Outside the dense bushes in the real world.
“Sister! Where did you guys go into the woods? I’ve been looking for you for ages!”
Senju Nawaki spotted the two emerging from the bushes and hurried over.
Looking at her precious younger brother, Tsunade’s eyes instantly softened at the thought of his potential gruesome death in the near future.
She reached out and ruffled Nawaki’s hair.
“What’s the rush? I just took a liking to this kid and taught him a couple of Ninjutsu moves.”
“What?!”
Nawaki’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
His face flushed with anger as he pointed at Uchiha Rinya and shouted, “Sister, have you lost your mind? You’re teaching Ninjutsu to someone from the Uchiha Clan? Why?! I want to learn too!”
Uchiha Rinya crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping over his future brother-in-law with an odd expression.
With that volatile temper and questionable intelligence, how could he possibly uphold the Senju Clan in the future?
Then again, he thought, the kid’s main task was just to carry on the Senju lineage; he was certainly qualified enough to be a high-quality stud.
Uchiha Rinya’s gaze toward Nawaki instantly shifted to that of someone appraising a prize stud pig on a farm.
The blatant, naked gaze made Nawaki’s skin crawl, giving him goosebumps.
“Enough, stop fussing. I’ll give you some special training when we get back.”
Tsunade grabbed her boisterous younger brother.
Not far away, Senju Ken walked over quickly.
“Lady Tsunade, the team has finished resting and is ready to depart at any time.”
“Back to camp!”
The group turned into shadows, moving at high speed through the towering trees.
Half a day later, at the gate of the Konoha front-line base.
“Kid, I still have matters to attend to. We’ll settle our score later!”
Tsunade left behind a remark full of implications and walked away with Nawaki.
Uchiha Rinya nodded.
“Uchiha Rinya! Are you tired right now?”
Just then, Sarutobi Takumi hurried over, his eyes gleaming.
“How about we find a place to discuss Ninjutsu theory? My Fire Release secret manual is itching for action!”
On a battlefield that was like a meat grinder, having a little more strength meant having a better chance of survival.
Having just survived a bloody battle, Sarutobi Takumi only wanted to get his hands on some powerful Earth Release techniques.
“Sure, Senior Takumi, let’s go!”
The two hit it off immediately, greeted their captain, Takagi, and headed into the tent area with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
Watching their studious backs, Takagi was full of gratification.
The stronger the team members, the higher their survival rate—this was a great thing! Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Uchiha Rinya and Sarutobi Takumi, arms around each other, began to “freeload” Ninjutsu from each other, forgetting to eat or sleep.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Konoha camp.
“Orochimaru, I’ve finished my mission and will be taking the team back to the village shortly. Do you have anything you want me to convey to Master Hiruzen?”
Tsunade leaned against a sturdy tree, her gaze fixed on her younger brother, Nawaki, who was drenched in sweat and practicing Taijutsu intensely in the open space nearby.
Her tone was casual.
Orochimaru was also staring at Nawaki without turning his head.
“Nothing to relay. If there’s anything to mention, it’s that Senju Ken submitted an application to promote Uchiha Rinya to Jonin, breaking the standard protocol. However, I feel this kid lacks the seniority and raw strength, so I’m holding onto the application for now.”
“That Uchiha kid?”
Tsunade’s heart gave a sudden jolt.
A strange expression flashed across her beautiful face as she gritted her teeth and said, “He is indeed not qualified to be a Jonin! Good job holding it back; let him stay as a Chunin and suffer a bit more!”
The gnashing tone caught Orochimaru off guard.
“What’s wrong? You seem to have a strong opinion about this kid. Is there some conflict between you two?”
Orochimaru turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Tsunade.
Tsunade panicked inwardly and quickly covered up, “What conflict could there be! I just can’t stand that the Uchiha have produced another genius. Look at Nawaki; he’s the same age, but the gap in their strength is worlds apart. It really infuriates me!”
To dispel Orochimaru’s suspicion, Tsunade used the long-standing feud between the Senju and Uchiha as a shield, while taking the opportunity to glare fiercely at her own brother.
“That is true. Uchiha Rinya’s combat intuition and talent are indeed stunning.”
Orochimaru extended his long tongue and licked his pale lips.
