"The peace of the Ninja World requires the joint efforts of all, and the Takugure ninja cannot stay aloof from it either."
In the meeting hall of the Hidden Waterfall Village, Sanshouo Hanzo, occupying the main seat, declared.
Upon hearing this, everyone, including the leader of the Takugure ninja, fell silent.
No one wanted to speak on behalf of others, nor was anyone willing to sacrifice their own interests for the illusory ideal of peace in the Ninja World. This was particularly true among the Takugure ninja, who had long lived in isolation.
Once more, it all came down to strength.
Though reluctant, the Takugure ninjas still had to grit their teeth, summon their wits, and engage in verbal sparring with the emissary Sanshouo Hanzo.
After all, power speaks here. If Takugure truly decided to fight to the death, they might end up completely wiped out!
"This concerns the peace of the Ninja World; everyone is free to express their opinions. The Shogunate has never punished anyone for speaking freely—please do not feel uneasy," said Sanshouo Hanzo in a calm tone.
Although his voice carried no emotion, after passing through the toxin mask, it became muffled and oppressive.
The gathered Takugure ninja began to sweat. They exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to speak.
After hesitant eye contact, the senior members collectively turned their gazes to their leader, whose expression was gloomy.
Now was the time when only the leader could step forward.
Though they held high ranks, they were merely tools whose role was to carry out their leader's will—such a spotlight was best avoided.
"I..."
The leader hesitated, wanting to say something.
Theoretically, as village leader, it was already humiliating for him that Hanzo, a visiting guest, occupied the main seat. Now feeling overpowered further made him appear especially weak.
But whether considering Hanzo's status as the Shogunate's envoy or his semi-divine strength proven through countless battles, he was more than enough to intimidate this relatively unknown leader of Takugure.
Therefore, although he wanted to argue, he didn't know where to begin.
"Peace is the foundation upon which the Ninja World stands..."
Seeing this, Sanshouo Hanzo continued with some meaningless diplomatic talk.
"We, the Takugure, have always focused on self-defense, never participating in affairs across the Ninja World, let alone intending to compete for dominance," finally blurted out the leader of Takugure, unable to hold back any longer. "Mr. Hanzo, we understand the significance of world peace, but those issues are irrelevant to us!"
"So?"
Sanshouo Hanzo showed no irritation at all.
"We only seek self-defense!"
The leader of Takugure took a deep breath and firmly declared, "No matter who comes, it's the same—we do everything just for our own protection! No one can change the way of life of the Takugure ninja!"
"Of course! The lifestyle of the Takugure ninja should be respected!"
Surprisingly, instead of directly responding to the leader's words, Sanshouo Hanzo agreed first, then gestured for him to continue speaking.
"Uh..."
But this was already the limit of the Takugure leader's courage. So after Sanshouo Hanzo signaled him to continue, he didn't know what else to say.
After all, it seemed inappropriate to make threats, because even deploying the Seven-Tails Chomei Jinchuriki wouldn't be enough to deal with the formidable Sanshouo Hanzo.
Moreover, anyone with a little common sense knew that Sanshouo Hanzo had merely been sent ahead as a vanguard; the Seii Taishogun's Shogunate hadn't even begun playing their hidden moves yet!
"We don't wish to have any relations or dealings with any armed organizations beyond self-defense."
The leader of the Takugure swallowed hard and forced himself to say.
"Anything else?"
Sanshouo Hanzo continued asking.
"We more or less understand Mr. Hanzo's position, but we won't get involved in the murky affairs of the Ninja World."
The voice of the Takugure leader became increasingly urgent. "Furthermore, whether it's the so-called Holy Place or other great ninja villages, as long as they have no bearing on our interests, they're none of our concern!"
"Go on."
Sanshouo Hanzo nodded indifferently.
"That's all."
The leader of the Takugure had no idea what else to say.
"Then may I clarify my purpose?"
Sanshouo Hanzo asked.
"Please do."
The leader of the Takugure took a deep breath and assumed a posture of listening.
"If the Takugure ninja are unwilling to contribute to the Ninja World, then hand over the Tailed Beasts."
Sanshouo Hanzo said.
Upon hearing these words, the entire upper echelon of the Takugure burst into uproar!
The Tailed Beasts held by the Takugure were sacred treasures of their village! How could they possibly hand them over easily?
