Chapter 83: Raizen's Gambit
"After this, both the Kaguya and the Senju will be severely weakened," Uchiha Madara stated, swirling the dark liquid in his cup. "The Kaguya are destined for annihilation. As for the Uzumaki… with the Senju's protection, they may linger a while longer."
"The key is speed. Are our covert teams in position?" Raizen asked.
"It is done. They have left shadow clones to maintain their cover and are already en route to the staging area." A rare, cold smile touched Madara's lips. It was the first time since Senna's death that any expression other than rage or grief had crossed his face.
Upon Raizen's return, he had worked with Uchiha Natsume—"Fatty"—to prepare the Impure World Reincarnation. However, Madara, after learning the full, horrific consequences for the summoned soul—the eternal torment and loss of self—had forbidden its use on Senna. The technique was too abominable, even for his vengeance.
"Good. The pieces are set. Now, I go to the Senju. Wish me luck," Raizen said, raising his cup in a final toast.
"You will come back alive," Madara commanded, his voice low and intense. Raizen was now the only person left he could speak to without the mask of the patriarch. He could not lose him, too.
"Don't go planting flags on me," Raizen replied with a wry grin. "I'm off."
He left the study and sought out Uchiha Natsume.
"Fatty, is the reanimation jutsu prepared?"
"Almost ready. The materials are assembled. But my current mastery… I can only maintain them for a single day. It's not…"
"A day is enough," Raizen interrupted. "I'm heading to the Senju now. Be careful yourself."
With that final order, Uchiha Raizen left the safety of the Uchiha lands and moved like a ghost through the forest.
A day of relentless travel brought him to the borders of Senju territory.
"Hashirama," he whispered to the wind, "the real gift is here."
He formed a hand seal. "Transformation Technique!" His form shifted, his features coarsening, his hair turning stark white, his skin taking on a deathly pallor. He looked every bit a warrior of the Kaguya clan. Then, he formed another seal. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
Eight identical Kaguya clones poofed into existence around him.
"Remember," he instructed them, his voice now a perfect imitation of the Kaguya's rasp. "Our goal is not a high body count. Our purpose is to make them believe the Kaguya are here."
The clones nodded and shot off in different directions, while Raizen's true body, still disguised, infiltrated deeper.
Now that he had fully mastered the Shikotsumyaku bloodline, he had access to its basic forms. He hadn't yet unlocked the advanced "Dances," but for this mission of misdirection, the fundamentals were more than enough.
He soon encountered a Senju patrol.
"Halt! Who goes—?!"
The guard's challenge was cut short. "Dance of the Camellia!" Raizen didn't hesitate. Sharp bones erupted from his palms, skewering the two guards before they could fully draw their weapons. He didn't stay to admire his work, immediately melting back into the shadows.
Similar scenes played out all along the Senju border—swift, brutal attacks bearing the unmistakable signature of the Kaguya clan.
Meanwhile, Raizen's real body, accompanied by four of his most powerful clones, slipped like phantoms into the heart of the Senju compound.
"Lord Hashirama, we are under—!"
"I know. I can feel them," Hashirama's voice was grim from within his home. Before the messenger could finish, the Senju patriarch had already vanished.
Raizen and his clones were just about to plant more "evidence" when a figure landed before them with a soft thud. It was Hashirama, his expression a storm of anger and disappointment.
"Who are you?!" he demanded.
The transformed Raizen let out a guttural laugh. "Senju Hashirama? You think you can rest easy here? My only purpose is to ensure you do not!" He didn't use any Uchiha techniques. Instead, he ripped a bone from his own forearm, shaping it into a crude sword, and charged.
Hashirama's eyes narrowed as he recognized the fighting style. "The Kaguya clan! Hmph! Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique!"
A massive dragon, woven from living wood, erupted from the ground, its maw gaping wide. It wasn't his ultimate technique, but it was powerful enough to handle a small squad. Not wanting to reveal his true identity or that these were mere clones, Raizen and his duplicates feigned a panicked retreat, scattering into the night.
The seed of war had been planted. The Senju now believed the Kaguya had struck first. The first stage of the Uchiha plan was a complete success.