Facing the indignant tribesmen, Senju Hashirama frowned deeply. Just as he was about to stand up and speak, Senju Tobirama placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
Looking to the side in surprise, Senju Hashirama saw Tobirama frowning, shaking his head as if to warn him against speaking.
While Hashirama wasn't as politically savvy as Tobirama, he wasn't naive either. He understood that now wasn't the time to try and calm the furious clansmen.
This situation was entirely different from when Uchiha and Hagoromo clashed previously. Back then, the Uchiha hadn't broken the truce; it was Senju who had been at fault, attempting to strike while Uchiha's guard was down. At that time, Hashirama had barely managed to suppress his clan with his Wood Release abilities.
But now, things were different. The Uchiha had violated the truce, framed the Senju, and kidnapped the fiancée of their deputy clan leader. The anger was justified, and suppressing it like before would only damage his leadership position.
Senju Takema, a highly skilled warrior just slightly away from Kage-level, stood up, bowing respectfully to both Senju Kawaragi and Hashirama. "Senju Takema, I volunteer to lead the vanguard and set up camp on the front lines against the Uchiha. I request the clan leader and deputy leader's approval."
As soon as he finished, Senju Tengha, who had previously traveled to the Land of Whirlpools with Senju Kawaragi, also stood up. "Senju Tengha, I volunteer to return to the Land of Whirlpools and request reinforcements from the Uzumaki clan to assist in our fight against Uchiha."
The decision-making group—composed of Senju Kawaragi, Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, Senju Takema, and Senju Yunma—listened carefully.
Kawaragi, who favored confrontation, didn't hesitate. "Approved!" he declared.
Yunma quickly followed suit. "Approved."
Tobirama patted his older brother on the shoulder. "Approved."
Hashirama, glancing at the battle-ready clansmen, sighed deeply. "It's up to you."
He knew he couldn't hold off the tide of war any longer. Seeing Hashirama's reluctant approval, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They had feared the deputy chief, who had opposed war with the Uchiha last year, might once again try to stop it.
With the decision to go to war made, preparations were swiftly set in motion. After a year of rebuilding, Uchiha had likely regained much of their strength. The Senju, though, now had the Uzumaki clan as official allies, a major advantage.
As clan leader, Kawaragi immediately began organizing the war effort. He ordered Senju Takema to lead 300 men to the front lines to establish a defensive position. Senju Tengha was dispatched to request reinforcements from the Uzumaki clan, confident that with Uzumaki Mito kidnapped, Uzumaki Hiroyuki and the others would offer their full support.
Kawaragi also wanted to send Hashirama, the clan's strongest warrior, to the battlefield. But before he could issue the command, Hashirama spoke up. "I will go to the Land of Whirlpools myself and request additional reinforcements."
Kawaragi raised an eyebrow, while Tobirama couldn't hold back. "Brother!" he shouted.
He knew his brother too well. Hashirama still harbored hopes of avoiding war with the Uchiha. Even if the conflict seemed inevitable, Hashirama didn't want to face Madara on the battlefield.
"It's fine," Kawaragi said with a wave of his hand. "Let him lead a small force to the Land of Whirlpools."
Kawaragi knew that while Hashirama could delay facing Uchiha Madara, he couldn't avoid it forever. By the time he returned with the Uzumaki reinforcements, there would be no more room to escape the battlefield.
With the two most powerful clans of the Warring States period, Uchiha and Senju, separated by the Unzan Mountains, a full-scale war was imminent. Uchiha Ishiki and Senju Yunma had already taken positions near the mountains, waiting for battle to erupt.
The news of the brewing conflict spread like wildfire. Although less than half of the three-year truce had passed, both clans blamed each other for breaking it. But in truth, the cause hardly mattered to the other ninja clans, who watched from the sidelines, waiting to see if they could exploit the situation to their advantage.
Meanwhile, Madara had received news from Izuna about Senju Hashirama's movements. Upon learning that Hashirama himself had gone to the Land of Whirlpools to request reinforcements, Madara couldn't help but feel a mixture of surprise and understanding.
"You're still too naive, Hashirama," Madara muttered to himself, a trace of sadness in his voice.
Though they were rivals, Madara had always understood the sincerity of Hashirama's dream of creating a village where all ninja could coexist peacefully.
At that moment, a jounin appeared before Madara, kneeling and handing him a letter. "Leader, this is from the deputy chief."
Madara opened the letter, scanning it quickly before issuing orders. "I will lead the attack myself. Send word to Uchiha Shadow Guard—he is to take 300 men and secure Pass."
Baigu Pass, a narrow and treacherous road on the northern flank of the Mountains, had always been lightly defended. Last time, Tobirama had used this route to launch a surprise attack, nearly bringing Uchiha's defense to collapse.
Madara was determined not to let that happen again.
(End of the Chapter).
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