A Bunch of Impolite Fellows

Ripples faintly shimmered in the void, and Uchiha Takeyasu, returning to his original location, heard the clamor of battle—brilliant flashes of light and shadow born from the collision of ninjutsu.

"There are enemies here too!"

A Kumogakure ninja with the accent of the Land of Lightning and dark skin spotted the suddenly appearing handsome samurai, his expression shifting—this pale-faced pretty boy who materialized out of thin air couldn't possibly be an ally!

The Kumogakure ninja stared hard, then shouted in alarm, his scalp crawling, "It's that pale-faced ninja, Uchiha Takeyasu!"

"You Kumogakure ninja have no manners."

Pulling a spare katana from a storage scroll, Uchiha Takeyasu swept his Three-Tomoe Sharingan over the nearby Kumogakure ninja, casually dispatching a few unlucky ones blocking his path as he advanced deep into the forest.

Based on his earlier deductions, these Kumogakure ninja were likely pursuing Hiruzen Sarutobi's group of six, rogue ninja under the command of the brothers Kinkaku and Ginkaku. They weren't numerous, but all were elite chunin or above.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō were worth Uchiha Takeyasu's time to hunt down, but these rogue Kumogakure ninja weren't—he could leave them to the Konoha Military following behind.

Moreover, the commotion from Torifu Akimichi's Multi-Size Technique had been massive. If Senju Tobirama, with his exceptional sensory abilities, realized the entire Kage Guard was dead, he definitely wouldn't stubbornly clash with Kinkaku and Ginkaku.

If Tobirama escaped, Takeyasu's hopes of becoming the Third Hokage would almost certainly go up in smoke.

(This new conflict between Konoha and Kumogakure is, for me, more beneficial than harmful.)

The clash erupting at the forest's edge had clearly overturned the peace summit between the two villages. With Senju Tobirama's guards so few, the Konoha Military would surely have to dispatch reinforcements.

(If I kill Senju Tobirama and then return with the heads of Kinkaku, Ginkaku, and the Second Raikage, I'll have more than enough merit and combat prowess to become the Third Hokage.)

(The only difficulty in killing Senju Tobirama is his Space-Time Ninjutsu—the Flying Thunder God Technique. I need a way to force him into a deathmatch with me.)

A cold glint flashed in Uchiha Takeyasu's eyes as his figure flickered rapidly through the forest.

[Amenotokotachi] had not only granted Uchiha Takeyasu two powerful dojutsu techniques but also greatly enhanced his innate spatial talent, giving rise to an exceptionally keen sensory ability.

No spatial fluctuation within a ten-kilometer radius could escape his perception. Moving at over two hundred meters per second, he detected a spatial disturbance ahead after seven or eight minutes.

At the same time, his presence was sensed by the warriors locked in battle.

"This evil, icy chakra... it's an Uchiha!"

"Water Style: Twin Water Dragon Bullet!"

Senju Tobirama, with silver hair and red eyes, a face-guard-style iron forehead protector, and three red marks on his cheeks, furrowed his brow. Wiping the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, he fixed his gaze on the panting Kinkaku and Ginkaku ahead. Spitting out two water dragons to create distance, he pressed a hand to the ground, unleashing his full sensory ability. The chakra signatures of all ninja within a hundred kilometers flooded into his mind.

(After Torifu's commotion, the chakra of Monkey and the others vanished too.)

(A localized war is breaking out at the forest's edge.)

(Aside from the approaching Uchiha, there's no one else.)

From the sensory intel, Tobirama grimly deduced—those entrusted with his will for the next generation had all fallen, and the killer was the Uchiha charging toward him!

"Oh, if it isn't the Second Hokage-sama. How pathetic you look."

Uchiha Takeyasu arrived in a flash, his Mangekyo Sharingan wide open as he unabashedly took in the man before him—the one he had once looked up to, the root cause of the Uchiha Clan's hardships and eventual annihilation: Senju Tobirama.

Tobirama wore a black tight-fitting combat suit beneath blue layered armor, both scorched by fire and lightning. The white feathered collar connecting to his back at the shoulders was more than half-burned, leaving him covered in soot, utterly disheveled.

"Uchiha Takeyasu!"

"You possess those cold, sinful eyes!"

"I should have killed you myself back then, regardless of my status!"

Tobirama's gaze flickered. On Uchiha Takeyasu's face, more handsome than the average Uchiha, the gleaming Mangekyo Sharingan sent a shock through his heart, and he instantly understood that Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others hadn't died unjustly.

"So you killed Monkey and the others? You naturally evil Uchiha brat—I'll finish you off with my own hands!"

Tobirama's furious roar met with Uchiha Takeyasu's icy stare. "As expected, a crooked tree grows crooked fruit. You old relic from the Warring States Period can't stop spouting 'naturally evil Uchiha' at every turn."

"I didn't originally plan to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi and the rest, but they didn't inherit your skills—just your foul mouth. Tsk, too bad you couldn't see their pitiful, tearful begging before they died."

"Especially Utatane Koharu. She tried to seduce me before the end, and I have to admit, she was a bit... moist."

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Uchiha Takeyasu's mouth. "If I didn't have to kill you here, I'd love to let you return to Konoha alive, to witness that 'naturally evil Uchiha brat' ascend to the position of Third Hokage and torment what's left of the Senju Clan until they're writhing in agony."

"Raving nonsense! My disciples and subordinates would never do anything to disgrace their honor!"

"And Konoha will never allow an Uchiha to become Hokage!"

"You accursed clan, burdened by love and sin, don't deserve to be Hokage!"

Glaring at the boastful Uchiha Takeyasu, Tobirama's eyes burned with fury. Just as he began to form hand seals, a thunderous roar erupted behind him.

"Hey, hey!"

"We brothers aren't dead yet!"

"Senju Tobirama, your opponent is us!"

The two brothers, one with yellow hair and one with gray, tore through the water dragons, revealing their true forms.

Horns jutted upright from their heads, and six whisker-like marks adorned their cheeks. They wore purple short-sleeved shirts over white Kumogakure jonin vests, their bodies burly and towering—typical Kumogakure brutes.

The yellow-haired one had "Gold" tattooed on his arm, the gray-haired one "Silver." Each wielded a Sacred Treasure of the Sage of Six Paths, and a Tailed Beast Cloak of Nine-Tails Chakra enveloped them, their violent, overwhelming chakra spilling out unchecked.

"Huh? Where's the Second Raikage?"

Spotting Kinkaku and Ginkaku, Uchiha Takeyasu momentarily set aside his killing intent toward Tobirama, scanning the area but finding no sign of the Second Raikage.

"That coward who dared grovel to Konoha and sign a peace treaty? We brothers killed him with a Tailed Beast Bomb the moment it started!"

"Impatient, Kinkaku said offhandedly, then stared at Uchiha Takeyasu with irritation. 'Uchiha brat, are you here to die too?'"

"'Big brother, let's kill them all together. They're Konoha ninjas anyway, and those strange Sharingan eyes would make a fine collectible.'"

"Wrapped in a Tailed Beast Cloak, his chakra surging violently, Ginkaku feared no ordinary genjutsu. He stared straight at Takeyasu's Mangekyo and suddenly took a liking to the idea of collecting it."

"'Fine, we'll kill them all!'"

"The two brothers' conversation, as if no one else was present, slowly wiped the smile from Uchiha Takeyasu's face. His eyes swept over Kinkaku and Ginkaku, then Senju Tobirama silently refining his chakra, and he said with disgust."

"'A bunch of ill-mannered fools.'"

"'Perfect for a trip to Yomi together!'"