Hiugo was driven away. The man who had been treated like a treasure ever since arriving on the eastern battlefield now just wanted some peace and quiet to reminisce.
The Senju Clan handled all their own food. Such caution went both ways. After rooms had been assigned and guards had been scheduled in shifts, it was already afternoon, and everyone hurried to get some rest.
Hiugo's quarters were closest to Senju Meima's. A group of "their own people," including Senju Xiangyang, was also protecting him, while two Dark Ninjas remained hidden somewhere outside.
No matter how bravely this "genius" fought on the battlefield, he couldn't make up for his lack of battlefield experience.
Night fell quietly. Fujiwara shinobi began taking over the guard duty, and the first thing they did was disable the copper bells used to warn of danger.
The bells were controlled by Chakra Threads. There were eight in total, one for each direction. The Tekka Clan had buried them underground and connected them all the way to the front line. At the slightest change, the sensory ninja on the front line could inject Chakra to make the bells ring and send a signal.
The Fujino shinobi wore complicated expressions. After years of cooperation, they had formed some bonds with the shinobi of the other clans, but under their clan head's orders, there was no turning back.
The remaining Chakra Threads began to sway, but to no avail. The intelligence the front-line shinobi had given their lives to deliver had become a joke.
Fujino Clan Head arrived at the guard post in the northwest and began forming Hand Seals. A pale golden barrier appeared around them, where there had previously been nothing, and a gap opened in it.
The Eastern Alliance had paid the Uzumaki Clan a fortune to build this barrier. Since it had only been commissioned, it could not be moved once completed.
Before long, shadowy figures appeared before them. Their crimson eyes were impossible to hide, even in the darkness, and a faint smell of oil drifted through the air.
The ninja at the head of the group swept his gaze around, then looked at Fujino Clan Head. His Three-Tomoe eyes showed a hint of contempt as he said:
"Do what you're supposed to. The Uchiha Clan won't break its word."
With that, the group scattered in every direction. Time was short, and they had to act quickly.
Fujino Clan Head's gaze shifted slightly. He turned to face his people and said:
"The future of the Fujino Clan will be decided tonight. Only by proving our loyalty can we earn the Uchiha Clan's protection and survive in this chaotic age."
"Yes!"
The Fujino shinobi suppressed their feelings. They were members of the same clan first, and comrades-in-arms second. Now, all they could do was follow their clan head's orders and swing their weapons at the people around them.
The Uchiha shinobi moved swiftly, carrying out one assassination after another. The patrolling shinobi were knocked out by Genjutsu before they could even react.
As the smell of blood grew stronger, people began to wake, only to be greeted by a sky full of Ninjutsu combined with burning oil.
"Damn it! Where are the guards?"
Mizukumo Metsuen dashed out of his room and saw the Uchiha crest. He cursed and began using Water Release, but no Water Release could put out Ninjutsu mixed with oil.
"Fujino Clan Head, what's going on over here?"
Fujino Clan Head hurried over with a katana in hand.
"What's going on, Fujino Clan Head? Your people were on guard duty at this hour. Why did the Uchiha Clan come here without a word? And how could the Uzumaki Clan's barrier have been breached...?"
Mizukumo Metsuen tried using a technique and realized the barrier was still intact. He suddenly understood. Raising his arms before his chest, he used his arm guards to lessen the damage and blocked a strike.
Fujino Clan Head silently sheathed his blade and gave a sinister smile.
"Not bad, Mizukumo Clan Head. You caught on quickly."
"What do you gain by betraying the alliance?"
Mizukumo Metsuen spoke as he secretly gathered Chakra.
"Compared with a great clan like the Uchiha, our resistance is nothing. Rather than keep sacrificing our people, why not become one of them?"
Fujino Clan Head answered calmly. After Uchiha Niji took control of him, he hadn't simply forced him to obey. Instead, he had guided his thoughts until Fujino Clan Head believed it was all his own idea.
Water Release: Cloud Wave Flow
Mizukumo Metsuen quickly formed Hand Seals and spat out a large volume of water, sweeping it across a fan-shaped area. Under ordinary circumstances, it would be enough to block his opponent's view and let him escape.
However, the flames all around had already weakened the technique. Water Release Ninjutsu needed suitable terrain to be effective.
Fujino Clan Head slashed through the water, then spat out a flash of lightning.
Mizukumo Metsuen was knocked back several steps as he considered his options. The conditions had put his Ninjutsu at a disadvantage. Not everyone had the kind of enviable Chakra reserves the Senju Clan possessed.
The other three clan heads had probably already been tied up by Uchiha shinobi. The scene was in chaos, and they couldn't coordinate their forces effectively.
As he pondered, a mocking voice sounded in his ear:
"What are you thinking about?"
Mizukumo Metsuen tried to move, only to find that his body wouldn't respond.
