This Battle, We Have to Lose

After returning to the clan grounds, Izuna immediately summoned Sora Uchiha, Ise Uchiha, and thirty other elite jonin stationed in Stone City for a meeting.

"Vice Clan Leader, did you suddenly call this meeting because you have a new strategy?"

An elite jonin below asked.

Izuna did not answer. Instead, he faced Sora Uchiha. "Minister Sora, how long can the food in the city last?"

Sora Uchiha wore a bitter expression. "N-Not even a week."

"What!?"

"No way, right?"

"If we don't eat, how will the clansmen have the strength to fight?"

Upon hearing that there was less than a week's worth of food left, everyone panicked.

No matter how powerful a ninja was, they could not possibly perform at their best on an empty stomach. As long as one was still "human," they had such a weakness.

"Vice Clan Leader, we should immediately request food reinforcements from the Clan Leader."

Ise Uchiha clasped his hands and petitioned Izuna.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. The food Older Brother originally sent us was intercepted by the Shimura Clan three days ago and all of it was burned."

Izuna spoke in an even tone.

The entire room erupted into an uproar.

"The Shimura Clan?"

"Have Sarutobi and Shimura joined the war too?"

"Damn it! The Uchiha are in crisis, yet everyone wants to come take a piece of us!"

The Sarutobi-Shimura alliance could fairly be called the fourth greatest power of the era, second only to the Uchiha Clan, Senju Clan, and Hyuga Clan.

Their participation in the war placed almost as much pressure on the Uchiha as the Senju Clan did.

"Damn it, calm down, all of you!"

Sora Uchiha, this seasoned veteran, suddenly let out an angry roar, suppressing the panicked clansmen. "The Vice Clan Leader must have a way."

As he spoke, Sora Uchiha turned to Izuna. "Vice Clan Leader, do you have a brilliant plan to break this deadlock?"

"First, within three days, Masashige Hagoromo will definitely gather the full strength of the Five Allied Clans and attack the city."

Everyone's hearts tightened. They wanted to ask, "How do you know?" but none of them did. They simply listened quietly as Izuna continued.

"Second, starting today, three meals a day will be reduced to one. Minister Sora, take half of the remaining food and secretly transport it to the small river fifty li behind us. Build a temporary camp there."

The elite jonin nearly jumped off the floor upon hearing this.

What kind of ridiculous order was that?

He had just said that the Hagoromo would fight a decisive battle with them in the coming days. Shouldn't they be eating more, filling their stomachs, and preparing for battle?

Why were their meals being reduced instead of increased?

Wouldn't that mean they had already lost before the battle even began?

However, before the elite jonin could protest, Izuna added, "Third, we have to lose the decisive battle!"

The three strategies were each stranger than the last.

After the elite jonin attending the meeting left with their stomachs full of doubts, they still could not understand.

Some even began to wonder whether this Vice Clan Leader, who had achieved illustrious merit on the Mount Kumogakure battlefield and been hailed as [the Uchiha Clan's Most Resourceful], was merely famous for nothing.

But no matter how much they grumbled inwardly, Izuna's orders, as Vice Clan Leader, had to be carried out unconditionally.

The first measure was changing three meals a day into one.

After that order was issued, many clansmen realized that their food supplies were insufficient.

They then proposed taking the initiative and seeking a decisive battle with the Five Allied Clans as soon as possible. They could not wait until they were half-starved before fighting.

Generally speaking, that proposal was correct.

But Izuna turned a deaf ear and rejected every suggestion.

The clansmen were left suffering in silence. On the very first night, they began enduring the torment of hunger.

On the other side of the battlefield, within the Five Allied Clans Army Camp.

Masashige Hagoromo, who had already returned to the clan grounds, gathered the leaders of the Four Clans together.

Seated in the central seat of honor, he said to the other four clan leaders, "Gentlemen, I have received reliable intelligence. The Uchiha are now completely out of food, and supplies from their clan grounds have not yet arrived."

"Now is the best opportunity to take Uchiha Stone City. Tomorrow at noon, the entire army will attack. We will settle this in one battle!"

As he spoke, Masashige Hagoromo raised his cup and shouted, "When the time comes, we will occupy the entire northwest of the Uchiha Clan. Cheers!"

The four clan leaders exchanged glances. A barely noticeable gleam flashed in their eyes before they rose one after another, smiling broadly. "Cheers!"

Inside Uchiha Stone City.

For three days straight, they had only been able to eat one meal a day.

Some of the lower-ranked clansmen were not starving badly enough to faint, but their complexions had gradually turned awful.

They did not dare say it aloud, but inwardly, they could not help complaining, What exactly is the Vice Clan Leader thinking?

If food was running out, then they should gather the entire army, leave the city, and launch an all-out attack.

Dying in battle was better than starving to death!

Even genin understood that.

The longer this situation dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became for them.

Dong~ Dong~ Dong~ Dong~

A deep, resounding bell rang out—the alarm bell.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"Civilians, return home! Ninja, assemble!"

"The Five Allied Clans Army is attacking! Everyone, stay alert!"

"Notify the Vice Clan Leader and Lord Kong immediately! Hurry!"

The Uchiha were indeed a battle-hardened clan. Even under such circumstances, they assembled at the fastest possible speed.

At the assembly ground by the city gate.

Izuna stood atop the raised platform, staring at the several hundred Uchiha ninja below.

Three days, one meal a day. Their expressions alone showed just how poor their condition was.

"Starving, aren't you?"

Izuna spoke, and his very first sentence left the clansmen bewildered.

"Do you think we're bound to lose this battle?"

No one below answered, but inwardly, they could not help nodding.

"You're right. We will lose. This city, the most important stronghold of the Uchiha's northwestern territory, will fall."

The more Izuna spoke, the greater the shock on the clansmen's faces became.

Had the Vice Clan Leader gone mad?

"Minister Kong has already established a temporary base in the rear. Tonight, I'll make sure everyone gets a full meal. Tomorrow night, we will seize the territories of the Hagoromo Clan, Fūma Clan, Watanabe Clan, Saitō Clan, and Onikawa Clan. Then, everyone can have a feast together."

Everyone's eyes widened as they thought this was simply absurd.

He had just said Stone City would fall in this battle. They would retreat tonight, seize the city back tomorrow night, and wipe out all five clans in one go?

Wasn't that complete nonsense?

Yet no matter how much they muttered to themselves, no one ultimately spoke up. Not overstepping their authority was one reason; more importantly, no one wanted to say anything anymore. They had the air of people who had simply given up.