Preparing to Reap

The Uchiha were called "madmen" by the clans of the Sengoku era because of their reckless way of fighting.

And on the battlefield at Uchiha's Northwest Stone City, under the leadership of Vice Clan Leader Izuna Uchiha,

for four months straight, apart from the First Battle, when they had just arrived at the northwestern front and fought the enemy in a thoroughly satisfying clash,

Izuna Uchiha had ordered his people to avoid battle in the dozens of large and small skirmishes that followed.

This left the Five Allied Clans Army, led by the Hagoromo Clan, unable to break through the city defenses, and the two sides had reached a stalemate.

There were about four hundred Uchiha ninja stationed at Northwest Stone City. Because of Izuna's strategy of avoiding battle, quite a few of them had grown impatient.

They privately discussed taking the initiative and attacking. Keeping their heads down like cowards was

simply too frustrating.

However, just as these complaints began to spread through Stone City, Izuna issued another order: "Anyone who goes out to fight without permission will be killed."

The moment the order was given, the whole army fell silent.

No one dared bring up attacking again.

Even so, although Izuna had used his authority as Vice Clan Leader to temporarily silence the restless clan members,

a new problem had emerged.

It was obvious from breakfast that morning: their portions had shrunk considerably.

Even the Vice Clan Leader's meals had been cut back, so the other clan members were certainly faring no better.

After breakfast, Sora Uchiha immediately went to Izuna's room to report that their food supplies were running low.

"How long can we last?"

Izuna asked.

The wrinkles on Sora Uchiha's face twitched. After a long pause, he replied with a troubled expression, "A-about a month."

"Were today's portions reduced too?"

Izuna asked again.

"Yes. If we keep this up, we should be able to last another half a month. I was planning to reduce everyone's portions from now on."

Izuna pondered for a moment, then said, "No. Keep everything as it was. As for the smaller portions this morning, tell the others the cooks spilled some rice while preparing the meal."

Sora Uchiha stared at him in astonishment. "Vice Clan Leader, th-that means we won't last very long!"

"Don't we still have enough for a month?"

Izuna narrowed his eyes. "We have to end this war within a month."

End the war within a month?

Sora Uchiha's eyes widened.

The fighting had been going on for half a year, yet neither side had made any real progress. Their losses were more or less even.

That was all because Izuna had insisted on avoiding battle.

The Uchiha had lost few people, but the Hagoromo Clan had suffered just as little.

What surprised everyone even more was that, over the past six months, the Senju Clan really hadn't made a move.

Even so, Madara and the others had never let their guard against the Senju down.

Perhaps they thought the Uchiha hadn't been worn down enough yet, and were waiting for a chance to strike a fatal blow.

After Sora Uchiha left, Izuna took out a black cloak and a Spiral Mask, muttering to himself, "It's been almost half a year. You've had plenty of time to make up your minds, haven't you?"

Once he had disguised himself as Kite, Izuna opened the system's skill tree for the first time in half a year.

[Skill Points: 35]

Although the clan was at war, Izuna had barely fought on the front lines during those six months.

Most of the time, he had been arranging formations and directing the battles. The rate at which his Skill Points had increased could only be called "pitiful."

Most of those points had come from tricking Masashige Hagoromo and the other heads of the great clans.

The following evening.

Much like the situation six months earlier, Furukawa Sarutobi and Keizou Shimura, the two clan leaders, sat across from each other, enjoying a dinner that was not luxurious but was certainly plentiful.

The Sarutobi and Shimura Clans had stayed out of the war for the past six months.

Unlike the Uchiha, who were caught up in the strain of war and burning through their food supplies, they could afford to eat more generously.

"Both clan leaders seem to be enjoying themselves."

A hoarse yet familiar voice rang out.

This time, neither man nervously drew a weapon. Instead, they calmly waved at the guards around the hall, signaling them to stand down.

Izuna slowly emerged from a shadowed corner of the hall and said in a low voice, "On the battlefield, all we can do is soak dough in water to fill our stomachs."

Furukawa Sarutobi gestured toward the roasted rabbit on his table. "If you don't mind, you can join us. Though you're wearing a mask, so I suppose you can't eat?"

Izuna's tone remained calm. "It's all right. At least we still have dough to eat. The Uchiha will soon be reduced to eating tree bark."

Everyone's expression changed at once. Keizou Shimura's eyes lit up. "You mean the Uchiha are about to run out of food?"

"I have reliable information."

Furukawa Sarutobi frowned. "You managed to get information about the Uchiha Clan?"

Among all the shinobi clans of the Sengoku era, the Uchiha were undoubtedly the hardest to spy on.

Even a single-tomoe Sharingan was a perfect tool for gathering intelligence and preventing leaks.

It had taken the clans of the Sengoku era a long time to learn that Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha had become the clan's leader and vice leader.

How much more strictly would they guard something as important as running out of food? Even if it were true, they would have kept it under tight wraps.

"I investigated it myself."

Izuna replied.

Furukawa Sarutobi was at a loss for words.

With the other man's uncanny Body Flicker Technique, it was certainly possible—no, highly likely—that he could obtain information even from the Uchiha.

"So, what do you want to do?"

Keizou Shimura asked.

"I also found out that in about five days, a shipment of food will be sent from the Uchiha Clan Grounds. It's the food that Izuna Uchiha and the others are counting on to survive."

Izuna spread his hands. "I've also found out the route. But it'll be very difficult to intercept the shipment without alerting Izuna Uchiha, so I'd like the Shimura and Sarutobi Clans to help us burn it."

"On top of that, our own food supplies are almost gone. I hope those of you who haven't fought a war in an entire year can lend us some of yours. These two things will serve as your pledge of allegiance to our six-clan alliance."

The six clans Izuna referred to were the Fūma, Saitō, Watanabe, Onikawa, Sarutobi, and Shimura Clans. He had completely cast the Hagoromo Clan as the enemy.

"When the time comes, the Uchiha will be severely weakened by their lack of food. Once the Hagoromo Clan and we have taken Stone City, the Sarutobi and Shimura Clans can bring us supplies. Then we'll take out the Hagoromo Clan."

By now, Izuna sounded positively excited. "With two territories that large practically within our grasp, surely you two clan leaders are tempted?"

Furukawa Sarutobi drew in a sharp breath, while Keizou Shimura could no longer contain himself. He stood and asked, "How many men will we need to burn the shipment meant to reinforce the Uchiha?"

Beneath Izuna's mask, his face lit up with delight.

Success!

The rice he had planted six months ago was finally ready to be harvested!