Chapter 23: Kaori is stabbed
Yan Sheng maintained his lowered gaze, his perception spreading outwards from himself like a fine spider web, trying to "touch" the distribution and flow of those cold energies.
He dared not use chakra, lest he disturb the sensitive "spores" underground. Perception, on the other hand, was an almost intuitive instinct honed in his previous life; it was a mysterious and inexplicable state.
Like the transparent world seen through the eyes of the Son of God.
Yan Sheng's talent and aptitude were actually not bad, but he was too stubborn and his vision was too "narrow". He could only see the realm that he could not reach, but he disdained what he had.
...The result of the perception was as always.
These spores not only covered the Uchiha clan's territory, but also extended towards the Senju clan and beyond. They were like a living, breathing energy network, transmitting information from their location to a source.
Yan Sheng closed his eyes and withdrew his senses.
With such abilities, it's no wonder that the other side was so well aware of the movements of both races and could execute their schemes with such precision.
He completely abandoned the idea of actively going out to find "Blackie". Before he could eliminate or avoid these spores, any action might alert them or even expose him – which would undoubtedly make him a prime target for "Blackie" to eliminate.
Although he was confident that he could deal with "Blackie", his current body was still too much of a hindrance, and he couldn't rule out the possibility that it would fail him at a crucial moment.
***
Deep underground.
Black Zetsu was sensing the movements within the Uchiha clan compound through the spore network. He "saw" the increasingly tense atmosphere of preparation for war within the Uchiha clan, "heard" the anger and restlessness of the Uchiha clan members towards the Senju, and also took a look at the younger brother of the reincarnation of Indra. Well, as always, he was sickly and quiet, currently reading and studying in his room.
Without pausing for even a second, Black Zetsu's "gaze" immediately shifted, focusing more on Madara Uchiha, the reincarnation of Indra, and the high-ranking elders, observing their anxiety and their decisions.
During this time, Blackie did try to find the mysterious dwarf, but failed each time, which made it lower its guard slightly, partly due to its confidence in its own ability to hide.
He was unconscious when he was injured before, but now he is always on guard, so it won't be so easy for the other party to hurt him again.
Okay, actually we're out of ideas.
Put the dwarf aside for now; what he needs to do now is focus on continuing to provoke the two races and ensure that the war breaks out as scheduled.
......
The day of the duel arrived as scheduled amidst an atmosphere of extreme tension.
The open valley downstream of the Naga River has now become a battlefield. The deafening shouts of battle, the explosions of ninjutsu, the sharp clang of kunai clashing, and the muffled thuds of blades tearing flesh mingled together. Blood soaked the soil, and the air was thick with the stench of blood and the smell of burning flesh.
Madara Uchiha's figure was like a ghost. With a wave of his flaming fan, scorching fire-style ninjutsu roared out, transforming into a raging sea of fire, threatening to incinerate everything. His Sharingan spun at high speed, accurately predicting Hashirama's every move, his combination of taijutsu and ninjutsu was incredibly sharp.
Hashirama Senju stood like an unyielding giant tree. With a clap of his hands, massive trees burst forth from the earth, forming either sturdy wooden shields to block the flames or ferocious wooden dragons that lunged forward. The power of Wood Release was inexhaustible, carrying immense life force, and stood in stark contrast to Madara's destructive flames.
The aftershocks of their battle were enough to alter the terrain, causing all the surrounding ninjas to retreat. Although Hashirama's Wood Release was powerful, Madara's three-tomoe Sharingan granted him unparalleled insight, coupled with taijutsu no less than Hashirama's. The two were locked in fierce combat, and for the time being, it was difficult to determine a winner.
Another fierce battleground.
Uchiha Izuna's swordsmanship was as fast as lightning, and with the insight of his Sharingan, every strike was aimed directly at Senju Tobirama's vital points. Although his fire release techniques were not as grand in scale as Madara's, they were more precise and cunning.
Although Tobirama Senju had not yet developed the Flying Thunder God Technique, which would later become unparalleled in the ninja world, his mastery of Water Release ninjutsu was already unparalleled. He could slice through flames with high-pressure water blades, block shuriken with water barriers, and sometimes use water clones to confuse his opponents. His fighting style was calm and efficient.
The two were evenly matched, and their fierce battle was accompanied by rising steam and flashing swords.
Their fathers, the two clan chiefs, clashed in a battle that was both cunning and deadly.
Uchiha Tajima's masterful Fire Release and Sharingan genjutsu unleashed an attack as fierce as a storm.
Senju Butsuma wielded a massive broadsword, possessing unparalleled strength and mastery of Earth Release ninjutsu. His defense was as solid as a rock, and his counterattacks were powerful and devastating.
Their battles were less flamboyant and more ruthless; each clash contained decades of combat experience, with the goal of taking the other's head as quickly as possible to end the war.
The Uchiha's Fire Release, Shuriken Technique, and Genjutsu clashed with the Senju's Earth Release, Water Release, Medical Ninjutsu, and powerful Taijutsu.
People kept falling, their blood staining the tributaries of the Namga River. Hatred was ignited at that moment, and both sides fought with bloodlust.
Yan Sheng did not appear on the battlefield. As a long-term "patient," he was left in the clan's territory. But he could clearly hear the distant roars and shouts of battle, and could feel the earth trembling faintly.
He stood on a high point in the clan's territory, gazing indifferently at the thick smoke rising from the battlefield and the occasional towering flames and giant trees.
***
The battlefield in the valley has been completely reduced to scorched earth.
Corpses lay strewn about, the groans and roars of the wounded mingled, and the clashes in the core battle zone gradually began to show signs of a stalemate.
