"Oh, I forgot to tell you. The food my brother sent us was intercepted by the Shimura clan three days ago. It was all burned," Izuna said, his tone perfectly calm.
His words caused an uproar.
"The Shimura clan?"
"The Sarutobi and Shimura have entered the war?"
"Damn it! The Uchiha are in a crisis, and everyone wants a piece of us!"
The Sarutobi-Shimura alliance could be considered the fourth-greatest power in the Warring States, second only to the Uchiha, Senju, and Hyuga. Their entry into the war put just as much pressure on the Uchiha as the Senju did.
"Everyone, calm the hell down!" Uchiha Kong, a veteran, suddenly roared, silencing the panicked clansmen. He berated them, "The Vice-Clan Head must have a plan." He then turned to Izuna. "Vice-Clan Head, do you have a brilliant strategy to get us out of this?"
"First, Hagoromo Masanari will definitely gather the full strength of the five clans and attack the city within three days."
Everyone's heart grew heavy. They wanted to ask, "How do you know that?" but no one did. They just listened quietly as Izuna continued.
"Second, starting today, we will go from three meals a day to one. Director Kong, you will take the remaining half of our food supplies and secretly transport them to the small river fifty li behind us. Set up a temporary camp there."
At this, the Jonin nearly jumped off the floor. What kind of order was this? *You just said the Hagoromo are going to fight a decisive battle with us in the coming days. We should be eating more, getting our strength up to prepare for battle! Why are you cutting our meals? Aren't we already defeated before the fight even begins?*
However, before the Jonin could protest, Izuna added, "Third, in the decisive battle, we must lose!"
Three strategies, each one stranger than the last. The Jonin who attended the meeting left with their stomachs full of doubt, still utterly confused. Some even began to wonder if their Vice-Clan Head, who had earned great merit on the Mount Congyun battlefield and was hailed as "the Uchiha clan's most brilliant strategist," was all just for show.
But no matter what they grumbled about internally, an order from the Vice-Clan Head, Izuna, had to be followed without question.
The first was cutting meals from three to one per day. After this order was given, many clansmen realized that food was running out. They proposed launching a preemptive attack, seeking a decisive battle with the five clans rather than fighting when they were half-starved. Generally speaking, this was the correct proposal. But Izuna turned a deaf ear, rejecting all suggestions. The clansmen could only suffer in silence. On the very first night, they began to endure the pangs of hunger.
***
On the other side of the battlefield, in the camp of the Five-Clan Alliance.
Hagoromo Masanari, having returned to his territory, summoned the leaders of the four other clans. Seated in the central seat of honor, he addressed them: "Gentlemen, I have received accurate intelligence. The Uchiha are completely out of food, and supplies from their main territory have not yet arrived. Now is the perfect time to take Stonecastle. At noon tomorrow, our entire army will advance and settle this in one fell swoop!"
Raising his wine cup, Masanari shouted, "When that time comes, we will occupy the Uchiha clan's entire northwest territory! A toast!"
The four clan leaders exchanged glances, a subtle glint passing through their eyes. Then, they rose one after another, smiling broadly. "A toast!"
***
Inside Uchiha's Stonecastle.
For three consecutive days, they had eaten only one meal per day. Some of the lower-ranking clansmen, while not fainting from hunger, were beginning to look haggard. They didn't dare say anything openly, but they couldn't help but complain inwardly, *What on earth is the Vice-Clan Head thinking?*
If they didn't have enough food, then they should gather the entire army, march out of the city, and fight a life-or-death battle. Dying in battle was better than starving to death! Even a Genin could understand that. The longer they delayed, the more disadvantageous their situation would become.
***
Dong... dong... dong... dong...
The resonant tolling of a bell echoed through the air—the warning bell.
"Enemy attack!"
"Enemy attack!"
"Civilians, return to your homes! Ninja, assemble!"
"The Five-Clan Alliance is attacking! Everyone, on your guard!"
"Notify the Vice-Clan Head and Lord Kong immediately! Quickly!"
The Uchiha, a clan forged in countless battles, assembled with maximum speed even under such dire circumstances.
At the gathering point by the city gate, Izuna stood on a raised platform, his gaze fixed on the hundreds of Uchiha ninja below.
Three days, one meal a day. It was plain from their faces that they were in no condition to fight.
"Starving, are we?"
Izuna's opening words left the clansmen baffled.
"Do you think we're doomed to lose this fight?"
The crowd below didn't answer, but in their hearts, they couldn't help but nod.
"You're right. We will fail. This city, the most important Uchiha stronghold in the northwest, is going to fall."
The more Izuna spoke, the deeper the astonishment on his clansmen's faces grew.
*Has the Vice-Clan Head gone mad?*
"Director Kong has already set up a temporary base behind our lines. Tonight, I'm treating you all to a full meal. Tomorrow night, we will take the clan lands of the Hagoromo, Fuma, Watanabe, Saito, and Kikawa. When that happens, we'll have a proper feast."
Everyone's eyes widened, thinking this was some absurd fantasy.
He himself had just said Stonecastle would fall. Retreat tonight, take the city back tomorrow night, and wipe out five clans in one fell swoop?
*Was this some kind of joke?*
But no matter how much they grumbled internally, no one spoke up. It was partly because they didn't dare overstep their authority, but more importantly, no one had the energy to argue. A sense of grim resignation had settled over them.
***
On the northwest plains battlefield.
"Gentlemen, wasn't I right?"
Standing at the forefront of the two thousand strong Five-Clan Alliance, Hagoromo Masanari wore a triumphant smile as he gestured with his chin toward the Uchiha ninja army.
"Clan Head Hagoromo's intelligence network is truly remarkable. This battle is ours," Watanabe Ya, head of the Watanabe clan, said, his eyes narrowed.
Anyone could see that the Uchiha were in terrible shape.
The Saito clan head added, "Of course. They've been without supplies for days. Their combat strength is a shadow of its former self. This battle will end the war that has dragged on for over half a year."
The Five-Clan Alliance was full of vigor, their morale soaring, a stark contrast to the dejected Uchiha across from them.
As the war drums thundered, the cries of battle—a sound heard countless times over the past six months—rose once more.
Izuna's eyes transformed into their Mangekyo state. The ability of his left eye to foresee the future showed him exactly what techniques the ninja charging toward him would use.
He leaped into the air, avoiding a pair of arms that erupted from the earth beneath his feet.
*Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu, is it?*
Izuna's eyes narrowed slightly. He drew two kunai from the pouch on his lower back, coated their blades with wind-natured chakra, and threw them downward.
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