The sun was out bright on the barren field. It was late morning, and the sun's rays hit Ishikawa's eyes. But it wasn't hot, yet most of his soldiers were sweaty from nervousness. The mood was tense, Ishikawa stood before his forces, and facing them were the Romans. Both armies were ready for the upcoming fight, their weapons drawn. Hills surrounded the battlefield, good for any coward to run away to, but also for a surprise attack. Ishikawa keenly looked over to a hill near the Romans' left flank, which was the key to their victory. Behind that was a force of 500 cavalry, ready to charge once the battle was on. They needed to time it right, just when the Romans charged into their lines, the cavalry would come crashing upon them with such force that none would be left alive.
Ishikawa then turned his horse towards his troops, took a deep breath, and gave a speech,
"Today men, we face the Romans, foreigners from distant lands, and equal to us Samurai in glory. They are worthy foes, those who have defeated even the Great Villages that stood before them. I, respect them from the bottom of my heart; they're courageous folk, who fight battles head-on and without fear. Yet we must face them, it isn't destiny, its duty!
The Romans occupy our lands and expect us to stay quiet and be their slaves as if that will ever happen. You all are brave men, who are ready to stand against injustice no matter if it costs your life, and I vow to you, that your sacrifices will not be in vain. None of us shall rest until the foreigners have been driven from our lands and into the sea they came from, is that clear? I needn't ask, for the fury in your eyes says enough. So now, show me the wrath of Samurai, and leave none alive!"
Saying this, he swung his sword in the enemy's direction and rode his horse at full speed. All the men followed him with warcries, waving their Katanas and Yaris in the air. The hills echoed, as the samurai charged. But the Romans didn't budge, they held their position. The samurai neared, but no movement. As the enemy got closer, several hundred Roman soldiers marched to the vanguard of the battle line, they all held muskets. They organized themselves in a row of two soldiers each and aimed the guns. As the enemy got in range, they shot, and the noise rang out through the battlefield. Smoke from the muskets covered the Roman line, and when it cleared, as many as seventy samurai had fallen. The impetus of the enemy's charge reduced, but they advanced. The musketeers took a while to reload, then another volley of bullets.
This continued two more times, as the Romans fired volley after volley, the samurai managing to continue their charge, but their numbers slowly dwindling. At last, when they got near the Roman line, the musketeers quickly retreated behind, and the frontline soldiers braced their shields for the impact. The samurai crashed upon the Romans like thunder, but the latter firmly held. Javelins from behind the Roman lines flew towards the samurai, while the latter returned the firepower with arrows. It was a bloody fight, with soldiers getting maimed and corpses soon falling to the ground. Ishikawa had been quickly overtaken by his zealous forces, and now stood at the back, observing the battle.
His Roman counterpart Janus did the same, and beside him were twelve of his bodyguards. They just needed to hold long enough until their foes tired, and then the horsemen from the right flank would swoop down upon the battlefield and win the day. They just needed to hold.
Land of Frost
Maximus steadily walked down the palace corridors, the captain leading the way. It was a fairly decorated place, with silk carpets, and lit up by scented candles. But what caught Maximus' eye most were the walls, which were finely decorated by Ukiyo-e paintings, not in frames but directly on the walls, like one long manuscript. There were also writings on the walls, just like a book. There were paintings on various subjects in the form of a tale, from court and hunting scenes to battles and duels. This intricate art wasn't just decoration, but a testament to the Daimyo's ancient power.
But as these thoughts swirled in Maximus' mind, the captain was also giving him 'manner lessons',
"...start with your full name, then your father's full name, and that of your patrician family, those nobles love flexing about some dead grandpas. Also, don't make eye contact with her or her attendants, only speak as much as needed, you should never sit in their presence..." The captain continued speaking, and Maximus didn't pay much attention. The captain seemed to notice this, and sternly spoke,
"You listening boy?" Maximus quickly answered in a yes, and they continued walking. Being questioned by the captain recalled to Maximus their purpose here. They said that the conditions of the siege were in their favor but dire, so all the soldiers put as palace guards were to be recalled, and he would be the sole person present. This didn't seem good at all. For him, this meant no battle to do, no place to prove his strength in the eyes of his fellow countrymen; sure, he was now a loyal shinobi and resident of Konoha, but the red below the green leaf can never fade.
They soon reached the large door into the private quarters, where the captain slightly opened the door and both men entered the chamber. It was a cozy garden, with a fountain as the center and all other plants arranged in its symmetry. But they weren't alone there, for in front of them was the royal lady, seated on a settee sofa, with her attendants beside her. They soon noticed the two men, the captain patiently bowed and pointed towards Maximus, and the women seemed to understand what he meant. The captain slightly nudged Maximus, signaling him to speak, so he did with a lowered head,
"Greetings, Your Highness. My name is Julius Cornelius Maximus, son of Julius Sextus Cornelius of the House of Julii. I shall be in your service for the foreseeable future." The attendants whispered amongst themselves, some even let out giggles. But finally, one of the older women spoke to Maximus,
"Very well then, young man. You can go the the adjoining chamber to the left. Currently, we are in between some 'work'." Maximus seemed relieved, he had been nervous throughout the time. Standing with a blank face among a dozen women, all chatting lively, wasn't the most comfortable position. The captain smirked at Maximus below his bushy mustache and quickly left.
