In the end, Izuna decided to reassign the Kage-level master Uchiha Gakugyo—who led the veteran ninja army originally stationed at the hundred-mile Stonecastle on Mount Soún—to the northern front to fortify defenses alongside Uchiha Akichi.
He himself would personally lead troops to defend the main battlefield at Stonecastle against the Senju offensive.
After spending some time finalizing the detailed allocation plan, everything was settled.
The next day, Izuna prepared to depart. Mito carefully tied the fine cords on his armor.
"You must come back safe and sound."
After Mito finished tying the last cord at Izuna's collar, she smiled with a trace of worry.
"Don't worry. The person who can beat me hasn't been born yet!"
Izuna patted his chest in assurance.
"So full of yourself."
Mito shot him a reproachful glance.
Little did she know that Izuna's "born" did not mean "born" in the sense she imagined.
He was hinting at Black Zetsu, whose whereabouts were still unknown, and Kaguya Otsutsuki, who remained sealed.
After saying goodbye to Mito, Izuna made his way to the Uchiha clan's exit.
As he left, his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the Memorial Stone on the right.
A considerable portion of the clan had already reached the front lines. This time, Izuna was to lead fifteen hundred men to Mount Soún to fortify defenses.
By the time Izuna arrived, the Uchiha force of fifteen hundred had already formed up in square formations, ready to depart.
"This time, the Senju side's total forces exceed ours by more than double. You may not say it aloud, but in your hearts you must all be afraid, isn't that right?"
Izuna asked, head held high.
Among the neatly arranged Uchiha ninja army, many showed complicated expressions.
That's right. The Uchiha possessed immense pride, and though they would not admit it, facing the unprecedented disparity in combat power, they could not help but feel uneasy.
Can we really win?
"Since ancient times, how have humans defeated beasts far stronger than themselves? Through strategy, through wisdom! Moreover, the gap between us and the Senju is not as great as you imagine!"
Izuna stepped forward and shouted, "In our previous wars with the Senju, weren't we placed in danger every time? And didn't we pull through every single time?"
"This time will be no exception. This battle will decide which of us—Senju or Uchiha—will unify the future Warring States. Think about it: if we succeed in this battle, your children's generation will not be entangled with war for decades to come."
At these words, many clansmen's faces lit up with fervor.
That's right. Who truly loves war? Who doesn't wish to live in peace and stability?
Once this battle is won, the clans of the Warring States will hold the Uchiha's power in even greater regard and will not dare provoke unrest for decades.
At this thought, the entire Uchiha army brimmed with fighting spirit, their earlier worries replaced by excitement.
Izuna smiled faintly, waved his hand, and shouted, "Not only for the Uchiha, but for the next generation of Uchiha—for peace!"
"For the Uchiha! For peace!"
"For the Uchiha! For peace!"
In an instant, the emotions of every soldier on the field surged. Arms raised high, spirits soaring.
"Well said!"
A smiling, bold voice came from behind.
Izuna turned to see Madara, dressed in a black kimono and plain clothes, walking steadily forward.
"Clan Head?"
Uchiha Enka and the others at the front of the formation were also startled.
Izuna glanced at Uchiha Zuoxiu beside him, who responded with a wry smile.
The meaning was clear: I couldn't stop him.
Madara blinked hard a few times, clearly uncomfortable, then raised his hand. Servants behind him carried porcelain bowls filled with white wine, passing them to every person in the formation.
Madara himself held a bowl of wine, his spirits high. "As Clan Head of the Uchiha, I cannot personally participate in this battle. I am truly ashamed. Before you depart, allow me first to... entrust this to all of you!"
Watching Madara drain his bowl in one gulp, Izuna—also holding a wine bowl—did not spoil the mood by saying something like "You're ill, you shouldn't drink."
Crack!
After finishing the bowl, Madara slammed the porcelain down hard on the ground with a crisp sound.
Seeing this, Izuna took the lead, bringing the bowl to his lips. The others did the same, draining the strong liquor in one gulp and smashing their bowls at their feet with a sharp crack.
"Hahahaha!"
Madara threw his head back and laughed twice, then turned and left.
Izuna's lips curled slightly. He turned to the troops and shouted, "Move out!"
"Yes!!!"
After traveling through the night, the Uchiha force of fifteen hundred ninja reached their destination.
Including the ninja already stationed there, the total came to two thousand.
Adding in the forces on the northern front, the total barely approached three thousand.
But according to Uchiha Zuoxiu's intelligence, the Senju grand coalition had committed over seven thousand troops to this war.
The disparity in strength exceeded two to one. If the Uchiha won, it would be a miracle.
But if the Senju won, it would cement the Senju Alliance's standing in the Warring States.
And the Senju's alliance might very well be the embryonic prototype of Konohagakure from the original story.
Though Izuna could not understand why this powerful clan, even stronger than the Uchiha, had vanished entirely in later generations.
Was it due to war? Or, like the Uchiha, had they been "dealt with" by higher-ups with ulterior motives?
By late afternoon the following day, Izuna's group reached Mount Soún.
The hundred-mile Stonecastle defensive wall built into the mountain face according to Izuna's specifications already possessed considerable defensive capability.
Uchiha Sen, a man over fifty and of even higher seniority than Uchiha Gakugyo, was the first to greet them.
Holding the high ground was critical, especially on terrain like this.
Once they began bombarding downhill with jutsu, even with a two-to-one disadvantage in forces, the enemy would not find it easy to break through.
For clans like the Kaguya and Hatake, who favored close-quarters combat, this would be fatal.
The only real concern was Senju Hashirama, that bug-level existence.
But Izuna would handle him personally.
"Head Sen, in your experience, how many troops will the Senju commit to this battlefield?"
After settling the others, Izuna walked side by side with Uchiha Sen, accompanied by a few high-ranking officers, toward the main command tent.
Uchiha Sen answered without hesitation, "In this old man's humble opinion, at least four thousand."
The Senju coalition's total deployment was at least seven thousand.
Four thousand attacking Mount Soún was not excessive at all.
"Even with the terrain advantage, Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama are no easy opponents. Their strength has reached the point where one man can turn the tide of battle."
Though Izuna spoke this way, his tone was utterly calm.
"With you here as Vice-Clan Head, there will be no problem."
Uchiha Sen offered a measured compliment.
"Heh."
Izuna chuckled softly and entered the main command tent with the others to discuss the deployment of this front and the future supply routes.
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