Night fell.
In Uzushiogakure, the Great Elder Uzumaki Hiro'umi waited with a grim face for news from the search parties.
"Reporting, Great Elder! We have searched all the main roads connecting the village to the port, but no one has seen Princess Mito or Uchiha Izuna!" an Uzumaki ninja with a shock of red hair reported, kneeling before him.
"Useless! All of you are useless!" Hiro'umi flung his sleeve in fury.
"Elder Hiro'umi, the priority now is to ensure Princess Mito's safety," Senju Yuma interjected as he walked up.
At his words, Hiro'umi managed to suppress his anger. "Clan Head Yuma, what are your thoughts?" he asked in a low voice.
"As the Vice-Clan Head of the Uchiha, Uchiha Izuna trespassed into the Land of Whirlpools and killed two of my clan's ninja. He has already broken the truce agreement." A sinister smile touched Senju Yuma's lips. "Now is the perfect time to counterattack. Hashirama and Tobirama have already gone to the Sarutobi and Shimura clans. If the Uzumaki join us now, then..."
Uzumaki Hiro'umi fell silent, pondering this. He understood Yuma's meaning perfectly: join forces with the Senju and formally declare war on the Uchiha, forcing them to hand over his granddaughter. Hiro'umi had always been in favor of allying with the Senju and entering the war, so he wasn't particularly displeased by Yuma's opportunistic proposal. His only concern was for his precious granddaughter, now in Uchiha Izuna's hands.
Senju Yuma saw his hesitation. "Of course, during the war, Princess Mito's safety will be our top priority. Please rest assured, Great Elder."
After another moment of thought, Uzumaki Hiro'umi finally shook hands with Senju Yuma. "Very well. Today, the Uzumaki clan officially enters the war. We will assist the Senju in eradicating the Uchiha!"
***
On a small boat returning from the Land of Whirlpools to the Land of Fire.
Izuna took off his outer coat, spread it out, and laid it on the gunwale to dry. His clothes had been soaked through during the battle with the Three-Tails, and wearing them was incredibly uncomfortable.
Just then, in the other corner of the boat, the red-haired beauty in a simple white robe stirred, her eyebrows furrowing as she slowly regained consciousness. The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was the bare-chested Izuna sitting across from her.
"Aah!"
Uzumaki Mito let out a cry, stumbling back two steps and nearly toppling out of the boat into the sea. Izuna moved in a flash, grabbing her hand and pulling her back. The momentum sent her delicate face crashing into his chest.
The masculine scent overwhelmed her, and her face flushed crimson. She shoved him with a punch and quickly retreated, only to trip on the corner of a seat and fall hard onto the boat's floor, her bundled red hair tumbling loose.
"Heh heh..."
Izuna shot her a mocking look before settling back into his seat.
Mito scrambled up in embarrassment, tidying her disheveled hair. She sat silently in the opposite corner, but Izuna could see her stealing glances at him from time to time.
"No need to be so on guard. I didn't capture you to eat you," Izuna said, breaking the silence. He propped his cheek on his fist. "There's nothing to do right now anyway. How about a chat?"
He was quite curious about this woman, whose life was the stuff of legend. Judging by her appearance, she couldn't be more than seventeen or eighteen.
Mito watched him for a long time, then suddenly pouted. "They say Uchiha Izuna, Vice-Clan Head of the Uchiha, is a genius strategist whose predictions are never wrong. I never thought he'd make such a basic mistake."
"Oh?" Izuna's eyes widened slightly, an amused smile on his face. "And what mistake have I made?"
Mito looked completely confident. "Senju Yuma came to my grandfather to discuss our clan joining the war to assist the Senju. My grandfather and Clan Head Wakou were very hesitant about it. But by kidnapping me, you've angered my grandfather and the entire Uzumaki clan. Spurred by this, they will certainly choose to formally ally with the Senju and join the war against the Uchiha. When that happens, the gap between your clans will only grow wider."
Mito had lied, claiming her grandfather was hesitant to ally with the Senju when he had intended to all along. She hoped to provoke Izuna. It was unlikely he would send her back, but at the very least, it might unsettle him and create a chance for her to escape.
"Heh... Heheheh... AHAHAHAHAHA!"
After hearing her words, Izuna first chuckled, then laughed, and finally burst into a maniacal roar of laughter. It sent a chill down Mito's spine. "W-what are you laughing at?" she couldn't help but ask.
"Hahaha..." Izuna's laughter gradually subsided as he walked toward her.
Seeing the shirtless Izuna approach, Mito instinctively crossed her arms over her chest. "W-what do you want?" she stammered.
"Princess Mito, have you forgotten what the Uchiha clan's Sharingan can do?"
In the next second, Izuna's pupils morphed into a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and Mito's expression went blank.
"Tell me, what did Senju Yuma do when he came to Uzushiogakure?" Izuna's voice entered the controlled Mito's ears. After a few seconds of silence, she slowly began to speak, revealing everything, piece by piece.
By the time Izuna had extracted all the information she knew, Mito was released from the Sharingan's control. Seeing the half-smiling expression on Izuna's face, she immediately knew what had just happened. She was furious, but also filled with regret. She had been too hasty, completely forgetting the power of the Sharingan. The Uchiha clan never collected faulty intelligence, all thanks to their eyes.
"E-even if you learned something from me, it's too late! My clan will join forces with the Senju. By trespassing in the Land of Whirlpools and killing Senju ninja, you've broken the truce!" Mito said stubbornly. In that moment, she didn't have the calm demeanor of a saintly figure, but rather the defiant air of a normal sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl arguing a lost cause.
"Heh."
At her words, Izuna couldn't help but chuckle again. "The truce is likely broken, but not by me. It will be broken by Senju Hashirama."
"W-what do you mean?" Mito was taken aback, her face a mask of confusion.
"You'll find out soon enough."
Izuna stood up and grabbed his coat from the gunwale. It wasn't completely dry, but he had no choice but to put it on. From their current position, he could just make out the coast of the Land of Fire. He swept Mito up by the waist, abandoned the boat, and began sprinting across the water.
"Y-you, let me go!"
Having had little contact with men her own age, Mito felt a hand supporting her hip. She was both embarrassed and angry. Forgetting all about the sealing jutsu she was so skilled in, she began to beat Izuna's shoulder with her fists like an ordinary girl.
"Shut up!"
Izuna gave her hip a slight squeeze. The jolt made Mito stop, but she glared at him with eyes that could kill.
***
In a small coastal town in the Land of Fire.
-----
Read up to 20 advanced chapters on my P@treon.
[email protected]/fanfictionsimp