You Are the Best Spy

Before leaving the camp, the members of Seigetsu Senju's squad went to make their own preparations.

Kawadera Uchiha went to the logistics department to replenish some kunai and shuriken, where he caught a glimpse of Ishiya Uchiha passing by in the distance.

That was no accidental encounter; it was a deliberate move to get Kawadera to seek him out.

Rounding the back of an unoccupied tent, Kawadera Uchiha whispered:

"Senior Ishiya, did you see me in the crowd just now? I recovered a fragment of Ken Senju's armor, and it completely moved Seiei Senju and his sister Seigetsu Senju. The clan ordered me to gather intelligence on the Senju Clan, and I've done quite well; Seigetsu Senju is taking me to the Land of Grass battlefield. It seems the Senju Clan is planning a major move there. Senior Ishiya, who should I contact once I reach the Land of Grass?"

Ishiya Uchiha nodded repeatedly. "I saw the whole thing when you pulled out that shoulder armor shard. You have not failed the clan's trust; a young girl like Seigetsu Senju, who has only just come of age, never suspected your calculated motives. Keep up the good work once you reach the Land of Grass. You can leave a secret signal in the shadows; I will teach you how to draw it, and someone will contact you when the time comes. You are a genius to have thought of the trick of 'finding' Ken Senju's armor fragments on the battlefield. You will surely become the finest spy our Uchiha Clan has ever seen!"

"I dare not call myself a genius; it is all thanks to Senior Ishiya's supervision and guidance!" Kawadera Uchiha replied. "Senior Ishiya, will the clan leader in the Land of Grass trust me as much as you do? Being a spy is difficult; if I do poorly, the village will discover me, but if I do too well, I fear the leader there will grow suspicious of me for getting too close to Seigetsu Senju."

"Rest assured, the signal I am giving you is one with a very high security clearance within the clan. It signifies that you are a vital spy developed by me. You bear the Uchiha surname and you possess the Sharingan; he will trust you."

Kawadera Uchiha hurriedly memorized the shape of the signal.

He had to make contact with the head of the Uchiha Clan; perhaps the one who wanted to kill Nawaki Senju was the evil Uchiha.

Hours later, the Seigetsu Senju squad was traveling through the forest.

"Why is he so slow?"

Ken Aburame stared at the pitch-black forest behind them.

They were supposed to be a squad, yet Kawadera Uchiha had insisted that the three of them go ahead while he brought up the rear.

Bringing up the rear—it was precisely because of this "rear-guard" duty that Seigetsu Senju's perception of Kawadera Uchiha had changed so drastically.

Running into Cloud Ninja would be one thing, but they were just traveling; why fall so far behind?

"Is there really that much of a rear to guard?"

Seigetsu Senju frowned slightly, unsure of what Kawadera Uchiha was up to.

Half a minute later, Kawadera Uchiha leaped down in front of the three of them.

Landing slightly after him was the sweat drenching his entire body.

The sweat fell like rain, hitting the ground with a pattering sound.

Kawadera Uchiha bent over, bracing his hands on his knees. When he looked up, sweat dripped from his eyelashes into his eyes, stinging so much that he squeezed them shut again.

"Captain, I can't go on. Let's take a break."

"You!"

Ken Aburame was about to vent his dissatisfaction, but he heard Seigetsu Senju agree.

"Fine, let's take a break."

Seigetsu Senju stared at the leaves falling from above Kawadera's head and realized what he had been doing.

The Leaf Flicker Technique—a classic, high-level Body Flicker Technique that many in the Senju Clan had practiced.

This technique required immense skill; without years of training, one could not master it with such ease.

Seigetsu Senju herself had never learned it; her own Body Flicker relied purely on brute force. If one's physique was good enough, sheer power could create miracles, making technique less important.

Kawadera Uchiha leaned against a tree trunk, pulling out a canteen to rehydrate while panting softly.

"Kawadera!"

