!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here that belong to Naruto that I put into this story except for my own OCs. Neither do I own any of the character in any of the crossovers I do. I'm just using them in this fanfiction and I have no money so don't bother suing me. You'll just lose money instead of gaining any. And remember to leave a review!
!
Trouble Ahead –
"The samurais of Land of Iron are the only guardians and military power, any shin obi would be foolish to challenge them. Their armor are design to withstand all but the most powerful jutsus and their helmets protect them from poison and mind jutsus. Even the most powerful s rank ninjas will be hard press to fight them. The current commander is a man name Mifune, he's an old man but he's still strong and powerful. We know very little about them, expect for one thing. Samurai's are bond by a warriors code that for them is unbreakable for honor is everything to them," Minato explain to Drake and Crocker.
"They have a unbreakable honor code. That's something we have dealt with in the past. The Warriors of Virtue were a group of warriors that once stood in the way of the empire. They had a 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' that's integral in their warriors' code. Result in a war that had raged for years and only produced one casualty by the warriors. And the warrior who had killed was banished by his order. Since our forces aren't restricted by their warriors code we just slaughtered the warriors, once their last stronghold was revealed by the warrior who was banished," Crocker said to Minato remembering the tale. (1)
"And what happen to them?" Minato ask.
"They were enslaved and their order destroyed. They were good fighters but because they wouldn't kill, the soldiers they beaten once they recovered just came back to fight. Their way only worked as long as the other side fights the same," Drake said. "The samurais how will they take us being on their land?"
The Land of Iron is the only land that the country Lord haven't sided with the Romans yet. Since the samurais aren't as a money drain as the ninja villages are, the Iron lord didn't have as good of a reason to switch to having Roman soldiers protect their land. With the Romans putting their energy in getting control of the lands that have taken them as the new law. As they did a better job of maintaining peace then the ninjas.
"As long as you offer them a fair deal they should fall under the Roman banner," Minato answers.
"I'll send an envoy to go and talk with the Iron lord for peace talks," Crocker said.
"Anything else?" Drake ask seeing Minato had something to say.
"The ninja villages also know how powerful the samurais are. They will try to get them to join to fight us," Minato stated.
"Well what do they really have to offer that we can't give?" Crocker ask leaving Minato to realize that with so many support for the ninja villages gone. That the villages can't really offer anything to the samurais that the Romans can simply double.
!
Elsewhere -
The effects of Roman rule began to bare fruit across the land they control. Bringing true law and order to the land that has to be bought to maintain by the ninja villages otherwise. The normal people of the Element Countries began seeing the Romans as a better way compare to the old life they lived under the ninjas. The minor lords and noble houses also began to flock under the Roman banner. Leaving fewer and fewer supporters outside of those within the ninja villages and those with family that are ninjas.
The ninja leaders have began talks about joining together into one massive army to drive the Romans off their land. But to do so means they would need supplies and money to fund such an operation. With so few missions and ever dwindling supplies in their villages, the ninjas did what they had to do to get the resources they need to fight the Romans. (2)
Across the countries small villages and towns were raided by ninjas. Not even the lords and nobles were spared as their homes were broken into and their belongings stolen. Anything that can be sold or be used by the ninjas were taken They killed whoever got in their way often making sure no one was left alive to tell the tale what had happen. For they didn't want word to spread of what they're doing becoming known to the Romans. Or do they want the villages that they aren't hitting know what they're doing either. They already know they're going to have a long hard time in getting the other villages to trust them again once they drive the Romans away, but it's the sake for their way of life on the line. They will do whatever it takes for their way of life to continue even if it means that from now on the ninjas won't be seen as protectors anymore.
But the ninjas are wrong in their thinking. For many people who have no connection to ninjas, never saw them as their protectors. For many they only put up with the ninjas because they couldn't do anything about it as they're not strong enough to fight them, and that they're the only fighting force that can protect them from the dangers around them. Even then they had to pay a high price just to receive that protection and only last till the contract is up, then they're free game till they pay again. Under the Roman rule the ninjas no longer had to be put up with or tolerated for they no longer had a reason to be.
The ninjas did their best to make sure no one saw them or survive long enough to tell anyone. The Romans and the ninjas serving under them discovering the ghost towns and villages, quickly piece together what happen. It didn't take much thought in figuring out what had happen with the ninjas attacking supply trains, it made sense that the ninjas work their way up to something larger to steal from.
Word spread about the villages near hidden villages being slaughtered and nobles homes being looted. Ninjas quickly found themselves unwelcome in many places. Thus leading to minor fights happening whenever a ninja tried to enter a settlement. The Romans responded by having patrols double and small squads of soldiers station in key villages for protection against the ninjas.
Everyone could see something is going to break. And once that happens all out war will happen between the Romans and the ninjas. It's just a matter of who's going to be striking first.
!
Author's Notes -
1 – The no killing rule only works when the other side plays by the same rules. Which is why in the movie 'The Warriors of Virtue' the good side were all but beaten as the bad guys can kill and had while the heroes didn't. But of course everything that is aimed for young kids always does that where no matter what the hero never kills.
2 - The ninjas no longer have any supplies coming into their villages and shortages are wide spread. And while they do have stockpiles of weapons, they don't have supplies to feed and supply an army the size that is needed to fight the Romans. They also have to prepare to fight them as the tactics that they're use to using to fight with, won't work when their foes can kill them at long range. As with any army that needs to eat and sleep, having a good supply train keeps them going.
!
