Chapter 284: Empire
The northern border of the Empire.
Darkness enveloped the land.
The howling wind echoed through the night like a chorus of wailing spirits.
The snowstorm blinded the eye and claimed lives with every gust.
In such cold and desolation, anyone would inevitably feel despair, loneliness—maybe even fear.
Yet, in this hostile land, a military camp stood tall—utterly unfazed by the environment.
The flames within the walls cast light on every inch of ground. Over a thousand elite soldiers warmed themselves around roaring fires, their vigor cutting through the cold like a blade through ice.
The pungent mix of tobacco smoke and alcohol hung heavy in the air. Some men were bare-chested, forming circles in the snow, wrestling and laughing—testing their strength.
No one complained of fatigue. Instead, they hungered for battle.
This was the Second Garrison Camp of the Fourth Corps, home to the infamous Three Beasts, Daidara's unit under the command of General Esdeath—the Empire's deadliest general.
But even the most disciplined troops required rest.
Though powerful, well-trained, and even versed in martial arts—some superficial, some profound—none among them had truly surpassed the limits of humanity.
Night fell.
The number of sentries dropped.
Unlike the daytime, when patrols were constant, the night watch was now reduced to a handful of soldiers at the gate and a few stationed in front of tents.
Their neat formations and alert posture were reminiscent of the war-time shinobi armies back in the ninja world.
Huff—
The soft sound of breathing was carefully suppressed by Hyuga Souji and the others.
Shadows flitted silently across the snowy ground, skillfully avoiding traps as they neared the camp's entrance.
"You hear the news? Seems like there are more rebels popping up all over the Empire. Even the ministers are getting anxious—thinking about recalling us."
"Go back? I'd rather die out here than drag my family into that hellhole."
"Hah… relax. We're under General Esdeath. We're not like those soft troops stationed in the capital."
"Still… even with a general like her, I don't want to return. I've heard things are getting uglier in the heart of the Empire. Nobles getting assassinated—common soldiers don't stand a chance."
"That serious?"
"You've got no idea. My family's in trade, and our caravans travel far. Word spreads fast."
"People in the capital—mentally unstable. The closer to the center, the worse they get."
"Mental instability?"
"Yeah. Murder for sport, random arson… crimes that used to be unthinkable are now normal in the capital. If you don't have connections, don't even think about bringing your family there if we're recalled."
"That place isn't for sane people anymore."
...
Night watch soldiers often needed something to pass the time.
Too much noise could lead to suspicion, and activities like drinking or gambling were against regulations. So the only outlet was conversation—whispers about things they wouldn't dare speak of during the day.
"Sounds like the Empire's rotting from the inside."
"Whatever happens, we stick with the General. She'll protect us."
"Even so… she won't always be with us. What if they transfer us?"
"Wait—"
Their voices suddenly cut off.
Shadows slipped from the darkness, silently lifting the unconscious soldiers and laying them gently in the snow without a sound.
Simultaneously, dozens of figures scaled the walls and slipped through from every direction.
It was like they already knew the layout, the patrol routes, the blind spots.
One… ten… twenty…
One after another, guards collapsed.
In moments, the camp's defenses were dismantled.
Time ticked by in silence.
Not a word was spoken. Not a single enemy awoke or screamed before losing consciousness.
By the time the last soldier was subdued, poisonous mist crept into the tents.
In less than an hour, the entire military camp had been seized by Hyuga Souji and his team—without a single alarm being raised.
"Keep them unconscious while tying them up."
A calm voice echoed in their minds.
Hyuga Iroha, perched outside the walls with a gray cat in his arms, gave the order. Through Neji's Byakugan, he saw everything as clearly as if he were inside.
There had been no improvisation.
Every ninja knew their target.
Every tent was pre-assigned.
For two full days, the shinobi team had endured snow and wind outside the walls—no fire, no shelter—just to avoid exposure and observe the patrol patterns in detail.
Under Iroha's leadership, they hadn't bothered to confront patrolling soldiers.
The strength of the garrison had already been assessed. Now, they aimed to take over the entire camp in one strike.
The entire operation had been drilled into their minds. Iroha's orders served only as confirmation.
"Do not touch any equipment or personal belongings."
"Bring all subdued soldiers to the training ground."
"Mission complete."
The final instruction brought a moment of relief to the otherwise stone-faced shinobi.
But success didn't mean rest.
Teams scaled the inner walls once more, resetting the garrison's original traps and enhancing them with chakra-based barriers.
A secondary detection barrier was erected—a one-kilometer radius around the camp. The moment anyone crossed it, the shinobi would be alerted.
"Start with the captain. Begin memory extraction."
Iroha entered the camp swiftly, following his team once the site was secured.
The unconscious captain was singled out.
Several shinobi who specialized in memory exploration began their work—scanning the mind without waking the subject.
For the first time in five days of bitter cold, the shinobi felt warmth—not from the fires in the camp, but from the knowledge that they had finally established their foothold.
"Search the barracks thoroughly. If you find anything related to communication—report immediately."
Iroha turned to the logistics squad.
"Armin, you're the most experienced in this field. Assist the search."
Armin nodded without a word and silently followed the team.
Standing beside the unconscious captain of the military camp, Hyuga Iroha silently observed as three ninjas from the Interrogation Division worked together to explore the man's memory. He did not interrupt.
Time passed slowly. Only when the first rays of dawn crept across the sky did the three finally open their eyes, breathing heavily, sweat clinging to their foreheads.
