Big Shot

Techniques like the Mayfly Technique felt more and more like divine arts the more they were used.

Its practicality was beyond conventional, requiring no hand seals to activate, and consuming very little Chakra during use. If there was any drawback, it was that the technique wasn't particularly fast when moving across different mediums.

Just considering the activation process, it was far inferior to spatial movement abilities like those of Obito Uchiha.

For example, when Yuzhen used the Mayfly Technique, whether he plunged into or emerged from trees and earth, the speed and time consumed were not ideal.

If he truly encountered a ninja with swift movements, this "brief process" would undoubtedly be filled with fatal risks.

Of course, this minor flaw was well within acceptable limits. Every ninja technique had its imperfections, and Yuzhen just needed to be more cautious when using the Mayfly Technique.

Two days later, Yuzhen returned to the primeval forest with the good mood that followed a "harvest." However, as he neared the camp, he immediately sensed something was amiss.

Where were the lookouts responsible for guarding the camp? Logically, they should have spotted him by now.

Realizing something was wrong, Yuzhen sped up. When he reached a high vantage point overlooking the camp, he saw that the situation within the camp had become tense.

Had they been found by ninjas from the Tsugawa Clan? No, the situation wasn't that dire.

Yuzhen's clansmen had surrounded a stranger, and both sides were currently in a standoff, not yet engaged in combat.

This was truly a blessing in disguise. Fortunately, Yuzhen had returned before the fighting began, otherwise... It wasn't false modesty; he had great faith in his clansmen's strength.

Yes, strength that couldn't defeat anyone.

The surrounded enemy appeared calm, exuding an aura of caution rather than hostility. This indicated that the intruder wasn't here for the former "Hagane," and had likely stumbled upon the place by mistake.

He never expected such an advantageous hiding spot to be discovered so quickly.

As Yuzhen regretfully turned his gaze to the intruder's face, he couldn't help but blink hard, his expression instantly becoming peculiar.

The intruder's appearance and attire were truly distinctive.

This intruder was about Yuzhen's age, perhaps fourteen or fifteen. He wielded an Ōdachi as his weapon, had pure white hair, and wore a dark blue half-plate metal armor...

If these features weren't clear enough, then the semi-open forehead protector he wore, and the Clan Symbol emblazoned on it, were enough to definitively reveal his identity. Extremely distinctive.

This was truly a "big shot," a young, underage version of a big shot.

"Clan... Captain."

"Captain, you're back."

Upon seeing his return, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had found their backbone.

Yuzhen leaped down from the high ground, landing outside the encirclement. He moved past the others, step by step, until he stood before the intruder... He avoided jumping directly in front of the opponent to avoid provoking him.

"Confirmed, it's him."

Yuzhen thought to himself. After a close-up identification of the intruder, he was one hundred percent certain of the opponent's identity... Tobirama Senju of the Senju Clan, the future Second Hokage.

After more than a year in this world, Yuzhen had finally grasped the general era he was in.

Encountering Sarutobi and then a Senju in quick succession gave him a feeling that the gears of time were accelerating.

Approaching a miniature, youthful Tobirama Senju, Yuzhen secretly raised his guard, as this person was known for being cunning, despicable, and willing to resort to any means to achieve his goals.

"Captain..."

Hayasaka Ryunosuke, standing nearby, gently shook his head at Yuzhen, a subtle warning not to act rashly.

It wasn't that Ryunosuke doubted their chances of winning. In fact, after witnessing Yuzhen's assassination skills, he had a somewhat blind faith in them.

It was precisely because Ryunosuke was ignorant enough to believe Yuzhen could easily handle the situation that he worried Yuzhen would act without considering the consequences.

The symbol on the intruder's forehead was recognizable to everyone. If they were to attack this person, Ryunosuke feared retaliation from the Senju Clan.

The disparity in power and influence was too great. Faced with the Senju Clan, Ryunosuke had no intention of making the first move.

They couldn't afford to provoke them.

When dealing with the Tsugawa, they could fight and flee, but if they faced the Senju? They were on completely different levels.

Yuzhen nodded slightly at Ryunosuke, signaling that he understood his meaning and would not act impulsively.

Rather than being intimidated by the name of the Senju Clan, Yuzhen was more concerned about the name of Hashirama Senju. Given Tobirama Senju's current age, Hashirama Senju was likely in his twenties, a period of peak physical maturity.

Although this so-called maturity was insignificant compared to the "God of Shinobi's" prime, if they were to face him, was there a difference between being killed by Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence and Sage Art: Top Transformed Buddha?

It would be instantaneous, likely a painless death.

Therefore, Yuzhen wasn't incapable of launching a preemptive strike on Tobirama Senju, but he couldn't afford to... In any case, he first needed to understand the intruder's purpose for being here.

Tobirama Senju couldn't possibly be here to exterminate them. Yuzhen had a gut feeling that there was no irreconcilable conflict between them; they had never had any prior interaction.

Tobirama Senju surveyed Yuzhen, noting his simple attire, like a sack with a rope tied around it, unkempt hair, straw sandals, and an unhealthy pale complexion...

This was a camp for rogue ninjas, and they were among the most destitute of the rogue ninjas.

"Are you the leader here? I have no intention of being your enemy, provided you hand over the person you're hiding." Tobirama Senju stated his demand directly.

A bit arrogant, but not severely so. He did, after all, state that he had no intention of dealing with these pitiful rogue ninjas.

Tobirama Senju had been cunning since childhood and would only become more so. However, he wasn't a bloodthirsty killer who killed everyone he met.

His cunning was often manifested in his willingness to resort to any means to achieve his goals, and the "goals" he pursued couldn't be described as inherently evil, especially considering the current era.

Overall, as the one being surrounded, Tobirama Senju felt he held the initiative, allowing him to brazenly make demands... He didn't take the people here seriously.

Looking for someone?

Yuzhen turned to Ryunosuke, who immediately shook his head. Clearly, no one was being hidden at the camp; the intruder had misunderstood something.

"Ahem, I think you should tend to your injuries first. You're about to lose too much blood..."