Chapter 295: The Iron Horse Joins: The Battle for Command
Iwagakure (Village Hidden Among Rocks), Secret Strategic Meeting Hall.
The atmosphere was charged, heavy with coercion and the unspoken fear of Uchiha Akira. The news of Sunagakure's annihilation, combined with the immediate threat from the Fourth Raikage and the chilling coercion from the Tsuchikage, had finally shattered the will of the minor nations.
Even the stronger Kusagakure (Hidden Grass Village), despite its resources, had surrendered its sovereignty.
What right did these minor, insignificant villages have to hesitate further? None.
As the tense countdown progressed, the first small Ninja Village representative who couldn't bear the paralyzing pressure broke.
"Kusagakure... is willing... is willing to join the Shinobi Alliance..."
Where there was one, there was a second. The dominoes began to fall rapidly.
"Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall Village), agrees to join the Shinobi Allied Forces!"
"We... we also agree to contribute forces and supplies!"
Under the Raikage's unspoken, bloody threat and the Tsuchikage's cold, rational coercion, these representatives of the small Ninja Villages had no other choice.
Their logic was simple, if grim: in front were Konoha's terrifying, world-conquering fangs, promising annihilation. Behind were Kumogakure and Iwagakure's powerful butcher knives, demanding immediate fealty.
It was death either way, but joining the Shinobi Alliance offered a small, slim chance of survival and autonomy under new masters.
Ōnoki, the diminutive Third Tsuchikage, watched the rapid disintegration of their neutrality with detached satisfaction.
A bunch of fence-sitters. Indeed, only the toughest, most threatening methods could be used against them. Their fear served the Alliance's purpose.
Afterward, Ōnoki's shrewd gaze turned, floating slightly higher in his levitation technique, to the main seat at the center of the conference hall.
There, Mifune, the revered General and supreme commander of the Land of Iron's samurai forces, sat perfectly upright, maintaining a flawless, impassive silence throughout the entire proceedings.
"Mifune-sama."
Ōnoki's voice became noticeably more polite, tinged with a respect he reserved only for the truly powerful or the truly vital.
"Currently, the major Ninja Villages have reached a consensus to form a necessary Shinobi Alliance to jointly resist Konoha's blatant atrocities and Uchiha Akira's terrifying ambition."
"As an undeniable military force in the Ninja World, the old man sincerely invites your country, the Land of Iron, to finally join our cause. We desperately need your samurai strength and your neutrality as a staging ground."
Mifune's heart, though outwardly calm, tightened instantly at the direct challenge to his long-held creed.
His gaze was steady as he met the Tsuchikage's piercing stare.
"Tsuchikage-sama, thank you for your kind offer."
"However, since its establishment, the Land of Iron has adhered strictly to the principle of absolute neutrality, never participating in wars between ninja forces."
"This is a sacred tradition we have upheld for hundreds of years. It is the very creed, the soul, of our samurai."
Mifune paused, his tone unyielding, dignified. "Therefore, please forgive my refusal. We will remain neutral in this conflict."
The representatives of the small Ninja Villages who had just been brutally forced to join all looked at Mifune with strange, resentful expressions.
Had this stubborn samurai truly never witnessed the Raikage's volcanic temper? Does he think he's above the bloodshed that is coming?
Indeed!
"Hmph!"
The Fourth Raikage, A, who had been listening with barely concealed impatience, let out a sneer—a sudden, sharp laugh born of extreme, barely contained anger.
"Neutrality? Creed?"
"Mifune! You old, stubbornly blind fool!" A roared, his voice shaking the entire table, making the small village representatives shrink in terror.
"What time is it now?! Uchiha Akira's ambition is not merely to take a few fields—it is to swallow the entire Ninja World! He has murdered two Daimyō and a Kage in a single week!"
"Do you truly think that if you hide behind the word 'neutrality,' he will mercifully spare your Land of Iron? He kills Daimyō and Kage without blinking!"
"Utterly foolish!"
