Chapter 299: The Samurai's Last Stand
"Kill!"
Mifune roared as he swung his katana.
[Slash!]
Five White Zetsu were cut in half with a single strike.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The strongest samurai led the charge, cutting through the enemy like a bulldozer.
The rest followed closely behind.
With no intention of retreating, they fought without hesitation.
In mere moments, over a thousand White Zetsu had been slain.
That was just the opening clash!
At this rate, who knew how many would fall to the samurai?
From the shadows, Obito grew uneasy.
He immediately gave an order.
The White Zetsu began absorbing the samurai's chakra.
Transforming into them.
With the enemy's chakra mixed in, even sensor-type shinobi couldn't tell them apart.
"W-What's happening?"
A samurai, mid-swing, let out a startled cry. "You… You're—!"
[Slash!]
The samurai hesitated.
The White Zetsu didn't.
Disguised among them, they struck without mercy.
In mere moments, hundreds of samurai had fallen.
"Damn it! Don't hesitate! They can shapeshift!"
Mifune's furious roar echoed across the battlefield.
But how were they supposed to fight when they couldn't tell friend from foe?
The battlefield was now entirely filled with samurai—
The White Zetsu had vanished among them.
How were they supposed to keep fighting?
Mifune's expression darkened. Then, he shouted, "Everyone, stand still! If anyone moves—cut them down!"
Samurai followed orders with greater discipline than shinobi.
If their commander gave an order, they obeyed without question.
At Mifune's command, every samurai froze in place.
Of course, they weren't completely motionless.
If someone ignored the order and attacked, they were a White Zetsu.
Kill on sight.
Because of this, dozens more White Zetsu fell.
"Mifune-sama, what now?"
A samurai hurried to his side, worried in his voice. "If we just stand here, we won't be able to push forward!"
"Stay calm." Mifune's voice was low but firm. "We don't need to push forward. Don't forget—our mission isn't to advance, it's to stop the enemy from advancing. As long as we hold this position, we've already won."
"This…!" The samurai froze. Then, realization dawned. He barked orders to the others. "Spread out! Keep your distance! If anyone moves—cut them down immediately!"
From afar, Obito watched with a dark expression.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his White Zetsu army would be stopped like this.
Mifune, you bastard—
"Freeze!"
"Nobody moves!"
The samurai's booming shouts left the White Zetsu frustrated.
Several White Zetsu exchanged uncertain glances, hesitating for a brief moment.
That slight hesitation was all it took.
A group of samurai instantly unsheathed their blades and struck, cutting down two White Zetsu in an instant.
The remaining samurai tightened their grips on their swords, their gazes wary.
They stood frozen, locked in a tense standoff—yet they knew they were also being watched.
Any sudden movement, and a blade would come swinging their way.
This was their reality now.
In the shadows, Obito stood with a grim expression, silently observing the scene.
Should they force their way through?
A direct assault would be costly.
These 5,000 samurai could easily inflict 10,000 to 20,000 casualties on his forces.
Suffering such heavy losses before the real battle even began?
These samurai weren't even part of Uchiha Fūnan's main army—they were just expendable pawns.
Pawns that could take out 20,000 White Zetsu.
Was it worth the trade?
And beyond these samurai, tens of thousands of trained shinobi still awaited them.
"What's the plan, Obito?" Black Zetsu asked, his tone laced with frustration. "In a conventional battle, a standoff like this would work in our favor. But we don't have time for this—we need to get to Uchiha Fūnan before he's ready for us."
Obito's expression darkened.
Of course he knew that.
He needed to strike before Uchiha Fūnan was fully prepared.
That was the entire reason he had launched this attack so soon after Madara's battle with Fūnan.
If the samurai managed to hold them off for even a day or two, the whole point of this assault would be lost.
"Where's Orochimaru?" Obito asked.
"Do you want him to deploy the Edo Tensei army?"
"Exactly." Obito shot a glance at the reanimated soldiers trailing behind the White Zetsu forces. His voice was ice-cold. "Are they just going to stand there and watch? Tell them to move in already."
"Heh…" A low laugh was heard. Orochimaru appeared in front of Obito. "Pull the White Zetsu back," he said. "Leave the rest to my Edo Tensei soldiers. They'll clear the way."
"That won't be necessary," Obito replied flatly. "The White Zetsu will fight alongside them."
"Fine by me." Orochimaru wasted no time. "Move!"
The reanimated shinobi, who had been advancing at a slow pace, suddenly surged forward.
"As expected…" Mifune let out a heavy sigh before charging straight at an Edo Tensei shinobi.
Behind him—
"Now!"
A wave of samurai moved in unison.
And then—
Their forms flickered.
In an instant, they transformed back into White Zetsu, seamlessly joining the Edo Tensei army as they clashed with the remaining samurai.
"Attack!"
"Don't let them advance!"
"Hold your ground!"
"Let them witness the strength and pride of the samurai!"
"For the Land of Iron!"
Mifune and his generals roared as they led the charge.
Both sides collided in a brutal clash.
