This was the first battle before the official outbreak of war.
The Daimyo of the Fire Country had issued a death order, they must win, and not just win, but win cleanly and decisively. He wanted the ignorant masses of the entire world to witness with their own eyes the might of the Fire Country.
And so, the one commanding this battle was none other than Kurotsuchi's father, Kitsuchi from Iwagakure (the Hidden Stone Village).
That cause-and-effect sounded a bit strange, but it was a helpless arrangement. The Fire Country had been funding Konoha for many years, only for the village to refuse to send troops at this crucial time.
Though the Fire Country had its own trained ninja, compared to the Jōnin and Elite Jōnin from one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, they were still a little lacking.
So, they sought help from the Land of Earth, and the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, sent his son, Kitsuchi, to serve as commander of the first battle.
There were two warships in total, carrying two thousand members of the suicide squad, four hundred samurai, and Kitsuchi himself.
Once their vanguard crushed the resistance of the Land of Hot Water, the follow-up forces would depart from the border town one after another.
After that, it would be the full-scale confrontation with the Land of Water.
The warships sped over the sea. No one knew when, but faint threads of mist began to rise over the ocean's surface.
Kitsuchi narrowed his eyes, looking into the dense, layered fog, a faint unease stirring in his heart.
The subordinate standing beside him, also from Iwagakure, had followed him for many years. Naturally, he could sense the change in Kitsuchi's mood and asked, "Lord Kitsuchi, are you worried there's an ambush in the Land of Hot Water?"
"No."
Kitsuchi shook his head slightly and said, "Our spies in the Land of Hot Water have already investigated thoroughly. There's no sign of the Annihilation Army or Kirigakure ninja in their territory. The Land of Water hasn't reported any troop movements under Ryosuke's command either."
"Ryosuke and his group have indeed been dominant in recent years, shaking the entire region, but they still lack deep foundations. Once open warfare begins, their shortage of manpower will become apparent."
"The Land of Hot Water was likely abandoned by Ryosuke."
The subordinate thought for a moment, then asked again, "If that's the case, my lord, what are you worried about? That Ryosuke might come personally?"
"No."
Kitsuchi shook his head again.
"If Ryosuke does come, that would be the best outcome. That means he's left the Land of Water's heartland undefended. The other battlefronts can strike immediately."
"Especially the Akatsuki members, they can launch decapitation missions to assassinate the Daimyo of the Land of Water, Oda Ieyasu."
Ryosuke was indeed terrifying.
But his allies were no less dangerous.
If any of Oda Ieyasu, Takeshi, Kamihara Hayato, or Sasuke were killed, then as Kitsuchi said, Ryosuke's faction, already lacking a solid foundation, would crumble instantly, communication would break down, and all unity would be lost.
Ryosuke would be nothing more than a vicious lone wolf.
Trading a few thousand lives for strategic advantage was, without doubt, a profitable deal.
Kitsuchi was thirty-eight this year, long past the age of youthful recklessness.
He had accepted the mission to lead the first battle fully aware of what it meant, and had long been mentally prepared to die in war.
After denying his subordinate twice, Kitsuchi gave an embarrassed smile.
"It's not as complicated as you think. Maybe it's because I've lived inland all my life and rarely seen the sea, this sea fog just gave me a bad feeling, that's all."
Winter sea fog was nothing unusual. Kitsuchi's unease was simply the intuition of a veteran ninja. Once the arrow was loosed, there was no turning back.
Now that the vanguard fleet had set sail, they couldn't just turn around because of some fog and their commander's uneasy feeling. The only choice was to press forward.
"Fortunately…"
Kitsuchi's gaze shifted to the other warship.
"We still have our suicide squad friends to scout ahead for us."
———
Each warship carried a thousand suicide squad members and two hundred samurai.
The samurai stood atop the deck, silent and cold as wood. They were in full battle mode, standing guard, scanning their surroundings warily, ready for any sudden attack.
The suicide squad, composed of mercenaries, was in total chaos.
Some of the thousand men sneaked into the inner cabins, looking for valuables to steal. Others formed small groups on deck, chatting arrogantly, sizing each other up, and before long, brawls broke out.
Before even encountering an enemy, the smell of blood already hung thick over the ship.
"Who else wants some!?"
Jirōbō raised his blood-stained fists high, having beaten the man who challenged him half to death.
Beside him stood three others, Sakon and Ukon, Tayuya, and Kidōmaru.
Jirōbō swept his gaze over the others. Seeing no one dared respond, he kicked the man under his feet in the chest, sending him flying down the deck. The mercenaries scrambled aside until the man crashed into a pair of boots and stopped.
Ryosuke lowered his head to glance at the man, who was already vomiting up bits of his internal organs, clearly beyond saving. He looked up at the four, a flicker of recognition in his eyes.
Jirōbō glared back and roared, "What are you looking at?! You got a problem?!"
As he shouted, his neck leaned forward slightly, revealing a curse mark at the side of his neck. Ryosuke immediately realized where he'd seen him before,
From Otogakure, the Hidden Sound Village, one of Orochimaru's old subordinates.
After Orochimaru's death, Otogakure became the target of countless factions seeking his inheritance. But when they arrived, they found most of Orochimaru's research and assets had already been moved away by Kabuto.
Furious, those factions turned their anger on the Sound Village itself. The Sound Four, not wanting to be caught up in the chaos, fled the village and became rootless mercenaries.
Years passed, and now, they met Ryosuke again.
Ryosuke sighed inwardly, fate truly worked in mysterious ways. Facing Jirōbō's roar, he simply smiled and said, "You just looked familiar. I was reminded of an old friend."
An old friend indeed.
The Ryosuke Research Institute had been built thanks to Orochimaru's sponsorship and introduction, after all.
"Quit pretending!"
Jirōbō sneered and raised his arm. "Since no one else dares speak up, from now on, this suicide squad follows the four of us! Anyone who disobeys..."
He pointed to the man lying dead at Ryosuke's feet.
"...ends up like him."
The mercenaries fell silent.
There were over a thousand of them. If they all attacked at once, they could kill the Sound Four easily, but none of them wanted to be the first. They understood what the Sound Four intended.
A suicide squad meant certain death, but who died first and who died later, that was the real question.
The Sound Four wanted to form their own small team, pushing the weak to go first and scout out the danger. Once the path was clear, they'd move in and take the glory.
In no time, a crowd of mercenaries began gathering around the Sound Four, flattering them, hoping to align with the stronger side.
One mercenary glanced at Ryosuke, who still hadn't moved, and asked, "Aren't you going?"
Ryosuke waved his hand. "No rush. Everyone will get their turn."
"Everyone?"
The man didn't understand what Ryosuke meant, assumed he was just stupid, and ignored him, shoving his way toward the others.
Suddenly, a faint vibration ran through the ship.
Everyone looked up, somehow, the two ships had drawn close enough to connect. The samurai aboard Ryosuke's ship all leapt to the other vessel, leaving behind only the suicide squad members.
At that moment, Kitsuchi's command came through, "Advance. Investigate the depths of the fog."
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