Hiring a Madman, the Decisive Battle Begins

The winter for the Uchiha had become bone-chilling and heart-piercing. The casualty lists grew by the day, the front lines constantly receded, resources neared exhaustion, and the despair permeating the clan had almost solidified into a physical weight. The low pressure within Naka Shrine was suffocating; every war report that arrived felt like another barrel of oil poured onto the already raging fire of hatred within Uchiha Madara.

He could wait no longer. The result of waiting would only be a slow death. The pride of the Uchiha would not allow for such an end. Even if they were to be destroyed, they would drag their enemies down with them, burning out in the most brilliant of flames!

However, in a head-on confrontation against the alliance of the Senju, Uzumaki, and the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, the odds of victory were slim. He needed power—more desperate, reckless power—and a sharp blade capable of tearing through the enemy's tight defensive lines!

His gaze turned toward those powers that drifted outside the mainstream, even those regarded as taboo.

"Go north." Madara issued a cold command to Uchiha Hi-kaku, who knelt below him, his voice devoid of a single ripple. "Find the settlements of smaller ninja clans like the Kaguya." They did not bring invitations; they brought cold threats.

"Submit, or be destroyed." The Uchiha envoys looked down with disdain. Despite their clan's difficult situation, they maintained a haughty posture when facing these minor clans. "The Uchiha require your strength. If you agree, you may retain autonomy after the war and share in the spoils. If you refuse..." The envoy did not continue, but the Three-Tomoe Sharingan suddenly activated by the Uchiha jonin behind him, along with his undisguised killing intent, said everything that needed to be said.

The patriarch of the Fuma clan turned pale. His clan excelled in tracking and assassination, but their strength was far from enough to contend with a behemoth like the Uchiha. Looking at the terrified eyes of the children in his clan, he finally lowered his head with great difficulty. Most of the other coerced minor clans, such as Amegakure, made similar humiliating choices. In their hearts, there was no loyalty to the Uchiha—only fear and helplessness.

In the north, the territory of the Kaguya clan. The environment here was harsh, and the people were fierce. When Uchiha Hi-kaku arrived with heavy scrolls and Madara's message, the Kaguya patriarch—a man radiating a thick scent of blood and a crazed desire for battle—let out a deafening, wild laugh.

"Hahaha! Slaughter! Endless slaughter! Uchiha Madara is truly satisfying!" He did not hesitate in the slightest. "Tell Madara, the bones of the Kaguya will chisel through every enemy for the Uchiha! But don't forget the promised scrolls!"

And so, a strange and dangerous coalition was forcibly cobbled together, composed of desperate Uchiha, the crazed Kaguya, and coerced minor clans like the Fuma. This coalition was riddled with internal contradictions and mutual suspicion; the only thing they shared was a desire for slaughter directed at the Senju alliance.

The scent of a decisive battle instantly shrouded the entire Land of Fire.

Hashirama Senju was the first to perceive this unusual gathering of chakra, mixed with madness and despair. His expression changed drastically, and he immediately summoned the heads of all the allied clans.

"Madara... he has ultimately chosen the most extreme path." Hashirama's voice was heavy with heartache. "He has gathered the Kaguya clan and coerced the Fuma and others. A great war is unavoidable."

Tobirama Senju's eyes were cold. "As expected. Uchiha Madara does not care about the lives of other clans at all; he only wants to satisfy his own desire for revenge and destruction. Brother, we cannot hesitate any longer. We must gather all our strength and crush them head-on! This is the only way to protect the hope for peace we have just established!"

Uzumaki Mito, the Nara patriarch, the Sarutobi patriarch, and others looked grave, but they all nodded firmly. They knew well that if the Uchiha and Kaguya coalition broke through, everyone would face total annihilation.

The allied army mobilized rapidly, with the Senju and Uzumaki as the core, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio responsible for tactical control and support, and clans like the Sarutobi and Shimura acting as flanks, standing ready.

The final battlefield was chosen on a vast plain known as the "Blood-Weeping Plain." The terrain was open with nowhere to hide, suitable for a large-scale decisive battle, which also meant that casualties would be unprecedentedly horrific.

Early morning, the mist had yet to disperse.

On the horizon, the dark mass of the coalition appeared. The Uchiha ninjas were in the center, their Sharingan emitting a cold red light in the mist, like the gaze of hell. On their flanks were the restless Kaguya, emitting low, beast-like growls; many could not wait to extract their own bones, creating hideous bone blades and armor, the air thick with crazed battle intent. The coerced minor clans like the Fuma followed timidly behind, their morale low.

Opposite them, the formation of the Senju-led Allied Forces was far more rigorous. The Senju ninjas were in a defensive formation, and the sealing masters of the Uzumaki clan held special scrolls, standing ready. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio was hidden within the ranks, the Nara patriarch's shadow already quietly connecting with the surrounding environment. The Sarutobi and Shimura ninjas occupied favorable terrain.

Hashirama stood at the very front, his expression more serious than ever before. Tobirama was at his side, his hand gripping a Flying Thunder God kunai. Mito stood slightly behind, her powerful chakra already beginning to circulate.

There were no extra words; the hatred and positions were already clear.

Uchiha Madara slowly rose into the air, hovering above the coalition. His Eternal Mangekyou looked down upon the entire battlefield with indifference, like a god observing the struggle of ants.

"Kill."

