land of Whirlpools?
"But we are in-laws!
During the First Great Ninja War, we also contributed to the Leaf Village!"
The Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools argued, but his tone lacked conviction.
The other civil and military ministers exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat awkward.
Although that was true, over the years, the ties of kinship from the Land of Whirlpools had gradually faded.
Using this excuse to persuade the other party now seemed rather unlikely; the Leaf Village was not that foolish.
As the previous minister said, the Leaf Village was willing to pay such a high price to help the Land of Whirlpools once, but to pay it multiple times would not align with the interests of a great nation.
Even with the kinship between them, a compromise would be impossible.
There were two ways to solve this problem: either the Land of Whirlpools would agree to let the Land of Fire's army be stationed in the country, or the ruling Uzumaki clan would leave the country and move into the Leaf Village.
Other than these, there was no method the Leaf Village would accept.
In the letter sent by Hiruzen Sarutobi, this meaning was subtly conveyed, but those who saw it chose to ignore it.
Now that it had been pointed out, they had to confront the issue: should they choose to abandon the country's dignity and allow another country's army to be stationed, or should they choose to abandon their own status and integrate into the Leaf Village?
In the hearts of many, entering the Leaf Village was not an unacceptable choice.
One must know that the Leaf Village was very powerful now, so much so that even the monarch of the Land of Fire could not interfere with it.
After all, the Leaf Village was merely a mercenary organization, and essentially not a subject of the Land of Fire's monarch.
Their subordinate relationship was established on the mercenary treaty from back then.
Aside from what was stipulated in the mercenary treaty, the Leaf Village had no other obligation to the Land of Fire.
Unlike other local lords who had to pay taxes to the Land of Fire, the Leaf Village, which was not much different from a local lord, did not need to pay any taxes because they were not subordinates of the Land of Fire.
However, the Leaf Village could collect taxes from merchants living within the village because there was a subordinate relationship between them.
Because of this, the monarch of the Land of Fire would look on enviously each year at the large amount of taxes collected by the Leaf Village.
If those taxes could be received into his own treasury, he wondered how many things could be accomplished, but he truly had no way.
Given the Leaf Village's position in the Land of Fire's military power and its unique nature, it was impossible to seize taxes from the Leaf Village.
Although the Uzumaki clan entering the Leaf Village would lose their status of interacting with nobles from other countries, from another perspective, not everyone in the Uzumaki clan held noble status.
There were also ordinary clan members and ninjas among them, and they felt it would be better to simply go to the Leaf Village.
These people were the main force hoping to leave the Land of Whirlpools, and their leader was Uzumaki Kazuhiko.
Uzumaki Kazuhiko was both a noble in the Land of Whirlpools and married to the daughter of the First Hokage of the Leaf Village.
He believed that he would not be treated unfairly in the Leaf Village.
Therefore, he rallied both the discontented clan members within the country and some nobles.
The minister who spoke today was one of them, and the issue he raised hit the nail on the head, forcing everyone to consider which choice to make.
For a time, everyone began to express their opinions, and the debate revolved around either allowing another country's army to be stationed or moving to the Leaf Village.
Slowly, the voices began to lean towards moving to the Leaf Village.
By the time the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools reacted, it was already too late.
He saw that most people were petitioning him, hoping to enter the Leaf Village, and those with different opinions could say nothing at this point.
"You, you..."
The Daimyo seemed too angry to speak, pointing his finger at the civil and military ministers present.
Everyone else stared at the Daimyo, reiterating their intention to withdraw from the Land of Whirlpools and head directly to the Leaf Village.
The civil and military officials of the Land of Whirlpools were basically all Uzumaki clan members.
They heard that the Third Hokage of the Leaf Village treated the ninja clans within the village with great respect, giving them everything they deserved.
With the status of the Uzumaki clan, once they entered the Leaf Village, they would not be much different from renowned clans like the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Sarutobi.
Seeing that everyone supported entering the Leaf Village, the Daimyo seemed to let out a deep sigh and said, "Alright, alright.
Since you all say so, I believe my ancestors will forgive me too."
