Chapter:118

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"Deputy Leader, three hundred reinforcements under the Great Elder have arrived and are now stationed within the military camp."

In the Uchiha Mountain Pass military camp, Uchiha Retsu reported to Izuna, "Following the strategy you and the Clan Leader set, I agreed to grant passage to the Hyuga Clan. Now it's only a matter of time before Hyuga and the Sarutobi-Shimura alliance go to war."

Izuna sat on the main seat with his legs crossed, thoughtfully considering Retsu's words. His composed demeanor made his thoughts seem inscrutable, even to Retsu, who waited respectfully.

After about three minutes of silence, Izuna finally spoke. "Retsu, you have a child, correct?"

Retsu was taken aback, not expecting this question, but he quickly replied, "Yes, his name is Uchiha Shin, and he's eleven this year."

"Eleven, hmm? So he's likely starting his first missions, then?"

"Yes, Deputy Leader. Following the team-based model you implemented, he's been placed in a squad under the supervision of a jounin."

Izuna's adjustments to the traditional clan training mirrored the future setup of the Ninja Academy, adapted for the realities of the Warring States Period. Here, even beginner missions were more intense; the simplest missions were at the C-rank, focused on escort-level tasks rather than mundane errands.

Izuna continued, "You've sustained considerable injuries on the front lines. After this battle, consider taking a role in the family school. Avoid the front lines when possible."

Retsu immediately understood Izuna's implications. The statement hinted at two motives: First, a recent mistake on the front line—when Senju Kawaragi launched a surprise attack before Izuna's arrival—had put Retsu at a disadvantage. Second, Izuna was clearly starting to curb the influence of elder clansmen in favor of a younger generation rising through the clan ranks. And Retsu, having once sided with Uchiha Ishiki during the clan leader transition after Uchiha Tajima's death, was a likely candidate for sidelining.

Reluctantly, Retsu replied, "Understood."

Despite his personal dissatisfaction, Retsu knew Izuna's authority was unmatched. Compared to the former clan leader, Uchiha Tajima, Izuna's strategies were on an entirely different level.

Once Retsu had withdrawn, Izuna spread a large map across the table, marking several key positions with a brush. This was possibly the most chaotic period of warfare the Warring States Period had ever seen.

In the eastern and western battlefronts, the Uchiha and the Four Northwest Tribes clashed with the Senju-Uzumaki alliance. Meanwhile, the Sarutobi-Shimura coalition's march northward towards the Hyuga clan threatened to erupt into full-scale war. What was unfolding was nothing short of an all-out conflict among the period's most powerful clans.

Suddenly, Uchiha Akechi strode in, bowing on one knee before Izuna. "Deputy Leader, urgent news!"

"What's the situation?" Izuna asked, meeting Akechi's eyes.

"Senju reinforcements have arrived at the Mountain battlefield. They've committed another battalion to the assault. Although they haven't yet broken our defense line, something unexpected occurred…"

Akechi's voice trailed off, a note of unease evident in his expression.

"Speak clearly," Izuna ordered, his voice edged with tension.

"Yes, sir! During the last engagement, Senju Hashirama used a technique called Flower Tree World Birth. Many of our ninjas were incapacitated by its effects. And worse, Senju Tobirama inflicted a severe wound on Members.

Izuna's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. Hashirama's skills had evolved drastically. So, he had now mastered Flower Tree World Birth, a technique of such scope that even Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan struggled to resist it. On a battlefield, its devastation would be unimaginable.

Akechi hesitated, then added, "There's more, Deputy Leader…"

"What else?" Izuna asked, his patience thinning.

"In the last battle, the Clan Leader used a more advanced form of Susanoo to cover our forces' retreat. He's currently recuperating, as his body has reached a critical point of exhaustion."

An advanced Susanoo? Izuna pondered this, thinking back to the lore around Susanoo. Its Mangekyō Sharingan form had three stages: the skeletal form, the humanoid form, and the formidable armor-clad form. This heavily armored version was known as the strongest Mangekyō Sharingan state. In the original chronicles, even Sasuke had nearly lost his eyesight after deploying it and had immediately sought Itachi's eyes to avoid blindness.

Itachi had likely used this form sparingly, but the drain on the Mangekyō from the armored Susanoo was undoubtedly immense and taxing.

"What are your orders, Deputy Leader?" Akechi asked, his voice urgent.

Until recently, the battle had been nearly even—perhaps a 50-50 chance, or at worst, 40-60. But the loss of two shadow-level fighters in quick succession was a serious setback. Izuna hadn't anticipated that Hashirama's mastery of Flower Tree World Birth would shift the odds so swiftly.

"Pass my orders: No one is to engage with the Senju on the front lines. Utilize the family's forbidden technique, Izanagi, if necessary. Until the Clan Leader and Ishiki have recovered, maintain a fully defensive posture on Mountain's front line. Strictly no offensive engagements."

"Understood. I'll relay this immediately," Akechi said with a nod but hesitated before continuing. "But, Deputy Leader, if we remain defensive, it may not hold as a long-term solution…"

Izuna responded with a hint of a smirk. "I know. I already have a plan."

Reassured by Izuna's confidence, Akechi bowed and left to spread the new orders. Izuna did indeed have a strategy in mind, though it relied on one key prerequisite: forcing Senju Kawaragi and Uzumaki Guanghai into a decisive confrontation.

For the past month, both Senju and Uzumaki leaders had held back from a full-scale assault, opting instead for a cautious defensive strategy. Izuna could read their intent. They hoped to concentrate their might on the main front at Mountain, where Hashirama led the attack. Once they took The Mountain,Pass would lose its strategic importance. The only reason they kept any forces at Mountain Pass was as a safeguard against Izuna's potential surprise attacks on Senju territory.

As he mulled over his next steps, Izuna opened a system panel for an overview:

[Player: Uchiha Izuna]

Cultivation: Shadow Level

Chakra Attributes: Fire, Wind, Lightning

Bloodline Limit: Mangekyō Sharingan

Ninjutsu Techniques:

Genjutsu

Flying Thunder God, Stage 2

Rasengan

Wind Release: Rasenshuriken

Blaze Release

At the panel's end, a line displayed:

Skill Points Available: 284

Izuna had nearly reached the threshold to unlock the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. If the current circumstances allowed him to break Kawaragi and Hiroyuki's defense, it might even speed up his plans.

But for now, all he could do was wait, bide his time, and prepare for the storm that was coming.

End of the Chapter.