Uchiha Izumichi, his whole body aching, staggered back into the Uchiha clan's council hall.
A dull pain still lingered throughout his body from being stomped by the Two-Tails, Matatabi. His face still carried a trace of lingering ashen gloom.
As soon as Izumichi sat down, he immediately waved his hand and convened a high-level clan meeting.
"From this day forward, everyone in the Uchiha clan is strictly forbidden from capturing or provoking any tailed beasts. Anyone who disobeys will be expelled from the clan!", Uchiha Izumichi announced publicly.
The Uchiha elders in the hall nodded in agreement upon hearing this. No one raised any objections.
By now, tailed beasts had already become universally recognized protected creatures throughout the ninja world. They could be called the ninja world's ultimate answer, the chosen ones of the era.
Even the great ninja clans dared not provoke them. Naturally, the Uchiha had no need to go against the overall trend and make enemies for no reason.
At this moment, an elite Uchiha who had previously accompanied Izumichi stepped forward.
He bowed slightly and asked in confusion, "Clan Leader, may I ask if the old gentleman you went to settle a score with earlier has already been dealt with?"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the Uchiha in the council hall turned their eyes toward him with puzzled expressions.
The clan elders all knew that Izumichi's trip had not been to scheme or plot anything, but specifically to find that reclusive old man to settle accounts.
But now that the clan leader had returned, not only did he say nothing about the old man, he had suddenly issued an order forbidding anyone from provoking tailed beasts.
The contrast before and after was so great that it left everyone completely confused.
Everyone was extremely curious about what exactly had happened during this time.
The moment the elite finished speaking, Uchiha Izumichi's eyes instantly darkened. The crimson Sharingan shrank sharply as a cold and violent aura suddenly burst from his body, a bone-chilling chill filling his gaze.
These guys really knew how to bring up exactly the one thing they shouldn't. Of all things, they had to mention the person he would never dare provoke again in his entire life.
"Shut up, all of you!"
Uchiha Izumichi slammed the table and stood up, shouting coldly. His voice carried uncontrollable fury and fear.
"If I hear any of you discussing that old gentleman again, even for a single word, I will personally stab your ears deaf!"
The furious shout left the entire council hall so silent you could hear a pin drop. All the Uchiha widened their eyes in shock.
"Clan Leader, forgive us! We will never dare to speak carelessly again!"
Everyone hurriedly bowed and knocked their heads to the ground, speaking in unison with frightened voices.
At the same time, waves of shock surged through their hearts.
For their usually arrogant clan leader to react with such rage and fear, just what kind of terrifying existence was that old gentleman?
Uchiha Izumichi suppressed the unease in his heart and slowly loosened his clenched fists. He gently placed the sword at his waist onto the table.
His tone softened slightly, "Alright. Next, follow me to the clan's Six Paths Temple to offer worship. And also donate funds to repair every Six Paths Temple within eight hundred li of our territory!"
———
[One Month Later]
The tacit agreement of the truce was broken.
The battle flags of the Senju and Uchiha clans once again rose over the vast plains. Shouts of battle shook the sky, and waves of chakra surged across the entire battlefield.
Uchiha Izumichi stood at the very front of the clan army, unconsciously rubbing his swollen eye sockets with his fingers.
Fine blood vessels filled the depths of his crimson Mangekyo Sharingan. His vision shifted between clarity and blur.
When he looked at the Senju clan members in the distance, their figures overlapped in multiple shadows.
"Damn it... these eyes..."
Uchiha Izumichi clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright.
Deep down, he knew clearly that the curse of the Mangekyo had already descended. His eyesight was deteriorating at an alarming rate.
If this continued, complete blindness was only a matter of time.
Once he lost these eyes, there would be no way for him, Izumichi, to compete with Senju Shuichi, whose physique was powerful and whose ninjutsu was superb.
In that case, the struggle between their clans would undoubtedly end in the Uchiha's defeat.
