War was on the verge of breaking out, but the shadow clone did not immediately summon the original body. In his view, this would probably just be another minor scuffle.
A shadow clone's independent consciousness was tied to the caster's personality. This particular shadow clone believed that this was merely Senju's one-sided retaliation.
"Humph! The original body's talent has long surpassed Senju Tobirama's, and he's so busy. Him coming here would only be a waste of time. Let them play by themselves."
He then turned and returned to the office. More than two thousand ninja had been deployed from the Clan Land all at once, and many things needed to be rearranged. The shadow clone sighed. Wasn't he also just a tool?
Night fell. Winter had only just passed, and the air carried a chilly edge. The hibernating birds and beasts had not fully awakened yet. A silent night like this was perfect for doing bad things.
The shadow clone yawned, rose to stretch his body, and looked out the window. It seemed a little too quiet.
"Someone!"
Whoosh!
The instant he spoke, an Uchiha ninja carrying a long sword used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in the room.
"My lord!"
"Go see what's going on with the sentries outside. Something is wrong in the Clan Land."
"Yes!"
It was not even eleven o'clock yet. Now that the clan members' lives had gradually improved and their nightlife had become increasingly colorful, how could they all have gone to sleep so early?
Screech—bang!
Hmm?! The sound of a signal flare?
The shadow clone's eyes widened, and he nearly roared:
"Level one alert!!"
An alarm instantly rang through the Uchiha Clan Grounds, which had expanded several times over. In less than a minute, the rooftops were filled with ninja. Everyone was fully equipped, with none of the chaos one would expect from a sudden alert.
Uchiha Gen's shadow clone came outside and looked toward the signal flare, utterly confused. That location was still quite far from the Uchiha. What did this mean?
"Where are the clan members on outer patrol?"
The people around him looked at one another, but not one stepped forward to answer.
"Split into fifteen-man squads and investigate within a hundred li of the surrounding area! Do not overlook any potential threat!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Once the people around him left, the area instantly became empty. The shadow clone held his chin, unable to understand what was happening today. Should he call the original body over now?
Meanwhile, more than a hundred kilometers from the Uchiha Clan Grounds, Madara led roughly two thousand Uchiha ninja to the vicinity of the mineral vein. Yet all that remained at the mine was a chaotic mess. There was no need to say it—the ore stored inside had already been completely moved away.
"Investigate the area!"
Just as the surrounding clan members were about to move, four enormous energy stone pillars suddenly rose around them. In the blink of an eye, everyone was trapped inside a square barrier.
"What!"
The sudden development caused unrest in the ranks. Madara's expression turned uneasy. Something was wrong. He immediately activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and looked toward the tops of the surrounding mines.
"Madara! Today is the day your Uchiha perish!"
Whoosh!
Torches blazed like a fire dragon sprawled across the mountain range, and countless ninja formed an unbroken mass.
Hashirama Senju and Tobirama slowly appeared atop the hill. Many unfamiliar faces stood behind them, while Hashirama, walking at the front, seemed to be frantically sending signals with his eyes as if he had been electrocuted.
"Senju!"
Madara's face darkened. He quickly realized that he had walked into an ambush, but where had they found so many men?
The Uchiha's vision was unaffected by the darkness. By their clothing, they identified the origins of those people.
Izuna stood beside Madara, gripping the Blazing Fire Sword, itching for a fight.
"Big Brother, besides the Senju, I spotted people from the Sarutobi, Shimura, and Hyuga Clan."
"So this is what they are relying on?"
Madara's boots stepped forward, his armor pressed tightly against his body. He slowly walked out from the formation, looking at the faces of the ninja atop the mine. His gaze fixed on Hashirama, whose face was twitching, and he muttered to himself.
"Was I betrayed?"
He did not dare believe it. He had trusted him so deeply, Hashirama...
At that moment, Hashirama's face had nearly gone numb from twitching. Madara still had not noticed his signals, and seeing Madara's expression grow darker and darker, Hashirama felt miserable as well.
"...I'm sorry, Madara."
"Big Brother, what are you saying? Why haven't you given the order to attack? They are still panicking. If we delay, things may change!"
Hashirama took a deep breath. Things had already come to this. All they could do was leave it to fate.
"Attack!"
The air fell silent for a brief instant, then roars tore through the sky and cries of slaughter erupted.
Ninja were not actually skilled at fighting in large groups. Once there were too many people, many ninjutsu could no longer be used. Even a slight miscalculation could easily strike one's own allies, so group brawls mostly relied on close-range weapons such as swords and kunai.
Madara said nothing. In the darkness, the Uchiha resembled a pack of evil ghosts crawling out of hell. Every one of them possessed two pairs of blood-red, eerie eyes, enough to make anyone tremble with fear.
"Since it has come to this, we cannot let them look down on us either. Follow me..."
"Kill!!"
Clang!
Long swords left their sheaths. Tonight was destined to be sleepless.
Meanwhile, at the rear in the Uchiha Clan Grounds, Uchiha Gen's shadow clone likewise detected the approach of an unfamiliar ninja force. He immediately gathered a new group of clan members and rushed over, only to discover upon arrival that the enemy was Ino–Shika–Cho.
"What do you mean by this!?"
The two sides were separated by a considerable distance, and the Ino–Shika–Cho force did not immediately respond.
"That man is Uchiha Gen, the Uchiha's actual clan head."
The pineapple-haired Nara Clan ninja recognized Uchiha Gen at a glance and exchanged looks with the two people beside him.
"Go!"
The shadow clone frowned, but he did not fear battle. He immediately clashed with them.
The battles on both sides were fierce, and the explosions made it easy to determine their locations.
Madara casually smacked a ninja flying with his war fan and charged straight toward Hashirama. Hashirama hesitated, trading blows with every Uchiha he encountered. Noticing Madara drawing ever closer, he let out a defeated sigh and went to meet him.
"Madara!"
"Hashirama!!"
"Susanoo!"
"Wood Release! Wood Human Technique!"
Rumble!
Two giants rose from the ground. The center of their clash instantly became the most dangerous area. Aside from the Senju and Uchiha ninja, who were already used to it and had left the area early, dozens of people from the other clans were buried underground in an instant.
Bang!
Susanoo wielded two swords and slashed wildly, suppressing the Wood Human by half a body length from the very beginning.
Wood chips flew from the Wood Human's arms, which soon broke into several pieces.
"Wood Dragon Technique!"
"Wood Release! Flower Tree World Advent!"
"Hashirama!"
Madara roared as his Mangekyō Sharingan spun, a streak of bloody tears running from the corner of his eye.
"Ah!! Don't think you're the only one getting stronger!"
Susanoo rose higher once again. Wings emerged from its back, and the patterns of its armor seemed almost real.
A single strike from the nearly two-hundred-meter-long tachi sheared off a mountaintop. Hashirama darted and maneuvered through the Flower Tree World, knowing in his heart that Madara was truly angry.
"Wood Release! World of Trees Advent!!"
He clapped his hands together, and the ground for several kilometers trembled. Amid the earthshaking battlefield, the ninja who were fighting suddenly began to feel uneasy.
Before you continue