Raizen nodded along with the plan—but his instincts screamed caution. Breeze Canyon had been a wake-up call: the Kaguya clan had thrown everything into that assault just to protect their supplies. They'd learned from it, and the escort teams were going to be tighter than ever. A simple sneak attack? Forget it.
"Right now, the enemy outnumbers us," Amamiya Gen said, eyes scanning the assembled ninja. "We defend where we must, but at the same time, send scouts to track the Kaguya supply convoy. The moment we see movement, we report—immediately!"
"Yes, Patriarch!" the clan ninja replied, springing into action. Even Raizen, only twelve yet already carrying the weight of life-and-death battles, felt the tension. High-intensity warfare was relentless, and his muscles ached from the recent grind.
For a few tense days, the Kaguya forces didn't budge, and the Amamiya scouts traced the supply routes. At last, a crucial piece of intel landed in front of Gen.
His eyes lit up. "Destroy these supplies… and we've won half the war already," he muttered. Without hesitation, he summoned the clan's Jōnin for a nighttime strike.
"How certain is this mission?" a Jōnin asked, voice steady.
"If we succeed, the Kaguya ninja will either retreat or hesitate," Gen answered. "Either way, it buys the clan enough time to prepare." The other Jōnin nodded silently, understanding the stakes.
"This time, I lead the team myself," Amamiya Gen declared, drawing a murmur of approval from the assembled ninja. Raizen frowned slightly. Something felt off—but he shook it off, muttering a silent prayer for their success.
As night fell, Gen and five elite ninja hid along the convoy's route. Hours crawled by, the forest silent except for distant winds and rustling leaves. Finally, torches appeared on the horizon—Kaguya's supply team.
Amamiya Gen signaled. The five ninja melted into shadows, approaching silently. Hands moved deftly, tying detonator talismans to crates, each trap set with precision.
At the final signal, kunai flew, talismans detonated. Flames roared to life, igniting the convoy instantly.
"Enemy attack!" came the cry from the Kaguya guards—but the response was not fear. Smiles curled across their faces. Gen squinted through the smoke and saw… stones. The entire convoy was a decoy.
"Retreat!" Gen barked, heart hammering. But before he could pull back fully, figures leapt from the shadows, surrounding the six Amamiya ninja.
"You dare strike our supplies twice?" a Kaguya ninja hissed. "Do you take us for fools?"
Trapped, Gen's mind raced. "Break through!" he roared. Hands flew through quick seals, and chakra ignited into a searing fire that rolled toward the encroaching ninjas. The five accompanying ninja attacked, trying to carve a path out.
But the Kaguya warriors were seasoned predators. Bone spurs shot forward like steel spears, slicing through the flames.
"The Kaguya ninja leave these five for us!" a commander ordered, and the encirclement tightened.
"Cross Cut!" another shouted. Two metacarpal spurs slammed together midair, sending shockwaves toward Gen. He drew his blade with a metallic cry and countered, sparks flying as steel met bone.
For a tense minute, fire and steel clashed, detonating blasts echoing across the clearing. Around them, other Kaguya ninja dared not approach—the Amamiya patriarch and his elite had carved a temporary haven.
These were not ordinary Jōnin. Ninjas of the Warring States were monsters by later standards, trained in constant war. Even legendary future shinobi like Third Raikage pale beside the patriarchs of this age. Douren—Raizen—had not slain the Kaguya patriarch easily. Every blow was survival. Sage Mode or Sage Art would have struggled against such raw, battle-hardened strength.
Now, in this deadly standoff, two elite forces clashed, generating waves of power that made the surrounding battlefield nearly untouchable. Every second counted. One misstep, and the Amamiya clan would lose more than supplies—they could lose lives, honor, and the fragile edge they'd carved in the Warring States.
...
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