The Five Great Nations had not yet formed. Cities and lands were controlled by either shinobi clans or local lords.
The Hagoromo Clan's territory was located in the western part of what would one day become the Land of Fire, near the future Land of Rivers.
After the battle against the Five Allied Clans Army ended, Izuna personally led four hundred Uchiha shinobi to attack the Hagoromo Clan's territory.
They moved without pause, showing no sign of fatigue.
This extermination campaign depended on speed—plenty of speed!
Fortunately, the battle had been touch and go, but they had made it through without incident.
Masashige Hagoromo had already sent most of his clan's elite fighters to the front lines.
A considerable number of their jōnin had also been ambushed while lying in wait for Sarutobi Shimura. Izuna, disguised as "Kite," had tricked them into a slaughter, killing half of them.
In less than ten days, Izuna had completely wiped out the Hagoromo Clan, one of the powerful clans of the Sengoku era.
The only people left behind were the civilians and outsiders who had handled menial tasks within the clan.
Izuna decided to bring them back to Northwest Stone City, providing more labor for the most important Uchiha stronghold in the northwest—a city that now lay in ruins.
Exterminating a clan.
It was by far the most direct way to gain resources during the Sengoku era, and also the riskiest.
In the Hagoromo Clan's devastated territory, Izuna ordered his men to loot everything. Anything they could carry, they were to take; anything they couldn't, they were to leave behind and burn.
Food, money, utensils, weapons—and, of course, the most important of all, Ninjutsu Scrolls.
Besides that, whenever Izuna's men had a free hand, they even took some of the decorations and household goods.
What moved them even more was that after the looting, Izuna issued a second order.
Rewards would be given according to merit.
Based on the number of enemies they had killed, each person could choose whatever they liked from the spoils.
Calling it a reward for merit hardly did it justice. It was more like an extravagant bonus.
The men were overjoyed. As they collected their rewards, they were also deeply grateful to Izuna.
News traveled extremely slowly during the Sengoku era compared to later generations.
After the battle at Uchiha Northwest Stone City ended, negotiations with the Northwest Four Clans took place, and Madara sent reinforcements. Izuna then completely wiped out the Hagoromo Clan. All in all, nearly a month passed.
Only then did news of these events gradually spread throughout the Sengoku era.
Of course, the well-established great clans were able to obtain the information much faster.
When the various shinobi clans heard that Izuna Uchiha had led fewer than five hundred men to defeat the Five Allied Clans Army, which had numbered more than two thousand, they were all astounded.
The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans—the Ino-Shika-Cho trio—were especially relieved.
It was a good thing they had turned down Masashige Hagoromo's invitation. Otherwise, they might have suffered the same fate as the Hagoromo Clan.
Of course, it was hard to say what would have happened if the Ino-Shika-Cho clans had joined in.
The Senju, Uchiha's mortal enemy, were among the first clans to learn the news.
As soon as they received it, they held a clan meeting to discuss the matter.
"Izuna Uchiha really did create a miracle. Have we found out how he managed it?"
Senju Takeuma asked from the head seat.
Although he still held the position of clan head, he no longer had the title of "the strongest Senju." That had changed a year ago, when Hashirama Senju single-handedly dealt with more than half the clan's jōnin with a single use of Deep Forest Emergence.
Tobirama Senju, who was in charge of the investigation, replied, "According to my people, it seems the five clans fell into infighting after taking Uchiha Northwest Stone City. Izuna Uchiha seized his chance while both sides were weakened."
"Was it a disagreement over how to divide the spoils?"
Senju Takeuma rubbed his chin. Things like that were common during the Sengoku era.
They fought as one clan, but once they won, they turned against each other over the spoils.
It was like children fighting over an inheritance after their parents died.
"So Izuna Uchiha just got lucky? Hmph. That brat sure is fortunate!" Senju Takeuma said irritably.
Tobirama raised an eyebrow. At first glance, it did seem as though Izuna Uchiha had simply been lucky—taking advantage of the enemy's infighting and striking at their weak point.
But had everything really fallen into place so neatly?
Then Senju Takema, one of the Senju Clan's highest-ranking members and a Quasi-Kage-level fighter, spoke up. "Now that the Uchiha have absorbed the Hagoromo Clan's strength, their overall power is surely no less than ours. What should we do?"
The atmosphere turned tense at once.
A year ago, there had still been a significant gap between the Senju and Uchiha in overall strength.
But by swallowing up the Hagoromo Clan, the Uchiha had closed that gap in one fell swoop. They could even be considered equals now.
That was not something the Senju wanted to see.
Yet no one brought up the idea of launching a surprise attack on the Uchiha during the Truce Agreement. Everyone feared Hashirama Senju, who sat in the Vice Clan Leader's seat.
They still couldn't forget the sight of Hashirama using Wood Release last year to leave dozens of Senju jōnin utterly helpless.
Tobirama was the best at handling this sort of thing. He rubbed his brow, thought for a moment, then stood and said, "What we need to do now is strengthen ourselves."
"Lord Tobirama, what's the specific plan?" someone immediately asked from below.
"Isn't it about time Big Brother got married?"
As soon as Tobirama said this, Hashirama turned to him with a puzzled look.
What did strengthening the clan have to do with his marriage?
Ignoring Hashirama's wooden head, Senju Takeuma, Senju Takema, and the others immediately understood.
"Tobirama, do you mean... an alliance with the Uzumaki?"
The Uzumaki Clan had a history as long as that of the Senju and Uchiha. They specialized in Sealing Technique and lived on the island nation of the Land of Whirlpools, across the sea to the southeast of the shinobi continent.
But the Uzumaki Clan was unusual. Since they lived on an island, they also disliked war.
Geographically, the Senju served as a shield, standing between them and the Land of Whirlpools.
Whether it was the Uchiha, Hyūga, Sarutobi, Shimura, or any other clan, anyone who wanted to target the Uzumaki first had to get past the Senju.
So, to avoid conflict, the Uzumaki Clan had been cooperating with the Senju for a long time.
The Uzumaki supported the Senju from the rear, providing the food, supplies, and weapons needed for war. The two clans even shared their ninjutsu with each other.
But no one should mistake the Uzumaki's reluctance to take part in wars for weakness. Their powerful Sealing Technique and naturally vast reserves of Chakra were comparable to those of the Senju.
Ranked among the clans, they would easily qualify as a first-rate shinobi clan.
Tobirama stood tall and said, "Have Big Brother marry into the Uzumaki Clan, and ask them to join the war directly. If we succeed, the Senju's strength will surge, surpassing the Uchiha in one fell swoop."
Hashirama scratched his cheek. A political marriage didn't seem strange to him, anyway.
He couldn't think of any reason to object, and he had no desire to object either.
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