Genjutsu! How could this be? That guy's Genjutsu couldn't possibly be this powerful.
Beneath the moonlight, a pair of crimson eyes suddenly appeared in Fujino Clan Head's shadow.
Uchiha Niji slowly emerged from it, sneering.
"An inferior clan is an inferior clan. Unprepared, you're doomed to die before these eyes."
Mizukumo Metsuen clenched his teeth. In ordinary battles, they worked together to guard against Sharingan Genjutsu, but now he was alone and without support.
"Run the moment you encounter an Uchiha one-on-one" was a common saying in the Warring States era. It wasn't always true, but it usually worked.
Fujino Clan Head approached with his blade. At this final moment, Mizukumo Metsuen felt only relief that he had argued with his daughter earlier. It had put her in a bit of a temper and sent her farther from his quarters, so the enemy wouldn't find her right away...
The Senju Clan had been assigned a rather secluded location. Out of respect for their archenemy, the Uchiha shinobi hadn't rashly approached them. Their main task was to deal with these "inferior shinobi"; the tough nut that was the Senju could be left for later.
By the time the flames lit up the sky and the Senju wanted to help, the Fujino shinobi came to stop them.
"Esteemed Senju shinobi, this is merely a fire caused by Clan Head Tekka's failed smithing. The Eastern Alliance can handle it. There's nothing to worry about, so please rest easy."
Fujino Yuichi spoke calmly. As Fujino Clan Head's direct subordinate, he was good at hiding his feelings.
"Why are you so nervous?"
Senju Meima said mildly. The remark prompted Fujino Yuichi to attack at once, while the Fujino shinobi behind him threw Kunai and Shuriken from their ninja tool pouches.
Water Release: Sevenfold Water Dragon Bullet
The Senju shinobi behind Meima had already prepared their Ninjutsu. In an instant, seven water dragons appeared, sweeping up the incoming ninja tools and killing several men outright.
"Sevenfold Water Dragon... His Chakra control is impressive."
Hiugo committed their faces to memory and activated Wood Style.
"Wood Style: Diamond Summon Wood"
Logs burst from the earth one after another, each as hard as steel. Guided by his sensory abilities, they struck the Fujino shinobi with precision.
The Senju shinobi formed Hand Seals in unison and unleashed Water Release techniques one after another.
"Water Release: Water Shockwave"
"Water Release: Exploding Water Impact"
"Water Release: Water Formation Pillar"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet"
"This unreasonable amount of Chakra..."
Fujino Yuichi could no longer tell whether the moisture on his face was sweat or water. He threw everything he had into countering their Ninjutsu, and the shinobi of his clan behind him followed suit.
They felt a pressure unlike anything they had faced against the Uchiha shinobi.
The Senju had no Shuriken that appeared out of nowhere and no Genjutsu that was impossible to guard against. They had only that unfathomable reserve of Chakra and their sweeping Ninjutsu.
It was the helplessness of knowing exactly what they were going to do but being powerless to stop them.
In this situation, only the Uchiha Clan's superior Fire Release and the skills displayed through their Sharingan could hold them off.
After one clash of Ninjutsu, the Fujiwara shinobi were scattered. Some Senju shinobi stayed behind to finish them off, while the rest headed into the sea of flames.
"Is there oil mixed in with these flames?"
Senju Liuyun looked around and formed Hand Seals.
"Earth Release: Covering Quicksand"
An opening appeared above the flames, then a great deal of soil and sand poured down like flowing water. The blaze was brought under control beneath the heavy covering.
The Senju shinobi sprang into action, keeping watch on their surroundings as they put out the fire.
At that moment, Mizukumo Metsuen appeared before them, covered in blood. He panted heavily and said:
"Quick! Fujino Clan Head has betrayed us. They were the ones who let the Uchiha Clan in!"
Fujino Clan Head used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in the distance. He swung the blood from his blade and shouted, "Senju shinobi, this has nothing to do with you!"
Senju Xiangyang, standing beside Hiugo, looked eager to fight. Though he was only an elite jonin, one rank below his opponent, he had a Sage Body, and with Mizukumo Metsuen's help, defeating Fujino Clan Head should have been easy.
Hiugo furrowed his brow and raised a hand to stop Senju Xiangyang. Ever since Mizukumo Metsuen had appeared, his activated Two-Tomoe Sharingan had felt uneasy. It was safer to test him first.
"Mizukumo Clan Head, what did you decide about the elders' offer last time?"
Mizukumo Metsuen froze for a moment, then immediately replied:
"Of course I'll accept. As long as the Senju shinobi help us get through this crisis, we can discuss anything."
"Oh? But there wasn't any offer..."
A mass of trees burst from the ground and surged toward the two men.
Wood Style: Forest Birth
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