"Father! You've taken everyone to reinforce, then what about Mount Kikyo?"
Senju Syura looked at his father who was about to leave in a hurry and immediately asked anxiously.
At this moment, the Senju clan leader looked extremely anxious and answered carelessly, "Mount Kikyo… you'll stay behind alone to hold it!"
"Huh?"
Senju Syura's expression stiffened.
———
At the border of the Senju clan territory where war had suddenly erupted, the atmosphere had already become extremely tense.
The Senju clan leader led the main force, rushing back at full speed without stopping.
The scouts he had just sent out had already returned.
The Uchiha truly had no intention of attacking Mount Kikyo.
"Looks like Syura was telling the truth!", The Senju clan leader's face was grave, wanting only to get back as quickly as possible.
He sped forward the entire way, the sound of chakra tearing through the air splitting the sky. Fortunately, Mount Kikyo was located practically at the "front gate" of the Senju territory.
He soon reached the battlefield.
What he saw made his pupils shrink sharply.
Quite a few Senju clan members were already locked in bitter combat, fighting together with ninjas from the Uchiha clan and the Hagoromo clan.
The roar of ninjutsu shook the heavens. The Uchiha clan's fire techniques swept across in waves, while the Senju relied on their powerful physiques and brute strength to hold on. Several had already fallen into pools of blood.
"Damn it! They actually dared to come!"
The Senju clan leader's figure, leading reinforcements, suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
The immense chakra belonging to the clan leader exploded outward, instantly covering the entire battlefield.
Uchiha Yui, who had been directing her clan members in a fierce assault, and the Hagoromo clan leader beside her both changed expressions at the same time.
Shock appeared on their faces, and disbelief flashed in their eyes.
"How did he get here?"
They had calculated that the Senju clan leader would be at Mount Kikyo with the main force, which was why they joined forces to launch a surprise attack on the Senju territory. They never expected him to return so quickly.
"The Senju clan leader?!"
The Hagoromo clan leader muttered in shock, his hand seals pausing for a moment.
Uchiha Yui's brows furrowed tightly. The shock in her heart disappeared in an instant, replaced by cold killing intent. "Since you're here, then stay here!"
There was no unnecessary negotiation. The moment the three forces met, the most brutal melee battle completely erupted.
Seeing their clan leader return, the Senju clan's morale surged. They roared as they counterattacked the enemy lines.
The Uchiha clan activated all their Sharingan. Shuriken and fire techniques rained down densely, crisscrossing the battlefield.
The entire battlefield was filled with the glow of chakra, splattering blood, and deafening battle cries. The shockwaves from clashing ninjutsu carved countless trenches into the ground. Trees shattered, dirt and stones flew everywhere.
The Senju clan leader took the lead, his monstrous strength sweeping across the battlefield. Each punch formed from condensed chakra sent several enemy ninjas flying.
But Uchiha Yui and the Hagoromo clan leader tightly restrained him.
Both were top-tier experts of their clans, with tactics and experience at the highest level of this era.
One attacked while the other supported. One was tricky, the other fierce. Their coordination was seamless, completely suppressing the Senju clan leader.
After dozens of exchanges, an opening finally appeared.
At the moment when the Senju clan leader had just exhausted his previous strength and had yet to generate new power, Uchiha Yui's steel blade suddenly pierced through his defenses.
The Hagoromo clan leader immediately followed up.
Chains shot out and brutally pierced through his chest.
"Pfft!"
The Senju clan leader's massive body crashed to the ground. A hero of his generation fell just like that.
Uchiha Yui panted heavily, looking at the corpse of the Senju clan leader at her feet. A trace of relief flashed in her eyes before she calmed down again.
"Still, we need to be cautious."
Uchiha Yui spoke in a low voice.
She knew clearly that the Senju clan had a deep foundation. Even if the clan leader was dead, the remaining members could still resist stubbornly.
Completely wiping out the Senju would not be something that could be done in a short time.
Even Uchiha Fox couldn't crush them back then, so she definitely couldn't either...
But killing the Senju clan leader was already a huge victory, enough to severely damage the foundation of the Senju clan.
"Take the win and withdraw!"
