Early winter had arrived, and the cold wind howled through the lands.
The military camp, having lost many fires in the ongoing war, could only rely on campfires to keep warm.
This was the central command post in the western part of the Land of Fire.
Under the crushing advance of the Uchiha-Senju Alliance, the Three-Clan Alliance had been forced into retreat time and time again.
By now, the Uchiha-Senju Alliance controlled over two-thirds of the Land of Fire—though that was excluding territories owned by city lords and noble families.
"Deputy Chief!"
"Deputy Chief, welcome back!"
"You've worked hard."
As Izuna walked through the camp's entrance, many Uchiha ninjas respectfully bowed and greeted him.
What caught Izuna by surprise was that even some Senju ninjas gave him nods of acknowledgment.
"Not bad."
Izuna smirked slightly as he made his way into the main tent.
Inside, Senju Hashirama sat at the central seat, a simple yet hearty meal spread before him—venison roasted over a charcoal fire and a steaming cup of warm sake.
Though the army enforced fair distribution of rations, senior figures like clan leaders were given slightly better provisions by the logistics team.
As soon as Izuna stepped in, Hashirama beamed at him.
"Thank you for your hard work on the southern battlefield, Izuna."
This military camp was stationed in the far west, so naturally, Hashirama was the first to arrive.
Izuna, who commanded the southern battlefield, had arrived next.
As for Madara, who led the northern battlefield, he was likely still on his way back.
Izuna didn't hesitate—he ripped off a chunk of venison, tossed it into his mouth, and washed it down with a gulp of hot sake.
Enjoying a meal like this on the battlefield… truly satisfying.
Hashirama twitched at the sight but forced a smile.
"Speaking of which, Madara stole the spotlight in the northern campaign. Do you know what the ninjas of the Land of Fire are calling him now?"
Izuna smirked.
"Ninja Shura."
Then, with a slight chuckle, he added:
"And the three of us together? We're now known as the 'Three Heroes of the Warring States Period.'"
Hashirama crossed his arms and grinned.
"At least that means he can finally stop complaining."
As Madara's longtime rival and friend, Hashirama knew well that Madara had always felt overshadowed by him and Izuna.
Now, he finally had his own title.
"The Nara-Akimichi-Yamanaka clans have submitted a truce proposal. What about the Hyuga?"
Hashirama's expression turned serious as he got to the main topic.
Izuna casually shrugged.
"I killed a fair number of them, but I let their key figures live—like the Hyuga clan's young patriarch and other core members. They claimed they needed 'time' to decide… but it's obvious they'll surrender soon."
To Izuna, the Hyuga clan, obsessed with bloodline purity, was too prideful to surrender outright.
They were merely stalling to preserve their dignity.
"It's not an issue. If needed, we can just send in another army to deal with them."
Hashirama nodded but remained focused.
"Now, all that's left is Madara…"
He sighed.
"I just hope things went smoothly."
Two days later, the first snowfall of winter blanketed the Land of Fire.
Madara finally returned from the north, his armor dusted with snowflakes.
As he entered the main tent, Izuna and Hashirama immediately turned toward him.
"Madara, how did things go in the north?"
An unnatural expression flickered across Madara's face—a rare sight.
Izuna and Hashirama instantly knew something was wrong.
But despite his furrowed brow, Madara remained proud, unwilling to admit difficulty.
"One's dead. The other escaped."
"Who died!?"
Hashirama's eyes widened.
Madara exhaled sharply.
"That old fox, Shimura Keizo."
Hashirama scratched his head in frustration.
"Madara! Didn't we agree not to go on a killing spree? Especially not clan leaders! If we want to build a ninja village where all can coexist, we can't just kill off the key figures!"
Madara scowled.
"You don't understand anything."
Even though he knew he was in the wrong, he refused to back down.
"That old fox was a pest! I held back as much as I could, but he just wouldn't stop—like a damn fly! Killing him was already an act of mercy!"
"If you want to build a village, you need to learn patience first!"
Hashirama argued back.
From the side, Izuna sighed.
"Here we go again..."
He shook his head.
Not bothering to interfere, he simply waited for them to finish bickering.
…Thirty minutes later…
For the first time, the Three Heroes of the Warring States Period—Uchiha Izuna, Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Madara—sat together to plan the future.
Izuna cleared his throat and took charge.
"Let's first sort out the status of the Three-Clan Alliance."
He pointed at the map.
"The Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans have already surrendered, so we don't need to worry about them."
"The remaining Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans are just putting on a tough front. It's only a matter of time before they fall."
Pausing, he continued:
"Besides, with Inuzuka Retsu, Shiranui Genji, and other clan leaders already captured, they don't stand a chance."
Hashirama nodded.
"So that means our only real problem… is the north."
He sighed.
"This is why I told you not to kill Shimura Keizo, Madara."
Madara snapped.
"Do you WANT to fight me?! Even if I hadn't killed him, that old fossil wouldn't have surrendered anyway!"
Izuna sighed again.
"You two are hopeless…"
Then, he got straight to the real issue.
"The bigger concern is the relationship between Uchiha and Senju."
Both Madara and Hashirama fell silent, suddenly serious.
Izuna placed the map on the table and drew a diagonal line across the Land of Fire, dividing it into southwest and northeast territories.
"From now on, the Uchiha will rule the southwest, while the Senju will control the northeast. The Warring States will be split between us."
He glanced at both men.
"Let's be honest… Many within both clans still want to destroy each other. They dream of a single clan ruling everything."
"This is where our real problems begin."
Madara said nothing. He was a warrior, not a politician.
Hashirama took a deep breath.
"I will do everything I can to convince my clansmen. In the end, we're all just ninjas—Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, Sarutobi… It shouldn't matter."
Izuna closed his eyes in thought.
Then, he nodded.
"This is the only way. Hashirama, you handle the Senju. As for Uchiha… leave that to me."
Finally, he asked:
"Hyuga will join the Uchiha. That's going to be tough. And the Shimura and Sarutobi clans—can you really make them surrender, Hashirama?"
Madara scoffed.
"Hmph. If they refuse, we'll just kill them. They're nothing but weaklings."
Hashirama frowned.
"I'll do my best."
End of the Chapter.
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