The battle between ninjas still depended on the advantages of terrain.
The defenses the Konoha Ninja had established along the eastern coast were mostly built around mountains. Although scaling mountains was no difficult feat for ninja, the purpose of setting up defenses on hills wasn't to make it hard for superhuman ninja to climb them. It was primarily to counter the Kirigakure Ninja's Water Release Techniques.
The Kirigakure Ninja generally used Water Release Techniques in two situations.
The first was when there was an abundant water source nearby for them to use. In that case, they only needed to spend a small amount of Chakra controlling the available water to perform various Water Release Techniques.
The second was when there was no water source nearby. In that case, they had to spend a large amount of Chakra to create one. Compared to the first situation, this obviously consumed much more Chakra.
By choosing high ground for their defenses and avoiding marshes and lakes, they could deprive the Kirigakure Ninja of any advantage from the terrain. Moreover, since the hills were steep, the water the Kirigakure Ninja created with their Chakra would be difficult to collect and reuse. This could greatly increase the cost of using Water Release Techniques, doubling their Chakra consumption and reducing their ability to fight for long periods.
However,
The advantages of terrain were limited. Once the Kirigakure Ninja chose to send in reinforcements, the small edge it provided was wiped out in an instant. The Konoha Ninja stationed at Shigushan Mountain, a key defensive point, had learned firsthand just how miserable it was to be outnumbered.
Overwhelmed by the Kirigakure Ninja's superior numbers, they had been pushed back step by step from the foot of the mountain to its summit. If they retreated any farther, they would end up on the other side of the mountain. And if the summit fell, they would lose their advantage in the terrain entirely—or, more accurately, it would pass to the Kirigakure Ninja.
Once that happened, the Kirigakure Ninja could unleash Water Release Techniques from high ground. Just imagining the torrents rushing downhill was enough to grasp their destructive power.
At the summit, inside a crudely built earthen fort, the Konoha Ninja had gathered for a morning briefing.
"We can't retreat any farther."
The only Jonin left said.
Before him stood seven comrades: two Special Jonin and five Chunin. Including himself, there were eight of them in total. They were the last defenders of the Shigushan Mountain defense line.
And just five days ago,
Sixteen squads, sixty-four ninja in all, had been stationed at Shigushan Mountain, a fairly important strategic point. By today, several of those squads had been wiped out, and the surviving squads had suffered heavy losses. Only these last eight were still holding their ground.
The only good news was that they had ample supplies.
"If we abandon the summit, we'll have no way to fight back against the Kirigakure Ninja's Water Release Techniques. They'll be able to pour through this gap at Shigushan Mountain and advance into the plains and forests in the rear without restraint—"
"The Kirigakure Ninja are coming up!"
The Jonin's rousing speech was cut short by a Special Jonin from the Yamanaka Clan.
He turned around and saw the Jonin, whose speech had been interrupted and whose mind had gone blank, wearing an agonized expression like he was badly constipated. With a sigh, he said, "All right, Captain. You can skip the lofty speeches. We've all held out this long, and we're already prepared to give our lives for the village. Save your strength so you can kill a few more Kirigakure Ninja and have them join us in the afterlife!"
"I..."
The taciturn captain was silent for a few seconds before he managed, "I'll kill at least three Kirigakure bastards today."
The Special Jonin from the Yamanaka Clan gave him an exasperated look. "Captain, couldn't you say you'll take down at least ten Kirigakure Ninja to give everyone a boost?"
"But Kirigakure Ninja really aren't easy to kill. I'm only saying I can kill three because I've already decided to take someone down with me."
The captain answered with a slightly aggrieved look.
Seeing their honest, plainspoken captain, the Special Jonin from the Yamanaka Clan couldn't help laughing first. Then the others joined in, and the gloom lifted. Watching their captain prepare to die fighting, their morale rose just like that.
Less than twenty seconds later,
One Kirigakure Ninja after another appeared in their sight. There were more than twenty in all, and they advanced in unison toward the last earthen fort atop the mountain.
But before they could get within effective range of their ninjutsu, a storm of Shuriken rained down on them. That alone wasn't much of a problem. What really made things difficult was the Kunai mixed among them, with Explosive Tags dangling from their ends.
"I'll handle it!"
A Jonin leading the Kirigakure Ninja stepped forward and formed Hand Seals.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall
In the next instant,
Water surged from the barely damp ground. Driven upward by the force of its eruption, it formed a wall more than three meters high.
The Shuriken struck the water wall and were flung aside, completely unable to break through its defenses.
But the Explosive Tags attached to the ends of the Kunai detonated. With a rumble like thunder, the water wall was blown to pieces. The Kirigakure Ninja were far enough away to avoid casualties, but they hadn't managed to close the distance to the fort by even an inch.
This was how ninja fought on offense and defense.
The outnumbered Konoha Ninja used the terrain and fortifications to hold off the more numerous Kirigakure Ninja. With Shuriken, Kunai, and Explosive Tags, they forced the Kirigakure Ninja to use ninjutsu to defend themselves, draining their Chakra.
The Kirigakure Ninja had no choice but to use Water Release Techniques to defend themselves,
because once the Explosive Tags mixed among the Shuriken detonated, the blast would send the Shuriken flying in every direction like unpredictable buckshot.
That was what made them truly difficult to defend against!
Unlike the Konoha Ninja, who could get results with nothing but ninja tools, the Kirigakure Ninja had neither the terrain nor fortifications to rely on, making it difficult for them to counterattack with Shuriken, Kunai, and Explosive Tags. Their ninja tools had too little range when thrown uphill, while the Konoha Ninja were protected by the earthen fort, reinforced with Earth Release Techniques and protected by Barrier Ninjutsu.
To break through the earthen fort,
they would need either a powerful ninjutsu or a continuous barrage of Explosive Tags. Neither would be easy.
In short,
This battle was far from over. It wouldn't end so easily!
Meanwhile,
Inside a battered earthen fort halfway up the mountain, more than fifty Kirigakure Ninja were stationed. Their leader was a tall, fat man with orange hair. When he opened his mouth, two rows of sharp fangs were visible, and a ninja tool wrapped in layers of white bandages was strapped to his back.
His name was Suikazan Fuguki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen feared by Kirigakure, the wielder of the greatsword Samehada, and a renowned expert in Kirigakure.
But at that moment, the famous Kirigakure expert was facing trouble.
"Suikazan Fuguki, what exactly have you been doing these past few days? With your strength, you should've captured Shigushan Mountain three days ago. Why has it dragged on until today? And today, you haven't even done your utmost to break through the Konoha Ninja's defenses. What are you scheming?"
A white-haired, purple-eyed boy with exceptionally delicate features sat atop the wall, questioning Suikazan Fuguki, who was old enough to be his father.