Life Will Fight

"Sigh...!"

Uchiha Shin looked up at the tent he had just finished setting up and let out a soft sigh.

If only he knew Wood Release; even if he couldn't summon a thousand-armed wooden giant with the "Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands," knowing the "Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique" would have been wonderful.

Looking at the somewhat flimsy tent before him, Uchiha Shin felt an intense longing for Yamato's budget Wood Release ninjutsu.

Thinking about the current mission, although Uchiha Tajima had already explained the plan to him earlier, Uchiha Shin still felt a bit uneasy in his heart.

"Forget it, I'd better go see Father."

Uchiha Shin finally convinced himself.

"Hana, come here."

"Hehe, Lord Shin, what is it?"

Uchiha Hana ran over to Uchiha Shin with a short blade strapped to her back, asking with a silly grin on her face.

"I'm heading out for a bit, so stay sharp."

"Don't go wandering off, understand?"

"I'll be back very soon."

Uchiha Shin instructed Uchiha Hana sternly, hoping to prevent this girl from running all over the camp while he was away.

"Hehe, got it!"

Uchiha Hana grinned and gave Uchiha Shin a thumbs-up, signaling that she absolutely would not wander off.

"Mm."

Seeing that Uchiha Hana had agreed, Uchiha Shin nodded with satisfaction and walked directly toward Uchiha Tajima's tent.

"Father..."

Arriving at Uchiha Tajima's tent, Uchiha Shin lifted the curtain and poked his head inside. Finding Uchiha Tajima within, he walked straight in.

"Shin?"

Seeing Uchiha Shin arrive at this hour, Uchiha Tajima looked a bit puzzled.

"I'm a little worried about the matter regarding Akira."

Uchiha Shin went straight to the point with Uchiha Tajima.

"What is there to worry about?"

"A conspiracy is a conspiracy precisely because it cannot see the light of day."

"Now that we have already discerned this matter in advance, there is actually nothing to worry about."

"Besides, if the enemy were truly powerful, they would have already brought their forces and charged at us directly."

"Do you still not understand why they have held back until now?"

Uchiha Tajima was truly a man who had weathered great storms, and his analysis of the situation regarding Akira was thorough.

"As for the Senju Clan, heh, they aren't that stupid."

"Before leaving home, I already issued orders, ensuring all combat power within the clan is prepared."

"Once it is confirmed that the Senju Clan has moved a large portion of their forces away from their base, our clan's remaining combat power will seize the opportunity to attack the Senju Clan's base and deal them a heavy blow."

"The reverse is also true."

"So, there is no need to worry."

Uchiha Tajima explained his plan to Uchiha Shin in detail, full of confidence.

"I understand, Father."

"Then I'll head back now."

Having understood the situation, Uchiha Shin waved goodbye to Uchiha Tajima and walked back toward his own tent with a lighter heart.

Early the next morning, the caravan began packing their gear, preparing to set off after breakfast.

Last night, the ambushers Uchiha Tajima had stationed around the caravan did not encounter a single enemy raid.

After receiving the report from Uchiha Goichi, Uchiha Tajima pondered for a moment; it seemed the enemy intended to stake everything on a single throw, hoping to annihilate them in one fell swoop within this canyon?

Heh.

Thinking of this, a trace of disdain flashed in Uchiha Tajima's eyes.

After breakfast, the team hit the road again.

However, before entering the valley, Uchiha Tajima adjusted the order of the formation.

The Nara Clan, Akimichi Clan, and Yamanaka Clan acted as the vanguard, leading the formation.

Immediately following them was the supply convoy carrying standard-issue weapons and equipment, manned by ordinary soldiers from the Land of Fire, trailing closely behind the three clans.

Next in the formation were the ninjas of the Hagoromo Clan, positioned in the center.

Bringing up the rear was the Uchiha Clan, led by Uchiha Tajima.

Uchiha Tajima had provided a reason for this arrangement to the heads of the Hagoromo, Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans...

