"Captain Komaki, do you think Lord Jun's plan will really work?" asked a whirlpool village ninja, his face full of worry.
Given the current situation, could they really protect the Land of Whirlpools? After all, their enemy was Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, home to several kekkei genkai clans. Meanwhile, they only had the Uzumaki clan.
Though the Uzumaki clan had many members, they were far from being able to establish a country. Their high-level combat power was limited, and they didn't even have a Kage.
"It will work," Uzumaki Komaki said firmly.
"Because… we can't afford to lose."
That's right.
They couldn't lose. If they did…
Their homes, families, and clans would disappear. Even their property would be seized by others.
Everyone fell silent.
"Don't look so down," Captain Komaki forced a smile.
"Trust Lord Jun, trust the clan leader, trust the daimyo. We will win."
However, everyone could see the worry in Komaki's eyes. But right now, they had no other choice but to believe in Lord Jun's plan.
"How's your progress with the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique? And the Mutual Multiplication Explosive Tags?"
The captains exchanged glances, realizing they couldn't let morale stay this low. If their spirits were down before the battle even began, how could they fight?
For now, they had to shift their focus.
Following Lord Jun's instructions, the captains had copied the jutsu scrolls first, then distributed them to their teams to save time. By now, everyone had finished copying them on the way here.
"Focus on the Mutual Multiplication Explosive Tags first," the captains said.
"Use the Shadow Clone Technique in the early stages."
"Understood," the team members replied.
"Now, go place the explosive tags in your assigned positions. Make sure they're hidden well—bury them in the ground, hide them in trees, or even under rocks. Just keep them concealed."
"Also, don't hide the explosive tags in the middle too well. Let Kirigakure find them, but don't make it too easy. Use these tags to draw their attention."
"Understood!"
"According to the spy's report seven days ago, Kirigakure has already begun preparing their fleet. They'll likely set off within two days," the clan leader said to Uzumaki Jun, who was holding a strange bamboo tube-like object and examining it curiously.
"Jun, what is that thing in your hand?"
"Oh, this?" Uzumaki Jun lowered the object and handed it to the clan leader. "It's a telescope."
Since it wasn't yet the era of Konoha Year 60, telescopes and TVs probably didn't exist yet.
Seven days ago…
That meant Kirigakure had already been on the move for five days. The journey from Kirigakure to the Land of Whirlpools took about ten days, so they likely had five days left.
Uzumaki Jun pondered. To avoid detection by Kirigakure's sensors, they had chosen a high vantage point and used the telescope to observe.
He had brought millions of explosive tags with him. There was no way that wouldn't take out a few ships.
The real challenge was placing the tags where Kirigakure wouldn't notice. Would underwater explosive tags work? But the thought of fighting Kirigakure in their own element made Jun uneasy.
The Uzumaki clan had no real water-based techniques, they relied on brute force, chakra, and sheer vitality.
But right now, they were outnumbered and outmatched. Trying to beat Kirigakure in their own domain was nearly impossible.
Underwater explosive tags probably wouldn't work.
If only they had Deidara's clay bombs…
Jun sighed and pulled out his gasoline bottles. Thankfully, technology in this world was advanced enough for these to exist.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to refine gasoline. As for why he hadn't made traditional explosives well, explosive tags already existed in the ninja world. Gunpowder-based explosives were cumbersome, expensive, and impractical compared to explosive tags.
As for oil…
The Land of Whirlpools had a small oil field, which Jun had accidentally discovered. In this world, oil was considered "demon's blood" because nothing grew near oil fields.
That area of the country was practically deserted.
The real problem was refining it. The tools were crude, and Jun's knowledge was limited. He couldn't yet create anything truly useful from oil.
"And what are these?" The clan leader, who had been testing the telescope, noticed Jun pulling out bottles and placing them on the ground.
"Gasoline bottles," Jun replied. "Once lit, water can't put them out. In fact, it'll make the flames spread."
He refused to believe that science and the full might of a nation couldn't defeat Kirigakure. He had also secretly given some gasoline bottles to the guards heading to battle.
If Kirigakure gathered in one place to set up camp, they'd toss the bottles. If Kirigakure couldn't extinguish the flames, they wouldn't dare stay.
The only problem was the limited supply. If they had more, they could sneak a ship into Kirigakure, douse the entire village in gasoline, and see if the Mizukage still dared to invade.
"Is that true?!" The clan leader and elders stared at the bottles in shock.
"Then it's like Amaterasu?" the elder asked. "The legendary black flames?"
"Not the same," Jun said dismissively. Amaterasu could burn anything except people, ironically. Gasoline could burn anything too, and it was especially effective against Kirigakure since water couldn't extinguish it.
Against Sunagakure, it might be less effective.
The real issue was the low production. He had only made these with a few guards in secret. If other villages found out, the Land of Whirlpools would be doomed. This was a weapon of war, after all.
He hadn't dared reveal it earlier because the Uzumaki clan had once been close allies with Konoha though mostly one-sided. The Uzumaki were too naive.
"Right," the elder nodded. Amaterasu was a mythical flame. These little bottles couldn't compare.
"We'll use them to burn Kirigakure's ships," Jun said. If not for the risk of detection, he would've prepared millions of arrows tied with explosive tags for a literal rain of explosions. Why not use shuriken?
Shuriken were too expensive. Arrows were cheaper, wood was plentiful here. They didn't need to be precise since they were just delivery systems for explosive tags.
He had already prepared the arrows, distributing them to the ninja teams. Between the explosive tag traps and the explosive arrow rain, he refused to believe Kirigakure could escape unscathed.
Let them learn: invading the Land of Whirlpools wasn't worth it. The country was poor, all its money had gone into explosive tags. Even if they conquered it, they'd get nothing.
The later Land of Waves, weak and impoverished, probably had ties to Kirigakure. After all, it was built on the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools.
Jun suspected Kirigakure had planned to use it to threaten the Land of Fire, given its proximity. But when Kirigakure isolated itself and weakened, they abandoned the plan, fearing Konoha's retaliation.
"Will it really work?" The clan leader and elders still looked doubtful. Could these little bottles truly be unquenchable by water? If not, they'd be exposed.