Chapter 72

The first sign of trouble came not from us, but from one of the other platoons in Lance Company, a Platoon led by a member of the Kurama Clan named Kurama Heihachiro. Platoon Heihachiro must have stumbled into a trap seal array in the perimeter of the enemy base because there was a massive explosion followed by the crack of displaced air and the surging noise of electricity. Saisu held up a hand to get us to pause as he sent Fang to go check out the scene and report back whatever happened to Platoon Heihachiro. Fang sped off to our right and we waited there in the middle of the woods for a few minutes before he returned with a grimace on his face. From the expression alone, I knew the news wasn't going to be very good. I turned out to be right on that front.

"The section where Platoon Heihachiro was is a Kami-damned wasteland. Burnt trees, fallen logs, and bodies. I counted close to sixty dead from tripping the trap array." Reported Fang.

"And Heihachiro?" Questioned Saisu.

"I didn't see him there, but some of the bodies were too badly burned to identify on sight." Frowned Fang.

"Right, Platoon Heihachiro was a bit ahead of us. Everyone keep an eye out for trap array seals." Ordered Saisu.

I nodded back, as did the others, and then we got back on the move. It didn't take long, maybe five minutes, for us to come across our first trap array. One of the members of the first non-command squad in the Platoon was about to rush past a tree inscribed with a complex seal, which would have set off the whole array. Fortunately, I spotted it and hit the hapless Chunin with a flying tackle that stopped his advance and sent both of us the the forest floor in a tangle of limbs. Saisu stopped the platoon as I disentangled myself from the Chunin and stood up. The Chunin I'd tackled, a Civilian-Born Woman named Yumi stood up with a growl.

"What was that for?" She demanded.

"Didn't you see the seal array? You almost set off a whole section of the enemy defenses!" I answered, pointing at the seal carved into the tree.

"The Hell are you talking about? There's nothing there!" Snapped Yumi.

That was when I realized what was happening. At least some of the enemy defenses were covered by Genjutsu, but my Six Point Amulet meant that I was able to see through it. The rest of the Command Squad also must have figured it out, because Shiori, Fang, and Kibagami dispersed among the various other squads as Saisu came over to where I was standing with Yumi. He had a look on his face like he wasn't impressed with the Civilian Chunin's capabilities. I sensed someone was about to get a reprimand or some remedial training after this. Possibly both at the same time.

"Dispel Genjutsu, Yumi." Ordered Saisu.

"Fine!" Spat Yumi as she did so, and then her eyes widened as the seal array revealed itself.

"I guess now we know why Platoon Heihachiro stumbled into the middle of the enemy defenses." I remarked.

"They aren't likely to be the last. You know seals, can you disarm this?" Questioned Saisu.

"Give me a second to look the array over." I hedged.

"You do that. In the meantime, I'm going to have a chat with Chunin Yumi here." Nodded Saisu.

Shrugging, I made my way closer to the sealing array as Saisu began to give Yumi a royal chewing out. I got as close as I could without setting the array off and began to study it. It took me a few minutes to parse everything out. This was a pretty damned intricate array, but after three minutes, I managed to figure most of it out. I spotted a number of different trap seals worked into the whole thing, an initial explosive, plus a vacuum seal that'd suck up all the air to stun and suffocate any survivors, the vacuum would force air from the surrounding environment to fill the area, knocking survivors down where they'd then be electrocuted by the lightning discharge seal. It was a pretty nifty piece of sealwork. Unfortunately, after five minutes of study, I found the sabotage guard seals worked into the array. It was fail-deadly.

I made my way back over to Saisu just as he finished chewing out a sheepish-looking Yumi. When he finished, he turned to me with a questioning look on his face.

"Well?" He queried.

"No good. That array is fail-deadly. Any attempt to disarm it will set it off." I answered.

"What do you suggest?" Asked Saisu.

"Well, the usual way to disarm fail-deadly seals might work." I hedged.

"You mean hit it with an explosive tag from range?" Questioned Saisu.

"Yeah, the problem is that we'll need to be out of effective Shuriken range to escape the blast radius." I nodded.

"Fortunately, Kibagami has training in Kyujutsu. Yumi, make yourself useful and head to Second Squad and bring back Kibagami, and try not to set off any trap arrays doing it." Ordered Saisu.

"Sir." Affirmed Yumi.

Then she headed out, leaving Saisu, myself, and the remaining members of First Squad milling about in the middle of the Makkura Forest. As we waited, another pair of booms went off to our extreme left, near where platoons from Toad Company met with Platoon Hamato from Lance Company. Platoon Hamato was full of replacements that had come up to fill in the gaps left by the annihilated Platoon Mizunoto. It wasn't exactly the most experienced outfit around, so one of those booms had to be them blundering into a trap array. I refused to believe anyone from Toad Company had tripped the enemy defenses, not with Jiraiya of the Sannin at the head of that Company. Konoha's foremost Seal Master must have just used a controlled detonation on the defenses, that's all.

