"Well said!"
Amamiya Tetsu's voice cut through the crowded hall. "Patriarch, I agree with Jun-kun. We must send troops to support the allied clans!"
As soon as he spoke, more than a dozen Amamiya shinobi rose to their feet, shouting their agreement.
Raizen watched from the head of the hall, face unreadable. He gave a brief nod and gestured for them to sit, falling into silence as the voices began to clash.
The chamber erupted like a storm.
Half the clan cried out for restraint, insisting they needed time to rebuild after the last battle. The others demanded blood, eager to crush the Kaguya before they struck again. The noise rose into a wave of frustration and pride—shinobi shouting like merchants haggling over their own future.
"Enough!"
Amamiya Ten's roar slammed through the noise. The entire hall froze.
Raizen lifted his head slowly, the faintest smirk tugging at his mouth. "The Kaguya offended our clan. They struck first, and even though we drove them back, our grudge isn't something to be forgotten."
His voice carried through the silence, every word sharpened like a blade.
"So here's my decision. We march. Not for charity, not for politics—this war is for the Amamiya name. Let the Warring States remember this: even if we die, the Amamiya will never kneel."
The hall trembled with the unified roar of a thousand voices.
"Yes, Patriarch!"
For the first time in days, the air felt alive again.
Raizen raised a hand. "The Hanabira and Daitō Clans face destruction. We'll divide our forces into two divisions. Amamiya Toku will lead one with Hatake Gintama. I'll command the second myself."
He turned to the elder. "Amamiya Ten will manage the clan while we're gone."
"Understood," Ten said, bowing his head.
Orders came quickly after that—troop designations, supply routes, messengers, formation scouts. The hall transformed into a field headquarters before anyone even realized.
The Hanabira and Daitō were desperate. They had no strength left to offer supplies, so Amamiya had to bear the cost. Raizen ordered the convoy to move with the army itself, ensuring the resources were guarded under the same steel and chakra that would win this war.
He reviewed the numbers with grim focus.
Seven hundred Kaguya shinobi remained on that front—too many for the dying clans to handle. But with three hundred Amamiya at their side, the balance would tip sharply. Eight hundred against seven hundred. Add in his presence, and victory wasn't just possible—it was inevitable.
"It's like fighting a spreading fire," he muttered. "Wait too long, and it eats everything."
He turned toward his commanders. "Prepare tonight. We march at dawn."
"Yes, Patriarch!"
The assembled shinobi bowed and dispersed, leaving Raizen alone in the flickering light of the hall. His fists clenched.
Defeating the Kaguya wasn't just revenge—it was leverage. Once they won, the Hanabira and Daitō would have no choice but to swear alliance to the Amamiya. He'd already planned the terms in his head:
Mutual Aid Pact — Any clan attacked must be supported by the others.
Future Unification Clause — If the Amamiya ever established a permanent shinobi village, the other clans must join unconditionally.
To the others, it would sound symbolic. To Raizen, it was the seed of something far greater—an idea of unity in a world addicted to killing.
That night, he packed quietly and met with Amamiya Ten, handing over the ledgers and seals of office.
"Handle the clan while I'm gone," he said simply.
Ten nodded, his expression unreadable. "Bring them home alive."
Dawn broke crimson.
The entire clan gathered at the training grounds. Rows of armored shinobi stood at attention, headbands glinting in the weak sunlight.
Raizen stepped forward, his cloak snapping in the wind.
"This war isn't for glory," he called out. "It's for our name. For the ground we stand on. For the clan that refuses to vanish."
His voice rose with conviction. "So fight with everything you've got—and carve the Amamiya into history!"
The answer came like thunder.
"BANZAI!"
Raizen turned to his commanders. "Toku, Gintama—you'll hold the Daitō front. Keep it stable. No heroics."
"Yes, Patriarch!" they answered in unison.
He looked to Ten one last time. "All matters of the clan are yours now."
"I'll keep everything running, Raizen-sama," the elder said softly.
Raizen nodded once. Then, with a sweep of his hand, the Amamiya army moved out. Dust rose beneath their sandals as hundreds of shinobi vanished into the horizon, their banners trailing like red flames.
But as the last of them disappeared beyond the ridge, a presence stirred in the shadows of the compound.
A black figure stood at the window, watching Raizen's back with eyes cold and hungry.
"Pathetic Kaguya," the voice hissed. "Even with the advantage, you couldn't finish him."
The figure's chakra rippled like oil.
"If he continues to grow, he'll change everything... even their fate."
For a moment, the silhouette lingered, the air thick with hatred and fear.
Then it vanished into the darkness, leaving behind only a faint whisper—
and the promise of another unseen war.
...
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