Shimura Ri, the second-strongest expert in the Shimura clan, had been beheaded!
His head was separated from his body!
Sarutobi Domoto, a high-ranking figure in the Sarutobi clan, had also died of exhaustion. The entire force of twenty Jonin had been wiped out!
And the enemy was unknown.
It was clear that the victors had cleaned up the scene, leaving no clues behind.
A unit of twenty Jonin!
Across the entire Warring States period, few ninja clans had the ability to annihilate them completely.
"Captain, what do we do now?" another Shimura ninja from the investigation team asked Shimura Aigoto.
Shimura Aigoto gritted his teeth and stood up. "We need to bring these bodies back to the clan. The four of us can't do it alone. Notify the clan head and ask for reinforcements."
Before his three subordinates could respond, a dozen dark figures suddenly descended, and a voice called out, "There's no need for that."
The four of them spun around. The crimson tomoe in their attackers' eyes spun slowly, seeming to devour everything.
The leader, Uchiha Zuoxiu, sneered, "You're about to join these corpses."
"The Uchiha clan?" Shimura Aigoto was utterly shocked, but then forced himself to calm down. "Was it you?"
To be honest, Uchiha Zuoxiu didn't know the specifics. He only knew that the clan head, Uchiha Madara, had received a letter from Izuna.
Then he'd been ordered to assemble a twelve-man squad, hurry here, and eliminate any Sarutobi or Shimura ninja who might appear.
"Go ask the King of Hell," Uchiha Zuoxiu said, the corner of his mouth curling up. "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
***
"ROOOOAR!"
At the east gate of the Uchiha's Stonecastle, Susanoo let out a deafening roar and split the gate in half with a single sword strike.
Beside him, Uchiha Kong said worriedly, "Vice-Clan Head, this technique consumes too much chakra. It's best not to use it before facing a Kage-level enemy."
Izuna smiled faintly and dispelled his Susanoo. "I'm just a little excited that the war is about to end."
His eyes gleamed with fervor and killing intent. "Attack! Don't let a single one escape!"
The two hundred-plus Uchiha soldiers swarmed past Izuna and poured through the city walls.
At that moment, most of the Five-Clan Alliance's ninja had been moved into the city by their clan heads to fight amongst themselves, leaving the number of ninja defending the gates at a minimum.
Moreover, the defenders were mostly the weakest members of the five clans. They were no match for the Uchiha.
After less than fifteen minutes of resistance, the gate's defense line completely collapsed, and the Uchiha army charged straight into the city.
Meanwhile, in the very center of the city.
With Izuna's former residence as the epicenter, a massive conflict had erupted among the five clans, spanning a radius of five li.
To be precise, it was the Hagoromo clan versus the Watanabe, Saito, Fuma, and Kikawa clans.
The ninja on both sides had heard of the other's "betrayal" from their respective clan heads. Each one was filled with righteous indignation and burning anger, striking with even more ferocity than they had against the Uchiha.
*Bang!*
Hagoromo Masanari blocked a blow from the Watanabe clan head and retreated several steps, crashing into the stone wall behind him.
With a rumble, the wall cracked into a spiderweb pattern, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
However, the Watanabe clan head and the others weren't faring much better. The Saito clan head had deep gashes on his left shoulder, abdomen, and right leg, and the others were also in poor shape.
Pushing a Kage-level ninja to the brink was a very dangerous thing to do.
But regardless, the Hagoromo were clearly at a disadvantage, both in terms of their leader and their overall combat power.
Hagoromo Masanari clenched his jaw. He knew that taking on four clans with only his own was a huge risk, but since he already knew they were planning to make a move that night, he had no other choice.
"Cough, cough!"
He coughed twice more, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He turned his back to one of his men and whispered, "Have Tobi's reinforcements not arrived yet?"
"Fire Release: Great Fire Extinction!"
"Wind Release: Rasengan!"
Suddenly, a four-pointed, pinwheel-like Rasengan from above merged with a massive arrow of concentrated flame.
The next moment, a giant flaming wheel fell from the sky.
Dozens of people below sensed the fatal crisis from above and hastily retreated.
The residence was completely reduced to ash. A few who couldn't escape in time were caught in the blast and incinerated.
A dozen figures descended from the sky. Without exception, all of them had the three-tomoe Sharingan!
"Heh..."
Izuna's gaze swept across the area. *Very good, they're all seriously injured.*
"The Uchiha!?"
The members of the five clans were aghast. Why would the Uchiha, who had just been defeated and forced to retreat that morning, launch a surprise attack in the middle of the night?
It made no sense!
Who had ever heard of losing a battle during the day and launching a counterattack that same night?
"What... what in the world is going on!?"
Right now, Hagoromo Masanari just wanted to curse. Tobi's reinforcements were nowhere to be seen, but this pack of Uchiha madmen had arrived.
Izuna gave an order to the Jonin squad that had penetrated deep into the enemy's formation: "Engage."
Uchiha Shuriken Manipulation Jutsu!
Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Song!
Fire Release: Simple Burn Jutsu!
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!
...
Compared to the five clans, who had been fighting for some time, the Uchiha were full of energy.
Furthermore, they were well-fed and rested, and seeing the five clans embroiled in self-destructive infighting for some unknown reason, they were overjoyed.
Uchiha Kong was also ecstatic. While unleashing a high-level fire jutsu, he asked Izuna, "Vice-Clan Head, now that they're fighting each other, should we treat them differently?"
"When the snipe and the clam grapple, does the fisherman choose to treat them differently?" Izuna replied coolly.
Uchiha Kong gave a sheepish smile, realizing he had asked a foolish question. He quickly gathered his chakra, ignored his own serious injuries, drew a kunai, and charged toward the enemy.
Izuna, meanwhile, leaped in front of Hagoromo Masanari, an inscrutable smile on his face. "We meet again so soon, Lord Hagoromo."
"Why? Why are you attacking now!?"
Even for a Kage-level powerhouse like Hagoromo Masanari, it was difficult to remain calm.
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