Chakra spilled from Senju Longshu's body, coating his skin in a fine layer as he stepped forward to meet the charging Uchiha Tajima.
Besides guarding against Uchiha Tajima's swift, exquisite swordplay, Senju Longshu also felt swirling currents of hot air slicing at his body.
Yet Senju Longshu emerged from the assault unscathed, while the trees and terrain around him were pulverized.
"Accept your death, and you can still spare yourself some pain."
Uchiha Tajima's cold, arrogant voice drifted through the air.
"You talk too much. The Uchiha Clan will never let the Senju Clan off. At worst, I'll take you down with me!"
Senju Longshu dodged the heavy Fire Release attack to his left, but Uchiha Tajima's sword struck from his right in the same instant.
Yet after evading the sword's slash, he found Uchiha Tajima's forward foot swinging toward him.
Senju Longshu raised his sword to block the formidable kick.
The pressure transmitted through the blade was immense. Senju Longshu knew that staying on the defensive would put him at a disadvantage, so he seized the initiative and began attacking Uchiha Tajima.
Uchiha Tajima did not dare let his guard down. His face brimming with fighting spirit, he met the attack.
The two traded blows.
The Uchiha Clan had strength in numbers. Seeing signs that they were beginning to surround him, Senju Longshu started considering his escape route.
Their attacks collided, and the recoil from the clash of powerful energies sent Uchiha Tajima and Senju Longshu flying backward in opposite directions.
Uchiha Tajima's pupils changed color. This man is far stronger than I estimated.
The crowd of red-eyed freaks ahead drove Senju Longshu to retreat even faster and farther.
Uchiha Tajima advanced with the Body Flicker Technique, appearing behind Senju Longshu in an instant.
The gap in their abilities spoke for itself.
Senju Longshu's back was exposed.
He took the Great Fireball Technique head-on. Roaring flames struck from behind, their scorching heat piercing through his back and into his chest.
The searing chakra energy roasted Senju Longshu's skin and penetrated his blood vessels.
The Uchiha Clan's Fire Release was truly not to be underestimated!
The scorching energy affected the flow of blood inside his body, and a mouthful of hot blood surged up Senju Longshu's throat.
Senju Longshu launched a desperate counterattack, spraying the chakra-infused blood from his mouth straight at the approaching Uchiha Tajima.
Uchiha Tajima narrowly dodged it.
But those few seconds gave Senju Longshu time to hastily retreat and tumble into a tent in the camp.
Uchiha Tajima pursued him, only to discover a secret passage dug beneath the tent. After entering the tunnel, Senju Longshu had used Taijutsu to destroy its entrance.
Uchiha Tajima glared sharply at the collapsed opening that now completely blocked his way.
An oppressive killing intent poured from Uchiha Tajima.
The other members of the Uchiha Clan arrived as well.
Someone tried to dig out the collapsed entrance, but Uchiha Tajima raised a hand to stop them.
After that brief delay, Senju Longshu had most likely already escaped to safety.
They had held the advantage, yet Senju Longshu had escaped! Infuriating!
"You can run, but you can't take your home with you."
Fuming inwardly, Uchiha Tajima sneered. "As long as the Senju Clan has to protect Pinefrost City, destroying the city will end their mission..."
At the same time, inside Pinefrost City.
The afternoon sunlight illuminated the deserted streets.
Cherry blossoms fell onto withered blades of grass.
The cold air above swept through the surroundings.
A group of fully armed shinobi wore grave expressions.
"Sir, that child from the Senju Clan hasn't come out since entering that house. He seems to be waiting for someone."
The Hagoromo Clan's shinobi had been assigned to watch a boy in casual clothes who had entered an empty courtyard in Pinefrost City.
"Waiting for someone? His elders, obviously. The Uchiha Clan has already gone to intercept Senju Longshu. Whatever the outcome, hurry up and send that child to his grave!" the leader said viciously, leading his men as they broke through the gate.
The courtyard gate was instantly blasted open by Ninjutsu.
An unexpected wave of bloody stench hit them as the gate burst open.
The Hagoromo Clan's shinobi froze.
Their leader realized that breaking open the gate seemed to have triggered some sort of nonlethal trap.
Like a child's prank, a bucket full of reeking fresh blood had been placed behind the gate.
The moment the gate broke open, everyone charging through it was drenched in blood.
Now they were all stained crimson from head to toe, their hands covered in red.
Everyone stood stunned by the blood-red sight before them, sweat covering their pale faces.
Beneath the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard ahead, a figure knelt upright in fine clothing, her expression placid and her eyes closed. Her skin had the bluish pallor of death.
The air was thick with the presence of death.
As shinobi, they had seen far too much death to be surprised or suspicious. They had become familiar with such things long ago.
The body kneeling neatly in the courtyard belonged to the employer shared by the Hagoromo Clan and the Uchiha Clan-Saionji Kaede.
The Hagoromo Clan shinobi stood silently in the courtyard where her body lay, drenched in blood.
As though there were nothing they could do, they stared fixedly at the corpse, their minds incapable of thought, like hourglasses with sand endlessly trickling through them.
A shinobi behind the leader could not help asking with a troubled expression, "Sir, what should we do? This... this dead woman is..."
"Notify the clan leader. Hurry!" the Hagoromo Clan's lead shinobi said quietly. "We've been framed."
They had been splashed with blood upon entering, and their employer's corpse sat in the courtyard. The fatal wound was on her neck, apparently inflicted by a single slash, and her body had been drained of blood.
He understood now. The blood above the entrance... had come from this corpse.
Once word of this got out, their Hagoromo Clan would bear the disgrace of having murdered their employer.
No patron in the Shinobi World would be willing to hire the Hagoromo Clan again. Someone might even pay other shinobi clans to join forces and wipe out their entire clan!
What the Hagoromo Clan shinobi who had stormed into the courtyard did not know was this.
A rumor was spreading through the various countries, one that would bring catastrophe upon their Hagoromo Clan in the near future.
The Senju Clan's Clan Grounds.
The rear courtyard of the Clan Leader's Residence.
Yanbai sat at a desk on the narrow veranda, writing. A bird flew in from outside and landed on his shoulder.
Yanbai's hand paused, and he turned his face slightly.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp..."
The bird tilted its head and chattered away.
Yanbai nodded without a word.
As it spoke, Yanbai opened a jar beside him, revealing the worms inside.
With his slender fingers, he picked out a worm and offered it as a reward to the bird on his shoulder.
The bird took the worm in its beak and swallowed it, then nuzzled Yanbai's cheek before spreading its wings and flying away.
Suddenly, rhythmic footsteps sounded behind him.
Yanbai set down his pen.
Then Butsuma Senju's voice came from behind him.
"Your wish has come true." Butsuma Senju's voice sounded unhurried behind Yanbai. "All sorts of outrageous rumors about the Hagoromo Clan are circulating out there now, but one thing is certain: their reputation is ruined."
Butsuma Senju did not say much more.
He knew Yanbai would understand.
Or rather, everything that had befallen the Hagoromo Clan had been Yanbai's doing from the very beginning.
Before you continue