NRaO Chapter 46 (Patreon)

After the meeting it was made that we would be working together with the Hagoromo and Fuma small clans were issued to help us. We were going to get help from five middle-sized clans and all the large clans would have their members spread throughout our troops. That and the civilian nin that would go to every battlefield as well left us with eight thousand shinobi.

The Hagoromo and Fuma clans were both relatively small, fairly inconsequential, and weak compared to other clans in the village. It seems that I was given these weaker clans to support me once again from backroom deals and plans from the higher-ups. I didn’t need any of them though, my clan also included the suicide corps I developed that learned my taijutsu specialist techniques.

Even if they outnumbered us three to one I had no doubts that we could easily overwhelm them but they wouldn’t. Their forces would come by boat over the next six months and Hiruzen wanted me to wait and play defense until they started attacking. They also believed that was going to happen as they put up no defenses. All of their effort was getting a large enough force here to fight and sabotage us.

My suicide corps ran ahead of everyone else and arrived before anyone could alert the Hokage that we were attacking instead of defending. With only eight hundred that arrived so far, it was trivially easy for us to overwhelm them. Even with only two hundred and fifty troops, we quickly wiped out the entire army and put on their uniforms.

Over the next week, more troops would show up and get assassinated as they dropped their guards around us. They were so sure we wouldn’t do anything underhanded that even though no one recognized the members walking around their first thought didn’t fall onto them being inside a trap. It was two weeks and two thousand ninjas dead before we finally got a higher-up to show up and fight us.

We suffered our first casualty as one of my corps died to friendly fire from a grenade. It took them another four hundred lives to push us out of their beachhead. I took another three hundred of their lives as I blew up the landmines I placed inside the base. I think it was a worthy trade, 2700 of them for 1 of us. They were afraid when they realized what happened. It was a week later when I got a message from Hiruzen and ripped it to pieces the moment I started reading.

If he wants me to defend he’ll have to come here and hold me back. I refuse to sit back and have my men be slaughtered because of his defensive attitude. Of course, the losers are going to cry foul when they’re losing. I hadn’t expected my own village to be the ones to report me though. The fuma clan member who left the battlefield to say I went ahead to attack ‘died’ of suspicious circumstances while he went on his first scouting mission after he arrived on the war front.

My plans went even further as I wielded their weapons against them. The Hidden Mist scouts were soon hounded by the new five swordsmen of the leaf. I had done away with the fake hammer and axe and Samehada refused to work with me. All five swordsmen were my clones. In all honesty, the weapons were practically worthless, I could make better fairly easily but it was a demoralizing tactic. That’s why I let some of them live, so they can tell their people that the weapons they painstakingly gathered were turned against them.

They weren’t used to fighting against enemies that actually fought back. Instead of a prolonged war where they took every advantageous fight they were met with ambush after assassination after tactical retreat after the ground suddenly exploding underneath them. In just three weeks more than eight thousand Hidden Mist ninjas were dead with two thousand injured.

They could still fight but the overwhelming strength of the enemy led them to flee the war. At least that is what they intended to do. As my suicide corps ran along the water and blew up their boats many more ninja died. After they got away I let them believe they were safe. It had never happened before, the Hidden Leaf had never once started a battle outside of their land.

When I overran a village killing every single ninja inside and kept sweeping the smaller islands like a wave of death they called for a truce. Then they called for surrender when I made it to their island. We were finally met with the remainder of their army. Their new Mizukage held a fishing spear towards us. “You plan to assault our village? Why? Why push so far? Why are you not acting like the Hidden Leaf?”

I just laughed at his stupid questions. To be fair he was young, very young on account of the Mizukage being killed in the explosion that happened earlier. I could only say. “You are the ones that started this war. You can’t be upset that we’re fighting back right?” His new position gave way to his emotions as he spoke. “This isn’t like the Hidden Leaf. You’re supposed to give up when we retreat. Why didn’t you?”

I started to get mad as well. “Because what will you learn from that? That you can just attack us whenever you feel like it and nothing will happen on your own lands. It’s sickening to me that the Hidden Leaf let you get away with it for so long, but no more. If you want a war, be prepared for the consequences.” The real leader besides the current Mizukage finally spoke.

“So you plan to fight us with less than three hundred troops? Are you aware that we still have ten thousand shinobi in the village willing to defend it with their lives?” A smile formed on my face as I spoke. “We’re not here to kill everyone. I just want to kill him.” I pointed at their Mizukage and Jinchuriki. “If he dies then the Bijuu in his body will rampage. After the village is wiped out, I can come back at my leisure and claim the Bijuu for myself.” 

Everyone looked on in fear as I was cycling chakra ready for an attack right as Hiruzen showed himself. It caught even me off-guard. He shouted. “Enough Orochi! They’ve lost, let them go!” I could tell he was willing to fight me over this. I was furious. “You’re willing to attack members of your own village right in front of the enemy. An enemy he was planning to deal with permanently? We’d never have to worry about the Hidden Mist again if I succeeded. Why?”

He gave me a cold stare. “How many civilians would die? How many children are you willing to sacrifice in this attack to remove an enemy?” I gave him a cold stare as I answered truthfully. “To keep our village safe… I’ll kill all of them. Every single person on this island. I’ll turn it into a ghost town to win. The only enemy that will stop coming is dead and buried in the ground.”

Right now I might have bought us ten, maybe even twenty years of peace on this front but what happens after that? What about the Hidden Cloud, if all four fought we’d be outnumbered almost ten to one. It was a losing fight to only defend but he refused to change his strategy. He followed the teaching of Hiruzen more than Tobirama. He was a coward, a coward willing to fight his own student to save an enemy. I yelled out. “Fine…” I walked up and slapped my sensei across his face. “You are no longer my sensei and I’m going to do my best when we make it back to the village to have your position stripped and given to someone who isn’t a coward.”