By sunset of the same day, the Second Elder returned from the Hyūga clan's domain. His arrival heralded no good tidings, and the heavy silence that settled over the hall only confirmed their fears.
"So, they refused? Well, that was entirely expected," the Clan Head let out a quiet, broken sigh. Deep down, he had hoped for a different outcome, but reality proved far harsher.
"It seems that back in the day, the Uchiha thrashed the Hyūga so thoroughly that they lost their vaunted arrogance right along with their fighting spirit," Masahiko remarked quietly, breaking the prolonged pause.
"Most likely, that is the case. Otherwise, they never would have missed such a prime opportunity to strengthen their position," the Clan Head thought bitterly. "It seems our plan to minimize casualties has crumbled to dust... We will have to pay for this victory with the blood of our own sons."
"There is no need to be so despondent. I can personally look after our clansmen and protect them," Masahiko tried to encourage him, attempting to inject confidence into his voice.
In response to this statement, the Second Elder and the Clan Head rolled their eyes in perfect synchronization, as if on command. Masahiko, noticing their eloquent reaction, felt the heat of embarrassment rising to his cheeks.
Leaving the assembly hall, he walked the corridors for a long time, muttering quietly under his breath: "The person I was before is in the past... This war will force many to reconsider their views and will surely offer everyone quite a few surprises."
Early the next morning, having barely swallowed a hastily prepared breakfast, Masahiko checked his gear and hurried to the main hall. The morning chill was invigorating, setting a serious tone.
An impressive crowd of clansmen had already gathered at the entrance. People continued to arrive from all directions, checking the edges of their kunai and adjusting their equipment pouches. The air was thick with tension mixed with resolve.
An hour later, the Clan Head emerged to address the gathering, accompanied by the Second and Third Elders. Their faces were stern, their gazes focused.
The Head slowly swept his eyes over the orderly ranks of shinobi and spoke: "I see everyone is here. I will not weary you with long speeches and parting words. My only wish is for every one of you to return home alive and unharmed."
He paused for a moment, then turned to the venerable elders standing at his right hand: "From here on, everything is in your hands, Elders."
"Rest easy, Clan Head. We will do everything in our power," they responded in unison, bowing their heads in a sign of respect.
"Move out!" The Second Elder, having given the final instructions, turned sharply and shouted the command to the lined-up squad.
"Yes, sir!" A coordinated chorus of voices rolled across the square, and the ninja army, like a single organism, set into motion, heading toward the eastern plains. Masahiko took his place in the formation, feeling the anticipation of the coming clash rising within him.
Along the way, he carefully studied the composition of their squad, weighing the odds. Among the fighters, he counted a good dozen Elite Jōnin, two masters at the very peak of their power, as well as hundreds of experienced Chūnin and promising Genin.
This is almost half of our clan's entire military might. It seems this time we are seriously intent on teaching the Kaguya a lesson they will remember for a long time, Masahiko mused, steadily covering mile after mile.
The entire day passed in a rapid march. Only when twilight began to thicken over the horizon did they reach the location of the Senju clan's encampment on the front lines.
The road had not been peaceful: time and again they encountered patrols and scouts—both of their Senju allies and the hostile Kaguya. However, no time was wasted on them. Hiding the relocation of such a large force was impossible, and no one tried. Let the enemy know of the reinforcements' arrival and start getting nervous.
When the advance units approached the Senju fortifications, Hashirama and Tobirama came out to meet them. Their appearance caused noticeable excitement among the weary warriors.
"My sincere gratitude to the Uzumaki clan for your support. You have made an exhausting journey and must be dropping with fatigue. Please, settle down to rest in the assigned sector, and after dinner, we will gather with the elders to discuss further actions," greeted Hashirama, whose face glowed with genuine joy at the arrival of faithful allies.
After the camp was set up and a modest meal finished, the Second and Third Elders, led by Hashirama, headed to the central tent to meet with the commander of the Eastern Front. Masahiko, wearing his most innocent but slightly roguish smirk, followed them like a shadow. The elders merely gave him heavy looks, but contrary to expectations, did not chase him away.
To their considerable surprise, the Senju Elder of the Eastern Front received the guests without rising from his bed.
"Please forgive my infirmity and such an improper appearance. My old bones seem to have completely worn out," he said in a quiet, cracked voice.
From his story, it emerged that this morning, a massive skirmish had occurred between the Senju and Kaguya forces, which had nearly turned into a catastrophe. The First and Second Elders of the Kaguya clan had personally appeared on the battlefield. Hashirama and Tobirama had managed to tie down the Second Elder in combat, but the Senju Elder of the Eastern Front proved powerless against the might of the enemy's First Elder—Taketori Kaguya had smashed him to smithereens in a mere ten minutes.
"Lacked the skill, damn that old fox Taketori! If Hashirama hadn't made a breakthrough in the art of Ninjutsu right in the heat of battle, I would likely not be having this conversation with you now," the old man smiled weakly and painfully. It was evident that Hashirama's incredible talent served as his only consolation in this bitter situation.
"Now that your swords have joined ours, I can breathe a sigh of relief. All this time, I lived in constant fear of a sudden strike by the Kaguya..." The Elder spoke these words as if Masahiko didn't exist in the room at all, but the latter showed not a drop of offense.
However, Tobirama, standing slightly apart, sank into thought. After their joint battle against Madara Uchiha and the painstaking work on the Flying Thunder God Technique, he didn't believe a single word about his great-uncle being mediocre.
The battle promises to be hot, Masahiko thought. He had calculated that their arrival would create an undeniable advantage, but the severe injury of the Senju commander threw a wrench in the works, confusing all the cards.
