Chapter 77 The Time has Come.
The tent was far away, from where he wanted to be and it was far too warm for his liking but it was a dry heat not a wet sticky heat. Naruto sat by the fire with a cup of stew in his hands as he looked out over the large grassy field where an army of Knights, men at arms and ninjas had gathered on the grassy plains of the land of Savannah. The coat of arms of the knights could be seen everywhere as they flew from on top of the large multiple room tents and above the smaller tents of the lesser knights. The ninjas had followed suit by flying the symbol of the village hidden in Granite above their own tents.
"How are you doing Lord Onikage," said the second in command of this army Lord Drake Eastman.
"I have been better," admitted Naruto as he looked at the husband of the Queen of the Land of Animals. "I heard that they are calling for three feet of snow back home at least we don't have that."
"Well we don't have to deal with that because we are near the equator," laughed Lord Eastman as he looked across the river, which marked the border between the Land of Savannah and the Land of Wind. Just on the other side of that river where the towering sand dunes which could shallow an armored man on horseback drowning them in sand. "Instead we have to deal with those sand dunes."
"They are not a real worry," explained Naruto
"Yes, maybe not for you but we go into battle dressed in armor and on horseback." countered Drake "If we ride up those dunes then we our horses will sink down and get trapped, we may even drown in sand."
"I know which is why…" started Naruto only to stop when Eastman raised his hand.
"I know lord Onikage, I know I am just restating this because my men are worried." explained Eastman "You don't become an older warrior by taking unneeded risks."
"I know you would rather not be here but you would do the most good here, just like I am doing," explained Naruto as Eastman shrugged.
"Would I rather be with the younger men? Of course." admitted Eastman "But I have five children back home and a wife, I can't leave them and believe me they like that I got this assignment."
For a moment, the two leaders did not say anything but instead turned their gaze toward the sand dunes on the other side of the river.
"So how many ninjas do you think are watching us over there?" inquired Eastman
"A couple dozen for sure and they will be radio in our position." answered Naruto as he started eating his bowl of stew. "For the seventh day in a row."
Far away from Naruto and the army under his command the leaders of the combined ninja force had gathered in the coastal city of Celen. While the bulk of the fighting force sat outside the city in makeshift camps that had been built for them. The leadership met on the top floor meeting room of one of the city's best hotel. From this location, they could look to the North and see their army gathered outside the city and if they walked across the room and looked to the south, they could see into the Land of Savanah.
"So they still haven't moved?" inquired Hanabi as she sat away from her other leaders, this was the first time that they had seen her since the Leaf's failed invasion. Her face was not a sight anyone would want to see, even after reconstruction surgery. The false teeth still did not sit right in her mouth and the glass eye also was ill fitting both of whom was caused from the damage to the bone by her own sister's attack.
"Yes." said the Samurai leader Mifune as he took a drink of wine. "They haven't moved in a couple of days and that is what has me worried."
"Why, they couldn't have picked a worse spot to launch their invasion," said a Sunagakure General who was standing in for his Kage. "With the Sand Dunes across the river they would be suicidal to head straight to my village and that means they have to follow the river likely right here and if that is the case we can pick ground that will be to our advantage."
"But why haven't they crossed." countered the Tsuchikage Onoki, he was even worse shape than the Hokage but after months in coma he had awoken and was fitted with replacement limbs for both of his legs and one of his arms.
"You have been out of the loop for a while, the rulers of the Land of Savannah are very friendly with the our enemies." said Mifune "In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the only reason why they haven't entered the war on their side is because they share a boarder with one of the great ninja nations."
"Still they have been sitting there for days and the spot the picked is horrible and all the moves they have done have been next to perfect." said Onoki "So why make the blunder of attempting to cross there."
"Likely it was the only place the Land of Savanah would allow them to cross." explained the Sunagakure General. "They don't want them sitting across the river from us, they don't want their village in the middle of a warzone. It also explains why they aren't in a rush to push them out of their land."
"It still doesn't feel right, they have brought all these fighters north and they are just sitting there." countered Onoki "It was such a large force that we knew that they were coming, if they wanted a surprise attack they could of sent a smaller force. Instead they took months to gather forces in the Land of Animals and then marched north, to just sit on the boarder."
