When the gates of the Land of Rivers's capital city were opened, the vanguard scouts of the White Tiger Corps had some doubts. This isolated city, surrounded by water on all sides, should have been an impregnable fortress, but at this moment the drawbridge was laid flat, and there were no decent guards to be seen on the city tower. Only a few crooked military flags were swaying in the wind, like the last breaths of a dying man.
"Commander, there might be a trap inside the city." The lieutenant wiped the cold sweat from his brow, looking at the weapons scattered and the corpses of civilians lying at the city gate. "The nobles of the Land of Rivers have always been cowards, why would they suddenly abandon the city?"
Hatake Sakumo gripped the short sword at his waist, the White Tiger crest on the scabbard gleaming coldly in the setting sun. The 100,000-strong White Tiger Corps had trampled through thirty important towns in the Land of Rivers, their advance aimed directly at this ancient capital. Although there was resistance along the way, they had never seen such a bizarre sight.
He dismounted, his boots sinking into the puddles at the city gate, the icy touch sending a chill down his spine. "Pass on my orders: the vanguard will scout into the city, the main force will maintain formation, and the artillerymen will stand guard along the riverbank, ready to attack at any moment."
After learning that the fortified city was indeed safe, the entire army entered the city to rest. However, they still walked into a trap. When the last White Tiger Corps ninja stepped into the city gate, the altar on the mountain outside the city suddenly burst out with a blinding blue light.
The captain of the Land of Rivers's personal guard stood atop the altar, his withered fingers gripping yellowed Cursed Seal runes, his face contorted with a mad, suicidal rage. " White Tiger Corps! You've seized my cities and slaughtered my people! Today, let the Water God Zhang claim your lives!"
Before the smoke from the burning incantation had even dissipated, the earth began to tremble violently. The waters of the West Water River seemed to be lifted up by an invisible giant hand, the waves flowing backwards towards the sky, condensing into a colossal water-colored shadow a hundred feet high in the center of the city— the Water God Zhang opened his scarlet vertical pupils, his body formed of water still covered with silt and broken ice from the riverbed, and he roared deafeningly as soon as he appeared in the world.
"A fight to the death... They actually dared to awaken the ancient gods and demons..." Hatake Sakumo's pupils suddenly contracted. He finally understood the nobles' scheme. The capital of the Land of Rivers was just bait. They used the lives of the entire city as sacrifices to lure the 100,000- White Tiger Corps into the trap, and then used the Suijin to complete this tragic massacre.
The attack of the Water God Zhang was more ferocious than any prophecy. It didn't even glance at the remaining nobles of the Land of Rivers on the altar; wherever its scarlet gaze swept, the water instantly transformed into sharp blades. The captain of the guard's scream lasted only half a breath before he was cut into countless pieces, which, mixed with the splattering blood, merged into the Suijin's body.
"Retreat! Form a defensive formation!" The moment Hatake Sakumo drew his sword, a giant wave surged in from the West Water River. The city walls groaned under the onslaught of the water, and amidst the sounds of bricks crumbling, countless civilians struggled in the floodwaters.
Among them were women holding children, elderly men leaning on canes, and officials who had just surrendered to the White Tiger Corps yesterday. They were all floating in the indiscriminate waves and soon fell silent.
" The Suijin... this is the Water God Zhang..." The surviving priestess of the Land of Rivers slumped on the rooftop, her finger trembling as she pointed at the colossal, water-colored shadow. "Legend says it has slumbered at the bottom of the river for ten thousand years, its body made of river water, its sacrifices to living beings... but whoever awakens it will be the first to be devoured..."
Before she could finish speaking, a water cannon as thick as a bucket pierced the roof. The witch and the entire house were instantly swept away by the flood, leaving only a few broken pieces of wood swirling on the water's surface.
The White Tiger Corps's ninjas were only now realizing that they were completely trapped in this water city—the city gates on all four sides had long been blocked by floods, the West Water River outside the city had merged with the water inside the city, and this boundless body of water was the body of the Water God Zhang.
