"Yes! This will be the last battle of this tedious war and I thank each of you, my dearest shinobi and our country's loyal Samurai for being here at my side to see an end to rebellion and mutiny among our highest ranks. The Daimyo thanks you as do I, fight well, fight brave and fight to your last breath, till the enemy trips on your corpse and falls on his own blade, fight!"
The Fourth Mizukage stood and addressed the company of shinobi and Samurai gathered on deck. Beside him was the Samurai's true loyalty in all this, Princess Hanako, the Daimyo's very own sister, royalty. She had the same uneasiness about her even as she stood placing her support behind the Mizukage's every word but fortunately for her it wouldn't be obvious to non-shinobi which were a majority of her subjects.
The Mizukage on the other hand had earlier looked drowsy but that had all vanished once everyone showed up to hear him speak on the battle that would end the war. The ship wasn't small but it wasn't big either and many shinobi chose to linger and listen at the top of the mast, between the sails, even on the side of the ship though that was only the few Jounin rank present.
He smirked bright and wide at the gathered, Zabuza and Mangetsu fortunate to be at the very front as he waved at the enemy's silhouette behind them, "There they see a single ship sailing to its doom but we know better, they've been stuck in our boiling pot of sencha and we've merely come to pluck away the sour taste. These isles and the sea between them belong to Kirigakure and the Land of Water! Any unsavoury bits will be purged-"
The Fourth Mizukage snatched the Princess's hand, though she didn't look surprised, she also didn't give any other reaction as he raised it high with his, "Starting tonight, the Land of Water is united!"
Samurai cheered more than shinobi, but that was also to be expected. With the Mizukage done with his speech the Samurai filed themselves back into the ship, their time was not now and they'd be nothing but a liability.
Shinobi though, pressed against the curves and edge of the deck, lining and guarding every point of the ship. Ao the Byakugan Killer in particular remained atop the mast and sails, his sole job being to protect their heads.
Zabuza and Mangetsu stood shoulder to shoulder, the Hozuki boy glanced at his impromptu partner as the ship began picking up speed again, veritably charging towards the blockade of over two dozen ships primed with cannons.
"You weren't paying much attention." He said, his head barely managed to look over their edge of the ship because of his short height, but that never bothered him.
"I got the gist." Zabuza replied, watching the waves split in their coming.
"You've just looked…not happy since the last lesson, scared you won't be able to pull it off?" Mangetsu dared to snicker.
Right as he was Zabuza didn't need some short stout mouthing off to him, "This is what I always look like."
The last lesson the Mizukage gave them was an instructional on how to respond to respond to someone else's chakra fuelling your jutsu, on how to cooperate as a team and become indifferent to the thickness that would take the atmosphere as many chakra signatures soaked it. And more importantly, how to simulcast with a large group, there was a lot of pressure there because unlike Zabuza thought, Mangetsu wouldn't be the only person he'd have to match pace and rhythm to.
Every single shinobi on deck was hand-picked by the Mizukage for this mission save for him. I was ignorant to think we were at the centre of it all, he cursed his arrogance inwardly.
Most were Chuunin but there were a number of Jounin roaming around as supervisors of the Mizukage's military vision. Every one of them were Ninjutsu specialists with high affinities for Water Release, meaning everything the Mizukage had taken time to download into Zabuza's head this passing noon was back-of-the-hand knowledge for them.
Mangetsu's training was necessary as well but the prodigy was a prodigy for a reason and soaked it up like a sponge, faster than Zabuza could compete with. He was also, once again, the only Genin involved in the operation.
I'm the weakest link. He wanted so desperately to prove himself and yet, he was caught in an operation where only he could fail. The Mizukage didn't seem to be bothered but he relied on those more experienced after all, it went unspoken that Zabuza would only have one chance at this before the scant few Chuunin in reserve would swiftly replace him.
I should have cared more about Ninjutsu than Kenjutsu. He thought to himself, but all was easier said than done, especially learning Ninjutsu as a low caste demon. To begin with, a single C-rank Ninjutsu scroll cost as much as a year worth of mission points to purchase temporary access, he had no Jounin-sensei, no team captain, no father or mother either. No use regretting now, I had other priorities and following those got me this far!
Resolved in his mind not to let the past or circumstances come in the way, Zabuza joined sixteen other Chuunin to stare down the blockade ahead of them. He passed a glance down at the Hozuki boy and grinned, "I promise I'll tell you when there's a shot you can block, you wouldn't see it coming on your own after all."
Mangetsu snorted and shook his head, "Just don't make me cover for you again."
The Fourth Mizukage yelled over their heads, "Ready yourselves!"
It was a mere couple metres away now, enough for the enemy to realize they had no intention of stopping the advance and for them to release the first, sound shattering salvo of cannon fire.
Smoke obscured the blockade as every one of their ships fired at their single quick sailing enemy but it was for naught, the Mizukage was present here and not one Chuunin, Jounin and least of all Genin would see his will failed.
Ox, Snake, Rat, Boar, Dog! In sync with the entire platoon, Zabuza proclaimed, "Water Release: Water Shield!"