In truth, the Daimyo also secretly wished to go to the Leaf Village.
With the power of the Leaf Village, the safety of the Uzumaki clan could be well protected.
However, due to pride, he couldn't say it directly, lest he be accused of abandoning his homeland.
By being "forced" by the civil and military ministers, he could then agree.
It must be said that these words might not have been without the support of the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools.
Thus, after the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools agreed, the entire capital began to mobilize, gathering the populace and packing supplies.
The Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools returned to his palace, sat in his chair, and stared blankly for a while.
He sighed again, worrying about his future.
After a while, he ordered someone to call Uzumaki Kazuhiko and his wife.
The two immediately came into the room and bowed to the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools.
The Daimyo waved his hand, indicating that they didn't need to be so formal.
He looked at his beloved son and said, "Kazuhiko, if we truly go to the Leaf Village, will our lives be secure?"
"Father, you don't need to worry.
The Third Hokage has already assured me of the rights and benefits the Uzumaki clan will receive upon arriving at the Leaf Village."
Saying this, Uzumaki Kazuhiko pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve and presented it to the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools.
The Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools took it and saw that it contained the guarantees given by Fumori Masaki.
Just as he had thought, their status would not be far from that of the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Sarutobi clans.
Even Uzumaki clan members without much power, like the Daimyo himself, could receive suitable positions.
"Good, good," the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools sighed for the third time, his tone somewhat relaxed.
"With this, your father has nothing more to worry about."
"Father, you are worrying needlessly.
The Third Hokage is a good person; he's unlike any other ninja I've met," Uzumaki Kazuhiko said, recalling his past impressions from interacting with Fumori Masaki.
"Hmm, I've heard that more than once, but I haven't been able to see him in person.
Soon, I might know what kind of person he is."
The Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools nodded and said, "Kazuhiko, when can we leave here?"
"We still need to wait for the Land of Fire's ships to arrive here.
Although the people of the Land of Water might try to intercept them, that area is backed by the Land of Fire, and the Land of Water's interference capability is limited.
I believe the Land of Fire's army will certainly be able to break through the blockade.
Before that, Jonin Sarutobi will definitely be able to protect the capital.
Rest assured, Father," Uzumaki Kazuhiko said.
Just as Uzumaki Kazuhiko said these words, Hiruzen Sarutobi, in the town, once again repelled the army led by Gengetsu Hozuki.
He stood on the city wall, his gaze fixed on the retreating Land of Water army.
He would not relax until they returned to their stronghold.
Although Gengetsu Hozuki had received a letter from the Hidden Mist Village, his eagerness for revenge prevented him from waiting for reinforcements.
After reorganizing his troops, he led them to attack the town once more.
This time, Gengetsu Hozuki had learned his lesson and would not give the enemy another chance for a surprise attack.
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi thought, this would be a tough battle.
Fortunately, relying on the Uzumaki clan's barrier and the composite ninjutsu led by Hiruzen Sarutobi himself, they defended against the enemy's attacks.
The enemy's army, due to the impression left by the previous battle, fought somewhat hesitantly, fearing another encounter with the giant waves and fiery rock projectiles that had fallen from the sky.
Although there were no giant waves, various composite ninjutsu combining other elemental releases came in waves, completely suppressing the morale of the entire Land of Water, preventing them from exerting much power.
The strategic weapon, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, had not yet recovered due to excessive chakra usage.
Gengetsu Hozuki was furious and grew increasingly dissatisfied with the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, almost kicking him.
He barely managed to suppress his inner rage, glaring hatefully at Hiruzen Sarutobi on the city wall, and ordered his troops to retreat.
It seemed he could only wait until the Land of Water's reinforcements arrived before he could exact his revenge, Gengetsu Hozuki thought bitterly, grinding his teeth.
At that time, he wondered if Hiruzen Sarutobi could still remain so calm.
At the same time, the civilians in the town had been evacuated and contact had been established with the capital.
Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that the capital would soon organize the populace.
He let out a slight sigh of relief, watching the enemy's movements, and said, "We should also be leaving here soon to find the next defensive point.
This place is no longer reliable."