While Kagami Uchiha's and Shimura Danzō's divisions were bringing the samurai into their ranks, Hiruzen Sarutobi's and Torifu Akimichi's divisions were engaging in probing skirmishes with the Daimyo Mansion's main army. Unlike the forces on the other two routes, the regular army in the center was extremely cautious and did not charge straight into battle.
Since Katsuya Uchiha's objective was to drag the war out as long as possible, the regular army in the center was the key force. The other two were expendable pawns, useful only for tying down some of Konoha Ninja Village's strength so his side could make more preparations.
As the two armies drew closer, the probing attacks began. Fighting out in the open, the Konoha Combat Unit did not hesitate to deploy their Explosive Cannons—now upgraded to fire faster, available in greater numbers, and even equipped with additional functions. The samurai in the combat units were their primary operators, while the more mobile ninja units were distributed proportionately among the positions according to their specialties, coordinating flexibly with the samurai fighting on the front line.
The Konoha Combat Unit now consisted of both ninja and samurai. To bring out their full fighting strength, they had to account for the characteristics of each troop type. After years of experimentation, much of the discomfort and friction between the ninja and samurai had faded. This joint operation would undoubtedly bring them even closer together.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Boom, boom—
The whistles of explosive rounds cutting through the air and the roar of detonations rang out one after another. The Daimyo Mansion's regular army ahead could not even get close. Human bodies were utterly powerless against the force of the explosions, and the formation tactics the samurai took such pride in were completely useless here.
The samurai serving with