“If I weren’t tied down by the war on the front lines, I would really like to take him as a disciple to study him properly.”
Tsunade’s eyelids twitched, and she quickly interrupted, “Don’t you dare set your sights on anyone else! Your current disciple is Nawaki!”
“I’m returning to the village soon, so I’m leaving Nawaki in your care.”
“You must promise me that you will never let him go to the dangerous front lines; you must keep a close eye on him!”
Tsunade’s tone was unprecedentedly grave.
Uchiha Rinya’s prophecy of death hung over her like a sword, making her heart ache with anxiety.
“Rest assured, Tsunade. Nawaki is my most cherished disciple; I will absolutely not let him go to his death.”
Orochimaru rarely revealed a gentle smile, his eyes revealing a hint of sincerity.
“Please!”
Tsunade took one last deep look at her younger brother in the distance, and her figure vanished instantly, turning into a blur.
An hour later.
“Nawaki, stop. Today’s training volume has already exceeded the limit; go and rest.”
Orochimaru appeared in the center of the clearing with a Body Flicker, reaching out to press down on Nawaki’s violently trembling shoulders.
“No! Master Orochimaru, I can still train!”
Senju Nawaki gasped for air, his clothes soaked with sweat, his eyes filled with reluctance.
“That guy Uchiha Rinya has already been promoted to Chunin, and he’s even awakened the Sharingan! How can I be left behind by an Uchiha! I am the man who will become Hokage, and my surname is Senju!”
Watching Nawaki’s legs wobbling from exhaustion, Orochimaru sighed helplessly.
The chasm of talent could not be bridged simply by shouting passionate slogans.
Without further ado, Orochimaru delivered a sharp hand chop to the back of Nawaki’s neck.
Nawaki’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
Night fell.
Tsunade led a supply team, speeding through the pitch-black forest.
When they reached a secluded valley, Tsunade suddenly raised her hand to signal the team to stop.
Then, to the astonishment of her team members, she bit her finger and directly summoned a giant Katsuyu clone that was as big as a house.
“Everyone get on! The situation has changed; we must rush back to Konoha at full speed!”
Tsunade’s tone was stern and unquestionable.
The team members didn’t dare to ask any questions and immediately jumped onto Katsuyu’s broad back.
A Ninja’s duty is to obey orders; whatever the captain says, they do.
The team set off again and quickly disappeared into the night.
However, a few minutes later, a puff of white smoke exploded without warning above the valley.
Tsunade’s figure reappeared on the treetops!
She looked around vigilantly, and under the cover of night, she silently returned to the vicinity of the Konoha front-line base, finding an extremely hidden corner to lie in wait.
The one who led the team away earlier was not Tsunade’s original body at all, but a Shadow Clone she had instantly created using her summoning technique!
Knowing that her younger brother might have his heart ripped out and die a miserable death, how could she just walk away?
Not only did she want to stay and protect him from the shadows, but she also wanted to personally ferret out the mastermind hiding in the dark!
With the Chakra supply from the long-distance Katsuyu, her Shadow Clone would definitely be able to last until it successfully returned to Konoha.
The next two days.
Uchiha Rinya hid in his tent, crazily catching up on lessons with Sarutobi Takumi, and successfully “freeloaded” two quite practical Fire Release techniques.
C-rank Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
It could spit out multiple fireballs like a shotgun, and combined with the insight of the Sharingan, it could achieve precise, all-around coverage attacks.
B-rank Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.
It spat out three violent fire dragons, forming a strangling formation from three directions, with power great enough to instantly evaporate a pond.
These two Ninjutsu perfectly made up for Uchiha Rinya’s shortcoming in area-of-effect (AOE) damage.
Meanwhile, Tsunade, hiding in the shadows of the camp, finally sensed the successful return of her Shadow Clone.
After the Shadow Clone returned to Konoha, she directly had the team members bring a message to the Third Hokage, using the excuse that her Medical Ninjutsu research had reached a critical moment and that she was closing her doors to visitors.
Afterward, she dispelled the clone in the secret room of the Senju estate.
The worries were completely resolved.
Now, all of Tsunade’s energy was locked onto Orochimaru and Nawaki, waiting for the verification of the death prophecy!