"Maybe they want to get a tan," laughed the Raikage "It is the middle of winter down there."
"They have destroyed four divisions worth of ninjas in four battles and if the reports are to be believed they only lost slightly over a hundred people." Countered Onoki "At the rate we are going we would have to kill every single man, woman and child in all our nations to even make a dent in their numbers. Even the Daimyos aren't as crazy as that, I hope but none of their family members are fighting."
"Some of the smaller ninja nations such as Grass and Mist are considering dropping their support for the war." added Hanabi "Only their Daimyos are keeping them in and if they drop out of the fight there goes any advantage we had when it comes to numbers."
"Add to that there are some calling for peace, even my Kage and others within the Sand village both ninja and civilians want this to be over," added the Sand Commander as all the Kages nodded their head in agreement. This war had gone on a lot longer than anyone thought possible to no gain, they had thrown in so much treasure in both blood and gold for nothing.
"We need to give the people hope, a great victory of some kind," stated Mifune
"Then let's go attack their army sitting across the river." stated the Raikage "That will shut them all up."
"You are still a fool." stated Onoki "That would get the Land of Savanah officially into the war on their side and then we would be in worse shape than we are now. They may not be ninjas but they are great warriors and deadly with their spears."
"If not that then let's get on trains and go down and attack them," offered the Raikage
"Again it will not work, if we go down then Naruto's force will come up from our behind and we would be trapped between two enemy forces." explained Mifune "It would be our worse defeat. Right now we are in the best position, Naruto's force can't stay there forever before the rulers of the Land of Savanah forces them to move. Either they will cross and then we can destroy them or they will fall back and we can move on them without feet. Our best move is to wait."
The port of Nasub was the largest port in the land of fire, located on the coast facing the land of Water it is the gateway for all the shipping coming to and from that nation. It also severed all the ship traffic coming from the other smaller island nations and it was major exit point of export for the land of fire. It wasn't out of the ordinary for multiple large container ships to pull up for to the docks, what was somewhat strange was that they didn't have the normal stack of shipping containers on the deck. The dock officials passed it off as food carriers that normally did not have the containers on top.
"Pull up the gang way," ordered the custom official to a team of dockworkers as the first of seven ships pulled in to the massive pier, which shot out into the sea. Other workers where guiding the sister ships into their position. The dockworkers just rolled their eyes at the custom officer as they went about their work raising a retractable staircase, which lead up to the top deck of the ship. Once raised the custom officer a retired Leaf ninja walked up the gangway not even lifting his head up from the clipboard in his hand.
"Captain we have an issue your ship isn't due in until tomorrow, you're just luckily shipping traffic from the land of water is down because of the civil war." explained the custom officer as he reached the deck only to see there was no captain or even a second officer waiting for him.
Instead, there was a tall man dressed in black with a long jacket with red lining and accents. Two swords hung from his belt and on his arm was the forehead protector of the land of Granite. The officer didn't even have time to do anything more then make his mouth hung open as a kunai slashed his neck, blood instantly began rushing down his body.
"Well it's time to get started," said Sasuke as he pushed the man off the gangway. The splash of his body hitting the water caused some of the dockworkers to look up. They were confused for a moment but soon their eyes where diverted away from the man in black on the deck of the ship. The sound of steal growing caused them to look toward the ship. They watched in amazement as the parts of haul of the ship opened up and dropped down making the side of the ship into ramps. Inside the ship waiting for the ramps to drop where hundreds of armed men and women, they were all armored and ready for battle.
The dockworkers turned and ran as the first people off the ship where warriors from the land of Meteors who had spent a lifetime training to fight on land and sea. These warriors armed mostly with swords and axes swarmed over the surprised dockworkers like ants and within moments they were pushing down the docks destroying any other ship they found and anyone who got in their way normally ended up with an Ax in the head. Some of the warriors did stay behind to pick up where the dockworkers had left off getting the sister ships tied up to the docks. Like the first ship the sister ships dropped ramps built into the side of the ship and more warriors disembarked. After those came the ninjas who rushed out of the docks themselves heading into the rest of the stunned city, the last group was the armored knights who were on horseback.
Standing on the deck watching this all was Sasuke and Karin Uchiha, as they watched some of the warriors from the land of Meteors set off charges on the nearest ship. Moments later another two ships went up, if everything went according to plan the harbor would soon be next to worthless.
