Fate's Gears

Beneath the calm surface of the Land of Fire, every clan was locked in an arms race. On one hand, they had truly been beaten badly; on the other, they needed to guard against retaliation from the Uchiha Clan.

And this time, the Senju Clan unsurprisingly became the big brother in everyone's eyes. After all, it had taken the lead, so countless eyes were focused on this battle that would determine the situation of the Shinobi World within the Land of Fire.

If the Senju won, things would be easy enough. Everyone would return to normal, things would go on as they had before, and this matter would come to an end.

But if the Senju lost, they could only prepare to be bled dry. When the rabbit died, the fox grieved; when the lips were gone, the teeth grew cold. If the Uchiha demanded too much and let greed consume them, then no one could blame the others for fighting to the death!

The feverish preparations left everyone tense. The heads of every clan vaguely sensed that something capable of changing the Land of Fire—or even the Shinobi World—might happen this time.

Inside the laboratory, Uchiha Gen continued injecting himself with gene serum. The six nutrient tanks around him were crammed full of pale bodies. The stench of disinfectant in the air grew ever stronger, while colorful reagents covered the worktables.

Meanwhile, in the ordinary world beyond the Shinobi World, the samurai-revering nobles had already chosen their sides. The new Daimyo had now fully secured his rule, and public sentiment was slowly beginning to shift.

In the major cities and along the coast, unfamiliar industries rose one after another. Cargo ships traveling overseas worked without rest, and the flags on those buildings and vessels were somewhat unusual. Upon closer inspection, they resembled the character for Gen.

The Land of Fire was the most suitable region for survival and development in the Naruto World. The wealth accumulated by Uchiha Gen's proxies could now be called enough to rival a nation.

In the original story, there was a maritime smuggler from the Land of Waves during Naruto's era named Gato. With the power of a single country, he had become the richest man in the world, even ranking no lower among the wealthy than Kakuzu, who had worked tirelessly for nearly a century.

But how large was the Land of Waves? And how large was the Land of Fire? With no relevant policies yet in place and no taxes to pay, the proxies raked in enormous profits. Yet they never forgot the task Uchiha Gen had given them: secretly gathering members of various shinobi clans who had been cast aside, while also keeping an eye on abandoned children rejected by their own ninja families. As Uchiha Gen put it:

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Cast a wide net if you want to catch a big fish."

The proxies said they did not understand, but they understood the little tricks among nobles—placing bets on two or even several sides.

As the seasons changed and the winds of fate shifted, the year's end drew nearer. The Uchiha Clan clearly stopped hiding its intentions. They manufactured weapons and armor on a massive scale, openly began transporting logistical supplies, and seized key positions ahead of time, looking ready to make a move at any moment.

At the Senju Clan Grounds, the atmosphere within the clan was especially tense. What the clansmen did not know was that their clan head was the most relaxed of all.

"So it's finally come to this. I'm really looking forward to it... Madara."

Hashirama stood on high ground, looking down at the clansmen bustling about below. He looked entirely like an outsider watching from the sidelines.

However, that state did not last long before it was shattered. Tobirama approached from behind with a stiff face and dead-fish eyes.

"Big brother! What are you doing? Everyone is busy, and you're the only one standing around with nothing to do!"

"Hahaha, Tobirama, don't be so serious."

"You think I want to be, you idiot big brother? The Uchiha have already put a blade to our throats!"

"Well, perhaps there'll be a turning point."

"What do you mean, big brother? Do we have reinforcements?"

Ever since Tobirama had raised the anti-Uchiha banner under a baseless pretext last time, only for both sides to suffer heavy losses, no clan was willing to casually form an alliance with the Senju anymore. Perhaps the Uzumaki would be willing, but in the end, the benefits simply were not enough.

"No!"

Tobirama's mouth twitched as he looked at his big brother, who was unjustified yet still spoke with such confidence. He decided not to expect Hashirama to help with anything, shook his head, and left.

Watching Tobirama's retreating figure, then looking over the busy Clan Land, Hashirama felt a surge of pride rise in his chest.

"My clansmen who follow me! Peace is almost here. Just wait a little longer."

As the year's end approached, the Uchiha and Senju went to war as expected. What puzzled everyone, however, was that the Uchiha did not choose a sneak attack. Instead, they deployed their army openly and even gave the Senju Clan ample time to prepare.

Wouldn't a head-on clash mean greater casualties? No one could understand the Uchiha's move.

Many people who considered themselves clever believed the Uchiha were simply arrogant, utterly dismissive of the Senju. They were nothing more than brainless barbarians.

Others believed it was an open scheme. If the Uchiha defeated the Senju through sheer strength, then the other clans would lose both their reason and courage to resist. It was a move that killed the body and crushed the heart.

The battlefield was chosen on a plain, with nothing for thousands of miles around to provide cover. After nearly a year of recuperation, the Uchiha Clan fielded eighty percent of its strength. Yet the trauma of having their home attacked had not faded, so Madara called Uchiha Gen back to the Clan Land.

"With me here, don't worry. Unless Hashirama Senju comes personally, it won't matter how many people they send."

Uchiha Gen said this while patting his somewhat thin chest. Yet to the Uchiha clansmen, his words carried enormous weight. After all, the title of the Uchiha's White-Clad Grim Reaper had already begun spreading through the Shinobi World.

"Good! Then the home is in your hands, Gen!"

Madara waved his hand, and the army set out. But Izuna seemed distracted, looking back every few steps. He felt that something bad was about to happen, but he could not figure out what.

"Third brother! When I return, I'll definitely find you a fine wife!"

"..."

Uchiha Gen's heart skipped a beat. That idiot Izuna was still setting up this kind of thing before leaving. Was he afraid he might actually come back alive?

"Second brother! You... take care on the road!"

Hearing the shout behind him, Izuna stumbled. Those words sounded a little ominous!

But the army had already gone far, and he could not be bothered to go back and argue with Uchiha Gen.

Across the emerald plain, the armies of the two clans lined up in formation. From afar, they looked like two black lines stretching to the horizon.

High above, unknown great birds soared through the sky. There was not a cloud in sight for thousands of miles, and their cries rang especially clear.

Woo—

The dark mass of people began to stir. Though they were shinobi, they charged like soldiers of ancient times.

Madara charged forward without hesitation, leading from the front. His iconic red Warring States armor left afterimages as he ran, kama in one hand and war fan in the other, plunging into the sea of people.

As the two tides collided, war quickly spread across the battlefield. Fireballs and streams of water flew everywhere. Shuriken and kunai clashed with sharp metallic rings. Sparks from blades mixed with blood, staining the sky red.

"Kill!"

Blood feuds and family hatred made enemies see red at the sight of one another. Each person carried a different fate upon their shoulders, but only one thought remained in their minds: kill the person before them.

On the battlefield, one had to remain tense at all times, watching in every direction and listening to every sound. One moment of carelessness, and a suddenly flying shuriken or senbon would strike.

Less than twenty minutes after the battle began, casualties on both sides had already surpassed half their forces. Madara spotted Hashirama amid the crowd, and their gazes met.

"Susanoo!"

"Wood Human Technique!"

The enormous Chakra fluctuations stilled the center of the battlefield for an instant. Then the second round of slaughter began, even more brutally than before.

After being ganged up on last time, the Uchiha Clan's fighting strength had declined severely. But a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. After Uchiha Gen's training, not only were individual Uchiha clansmen stronger than Senju shinobi, their weapons and armor were far better equipped as well.

From the corner of his eye, Hashirama saw his clansmen falling one after another. He immediately unleashed a powerful technique to stem the losses.

"World of Trees Advent!!"