In that moment, blood and flesh filled the air.
But—With the arrival of the Edo Tensei army, the samurai were now at a clear disadvantage.
And among the reanimated shinobi stood two particularly terrifying figures—Hanzo of the Salamander and Kimimaro.
The samurai began to fall back.
No!
They weren't retreating.
They had been slaughtered in waves, and those following behind simply couldn't catch up in time.
From a distance, it looked as if the enemy was advancing.
And worse—The strongest samurai had led the charge. With them cut down first, those behind them fell even faster.
"Seal!"
"Seal!"
Konoha's sealing corps worked frantically, sealing away the reanimated shinobi.
Even in the chaos, many Edo Tensei shinobi were taken down.
But compared to the losses suffered by the samurai, it was nothing.
The sealing corps sighed, some unable to hide their sorrow.
The samurai's final stand was a tragic sight.
"You're still not making a move?" Obito's gaze remained locked onto the battlefield.
He was certain—Uchiha Fūnan was watching from somewhere nearby.
And yet, even now, he hadn't stepped in. Was he really going to watch the samurai perish to the last man?
It wasn't impossible. These samurai had crossed Uchiha Fūnan many times. And as a shinobi, he likely had little sympathy for them.
Obito felt a sense of relief.
[Slash!]
[Clang!]
[Bang!]
Mifune swung his katana with all his might.
White Zetsu or Edo Tensei shinobi—it didn't matter. None could withstand a single strike from him.
But the enemy's numbers were overwhelming. In this chaotic melee, avoiding injury was impossible.
His body was already covered in countless wounds.
Yet his eyes burned with unshakable resolve.
Then, at last—someone worthy of his blade set their sights on him.
Hanzo of the Salamander.
The White Zetsu forces slowly withdrew. The reanimated shinobi stepped back as well, forming a path— A path for Hanzo.
He strode forward, his signature mask in place, his gaze cold and piercing.
"It's you?" Mifune stared at Hanzo, frowned, and said: "What a surprise. I never thought we'd meet again under these circumstances."
He had once suffered a crushing defeat at Hanzo's hands.
But Hanzo hadn't killed him. Instead, he had handed him the antidote to his poison.
"I've longed for another battle with you. When I heard of your death, I was devastated. The world lost its color."
Mifune chuckled. "Edo Tensei… I suppose this jutsu has some value after all."
"My regrets…" He took a deep breath, gripping his sword tightly. "End today."
Hanzo said nothing. Silently, he unsheathed his weapon.
A chain-linked scythe.
[Swish!]
With a flicker, he vanished.
And so did Mifune.
[Clang!]
The sharp clash of steel rang through the air.
...
"Still nothing."
A sensor ninja kneeled before Fūnan.
"No surprise." Fūnan didn't seem concerned. "You can go."
"Yes, sir."
The sensor ninja departed, leaving Fūnan to scan the battlefield once more.
"Where are you hiding, Obito?" he muttered.
He was certain—Obito was here, lurking.
And Fūnan was determined to find him and end him.
With Madara already revived, Obito had outlived his usefulness.
Yet despite the sensor team's best efforts, they had found nothing.
"So be it." With a sigh, he turned away.
There was too much work to be done within the village. The shinobi forces were still reorganizing. He couldn't afford to stay away any longer.
[Swish!]
Leaving behind a shadow clone, Fūnan vanished.
...
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The samurai charged once more.
Though they fell in wave after wave, their resolve never faltered.
[Bang!]
With a dull thud, Mifune and Hanzo reappeared.
Mifune was on his knees.
Panting heavily. He gasped for air, his breathing ragged.
"Is that all you've got?"
"Not a chance!"
Mifune let out a bitter chuckle and struggled to his feet. Fixing his gaze on Hanzo, he murmured, "This will be my final strike."
Hanzo stared at him expressionlessly, then raised his chain-linked scythe once more.
[Swish!]
Hanzo disappeared again.
But this time, Mifune didn't move.
He stood firm, feet planted on the ground. His eyes drifted shut.
Gripping his katana tightly, he maintained a solemn expression.
A heavy, suffocating aura rose from his body.
Hidden in the shadows, Hanzo's pupils dilated slightly in surprise.
And then—
"Iaido!"
"Iaido!"
Both warriors unleashed the same technique, their figures crossing paths in an instant.
[Slash!]
Mifune stood still, his expression calm.
Behind him, Hanzo's eyes widened as cracks began to form along his body, spreading like a spiderweb in the blink of an eye.
"Why…?" For the first time, he spoke.
"Why was your Iaido slash sharper than mine?"
Mifune's voice was steady. "It wasn't my blade—it was your heart that dulled."
"Hanzo of the Salamander…"
"You were resurrected through Edo Tensei, but you weren't lost. You just abandoned who you were a long time ago. That's why you can never defeat me."
"The legend of the Demi-God… is long over."
"…Is that so?" Hanzo whispered, his gaze distant.
Two white sealing cloths shot toward him.
Konoha's sealing corps!
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