The red circle on the map marked the southeastern coast of the Land of Fire, across the sea from the Land of Whirlpools.
In other words, it was right behind Senju territory and directly in front of the Uzumaki.
For Izuna, the Uchiha Vice-Clan Head, to go there to capture a Tailed Beast was, to put it mildly, a significant risk.
"Yes. That is why we hoped the Vice-Clan Head would wait until the Shadow Investigation Department has located the other Tailed Beasts before taking action," Uchiha Zuoxiu advised.
Although the Uzumaki clan had never officially joined the wars of this era, they had always been allies of the Senju.
If Izuna were to act and anything went wrong, he would be surrounded by both the Senju and Uzumaki clans. It was too dangerous.
"No. I'm going."
However, Izuna overruled Zuoxiu's objection.
"Vice-Clan Head!" Zuoxiu said urgently.
"In your eyes, do I seem like someone who acts without confidence?" Izuna countered.
Zuoxiu was at a loss for words. "That is..."
"If I truly get surrounded... No, that won't happen. I'll use a secret technique to escape. You don't need to worry."
Izuna stood up and formed the hand seals for a Lightning Release Shadow Clone. He then said to Zuoxiu, "Although I'm leaving a clone, there's a nine-in-ten chance it will be dispersed by the effects of my battle. I will tell the decision-makers that I'm undertaking a classified mission. Conceal my absence from the clan's lower-ranking ninja entirely."
Even if a Lightning Release Shadow Clone could endure more damage than a regular one, against an opponent like a Tailed Beast, that extra durability was almost meaningless.
For this departure, Izuna had to notify the decision-making council, led by the three great elders.
"Yes, sir." Seeing that Izuna's mind was made up, Zuoxiu knew he couldn't stop him. "Vice-Clan Head, should I dispatch men to accompany you?"
"No. I alone am sufficient."
This trip, like stealing the scroll before, was a covert infiltration.
The Senju had far more sensory ninja than the Uchiha. To evade their eyes was impossible for an ordinary ninja; only he, with his Flying Thunder God Technique, could do it.
Unless a ninja was at the peak of the Jonin level, they were nothing more than a single stomp away from death before a Tailed Beast.
With the war on, Madara had deployed most of the clan's high-end forces to the front lines. For the sake of the bigger picture, it was best not to divert any of them.
As the head of the Shadow Investigation Department, Uchiha Zuoxiu naturally understood this reasoning. "I will inform the elders. Vice-Clan Head, you must be careful."
***
As the Uchiha's old rivals, the Senju had not been idle while the Uchiha and their four northwestern allies were dealing with the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.
They had merely been dispatching small, elite squads to operate in secret, avoiding large-scale troop movements. This had misled the Uchiha into believing they were abiding by the treaty, content to stay in their own territory.
In fact, the clan head, Senju Yuma, along with the brothers Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, were leading a large number of Senju elites, already operating in small teams in the shadows.
Leveraging the advantage of the Flying Thunder God Technique, Senju Tobirama took his older brother, Hashirama, on a phantom-like journey across the battlefield, circling around to the mountains behind the Sarutobi and Shimura clan territories to meet with their clan heads.
And the movements of these two brothers went completely undetected by the thousands of Uchiha and their four allied clans!
Though they were only two men, Senju Hashirama alone was now capable of fighting a thousand, and Senju Tobirama's Flying Thunder God could ensure their escape from any army.
Because of this, Senju Tobirama was supremely confident in their mission.
Meanwhile, the clan head, Senju Yuma, personally led a five-man Jonin squad across the sea to the Uzumaki clan's homeland—the Land of Whirlpools.
His purpose was singular: to persuade the Uzumaki to join the war and to request a marriage alliance between the Uzumaki and Senju to solidify their bond.
In reality, two days prior, the Uzumaki's Great Elder, Uzumaki Hiro'umi, had met with Senju Yuma.
Within the Uzumaki clan, the Great Elder's authority surpassed even that of the clan head; he was the true decision-maker.
After hearing Senju Yuma's proposal for a marriage alliance and his request for the Uzumaki to officially enter the war, Uzumaki Hiro'umi immediately convened a high-level meeting and arranged for lodging, asking Yuma and his men to wait.
The Uzumaki clan had not participated in war for a century, but the Senju had sent their clan head as an emissary, demonstrating their resolve.
To be honest, most of the Uzumaki, accustomed to peace, did not want to be drawn into the conflict. The vast majority were against it.
However, the Uzumaki's peace was entirely dependent on the Senju's help. For the last hundred years, it was because the Senju stood as a shield that the Uzumaki could live peacefully.
With Senju Yuma himself making the request, the Uzumaki clan dared not refuse lightly.
For a time, the Uzumaki leadership was embroiled in heated debate.
Senju Yuma and his five men stayed in Uzushiogakure for three days straight, awaiting the result of their discussions.
Though Yuma himself could endure the wait, his men couldn't help but grow restless.
"Clan Head, don't you think these Uzumaki are taking far too long to deliberate?" complained Senju Toha, one of the Jonin Yuma had brought.
It was the third day. How could they still be discussing it?
Another man added, "The Uzumaki are so timid. If it weren't for us Senju, would they have had so many years of peace?"
Senju Yuma revealed a cunning smile. "You are too impatient. We can afford to wait. Once Hashirama and Tobirama successfully form an alliance with the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, we can use that as leverage in our negotiations with the Uzumaki."
***
The Uzumaki clan's meeting chamber was located in a shrine within Uzushiogakure.
The vast main hall, illuminated by candlelight on both sides, felt solemn yet somewhat gloomy.
At this moment, the high council, led by Great Elder Uzumaki Hiro'umi and Clan Head Uzumaki Wakou, was debating whether to accept the Senju's terms.
The Great Elder's opinion was to agree, but to bargain with the Senju. They didn't need to send everyone to the battlefield; at the very least, they had to ensure the Uzumaki clan's lineage could continue.
But the Clan Head, Uzumaki Wakou, thought this was improper.
The main theater of war was across the sea from the Land of Whirlpools; the flames of war were unlikely to reach them. Therefore, there was no need to agree to Senju Yuma's terms.
Uzumaki Hiro'umi, now in his sixties with a full head of white hair, stroked his beard and glanced at Wakou sitting opposite him. He could still see the dissatisfaction in the other man's eyes.
It was hardly surprising. In the Uzumaki clan, the Great Elder's power was greater than the clan head's; it was only natural for Wakou to feel resentment toward him.
Just then, a jonin from the elder's faction asked Wakou, "So, by the Clan Head's logic, we should offend the Senju?"
A dozen pairs of eyes instantly focused on Wakou. Everyone knew that given the Land of Whirlpools' geographical location, offending the Senju would lead to nothing good.
Uzumaki Wakou was indeed resentful of Great Elder Hiro'umi, but he was no fool. He immediately replied, "I merely said we should refuse Senju Yuma's proposal, not that we should offend the Senju."
"Then what is the Clan Head's meaning?" another white-haired elder asked.
"While we will not agree to participate in the war, we can accept the other condition: the marriage alliance with the Senju Vice-Clan Head, Senju Hashirama."
As he said this, a strange smile played on Wakou's lips as he looked at Hiro'umi. "This will require our Great Elder to make a personal sacrifice."
Everyone could tell that Wakou was deliberately trying to vex Hiro'umi.
He, the clan head, had no daughters, and even if he did, they wouldn't be of a suitable age for Hashirama.
Looking at the current Uzumaki leadership, the only daughter whose status and age matched Senju Hashirama was the one from Uzumaki Hiro'umi's own family.
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