Looking back at history, when the shadow of the Konoha Ninja Clan quietly spread to the edges of the Herb Country, attempting to infiltrate and shake the foundation of the Land of Waterfall, it was precisely the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki who singlehandedly turned the tide; otherwise, the Land of Waterfall might have long been overrun by foreign forces, and the Hidden Waterfall Village would no longer exist!
Nowadays, the Hidden Waterfall Village faces unprecedented challenges—the alarming decline in talent was heartbreaking, as if every gust of wind carried a sorrowful echo. At a time like this, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki is more crucial than ever. Losing them would make the Hidden Waterfall Village even weaker than the Rain Ninja Village rising from the ashes of war!
At that point, should external enemies invade again, it would be crying out to heaven with no response, calling upon earth with no reply!
Therefore, that's an unacceptable demand!
"Absolutely impossible!"
The leader of the Takugure abruptly stood up, his face turning livid as he spoke: "Mr. Hanzo! The Seven-Tails was entrusted to us by Lord Hashirama when he distributed the Tailed Beasts! This is an unchangeable law!"
Sanshouo Hanzo remained unmoved.
He had come here to play the villain, so he didn't care about criticism or accusations.
"Although we are weak, we are not a force to be bullied at will!"
The leader of the Takugure said through clenched teeth.
"And then?"
Sanshouo Hanzo's voice remained calm, as if discussing today's weather, displaying a completely indifferent attitude.
"There is no 'and then'!"
The leader of the Takugure ninja was about to explode with rage.
Such a feeling of being ignored and even humiliated was indeed unbearable.
"If that's the case, then I have nothing more to say."
Sanshouo Hanzo gave a slight nod, then rose slowly and strode toward the exit of the conference hall.
"This..."
The upper echelons of the Takugure instantly fell into chaos!
This wasn't the standard negotiation procedure!
Shouldn't it be you make an offer, I counter, and we eventually reach a mutually acceptable deal?
Why had he given up on the talks so quickly?
"Weakness itself is the original sin,"
Sanshouo Hanzo continued speaking to himself. "Takugure originally had no sins, but possessing a Jinchuriki with a Tailed Beast that Seii Taishogun doesn't have—that becomes Takugure's original sin!"
As he spoke, he had already reached the doorway of the meeting hall. With that, he stepped out of the chamber.
The higher-ups of Takugure originally intended to step forward and try to persuade him to stay, but their movements were directly stopped by the murderous glare filled with killing intent from the leader of Takugure.
And just like that, Sanshouo Hanzo's diplomatic mission ended before it truly began.
The ritual of diplomacy before battle had finally been completed.
"This isn't fair! How can they take our Tailed Beast away!"
Only after Sanshouo Hanzo left did someone finally break the long silence among the senior ranks of Takugure.
"If we hand over the Tailed Beast, there won't be any Takugure left in the future!"
The leader of Takugure sighed deeply as he held his forehead.
"But we don't have reinforcements,"
By now, having witnessed Sanshouo Hanzo's attitude, the upper echelons of Takugure gave up their illusions and prepared for war.
However, strength wouldn't change because of mere surface-level determination; the power imbalance between the two sides remained absolute.
"As futile as hitting rocks with eggs,"
The leader of Takugure shook his head again in sighing resignation.
"But if we lose the Seven-Tails' Jinchuriki, destruction would only be a matter of time,"
Another high-ranking member of Takugure sighed helplessly.
"Begin mobilization immediately. We have no other choice left."
Taking a deep breath, the leader of Takugure began issuing orders.
After leaving Hidden Waterfall Village, Sanshouo Hanzo immediately released a ninja hawk, sending a report to Hyuga Soushu, who had already led troops into the border area of the Grass Country.
Upon receiving news from the ninja hawk, Hyuga Soushu immediately ordered his Standing Ninja Army to march directly into the Land of Waterfall.
This war had no justification, no noble cause—only raw interest and the fight over control of the Tailed Beasts.
After all, the Seii Taishogun's Shogunate didn't possess a single Tailed Beast yet. That was simply unacceptable!
Especially since the Land of Water had been searched countless times, both openly and secretly, without any trace of the two missing Tailed Beasts originally belonging to Hidden Mist Village. Therefore, obtaining a Tailed Beast now meant focusing efforts exclusively on Takugure.
