Training Begins

Utsusemi woke up in the bedroom after spending her first night in the villa. When she got up, she found Itama standing guard at her door like a statue.

"You're awake, Sister?" Surprise flashed in Itama's eyes.

When Utsusemi returned last night, she had collapsed directly onto Tobirama.

Although his second brother had diagnosed her with nothing more than exhaustion, the unusual incident had kept him awake all night.

Now he swallowed his worry and gave her a bright smile. "Second Brother went home after confirming you were all right."

"Did anything unusual happen while I was asleep?" Utsusemi rubbed her temples as her memories of the struggle with Tobirama before she passed out gradually grew clearer.

"Everything was normal." At his reassuring answer, she nodded. "I'll go back to the Spacetime Tower first. If anyone comes to visit..."

"Leave it to me." Itama promptly cut her off. The young ninja's straight back looked especially dependable in the morning light.

In the Spacetime Tower's infirmary, Izuna's condition was very stable.

It eased Utsusemi's worries a little and was enough to support her plan for nighttime visits to the Uchiha Clan Compound.

The gaze in those Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan had kept Utsusemi feeling as though needles were pricking her back.

She repeatedly calibrated the three-dimensional model, carefully considering the limitations on using Six Paths Mode.

That power would cause space to tremble, so from now on, treatments could only be carried out in the Uchiha's secret chamber.

She would allow nothing to endanger her ultimate trump card.

For once, Utsusemi felt her stomach protesting. With her usual routine, she expended no energy while time was stopped.

But spending the night elsewhere had disrupted her biological rhythm. After gathering the necessities, she left with a reheated bento.

Back in the villa's dining room, the familiar scent of a station bento left her in a daze.

The aroma of the beef tongue was as delicious as ever, bringing back memories of the restaurant she used to frequent.

When Itama announced that his two older brothers had arrived, Utsusemi quickly wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes and steadied her breathing until her emotions settled.

"Good morning." She put on a somewhat forced smile. The perceptive Senju brothers immediately noticed that something was wrong.

"Morning." Hashirama studied the wooden food box beside her hand and her reddened eyes thoughtfully, looking as though he wanted to say something but held back.

Tobirama, who had been awake all night, stared at the moisture still clinging to her eyelashes and watched her eat, a sharp, searching look rising in his scarlet eyes.

"Good morning." The greeting concealed countless unspoken questions.

Under their gazes, Utsusemi gradually lost her appetite and mechanically finished the rest of her bento.

When Itama served the three of them tea, she noticed two pieces of calming herbs at the bottom of her cup that had not fully dissolved.

The moment the warm tea slid down her throat, her taut nerves seemed to ease.

She sipped it slowly, both to buy time and to gather the courage to face the next round of questioning.

"Izuna's injury is only an ordinary external wound mixed with the power of spacetime." Tobirama suddenly pressed her. "With your medical skills, why do you need to go to the Uchiha Clan Compound every night to treat him?"

Utsusemi lowered her eyes, avoiding the truth about the curse. "Continued treatment affects the patient's quality of recovery. Treatment must continue until Izuna has fully recovered. Maintaining patient confidentiality is a fundamental principle of medical ethics."

She silently estimated how long it would take to lift the curse. If she could not break this forbidden technique that made blood relatives devour one another, she would have to keep visiting the Uchiha at night.

Although Hashirama Senju disapproved of Utsusemi's frequent visits to the Uchiha Clan Compound, he stepped in to mediate and advance the alliance for the sake of forming it with his closest friend.

"The ceasefire agreement says we'll form an alliance and establish a village once Izuna recovers. Utsusemi brought about that agreement, so she knows the proper limits better than we do."

Tobirama Senju narrowed his eyes. "Brother! This is obviously..."

Hashirama Senju suddenly burst out laughing. "For an alliance between the two clans, all these sacrifices are worth it!"

He lowered his voice as he turned to his younger brother. "The third clause of the ceasefire agreement is perfectly clear..."

He stopped his brother from pressing further with a look. Tobirama pressed his lips together unwillingly, but ultimately fell silent.

