They had only managed to retreat—and the crucial reason was that none of them expected the Uchiha to wield Susanoo. That was practically absolute defense with overwhelming offense, and once it appeared, their lines collapsed like a mountain slide.
Not only were most of their fighters dead or wounded, but many of the elders, women, and children had been forced to their knees. The remaining seriously injured ninja were seized as prisoners.
"Kaede, the Akimichi clan head fought me just now—I killed him. Standing here now are the clan heads of the Yamanaka and the Nara. They chose to surrender on their own."Shizuru reported to Kaede.
"Mhm, I see. Shizuru, go call sensei over."Rather than rushing to deal with the surrendering clans, Kaede ordered calmly.
"Understood!"Shizuru nodded, but she had barely taken two steps when Kagami himself appeared, clearly having already received word.
"Sensei! You're here." Kaede's face showed genuine excitement.
"Mhm. I figured you were about done, so I came. These are the ones surrendering, right?" Kagami's voice was calm as his eyes swept over the defeated clans.
"Yes. They are the heads of the Yamanaka and Nara clans. At the fiercest point of the battle, they brought out their remaining clansmen and surrendered. I just haven't decided what to do with them… or with these elders and children." Kaede frowned slightly. "We've already cut down most of their fighters, but their numbers are still large. If we bring them back, I'm worried about problems on the road. But killing them all here doesn't sit right either. Those small clans before charged only because their chiefs were killed. Now that these two have yielded, cutting everyone down is… troublesome. And these three clans are among the top powers in the shinobi world—if we resolve it crudely, it may cause trouble."
"Why overthink it? They're your enemies. If the Uchiha don't intend to spend resources feeding useless mouths, then just kill them and be done."Kaede's tone was cold, merciless.
"No—please don't kill us! We're willing to swear fealty to the Uchiha. Let us live!"The heads of the Yamanaka and Nara shouted desperately.
Kaede hesitated. In truth, the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi were valuable.
"You decide," Kagami said evenly. "Live or die—this choice is yours."
If this had been the present, Kaede would have ended them without hesitation. But this was the past. He was Uchiha by blood, yes, but ultimately an outsider here. The clan would have to be managed by Kaede. If Kaede's nature twisted into indecision now, who knew what the future would become?
"…Alright."Kaede exhaled slowly, letting go of his misgivings.
"You don't have to die. But if you dare harbor any other thoughts, I'll kill you immediately. Swallow this—it's a secret medicine of the Uchiha used to bind vassals. Betray us, and you'll die in agony."
Kaede produced a small bottle of pills and handed them over.
Seeing that the Uchiha would spare them, the two chiefs nodded at once and swallowed the pills without hesitation. Their chakra was sealed away, leaving them docile.
As for the resources of the three clans, the Uchiha seized everything. Spoils of war were spoils of war.
On the road back, if they encountered scouts of other clans, they killed those who spotted them. If some escaped, they didn't bother to chase. Soon enough, the entire shinobi world would know. There was no point in hiding it.
Upon returning, the captives from the other clans were settled temporarily—but until they proved true submission to the Uchiha, they would not receive good treatment.
This time, though Kaede had personally led the battle against the three clans, he had interfered very little. The credit for breaking them belonged to Kaede.
Tajima was delighted, and Izuna was equally proud of his elder brother. Only by becoming stronger would their clan continue to grow.
"Good. The victory feast has already been prepared. Get some rest and then come out to celebrate."
The battle had been costly. Of the dozens Kaede had led, five or six Uchiha were dead, and more than twenty were wounded—even though these were elite, trained with ninjutsu that Kaede had refined. If it had been ordinary clansmen, casualties might have been half or worse. After all, the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara were weighty powers among the clans.
For the fallen, their Sharingan would be returned, and they themselves buried in the clan cemetery. Their families would be well cared for by the Uchiha.
While the Uchiha celebrated loudly, the other clans wore bitter faces. The Hagoromo clan, especially, felt dread.
In their heyday, they had once fought a great war with the Uchiha—and most importantly, they had killed Tajima's third and fourth sons. Those two had died miserably at Hagoromo hands. The Hagoromo had wanted to seize Uchiha bloodline power, but after killing the sons they were defeated before they could even carry away the bodies, and had to withdraw in frustration. From then on, it was an unending blood feud.
Worse, they had also once annihilated members of the Senju; Itama and Wakama had fallen to them as well. Those two children had had real skill—even though they'd only gone out to fetch water, not to fight on the front lines…
(End of Chapter)[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome][Thank You For Your Support!]