The Eye of the Immortal

On the way back to the barracks, Tsunade suddenly asked, "Kō-kun, why do you care so much about that one Uzumaki family? There are plenty of people like them."

Uchiha Kō suddenly chuckled. "You didn't observe carefully, did you? That child's eyes are the legendary Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths."

"Rinnegan? What is that?" Tsunade was somewhat confused. Indeed, Madara's Rinnegan was an accidental byproduct of biting off a piece of Hashirama's flesh.

Aside from Madara and Black Zetsu, no one knew the conditions for awakening the Rinnegan. After the sealing of the filial son and the battles between Asura and Indra, the Rinnegan had almost never appeared throughout the long years of the Warring States period, so almost no major clan had records of it.

To this, Uchiha Kō explained, "I once browsed through ancient Uchiha texts and various myths and legends, and I saw mentions of the Rinnegan."

Tsunade nodded, not harboring much suspicion, though she still asked, "Are the Sage of Six Paths' eyes really that powerful?"

Uchiha Kō's lips curled into a smile. "Do you believe me if I say that once that child grows up, he could destroy Konoha with a single thought—a total, crushing victory?"

Tsunade's pupils constricted instantly. She stopped in her tracks and looked at Uchiha Kō, but his expression remained unchanged. Seeing this, Tsunade became certain that Uchiha Kō was not joking with her.

"Kō-kun, I think sending only twenty people to escort their family to Konoha is too dangerous. I'm going to have fifty—no, one hundred Senju jonin escort them," Tsunade said immediately.

Uchiha Kō's mouth twitched. "One hundred? And all jonin? Don't let that kind of force draw everyone's attention. You have to realize that it's not just our Konoha people inside the Land of Rain right now."

Tsunade thought about it and agreed, then asked, "Kō-kun, then how many people do you think is appropriate?"

Uchiha Kō crossed two fingers, and Tsunade understood. "Ten people?"

"Exactly. Ten people. The target is smaller, and ten jonin are enough to fend off a squad of forty. Before they strike, who would know that the people we sent out are jonin?" Uchiha Kō smiled.

Tsunade nodded; she trusted Uchiha Kō's judgment implicitly. And so, ten Senju jonin were dispatched to retrieve Nagato Uzumaki's family. Before leaving, Nagato even kissed Uchiha Kō and waved at him!

Uchiha Kō smiled slightly and bid him farewell.

Three days of rest later.

Suddenly, a letter arrived. Tsunade opened it; it was in the handwriting of Uzumaki Mito. "Little Tsunade, thank you for thinking of your grandmother. The people have arrived safely. Nagato is a very clever child with great talent; he is very likable."

"I heard from the clansmen that you suffered almost zero casualties this time. Well done. In the future, observe more, ask more, and listen to your commander's advice." Reading this, Tsunade's face flushed; it seemed the clansmen who returned had already told her grandmother the news.

"Finally, little Tsunade, the battlefield is not child's play. Be careful in everything, discuss matters often, especially Kō's advice. Grandmother is waiting at home for your safe return so I can cook you something delicious!"

Uzumaki Mito's words ended there, and a knowing smile appeared on Tsunade's face. Just then, Uchiha Kō walked in. Seeing the smile on her face, he couldn't help but be stunned. "Lady Tsunade, what is this?"

He then glanced at the letter in her hand and suddenly realized. "A letter from home is worth ten thousand gold. Is it a letter from Lady Mito?"

Uchiha Kō found a chair and sat down. After these three days of rest, the local villagers had come to trust the conduct of their troops, so, led by the local village chief, they had rented them an office space and enough open ground to pitch tents.

Because of this, Uchiha Kō and Tsunade were able to discuss military affairs here. Seeing Uchiha Kō approach, Tsunade stood up with a smile and handed the letter to him as he sat with his legs crossed.

"Here, take a look. Grandmother is praising you and telling me to listen to you more. Also, Nagato and his family have arrived safely at Konoha and are staying at our home. Now you can rest easy!" Tsunade was in a good mood. Although they had only been fighting for three days, she felt time was moving so slowly, her nerves strained every day.

Now, this letter from home allowed her restless emotions to be soothed. Uchiha Kō reached out to take the letter and read it carefully, his lips curling upward, unable to hide his joy.

"Lady Mito is also praising our Lady Tsunade for her ability to recognize talent. If Lady Tsunade hadn't made up her mind, I wouldn't have had the chance to show my worth," Uchiha Kō laughed.

"Grandmother told you to call her grandmother directly, why are you still calling her Lady Mito?" Tsunade huffed. Uchiha Kō stood up and pressed her back into her chair. "Lady Mito is a senior and the most respected person in Konoha. Besides, this isn't home; it's better to address her as Lady Mito."

Tsunade thought about it and felt that made sense; after all, this was the command post, and there were two guards at the door.

But what had Kō-kun just done? He had placed his hands on her arms! He pressed her into the chair—how dared he!!!

However, seeing that Kō-kun's expression remained unchanged, it seemed to be an unintentional act. Very well, she would forgive him. Still, Kō-kun's palms were quite warm. Tsunade thought about many things in that instant.

Uchiha Kō was unaware of this; he walked to Tsunade's desk and lowered his head.

Uchiha Kō looked at the map, deep in thought. Yesterday, scouts for Lord Orochimaru and Lord Jiraiya arrived in the village saying they would rendezvous today, and the meeting point was right here.

Thinking about it now, they should have arrived. Just as he was thinking this, the guards at the door pushed the door open, looked at Tsunade and Kō sitting to the side, and saluted.

"Lord Kō, Lady Tsunade, Lord Orochimaru's army and Lord Jiraiya's army are waiting at the village entrance."

After speaking, they knelt on one knee, waiting for a reply. Tsunade stood up, ready to head out, but Uchiha Kō quickly stopped her. "Lady Tsunade, we are currently a force at our peak. This rendezvous will inevitably involve selecting a commander-in-chief."

"The most likely outcome is that Lady Tsunade will be chosen as the commander-in-chief. If you are the one to go out and welcome them, your momentum will drop by a notch."

"I know you value your camaraderie, but you must fight for the position of commander-in-chief for this battle. Whether as your political capital or for the safety of the Senju troops, you must hold your ground right now."

Uchiha Kō's words made Tsunade's lips part slightly. She hadn't expected that simply going out to welcome them could have so many implications.

"Then, Kō-kun, what should I do?" Tsunade asked. She knew in her heart that Uchiha Kō was doing this for her own good.

Uchiha Kō said calmly, "You just sit here." As he spoke, Uchiha Kō pointed to the main seat in the office, then added, "I will go to welcome Lord Jiraiya and Lord Orochimaru. You just need to wait here."

After thinking it over, Tsunade still shook her head. "That's not right. The three of us are fellow disciples, after all. It wouldn't be appropriate for me not to go out and welcome them."

Uchiha Kō opened his mouth, but after considering their relationship, he shook his head and sighed. Perhaps this was the bond between the Sannin.

Uchiha Kō did not try to persuade her further but followed behind Tsunade toward the village entrance to welcome Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

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