Uchiha Zuoxiu and Uchiha Enka frowned simultaneously, their curiosity piqued. "Clan Head, what do you mean?"
Madara handed the letter to Zuoxiu, and Enka leaned in to read as well.
In the letter, Izuna had written his recent analysis of the war. The first and most pressing matter concerned Senju Yuma. Izuna had warned them to be wary of a flanking attack intended to cut off their main army. He argued that it was unlikely for Senju Yuma to remain in the rear; it was far more probable that he was secretly leading a small contingent, preparing for a surprise assault.
This perfectly matched the tactics Senju Yuma had employed against Uchiha Shin's forces the previous night.
After reading the letter, both Zuoxiu and Enka sighed heavily. If this letter had arrived two days earlier—no, even one day earlier—Uchiha Shin might have been spared such a disastrous defeat.
A thought suddenly struck Uchiha Zuoxiu. "Clan Head," he said to Madara, "the Vice-Clan Head mentioned in his letter that he is already on his way back. In that case, why not have him..."
Madara glanced at him, instantly understanding his meaning. He considered it for a moment, saw the logic in it, and quickly took out a brush and paper. After writing a brief message, he sealed it in the cylinder on the ninja hawk's leg.
As they watched the hawk soar into the sky, Uchiha Enka murmured to Uchiha Zuoxiu, "Can the Vice-Clan Head truly reverse the situation at Shirotani Pass all by himself?"
"Didn't the Vice-Clan Head work a miracle at Stonecastle in the northwest?" Uchiha Zuoxiu shot back. "I believe he can do it again."
***
In the northern region of the Land of Fire.
Night had fallen. Izuna sat before a campfire, a ninja hawk pecking at a roasted pheasant—Izuna's dinner—at his feet. By the flickering firelight, he read the letter from Uchiha Madara.
"So, Senju Hashirama's strength has completely surpassed Senju Yuma's, forcing him to resort to this?" Izuna mused aloud.
As the clan head, Senju Yuma should have been on the main front at Mount Congyun, leading the charge. His appearance at Shirotani Pass was out of place. With Senju Hashirama now making a name for himself at Mount Congyun, it proved that the entire Senju clan had already acknowledged him. Senju Yuma probably wouldn't even need to die; in less than two years, he would have to step down.
*You don't have to abdicate willingly,* Izuna sneered inwardly. *I'll beat you so badly you'll have no other choice.*
Just then, Uzumaki Mito approached, carrying a large lotus leaf filled with dew. She paused when she saw the letter in Izuna's hands.
Izuna glanced over at her and chuckled. "That man your grandfather arranged for you is causing quite a stir on the main front."
"Senju Hashirama?" Mito set down the lotus leaf. She felt nothing for this fiancé she had never met—neither fondness nor dislike.
"Don't worry. Your grandfather will soon learn there's a much better candidate for his grandson-in-law." Izuna grinned mischievously and took her hands in his.
Mito shot him a glare and tried to pull away, but when he didn't let go, her resistance dissolved into a soft sigh. "You know we can't... Hmm?!"
She shook her head in frustration. Their two clans were enemies; how could they ever be together? But before she could finish her sentence, Izuna silenced her.
A warm sensation covered her lips. Mito's eyes widened in shock. Her vision filled with nothing but Izuna's handsome face, magnified until it was all she could see.
She felt a hand on the small of her back. Izuna had released her hands, and one of his arms now wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her body flush against his. His other hand pressed against the back of her head, deepening their kiss.
A surge of panic shot through Mito. Her freed hands pounded against Izuna's back. He didn't use chakra to shield himself, but the dull pain was nothing compared to the warmth on his lips. It was a price he was more than willing to pay.
Mito felt something slip into her mouth, and her body went completely limp, melting into his embrace. The frantic pounding of her fists against his back softened to gentle taps, and finally, her arms wrapped around him.
Izuna didn't press his advantage further. He simply held her, kissing her. After what felt like an eternity, he gently pulled away, his eyes locking onto hers. "I don't care. I'll kill anyone who tries to stop us."
The sudden emptiness on her lips left Mito with a fleeting sense of loss. A flush of shame and anger rose in her, but hearing his words, she shot him a sharp look. "My grandfather will never agree. Are you going to kill him?"
Izuna was reminded of a saying from his past life: *to win the girl, you first have to get past her mother*. His eyes darted around thoughtfully. "I promise I won't kill him," he said.
"Scoundrel!" Mito huffed, then suddenly stamped on his foot. "How long do you plan on holding me!"
Izuna just chuckled, holding her as he sat down and leaned against a tree trunk. "Let's just stay like this tonight."
To his surprise, Mito, who had been so pliant moments ago, began to struggle. "No! You think I don't know what you're plotting?"
No amount of coaxing could change her mind, and Izuna eventually had to give up.
Mito immediately moved to a spot ten meters away. Before she went to sleep, she glared at him warily, looking as though she was one step away from setting up a sealing barrier.
The battlefield at Shirotani Pass was a treacherous mountain range. When Madara had first dispatched Uchiha Shin—a peak Jonin from the Elder Faction—to garrison the area, he hadn't given him many men, only 400. The terrain was too constricted to accommodate a larger force, so it was better to commit the bulk of their strength to the main front.
When the Senju deployed 600 men to oppose them, Uchiha Shin hadn't been worried. In mountainous terrain, defending was easy and attacking was hard. A numerical superiority of only 200 meant little.
But Senju Yuma's surprise attack had completely changed the dynamic of the battlefield. In one fell swoop, the Uchiha's defensive force of over 400 was reduced to just over 200. An elite Jonin from the Younger Faction and a peak Jonin from the Elder Faction—a man who had fought alongside Shin for years—were killed. The attack had left Uchiha Shin utterly devastated.
In just two nights, streaks of white had appeared in his hair. Not only did the enemy now have a Kage-level expert in Senju Yuma and 200 extra men, but more importantly, his own forces were decimated and their morale had plummeted.
"Lord Shin!" a chunin called, entering the command tent. "The Vice-Clan Head has arrived!"
"The Vice-Clan Head!?" Uchiha Shin shot up from his seat, a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach.
For the Vice-Clan Head, who was supposed to be commanding the rear lines, to come in person... it must mean his blunder was so great that even the clan elders could no longer tolerate it. Uchiha Shin was unaware that Izuna had recently been away hunting for a Tailed Beast. Only Madara, the three great elders, and a handful of senior decision-makers knew of the Vice-Clan Head's mission. Most believed Izuna was commanding the rear lines, directing operations from the shadows.
Though he dreaded facing Izuna after his failure, he was also filled with a sense of relief. As he strode out of the tent, he eagerly asked the chunin beside him, "How many reinforcements did the Vice-Clan Head bring?"
The chunin trailing him hesitated, then said awkwardly, "The... the Vice-Clan Head came alone. He... only brought a red-haired woman with him."
"What?" Uchiha Shin stopped in his tracks, staring in disbelief. But there was no time for questions. He quickened his pace toward the camp entrance.
At the gate, Izuna had already arrived with Mito. Unlike the northwestern front a year ago, where they had a fortified town as their base, Shirotani Pass had long been neglected. Only after Senju Tobirama nearly succeeded in a sneak attack two years prior had they begun to take it seriously, constructing a temporary outpost. The conditions here were even worse than at Stonecastle.
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