A single word, coldly echoing across the battlefield, sounded the horn for the bloody slaughter!

"Kill them all!!" The Kaguya were the first to erupt. Like mad dogs off their leashes, they ignored all formation, laughing wildly as they charged toward the Allied Forces' positions. Their Shikotsumyaku ability turned them into human weapons; wherever they passed, bone spurs sprouted and blood splattered!

"For the glory of the Uchiha!" The Uchiha ninjas also roared as they launched their charge, Fire Style ninjutsu raining down upon the enemy lines like a meteor shower.

"Defend!" Hashirama Senju roared, slamming his hands onto the ground. "Wood Style: Tree Barrier!"

A massive wooden barrier rose from the ground, blocking most of the Fire Style. But the lunatics of the Kaguya clan had already crashed into it without fear of death, using their bones and their bodies to frantically chisel at the wooden wall!

"Water Style: Water Formation Pillar!" Tobirama led the elite Senju water-style ninjas, releasing massive Water Dragon Bullets and waterfall techniques, slamming into the Uchiha formation.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" The Nara patriarch seized the moment, his shadow extending like a ghost, instantly pinning down a dozen of the Kaguya madmen and Uchiha ninjas in the front.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu!" The ninjas of the Yamanaka clan seized the opportunity to launch a mental attack.

"Partial Multi-Size Jutsu!" The ninjas of the Akimichi clan grew their fists to massive proportions, slamming them hard into the controlled enemies.

The coordination of the Allied Forces was tacit and efficient, momentarily curbing the coalition's crazed offensive.

But the Uchiha's Sharingan were not for show; they quickly adapted, beginning to use genjutsu and precise attacks to counter the control of the Ino-Shika-Cho. The madness of the Kaguya was beyond imagination; they didn't even care about friendly fire, their bone blades sweeping horizontally, attacking their own people and the Uchiha alike. That style of mutual destruction put immense pressure on the Allied Forces.

The battlefield instantly fell into an extremely brutal melee! People fell every second, and blood quickly stained the soil of the Blood-Weeping Plain.

Uchiha Sou was on the flank of the battlefield, confronting the ninjas of the Sarutobi clan with several Uchiha companions. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, observing the enemy's movements while his sense of "Weaving Logic" was elevated to the limit. He could "see" countless "threads" representing "slaughter," "madness," "fear," "protection," and "despair" crazily intertwining, snapping, and being reborn. The entire battlefield was like a massive, chaotic ball of yarn filled with negative energy.

He tried to find the nodes of the battle, but the sheer volume and chaos of the information were far beyond his ability to process. He could only do his best to protect himself, supporting his companions with precise shuriken and Fire Style.

The core of the battle quickly focused on those few key figures.

Uchiha Hi-kaku faced off against Tobirama Senju. Fire Style and the Flying Thunder God technique intersected, the sound of explosions never ceasing. Hi-kaku acted like a mad demon, completely ignoring defense, seeking only to perish with Tobirama, causing the latter no small amount of trouble.

The most eye-catching, however, was the battle between the Kaguya patriarch, the Akimichi patriarch, and an Uzumaki sealing master. The Kaguya patriarch laughed wildly, his entire body covered in hard bone, like a bone hedgehog, charging recklessly. The Akimichi patriarch's enlarged fists struck him, yet could only leave shallow white marks! The Uzumaki sealing master's sealing chains tried to wrap around him several times, only to be forcibly severed by his bone blades or broken by sheer brute force!

"Hahaha! Satisfying! Come again!" The Kaguya patriarch punched the Akimichi patriarch back, his bone blade stabbing straight for the heart of the Uzumaki sealing master!

Just at this critical moment—

"Sealing Jutsu: Adamantine Sealing Chains!" Uzumaki Mito made her move! Several thick golden chains shot out from behind her, moving with extreme speed, instantly wrapping around the Kaguya patriarch! Powerful sealing runes flashed on the chains, actually suppressing his violent chakra and movements for the moment!

"Now!" The Akimichi patriarch roared, his fist expanding to the limit, slamming down with all his might!

BOOM!!!

A massive pit was smashed into the ground! The Kaguya patriarch was hit squarely; the bones covering his body developed large cracks, his wild laughter came to an abrupt halt, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

However, this guy's tenacity was beyond imagination! He roared, actually burning his life potential to erupt with even greater power, forcibly snapping several of Mito's Adamantine Sealing Chains!

"You... all must die!" His eyes were blood-red, and the bone spurs on his body grew frantically once more!

The battle became even more brutal. The coerced minor clans like the Fuma saw that the situation was bad and began to flee, instead throwing the coalition's own formation into chaos. The Uchiha ninjas were miserable, having to fight the enemy while also guarding against the crazed Kaguya clansmen.

High in the air, Uchiha Madara watched everything with a cold gaze. He watched his clansmen fall one after another, watched the madness of the Kaguya clan, and watched the tenacious resistance of the Allied Forces. His eyes remained icy, yet his tightly clenched fists betrayed the turmoil within his heart.

If things continued this way, even if they emerged victorious, the Uchiha would suffer a devastating blow, perhaps even being severely crippled by the backlash of the Kaguya clan.

His gaze shifted once more to the man below, Hashirama Senju, who was struggling to maintain the front lines in an attempt to save every single clansman.

It seemed that, in the end, he would have to intervene personally to break this stalemate.

His Eternal Mangekyou began to rotate slowly.