Chapter 383: Extra I - Warring States
A cold wind howled, and a chilling atmosphere filled the land. The sound of clashing metal suddenly rang out.
Roars, cries of battle, shouts of excitement, and screams of agony resounded across the battlefield.
Accompanying these sounds were the collisions of kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, and various ninjutsu.
Thud!
A body fell into a pool of blood, the red liquid staining the emblem of the Senju clan on the armor.
Following closely, another body fell on top, and blood splattered again, landing on the emblem of the Hagoromo clan on the arm of the corpse.
The crescent moon design on the three-moon crest turned crimson.
This was the Warring States period.
A time never lacking in bloodshed and slaughter.
At this moment, on the battlefield, Hagoromo Gengetsu, clad in silver armor, easily snapped the neck of a Senju ninja in front of him and casually tossed the body aside. His gaze remained calm as he looked at Senju Tobirama, who was charging forward with his striking silver hair. Clapping his hands together, a river of corrosive, sticky acid release jutsu materialized out of thin air and surged forward.
"Ah! Ah!"
Several Senju ninjas, unable to dodge in time, were instantly dissolved by the acid.
Senju Tobirama calmly observed the incoming acid release jutsu, and his hands quickly formed seals:
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Sizzle...
The rushing water collided with the acidic fluid, creating a thick cloud of steam.
Though the Water Formation Wall was quickly breached, it provided enough time for the Senju ninjas and Tobirama to scatter.
Using the mist as cover, Senju Tobirama didn't retreat but instead advanced, moving rapidly to catch Hagoromo Gengetsu off guard.
Suddenly!
A sharp gust of wind blew.
Hagoromo Gengetsu appeared behind Senju Tobirama in an instant.
"Where do you think you're going?"
As the words fell, a steel-colored hand forcefully plunged into Senju Tobirama's chest.
Splash.
The sound of water echoed as the figure of Senju Tobirama in front of Hagoromo Gengetsu turned into a stream of water and fell to the ground.
Before Hagoromo Gengetsu could show any surprise,
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
A high-pressure water jet shot rapidly from behind him.
"I did underestimate you."
Hagoromo Gengetsu turned his head, calmly observing the situation.
Boom!!!
A massive water release shot skyward, engulfing the entire battlefield in an instant.
As time passed, the Senju ninjas suffered more and more casualties.
Senju Tobirama, also heavily wounded, finally managed to break away from Hagoromo Gengetsu and, after quickly assessing the situation, led the remaining Senju ninjas to retreat.
The battle thus came to an end.
Hagoromo Gengetsu, who only had some dust on his body and no significant injuries, glanced in the direction where Senju Tobirama and the others had fled, then turned to look at his own clan members.
Although the Hagoromo ninjas had fewer casualties compared to the Senju, they were all injured, and most were at their limits.
Seeing this, Hagoromo Gengetsu ultimately chose not to pursue.
"Chief! We won!"
As they rested on the spot, the delighted clan members looked at their newly appointed chief, Hagoromo Gengetsu, with respect. The previous doubts and apprehensions were gone.
It should be noted that before this, the Hagoromo clan often lost more than they won when facing the Senju clan, to the point where they were relegated to playing a supporting role while the Uchiha clan fought on the front lines.
However, since Hagoromo Gengetsu took over as the new chief, he had led them to several victories, raising the Hagoromo clan's reputation once again.
Now, having defeated the ninja forces led by Senju Tobirama, the number two figure in the Senju clan, the members of the Hagoromo clan fully recognized Hagoromo Gengetsu as their leader.
Despite the reverent looks and words from his clan members, Hagoromo Gengetsu remained calm.
He looked over the battlefield littered with corpses.
To be honest, he wasn't very interested in participating in this endless conflict. However, the blood feud that had lasted for years couldn't be ignored.
Even as the clan chief, trying to resolve it with words alone was nearly impossible.
So, they would fight.
Fight until everyone was too weary to continue, and then discuss other matters.
In the meantime, it was better for his side to win than the enemy.
But as he looked at the current battlefield, a flash of dissatisfaction crossed Hagoromo Gengetsu's eyes.
Half an hour later.
While resting, the Hagoromo ninjas noticed a group of ninjas in the distance, quickly approaching, with the fan emblem of the Uchiha clan on their clothing.
"You're late."
Hagoromo Gengetsu stood in place, waiting for them to arrive, and frowned as he spoke to the leader.
"Apologies, Gengetsu. My brother encountered new developments in his battle, which caused a delay." Uchiha Izuna stepped forward, apologizing sincerely.
"Your brother again."
Hagoromo Gengetsu snorted and asked, "So, what did he achieve?"
Uchiha Izuna looked embarrassed at the question.
His silence said it all.
Hagoromo Gengetsu shook his head knowingly.
If there was anyone who perfectly embodied the saying "overestimating oneself," it was Uchiha Madara.
Despite not being as strong as Senju Hashirama, he constantly sought battles with him.
In the end, not only did he lose soldiers and resources, but he also ruined many plans.
Just like now, Hagoromo Gengetsu had finally lured out Senju Tobirama, planning to ambush him with the Uchiha clan. But, of course, the Uchiha arrived half an hour late.
The plan was thus ruined.
Given Senju Tobirama's caution, it would be impossible to trick him again.
Uchiha Izuna, aware of where the mistake lay, continued to apologize to Hagoromo Gengetsu. As the Uchiha clan's equivalent to Senju Tobirama, when his brother made a mistake, it was up to him as the younger brother to take responsibility.
The Uchiha clan was indeed proud, but this time, their actions were clearly wrong.
Actually, this wasn't the first time.
Hagoromo Gengetsu finally understood why the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans, despite their alliance, had never managed to completely suppress the Senju clan.
The Uchiha clan, or more specifically, Uchiha Madara, was too arrogant, always assuming that the Uchiha and his own strength alone were enough to defeat the Senju clan and Senju Hashirama.
Despite Hagoromo Gengetsu's repeated reminders for better cooperation, Madara continued to act on his own.
In contrast, Uchiha Izuna was far more competent than his brother.
This plan had been largely driven by him.
But ultimately, it was foiled by Uchiha Madara's stubbornness.
Sometimes, Hagoromo Gengetsu even wondered if Uchiha Madara was secretly working for the Senju clan.
With an ally like this, bad luck was inevitable.
"Izuna, why not stage a coup and take your brother's position as clan leader!" Hagoromo Gengetsu seriously suggested.
Uchiha Izuna could only smile wryly and wave his hands in refusal.
Because of their incompetent clan leader, the Uchiha clan and the Hagoromo clan rarely managed to achieve more together than they could alone.
Gradually, Hagoromo Gengetsu lost interest in cooperating, and with his growing authority as the clan leader, he began to actively reduce conflicts with the Senju clan.
Until one day, he received news that Uchiha Izuna had been defeated by Senju Tobirama and was critically injured. Shortly after, the Uchiha and Senju clans fought their final battle, after which they made peace.
Hagoromo Gengetsu looked out the window and sighed:
"A new era has arrived."