*You silly woman...* Izuna thought with a sigh, stepping forward to gently pat her on the back.
***
The war between the Uchiha and the Senju had begun. This was the first official clash between Madara and Senju Hashirama since they had taken their places on the grand stage of the Warring States Period.
Thanks to his influence, Madara hadn't overused the power of his Mangekyo before this, so he should be able to hold out for a good while. He was in better condition than Izuna, who had repeatedly instructed him before leaving the clan compound to notify him immediately if any problems arose.
For now, the daily reports from the ninja hawks indicated a stalemate. Izuna could, for the time being, focus his energy on mastering Sage Art and searching for a Tailed Beast.
Time flew by, and nearly half a month had passed.
At high noon, Izuna opened his eyes within Mito's sealing formation. Tadpole-like markings had appeared at the corners of his eyes, a clear sign of Sage Mode.
But his Sage Mode couldn't be called complete yet. He had merely brought the Sage Art practiced by Jugo's clan to a level he could control.
*But this feeling... it's completely different from before.*
Izuna stood up to test his body, drawing a kunai and giving it a few swings. Both his strength and speed felt worlds apart from what they used to be.
He wasn't a sensory-type ninja, yet he could now clearly perceive the movements of animals for miles around. *Is this the boost Sage Chakra provides?*
To his disappointment, however, his vision had not recovered. Perhaps Sage Art could only alleviate the damage, not "heal" it. Or maybe the Sage Art refined through the methods of Jugo's clan was simply not as effective as what Senju Hashirama's cells could offer.
Regardless, it was a major breakthrough.
"So this is Sage Chakra?" Uzumaki Mito had walked over, her beautiful eyes fixed on the markings at the corners of his.
"Thank you, Mito." Izuna placed his hands on her shoulders.
Mito felt uneasy under his gaze. She shrugged her shoulders twice and turned away, retorting defensively, "D-don't get the wrong idea! I-I was only helping you because I was curious about Sage Chakra."
Izuna chuckled. *So she has a prickly side to her.*
Suddenly, an eagle's cry echoed from the sky. Izuna looked up in the direction of the sound. It was a summoning ninja hawk used for Uchiha communications!
He raised his arm, letting the hawk perch on it. Izuna untied the secret message from its leg and unrolled it. The moment he read the contents, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a grim seriousness.
"What is it?" Uzumaki Mito had already turned back. Seeing his grave expression, she couldn't help but ask.
"A message just came from the front lines. Senju Hashirama has arrived at the battlefield with about five hundred members of the Uzumaki clan. They're led by the clan head, Uzumaki Wakou, and... your grandfather, Uzumaki Hiro'umi."
Upon hearing this, Uzumaki Mito's body trembled. In any ninja clan, the elders were usually the ones who held down the fort. For Uzumaki Hiro'umi, the great elder of the clan, to personally go to the front lines almost certainly meant he was there for his granddaughter.
"I..." Uzumaki Mito hesitated for a long moment, managing to utter only a single word.
"Don't forget, you're my captive." Izuna reached out and gently tapped the tip of her elegant nose.
Mito shot him a look, not realizing how intimate the gesture was.
***
At the Mount Congyun battlefield, in the main Senju camp on the eastern side, Senju Buken greeted the arriving Senju Hashirama, Uzumaki Wakou, Uzumaki Hiro'umi, and the other reinforcements with a hearty laugh.
It wasn't just the Uzumaki; more importantly, Senju Hashirama, the strongest warrior of the Senju, was finally making his official debut.
Senju Hashirama wore a bitter smile. *The Senju and the Uchiha... in the end, must war truly be the only way to resolve things?*
After a round of pleasantries, Uzumaki Hiro'umi asked impatiently, "Have any of you from the Senju clan found any sign of my granddaughter, Mito? Vice-Clan Head Hashirama's fiancée?"
Senju Buken replied, "Elder Hiro'umi, we Senju have been actively investigating this matter, but unfortunately, we haven't found any clues regarding Princess Mito's whereabouts."
"How can this be?" Uzumaki Hiro'umi's fists clenched. "Could it be that Mito has already been... by those Uchiha bastards?"
Senju Tobirama interjected, "Rest assured, Elder Hiro'umi. Uchiha Izuna captured Princess Mito for one of two reasons: either to use her to demoralize us, or as a bargaining chip for future negotiations. In either case, her safety will not be compromised."
Uzumaki Hiro'umi calmed down slightly. "I certainly hope so, but we must rescue Mito as soon as possible!"
Uzumaki Wakou, the Uzumaki clan head, asked, "Why isn't Clan Head Yuma here?"
Senju Buken explained, "Oh, Clan Head Yuma is in charge of the Shirotani Pass front to the north. If we can take that pass, we'll secure an extremely advantageous route to attack the Uchiha."
"The clan head is overseeing a secondary front?" Uzumaki Wakou and the others said in disbelief.
Typically, the clan head commanded the main front, while the clan's second or third in command would handle rear or secondary fronts. Why were the Senju doing things in reverse?
At this, Senju Tobirama smiled at Senju Hashirama. "Brother, before the clan head left, he transferred full command of the main Mount Congyun front to you. You will lead us in this war."
The Uzumaki were stunned once more. Senju Hashirama was in charge of the main battlefield? Could it be that his strength truly surpassed that of the clan head, Senju Yuma?
Hashirama's bitter smile deepened. They were forcing him to fight the Uchiha.
***
"This means I can't delay any longer," Izuna muttered to himself after incinerating the confidential message from the Uchiha front line with a Fire Release technique.
Three days. He had three days left. Whether he found a Tailed Beast or not, after these three days, he had to return to the front. If he, the Vice-Clan Head, was absent for too long, it would not only affect his standing within the clan, but more importantly, neither Senju Hashirama nor Senju Tobirama were to be trifled with. Without him, Madara would be crushed.
"Uchiha Izuna, you..." Mito began, but Izuna cut her off.
"Shouldn't you be calling me by my name by now?"
At his words, Mito bit her lower lip, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to say his name.
"We'll pause the Sage Art training for these three days." With that, Izuna formed a cross-shaped hand seal and created fifty Shadow Clones at once to conduct a massive, sweeping search. He could always continue his training after bringing Uzumaki Mito back with him anyway. For the next three days, he would focus all his energy on finding a Tailed Beast.
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