Chapter 26 - The War of Attrition

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They had assumed the struggle over the mine would proceed smoothly, but just as they were about to leave, a battle became inevitable.

Half an hour later, the six-clan coalition army arrived at the foot of the mine.

Standing at the forefront, the six clan leaders faced the Senju forces. The Nara Clan Head called out across the battlefield, "Clan Leader Senju, we appreciate you mining on our behalf. As a token of our gratitude, we'll allow you to keep twenty percent of the chakra-conducting metal."

Hashirama paid him no heed, instead exchanging a glance with Akio. Akio gave a slow nod.

Hashirama stepped forward. "Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!" With the familiar technique came a familiar result—the entire terrain surrounding the mine transformed into a lush and dense forest.

"Charge! Big Brother's Wood Release won't harm us!" Tobirama shouted, leading the charge with Senju Tenyu right behind him.

Akio, however, did not follow Tobirama into the fray. Instead, he retreated several dozen steps and calmly took a seat.

The six clan heads exchanged glances before the Nara Clan Head shouted, "Engage!"

Apart from the Hatake Clan Head, the other five instantly used Body Flicker to surround Hashirama, engaging him in a tense standoff.

Meanwhile, the Hatake Clan Head turned toward Akio.

Akio smiled and waved. "Hatake Clan Head, isn't it? You and I wouldn't be able to decide a victor in a short time. There's no need for you to exhaust yourself for the sake of the other clans. How about we sit here and watch the battle instead?"

The Hatake Clan Head cast him a cold glance, then slowly nodded and sat down with his sword in hand. After a moment, he finally spoke. "If we fought, the battle would be decided in an instant... but I have no reason to risk my life for them."

Akio's lips twitched. He nearly jumped up to fight him on the spot.

Observing this, the Inuzuka Clan Head was about to question the Hatake Clan Head's inaction, but the Nara Clan Head stopped him.

"Ignore him. As long as he keeps that Uzumaki occupied, it's enough. Our real target is Senju Hashirama. If we can hold him off, victory is ours!"

Despite the dire situation, Hashirama remained completely unfazed. He made no move to attack the five clan heads. Though they sensed something was amiss, they refrained from acting rashly—after all, they had three times the numbers. A stalemate would only benefit them.

However, half an hour later, the battle unfolded in ways the six clan heads never anticipated.

First, Tobirama proved overwhelmingly strong, holding his own against six elite jonin from the coalition forces. Then, Senju Tenyu single-handedly fended off most of the enemy's elite jonin. But the most shocking development was among the mid- and lower-ranked Senju shinobi—despite being outnumbered three to one, they steadily gained the upper hand.

Their remarkable regeneration was terrifying. Minor injuries healed in an instant. After half an hour of fighting, except for those who suffered fatal wounds, every Senju warrior remained in peak condition.

"Something's wrong..." the Nara Clan Head murmured. "If the Senju had this level of recovery, they would have unified the Land of Fire long ago..."

He couldn't pinpoint the issue—until he saw a small slug slip from the robes of a Senju chūnin.

"A slug? A medical summoning? That means..."

Turning abruptly, he called out, "Aburame Clan Head, keep an eye on that Uzumaki!"

"His chakra is off—it's about half of what it was before," the Aburame Clan Head confirmed.

"Just as I suspected..." The Nara Clan Head's face darkened. "Hatake Clan Head, act now! The Uzumaki is using his summoning to heal the Senju forces!"

"So I've been found out..." Akio sighed, standing up. Across from him, the Hatake Clan Head unsheathed his sword.

A terrifying chakra surged from the blade, its sharp edge gleaming as though capable of slicing through anything.

"Hatake Kenjutsu?" Akio murmured. "In my previous life, the legendary White Fang's sword style was always an enigma. In this warring states era, I finally get to witness it firsthand."

The Hatake Clan Head swung his sword. In an instant, the blade was nearly upon Akio's head.

But as the sword struck, Akio's figure vanished—replaced by a wooden log.

"Substitution Jutsu?" The Hatake Clan Head frowned.

Hatake Kenjutsu infused chakra into the blade, allowing it to lock onto an opponent's presence. Since mastering it, the Hatake Clan Head had never missed a strike—until now.

Akio had felt the lock-on effect, but his max-level Substitution Jutsu couldn't be so easily disrupted.

"Whew... that was close," Akio exhaled, smiling. "No wonder you claimed you could end this instantly. Hatake Kenjutsu—truly terrifying."

He mimicked the playful tone of Admiral Kizaru from One Piece, wearing an infuriatingly smug expression. Even the usually stoic Hatake Clan Head was visibly irritated.

Without a word, the Hatake Clan Head swung again—this time, a standard sword strike, as infusing chakra into the blade consumed significant stamina and chakra.

Akio didn't use Substitution again. He was still channeling chakra into his slug summoning, so conserving chakra was essential.

Ever since training in the Shikkotsu Forest, his Taijutsu stats had exceeded 300, putting him on par with an elite Taijutsu-focused jonin.

He met the Hatake Clan Head's strike head-on. Though he was no match for the master swordsman in pure blade work, his shurikenjutsu and mastery of the basic Three Techniques allowed him to hold his ground.

For another half-hour, they fought. Akio's chakra reserves dwindled, and he began to falter. Fortunately, the Hatake Clan had naturally low chakra reserves, and the Hatake Clan Head himself was running out of steam.

Meanwhile, the overall battle had already been decided. Thanks to Akio's slug summoning, the Senju had gained an overwhelming advantage.

The Nara Clan Head shook his head. "One mistake, and the entire battle is lost... Senju Clan Leader, tell your people to stop. There's no need for further casualties."

"As for the chakra-conducting metal, let's settle it another way. You seem confident that you can take on all five of us alone. Prove it in battle."

He turned to the other four clan heads. "Any objections?"

Seeing the unfavorable situation, the others remained silent.

Hashirama, seeing their consensus, nodded. "Tobirama! Lead our forces away. Leave the rest to me!"

Tobirama acknowledged the order and retreated with the Senju warriors. The coalition's jonin did the same, guiding their people back. Even the Hatake Clan Head shook his head and departed.

Akio withdrew his slug summoning and followed Tobirama. He had more faith in Hashirama than anyone.

Now, at the battlefield's center, only Hashirama and the five clan heads remained.

The battle was about to begin!

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