Maximus briskly walked towards his assigned chamber, it was a cozy enough room, with even a fireplace, a rare sight in Konoha. After properly closing the door, he quietly settled on his chair, thinking about almost everything. Before marching here, he had heard that there were Chunin exams to be held in Konoha, a truly big event. Chatting with the Roman soldiers who were assigned before, he had come to know much more about the outside world, much more than his books could offer. They said it was much different than this island continent. On the mainland everything was different, there were hundreds of different nations, each with a different culture, language, and perhaps religion. Even inside Rome, there were the 'Western Romans' who spoke Latin and the 'Eastern Romans' who spoke Greek and a strange form of Latin, while many Germans could be found near the northern borders.
He had scant memories of the mainland, having moved to Konoha at six. Of course, there wasn't much to remember, his father and uncle had moved to the continent together, and the former had died during the third war; they said he was a ruddy-faced 'brute', who wouldn't hesitate to storm an enemy position all alone, that was probably what got him killed. But Maximus wasn't sad, there was nothing to be sad about for the person he didn't, couldn't, know personally. This island continent isn't enough, he needs to see the wider world. The sprawling cities of China, the busy waters of the Indian Ocean, the Nile, the Danube, the Rhine, the towering Alps; the Colosseum of Rome, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and the temple of Artemis, as the books and soldiers told. Perhaps this would be a reality later on when he is powerful and 'rich' enough. Those civilians and ignorant shinobi back in the village couldn't imagine the world that lay across the seas, something much more grand and towering over there, his, petty village. Indeed, the birthplace of civilization, and his own.
The western border of the Land of Fire
It was early afternoon, and the sun shone brightly over the Earth. The Kazekage Rasa, draped in his formal Kazekage attire and a cloth mask over his face, was quietly seated inside a room. He and the other Genin participants from Suna were resting at a small town on the border (as well as the hidden invasion force), and the Kazekage's position made sure he got his private quarters, be it for the day.
But the Kazekage wasn't alone inside the room, on the other side of the large desk was a man with pale skin, serpentine eyes, and long black hair. Orochimaru, the notorious Sannin, medical expert, and rogue from Konoha was standing before the Kazekage, leaning over the wall with his arms crossed. Rasa spoke first, with a tone of familiarity with the Sannin,
"Have your participants and forces arrived?" Orochimaru had an uncanny smirk on his face,
"Not far, they'll soon catch up." Rasa ran his eyes throughout the room, ticking the wooden table lightly with his finger,
"Has Iwagakure caused any trouble yet?"
"No, the Daimyo handled it all." Rasa hmphed and after a moment asked calmly,
"A year ago, you were talking of establishing in the Land of Rice Paddies, am I wrong?" Orochimaru quietly nodded, Rasa didn't speak again for a while. After about fifteen seconds or so, he posed another question in an irritated and impatient manner,
"This doesn't seem like a mutual alliance." Orochimaru seemed enthralled by this, almost giggling, but suppressed it and replied with a smirk,
"There is never a mutual alliance lord Kazekage, everyone looks to his interest." Rasa grew more irritated in his manner,
"You never tell me anything about what you do, or plan to do. Your forces are always late and you don't provide any information. All I ask is transparency in this agreement." There was silence for a while, as Orochimaru smiled,
"Very well then, Kazekage, I shall answer your first question. The thing is that those Daimyos and their nobles are just a bunch of fools. I approached the Land of Rice Paddies with the offer of a shinobi village years ago, what power it could've provided, but the fool refused. Only six months later he paid for his mistake, as the Romans overran his capital and locked him inside his cellar." Rasa nodded, but inquired further,
"And what is this news I have received that you have in turn established a village in the Land of Mountains?" Orochimaru scoffed and replied,
"Family feuds, succession disputes, you know all that bickering of the Daimyo lord Kazekage. The Earth Daimyo died and his elder son succeeded him, but turns out the younger son also wanted the throne. So he rebels and takes some nobles and Iwa ninjas with him to the Southern Harima province and creates his own state there. So I helped him consolidate his position, and the Land of Earth seems to have forgotten the rebellion." The Kazekage nodded, and spoke in a commanding tone,
"Good, from now on I want you to inform me of everything." Orochimaru suppressed his laughter and replied,
"Who are you to order me around Rasa?" The Kazekage got up from his seat with a serious face,
"Mind who you're talking to. I am the Kazeka-" Before Rasa could speak any further, snakes covered his neck and body, squeezing it to the point of being numb. The Kazekage suddenly found himself unable to move or breathe, as he frantically gasped for air and tried to get out. But it was all in vain, as Orochimaru came face-to-face with him, and in one swoop a snake bit him on the neck. Rasa groaned in pain, but soon his body fell limp. Orochimaru smiled at himself, and called out,
"Dosu!" And suddenly, a seemingly hunched, and masked shinobi with metal forearm guards on his wrists showed up in the room.
Orochimaru left grasp of the corpse, which fell to the ground, cold. Then he casually instructed his subordinate ninja with a casual tone,
"Inform everyone that, the Mountain lord is ill and must return to his village. Lord Kazekage will now take charge of both villages' shinobi." Dosu heard the order and quickly disappeared, Orochimaru had a smirk on his face.
Author's notes
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, sorry for the late updates.
I use mcskeleton's Naruto world map as a reference for this fanfic (credit goes to him)-
" . "
Find the Land of Stones, because that's the country I have replaced for the Land of Mountains in this context. I avoided using that name because it sounded a bit too similar to Iwagakure in English.
