Next Bonus, 100PS!!
--------------------------------------------------
"Foxfall Cliff? Of course I know it!"
Senju Tsuru answered at once, his voice tinged with emotion. "About a century ago, the Uchiha clan head fell into Foxfall Cliff. Our Clan Head Senju Futen thought he was dead for sure, but who would've guessed Uchiha Kitsune had faked his death? Later, during the Battle of Satō River, he suddenly appeared and caught us completely off guard..."
Before he could finish, Black Zetsu raised his hand to interrupt. "All right, all right. I know those old accounts better than you do. Get to the point."
Black Zetsu still remembered that year clearly. When Uchiha Kitsune's battle report arrived at the Grand Sage Hall, and Grand Sage Manji found out Kitsune had actually won, his face was priceless.
Tsuru immediately shut his mouth and waited obediently.
Black Zetsu stopped teasing and grew serious. "When Uchiha Kitsune faked his death and hid at Foxfall Cliff, he left a set of sword techniques carved into the cliff wall."
"You'll be passing near Foxfall Cliff this time anyway, so you might as well go take a look. I can't guarantee the sword art survived a hundred years of wind and rain, but checking is better than missing it."
Tsuru's eyes widened in surprise. He clenched his left hand and spoke eagerly. "Really? Then let's go right now!"
A moment later, he frowned. "Wait. What if we run straight into the Uchiha army?"
"We're moving alone right now. No backup at all."
Tsuru's concern was clear in his voice.
Black Zetsu smiled and dismissed the worry. "That's where you're wrong. We won't run into the Uchiha main force."
"Why not?"
Doubt filled Tsuru's eyes as he leaned forward.
"Tsuru, look here." Black Zetsu used his ink-dark chakra to form a simple battlefield map in Tsuru's palm. Black lines flowed from his fingers, clearly marking the positions of the major forces.
Black Zetsu tapped the map and explained, "Look closely. The Uchiha and Hagoromo's intentions in this war are obvious. They want to crush the Senju in a north-south pincer."
"The Uchiha advance from the south, while the Hagoromo invade from the north. The Uchiha's next move will be a frontal assault on Kikyō Mountain."
"Once they take Kikyō Mountain, the Hagoromo will push down from the north and complete the encirclement."
"But Foxfall Cliff is to the northwest. It isn't a traffic route, and it has no strategic value. The Uchiha main force would never detour there. The Hagoromo main force is busy moving south to close the pincer, so they won't step foot near Foxfall Cliff either. This trip is safe."
Black Zetsu's analysis was clean and precise. Every sentence hit the key point.
Tsuru stared at the marks on the map.
"Sage, you're completely right. That makes me feel much better." Tsuru nodded in sudden understanding.
"Still, just in case, we should take the back roads." Black Zetsu traced a hidden route across the map with his ink-dark finger. "We'll make a turn and cut straight to the bottom of Foxfall Cliff. No need to jump down from the top and add pointless risk."
"Mm! We'll do as the Sage says!"
Tsuru agreed right away and followed Black Zetsu's plan.
..............
At the same time, inside the main tent of the Uchiha marching camp, candlelight swayed and stretched the shadows long across the canvas walls.
A large battlefield map lay spread across the table. An Uchiha elder stood bowed to one side, his finger pressing hard against the mark for Kikyō Mountain as he reported to the tall woman seated in the main position.
"Clan Head, this is the current situation. We launch a direct assault on Kikyō Mountain and force the Senju into a field engagement there. Once we pin down their main force, the Hagoromo Clan immediately attacks from the north!"
"With pressure from both north and south, the Senju won't be able to defend both ends. This time, the Uchiha will win!"
The Uchiha elder spoke with excitement.
"Hmmm..."
Uchiha Sa stared at the map in silence. Her three-tomoe Sharingan narrowed, and she tapped the table with her fingers, frowning in thought.
After a moment, she spoke. "No. Our attack route is too obvious. The Senju must have already stationed heavy forces at Kikyō Mountain. If we attack head-on, the Uchiha will suffer severe losses."
"Besides, I don't trust the Hagoromo Clan."
Sa's tone got darker, and her eyes showed a hint of disdain.
"Their combat strength is weak to begin with. They are no match for the Senju. I'm worried they won't just fail to break through the Senju's northern border. They may collapse quickly, and once that happens, the entire encirclement plan falls apart. Then we'll be the ones trapped in a bad position."
Sa wasn't being paranoid. The Uchiha's position in the Shinobi world was tough.
A century ago, Uchiha Kitsune had crossed the river in burial white, faked his death, and laid his trap. He had even killed Senju Uzuki, the only Senju who came to attend his funeral.
That incident had ruined the clan's reputation. Add in the Uchiha's natural arrogance and the world calling them lunatics, and almost no shinobi clan was willing to ally with them in good faith.
If she had not been out of better options, Sa would never have chosen to cooperate with the mediocre Hagoromo Clan.
There was one clan in the Shinobi world even crazier than the Uchiha.
The Kaguya Clan.
Their Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai was terrifying. In this era, when ninjutsu systems were still crude, and most battles relied on taijutsu and swordsmanship, Shikotsumyaku's combat power was almost unfair.
But the Kaguya Clan could not be counted on.
She had heard they were currently locked in brutal fighting with other shinobi clans, while also suffering under the burden of their bloodline disease.
In Uchiha Sa's view, the Kaguya Clan wouldn't last much longer. Sooner or later, they would have to take to the sea.
Then they could keep the Hōzuki Clan company on some lonely island.
..............
"Are there any other routes?"
Uchiha Sa considered the map, then pointed toward the south of Kikyō Mountain.
"What if we circle around from the south?"
Her hesitation was clear in her voice.
"No. The south belongs to the Sarutobi and Shimura. If we pass through there, we may be attacked by both clans. The Sarutobi clan head is lying low for now, but there's no guarantee the Shimura clan head won't convince him..."
The Uchiha elder shook his head and frowned.
"What about north?"
Uchiha Sa's gaze shifted northward.
"To the north is Foxfall Cliff, where Clan Head Kitsune fell all those years ago. The place has little value, and the terrain is a tangled mess," the Uchiha elder explained.
Uchiha Sa looked at Foxfall Cliff and frowned.
"That place..."
She became quiet, thinking, then her eyes lit up.
That was where Clan Head Kitsune had fallen more than a hundred years ago.
She did not know why, but somewhere deep inside, she felt a peculiar pull urging her to go there.
--------------------------------------------------
~ Every 100 PS => Bonus Chapter!
~ 15 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)