"Well this should be fun," explained Karin as she stood there in her own ninja armor.
"Should." confirmed Sasuke "Too bad I have rules from dead last."
"But you have an army." countered Karin to her husband.
"I know but the rules dead last is putting on me will just make this war last longer than it should." admitted Sasuke as he crossed his arms over his chest, the blood covered kunai still in one of his hands. "It is good he is finally attacking but just attacking isn't enough. This war would end a lot sooner if I had my way, but if I disobey his orders then the war will go on even longer because someone who will not do what is needed will take my spot."
"Well maybe we can find a way to bend his rules," said Karin with a grin "I mean his main rule is that we can't kill prisoners correct?"
"Yes, and we can't harm civilians." stated Sasuke, even he had to admitted he did not mind that rule.
"Well then there is your opening," noted Karin as Sasuke raised an eyebrow "You can't harm civilians but the Onikage said nothing about their homes and their property."
Sasuke smiled as he wrapped his arm around Karin pulling her close to him.
"So loot their homes, burn their villages and take everything of value," explained Karin as she moved to kiss her husband "You could even cover their farmland with salt so nothing will grow. Also did you know medically if you remove the thumb and first two fingers from both a ninjas hand it is all but impossible to do Justus. It wouldn't kill them, so you wouldn't break the Onikage's rule."
"I love you, my deadly flower," said Sasuke as he gently rubbed her check with the hand still holding the blood covered kunai. He kissed her deeply even as another ship exploded in a giant fireball across the harbor from them.
"Sir what are your orders." came a voice as Sasuke pulled away from his life activating his sharingan as he moved. The young knight actually jumped back in fear as he looked into his eyes. "Sorry sir, but what are your orders."
"Form up and prepare to move out." ordered Sasuke "We have a long road to the Leaf village."
"Yes, sir." said the knight as he started to move away.
"Actually." started Sasuke as the knight stopped. "I also want everyone to gather up every item of value and every little bit of food. Burn the rest."
"Yes, sir." confirmed the Knight as he moved out.
Back in the land of Savannah Naruto and the other leaders sat down for a massive feast, which had become a sort of custom for the knights from the Land of Animals. They would all gather together and hold a massive feast almost every other night, there would be drinking, singing and even some dancing. As the Onikage Naruto and Lord Eastman would always be in the center of the action and it was no different tonight as they got the first severing of food.
"So by now Sasuke and his army should have landed," said Drake as Naruto nodded his head. "And we all know what that means."
"It means then one of two things will happen," said Naruto as he remembered the plan that Shikamaru and Temari had planned. The plan was rather simple an army under Naruto would sit at the border in a position where they could move on Celen or even drive up the road to attack Sunagakure itself. This would pin the ninja and samurai force gathered at Celen down while another force under Sasuke who had landed in the land of Fire marched on the Leaf village. From there the second phase of their plan would begin. "Either way will be bad for the ninja forces."
Thick black smoke was rising up over the port city as the invasion force which was made out of mostly ninjas and knights formed up in three columns outside the city. Back in the city, the warriors from the land of Meteors where either double-checking to make sure nothing of value was left behind and that every building was destroyed in one way or another. Once they were done, they would radio their traditional smaller and faster ship, which was sitting out of sight of land. They would take those ships and begin a massive series of raids on coastal villages and shipping.
As the three columns formed up Sasuke Uchiha rode up on horseback toward the head of the main column where Kiba and a large dire wolf was waiting for him. Sadly, Akamaru had gotten a little too old to travel and more importantly for combat.
"I assume your wolves are already out in the woods?" inquired Sasuke as he looked down at Kiba from on top of his jet-black stallion. Beside him Karin was on top of her own blood red horse.
"For the past hour and ninjas where sent out after them to screen our movements." confirmed Kiba as he crossed his arms over his chest. "We are ready in all regards."
"Then let's get going." confirmed Sasuke as the 12,000 strong force began to move out across the land of Fire their goal, the village hidden in the Leaves.
I know this is a short chapter, but I consider this chapter a set up for things to come and this was the best place to end the chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyhow, now until next time please keep reading. Thanks Wilkins75.