Return to the Clan Grounds

The Uzumaki Clan hasn't participated in warfare for nearly a hundred years. Getting them to join the current conflict won't be a simple matter, Senju Takema said with considerable worry.

The Uzumaki and Senju were relatives during the Founding Period and had maintained a friendly relationship for many years, but residing on their island nation, they had always shunned war.

"The situation in the Warring States Period is becoming more chaotic. As long as we ask, they will eventually agree," Tobirama Senju said confidently. "It will take some time, but I'm sure of it."

As soon as he finished speaking, a secret ninja scout under Tobirama Senju's command appeared in the meeting room using the Body Flicker Technique, kneeling on one knee. "My lords."

Tobirama Senju raised an eyebrow. "What is it? We're still in the middle of a meeting."

"My deepest apologies," the secret ninja said, lowering his head. "But we received a message from the northern secret ninja. Half a day ago, Clan Leader Shimura Keizou personally led thirty clan ninjas westward."

"What!?"

Everyone in the meeting room collectively gasped.

The Sarutobi Shimura Alliance could be considered the fourth major power in the Warring States Period, trailing only the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga clans.

Generally, clan leaders of the Warring States ninja clans rarely left their Clan Grounds except for war.

Shimura Keizou, as the clan leader of the Shimura Clan, was personally heading west with dozens of escorts. What were they planning?

The Sarutobi and Shimura clans were also ninja clans located very close to the Senju Clan, to their north.

Every move the two clans made was closely monitored by the Senju.

Inside the Uchiha Clan Grounds in Northwest Stone City.

Two days prior, Izuna and the others who had annihilated the Hagoromo Clan had already returned to the city.

After a series of city repair work had begun to stabilize, Izuna decided to lead a small group of clan members back to their main Clan Grounds.

The two hundred reinforcements dispatched by Madara were not only to assist Izuna in completely destroying the Hagoromo Clan but also to replenish the significant portion of combat power lost by Stone City.

The two hundred arriving reinforcements were to stay long-term as the garrison in the northwest.

Sora Uchiha, the former number one figure in Stone City, would not be returning with Izuna due to severe injuries.

Returning with Izuna were seven Jonin representatives from the northwest, led by Ise Uchiha, along with the clan elites he had brought when he first arrived a year ago.

Of course, some people would never return. As a final compensation, Izuna did his best to have the survivors bring back their ashes.

Even so, the vast majority were left with no ashes at all.

On the battlefield, it was a fight for survival. The remains of more fallen warriors were forever left on the plains, becoming food for vultures and hyenas.

Those returning to the Clan Grounds with Izuna were at least Chunin elites. Within three days, they had already sighted the Clan Grounds.

The appearance of the Uchiha Clan in Konoha in later generations, though they were relegated to the outskirts of the village due to the ostracism by the Konoha Elder Council led by Shimura Danzō, was largely inspired by the Uchiha of the Warring States Period.

However, at this time, the Uchiha were in the central area, with ordinary residents of non-Uchiha surnames living around them.

These people, who had no ninja abilities and made a living as merchants and farmers, were the grassroots people who served as the Uchiha's "productive force." They were not allowed to enter the clan's inner territory.

As they passed through this area and prepared to enter the clan's main gate, Izuna suddenly raised his hand. "Wait."

Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked intently, noticing a dark blue, approximately 1.5-meter-tall giant stone had appeared to the right of the clan gate.

A memorial stone.

This was something Izuna had commissioned Uchiha Soshu to build after he, acting under the alias "Kite," had annihilated the Uchiha [Zetsu] unit.

On the first row of the memorial stone, names inscribed in fingernail-sized characters were already present.

Uchiha Ryu, Uchiha Iwa, Uchiha Kenya, Uchiha...

"Vice Clan Leader, this is..." Ise Uchiha asked softly from Izuna's right rear.

"A memorial stone," Izuna replied calmly and strode into the Clan Grounds. "Let's go."

"Memorial stone..." Ise Uchiha and the others murmured inwardly, quickly following Izuna's footsteps into the Clan Grounds.

Not long after Izuna and his group entered the Clan Grounds, a group of people waiting on the opposite side from a distance.

"Older Brother," Izuna quickened his pace and called out.

Standing at the forefront, clad in a black robe, was the current clan leader, Madara Uchiha.

"Hahaha! Izuna, well done. I knew those rabble from the northwest wouldn't be any match for you."

Having won this seemingly impossible battle, even Madara couldn't help but feel elated and burst into laughter.

The high-ranking members of the Clan Grounds, led by the three Elders Uchiha Kōshi, Uchiha Tenzou, and Uchiha Kai, had all arrived and offered their congratulations.

"It's not a good place to talk here. We'll hold a banquet tonight to properly entertain the Vice Clan Leader. Anyone who doesn't attend will be dealt with according to clan rules."

In the joyous atmosphere, Madara couldn't resist making a joke.

After everyone had a good laugh and exchanged a few pleasantries, they dispersed and returned to their posts.

Returning to his own room, which he hadn't visited in nearly a year, the floor inside was still spotless.

It seemed a servant cleaned it every day.

Sitting down in the corridor next to the courtyard, after a servant brought him a cup of tea, Izuna enjoyed this rare moment of leisure, gazing at the rock garden standing quietly in the upper right corner of the yard, the fish pond at its base, and the heads of the large koi carp that occasionally surfaced within it.

It was now the dead of winter, and there were no cherry blossoms to be seen on the few cherry trees to the left of the courtyard.

"Soshu..."

Izuna took a sip of green tea and suddenly said.

"You've found me, Vice Clan Leader. Your perception is as sharp as ever."

A shadow flashed before Izuna, and it was Uchiha Soshu, the Uchiha's top reconnaissance ninja, and of the same generation as Madara and Izuna.

"How is it?"

Izuna asked with a faint smile.

Uchiha Soshu said with admiration, "Vice Clan Leader, you truly are prescient. Everything is exactly as you said it would be."

"You should attend the banquet tonight as well. And notify the other high-ranking members about it."

"Yes."

Uchiha Soshu vanished instantly.

Izuna took another sip of green tea and began to ponder another matter: strengthening his own abilities.

After the recent annihilation battle against the Hagoromo Clan, his Skill Points had increased from "155" to "180".

He was now more than halfway to exchanging for the "300" Skill Points needed for the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Izuna could already feel his eyesight deteriorating significantly.

By his previous life's standards, his vision was already over 300 degrees.

Therefore, before obtaining the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, Izuna had no intention of using these Skill Points to exchange for other Ninjutsu.

This meant he had to enhance his strength without using Skill Points.