Chapter 75: Raid and Infighting

Under your manipulation and guidance, a few of the more outspoken ones came up with the idea of robbing and looting to get money.

After all, they had long lost their status as samurai. Without that title, they couldn't serve noble families anymore. At best, they could get patrol work in some remote village, or, if lucky, be picked up by a merchant as a cheap bodyguard.

For men who had grown used to a life of indulgence and luxury, this was simply unacceptable.

On top of that, they weren't exactly law-abiding types to begin with, so they quickly reached a consensus.

Following your subtle suggestions, they positioned themselves on a key trade route frequently used by merchant caravans, setting up a blockade while sending out scouts to monitor the surrounding area.

This made everything much easier.

You timed things precisely so that the scouts avoided the ninja team that had come ahead to survey the route. Then, during the shift change between the Chūnin team and the caravan guards, you subtly guided the scouts to discover a fully loaded caravan.

When they returned with the news, the ringleader immediately proposed a night raid. But you knew their combat capabilities too well—striking at night, when ninja vigilance was at its peak, would end with these ronin being routed in no time.

Only at dawn or dusk, during the moment of transition—when fatigue and relaxation mix—could a small force strike hard and actually win.

Under your influence, the idea was subtly passed around, refined, and discussed by the group, until it felt like it had come from them. It was soon unanimously approved.

So, just before night faded, ten of the most elite ronin warriors, dressed in a patchwork of armor gathered from the group, silently crept to the rear of the caravan camp.

Observing from a distance and controlling the situation, you couldn't help but marvel at your luck. A young Genin, posted on sentry duty at the edge of the camp, had actually fallen asleep.

Tsk tsk tsk… with awareness like that, he won't be a ninja in his next life either…

You immediately took over the ringleader's body, drew a short blade, and crept forward silently—one clean stroke to the throat, not a single suspicious sound made.

The ringleader then called over his teammates. They stripped the Genin of every usable item—right down to his clothes.

You knew full well that only tangible loot could boost the morale of these disillusioned men.

Sure enough, after splitting up the spoils, the ones who'd gotten their share were instantly more energetic, and even those who weren't satisfied were fired up—eager to grab more when the fight started.

Following the orders of the ringleader under your control, these ragged ronin suddenly demonstrated astonishing discipline and coordination. They took out two caravan guards in quick, silent ambushes—looting their corpses—and even pried open the last wagon's storage compartment.

But when they saw that the straw covering the cargo hid nothing but armor and weapons, some of them were visibly disappointed.

What good are these? Not like we can sell them to live it up like tea and silk…

Once again, you guided the thought: with this gear, they could carve out territory of their own, raise a force of a hundred underlings, and become local warlords—living better than some nobles.

With their ambitions ignited, they all began to eagerly stash the goods.

That's when you, perched on a treetop, saw the flap of the Chūnin's tent shift.

A shuriken suddenly flew out.

Damn—it's been discovered!

Run or fight? Of course, run!

Under your lead, the ronin maintained impressive organization even while retreating. They even managed to steal four or five packhorses—two riders per horse—cutting down two caravan guards who rushed to intercept them.

And with many of them now armored in gear stolen from the wagon—even if most of it was just light armor and wooden shields, maybe just breastplates and helmets—it was enough to deflect the ninja's shuriken barrage.

Only two casualties occurred: the last two to grab horses were caught before they could ride off. A Genin, driven by vengeance over his comrades' deaths, caught up and hit them each with a kunai. Thankfully, the armor absorbed most of the damage, leaving them only slightly wounded.

You quickly took control of one of the injured warriors, spun around, and with a single strike knocked the Genin off his feet—then leapt onto a horse and fled.

Even a Chūnin couldn't outrun a horse, and with only limited uses of the Body Flicker Technique, all they could do was tend to the fallen student.

And just like that, your first raid was a total success!

The caravan suffered four guard casualties, one Genin dead, another seriously wounded, and nearly half their horses lost. One wagon's worth of armor was entirely stolen, and with too few horses left, the remaining two wagons were left immobile.

Meanwhile, among the ronin, only two of the ten raiders were lightly injured. All of them gained weapons, armor, and even horses—up until now, only the two leaders had horses of their own!

...

After returning, the group immediately erupted in internal strife.

The ten who'd participated in the raid were dissatisfied with how the ringleader split the loot and split into two factions, clashing violently on the spot.

You observed from a distance. Once most of the old, sick, and wounded had been taken out in the chaos, you used a Genjutsu-marked command to stop the meaningless fighting and guided them to elect a new leader—the one with the greatest combat strength.

This man was ruthless. He immediately executed every severely injured ronin who could no longer fight, then counted the survivors.

Just over twenty remained—about even with the damaged caravan's remaining strength.

To boost their power, after a quick discussion, they decided to pool their armor and horses to form a seven-man cavalry unit. The rest would act as foot soldiers.

Next time, they would destroy the caravan completely.

...

Over the following days, things were miserable for the battered ninja squad and the devastated caravan.

They had to remain constantly on guard, straining to maintain camp security while fearing another ambush. The constant tension wore them down. You didn't make it any easier, occasionally tossing pebbles, dirt clumps, or bones into camp. But with no signs of the culprit, the Chūnin couldn't do anything.

The whole caravan began to fall into a state of exhaustion.

On top of that, the psychological toll of the Genin's death and the lack of progress in treating the injured was taking its toll. The last surviving Genin muttered about revenge like he was possessed. The ninja team was clearly nearing its breaking point.

In contrast, the ronin were gradually regaining the discipline and morale of their former samurai selves. The lightly injured were healing quickly.

The balance of power was shifting.

It's time. We have to strike now.

You realized that once the Chūnin completely collapsed, you'd lose the chance to use him to take out the twenty-odd ronin.

So, you took control of the ronin leader again. Ignoring the others' objections, you forcibly declared that the next raid would happen tomorrow at noon.

Faced with his overwhelming personal strength and the intimidating presence of the cavalry under his command, the rest of the ronin could only grit their teeth and agree.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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