Kazuki stood silent for a minute, his eyes reflecting a mixture of determination and desperation. "Well, if you're offering to help me, then first we should get back to the rebels' side. Although it will be hard, I still want to try and persuade them into joining forces," Kazuki replied, his voice wavering slightly.
"That's a start," Daniel grinned, feeling the excitement of the challenge ahead. He did some light stretches, eager for action. "Fighting off an army sounds fun," he thought, jumping up and down with anticipation.
"Okay, first things first," Daniel said as he placed a reassuring hand on Kazuki's shoulder. In an instant, they teleported to the rebel leader's location. The leader, Ryuji, was visibly alarmed, his eyes widening in shock at the sudden appearance of the prince and the Leaf shinobi.
"Prince Kazuki and...?" Ryuji started, his voice a mix of surprise and confusion.
"Lord Ryuji. I would have never thought you'd lead the rebels," Kazuki remarked, recognizing the former head officer of the royal court. Ryuji looked worn out, dark circles under his eyes, standing in what seemed to be a command center for the rebel forces.
"And you seem to have gone through quite the ordeal yourself, Your Highness," Ryuji replied, a hint of concern in his voice.
"I guess so..." Kazuki sighed, his shoulders slumping with a hint of disappointment. "I'm here to make a proposal," he said, mustering his conviction, his voice steadying.
"It seems our highness has grown. But unfortunately for..." Ryuji began, but Daniel cut him off, stepping forward with a stern expression and showing him the files they had obtained from Hiroshi.
"Just read this first before you answer," Daniel said, his tone firm and unwavering.
"A Leaf shinobi? And what does the Land of Fire want with a small nation such as ours?" Ryuji responded defensively, refusing to take the file.
"I hired them using the resources I currently had access to, and he's who they sent to assist in stopping this war," Kazuki responded, not wanting to delve into the long details of asking Daniel for help.
Ryuji stood facing them, his unwillingness evident. "I've been quite lenient here, but you ceaselessly test my patience. The negotiations failed with us being framed for the assassination of His Highness the King and his family," Ryuji said tensely.
"Yes, I understand that, but I'm not here for negotiations. Simply read these files and assemble your men. We can discuss the rest after we understand who the real enemy is," Kazuki said boldly, showing his determination.
Seeing this, Ryuji reconsidered for a moment before taking the file and reading it. At first, he didn't understand why they were pushing for him to read the file, but it didn't take long for his face to grow more and more grim. He slammed the file onto the table in rage after he finished reading.
"Damnit!" he yelled, seeing how they were roped into such a thing. "We were tricked, toyed with, puppets," Ryuji said in a rage.
"At this rate, all the rebels will get caught in this, and Ayame will get what she wants. It's already difficult for you to hold your footing as it is, and I'm offering a truce here. I want the betterment of my people, not just the rebels," Kazuki spoke, voicing his heartfelt concern for his nation.
"If this is true, then there is no hope for this nation. There has been little interference with people who possess ninjutsu, but now if this is true, there's no way our forces can ever match up to them," Ryuji responded.
"That's not quite true," Daniel stepped up. "I'm here, though."
"Forgive my ignorance, but aren't you a child? And a single shinobi at that. How could you compare to such an army?" Ryuji replied, skepticism clear in his voice.
"Well, generally, that would be true, but I'm sure you know of the tales of our Fourth Hokage, do you not?" Daniel said.
"It seems this one's a dreamer," Ryuji mumbled.
"As I was saying, at a young age, he had already achieved great feats as a shinobi. Now, I'm not saying I'm him or anything, but we do have something in common, he and I, and I'm sure that is a big factor that might make you reconsider," Daniel said, making both Kazuki and Ryuji raise their brows.
"And that is?" Ryuji responded.
"We're both under the tutelage of the Third Hokage, the Sandaime himself, known as the Professor," Daniel said, his statement received with both wonder and skepticism.
"I'm not here to debate, okay. But I'll tell you this: as you prepare to hold an emergency meeting with your men along with the prince, I'll head over to the battlefield and take over, pushing the enemy all the way to the heart of their base, including all their hidden forces," Daniel said. He teleported afterwards, leaving no room for them to debate with him.
Daniel suddenly appeared on the front lines at a rebel base, where the soldiers were struggling and many were injured. The rebels were shocked to see a Leaf shinobi standing before them.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" one of the soldiers demanded, his voice filled with suspicion.
"I'm currently working for the last remaining member of the royal family, Prince Kazuki. I was sent to assist in this battle," Daniel explained. The rebels exchanged doubtful glances, disillusioned by his claim.
"Prince Kazuki? On our side?" another soldier scoffed.
Seeing their disbelief, Daniel offered to heal their wounded. As he tended to their injuries, the rebels began to change their minds, witnessing his genuine efforts.
"Unbelievable. The prince is really on our side," a rebel murmured, awe-struck.
With the wounded stabilized, Daniel stepped outside the camp, the rebels watching him with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. In their eyes, there wasn't much a single shinobi could do in this dire situation.
But then Daniel let out a red aura that enveloped his body, transforming into Kaioken times 2. The intense energy radiated from him, causing the rebels to gasp in shock.
Daniel made ten shadow clones, each prepared to engage the loyalist soldiers. He fired ki blasts that tore through the ranks of the loyalist forces, greatly thinning their numbers. The loyalist faction, overwhelmed by the unexpected onslaught, began to fall back in disarray.
News of the loyalists' retreat spread rapidly across the battlefield, reaching both Lady Ayame, who was filled with frustration, and Ryuji and Kazuki, who were in the midst of an emergency meeting with the other rebel leaders.
"What is happening out there?" one of the rebel leaders asked, bewildered by the sudden change in the battle's momentum.
"It's Daniel. He's pushing back the loyalist forces," Kazuki said, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
Lady Ayame, upon hearing the news, clenched her fists in anger. "Damn that shinobi! We need to act fast, or everything we've worked for will be lost."
Back on the battlefield, Daniel's clones continued to decimate the loyalist soldiers, his determination unwavering. The rebels, inspired by his strength and resolve, rallied behind him, ready to turn the tide of the war.
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