"Vice-Clan Head, forgive me for not welcoming you sooner." Uchiha Shin strode forward and bowed.
Izuna looked at the defeated commander, his face an unreadable mask. "Brief me on the disparity in our forces and the topography of Shirotani Pass."
"Yes, sir." Uchiha Shin responded immediately. His eyes fell on Uzumaki Mito, standing just behind Izuna's right shoulder. "Vice-Clan Head, this woman is..."
Izuna glanced back. *It seems the news of me taking an Uzumaki princess hostage has only reached Madara and the elders. Shin and the others in the north don't know yet.*
"She is an honored guest from the Uzumaki. Arrange a new tent for her."
"Yes, sir." A chill went through Shin and the others. *An Uzumaki? Aren't they formally allied with the Senju, fighting our clan on the main front? Why is there an Uzumaki woman with the Vice-Clan Head?*
But they had no time to dwell on such things. Uchiha Shin and two other jonin led Izuna into the main command tent, where a large map of Shirotani Pass was hanging.
"Vice-Clan Head, look. Shirotani Pass is a classic mountain battlefield. Numbers don't have a decisive impact on the outcome. The Uchiha hold the high ground, giving us a tactical advantage. Our camp is at the highest point. The Senju are positioned here. Though their position is lower, it's excellent for concealment..."
As he spoke, one of the other jonin chimed in. "That old fox Senju Yuma used the terrain to ambush us. Otherwise, the Uchiha would never have lost."
Izuna's gaze swept over him. The coldness in his eyes made the jonin snap his mouth shut and take two fearful steps back.
"The terrain? An ambush?" Izuna repeated the words, his eyes then moving to Uchiha Shin and the remaining jonin.
They, too, averted their gazes in fear.
"Those are not excuses for your defeat!" Izuna's voice suddenly boomed, striking their nerves like a sledgehammer.
He turned back to the map. After a long moment, he asked, "What is the disparity in our forces?"
Uchiha Shin, struggling to recover from his fear, replied, "Y-Yes. Currently, the Uchiha have approximately two hundred and sixty combat-ready shinobi. The... the Senju, including the forces Senju Yuma brought with him, are estimated... estimated to number between seven and eight hundred."
Even on such terrain, where numbers held less sway, the gap was far too great. Izuna grumbled inwardly. If not for Shin's disastrous defeat, the disparity in their forces wouldn't be this absurd.
"Commander Shin, who holds the highest rank here aside from you?" Izuna asked calmly.
Uchiha Shin's heart skipped a beat. He had a sinking feeling he knew what was coming. He lowered his head and nodded toward the other jonin who had remained silent.
The man, who looked to be between thirty-five and forty, stepped forward and bowed to Izuna. "Vice-Clan Head, that would be me. Uchiha Akichi."
Izuna's eyes remained fixed on the map. "From this moment on, you and Uchiha Shin will switch positions. Understood?" he said without turning around.
Uchiha Akichi glanced at Shin, who let out a long sigh and nodded. Only then did Akichi reply, "Yes. I accept the command."
Uchiha Shin knew that after such a catastrophic failure, he could not hold onto his position. The punishment Izuna had delivered was, all things considered, a light one.
With their positions swapped, they naturally had to change their places in the tent as well. Uchiha Shin retreated to the entrance, earning a look of pity even from the jonin who had spoken out of turn earlier.
Uchiha Akichi moved to Izuna's side. "Vice-Clan Head," he asked for instructions, "what is our next move?"
They were at an absolute disadvantage in terms of numbers, morale, and the pressure they faced. Akichi and the others were at a loss. Their only hope now rested on the Uchiha clan's foremost strategist.
"Reinforce the defensive walls. And I want explosive tags posted in a ten-li radius around the camp," Izuna ordered first.
"Yes! I'll see to it at once!" the talkative jonin declared immediately.
Uchiha Shin felt he couldn't remain silent. "Vice-Clan Head," he asked quietly, "is that all?"
"Of course not. That's just the surface. The more pressing issue right now is morale," Izuna said coldly.
"Yes, sir!" Shin quickly replied.
Izuna narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the map. "The location of the Senju camp..."
Although the Uchiha occupied the highest ground at Shirotani Pass, giving them an excellent field of view to guard against ambushes, the Senju position was also advantageous. Shielded by rugged mountains and dense forests, it was perfect for concealment, unlike their own camp, which was exposed beneath the open sky.
Izuna spoke again, his tone even colder than before. "Senju Yuma killed over a hundred of our men, didn't he? I'm going to demand a hundred of their lives in return."
Uchiha Akichi and Uchiha Shin froze, their eyes wide as they exchanged a shocked glance. Akichi's voice trembled as he asked, "Vice... Vice-Clan Head, how many men will you take?"
"One will be enough."
***
The sun set, and evening crept over the land. In the camp, men in each tent began their duties—starting fires, serving food, eating their meals. Though no one's mood was ever good during wartime, the Uchiha shinobi now wore numb, almost despairing expressions. The news of Izuna's arrival had brought them little joy; the sting of their recent defeat was too raw.
Izuna carried a simple meal of thin porridge—water, white rice, and some odds and ends stewed together—to a newly erected tent in a corner of the camp. He handed the bowl to Mito.
During war, food was for sustenance, nothing more. And after a defeat, with everyone's spirits crushed, no one had the mind for enjoying a meal. The taste of the porridge was exactly what one would expect.
But Mito was not picky. She blew gently on the bowl before bringing it to her red lips and eating spoonful by spoonful.
"Mito, you're a sensory-type ninja, aren't you?" Izuna asked suddenly.
Mito paused mid-spoonful and gave a soft "Mm."
When she had finished the porridge, Izuna took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her lips. He couldn't help but smile. "It's not easy finding one of these in a military camp. The rest of us men just use our sleeves."
A warmth spread through Mito's heart, but her expression turned serious. "What do you want to ask of me?"
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