Facing the Raikage's thunderous roar, Mifune's expression remained perfectly calm, disciplined.
"Raikage-sama, this is an internal affair of our Land of Iron. It has nothing to do with your village, and I ask that you respect our sovereignty and our decision."
"You!"
Raikage A trembled violently with incandescent rage. Blue electrical arcs wildly danced and crackled across his body, his Lightning Release Chakra Mode instantly activated, his immense power threatening to crush the irritating samurai with his bare hands.
"Enough, brute."
Ōnoki, floating rapidly between the two behemoths, raised a thin, levitating hand to stop the furious Raikage. He understood the need for subtle pressure, not destructive rage.
Ōnoki floated directly in front of Mifune, staring intently into the samurai's eyes.
"Mifune-sama, I admire your adherence to your creed. Truly. It is an honorable code."
"But there are some things you might still be unaware of. Secrets Akira has kept hidden to destabilize the nations."
Ōnoki lowered his voice, making it cold and direct, delivering political reality. "You know about the incident with the Lord Daimyō of the Land of Fire, right?"
Mifune frowned slightly. His perfect calm finally showed a minute crack of concern.
"I've heard about it. It was officially reported to be an internal power struggle and the result of a sickness. An internal affair of the Land of Fire."
"Internal dispute?"
Ōnoki's face showed a deep, mocking sneer. "What a naive, easily fed line of justification, Mifune."
"Let me tell you the truth, Mifune-sama!"
"The Lord Daimyō of the Land of Fire—a man whom you would consider sacred and inviolate—was personally slain by Konoha's Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Akira! It was a coup!"
The revelation was a hammer blow. The shock was palpable.
Mifune's unperturbed eyes finally showed a distinct ripple of intense, genuine emotion. Shock.
"The Hokage... personally slew the Daimyō?!"
Ōnoki didn't give Mifune any chance to breathe, continuing his cascade of terrifying truths, destroying the samurai's foundation of neutrality.
"Not just the Lord Daimyō of the Land of Fire!"
"The Lord Daimyō of the Land of Wind also died recently! Also—confirmed—under Uchiha Akira's blade and his men!"
"Accompanying the deaths of those two Daimyō was a bloody, meticulous purge of a large number of nobles and all political opposition within those two great nations!"
"All voices against his new order were summarily executed! Not a single noble spared! The political power of the Shinobi has completely annexed the civilian rule!"
Ōnoki looked directly at Mifune, his ancient eyes piercing the samurai's soul. "Mifune-sama, do you still believe that by remaining neutral, you can stay out of this? That your country's sovereignty is protected by a paper treaty?"
"Do you believe Uchiha Akira's goal is merely control over a few Ninja Villages? No! He has proven he seeks to eradicate all political resistance and annex the continent!"
"No!" Ōnoki paused dramatically, his voice filled with urgency.
"Uchiha Akira's goal is the entire continent! The entire structure of our world! He intends to dismantle the feudal system! He wants to firmly grasp all countries, all power, in his own hands! The Kage will be the generals, and the Daimyō will be dust!"
Ōnoki looked at Mifune, his tone shifting to one of familial, deadly concern.
"Mifune-sama, as the General of the Land of Iron, your family is one of the most powerful noble houses. You are a member of the old elite. You are a target."
"Do you think that when Uchiha Akira's iron hooves trample this place, when his bloody purge begins, he will spare the Daimyō of the Land of Iron?"
"Will he spare you? The noble samurai who maintain the political structure of this country?"
Ōnoki's final, sharp question was lethal. "At that moment, Mifune, will your neutrality alone protect your family and your people from his purges?!"
That last sentence instantly shattered Mifune's absolute ability to remain calm and neutral.
Protect the Creed. Protect the People. Protect the Family. He realized he couldn't do one without risking the other two.
Indeed. Mifune was not just a samurai. He was the General of the Land of Iron, and also a noble of that land! He was the guardian of the system Akira sought to destroy.
If the country was overthrown, the Daimyō killed, and his family purged... what meaning would his cherished creed of neutrality still hold? None.
