Target: Senju Itama

Chapter 5: Target: Senju Itama

My name was Uchiha Gin. I was twenty-four years old, and I was useless.

Just moments ago, while Uchiha Gin was still sorting through his memories, Captain Uchiha FengHuo had assigned him to the back of the team, perhaps because his injuries had not yet healed.

Of course, the bigger reason was that he truly lacked strength. If he led the way up front, he could easily be killed by the enemy, leaving a gap in the team's formation.

According to the mission materials Uchiha FengHuo had distributed, Uchiha Gin learned that their target was Senju Butsuma's fourth son, Senju Itama.

His eldest and second sons had long stayed by Senju Butsuma's side, making them difficult targets. Left with no better option, they could only set their sights on Senju Itama, who was stationed behind the front lines.

Before dawn had fully broken, the group carefully advanced through the rear of the Senju Clan's territory. Yet they found no trace of enemies along the way, and the few camps they passed had long since been abandoned.

Perhaps because the Hagoromo Clan had killed Senju Tobirama, the Senju Clan had grown more vigilant and begun tightening their defensive net. After all, the rear lines were filled with fresh blood like young children, and even the Senju Clan knew they could not lower their guard.

Suddenly, flames and thunderous explosions erupted not far ahead. Uchiha FengHuo, at the front of the team, leaped onto a high treetop, and Uchiha Gin and the others quickly followed.

Uchiha FengHuo activated his Sharingan at once. Enhanced by his exceptional dynamic vision, he soon spotted two groups fiercely battling amid the dust ahead.

"It's the Hagoromo Clan and the Senju Clan."

Uchiha FengHuo said in a low voice.

"Should we go reinforce them?"

Uchiha Ryoichi was eager to make a move, while Uchiha Tsuru and Uchiha Dairou beside him revealed bloodthirsty smiles.

Uchiha FengHuo narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before speaking.

"Wait. We'll move after they've worn each other down."

Uchiha FengHuo looked like a decent man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, but he was actually an ambusher.

Uchiha Gin grumbled inwardly after hearing Uchiha FengHuo's order.

Unlike the others, who were observing the battlefield with their Sharingan activated, Uchiha Gin could only see several clouds of smoke without his Sharingan, with occasional bursts of water and fire.

Sure enough, without the Sharingan, he was still far too weak. In a battle of this scale, one careless mistake could cost him his life.

Just as he was considering how to stay alive, Uchiha FengHuo seemed to notice something and pointed at the rear of the battlefield.

"That kid—could he be our target?"

Following the direction he pointed, they noticed that although the two sides were fighting, the Senju Clan members seemed to be retreating as they fought, with no intention of prolonging the battle.

Several adult Senju Clan members at the back were shielding a child as they withdrew. The little boy's black-and-white hair was especially conspicuous.

"That's right, Captain. That's Senju Itama!"

After quickly taking out the information and comparing it, Uchiha Tsuru said excitedly.

"Hahaha! We searched everywhere only to find him here. Move!"

Now that they had found their target, there was no need to sit back and watch the two sides fight. Uchiha FengHuo waved his hand, and aside from the slower Uchiha Gin, everyone else swiftly followed him toward the battlefield, flinging Shuriken as they ran.

The two locked in battle were startled when several people suddenly charged in. The Hagoromo Clan members saw the scarlet eyes of the newcomers and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. After fighting for so long, reinforcements had finally arrived.

The Senju Clan members, however, immediately felt the pressure when they saw the Uchiha. Several Senju tribesmen in the front worked even harder to refine Chakra and cast Earth Style, raising stone walls in an attempt to buy time.

After all, this was Senju Clan territory. Their reinforcements should already have been on the way.

Uchiha Gin arrived late. The moment he entered the battlefield, the pungent stench of blood made him dizzy, and nausea rose in his throat.

Looking at the corpses scattered across the ground and the blood everywhere, Uchiha Gin forcibly suppressed his discomfort. He drew the Samurai Sword from his waist and warily watched the unfamiliar enemies.

The Hagoromo Clan's leader was a middle-aged man in armor with long brown hair. On the forehead partly covered by his bangs, Uchiha Gin faintly saw a small protruding horn.

At that moment, he was frantically forming hand seals, hurling one ninjutsu after another at the Senju Clan's Earth Style barrier. Judging from his aura, he was at least an Elite Jonin.

The Hagoromo Clan also had a five-man seedling-clearing squad. Two of them were already lying on the ground, dead or alive unknown, while the leading Elite Jonin was panting heavily.

