"Is this really our enemy? Hahaha!"
"What is that? Horses? Hahaha, or are they cavalry?"
"This is the easiest battle I've ever fought!"
On a battlefield near the border of the Land of Hot Water, shrouded in thick white mist, a war—or rather, a one-sided massacre by the Kirigakure shinobi against the samurai—was underway.
Unlike the samurai of the Land of Iron, who possessed chakra, ordinary samurai held contempt for such "external powers." Yet, even a genin with basic chakra control could easily surpass the physical capabilities of a trained samurai. A shinobi's taijutsu alone could crush a swordsmanship honed over decades.
Shuriken and kunai, typically used for distraction or feints in shinobi combat, easily reaped the lives of these samurai. And if taijutsu was overwhelming, what hope did they have against the supernatural force of ninjutsu?
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
A mid-ranking Kirigakure shinobi performed a series of hand signs before unleashing a torrent of water akin to a small waterfall from his mouth. While the range was limited to just a few meters, such a jutsu was impressive for a chunin-level chakra reserve. This low-level ninjutsu, once used to counter fire-style techniques or intimidate fellow genin, now drowned several samurai in seconds.
Kirigakure's signature Silent Killing Technique, paired with the Hidden Mist Jutsu, enveloped the battlefield in a dense fog. Samurai, unable to see their hands in front of their faces, were slain without even realizing when death struck. Their previously orderly formations only increased the effectiveness of the mist-covered attacks.
"Run! Run for your lives! We can't win against them!"
The insurmountable power gap finally dawned on the samurai, who began discarding their heavy armor and weapons, fleeing with a desperation that made them curse their lack of more legs to run faster.
"Cowards! Retreating in the face of battle is treason against the Daimyō!"
A commanding samurai, mounted on a jet-black steed and wielding a long polearm, roared as he cut down a deserter. His words, however, fell on deaf ears.
"To hell with the Daimyō!"
Behind him, another samurai, wearing an eyepatch, threw his blade, impaling the commander's heart. Without pausing to retrieve his weapon, he bolted, leaving chaos in his wake.
The once-arrogant samurai now fled like cornered rats.
"Press the attack! Spare those who surrender," ordered Kisame Hoshigaki, his Konoha headband gleaming incongruously among the Kirigakure shinobi. Despite his outsider status, his commands were followed without question as the Mist shinobi surged forward like a pack of ravenous wolves.
Kisame, hefting the massive Samehada on his shoulder, shook his head in exasperation. A slaughter this effortless couldn't even stir his desire to fight.
Since Kirigakure's surrender to Konoha, the village had been subjected to similar treatment as Sunagakure, with a Konoha embassy established within its borders. Despite the diplomatic measures, Tobirama Senju had been cautious enough to reject Mei Terumī's request to personally lead the campaign. Instead, Kisame was dispatched to command Kirigakure's forces.
Returning to Kirigakure in this capacity filled Kisame with mixed emotions. The samurai opposition crumbled so easily that the advance felt like a simple march. In less than an hour, they had pushed from the border straight to the capital of the Land of Hot Water.
Villages and towns encountered along the way were left untouched under Kisame's orders, avoiding unnecessary disruption to civilian life. By the time the villagers realized what had happened, Konoha shinobi had already taken control, swiftly stabilizing order under the guidance of the Nara Clan's strategic brilliance.
...
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"That was three thousand samurai! Three thousand! Even if they were weak, it should've taken the Mist lunatics longer than this! How could it happen so fast?"
In the Daimyō's residence, the ruler of the Land of Hot Water hurled a porcelain bowl to the floor in fury after hearing his subordinate's report.
The minister, trembling and dropping to his knees, stammered, "Your Excellency, it's true! The samurai were utterly routed in moments, and even General Morita was killed by his own fleeing men!"
"The Mist shinobi have already surrounded the capital!"
Hearing this, the Daimyō slumped into his chair, his body drained of strength. After a long silence, he clutched at a desperate hope, turning to another minister with wide, pleading eyes.
"How soon will General Mifune's reinforcements arrive?"
The minister, normally composed, now had a sweat-soaked back betraying his inner turmoil.
"General Mifune... he's still on his way. It might... maybe... possibly take a few more hours?" His voice faltered, nearly breaking into sobs by the end.
As a loyal servant of the Daimyō, he knew his fate was sealed if the ruler fell.
"What should we do?"
The Daimyō's eyes rolled back as he imagined his head being severed, fainting from sheer terror.
"Quick! Deploy every samurai in the residence. Delay them as long as possible!" The minister barked orders and, with the help of other close aides, dragged the unconscious Daimyō into a hidden passage.
Unlike the well-defended capital of the Land of Fire, the Land of Hot Water's capital was woefully underprepared. Its defense consisted solely of ordinary samurai and a few mercenary shinobi hired with the Daimyō's wealth.
The mercenaries, mostly genin-level, were hardly a match for Kiri's forces. Even the few jonin-level bounty hunters among them fell quickly under Kisame's blade.
"Attack! Take the Daimyō's residence!" Kisame barked after dispatching three bounty hunters.
The remaining defenders crumbled like a house of cards. Within minutes, the gates to the capital were breached.
Elite assassination teams from Kirigakure slipped silently into the city. Streets that were bustling just hours earlier were now eerily silent as civilians barricaded themselves indoors.
Under Kisame's restraint, the Mist shinobi refrained from harming civilians and swiftly broke into the Daimyō's residence, their mission nearing completion.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic finished on Patreon (Last chap 162.)
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