Madara's chakra was greatly depleted, and his breathing was slightly rapid. Although his Sharingan was still operating with precision, the continuous high-intensity prediction and release of powerful fire-style techniques were a huge burden on his mind and body.
Hashirama's situation was equally difficult. The massive consumption of chakra from using Wood Release on a large scale was enormous, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat. He also had several burns from flames and cuts from kunai on his body.
After another violent collision, the two leaped back more than ten meters, panting heavily, their eyes fixed on each other, filled with the excitement of a fierce battle.
On the other side, Izuna's blade remained sharp, but its speed was visibly slower than before.
Tobirama's water-style defense remained impenetrable, and his counterattacks became increasingly cunning. He even began to set up some simple water-style traps in an attempt to restrict Izuna's space for maneuver.
Both were injured, their clothes stained with blood, but neither could truly cripple their opponent, and they were locked in a stalemate of attrition warfare.
The battle between the two clan leaders was the most dangerous, but it also reached a stalemate.
Tajima could not easily break through Butsuma's powerful defense combined with Earth Release, and Butsuma also had difficulty catching Tajima's movements aided by the Sharingan.
They both tried to find each other's weaknesses, but years of fighting had made them too familiar with each other. Any small mistake could be seized upon and magnified by the other, making neither dare to go all out.
The sustained high-intensity battle caused casualties on both sides to increase rapidly. The chakra and stamina of the lower and middle-ranking ninjas were the first to run out.
The flames of the Uchiha clan began to weaken, and the Senju clan's attacks were no longer as fierce as they had been at the beginning.
Meanwhile, a Senju elder, after killing an Uchiha Jonin, was also seriously injured. He gasped for breath and shouted to Butsuma, who was not far away, "Clan leader! This can't go on!"
Meanwhile, an elder of the Uchiha clan seized the opportunity to force his opponent back and approached Tajima: "Clan leader! If we continue fighting, it may result in mutual destruction!"
Almost simultaneously, Butsuma and Tajima scanned the entire area, seeing the exhausted and blood-stained faces of their clansmen, and the increasing number of corpses on the ground.
As clan leaders, they knew better than anyone that the clan's strength was fundamental, and that fighting a bloody battle with their mortal enemy here would be a very unwise move.
Senju Butsuma glared hatefully at his old rival, "Uchiha Tajima! One day, I will take your head and avenge my clan!"
Uchiha Tajima sneered: "Senju Butsuma, that's what I should be saying!"
The next second—
"Withdraw!" Both sides issued the order to retreat simultaneously.
The surviving ninjas parted like a tide, helping the wounded, warily watching each other, and slowly retreated from the battlefield. No one cheered; only heavy breathing and suppressed grief filled the air.
The war, which lasted for two days and one night, finally came to an end. In the long history of enmity between the Senju and Uchiha, such a conflict, though brutal, was not uncommon.
See you again on the banks of the Naka River after the war.
Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju stood facing each other, both of their faces shrouded in an inescapable weariness and heaviness.
Finally, it was Madara who spoke first, his voice hoarse: "...Sorry, we haven't found out the truth yet." The investigation had reached a stalemate, and even a hint of doubt began to grow in his heart—was there really a mastermind behind it all?
In the ninja world, besides the Senju, who else could possess such power and erase such traces so cleanly? This thought made him uneasy, yet he couldn't completely shake it off.
Seeing the bloodshot eyes and deep sorrow in his friend's, Hashirama Senju felt a similar heaviness in his heart. He patted Madara's shoulder forcefully, trying to convey a sliver of strength: "Don't give up, Madara! The truth must exist, and we will find it!"
However, the blood of their people and unexplained mysteries still loomed between them, making simple words of encouragement seem pale and powerless. They exchanged a few more words before silently departing.
Shortly after they left, the soil on the riverbank rippled slightly, and a smooth, black head slowly emerged from the ground.
Hei stared in despair in the direction the two had disappeared, and clicked his tongue: "This won't do..." Although he was confident that he would never be exposed, he still had to do something drastic to divert their attention.
***
Uchiha clan territory.
Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows and dispelling the gloom of the past few days.
Kaori Uchiha carried the prepared medicine along the corridor toward her youngest son's room. Soft golden light shone on her gentle profile, yet it couldn't completely dispel the slight sorrow between her brows.
Just then, a figure emerged from around the corner ahead and blocked the middle of the road.
Kaori stopped and recognized the person who had come from the other side, a hint of doubt on her face: "Masahiko?"
Uchiha Masahiko stood before him with his head bowed, silent, his aura unusually heavy.
Kaori's doubts deepened, and just as she was about to ask again, Yasuhiko suddenly took a big step forward without warning, instantly closing the distance between them.
This sudden action caused Kaori's expression to change drastically, and a chill ran through her.
Before she could react—
"laugh!"
A very faint sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh rang out.
Jiang Yan quickly retreated.
A cold dagger was deeply embedded in Kaori's abdomen, with only the black hilt protruding. Intense pain instantly overwhelmed her, and warm blood gushed out, staining her plain kimono and dripping onto the clean corridor floor.
She stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Jiang Yan, who was still bowing his head as if nothing had happened. The medicine bowl in her hand shattered on the ground with a "crack," and the bitter medicine splashed everywhere.
A note from the author:
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Black Zetsu later said: I was wrong, I was really wrong. If I had known, I would never have laid a hand on his mother, and I would have even protected her!
Boss: That's what I thought too. If I find out which good subordinate killed Yoriichi's wife and children, I'll chop him into whistles.
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