The only option was a quick battle.
While he could still fight, he had to send Senju Shuichi to his end.
"Izumichi! Only half a year ago you and I agreed to a truce. Our injuries haven't even healed yet. Why did you suddenly tear up the agreement and launch a war?!"
Senju Shuichi gripped the samurai sword in his hand and looked at the restless Uchiha Izumichi across from him. His brows were tightly furrowed as he shouted loudly.
"A truce? Hahahahaha! In war, deception is never too much, Shuichi! Today will be the decisive battle of fate between you and me. We will decide the winner, and also decide life and death!"
The crimson Mangekyo in Uchiha Izumichi's eyes spun violently. Reckless determination filled his gaze as his voice cut through the air like a blade.
Before Izumichi even finished speaking, Senju Shuichi, who had already noticed something strange about his condition, narrowed his eyes.
"Your eyes… something happened?", Senju Shuichi asked uncertainly.
"Enough nonsense! Make your move!"
Uchiha Izumichi refused to say more and attacked first.
With one hand forming seals, he shouted in a low voice, "Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Towering flames burst from his mouth. The crimson fire waves carried the power to burn everything as they crushed toward Senju Shuichi.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Senju Shuichi reacted extremely quickly. Both hands struck the ground, and a thick wall of rock rose instantly from the earth, forcefully blocking the incoming fire attack.
Immediately afterward, his figure flashed as he created three shadow clones.
[A/N: I know shadow clones shouldn't appear in this era, but I'll have an explanation later.]
"Shadow Clone!"
The original body and the clones moved into an encircling formation. Powerful chakra erupted around them.
It was the monstrous strength for which the Senju clan was famous throughout the ninja world.
"Izumichi, don't blame me for not holding back!"
Four figures charged forward at the same time. Their fists carried mountain-shattering strength as they struck toward Uchiha Izumichi's blind spots. The wind of the punches roared through the air.
"Mangekyo Sharingan, activate!"
The Mangekyo patterns in Uchiha Izumichi's eyes spun rapidly.
Susanoo instantly enveloped his body.
Facing the monstrous strength attack, Uchiha Izumichi's Susanoo forcefully endured the blows.
"That's all you've got!", Izumichi shouted sharply.
"Blaze Release: Fire Claw!"
A massive black claw of flames condensed and slashed toward Senju Shuichi's main body.
But at that exact moment, Izumichi's vision suddenly went black. A stabbing pain shot through both eyes, and his movements slowed for half a second.
'This is bad!' Izumichi thought to himself.
Senju Shuichi reacted instantly and seized this fleeting opening. "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" burst from his mouth.
Immediately afterward, his main body leaped into the air. All his monstrous strength gathered into his right fist as he slammed it fiercely into Izumichi's chest.
BOOM!
The deafening crash echoed across the battlefield. Uchiha Izumichi was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily to the ground as a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips.
He struggled to stand up, but his vision had completely blurred. The light of the Mangekyo dimmed rapidly as his eyesight was almost entirely lost.
Both arms could no longer gather even the slightest bit of chakra. The dark flames slowly dissipated.
The crimson Sharingan slowly closed. Uchiha Izumichi collapsed onto the ground, his chest heaving violently.
In the end, he had still lost.
'I... I killed him with one punch!?' Seeing this scene, Senju Shuichi panicked completely. He stared at his own hands in disbelief.
What Senju Shuichi didn't know was that Uchiha Izumichi's strength had already reached its final limit. His Mangekyo was already failing.
On top of that, he had been stomped by Matatabi earlier.
How could he possibly recover as quickly as Senju Shuichi?
When the Senju clan members saw this scene, they immediately erupted into cheers.
"Long live the clan leader! Uchiha Izumichi was nothing but a clown!"
"One punch killed Uchiha Izumichi!"
On the Uchiha side, chaos completely erupted.
"Clan Leader!!!"