After breakfast, Uchiha Kong came straight to Izuna's room to report on the food shortage.
"How long can we last?" Izuna asked.
The wrinkles on Uchiha Kong's face twitched. After a long pause, he answered with a pained expression, "A-About a month."
"Were everyone's rations reduced today?" Izuna asked again.
"Yes. This way, we should be able to hold out for an extra half a month. I plan to continue reducing rations from now on."
Izuna considered this for a moment. "No. Keep the portions as they were. As for this morning's reduction, just tell everyone that the quartermasters spilled some rice while cooking."
Uchiha Kong was aghast. "Vice-Clan Head, if we do that... we won't last long at all!"
"Don't we still have a month's supply?" Izuna's eyes narrowed. "Within one month, this war must end."
End the war in a month? Uchiha Kong's eyes went wide. The battle had already dragged on for half a year with no decisive progress. Casualties were about even on both sides, thanks to Izuna's strategy of avoiding direct confrontation. While the Uchiha hadn't lost many men, the same was true for the Hagoromo forces.
What surprised everyone most was that in all this time, the Senju clan had made no move. Despite this, Madara and the others hadn't let their guard down for a second. *Perhaps they feel the Uchiha haven't been worn down enough and are waiting for a chance to strike a killing blow.*
***
After Uchiha Kong left, Izuna took out his black cloak and spiral mask, muttering to himself, "It's been half a year. You all should have made up your minds by now, right?"
Disguised as Tobi, Izuna opened his System Skill Tree for the first time in six months.
[Skill Points: 35]
Despite it being a time of war, Izuna had barely seen any frontline combat in the past half-year. He had spent most of his time directing troops from the rear. The increase in his skill points could only be described as pitiful. Most of what he had earned had come from deceiving clan heads like Hagoromo Masanari.
***
The next evening. In a scene remarkably similar to one half a year ago, Sarutobi Furukawa and Shimura Keizo sat across from each other, enjoying a dinner that, while not extravagant, was certainly plentiful. For the past six months, the Sarutobi and Shimura clans had remained out of the war. Unlike the Uchiha, who were strained by conflict and had to ration their food, they could afford to eat lavishly.
"The two clan heads seem to be in good spirits."
The raspy, familiar voice echoed through the hall. This time, the two of them didn't nervously draw their weapons. Instead, they calmly waved their hands, signaling the guards around the hall to stand down.
Izuna slowly emerged from a dark corner of the hall. "On the battlefield," he said gravely, "we are reduced to soaking dough in water to fill our stomachs."
Sarutobi Furukawa gestured to the roasted rabbit on his table. "If you don't mind, you're welcome to join us. Though I suppose you can't eat with that mask on."
Izuna's tone remained flat. "Still, we're lucky to have dough. I'm afraid the Uchiha will soon be reduced to eating tree bark."
The expressions of everyone present changed. Shimura Keizo's eyes lit up. "Are you saying the Uchiha are about to run out of food?"
"The intelligence is absolutely accurate."
Sarutobi Furukawa frowned. "You were able to obtain intelligence from the Uchiha clan?"
If one were to ask which clan's intelligence was the hardest to obtain during the Warring States period, the answer was undoubtedly the Uchiha. Their Sharingan, even with a single tomoe, was the perfect tool for gathering information and preventing leaks. It had taken the other clans ages to learn about major events like Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna becoming Clan Head and Vice-Clan Head. Something as critical as a food shortage would be a tightly guarded secret.
"I investigated it myself," Izuna replied.
Sarutobi Furukawa was rendered speechless. With the man's uncanny and elusive teleportation jutsu, it was indeed possible—no, highly probable—that he could spy on the Uchiha and get away with it.
"So, what is it you want?" Shimura Keizo asked.
"I also discovered something else. In about five days, a shipment of grain will be sent from the Uchiha's main territory. This is Uchiha Izuna's lifeline," Izuna said, spreading his hands. "I have the route. But it is extremely difficult for us to bypass Uchiha Izuna's watch to intercept it. That is why I wish to ask the Shimura and Sarutobi clans to lend us a hand and burn this shipment."
"Secondly, our own food supplies are running low. We hope that you, who have not fought for a full year, can lend us a portion of your grain. These two tasks will serve as our six-clan alliance's pledge of allegiance." In Izuna's telling, the "six clans" were the Fuma, Saito, Watanabe, Kikawa, Sarutobi, and Shimura. The Hagoromo were now positioned as the enemy.
"At that point, the Uchiha's strength will be severely diminished due to the lack of food. After we and the Hagoromo take Stonecastle, you will send your grain shipment to support us, and then we will eliminate the Hagoromo." By this point, Izuna's voice was thick with excitement. "Such vast territories, within your grasp... are the two of you not tempted?"
Sarutobi Furukawa drew a sharp breath. Shimura Keizo, unable to contain himself, stood up. "How many men will it take to burn the Uchiha's reinforcement grain shipment?"
Beneath his mask, Izuna's face was alight with manic joy.
*Success! The seeds I planted half a year ago are finally ready to be harvested!*
After revealing the Uchiha's supply route for the shipment five days from now to Sarutobi Furukawa and Shimura Keizo, "Tobi" departed.
Looking at the route marked in red on the map, it was just as the masked man had said. Bypassing the Uchiha defenses at Stonecastle to launch a surprise attack from the Five-Clan Alliance's position would be extremely difficult. In contrast, approaching from the Sarutobi and Shimura lands would be much easier.
"Are you going to do it, Keizo?" Sarutobi Furukawa asked, his brow furrowed.
"This is a golden opportunity, Furukawa," Shimura Keizo said with a cunning smile. "And not only that, after the Hagoromo are dealt with, we can eliminate the other four clans as well!"
Sarutobi Furukawa's expression changed dramatically. "What do you mean?"
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