That wave of ninjutsu had consumed quite a bit of his Chakra. Even someone this strong could not take down the enemy, so the Senju Clan members were clearly no pushovers.

"Hagoromo Clan, step back. Leave the rest to us."

Uchiha FengHuo looked disdainfully at the panting Hagoromo Clan members and told them to retreat.

The Uchiha Clan's pride made them disdain joining forces with members of other clans to kill enemies. Even as allies, they merely fought separately.

"But we've already worn them down quite a bit—"

Seeing that the Uchiha Clan had no intention of sharing the spoils, the Hagoromo Jonin said anxiously.

"You have a problem with that?"

Several pairs of cold scarlet eyes from the Uchiha turned to stare at him at once.

"No, no. We'll leave the rest to you."

The Hagoromo Clan members' scalps went numb beneath those stares, and they could only lower their heads and accept it. The stronger side called the shots.

Satisfied with the response, Uchiha FengHuo nodded.

Seeing that the Uchiha and Hagoromo Clan members appeared to be in conflict, the leading Senju Clan member gestured for retreat. The people behind him immediately prepared to flee.

The instant the Senju Clan members turned around, Uchiha FengHuo's long blade was already slashing toward them. The Senju Jonin reacted at high speed, raising his arm and using the armor on it to forcibly deflect the strike aimed at his face.

"Did I say you could leave?"

Uchiha FengHuo and the others surrounded the Senju Clan members.

Senju Koji's hand, numbed by the impact, could no longer be raised. He had already exhausted too much strength in the initial encounter with the Hagoromo Clan, and the wounds on him continued to bleed without stopping.

Now that Uchiha FengHuo and the others had surrounded him, he knew his chances were slim. But he could not simply wait to die. The future of the Senju Clan was in his hands. Even if it cost him his life, he had to protect this young seedling.

With that thought, he forcibly refined Chakra, crazily draining his own life force. He activated a Forbidden Technique, accelerating the recovery of his injuries and stamina.

The Senju Clan was naturally blessed with powerful physiques, possessing Chakra reserves and healing abilities far beyond ordinary people.

In desperate situations, the Senju Clan could often unleash strength far greater than usual.

Gritting his teeth, Senju Koji directly confronted the strongest among them, Uchiha FengHuo, trying to trade his life for a chance for those behind him to escape.

Seeing his opponent resist so stubbornly, even Uchiha FengHuo, as his sworn enemy, could not help feeling respect. He began treating the enemy before him seriously.

He charged forward with his blade and began a taijutsu duel with Senju Koji. For a time, the battlefield flashed with blades and shadows.

There were three Senju Clan members left within the encirclement. They surrounded a child and warily watched Uchiha Ryoichi and the others closing in. The one in the middle was the target of Uchiha FengHuo's squad this time: Senju Itama.

I should have listened to Father and stayed quietly in the territory.

Only five years old, Senju Itama was already trembling all over. Yet the Senju Clan's pride drove the child to shakily pull a Kunai from his waist and hold it across his chest. As his entire body trembled, the ill-fitting armor on him creaked as well.

This was young Senju Itama's first time on the battlefield. Some time ago, his brother Senju Tobirama had been sniped and killed outside the clan territory, after which his father had forcibly kept him confined within the territory.

As a Clan Leader's child who was somewhat different from his other siblings, Senju Itama had always lived sheltered away from the fighting and had not been exposed to battle too early.

However, his third brother's accidental death had left Senju Itama not only grief-stricken, but also filled with a stronger desire for revenge.

After Senju Butsuma took his two older brothers to the front lines, Senju Itama could no longer restrain his desire for revenge. In the middle of the night, he secretly slipped out of camp, wearing his brother's armor as he headed for the battlefield to find his enemies.

Although the Senju Clan's guards discovered him in time, they were still ambushed by the Hagoromo Clan while escorting Senju Itama back.

Caught off guard, several Ordinary Combatants from the accompanying Senju Clan members died on the spot. Only the guard captain, Senju Koji, and three Chunin-level members held on.

Just as they were fighting while retreating, the Uchiha Clan's reinforcements unexpectedly arrived. Senju Itama, who had still held hope of survival, instantly learned what it meant for the situation to completely reverse.

Now, surrounded by the Uchiha Clan, they could only fight like trapped beasts. All they could do was pray that Senju Koji would defeat Uchiha FengHuo and come reinforce them.