"Artillery Battalion! Aim at the core area of Suijin, fire salvo!" The vice-general's shout was barely audible amidst the torrential rain of water cannonballs. Two hundred heavy cannons roared simultaneously, their shells trailing black smoke as they hurtled toward the head of the Water God Zhang, only to be swallowed up by an invisible curtain of water the instant they made contact, without even a ripple.
"How is this possible..." The gunner stared in disbelief at the scene, the fuse falling to the ground. The next second, three water cannons roared in, instantly blowing the artillery position away. The scorching hot cannon barrels made a piercing cooling sound in the floodwaters, sinking to the bottom along with the surrounding ninjas.
Hatake Sakumo gritted his teeth and waved his hand. " Ninjutsu Squad, Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Hundreds of ninjas simultaneously Hand Seals, and a huge fireball formed a sea of fire in mid-air. The scorching heat even evaporated the moisture in the air. But when the fireball fell into the Suijin's body, only a few wisps of insignificant white smoke rose. The flames, which were enough to burn down a city, couldn't even boil a single drop of water.
"Use Lightning Release! Water conducts electricity!" A Jonin roared as he activated his Ninjutsu, purple lightning condensing into a snake at his fingertips before slamming into the water. The lightning did indeed cause a violent explosion upon entering the water, but the Water God Zhang merely swayed his body. As the water surged, an even stronger current rebounded from the surface, electrocuting the Jonin who had activated the Ninjutsu, along with more than ten other ninjas around him, into charred remains.
The most desperate situation was that of the fighter jet formation in the air. Three fighter jets flew low over the head of the Suijin, missiles under their wings trailing flames as they shot towards their targets. But the Water God Zhang merely raised his arm made of water, and a barrage of water arrows roared up, piercing through the fighter jets' alloy fuselages, which could withstand attacks from Kage Level experts, as if they were made of paper. The pilots' screams mingled with the sound of explosions as they fell into the torrent, without even being able to send out a complete distress signal.
"Stop! Stop!" Hatake Sakumo watched the soldiers fall one after another, his heart clenching as if gripped by a giant hand. For a month, they had tried every attack method they could think of: Ninjutsu, artillery, bombs, and even Sealing Jutsu to try to imprison the water flow, but every attack was like a stone sinking into the sea, only to be met with an even more ferocious counterattack from the Water God Zhang.
Twelve thousand ninjas fell forever in this body of water, their blood staining the West Water River red, yet they couldn't even cause the slightest damage to the Water God Zhang.
On the eve of the seventh all-out offensive, Hatake Sakumo summoned all the Super Kage Level ninjas of the White Tiger Corps. The tent where the meeting was held was filled with the mixed smell of herbs and blood. Everyone's face was etched with exhaustion and despair. Only the Kageko cast by the torches on the wall still danced stubbornly.
"At dawn tomorrow, I will lead an elite squad to strike directly at the core of the Suijin." Hatake Sakumo's voice was hoarse but resolute. He slammed his short sword on the table, the blade reflecting his bloodshot eyes. "You will lead the main force to reinforce the walls. Regardless of our victory or defeat, we must hold the last line of defense."
No one objected. This was the last hope, and also the most desperate gamble.
As dawn broke, thirty of the strongest ninjas from the White Tiger Corps followed Hatake Sakumo and leaped off the city wall. They sped across the water, their weapons gleaming with Chakra, heading straight for the Water God Zhang's head, which was formed from Uzumaki. Hatake Sakumo's short sword struck first, its silvery-white blade cleaving through the morning mist, but it was dissolved by the water's current upon touching the Suijin's body.
"Roar--" The Water God Zhang let out a deafening roar, and the water instantly surged into giant waves tens of feet high. A Super Kage ninja was about to Hand Seals when he was hit by the giant wave, and his whole body flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the city wall and turning into a pool of bloody flesh. Another ninja who was good at speed tried to flank and attack from behind, but was pierced through the chest by a water spike that suddenly emerged from the bottom of the water, and blood stained his white battle robe.
