Mangekyo

After a moment of silence, Yuzhen seemed to understand what the other person was specifically asking.

"We've been hiding in the deep forest during this time, so we haven't really kept track of specific dates. But if you want to know how long it's been since you were chased, I can tell you it was autumn then, and now winter has arrived."

This way of calculating dates sounded a bit primitive.

However, upon hearing such a vague answer, the Uchiha ninja visibly relaxed.

"Thank you for saving me. My name is Uchiha Nanami. May I ask yours?"

Uchiha Nanami struggled to sit up, leaning against a tree trunk supporting the tent behind her. She glanced sideways at Yuzhen before shifting her gaze to the campfire in the clearing outside.

"Yuzhen. No particular background, just a wandering ninja," Yuzhen felt his self-introduction was rather monotonous.

"You... are all wandering ninjas?"

"Yes, we were all ninjas from different small ninja clans. Later... in short, we are indeed wandering ninjas now."

Yuzhen had decided to conceal the name "Hagane" precisely so he could use this explanation at the right time.

Uchiha Nanami nodded and added, "Your situation is quite rare. It seems you've been through a lot."

In the Ninja World, ninjas who lost the protection of their ninja clan usually couldn't survive. Small groups of wandering ninjas often consisted of survivors from a particular clan. It was truly rare to see wandering ninjas from different backgrounds integrated together.

Of course, this "rarity" was based on Yuzhen's lie. In reality, they were no different from ordinary wandering ninjas now.

"Oh, right, I also need to apologize to you... I'm very sorry for causing you trouble before. That brat from the Senju Clan didn't cause you any difficulties, did he?"

"It almost led to a conflict at first, but luckily we 'persuaded' him in time."

It was while chasing Uchiha Nanami that Tobirama Senju had inadvertently stumbled into Yuzhen's camp. Conversely, Tobirama Senju had been led there by Uchiha Nanami.

If this had been handled poorly, it could have been a disaster for even a small group of wandering ninjas. A casual apology clearly lacked credibility.

Yuzhen couldn't be sure if Uchiha Nanami's actions at the time were genuinely accidental or a deliberate attempt to lure trouble their way. He could only say that fortunately, Tobirama Senju was in a semi-crippled state then, making him relatively easier to handle.

"I didn't intend to lead him to your camp. I was panicked and lost my way while fleeing. Furthermore, the special ninjutsu I use to hide myself and escape enemies can't be activated instantly. It's too peculiar, working only intermittently.

During my escape, I kept trying to activate this ninjutsu, but it wasn't until I was near your camp that I finally succeeded. By then, it was too late to stop it."

Intermittently? Meaning the skill wouldn't activate reliably? That was a plausible possibility.

Did this mean Uchiha Nanami couldn't skillfully use her Mangekyo Sharingan?

Uchiha Nanami appeared remorseful about leading Tobirama Senju to the camp. Compared to Yuzhen and his group's current act of saving her, it seemed like repaying kindness with kindness.

"It's alright, that person didn't cause us any irreparable damage."

Yuzhen certainly wouldn't explicitly express trust or distrust in Uchiha Nanami's explanation. Since she felt guilty, she should offer something as compensation.

Uchiha Nanami's expression turned slightly awkward. She could sense Yuzhen's lack of trust.

"I just didn't expect that stubborn Senju brat could be persuaded? I told him I had no intention of being his enemy, yet he relentlessly pursued me like a madman."

Yuzhen thought, "Physical persuasion" counts as persuasion.

"Regardless, thank you for your help despite what happened," Uchiha Nanami emphasized again.

Yuzhen thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth:

"We didn't save you intentionally; we had to save you... We can't afford to offend the Uchiha Clan."

If one didn't consider Yuzhen's skill at manipulation, under normal circumstances, a single elite Jonin from the Uchiha Clan could have wiped out their entire group.

This statement left Uchiha Nanami somewhat bewildered. In the current Ninja World, everyone dies. Would the death of one Uchiha ninja have serious consequences?

Even major ninja clans often didn't value the lives of their members.

Moreover, Yuzhen and his group weren't murderers; at most, they were guilty of failing to save someone.

Seeing the expected expression on her face, Yuzhen continued to elaborate:

"I saw your Sharingan. Its shape isn't ordinary... I've heard of a special Sharingan whose Eye Power far surpasses that of ordinary Sharingan. Even within the Uchiha Clan, such eyes are extremely rare."

The life of an Uchiha ninja, an ordinary pair of Sharingan, was indeed insignificant. But what if it was a Mangekyo Sharingan?

Just as he had previously revealed Tobirama Senju's identity as Hashirama Senju's brother, Yuzhen once again revealed this Uchiha ninja's identity. Regardless, she was undoubtedly one of the core figures of the Uchiha Clan.

Uchiha Nanami's expression grew even more awkward.

Although she didn't appear as arrogant as typical Uchiha ninjas and didn't consider others ignorant or incompetent, information about the Mangekyo Sharingan was something a wandering ninja like Yuzhen shouldn't possess.

The awkward part was that Yuzhen did possess this knowledge, while she had tried to hide it.

If she didn't have these eyes, would Tobirama Senju have pursued her relentlessly?

"These eyes are called Mangekyo Sharingan. Generally, their Eye Power is indeed superior to ordinary Sharingan. However, my eyes are actually quite useless.

Firstly, I can't master these eyes proficiently. Secondly, I can only use them to escape, and even then, I can't always use them."

Useless? Yuzhen couldn't believe that. At the very least, Uchiha Nanami could use these Mangekyo Sharingan to perform Space-Time Ninjutsu. Based on this, her eyes were among the highest tier even within the Mangekyo Sharingan.

So the question arose: why was there no information about such eyes, such a person, in the original story?

Soon, Yuzhen thought of the answer: if not for the sudden appearance of a camp in the deep mountains, Uchiha Nanami would most likely have been killed by the villainous Tobirama Senju.

Honestly, why was Tobirama Senju everywhere?

Yuzhen wanted to say more, but he noticed that Uchiha Nanami had already closed her eyes, her hands neatly folded on her abdomen, her breathing even...

Her entire demeanor exuded tranquility.

It truly looked as if she had been killed.