The light filtering through the gaps in the canopy was blocked. Kawadera Uchiha looked up and saw Seigetsu Senju.

Slender calves, rounded thighs.

Her figure was well-defined under her skirt, and the light beams falling across her shoulders made even Kawadera Uchiha, who had seen countless films in his past life, feel a stir in his heart.

"Kawadera, did my brother say anything special to you before we left?"

"Nothing too special. Your brother just warned me not to have any designs on you, or he wouldn't let me off."

Seigetsu Senju's face flushed slightly, then she pouted and said, "In wartime, my brother wouldn't say such boring things. There must have been something else."

"There was absolutely no conspiracy or ill intent. He just instructed me to find a way to slow down the squad's pace toward the Land of Grass battlefield."

"Why? Why would my brother tell you to do that?"

"Perhaps because he doesn't want you to be involved in combat too frequently," Kawadera Uchiha said.

"Your brother wanted you to live, even if his methods weren't exactly in line with the Will of Fire."

"Impossible! My brother is absolutely not that kind of person!"

Kawadera Uchiha remained noncommittal.

He felt that Seiei Senju's selfishness actually made him seem like a normal human being.

Unlike the rest of the Senju clan, who had "Please let me die for Konoha" written all over their faces.

"Captain, I intend to train my Body Flicker Technique along the way. The journey that would normally take five days might take us seven or eight, but that shouldn't be too much of a delay."

Kawadera Uchiha still had to complete the S-rank mission of protecting Nawaki; once he saw results with the Leaf Flicker, he would pick up the pace.

Hearing that it was her brother's instruction, Seigetsu Senju didn't have much else to say.

During the subsequent travel, Seigetsu Senju carefully observed Kawadera Uchiha's training.

At their second rest stop, Seigetsu Senju approached Kawadera Uchiha, who was leaning against a tree root and panting heavily, and said:

"Your Body Flicker Technique gives me a strange feeling.

Your base physique is poor and your strength is weak, yet your proficiency with the Leaf Flicker is remarkably high.

I have practiced the Leaf Flicker as well, but your technique is better than mine; you crouch as the leaves drift down, and when you push off the ground, the leaves don't even scatter—it's practically perfect.

You must have practiced these techniques bitterly for a long time, but in my understanding, I believe basic taijutsu is more useful than technique."

Kawadera Uchiha gave a wry smile; he, too, wished he possessed a physique as perfect as the Senju clan's.

They could practice casually and achieve Strength of a Hundred, or throw a punch equivalent to a large-scale Earth Style ninjutsu.

However, the Uchiha were not known for their physical constitution.

The Sharingan provided unparalleled insight, but if the body couldn't react in time, it was useless no matter how clearly one could see.

Seigetsu Senju said: "I think you should increase your basic taijutsu training.

Running, punching, kicking, weight-bearing—once your basic taijutsu improves, pairing it with your skilled Leaf Flicker technique will take your Body Flicker to the next level."

Kawadera Uchiha replied: "Basic taijutsu training requires years of accumulation; in the short term, the only things I can improve are technical."

Seigetsu Senju nodded and said: "Taijutsu is the most fundamental thing for a ninja.

Our ancestors in the Senju clan long ago concluded that taijutsu, which integrates offense, defense, and evasion, is the most basic, practical, and efficient ability.

If your Great Fireball is slightly larger, it will have a negligible impact on the battle.

But if your taijutsu is slightly faster, it will have an immediate, tangible effect."

Kawadera Uchiha raised his hand, seeing that his own arm was nothing like the Kirin Arm of his past life, and felt an even greater sense of urgency.

[Strength] was only 3.9; his foundation was too poor.

Insufficient strength affected the force of his push-off during the Body Flicker, which in turn constrained the speed of the technique, leaving him prone to danger.

If he wanted to improve his taijutsu, there were a few decent plans.

The Senju clan's Strength of a Hundred, the forbidden Eight Inner Gates—he needed to plan carefully and get his hands on these two good things from Tobirama Senju as soon as possible.