Chapter 86: Settling the Kaguya
Two days later, Uchiha Raizen finally awoke, his body restored but his mind reeling from the memory of his brush with death.
That system… it's more powerful than I realized, he thought, a cold sweat beading on his forehead. I thought the Substitution Scarecrow was just for evasion. I never imagined it was a one-time resurrection tool.
He had assumed that after using the Kaguya's suicidal "Dance of the Secluded Bone Forest," he could simply surrender. Hashirama wasn't one to execute a defeated foe. But the power of the Wood Dragon had been terrifying, its chakra-draining grip absolute. It had killed him before he could utter a word. Without that scarecrow, it would have been a permanent game over.
No more taking risks like that, he vowed silently. Not unless there's no other choice.
He slowly got out of bed, testing his limbs, and walked out of his room.
"Raizen! You're awake!" Uchiha Shiori exclaimed, rushing over to him.
"Yes, second sister. I'm fine. What is it?"
"The Patriarch left orders. He said you are to go to him the moment you wake up."
Raizen sighed internally. He really doesn't let me rest, does he? But he knew the timing was critical. He headed straight for Madara's study.
"Madara, the situation now is—"
"You're finally awake," Madara interrupted, his gaze intense. "Our forces are on the move. The Kaguya have taken the bait and are marching. The Senju have mobilized to intercept them. Uchiha Natsume and his team have also departed. Review the plan. Is there anything you need to adjust?"
"Adjust? No. Let's go ourselves. We need to end the Kaguya threat with maximum speed."
"What of their clan lands?"
"Don't worry. According to our intelligence, the Kaguya sent their entire elite force. Only the ailing Great Elder remains to guard their home, and his bloodline disease is in a critical stage. We can be in and out in three days. With the diversion we've created, Hashirama will be forced to commit his main force to the front lines. Three days is more than enough. We leave now."
Without waiting for further discussion, Raizen turned and strode out. After a moment's hesitation, Madara followed. The new patriarch had learned to trust his elder's instincts.
A day of forced marching brought them to the rendezvous point, where they met up with Uchiha Natsume and his squad.
"Fatty, report," Raizen ordered.
"The intelligence was accurate. The clan is a ghost town, defended by a skeleton crew. We were just about to launch the assault when you arrived."
"Good. Then we begin now. Madara, you handle the Great Elder. The rest of you, eliminate all resistance swiftly. Ensure they see our Uchiha faces before they die. Leave two alive, just enough to carry the news back to their main force."
With that, Raizen led the charge, his fervor surprising even Madara. What had gotten into him?
But there was no time to question it. The slaughter began.
An hour later, the Uchiha regrouped, their mission accomplished. The Kaguya compound was drenched in blood, with only two terrified survivors left to tell the tale.
"Patriarch, it is done. They died knowing it was the Uchiha who killed their families. We…"
"Good," Madara said, his voice cold and final. "The next phase begins. Secure all usable resources and seize control of the mine. As for the remaining Kaguya civilians… purge them."
It was a brutal, final solution, but in the world of shinobi, leaving an enemy clan with a reason for vengeance was a fatal mistake.
A day later, they returned to Uchiha territory. The first part of their plan was complete.
On the distant main battlefield, the Kaguya elite were in a frenzied assault against the powerful barrier of the Uzumaki clan. Upon receiving the news of this attack, the Senju main force, led by Hashirama, had quickly moved to engage them.
And now, as the two enemy clans bled each other dry, Uchiha Raizen and Uchiha Madara stood at the head of fifty elite Uchiha shinobi. Their target was not the battlefield, but the now-vulnerable Senju clan lands themselves. The final, decisive strike was about to begin.