Kibagami returned with Yumi shortly afterward, pulling a Hankyu out of a storage scroll. I handed him an explosive tag that he wrapped around an arrowhead and we all withdrew fifty meters back or so. It took Kibagami climbing a tree to get a good angle of fire on the array, but he did it, then let fly with his explosive tag-wrapped arrow. The arrow struck true and set off the defenses in a massive display of firepower that flattened several trees and created a scorched clearing in the middle of the Makkura Forest that hadn't been there before with fire, wind, and lightning. That definitely would've taken out a bunch of people if it'd been tripped.

"Good shot." Was all I could think to say.

"When you've been a Shinobi as long as I have, you pick up a bunch of skills that most folks don't tend to think of when they think of Shinobi. I can pick locks manually too." Shrugged Kibagami.

"Why? Why not use the Kagi Hakai no Jutsu (Lockbreaking Technique)?" Queried Yumi.

"Because we didn't have that before twenty years ago when Uchiha Fugaku used his Sharingan Eyes to steal it from a Shinobi of Jomae Village." Shrugged Kibagami.

"And he just gave the jutsu to the village? That doesn't seem very Uchiha-like. Especially since Jomae-nin don't tend to leave the Eastern Continent too often." I blinked.

"Apparently, having a Jutsu to pick locks was beneath the dignity of the Noble Uchiha Clan." Smirked Kibagami.

"Now that sounds like an Uchiha." Huffed Yumi.

"Right. Enough chatter, let's move out." Intoned Saisu.

The Platoon got on the move once again. We had to pause to disarm another trap array on the way to our insertion point, but fortunately, this one wasn't as large or deadly. It was just a couple of regular if Jonin-quality, explosive tags camouflaged via the Magen: Nijū Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Double False Surroundings Technique). The Command Squad's Six-Point Amulets let us all see right through both the initial Genjutsu and the supplemental Genjutsu that were layered together to form the technique. A Katon: Endan (Fire Release: Flame Bullet) from thirty meters away set off the tags safely, blowing a huge divot in the ground that was big enough to swallow half a squad at once, but we were able to move on to our insertion point with no casualties.

As it would turn out, that wouldn't be the case for any of the other Vanguard Platoons. All of them took at least some casualties to various trap arrays. Even Jiraiya's Command Platoon saw a Tokubetsu Jonin, a Civilian-Born Shinobi named Kogoku Souta, take a wound from a camouflaged dart launcher seal whose darts were coated in a virulent toxin. The Anti-Venom we'd all been issued only slowed the Toxin, it didn't neutralize it. That forced him to be evacuated back to the rear for medical treatment. I'd only find out the total number of casualties from traps after the assault was over but it was a lot. One thousand shinobi entered the Makkura Forest. By the time that all our platoons inserted in the target, only eight-hundred-eight would be in fighting shape.

And there would be more casualties to come underground. . .

XXXX

Fuuma Yukimura was a Jonin of Otogakure. The scarred, one-eyed, Shinobi specialized in Taijutsu and Fuuinjutsu, unlike the majority of his Clan, who tended to prefer Bukijutsu and either Raiton or Futon Ninjutsu to supplement it. It was one of the reasons he'd been picked by Orochimaru for a position of command. Mind you, the fact that he'd counseled Kotarō-Sama to accede to Orochimaru's demands and bend the knee likely had helped there. Unfortunately, Kotarō-Sama hadn't listened.

It made a certain level of sense why he hadn't of course. Their Clan had successfully resisted the Village System for a century, after all. Mostly, though, it had been down to pride. Rice Country had effectively been run by their Clan for seventy years, ever since they'd stopped wandering and put down roots here. The Daimyo reliant on the Fuuma for Shinobi services and would definitely back them in any power struggle. Why should they bow to Orochimaru when they refused to bow to his former master, the vaunted Professor, Sarutobi Hiruzen?

What Kotarō-sama hadn't seen was that Sarutobi Hiruzen was a diplomatic man. He was content with the Fuuma Clan simply maintaining their neutrality and taking missions in Rice Country and being a Neutral Buffer State between Konoha, Iwa, and Shimo, similar to how Tanigakure in River Country operated as a Neutral Buffer between Konoha and Suna. Orochimaru on the other hand, would sooner see a potential rival wiped out than allow them to maintain their neutrality. With the assortment of Missing-Nin the Snake Sannin had gathered to him, plus the Snake Sannin's own formidable power, any single Clan would be unable to resist him for any significant length of time.