He claimed that since the Uchiha Clan possessed the greatest strength, they would take the rear to protect everyone's retreat in the event of an ambush ahead.

The reasoning was sound, and the situation left them little choice, so the heads of the Hagoromo, Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans accepted the arrangement without hesitation.

"Hana, stay close to me."

"If we make contact with the enemy, you handle those behind me."

"Understood?"

After entering the canyon, Uchiha Shin instantly pushed his sensory perception to its limit.

"Yes, understood."

Uchiha Hana naturally understood the gravity of their current situation, so she dropped half a step behind Uchiha Shin, ready to intercept any attacks from the rear at a moment's notice.

Although Uchiha Sarina's abilities were nothing to write home about, she was quite sharp.

When she saw Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Hana adopt a mutually protective, front-and-back formation the moment they entered the canyon...

She realized the situation immediately.

With alarm bells ringing in her heart, she quickened her pace, moving with a steady acceleration to close the distance toward Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Hana.

"Hm?"

At that moment, the sensory perception Uchiha Shin had extended into his surroundings suddenly detected a massive concentration of chakra signatures on the cliffs on both sides of the canyon.

Alerted, Uchiha Shin quickly nudged Uchiha Hana with his elbow, gave her a meaningful look, and then tilted his chin toward the cliffs on both sides of the canyon.

Uchiha Hana understood instantly; she drew her short blade, lowered her center of gravity, and began to gather chakra at the soles of her feet.

She was ready to respond to an attack from either side of the cliffs at any time.

Just then, Uchiha Tajima, who was in front, suddenly stopped, raised his hand to point at the cliffs on both sides of the canyon, and signaled for an attack.

A large hole had been artificially excavated into the sheer cliff face halfway up one side of the canyon.

The ninjas of the Senju Clan, prepared for an ambush, were all hidden within this cave.

"Are we attacking now?"

The jonin Senju Gen, who was observing from the cave entrance, noticed that the escort team passing through the canyon below had suddenly stopped at the rear.

He turned to look at the left side, where the head of the Senju Clan, Senju Butsuma, was also lying in wait, and asked in a low voice.

"Wait a little longer. The team below hasn't reached the optimal ambush point yet."

Senju Butsuma was worthy of being a clan head; he would rather wait a while longer to ensure the maximum possible results.

However, one does not fear a god-like opponent, but rather a pig-like teammate.

This saying held true.

No sooner had Senju Butsuma finished speaking than the ninjas and monks of the Fire Temple, who were lying in ambush in the cave on the opposite cliff, lost their patience.

Master Yamashita of the Fire Temple saw the rear half of the convoy stop in the canyon below.

Assuming they had been discovered, he launched the attack prematurely.

"Idiots!"

Seeing the monks in the opposite cave, led by Master Yamashita, launch the joint ninjutsu Earth Style: Bedrock Breaker!

Senju Butsuma's expression changed instantly.

Because of the monks' premature strike, the success of this ambush had suddenly become uncertain.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

As the monks of the Fire Temple unleashed their joint Earth Style technique, the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka ninjas, who were acting as the vanguard at the front of the convoy, were immediately caught in the disaster.

Giant boulders on the cliffs on both sides of the canyon collapsed rapidly, raining down into the canyon below like a deluge.

One move affects the whole situation; since the monks of the Fire Temple had already struck, there was no point in the Senju Clan remaining hidden.

However, what Senju Butsuma did not know was that Uchiha Tajima had already swapped the order of the ninja teams before entering the canyon.

Furthermore, this escort team in the canyon had not yet reached the optimal ambush point.

Therefore, the only ones within the Senju Clan's attack range were a large portion of the Hagoromo Clan.

As for the remaining Hagoromo ninjas and the Uchiha Clan at the tail end of the formation, they were already well beyond the Senju Clan's reach.

Thus, the Senju ninjas halfway up the cliff could only watch the Uchiha Clan at the rear of the formation and glare in frustration.