Some of the Senju elders even saw in Senju Hashirama the hope of wiping out the Uchiha Clan, so they were willing to go along with the clan leader over a little food.
Food was precious, but having enough to eat was all that mattered. They could give the Uchiha their surplus food now, and once the Uchiha were wiped out, they would gain even more.
The Uzumaki Clan had been waiting for food aid from the Senju Clan. When they learned that the Senju had actually given the food to the Uchiha, they were furious.
What was that supposed to mean?
Had the Uzumaki Clan become outsiders?
Even if Uzumaki Mito was now in the Uchiha's hands, the Senju Clan couldn't just abandon the Uzumaki without a word, could they?
Had the Senju Clan been playing the Uzumaki for fools?
Senju Tobirama was also doing his best to soothe the Uzumaki Clan. In truth, his elder brother hadn't abandoned them; Senju Tobirama had simply kept his brother's orders under wraps.
They had already given half of the Senju Clan's stored food to the Uchiha. If they gave the Uzumaki half of what remained, the Senju would soon have trouble feeding themselves.
Going to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to buy food at a time like this was even less of an option. Food was so precious that it was practically not for sale.
The Land of Fire had a large population, but because of the war, its food production had stayed at a steady balance—not too much, not too little.
Still, Senju Tobirama couldn't just stand by and watch the Uzumaki starve to death. He planned to wait a little longer, until they truly couldn't hold out. Then he could offer timely aid, claiming that he just needed more time to gather the food.
Senju Tobirama had already set his sights on the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu.
The Uzumaki Clan could only pin their hopes on the Senju, since there wasn't a glimmer of hope to be found anywhere else.
The Uchiha Clan had even put out a warning: anyone who dared help the Uzumaki would face retribution later.
No one dared risk offending the Uchiha by secretly helping the Uzumaki.
Even the clans that were on good terms with the Uzumaki were keeping their distance now. They made all sorts of excuses, readily agreed to help, then did nothing at all, afraid the Uchiha would set their sights on them.
After all, word of the Uzumaki raid on the Uchiha Compound had spread everywhere. The Uzumaki had overestimated themselves and brought this trouble on their own heads. It was only natural for the Uchiha to target them.
By now, Uchiha Madara was ready to begin the next stage of the plan.
The Senju Clan's reaction had been completely within expectations, and Uchiha Yang's name had become deeply etched in the minds of the clan's upper ranks.
"This time, Izuna will lead the team again. To be safe, I'll have people waiting outside to back you up."
Standing before Uchiha Madara were Uchiha Izuna and the elite jonin who had taken part in the previous mission.
"Clan leader, rest assured. We'll follow Captain Izuna's orders and complete the mission."
Uchiha Sake, Uchiha Ya, and the others spoke up in turn.
"Big brother, I'm off."
Uchiha Izuna nodded to his elder brother, then led the people behind him out of the compound.
"Don't worry. The Uzumaki Clan is already facing a food crisis, and it'll take the Senju Clan a little time to get the next batch of food moving."
"That fellow Senju Tobirama is probably still waiting to swoop in with timely aid. Little does he know that this is exactly what we planned. The details didn't go quite as expected, but the outcome is the same."
Uchiha Yang held a pot of goji berry tea, looking composed as he spoke to Uchiha Madara.
He had started paying attention to his health. It was best to start taking care of yourself early; wait until you were old, and it would be too late.
"Mm. If even you think so, then I'm all the more at ease."
Uchiha Madara finally let go of his worries and replied.
"By the way, how is Uzumaki Mito doing?"
"I'm wearing her down."
A faint smile tugged at Uchiha Yang's lips as he answered in an unhurried tone.
"Wearing her down? Did you boil her?"
Uchiha Madara's hair stood on end. He stared at Uchiha Yang with wide eyes.
"What do you mean, boil her? I mean I'm wearing down her spirit by not letting her sleep."
Uchiha Yang explained helplessly, then handed him the teapot. "Here. Drink up and take care of yourself. Your hearing's gone bad, too."
"I'm off."
Uchiha Yang turned and waved. "I might be busy for a while, so don't come looking for me unless it's important."
He'd been in the spotlight too much lately. It was time to cool things down and slip out of everyone's sight.
When he got home, he put an arm around Xia Lian, the maid, and leisurely made his way into the basement.
The maids in the basement kept Uzumaki Mito from falling asleep. Whenever she began to doze off, they forcibly woke her.
The two elite Uchiha jonin assigned to keep watch sat nearby, drinking tea and watching with interest.
As a method, wearing someone down like a hawk had never been used in this world before, so they were keen to learn.
This kind of mental torment was simple for the Uchiha, who excelled at genjutsu.
But this was the first time the two of them had seen a method of torment that didn't require genjutsu.
Uzumaki Mito had developed deep dark circles, and her mind was already feeble. She had never experienced this kind of mental torment before.
All she could hear was the women murmuring about being loyal to their master.
At first, Uzumaki Mito had dismissed this kind of hypnotic talk, but later she experienced just how powerful it could be.
"Well, well. If it isn't the great princess of the Uzumaki Clan, Uzumaki Mito."
Seeing Uzumaki Mito looking mentally exhausted, Uchiha Yang smiled with satisfaction.
It seemed to be working. If they kept this up, Uzumaki Mito would end up having a complete mental breakdown.
"Do you know that your Uzumaki Clan can barely look after itself now?"
Uchiha Yang leaned close to Uzumaki Mito's ear. His gentle voice sounded like a demon whispering in her ear—cold and grating.
"What did you say?"
Uzumaki Mito, who had been completely unresponsive, suddenly came alive in Uchiha Yang's eyes.
Uchiha Yang clapped his hands, satisfied. "The Senju Clan has abandoned the Uzumaki. The only thing waiting for them is starvation—or going out to scavenge for food."
"But what do you think will happen when they go out? Think of how valuable Sealing Jutsu is. In the eyes of some shinobi clans, every Uzumaki shinobi is a glittering treasure."
"Hahaha!"
Uchiha Yang's words provoked an intense reaction from Uzumaki Mito. "You demon! The Uchiha will die a horrible death!"
Her clan had always come first in Uzumaki Mito's heart. As the Uzumaki princess, all she wanted was to help the Uzumaki Clan flourish.
But now that he had told her about the Uzumaki Clan's dire predicament, she even began to resent the Senju.
Uzumaki Mito's mental strength had already been pushed close to its limit. Hearing news like this now, whether it was true or not, dealt a tremendous blow to her.
"Let me go! I want to go home! I want to go home!"
Uzumaki Mito began screaming. Her mind was already on the verge of collapse.
Uchiha Yang picked at his ear, finding her voice a little irritating.
"Keep wearing her down."
After giving the brief order, Uchiha Yang put an arm around Xia Lian's slim waist and left the basement.
Before you continue