Chương 103: Chapter:100
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The battlefield is a mountainous area with extremely steep terrain. When Madara first assigned the veteran Uchiha Shinchihi, a peak jōnin, to lead the troops there, he wasn't given many men—only 400. After all, the battlefield was small, and crowding it with too many people would be ineffective. Madara prioritized concentrating his forces on the main battlefield instead.
At first, Uchiha Shinchihi wasn't worried when the Senju deployed 600 men to oppose him. The mountainous battlefield favored the defenders, and the attackers' slight numerical advantage wasn't enough to pose a significant threat.
However, Senju Kawaragi's sudden sneak attack changed everything. In one swift blow, the Uchiha garrison was reduced from over 400 to just over 200 men. Among the casualties were an elite jōnin from the newer faction and a peak jōnin who had fought alongside Shinchihi for years.
This sneak attack left Uchiha Shinchihi devastated. In just two nights, his hair had turned noticeably grayer. Not only was he up against Kawaragi, a Kage-level master, and 200 additional Senju forces, but the morale of his troops was plummeting.
"Sir Shinchihi!"
A chūnin entered the camp, addressing Uchiha Shinchihi. "The deputy chief has arrived!"
"Deputy leader?!"
Uchiha Shinchihi stood up abruptly, nervous. The fact that Izuna, the deputy clan leader, had come in person meant that his failure had reached the higher-ups, and even the elders of the Uchiha clan could no longer ignore it.
What Shinchihi didn't know was that Izuna had recently been away on a mission to find tailed beasts. Only Madara, the three elders, and a few senior decision-makers knew about Izuna's absence. Most assumed he had been stationed at the rear, overseeing the battlefield from a distance.
Though nervous about Izuna's arrival, Shinchihi was also relieved. As he walked out of the camp, he couldn't help but ask the chūnin, "How many reinforcements did the deputy chief bring?"
The chūnin hesitated before answering, "The deputy chief came alone... and he brought a red-haired woman."
"What?" Shinchihi froze in disbelief, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He hurried to the camp entrance.
At the gate, Izuna arrived with Uzumaki Mito by his side. Unlike the well-established fortress in the northwest, the Pass was not considered strategically important until Senju Tobirama nearly succeeded in a sneak attack two years ago. Since then, a temporary stronghold had been built there, though its conditions were far worse than those in Uchiha Stone Castle.
"Deputy leader, my apologies," Shinchihi greeted Izuna respectfully.
Izuna glanced at Shinchihi, his expression unreadable. "Tell me about the combat power gap between both sides and the terrain structure of the Pass."
"Yes, deputy leader," Shinchihi replied, before noticing Mito. He hesitated and asked, "Deputy leader, may I ask... who is this?"
Izuna briefly glanced at Mito, thinking to himself that he hadn't told Shinchihi or the northern forces about kidnapping the Uzumaki princess. Only Madara and the elders were aware of it.
"This is a guest from the Uzumaki Clan. Arrange a new tent for her," Izuna instructed.
Shinchihi and the others were shocked. Weren't the Uzumaki allied with the Senju and fighting against Madara's forces? Why was there an Uzumaki woman with the deputy chief?
He pushed those thoughts aside for now. Accompanied by two jōnin, Shinchihi led Izuna into the main tent, where a topographic map of the Pass hung in the center.
"Deputy leader, the Pass is a typical high-mountain battlefield. The terrain is advantageous for us. Our camp is positioned at the highest point, while the Senju forces are down here. Although their position is lower, it's well-hidden..." Shinchihi explained.
One of the jōnin added, "It was the old fox Senju Kawaragi who used the terrain to ambush us, otherwise, we wouldn't have lost."
Izuna's eyes turned cold, and the jōnin immediately fell silent, stepping back in fear.
"Terrain? Sneak attack?" Izuna repeated, his gaze sweeping over the faces of Shinchihi and the remaining jōnin. Both of them looked away, unable to meet his eyes.
"That's no excuse for losing the battle!!" Izuna's voice boomed, like a hammer crashing into their nerves.
He turned back to the map and asked, "What's the current combat power of both sides?"
Shinchihi, still recovering from Izuna's outburst, replied, "We have about 260 soldiers ready to fight. The Senju, after Kawaragi's reinforcements, have between 700 and 800 men."
Even though terrain played a crucial role in such battles, the numerical gap was overwhelming. Izuna couldn't help but blame Shinchihi for the earlier defeat, which had widened this gap so drastically.
"Shinchihi, besides yourself, who holds the highest rank here?" Izuna asked calmly.
Shinchihi's heart sank. He had a feeling of what was coming. He lowered his head and gestured toward one of the silent jōnin standing nearby.
The jōnin stepped forward, saluted Izuna, and said, "Deputy leader, I am Uchiha Akechi."
Izuna, still looking at the map, didn't turn around. "From this moment on, you will switch positions with Uchiha Shinchihi. Do you understand?"
Uchiha Akechi glanced at Shinchihi, who sighed and nodded. "Yes, deputy leader," Akechi replied, accepting the order.
Shinchihi knew that after his massive blunder, this punishment was light. Switching positions with Akechi was a demotion, but it could have been worse.
The two exchanged positions, and Shinchihi quietly retreated to the door. The jōnin who had spoken earlier looked at him with a mixture of sympathy and relief.
Uchiha Akechi approached Izuna and asked, "Deputy leader, what should our next move be?"
With their current numbers, morale, and circumstances, they were in an extremely unfavorable position. Akechi and the others had no choice but to rely on the strategic prowess of the Uchiha clan's most brilliant mind.
(End of Chapter)
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