Soon the negotiations concluded. The Uzumaki elders left the tent, and Masahiko followed them into the cool of the night.
Exhausted by the long march, the Uzumaki warriors quickly fell into slumber. The silence of the camp was broken only by the measured steps of the sentries.
The next morning, when the first rays of the sun barely touched the treetops and Masahiko was still luxuriating in a half-doze, the camp exploded with a desperate shout: "General alarm! The Kaguya have launched an attack!"
Masahiko instantly threw off the remnants of sleep and jerked upright on his futon. Thoughts raced through his head like a whirlwind. He understood clearly: the Kaguya knew perfectly well about the arrival of fresh Uzumaki forces. If, despite this, they decided to assault, it meant they had a trump card hidden up their sleeve, the nature of which remained only a guess.
Running out of the tent, he saw that the elders were already issuing orders to the fighters with might and main. The Senju Elder of the Eastern Front also appeared on the front line, leaning heavily on the shoulder of a young clansman.
Soon, the Kaguya army emerged from the morning mist. But to the horror of the defenders, standing at the head of the formation was not Taketori.
"Damn you, Shōrai Kaguya! Did you personally come to the battlefield? Are you not afraid that while you are here, your clan remains defenseless?!" shouted the Elder of the Eastern Front, his voice trembling either from rage or pain.
The presence of the Kaguya Clan Head himself explained their swift and daring attack.
"I have enough time to grind you into dust and return home before anyone even notices!" Shōrai threw out arrogantly, his aura literally suppressing every living thing around.
The face of the Eastern Front Elder paled. He understood the truth of those words: on this sector of the front, there was no one who could stand on equal footing against the head of the Kaguya clan. Were the old man healthy, he would last five minutes at most, and in his current state—even less.
The Uzumaki elders exchanged anxious glances: "These madmen have completely lost their minds. Their settlement is so vulnerable right now that any shabby clan could level it to the ground!"
"Hashirama, try to bind his movements at least for a short while, and then pass him to us!" commanded the Second Elder of the Uzumaki, preparing for battle.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!" Hashirama didn't waste time on unnecessary talk. The earth beneath his feet began to shake, and with a deafening crack, gigantic, writhing roots burst from under the turf. It was a true weapon of mass destruction. Although the main target of the technique was Shōrai, dozens of Kaguya Genin and Chūnin who failed to jump away were caught under the crushing blow.
In that instant, the two Uzumaki elders and the two strongest Jōnin who had arrived with them simultaneously used the Body Flicker Technique. Their silhouettes blurred in the air for just a moment, and then they had already surrounded Shōrai Kaguya.
"Ninpo: Four Violet Flames Formation!" A powerful double barrier, inner and outer, rose with a hum around them, cutting off the Kaguya leader and the four brave souls from the rest of the world with a wall of impenetrable energy.
"Excellent!" shouted the Senju Elder of the Eastern Front, pushing away the shinobi supporting him with unexpected strength. "And now, Hashirama, Tobirama, take on Taketori Kaguya! As for the enemy's Second Elder... I am ready to sacrifice the remnants of my life, but I will hold him here. The rest—to battle! Kill them all!"
"Wait, Elder!" Tobirama intervened and quickly turned to Masahiko. "Second Grandfather, can you hold off their Second Elder?"
Masahiko nodded slowly, with dignity. "Leave it to me. I'll find something to occupy his mind."
The Elder of the Eastern Front looked completely bewildered, but seeing Masahiko rush into the thick of the fray, he calmed down slightly. Although the situation remained extremely dangerous, Masahiko acted virtuously. Thanks to his masterful command of the Body Replacement Technique and the jeweler's precision of his shuriken throwing, he turned into an elusive shadow. Every time the Second Elder of the Kaguya tried to land a decisive blow, a spinning sphere of concentrated chakra—the Rasengan—appeared in the air with a characteristic whistle, forcing the enemy to retreat. Masahiko wore down his opponent, giving him not a second of respite.
Although the Elder of the Eastern Front couldn't fathom where his "useless" relative had gotten such strength, he quickly pulled himself together and began to skillfully command the combined forces of the two clans.
Thanks to numerical superiority and competent leadership, the Kaguya began to suffer crushing losses. Their ranks were melting before everyone's eyes.
"Damn it! Did you really think a pathetic screen would hold me?! Dance of the Seedling Fern!" roared Shōrai Kaguya, whose patience finally snapped at the sight of his dying tribesmen. He unleashed the most terrifying technique of his heritage, disregarding the risk of aggravating his bloodline disease.
The earth shuddered, and with a dry, bone-like crunch, thousands of spikes sharp as razors erupted from beneath it. They grew rapidly upward, turning the battlefield into a deadly forest. The four Uzumaki masters had no choice but to dispel the barrier and flee for their lives, dodging the bones piercing the air.
Free from the trap, Shōrai Kaguya rushed into the thick of the battle with a furious cry, but at that moment, Taketori Kaguya's voice swept over the battlefield: "Clan Head! We are losing too many people! We need to retreat and regroup, or we will lose everyone!"
Shōrai froze for a moment, sweeping the battlefield with a gaze full of hatred. "Fine... Retreat!" he snarled with unconcealed rage, giving the order.
When the last fighters of the Kaguya clan disappeared into the forest thicket, the Senju and Uzumaki shinobi exhaled in exhaustion. The oppressive pressure emanating from the enemy Clan Head finally dissipated, leaving behind only a ringing in their ears.
"The battle is over for today," Masahiko sighed heavily, squinting against the bright sun, which already stood high at its zenith.
"I wonder what price we paid this time..."