Everyone in the shinobi world knew the Uzumaki clan was like this, quick to lose patience and resort to violence after just a few words. Perhaps it was due to their unique constitution.
With vast chakra reserves but lacking fine control, it inevitably affected their temperament. Just look at the tailed beasts, they were the same.
All their points went into chakra, leaving none for intelligence, yet they still wore that tsundere expression. But when someone tried to talk to them about life, they'd cover their ears and shake their heads, saying, "I won't listen, I won't listen."
Then, a Tailed Beast Ball would send you straight to the Shinigami.
Even Naruto, before mastering his Talk no Jutsu, would just charge in with a roar. And when he did master it? Still roaring and charging.
"Attack!" the Uzumaki shinobi shouted. Orders from above were clear, injure but don't kill, and make sure the enemy "accidentally" escapes.
The tricky part was making it believable. They couldn't send too many or too few, and they had to act weak, like a whole group of them couldn't even handle a few Mist shinobi.
What a headache. They had to stage a fake battle.
This wasn't the Uzumaki way! They…
Feared no hardship.
"Dammit, I hate war," Tayu muttered, clumsily blocking the incoming Uzumaki shinobi.
"Why did the Second Mizukage even start this?"
"Shut up," the captain barked. Now wasn't the time for demoralizing talk. Did Tayu want a trip to the ANBU interrogation room or a "cold bath" from the Mizukage?
Luckily, the Uzumaki fighters weren't that strong. Thanks to Konoha's scheming, most of the powerful Uzumaki had been left on the battlefield, never to return.
It was hard to believe such a hypocritical village like Konoha still had such loyal allies. But now? Heh…
They'd be wiped out soon.
The Uzumaki shinobi exchanged subtle glances, signaling each other not to go overboard. Some of them got too fired up in fights and went all out.
But no, this was just a skirmish. Kill one or two, then let the rest escape, as per Prince Jun's orders.
They unleashed flashy jutsu, but none used sealing techniques. Every attack looked deadly but conveniently missed.
"Keisuke!" Tayu cried out as his teammate lost an arm to an Uzumaki's Wind Release and got surrounded.
"Break through, Tayu!" the captain ordered. Keisuke was done for. Seeing Tayu hesitate, he snapped, "Get out of here. Don't let Keisuke's sacrifice be in vain."
"But… but…" Tayu's eyes welled with tears.
"Move!" the captain barked. "If we don't break through now, we're all dead."
Tayu took one last look at Keisuke, wiped his tears, and turned away, gripping his kunai tightly as he followed the captain. "I really… really hate war," he thought.
"Report from the rear, two Mist shinobi dead, the rest retreated," the Second Elder reported to Uzumaki Jun and the clan head. "What are your next orders?"
"Any casualties on our side?" Jun asked. Their numbers were already thin. They couldn't afford heavy losses.
"None. We outnumbered them and mostly used shadow clones, as you instructed. About fifty injured, though."
Jun sighed in relief. Injuries were fine, Uzumaki resilience would keep them alive. After a moment, he said, "Tell them to stay hidden. Block the Mist shinobi's advance, but make it look like we've set up camp there."
"And have them master the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Mutual Exploding Tags." Jun watched the fleeing Mist shinobi below and murmured, "War has come."
"From now on, rely on shadow clones. Stick to the plan, prioritize survival over kills. We'll drag this out until the Mist breaks." He refused to believe Kirigakure had infinite supplies. Even with soldier pills, they couldn't last forever.
"Understood!" The Second Elder left to relay the orders.
Jun gazed toward Kirigakure's direction, lost in thought. The Mist Village was far from Uzushiogakure, but their main force would arrive soon. Could their small nation hold out until the war's end?
"We're still too weak," Jun muttered. The plight of a small nation, few people, little land.
To prevent Kirigakure from encircling them or other villages taking advantage, Jun had already ordered the evacuation of non-essential areas.
Uzumaki shinobi were scattered across the country, using terrain to their advantage. As for exploding tags?
Shadow clones would do. Human bombs, supplemented by explosive-tagged arrow barrages. The rest of the clones? Just charge in roaring. Perfect for their temperament. Wear the enemy down with numbers, Multiple Shadow Clones had a way of making the enemy doubt their own intelligence.
Even if the clones were weak, their sheer presence was intimidating. Just standing there cheering would boost morale, let alone an army of identical faces screaming as they rushed forward. The psychological impact alone was terrifying.
Jun watched the surviving Mist shinobi cautiously scouting their surroundings and sighed.
"You get to live… for now."
"Why? Why?" Tayu grabbed the captain's collar, tears streaming. "Why did we abandon Keisuke?"
The captain coldly shoved him away. "Because this is war."
Tayu's voice cracked.
"Keisuke was our comrade!"
"Shut up." The captain, already irritated from losing men in the ambush, glared. The squad's mood was tense enough without Tayu's outburst. He seized Tayu's throat, his voice icy.
"One more word, and I'll kill you."
Tayu choked, clawing at the captain's grip, his vision blurring.
Abisu stepped in. "Captain, stop! He'll die!"
The captain tossed Tayu aside with a snarl and walked off to set up patrols.
Gasping for air, Tayu stared at the captain's retreating back.
That last threat—"One more word, and I'll kill you."—was no joke. The killing intent had been real.
"War is disgusting," Tayu whispered.
Abisu patted his back, concerned. "You okay?"
Tayu didn't answer.
Sighing, Abisu said, "Don't blame the captain. He had no choice. This is war."
Tayu looked up, silent, then stood. "That's why I hate it."
"Why start a war?"
"When everything was almost over."
"It's just… disgusting."
----
"How much longer?"