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It's almost laughable—six mid-sized clans fought fiercely over the Sarutobi Mine, yet in the end, the mine still belonged to the Sarutobi clan.
The Senju party arrived at the mine unimpeded and immediately set up camp.
That's right—only the Senju clan. The smaller clan alliance had ultimately decided not to participate in the war. Instead, they requested ten percent of the chakra-conductive metal as compensation for their neutrality. If they had chosen to fight, they would have demanded thirty percent.
Despite Tobirama's objections, Hashirama insisted that the Senju alone were enough to handle the six opposing clans.
And so, this was the situation—the Senju arrived at the Sarutobi clan's mine alone and set up camp.
As Akio watched in stunned silence, the Senju's chūnin and genin pulled shovels out of their luggage and—rather than preparing for battle—began digging near the previous excavation sites where chakra-conductive metal had been found.
Akio turned to Hashirama, perplexed. "They're... what exactly are they doing?"
Hashirama explained, "We'll likely be stationed here for a few days before the other six clans react. In the meantime, our people might as well mine. The shovels—Tobirama had them bring those before we left."
Akio's expression stiffened. "If that's the case, why not bring pickaxes?"
"Pickaxes are too big and inconvenient to carry," Tobirama answered matter-of-factly.
"Too big? But aren't there sealing scrolls..." Akio trailed off as realization struck. Sealing scrolls didn't exist in the Warring States period.
"Sealing scrolls? What's that?" Hashirama asked, tilting his head.
"Nothing…" Akio dismissed the topic, his mind now fully occupied with thoughts of sealing scrolls.
"Sealing scrolls don't exist yet. With my sealing technique skills, could I create them?"
"Tobirama, let's join in with the jĹŤnin and get this mining done faster," Hashirama suggested. "Grandfather, do as you wish."
Akio pondered the idea of sealing scrolls for a long time, but without the necessary materials here, he resolved to research it once they returned. In the meantime, he, too, joined the mining effort.
Picking up a shovel, he found an empty spot and began digging. Before long—snap! His shovel broke.
Glancing around to make sure no one noticed, he quietly fetched another shovel.
After breaking three shovels in succession, Akio suddenly realized he was becoming an expert miner. The tool now felt incredibly natural in his hands.
"This situation…" He glanced at his status panel. Sure enough, a new special talent had appeared:
Mining LV1 (0/100)
A special talent… in mining? This significantly lowers the prestige of my sensing ability…
Checking his achievement points—he had earned four from Slug Summoning—he decided to invest one into mining.
Mining LV6 (10,000/20,000)
Instantly leveling up five times, Akio now mined with incredible efficiency. In no time, he had unearthed a pile of… iron ore.
As it turned out, no matter how skilled one became, some things still relied on luck. Hashirama, on the other hand, had already struck a massive chunk of chakra-conductive metal.
Akio was frustrated. He stubbornly grabbed another shovel and dug furiously with both hands. By sunset, he had probably unearthed more iron ore than all the Senju jōnin combined. And yet…
Akio conceded defeat.
Meanwhile, at the Six Clans' battlefield—
After a grueling battle during the day, the six clan leaders had gathered in the Nara clan's camp that evening. They had all received the same report—the Senju had taken over the mine.
"Damn those Senju!" the Inuzuka clan head growled. "It wasn't enough for them to claim the fertile lands of eastern Fire Country; now they want to meddle in the west, too. Nara clan head, what do you think we should do?"
Despite being enemies, the clans present all trusted the Nara clan's strategic prowess.
"The Senju's involvement is actually to our advantage," the Nara clan head said slowly. "If we six clans continue fighting, our casualties will only increase. The smaller clans have already formed alliances, and I was concerned they might ultimately benefit."
"The Senju didn't bring many people. They still have to deal with the Uchiha, their biggest threat. If we unite, we won't lose."
"The numbers confirm it," the Aburame clan head added. "My insects detected fewer than a thousand chakra signatures, but two of them are abnormally large… several times our own."
"One of them is likely the Senju clan head, Hashirama Senju. He's probably stronger than all of us," the Yamanaka clan head noted. "The other must be an Uzumaki. Their clan is known for massive chakra reserves, but that shouldn't be too difficult to handle."
"Then why don't we strike together and drive them out?" the Akimichi clan head suggested.
"No. Our presence alone serves as deterrence," the Nara clan head reasoned. "Like it or not, the fact that they dared to come here with so few means they have a plan. The most likely scenario is that Hashirama Senju is even stronger than we imagined."
"We'll fight a battle of attrition. If we don't attack, neither can Hashirama. Our combined forces outnumber theirs by at least three to one. They can't afford to be worn down."
"As for the Uzumaki, with such a large chakra reserve, he's likely of clan leader level. In a crucial moment, we'll rely on you, Hatake clan head."
Among the six clans, the Hatake were unique. They had fewer than a hundred members, yet they were still considered a mid-sized clan. That was because every Hatake was a formidable warrior, and their leader was the strongest individual present.
Since entering the meeting, the Hatake clan head had remained silent, sitting in the corner with his sword in hand. He had joined this struggle only because the Inuzuka and Aburame clans had promised him some chakra-conductive metal to forge a great sword.
Hearing the Nara clan head's words, he gave a slight nod before lapsing back into silence.
"Then it's decided. I'll return to gather my warriors. Tomorrow, we'll confront the so-called strongest clan of the Warring States!" the Inuzuka clan head declared eagerly.
"No need to rush," the Nara clan head interjected. "The Senju are still mining. We can afford to wait a few days and let our people recover. As long as we intercept them before they leave, we'll have made them mine on our behalf."
The clan heads exchanged glances. Even the Akimichi and Yamanaka leaders, who were Nara's allies, had the same thought—"These Nara are such cunning foxes!"
But since the strategy worked in their favor, there was no reason to object. Plus, after constant warfare, their clans did need rest.
And so, the Senju continued their mining operation for two more weeks. Akio endured his "unlucky" streak for just as long.
They had extracted nearly a hundred pounds of chakra-conductive metal.
Not a single piece had been dug up by Akio.
Thinking the six clans had given up, Hashirama was just about to order their departure when a scout arrived with urgent news:
"The Six Clans Alliance will reach the battlefield in thirty minutes…"
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