The might of six thousand elite ninja soldiers completely crushed the pitiful resistance from Takugure's patrol units. The invading force advanced unimpeded, reaching the outer perimeter of the Takugure village within roughly an hour and immediately beginning to form battle formations.
And until this moment, the Takugure ninja still hadn't recovered from the chaos caused by the sudden mobilization order.
Therefore, when the massive army of the Seii Taishogun's Shogunate arrived at their borders, the leader of Takugure was completely unprepared!
"What should I do now?"
Standing atop the highest point in the village, the leader gazed out helplessly. Six thousand elite Jonin from the Shogunate stood in full battle formation, exuding intimidation and readiness. In contrast, his own forces were in total disarray—clearly no match at all.
This stark contrast felt like a cold splash of reality hitting him all at once, instantly dousing every shred of hope and wishful thinking in his heart. A chill ran down his spine, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Deep inside, he couldn't believe how quickly the Shogunate's forces had moved!
From the moment Sanshouo Hanzo left the council hall of Takugure until the enemy arrived at their gates, less than two hours had passed.
Such speed and efficiency exceeded even the leader of Takugure's expectations, let alone any possibility of preemptive defense. In the face of this unexpected crisis, all previous schemes and preparations seemed utterly futile.
"Woo woo woo!!!"
Before the leader could regain his composure, the enemy outside sounded their mighty horns, signaling the beginning of the assault. The various divisions of the Ninja Force began to advance steadily.
"Prepare for combat!"
The leader barked out the command immediately.
"Defend Takugure with our lives!"
Rallied by high-ranking Jonin, panicked ninjas scrambled into position, bracing themselves for the imminent attack.
Yet from the perspective of the Shogunate ninja, Takugure's defenses were full of gaps and clearly outdated.
"Honorable Soushu, we've completed the enemy deployment map!"
Inside the main encampment of the Shogunate forces, a Byakugan ninja appeared via Body Flicker technique beside Hyuga Soushu, offering a freshly drawn defense layout.
Hyuga Soushu briefly scanned the document before issuing adjustment commands.
Among the advancing Ninja Force, these adjustments barely drew notice—appearing simply like routine troop repositioning.
This was largely due to Takugure's long-standing policy of isolationism.
Because of their long-term seclusion, the most direct consequence was that Takugure's tactical thinking and defensive methods had seriously lagged behind current standards across the Ninja World.
For example, they were relying solely on basic shelters for defense, trying to resist the steadily advancing Shogunate forces.
From the Shogunate's perspective, this approach was practically equivalent to offering up free targets.
"Sanshouo Hanzo, if anything unexpected occurs, please be prepared to intervene."
After completing slight readjustments within the formation, Hyuga Soushu turned slightly toward Sanshouo Hanzo and said.
"As you command!"
This marked the first time Sanshouo Hanzo responded with such deference to Hyuga Soushu.
"Advance!"
Hyuga Soushu nodded, then sharply raised his hand forward.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Tora! Tora! Tora!"
The entire Ninja Force roared in unison, bloodthirsty and terrifying.
"Get ready!"
Panic instantly erupted through Takugure's defensive lines.
At this moment
[Fire ninjutsu! Initiate the [Ninja Tools Barrage]!]
The Jonin commanders of the Shogunate Ninja Force initiated their unit's battle orders.
In an instant, a storm of ninja tools filled the air as they rained down on the battlefield!
And at the same time the weapons flew, mighty dragons of flame surged forward, propelled by an invisible Wind Blade, directly toward the Takugure positions!
"Hurry! Use Earth Release to defend!"
The Waterfall Jonin immediately fell into chaos, each issuing defensive commands.
But it was already too late!
Their original formation was meant for close-quarters combat only—it couldn't hold against such a full-scale attack of ninjutsu and ninja tools!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Although a few quick-thinking Takugure ninja desperately intercepted some attacks, they were unable to counter the overwhelming onslaught of explosive kunai and unseen Secret Jutsu.
Whether it was the Explosive Tag Kunai raining down from above with devastating force, or the unseen Secret Jutsu slipping past their defenses... all became merciless messengers of death, weaving horrifying scenes across the battlefield—limbs torn from bodies, severed arms and lifeless remains strewn across the ground, and the unending cries of the wounded pierced the air.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye!
The leader of the Takugure ninja stood frozen like a statue!
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