Land of Snow - 6.6
The ship arrived to a port city covered in flags and snow. Banners, bearing the old snowflake emblem Doto had outlawed, flapped in the harsh sea winds. People dressed in furs and more modern - at least to Hisana's eyes - winter clothing lined the docks shouting and cheering. A number of samurai, most of them either older men or barely more than boys, stood in full armour as an honour guard. What surprised Hisana the most were the dozen or so Snow ninja standing with the samurai in full uniform - out of their chakra armour. They all wore cloaks and white flak jackets and seemed more seasoned and less decrepit than the samurai.
"I had sent word to our contacts here... but this is beyond what I expected," Sandayū said, his voice quiet. He, along with much of the crew and stuntmen, had shed their casual winter clothes for samurai armour.
"Anything suspicious, Hinata?" Hisana asked, after she'd failed to detect any ninja trying to blend into the civilian crowd.
"I can't see anything... um, it doesn't look like a trap," she replied.
"I did not think I was thought of so fondly..." Koyuki said, and Hisana could hear the shock in her voice. She had changed into an outfit Sandayū had brought along - significantly more regal, with reinforced fabric beneath it to provide a little protection.
"Time to go put all those red carpet premiere skills to use, eh?" Karin said as the three Konoha ninja walked behind Koyuki. The princess didn't respond to Karin's joke, instead, she began walking towards the stage where what seemed to be a number of city functionaries, higher ranking Samurai, and a lone Snow ninja were waiting for her.
"Your highness, we are all most heartened to see your return. The city is alight with rumours that you intend to stand against Doto... can this be true?" an older woman, dressed in rich fur robes, asked.
"It is true! I have returned, and I will not leave without seeing Doto and his ideas banished from this land! No longer will you be forced to watch your sons and daughters be worked to death in his mines for imagined charges! No longer will you be forced to pay ruinous taxes to fuel his ego! I have returned and brought with me not only General Sandayū and many of his best soldiers, but three valiant ninjas from the Hidden Leaf who have already defeated Doto's forces once in battle!" Koyuki said, into a microphone handed to her. The crowd cheered even louder, and whispers started to race between them as they saw the emblem on Hisana's dress. It seemed the legend of the Uchiha had reached even this far southern land.
"We have heard of your victory, your highness. I come bearing word from the Elder of the Village Hidden in the Snow - Doto shall have out support no longer! He still has some ninja, those who value his gold more than loyalty or honour, but we will fight alongside you, your highness," the Snow ninja said, and Hisana's eyes narrowed at that. It was certainly very convenient, especially as it would keep things roughly on track with canon.
"And so shall we, your highness! We have more than five hundred warriors, almost the entire northern garrison, ready to fight with you!" Said the man in samurai armour.
"Then we shall surely prevail," Koyuki said, grasping his hand.
It went on like that for a while longer, and then the various parties made their way to the local lord's mansion/town hall to plan. It seemed the woman who had first welcomed Koyuki was some kind of vassal lord to the overall ruler of the country. She joined Koyuki, Sandayū, the senior Snow Ninja, Samurai, and all three of the Konoha ninja around a large wooden table. Hisana was glad for the roaring fireplace if nothing else.
"We have two key objectives - to capture or eliminate Doto himself and to control the capital. He has perhaps thirty Snow Ninja and a thousand samurai still loyal to him, as most of the country's forces have decided to stay in their barracks and pretend their radios are out of order. His palace is located a little further from the capital than we are, which means it will be a race to establish control there," Sandayū said.
"We're outnumbered, then," Hisana responded.
"Yes, though if we can seize the capital's radio station we may be able to bring the garrison there onto our side. That would more than even the numbers," he responded.
"What we must decide, then, is how to split our forces. Doto will remain at his palace, and it will be heavily guarded. The walls are thick, and the kunai launchers on the walls would make a direct assault suicide," the Snow ninja - a jounin by the name of Yasuhiro said.
"What sort of garrison does he keep there?" Sandayū asked.
"Perhaps a hundred samurai - I believe he will keep most of his ninja there, also. He himself has skills in battle equivalent to a powerful jounin - he is probably the most powerful single combatant on his side," Yasuhiro responded.
"Then it makes sense for us to focus on taking him out," Hisana said. The others at the table looked a little surprised at the suggestion, but Yasuhiro nodded.
"From what I saw of the chunin exams, and what I heard about the engagement at the border, you three are best suited to take him on. Still, not all of you need head there,"
"If we could get them within the walls, your Samurai would be able to handle themselves in close combat General - it's the approach that would be most difficult... I may have a way to keep them safe and breach the walls - but it won't be subtle," Hisana said. Most Samurai weren't as skilled as those of the land of Iron, but they were capable of using limited chakra techniques. Most large countries didn't keep large armies of them around anymore - Ninja were simply much more effective on the battlefield when organised into large hidden villages - but in smaller nations away from the crucible of the Shinobi World Wars, large standing armies of Samurai often existed alongside smaller ninja villages. Unlike Mary's world, conscripts were essentially worthless in a fight against a professional, trained force. Without extensive training in the use of chakra, even the more limited arts practised by Samurai, they were unable to compete on or off the battlefield.
"Perhaps then we should send two hundred Samurai with you three to take the palace, whilst our Snow ninja help the remaining Samurai take the capital?" Sandayū said.
"Hmmm... perhaps. It may be wiser to concentrate almost all our ninja strength and launch a sneak attack on the palace - capturing or killing Doto and then retreating. That would leave your troops able to concentrate on taking the capital. Your men might be able to beat Doto's there, get the capital garrison on your side," Yasuhiro said.
Hisana thought about her response...
What plan does Hisana support?
[x] Yasuhiro's plan - almost all the ninja strike the palace, whilst the Samurai concentrate on the capital.
[x] Sandayū's plan - the snow ninja and three hundred of the samurai strike the capital, whilst two hundred of the samurai and the Konoha ninja attack the palace.
[x] Write In.
