"The Hagoromo... and the Fuma and the others..."
"That old bastard Hagoromo Masanari! Does he dare take advantage of us now? Didn't he learn his lesson ten years ago?"
The clansmen below were filled with righteous indignation. If the Uchiha and Senju were the top-tier clans of the Warring States, the Hagoromo could be considered "first-rate." But after a major defeat ten years ago at the hands of an Uchiha force led by Tajima, they had been relegated to the bottom rung of the first-rate clans. Who would have thought that today, ten years later, not long after Uchiha Madara had become clan head, they would come crawling back?
"While we haven't investigated why they're doing this, I don't think we need to," Second Elder Uchiha Tianzang said, his beard bristling.
Everyone silently agreed. The reason was obvious, summed up in four words: kicking them while they're down.
Although the battle at Mount Congyun had been brought to a halt, the news that the Uchiha were at a disadvantage and had nearly been defeated had, over time, spread throughout the land. The Hagoromo clan, which already held a grudge against the Uchiha, naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. As for the other four clans, they were no better. Or rather, there wasn't a single peace-loving clan in the entire Warring States period. The Uchiha and Senju occupied incredibly rich lands and resources. If the Senju were in a position of weakness, these same clans would attack them just as eagerly. It was a simple matter of picking on the weakest prey.
Izuna rubbed his temples. The situation reminded him of the history he had studied, of the coalitions of states that had formed to attack the state of Qin during the Warring States period.
"Second-in-Command, what should we do now?" Uchiha Zuoxiu asked Izuna.
In just over three months, Izuna had become something of a Zhuge Liang figure within the Uchiha clan. From the elders down to the ordinary members, everyone wanted to hear his thoughts.
"Avoid battle," Izuna said coolly, then added, "Defend the fortress and avoid direct engagement."
If it had been Madara, he probably would have said, "We'll charge in and slaughter every last one of them."
"Yes, avoid battle and recuperate," a clan member below immediately agreed, but then voiced a concern. "But the Senju, to our east..."
At the mention of the Senju, all the clansmen fell silent. It wouldn't be long before news of the five-clan siege reached their ears. When that happened, would they stand by and do nothing? Impossible. If the roles were reversed and the Senju were in a bind, they wouldn't miss the opportunity either. They would have drawn their swords and charged in already. A truce agreement? It was just a piece of paper.
"I will personally lead reinforcements to the northwestern garrison," Izuna announced. "Of course, we must also be wary of the situation at Mount Congyun. But until the Senju make a formal move, do not act rashly. We'll wait for news from Gakugyo."
For now, this was the only course of action. As clan head, Madara could no longer rush to the front lines at will. Moreover, he needed to remain in the clan's main territory, ready to deal with the Senju to the east, who could make a move at any moment.
***
Returning to his residence, Izuna swapped the formal robes he had worn for the past few months for his black shirt and red armor. Just as he finished packing and was about to set out under the cover of night, he found Madara waiting for him at the gate.
"Izuna, it seemed like you had more to say at the meeting."
Izuna shrugged with a smile. "The Senju won't make a move."
Madara's brows furrowed. After a moment of hesitation, he replied, "That's impossible, isn't it?" It was a golden opportunity! Putting himself in their shoes, there was no reason not to take advantage of the situation.
"At least not openly. Senju Hashirama, as their second-in-command, would never agree to sending troops," Izuna said, placing his bet on Hashirama. With him there, the Senju wouldn't dare to openly mobilize, at least not for a short while.
"You trust that guy Hashirama that much?"
Izuna couldn't help but get goosebumps. Why did that sound a little gay?
"It's not trust, it's analysis."
"Do you already have a plan for the Hagoromo?" Madara asked.
"Honestly, no." This time, Izuna was telling the truth. For now, he could only wait until he arrived and adapt his strategy based on the enemy's actions.
Madara bit his lip hard, finally forcing out a few words. "Be careful."
"Of course."
***
The Uchiha's northwestern border garrison was a camp commanded by Uchiha Kong, a contemporary of Uchiha Tajima. After a journey of two days and one night, Izuna's reinforcements arrived.
It was less a camp and more a fortress built from the ruins of a stone city. A small number of merchants and civilians lived there. In the Warring States period, there were generally only two types of prosperous places: the main territories of the great ninja clans, and the capital cities ruled by lords and protected by ninja.
Izuna's squad had just entered the city—his front foot had barely crossed the gate when his back foot was still outside—when two Uchiha ninja appeared before him with Body Flicker.
"Second-in-Command, Lord Kong has been awaiting your arrival," they said, kneeling on one knee.
The two-day journey was exhausting, but no one dared to think of resting. Not now.
In a repaired stone temple nestled against a mountain inside the city, Uchiha Kong, whom Izuna hadn't seen in over three months, greeted him with a clasped fist salute. "Izuna... no, I should say Second-in-Command now."
"Director Kong, what's the situation?" Izuna raised a hand to cut off the formalities.
"Ah, it's urgent. That bastard Hagoromo Masanari is really out for revenge for what happened ten years ago!" Uchiha Kong cursed a few times before unfurling a map and beginning to explain the situation to Izuna and his men.
To an ordinary ninja clan, this alliance would be a terrifying force, but from Uchiha Kong's tone, it was clear he wasn't overly concerned about them. The real problem was the Uchiha's current weakness. Otherwise, they would have already charged out and shown the enemy the might of the Uchiha.
"With the Uchiha's current strength, this five-clan alliance cannot be underestimated. Lord Kong, have you made any new discoveries while we were en route?" one of the Jonin Izuna had brought with him asked.
"We intercepted a message last night. It seems Hagoromo Masanari isn't satisfied with five clans. He wants to drag the Ino-Shika-Cho into this, form an eight-clan alliance, and swallow our northwestern territory whole."
At these words, the faces of every clan member in the room changed.
Ino-Shika-Cho naturally referred to the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans. Individually, they barely qualified as second-rate ninja clans, but inexplicably, when they united, they could wield the power of a first-rate clan. For decades, these three clans had banded together for mutual protection. Their lands were in the far west, and they rarely participated in major conflicts, so their presence in the Warring States was not strongly felt.
"So, have the Ino-Shika-Cho agreed?" Izuna asked.
Uchiha Kong replied, "According to the intercepted intelligence, they are still hesitant."
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