"The Senju territory is already fortified. We can't fight for long. Retreat first!"
Uchiha Yui made a decisive decision and said in a low voice to the Hagoromo clan leader beside her.
"I have no objections!"
The Hagoromo clan leader also understood the situation and immediately nodded in agreement.
The two of them quickly gave the order to withdraw. The Uchiha and Hagoromo clan ninjas rapidly regrouped and disengaged from the battlefield, setting up camp near the foot of the mountain.
Night fell like ink, completely covering the battlefield.
The ninjas of the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans escorted the body of the Senju clan leader to an open area where the two armies were stationed.
Uchiha Yui looked coldly at the already lifeless body and raised her hand in a signal.
"Begin!"
The clan members immediately erected a tall wooden pole and tied the Senju clan leader's corpse to it.
A grim flame suddenly ignited, licking at the body. The fire shot into the sky, glaring brightly in the dark night.
They actually burned the Senju clan leader in public as a sky lantern.
The flickering firelight illuminated the faces of the Uchiha and Hagoromo ninjas. This was the most blatant humiliation and provocation toward the Senju clan. The crackling sound of the flames was especially harsh in the quiet night.
The Uchiha and Hagoromo cheered with excitement.
Instead of feeling any bloodiness, they felt exhilarated and thrilled.
When the news reached the Senju clan territory, the entire clan fell into a deathly silence.
The air was so heavy it felt like it was filled with lead. Every Senju clansman lowered their head, their chakra dim. The courage and sharpness they once had in battle were completely gone.
The death of the clan leader was already a devastating blow. Now, with his body subjected to such humiliation, it dealt a fatal strike to the morale of the Senju clan.
In the world of ninja clans, the clan leader was always the strongest, the backbone and soul of the clan.
Once the leader died, the clan lost its core. Hearts scattered, and combat strength weakened.
At this moment, the Senju clan stood on the edge of such a precarious situation.
Senju Syura was the youngest son of the clan leader. When he heard that his father had died in battle and had even been turned into a sky lantern by the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans, he felt like he had been struck by lightning.
Usually timid, he immediately wanted to rush out and fight the Uchiha and Hagoromo to the death.
If Black Zetsu hadn't stopped him and finally used a bit of power to knock him unconscious, Senju Syura would have already gone to fight the Uchiha head-on.
———
[Inside The Senju Clan's Mourning Hall]
Amid the raging war, the Senju clan didn't even have the ability to hold a proper funeral for their deceased leader.
There was only a simple wooden memorial tablet placed on the altar, carved with the clan leader's name. Faint incense smoke curled in front of it.
Senju Syura, dressed in coarse mourning clothes, knelt alone on the cold ground, his back hunched.
Syura was the only close relative of the Senju clan leader."
Since his father was killed by the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans, he had completely shut himself off, staying indoors and refusing to come out.
His former passion for ninjutsu and belief in the ninja path had all been crushed by this tragedy.
He even developed a deep aversion and fear toward the profession of being a ninja.
Earlier, he had forced himself to hold on and let Black Zetsu, who had been assisting him all along, leave. He only wanted to curl up alone in this small mourning hall and escape from all the unbearable reality.
A dark figure stepped silently into the mourning hall.
It was Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu had a humanoid form. Many readers like to imagine him as a pile of sludge, and in the Naruto mobile game he really is depicted like that.
"..."
Black Zetsu looked at Senju Syura, who was kneeling before the memorial with hollow eyes and lifeless energy. In the eyes hidden beneath the shadows, a faint, almost imperceptible sigh flickered.
Senju Syura had said he wanted to be alone, so Black Zetsu had temporarily separated from him.
Sensing movement, Senju Syura slowly turned his head. There was no light in his eyes.
"Teacher… why are you here?", Senju Syura's voice was hoarse and dry, carrying a numb tone.
He had always respected and admired Black Zetsu, but his father's tragic death and the cruel slaughter of the ninja world had already made him fear this path. Even when facing Black Zetsu, there was now a trace of avoidance and dejection.
Hearing this, Black Zetsu's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
'Why am I here? Of course I came to check on you.'
'What, did you think I came to congratulate you?'