Chapter:105

Mountain Pass, Main Camp of the Uchiha Clan

At the mountain Pass battlefield, Uchiha Retsu, a veteran from the same generation as Uchiha Tajima, served Izuna a cup of hot tea with great respect. The tea itself was simple, nothing fancy, but the significance lay in who was offering it.

Several high-ranking Uchiha jōnin from the Baigu Pass battlefield had gathered in the tent. What stunned them wasn't the tea, but rather what Izuna had placed on the ground before them: the severed head of Senju Takeshi!

Uchiha Retsu recognized it immediately. Kawaragi was the one who had led the flanking maneuver that had caught the Uchiha forces off guard earlier. Retsu's hatred for Takeshi was second only to his hatred for Senju Kawaragi. He had been strategizing his revenge, but before he could act, Izuna had returned with Takeshi head. This left Retsu in a state of shock and confusion.

"Deputy Chief, what… what's the situation?" Uchiha Akechi was the first to break the silence, looking to Izuna for instructions.

"After all, this is deep in Senju territory. Destroying a single stronghold was about the limit," Izuna said, taking a sip of tea. "I killed 150 Senju ninjas in that stronghold, but their total numbers are still more than double ours."

The revelation left Retsu, Akechi, and the others stunned.

One hundred and fifty Senju?

If it had been any other clan, the number wouldn't have been as shocking, but the fact that it was Senju made their jaws drop. Not only had Izuna infiltrated the Senju's base camp, but he had also managed to wipe out so many of their warriors.

For a moment, the gathered Uchiha jōnin looked at Izuna with newfound awe. If they followed the deputy leader, they might be able to turn the tide of this battle.

"Deputy Chief, what's the next step?" Uchiha Retsu asked eagerly, unable to contain his excitement.

"Spread the word first," Izuna said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Didn't Senju Kawaragi kill over a hundred of our people in a previous sneak attack? I'll repay that number tonight. It will serve as vengeance for our fallen clansmen."

"Yes, I'll take care of it immediately!" Retsu responded quickly, bowing his head before exiting the tent to spread the news.

"We still need to gauge the Senju's reaction before making any major moves," Izuna continued, his tone contemplative. He waved his hand dismissively. "That's all for now. You're dismissed. I need some rest."

"Understood, Deputy Chief!" Uchiha Akechi saluted before leading the remaining jōnin out of the tent.

However, instead of going to sleep, Izuna didn't stay in the main tent. After everyone had left, he made his way to Mito's tent, tucked away in the corner of the military camp.

Inside, Mito lay restlessly on her bed, tossing and turning. When she saw Izuna enter, she immediately wrapped herself in her quilt, her eyes wide with alarm. "What are you doing here?!"

Izuna grinned mischievously and sat down beside her. He pulled Mito, quilt and all, into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips.

"Hmm! Hmm~!" Mito, momentarily lost in the kiss, quickly came to her senses. She pushed him away with all her strength, shaking her head. "No! No! This isn't right!"

"Mito…" Izuna whispered her name softly, his voice filled with tenderness. Mito's heart trembled, but she still pushed him away again, though her resistance was much softer this time. "No… not unless my grandfather agrees to cooperate."

She trailed off, but Izuna understood what she was implying. His face darkened in frustration.

The idea of Uzumaki Guanghai, a staunch supporter of the Senju alliance, agreeing to his relationship with Mito was a fantasy. At best, they would have to wait until the two clans united to form Konoha.

Izuna wasn't entirely sure when exactly Konoha would be founded, but judging from the current state of affairs, it wouldn't be anytime soon. Five years, at the very least.

Was he really supposed to wait five years?

He hesitated, his mind racing. If he pushed forward now, he might win, but it could also earn Mito's resentment. And if she turned against him, what if she eventually married Senju Hashirama, just like in the original timeline? The thought gnawed at him.

After a moment's consideration, Izuna decided to take a middle path. He embraced Mito again, not willing to let her go but refraining from pushing too far.

Meanwhile, miles away from the Uchiha camp, Senju Kawaragi led his reinforcements to the stronghold where Senju Takeshi had been stationed. What they found was a scene of devastation—corpses strewn everywhere, the battlefield covered in blood.

To make matters worse, the body of Senju Takeshi was placed at the entrance of the stronghold, his head severed. But that wasn't all. Written in blood on the walls of the stronghold were the words:

"Senju Kawaragi, this is my gift to you.

-Uchiha Izuna"

Kawaragi's face twisted in rage as he read the message. "Uchiha Izuna…!" He stomped on the blood-soaked ground, grinding his foot into the mud. "I swear by Senju honor, I will have your head for this!"

Standing behind him, Senju Yunma, a peak jōnin, approached cautiously. "Clan leader, Uchiha Izuna was able to pull off this massacre before we even arrived. His strength… I fear he's already comparable to Hashirama."

Senju Kawaragi fell silent at Yunma's words. He knew what that meant.

If he had attempted to wipe out the 150 people in the stronghold, it would have been possible, but it wouldn't have been as clean or swift. Reinforcements from other Senju forces would have arrived before he could finish.

In the current Senju clan, the only one capable of such destructive power was Hashirama, who wielded the Wood Release. Even Senju Tobirama's Flying Thunder God Technique couldn't have pulled this off so efficiently.

Had Uchiha Izuna really reached Hashirama's level?

At that moment, a chūnin tasked with inspecting the area approached Kawaragi and reported, "Clan leader, the stronghold was completely destroyed. Including Master Takeshi, everyone is dead. However, no vital documents or items were taken."

"Hmph. Uchiha Izuna knew I would change my strategic plans, so taking anything would have been pointless," Kawaragi said coldly.

Yunma turned to him, his brow furrowed. "What should we do next, clan leader?"

Kawaragi clenched his fists, his voice filled with determination. "Uchiha Izuna raided our stronghold and killed so many of our people. We must avenge them, or how can we face our clan?"

He turned to his men, his eyes burning with vengeance. "We'll return to base camp, reorganize our forces, and prepare for a full-scale counterattack!"

"Yes, sir!" his subordinates shouted in unison.

Still, one question lingered in Kawaragi's mind. How had Uchiha Izuna managed to infiltrate their territory undetected? Even Hashirama would have struggled to avoid the perception of so many patrolling ninjas. Was Izuna capable of instant movement now?

(End of Chapter).