"Utsusemi, you were so tired last night that you fell straight asleep, but you should have a physical examination today." When Tobirama made his new demand, Utsusemi was already prepared and smiled as she handed him a self-examination scroll.

The traces of Yin Release Chakra left from her contact with Madara now perfectly concealed the curse's presence.

Tobirama Senju rubbed the edge of the scroll, but finally backed down in silence under his older brother's gaze.

Utsusemi resolutely upgraded her Ninjutsu lessons from three times a week to daily special training.

The Senju brothers raised their eyebrows in unison as they looked at the special training schedule Utsusemi handed them.

Hashirama Senju rubbed his chin, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Daily special training...? Utsusemi, you've had trouble adjusting even to three times a week. Are you sure you want to undertake such demanding training?"

Utsusemi nodded with a determined look. "Yes. Combat drills in the early morning, Hand Seal training in the afternoon, and theory lessons at dusk. Only that level of intensity will let me break through the bottleneck."

Tobirama Senju folded his arms, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. As his gaze swept over the training schedule, approval showed in his eyes.

"An exceptional decision... but are you sure you can handle this plan? Giving up halfway is not acceptable."

Hashirama Senju's gaze stayed fixed on Utsusemi. "She was still complaining before about how painful the sparring in Taijutsu class was." His tone held an affection he could not conceal.

Utsusemi pulled a new training schedule from the scroll. "That's why I've scheduled the combat drills for the morning, so I'll have enough time to recover from my injuries and regain my energy."

Tobirama Senju's pupils contracted sharply before he quickly regained his composure. "Interesting. Can you keep your eyes open before getting hit now?"

A confident light shone in Utsusemi's eyes. "I've already overcome my habit of closing them."

She always closed her eyes instinctively when facing the Senju brothers' attacks because her instincts told her they would not truly hurt her.

But if she closed her eyes against Madara Uchiha's attacks, death would be her only fate.

If the Senju brothers were guardian gods, the Uchiha brothers were... diamonds used to polish a diamond.

She knew Six Paths Mode's fatal flaw: its dazzling aura could only last thirty minutes.

But the power slumbering deep within the Tenseigan was like an untapped vein of ore...

If Madara had not suppressed his fighting spirit yesterday for the sake of treating Izuna, they would certainly have fought.

If she could not improve quickly, she would inevitably face a two-against-one battle once Izuna recovered.

With Madara Uchiha's almost godlike perception, frequent battles would inevitably expose Six Paths Mode's time limit, and then all her trump cards would be laid bare.

Peace maintained by Six Paths Power was nothing more than a sandcastle before a wave.

To make it stand forever, she could only melt the entire beach and forge it into tempered glass.

No matter how deep a bond she formed with the Uchiha brothers, it would pale before the interests of their clans.

Once she lost the initiative, the peace they had barely stitched together would eventually tear open into an even bloodier abyss.

Unless... unless she was willing to abandon her principle of not killing and kill one to warn the rest.

But... absolutely not!

The Uchiha brothers flashed through her mind. Killing people, even killing friends, could not bring peace.

Wasn't my original reason for wanting to change this world to protect the people important to me?!

Most fatal of all was this body. The Tenseigan's Chakra had washed through and reshaped its meridians, while Flower Release's life energy had tempered its muscles and bones, bringing its physical strength to the highest tier.

But the fighting instincts engraved in their genes and the reflexes honed between life and death were a gap she could not close with a few months of special training.

Whenever she sparred with the Senju brothers, the battlefield instincts they displayed in every movement showed onlookers the gulf created by talent and experience.

Utsusemi suppressed every trace of hesitation and unease in her heart.

When she looked up at the Senju brothers, her eyes held nothing but clear resolve.

"Teacher Hashirama, Teacher Tobirama," she said, her voice carrying unmistakable determination. "Starting tomorrow, I'll attend morning training on time."

Hashirama Senju laughed heartily. "No problem. Rely on me all you want."

Even the serious Tobirama could not help turning his face away to hide how moved he was. "Wanting to grow stronger is a good thing. I'll regulate the intensity of your training."

Hashirama Senju chuckled and reached out to stroke Utsusemi's hair. "All right. Tell us if you can't handle it."