"How is it?"
Iroha's voice was calm but carried authority.
One of the three—still mentally composed—straightened up and answered.
"This garrison belongs to the strongest military power in this world—the Empire."
"We're currently stationed near its northern border. This camp is a frontier outpost. Unless war breaks out or the front line shifts, no other legions will come into contact with this one."
"However, the commander of this camp—Daidara—makes a weekly report to his superior by phone."
…
The ninja who remained clear-headed didn't hesitate to highlight the most critical point.
"Phone?" Iroha frowned slightly. "You mean some kind of communication device?"
"Yes. Think of it as a long-range version of a walkie-talkie, but connected via wired networks across the Empire. It enables communication across great distances."
"...I see." Iroha's gaze sharpened. He quickly grasped the key issue.
"Do you remember the captain's voice? His speaking habits? What kind of things he typically reports?"
The ninja nodded.
"Yes. I memorized his tone, speech patterns, and standard phrases while exploring his memory. I can impersonate him without raising suspicion."
He had anticipated this and intentionally absorbed those details.
"Good. Then I'll leave that call to you. It's crucial." Iroha's tone grew firm.
"The clan has yet to decide whether this world should be approached peacefully or subdued by force. Our mission is reconnaissance. If we can avoid unnecessary conflict, that would be ideal."
"Understood." The ninja responded with a respectful nod.
"You've done enough for now. Go rest and prepare. This task is your priority."
Iroha turned toward another nearby figure.
"Neji, stay with him. Assist him however he needs."
"Yes," Neji replied, stepping forward.
Meanwhile, Iroha called over Mei Terumi and her team. They were tasked with identifying and separating over a hundred high-ranking soldiers based on attire and bearing. These individuals were to be interrogated separately.
On one hand, they needed to confirm whether the equipment, weapons, or materials in the camp contained any of the technology—or magical traces—Ryosuke had warned about.
On the other, dividing the prisoners into separate groups would allow for faster information-gathering through more conventional methods.
The ninjas moved efficiently. There were only a handful of sensory-type shinobi in their squad capable of memory exploration. Aside from the one impersonating the captain, only two others were available.
Extracting even one soldier's memory took considerable time, and each attempt left the user exhausted. After each deep dive, they needed long periods of rest before continuing—making the process incredibly slow.
Moreover, the captured soldiers displayed unshakable faith in one name: General Esdeath.
Every one of them repeated the same thing—that the general would find them and execute their captors. It became clear that Esdeath was not only respected but revered.
Traditional torture methods had limited effectiveness. And with how taxing memory exploration was, obtaining intelligence from this thousand-man camp was no easy feat.
Fortunately, their impersonation succeeded. The ninja mimicked the captain's mannerisms perfectly, fooling the caller and buying the team precious time.
Thanks to that, Hyuga's forces were able to quickly establish a foundational understanding of this world.
And it was in that moment…
That many shinobi truly accepted the truth.
They had arrived in a completely different world.
A world beyond the ninja world.
It took them half a month to fully gather and verify key intelligence—military structure, political systems, technological development, combat arts, even entertainment.
The land beneath their feet belonged to a nation known simply as the Empire.
It had no prefix. No embellishment. Just "Empire."
One of only two countries that existed in this world.
Unlike the ninja world, where five major nations and countless smaller powers balanced one another in fragile equilibrium, this world's geopolitical structure was far simpler—and far more terrifying.
From the dawn of civilization to the rise of nationhood, only two great powers had ever existed.
One was the ancient Empire—spanning centuries of rule and rooted deeply in tradition. The other was the Western Kingdom across the sea.
Tens of millions of people. Millions of soldiers. All under the control of a single, central authority.
All governed by the Emperor.
"An army of tens of millions?"
Seated inside the central command tent, Hyuga Iroha furrowed his brows in thought.
"To think their population is so vast… and their military system so extensive."
He exhaled slowly, brows tightening.
"But sheer numbers mean nothing to Ryosuke-sama. The real threat... is the Imperial Arms."
Interdimensional differences in strength, training, and systems created massive disparities between worlds.
In terms of raw physical capability, there wasn't much separating the people of this world from those of the ninja world. In fact, due to a heavier focus on body conditioning and martial arts, many here were likely stronger than the average shinobi.
But lacking a comprehensive cultivation system, even elite troops here fell swiftly before Iroha's team.
As for their technology—it was… peculiar.
According to the memories extracted from the captain, this world possessed a set of mystical artifacts known as Imperial Arms (Teigu). Their functions varied wildly, and those who wielded them gained extraordinary abilities far beyond human limitations.
Those who used them were called Imperial Arms Users.
Daidara—commander of this garrison and one of the famed Three Beasts—was such a user, said to be capable of slaying ten thousand men in a single battle.
And above him...
General Esdeath.
Not just a user—but the strongest of them all.
Capable of facing millions alone.
One versus a million.
What did that mean?
In the ninja world, wars between nations were rare and often limited to tens of thousands of shinobi clashing in prolonged skirmishes. Total death tolls rarely exceeded that scale.
But in this world?
Millions of soldiers clashed under the banners of two great powers.
In comparison, every major conflict in the ninja world… was nothing more than a village squabble.
Even a full-blown war between two Hidden Villages paled before the chaos of a single province in this world.
"This world…" Iroha murmured, looking out at the unfamiliar land beyond the tent flap, "…is not to be taken lightly."
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