Mifune closed his eyes, the frightening image of the annihilated forest created by Akira flashing in his mind.
In the long, heavy silence, the anxious faces of his clansmen and his ruler appeared in his inner vision.
After what felt like an eternity, Mifune opened his eyes. They were clear, resolute, and filled with a grim, necessary purpose.
Clang!
A crisp, metallic sound. Mifune slowly stood up. His hand rested firmly on the hilt of his treasured sword, Kurosawa, at his waist.
"The Land of Iron," Mifune declared, his voice ringing with power and gravity, "agrees to join the Shinobi Alliance. We will contribute our forces and stand against Uchiha Akira's tyranny."
The Battle for Command
Very well.
Since the Shinobi Alliance—comprising three of the Five Great Nations (Kumo, Iwa, Kirigakure Division, counting the latter's participation through the rebel faction) plus the Land of Iron and numerous minor villages—had been successfully formed, only one final, and most crucial, issue remained. The issue of supreme military leadership.
Ōnoki's gaze swept across the room, taking in the relieved, exhausted faces. He cleared his throat and spoke in a low, calculating tone.
"Since the Shinobi Alliance has been formed, a supreme commander must be elected immediately. We must unify and direct all our combined actions under a single strategic mind."
Ōnoki, his small stature floating slightly in mid-air, subtly began to nominate himself, his political maneuvering flawless.
"I, though unworthy," he began with false humility, "as the initiator and elder statesman of this Shinobi Alliance, possess the most confirmed intelligence about Uchiha Akira's motivations and methods."
"Furthermore, as the eldest and most strategically experienced Kage present, the position of supreme commander of the Shinobi Allied Forces..."
Ōnoki's words were violently cut short.
"WAIT!"
The Fourth Raikage, A, roared suddenly, slamming his massive forearm on the table with devastating force.
"Old man! What do you mean by that?!" A glared, his eyes spitting lightning.
"You want to be the supreme commander?! You, of all people?! The one who hid in his village while Suna burned?!"
The Raikage made no attempt to hide his scathing sarcasm.
"You old geezer with one foot already in the damn grave! Can you still fight and keep up with a twenty-year-old on the battlefield?"
A leaned forward, his voice escalating, the air crackling with frustration. "Don't go and die in the middle of giving orders because you can't catch your breath! Wouldn't that make our entire Shinobi Alliance the biggest, most pathetic joke in the entire Ninja World!"
At these words, the entire room fell into immediate, painful silence. Darui, the Raikage's subordinate, helplessly covered his face with his hand.
Ōnoki's face instantly turned a violent purple-red with fury. His trademark long, pointed beard trembled uncontrollably with anger.
"Brute!" he cursed the Raikage, his voice filled with burning contempt.
"What do you know of war, you oversized infant!"
"War relies on brains! On strategy! On subtle moves and long-term planning! Not on a simple brute like you who only possesses blind, stupid strength!"
Ōnoki pointed a shaky finger at the Raikage, his voice rising again.
"Let you be the commander? Do you want to lead all of us to our quick, inevitable deaths by charging blindly to the gates of Konoha Village?!"
"Who is Uchiha Akira?! He's a ruthless monster who could destroy an entire Great Village with a single hand! Do you think you can deal with him with your meager brute strength and your simplistic Lariat technique?!"
"Simply naive! Foolish! You muscle-brained oaf, what can you do besides blindly charging ahead and breaking furniture?!"
The more Ōnoki spoke, the angrier he became, forgetting his dignity in the face of the massive threat the Raikage represented to his own strategic goals.
"If you are the commander, this Shinobi Alliance will be defeated and shattered before it even truly begins! Our combined Shinobi Allied Forces will be crushed!"
"Hmph!" A laughed, a sound of enraged disbelief. His Lightning Release Chakra began to crackle and arc uncontrollably. Blue electrical arcs wildly danced across his powerful, bulging muscles.
"Old man! You're looking for a fight! Are you looking for death right now?!"
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