Hatake Sakumo gritted his teeth, concentrating his Chakra to its limit. His short sword transformed into a silver dragon in his hand, slicing through several incoming water whips. He focused on the faint blue light in the center of the Suijin's head—the Water God Zhang's only weakness, the flaw they had discovered after a month of observation. But just as he was about to reach his target, an irresistible force surged from the water. The current wrapped around his left arm like a steel cable, the intense pain making it almost impossible for him to hold the sword.
"Commander!" the vice-captain roared as he rushed to the rescue, but was hit by a water cannon thrown by the Suijin, and half of his body was blown apart.
Hatake Sakumo watched helplessly as his comrades fell one by one, the elite squad of thirty men reduced to less than ten in the blink of an eye. With his last ounce of strength, he severed the water that bound his arm, his short sword grazing the Suijin's weak point, yet only creating a tiny ripple. The Suijin's counterattack followed immediately, a powerful jet of water slamming into his chest. He was sent flying backward as if struck by a boulder, crashing heavily into the castle wall, blood gushing from the corner of his mouth.
"Retreat... retreat quickly..." He shouted with his last ounce of strength, looking at the three survivors left in the water. When the soldiers carried him back into the city, the bones in his left arm were broken, three ribs were broken, and his consciousness was hovering on the verge of unconsciousness. Only his eyes were still fixed on the giant water-colored shadow outside the city.
The defeat of the elite squad became the final straw that broke the camel's back. The White Tiger Corps completely abandoned the offensive and instead devoted all its energy to defense. Tens of thousands of ninjas worked day and night to reinforce the city walls. They transported huge stones from inside the city, used Earth Release Ninjutsu to compact the foundation, and then carved layers upon layers of sealing talismans, attempting to build a barrier against natural disasters with manpower.
The city wall grew taller and thicker at a visible rate. From the initial three zhang to five zhang, and now to eighteen zhang, every brick and stone was soaked with sweat and blood. The ninjas stood on the city wall, using their bodies to block the constantly crashing waves, and poured their Chakra into the seals on the city wall, watching the talismans glow faintly under the impact of the water.
The attacks of the Water God Zhang never ceased. The floods it unleashed repeatedly breached the Root the city walls, and the enormous waves pounded against the seal, causing the entire city to tremble. Sometimes it would condense dozens of water cannons, which would strike the city walls like battering rams, each impact accompanied by the sound of shattering bricks and the muffled groans of ninjas.
Hatake Sakumo lay in the makeshift medical tent, listening to the loud noises outside, his fingers gripping the sheets tightly. He could feel the city walls shaking and imagine the soldiers using their bodies to hold back the floodwaters. A month ago, they were a mighty army that had conquered the Land of Rivers, but now they were trapped in this isolated city, their courage to even look up at the enemy almost completely worn away.
"Commander, the city walls have held!" The lieutenant burst in, soaked to the bone, his face a mixture of rain and tears. "Although the seventh seal has cracked, we've added a new layer of reinforcement, and the floodwaters haven't entered the city yet."
Hatake Sakumo slowly opened his eyes, staring at the hole in the tent roof. The rain was still falling outside, the waves of the West Water River were still raging, and the roar of the Water God Zhang was like an ancient curse. He knew this was only temporary, and the city walls would eventually be breached. All they could do was continue their final resistance with their own flesh and blood in this isolated city.
As night deepened, the torches atop the city walls formed a faint sea of light. The ninjas dozed against the cold bricks, their weapons never leaving their hands. They didn't know if they would wake up tomorrow, or when the war against the Water God Zhang would end. They only knew that behind them lay the last line of defense, beneath their feet the bones of their comrades. They had to hold this place until the very last moment.
The West Water River still flowed swiftly, and the figure of the Water God Zhang appeared and disappeared in the moonlight, his scarlet vertical pupils reflecting the crumbling, desolate city. The Land of Rivers's desperate struggle ultimately failed to bring about a complete victory, but instead dragged the 100,000- White Tiger Corps into this hopeless water calamity, writing a tragic chapter intertwined with blood and water in the long river of Shinobi World history.