At first, Mifune frowned slightly.
The information showed that the young man was extremely combative.
Not only had he traveled throughout the country, but he also frequently visited various places to spar, challenging well-known swordsmanship dojos and renowned samurai. His behavior was quite high-profile, even somewhat inconsiderate, with repeated incidents of challenging dojos.
However, upon seeing the more detailed battle records and bystander descriptions, Mifune's brows furrowed even more deeply.
He then slowly loosened his grip and finally shook his head with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"This kid…"
Mifune closed the file, his tone complicated: "He truly thrives on fighting and will use any means necessary to win."
He looked at the subordinates beside him who were also looking over, and waved the documents in his hand: "You guys take a look too. This kid is very interesting. You could even say that, in some ways, he's a complete rebel."
Several subordinates, dressed in traditional samurai attire and with a calm demeanor, passed the document around in turn. Unlike Mifune's initial frown and helplessness, they read it with dark expressions throughout.
"This!? What kind of conduct is this!"
"In a swordsmanship match, he actually uses firearms?! This is a complete desecration of the way of the samurai!"
"Mifune-sama! Rokkaku-sama!"
One upright subordinate, after finishing reading, immediately knelt on one knee and said indignantly, "This boy's conduct completely violates the spirit of fair and honorable duels that we samurai uphold. He relies on opportunistic tricks and deceitful tactics; he is despicable! I respectfully request that his qualification for the competition be revoked, and that appropriate punishment be imposed to set an example!"
The others nodded in agreement, their faces showing dissatisfaction.
In their view, the sword is the soul of a warrior, and swordsmanship duels are a sacred ritual.
using a gun?
How is that any different from those ninjas who only care about results and will stop at nothing to achieve them?
Even worse!
Mifune did not immediately respond to his subordinate's request, but instead turned his gaze back to Rokkaku, who was sitting quietly to the side, and respectfully asked, "Rokkaku-sama, what is your opinion?"
Rokkaku smiled, but instead of answering directly, he asked, "Mifune, you are now the General of the Land of Iron, so this matter should be decided by you."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "However, having lived for over seventy years, I have experienced many things and made irreparable mistakes. I do have some thoughts that may be out of step with the times, but I can share them."
"This kid's philosophy, his ruthless methods of achieving victory, certainly contradict the bushido spirit passed down through generations. It's not worth promoting, much less advocating it among the younger generation, but!"
Changing the subject, Rokkaku continued, "But this kid is right about one thing: On a real battlefield, in a life-or-death struggle, no one cares whether the methods you use are honorable or not; the enemy will only do everything in their power to kill you."
Upon hearing this, several subordinates frowned, wanting to refute, but Rokkaku raised his hand.
"I know what you're trying to say. We, the samurai, pursue the way! Righteousness! Uprightness! That's right, and that's still the foundation of us samurai."
"But Mifune, and all of you, you still remember, right? The last Shinobi World War..."
Upon hearing this, the air in the room instantly froze, Mifune's expression turned serious, and his subordinates fell silent.
At that time, the Second Shinobi World War was in full swing.
Rokkaku, the General back then, had stubbornly believed that the Land of Iron's status as a permanently neutral country would be respected by all parties, especially since he had an agreement with then-rising Hanzo of the Salamander.
Therefore, he assured the people and samurai with absolute certainty that Amegakure and other ninja villages would never invade the Land of Iron.
However, Hanzo of the Salamander ruthlessly broke the agreement, leading the elite Amegakure forces in a brazen invasion, launching a surprise attack using various ninja techniques, including potent poison.
The unprepared border defenses of the Land of Iron crumbled at the first touch. The samurai suffered heavy losses in the face of unprecedented and bizarre Ninjutsu and deadly poisonous fog. Large swathes of the land fell, and civilians were displaced.
Although Hanzo was eventually defeated thanks to the valiant efforts of Mifune and other core samurai of the new generation, as well as factors from other ninja villages, the price paid was extremely heavy.
This incident directly led to Rokkaku's resignation as the General.
After that, the old General, who had once stubbornly adhered to every principle of traditional bushido, underwent a profound change in his mindset.
Rokkaku's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, his voice low and deep: "Last time, my stubbornness and naivety cost the country dearly. It's right that we uphold our principles, but the enemy will not show us any mercy. Now, a new Shinobi World War has begun, and its scale may be even larger than the last one. We don't know if there will be another ambitious person like Hanzo, or someone even more cunning and unscrupulous, who will set their sights on the Land of Iron."
At this point, Rokkaku looked at Mifune: "Perhaps, while we uphold orthodox samurai code and cultivate honorable warriors, allowing the existence of a samurai like Isshin, one who is less bound by rules, even somewhat unorthodox, may not be entirely a bad thing."
"Just like a blade needs its most orthodox and sharp edge, might it also need a less conspicuous hook or barb, capable of striking unexpectedly at enemies who do not follow conventional logic and are extremely cunning?"
Hearing this, Mifune fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding.
"Rokkaku-sama, you are right. In chaotic times, we need the righteous sword that upholds honor, but perhaps we also need an unconventional blade that exists outside the rules."
At this point, Mifune turned to his subordinates and said, "How about this? If this kid's methods aren't so... Well, not so excessive in six months, let's just pretend we didn't see anything."
Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances, then solemnly accepted the order: "Understood!"
What a guy, so fond of fighting and willing to use any means necessary!
This thought, carrying a mix of disdain, helplessness, and curiosity, arose simultaneously in the minds of everyone in the room.
...
Meanwhile, at the northeastern headquarters of the Land of Fire, Shinichi was unaware that in the distant Land of Iron, the high-ranking officials were embroiled in a heated debate over his clone's behavior, which even prompted an old General to reflect deeply on the country's strategy.
He was staring blankly at his system panel. The green level talent, Bloody Battle (Green), had disappeared and was replaced by a deep azure halo.
[One Against Ten Thousand (Blue): Your fighting spirit and aura can now tangibly influence the external world. With the might of one person, you can intimidate groups of enemies, creating a powerful sense of oppression. In intense combat, the fighting spirit in your heart will materially transform into strength. As battle duration increases or as you are injured, your perception of pain and bodily consumption will gradually decrease, while your strength, speed, and reaction ability will progressively increase (With a limit). Upon reaching the peak, you can release your fighting spirit in a single burst combined with your attack, significantly enhancing its effect.]