The reconnaissance mission on the battlefield had gone smoothly, and the Rocket Launcher unit had accomplished its objective.
"Everyone, keep up. We're heading for the capital of the Land of the Moon."
The Rocket Launcher battalion quickly packed up its equipment, climbed aboard, and set off behind the tanks.
Captain Yamagami checked everything carefully. Finding no problems, he let out a sigh of relief.
"I never imagined that someone ordinary like me could use chakra."
"These Chakra Gloves were invented by our Second Uzukage."
Inside the Rocket Launcher camp, before the launch, their movements had been stiff, and nervousness had gripped them from head to toe.
As ordinary people, they had gained the ability to face ninja for the first time. The Chakra Gloves in their hands heralded a new era for ordinary people.
After the launch, sweat poured from their bodies. They had been so excited when the rockets took off that now they could barely move. One by one, everyone except the drivers lay motionless in their seats.
When they arrived at the Land of the Moon camp, they saw destruction everywhere. Shengli Uzumaki issued an order.
"Stop. Stand by where you are."
Neatly arranged rows appeared before him.
"The five ninja in the first row on the right and the twenty Daimyo's soldiers in the first row on the left will stay behind to treat the wounded."
"Uzukage, we want to go fight too."
"Don't leave us behind," the soldiers who had been ordered to stay protested.
Shengli Uzumaki looked over everyone and spoke.
"Their crimes will be judged after the war is over. Some of them may not deserve death. Don't give up on their lives."
"I hope we can handle future wars this way, too, and that this approach spreads from the Land of Whirlpools, showing the world our benevolence and righteousness."
The soldiers left behind fell silent for a moment.
"Understood, Lord Uzukage."
"All right, don't look so down. Once you've finished treating them, you can catch up."
After speaking, Shengli Uzumaki climbed into the tank and ordered the troops to set off again.
The journey from the Land of Whirlpools to the capital of the Land of the Moon would take about a day.
They were still two hours from the capital.
"Thud, thud, thud."
On the other two fronts, the mechanized units converged.
Uzumaki Ashina led his troops in from the right.
The troops led by Uzumaki Jiro joined from the left.
Gradually, all the units merged into Shengli Uzumaki's formation.
The two commanders rose into the air, bounded forward several times, and landed in front of Shengli Uzumaki.
"Lord Uzukage, I never expected the Land of the Moon's forces to be so weak. After one volley of rockets, they scattered and ran," Uzumaki Jiro said.
"It was the same on my side. After one volley of rockets, they all knelt down and surrendered." Uzumaki Ashina grinned.
The Moon Ninja Village had been formed by elite ninja from several villages during the wars in the Ninja World, all of them defectors from their own villages. One could imagine the kind of fighting they had seen.
They had always lived peacefully alongside the Land of Whirlpools. No one had expected them to come out and provoke it.
"Now, let's arrange our tactics."
Shengli Uzumaki pointed at the map.
"We'll concentrate all our forces at a single point and form a perfect triangle. The Weasel Tanks will punch straight through the enemy's walls."
"The Uzushio Ninja will follow behind the Weasel Tanks and provide support if anything goes wrong."
Uzumaki Ashina clapped his hands in approval. The Land of the Moon would be crushed before their tide of tanks, and the enemy's last line of defense would be swept away.
The lead Weasel Tank could already see the capital of the Land of the Moon.
"Report, Lord Kirikage."
"We've reached the capital of the Land of the Moon," the driver of the lead vehicle shouted.
"Don't slow down. Everyone, accelerate and form a triangle. Attack!" Shengli Uzumaki immediately gave the order.
The Land of the Moon, the royal hall.
"Your Majesty, the army of the Land of Whirlpools has appeared on the outskirts of the capital and is advancing rapidly," a soldier from the Land of the Moon reported.
The king broke into a cold sweat. He had deployed three units along the three main roads.
He had clearly instructed the troops that if the Land of Whirlpools attacked one side, the other two units were to go and support it.
So what had happened? Had all three units really been defeated?
That had been far too fast! Even if they had stood still and let themselves be cut down, it couldn't have happened that quickly.
"Shabadaba, what are we going to do? Didn't you say we could hold off the Land of Whirlpools for a month?"
"Your Majesty, please don't worry. By the time the soldiers brought the news, I'd already sent someone to inform the Land of Lightning."
"As long as we hold out for three days, help from the Land of Lightning will definitely arrive."
Shabadaba was also growing increasingly anxious. The Land of the Moon was in a terrible position. He and the others had defected from other ninja villages to live comfortably here.
Should he defect to the Land of Lightning instead? But the Land of Lightning wouldn't take in rogue ninja from other villages either.
"Gelu, go to the wall and organize the soldiers' defenses. Make sure you hold out for three days, understand?"
"Lord Shabadaba, understood. I'll go and make the arrangements now." Gelu turned and left.
At last, the capital's gates were within firing range of the Weasel Tanks.
"Tanks, prepare to fire! Aim at the gates and shoot at will!" Shengli Uzumaki immediately issued the order.
"Tank gunners, ready!"
The tank gunners activated their Chakra Gloves, aimed the tank barrels, and loaded Armor-Piercing Shells to destroy the enemy gates.
"Calculate the target direction. Cover the entire wall with artillery fire. Fire!" the tank gunner shouted.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
Nearly three hundred Weasel Tanks opened fire as they advanced.
"Rumble!"
The shells struck the barrier around the capital of the Land of the Moon, exploding and making it shudder.
Gelu staggered on the wall. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't suppress his fear.
Seeing that the barrier had held, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The tank gunner shouted again.
"Reloading complete! Keep covering the entire wall with artillery fire. Fire!"
"Boom, boom, boom!"
Gelu had only just relaxed when the enemy's shells came crashing in again.
He had thought that with the barrier in place, there was no need to worry about the enemy's artillery.
But this time, the barrier couldn't withstand the tank cannons' bombardment.
"Rumble, rumble, rumble!"
The barrier shattered under the Armor-Piercing Shells. A shell hurtled straight toward Gelu, and he formed Hand Seals.
"Substitution Technique!"
The wooden log left in his place was blasted to dust.
Gelu appeared some distance away, gasping for breath. The scent of death had just swept over him; he had come within a hair's breadth of dying there.
But he had dodged only one shell. The rest kept firing one after another, and Gelu saw that the barrage covered every position he could escape to.
Shells appeared one after another in the sky before Gelu.
"I won't die with the Land of the Moon!"
His eyes widened as he let out one final shout.
"Rumble!"
The shells fell, setting off a series of explosions.
Armor-Piercing Shells punched through the wall and exploded inside it.
The mud bricks couldn't withstand the artillery. The wall began to collapse.
An entire section of the capital's wall was blasted flat.
The soldiers on the wall had already begun to flee when the first barrage struck the barrier.
The barrier that had once protected the Land of the Moon now had a gaping hole in it.
Before you continue