In the end, the Snake Sannin had killed Kotarō-Sama, and his successor, Kazama-Sama had been forced to recognize that Orochimaru was here to stay, bending the knee. When Orochimaru established Otogakure, it was people like Yukimura who he put in positions of power. People who knew that they could never rebel against the Snake Sannin successfully, and would thus serve him loyally. That was why he was here, in Fort Cobra on the border with Hot Springs, guarding one of Orochimaru's supplemental labs. Orochimaru wouldn't give such a position to those whose loyalty wasn't assured, after all

As he thought on that, however, a second Jonin, one of the few not currently in Otogakure Proper, entered Yukimura's office and a member of the Command Staff of the Fort, Kwai Han. Kwai Han was a large man with his hair done up in an Earth Country-style Braided Queue and a scar across his right cheek, just under his eye. He was from a village along Aisu Bay in Southwestern Iron Country and was a Ronin who had defected to Orochimaru's side shortly after the Snake Sannin had slain Kotarō-Sama, Kwai Han was like Yukimura in that he was a Taijutsu Expert, though, unlike Yukimura, he supplemented his Taijutsu with a Sword Style practiced by his Earth Country Ancestors, the Tiě Bō Dao (Iron Wave Dao).

Such ancestry was his reason for defecting. Earth Country Descendants tended to be looked down on by the other Samurai of Iron. Orochimaru had given him a place to train and a banner to fight under where the only things that mattered were how strong you were and how loyal you were to Orochimaru, not who your ancestors had been. Kwai Han had given Orochimaru his loyalty in turn and risen high enough in the ranks to become the Deputy Commander of an important post like Fort Cobra.

"Konoha's arrived. They've hit the defenses and are breaking through at multiple points of entry. It looks to be the same force that made Guren run from Fort Copperhead. " Reported Kwai Han.

"I see. They must have heard about the experiments on Doji. How effective were the defenses?" Asked Yukimura.

"Not as much as we'd hoped. Around eighty percent of the enemy force is still ready to fight." Answered Kwai Han.

"That's a problem, then. It seems we'll have to authorize the use of the Samsara. Take Yotsuki and a few of the Chunin to the Fang Entrance. It's closest to the entrance to the labs, so it needs to be well guarded." Ordered Yukimura.

Yotsuki Shingo was another Jonin, a wiry, shaved-headed, former Missing-Nin from Kumogakure who specialized in Kumo-Ryu (Cloud Style) Kenjutsu that he supplemented with Raiton Ninjutsu. He was considered to be the Black Sheep of the Yotsuki, their first Missing-Nin since the Second Great Shinobi War. Of course, he'd never shown anything but the utmost loyalty to Otogakure. He wouldn't have been sent to Fort Cobra otherwise.

"Will do. What are you going to do?" Questioned Kwai Han.

"I'll be headed down to the labs. With this many Konoha Shinobi attacking, we'll have to invoke Contingency: Jigoku before this is over. I want us to be ready when we have to do that." Intoned Yukimura.

"Orochimaru isn't going to like that." Frowned Kwai Han.

"He'll like losing the Fort without us putting up the best fight we can even less." Pointed out Yukimura.

"Fair." Acknowledged Kwai Han.

"Get to it, we have no idea how long the inner defenses will slow down the Konoha-Nin." Commanded Yukimura.

Kwai Han saluted, then headed out. In the meantime, Yukimura stood from his desk and made his way through the beehive of activity that was the interior tunnels of Fort Cobra. He went through a number of winding, maze-like, corridors, then down a set of stairs that led deeper into the bowels of the earth. Down here, a set of cells and a lab space were laid out. Though there were many cells, there was only a single occupant at current. His skin was ruddy and his muscles bulged, two bumps on his forehead showed the developing horns that would sprout up with further treatments of Spiritual Energy. Fortunately, the sole prisoner was currently sedated, allowing Yukimura to concentrate.

Doji Motochika, the sole prisoner, had been a Samurai of Demon Country, one selected by Orochimaru due to his direct descent from the Oni Commander Shuten-Doji of the former Hell Country of the Early Warring Clans Period. Slowly over time, the plan had been to infuse him with a number of Spiritual Energy treatments to bring out more and more of his Oni Blood in such a way that they could control the result. Now, though, it looked like they would need to engage Contingency: Jigoku, the rapid transformation of Doji into an Oni Hybrid via mass Spiritual Energy Treatment. Such a result wouldn't be controllable except through Fuuinjutsu. There was a specialized seal that Orochimaru had dug up out of an Archive to bind an Oni that he'd made Yukimura learn. Now he would have to use it.

As the garrison upstairs readied themselves for a fight, Fuuma Yukimura sat down at a desk with Chakra Ink, Brush, and Sealing Paper and got to work. . .

XXXX

AN: So yeah, this might be the only chapter you guys get today, unfortunately, but you still get it. Here we see the start of the assault and a bit of the Oto Defenders' response. I'll give you three guesses which Platoon is unlucky enough to be sent to Entrance Fang and the first two don't count.

Other than that, though, seal arrays for passive defenses are pretty damned deadly, especially when hidden by a number of Genjutsu. Not everyone has the Six-Point Amulets to be able to spot the arrays, after all. They've killed or wounded one-hundred-ninety-two Konoha Shinobi so far. Of course, there's over eight hundred still fit for battle, so Oto is going to have to pull out all the stops to defend their base, including siccing an Oni on the attackers.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the next part of the Assault.

Stay tuned. . .