Standing on the Side of Advantage

Seeing Nawaki Senju in such peril, the white soul-fire atop Tobirama Senju's head erupted instantly, flaring over ten meters high as it reached toward the heavens.

He knew all too well the importance of a powerhouse to the village.

When his elder brother Hashirama was alive, it was impossible for a Ninja World War to break out.

When his brother said he loved peace, the other four Kage were as obedient as a brood of ducklings; aside from their stubborn mouths, they were soft in every other regard.

When his brother said he would capture the Tailed Beasts, he entered the other four great nations, and the four great hidden villages didn't even dare to send anyone to tail him.

After his brother died, the First Ninja World War broke out immediately. They had been stifled for too long, to the point of physical agony.

Tsunade inherited his brother's constitution, but Nawaki inherited the Senju clan's talent for ninjutsu.

If Nawaki could grow up, it would be of vital importance to Konoha and the Senju clan.

The only thing Tobirama Senju could do was hope that Kawadera Uchiha would complete the mission!

In a moment as precarious as a pile of eggs, what speed is the fastest?

Light, the speed of light is fastest!

Sight is fastest!

"Genjutsu!"

Mid-air, Kawadera Uchiha's Sharingan spun frantically within his eyes.

In an instant, he channeled all his chakra into the form of a Sharingan genjutsu.

The assassin, draped in an aluminum-foil hood, buried his face deep within the darkness.

His gaze grazed the brim of his hood, locked onto Nawaki Senju.

Nawaki Senju fell into the genjutsu, Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death.

In the world of the illusion, Nawaki Senju unleashed the Wood Release he had dreamed of, feeling shock, immense joy, and tears welling in his eyes!

Ever since he learned his chakra affinities were Earth and Water, Nawaki had been looking forward to the day he would master Wood Release.

However, the Wood Release vines bound him tight, leaving him unable to move.

The assassin's fingers twitched slightly, detonating the Explosive Tags.

Yet, in his field of vision, a pair of Sharingan appeared in the sky far behind Nawaki Senju.

The assassin's peripheral vision couldn't help but notice those eyes, and his vision blurred.

To interfere with him, that pair of Sharingan even bled tears of blood from the corners of the eyes, pushing chakra beyond its limits and converting it into genjutsu with reckless abandon.

That mere blur in his vision caused the Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death to falter for a split second.

Nawaki Senju instinctively exerted force, leaping off the ground.

A distance of twenty centimeters changed everything.

Six Explosive Tags detonated on the ground, the shockwave and heat blasting Nawaki Senju away.

Only then did Orochimaru realize there was someone under the cliff opposite him!

His pride and joy, the Snake-Style Sensory Technique, had shown absolutely no reaction to that person!

How could Kawadera Uchiha, in mid-air, have discovered the enemy even earlier than he did?

Kawadera Uchiha did not possess sensory techniques; he discovered the assassin earlier not because he was strong, but because he knew the plot.

Kawadera Uchiha landed, and when he looked back under the cliff, it was already empty.

Such fast Body Flicker Technique, such strong genjutsu, and also... the Sharingan!

When they had locked eyes just now, there were clearly a pair of Sharingan beneath that hood.

This scapegoat was so large that the Uchiha Clan would have to carry the weight of it.

Seigetsu Senju leaped from a tree trunk and caught Nawaki.

Looking down, Seigetsu Senju was shocked: "No! Nawaki is severely injured!"

Nawaki Senju's legs suffered multiple fractures, his lower legs charred black, as if the bones had vanished, soft as noodles.

His pelvis also suffered a compression fracture, losing its proper contour.

Kawadera Uchiha quickly glanced at Nawaki Senju; fortunately, Nawaki Senju had jumped twenty centimeters at the most critical moment, so the injuries to his upper body were not too severe, and he would not die immediately.

Compared to the original plot, it was a difference of twenty centimeters.

Standing motionless on the ground versus jumping up just a little was the distance between life and death.

In his sea of consciousness, Kawadera Uchiha said:

"Second Hokage, it is fortunate that you have Mind Awakening, which caused a qualitative change in my genjutsu ability, pushing the [Genjutsu] of my Eight Ninja Stats into the 8-point threshold.

The blood vessels in my eyes burst just to interfere with the killer for a single moment."

The soul-fire atop Tobirama Senju's head returned to normal, burning slowly like a candle flame.

A lingering fear gripped his heart; if he hadn't secured this card named Kawadera Uchiha, Nawaki Senju, this most important descendant, would surely have died here.

"You have completed the S-rank mission I issued, so now, here is your reward."

Kawadera Uchiha was filled with anticipation.

The assassin beneath that aluminum foil hood was an Uchiha powerhouse; by doing this, he would surely offend the Uchiha Clan.

But if he could obtain a forbidden jutsu, it would all be worth it.

"Your genjutsu has some level of skill, your ninjutsu is passable, but your taijutsu is a weakness.

If someone probes your intelligence and breaks your genjutsu, you will die in an instant.

The forbidden jutsu I am giving you is a taijutsu-based forbidden jutsu, the strongest taijutsu in Konoha: the Eight Inner Gates!"

Kawadera Uchiha thought it over and did not refuse; the Eight Inner Gates were not bad.

While not as elusive and unpredictable as the Flying Thunder God, nor as decisive from a thousand miles away as the Impure World Reincarnation, it was still a highly prestigious forbidden jutsu.

Tobirama Senju clearly harbored the intention of having him trade lives with someone.

But it didn't matter; once he opened the seventh gate, if he couldn't beat them, couldn't he just run away?

Why would he need to trade lives with anyone?

Kawadera Uchiha opened his eyes, his gaze hollow.

In his brain, segments of experience and knowledge surged in.

He instantly understood the method for practicing the Eight Inner Gates and gained the experience of opening the first gate, the Gate of Opening; the second gate, the Gate of Healing; the third gate, the Gate of Life; the fourth gate, the Gate of Pain; the fifth gate, the Gate of Limit; and the sixth gate, the Gate of View.

Wait, what about the seventh and eighth gates?

"Second Hokage, how could you possibly skim off the top? Where are the insights for the seventh gate, the Gate of Wonder, and the eighth gate, the Gate of Death?"

Tobirama Senju replied, "I only trained up to the sixth gate, the Gate of View. I will give you the training methods for the seventh and eighth gates; you can train them yourself.

With your frail physique, your muscles will tear the moment you open the fifth gate.

First, follow the Eight Inner Gates to supplement your physique and taijutsu.

I have dissected hundreds of people, and my research into muscle exertion is extremely thorough. Follow what I have given you, and you will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Hearing Tobirama Senju emphasize following his instructions reminded Kawadera Uchiha.

He couldn't trust Tobirama Senju completely; he should find an opportunity to verify this with Might Duy later, lest he be tricked by Tobirama Senju.

Kawadera Uchiha was no saint, so he dared not assume others were good people either.

As if he could read Kawadera Uchiha's thoughts, Tobirama Senju added:

"You saved Nawaki Senju's life, yet because your strength was too weak, it resulted in Nawaki being severely injured. I do not know if this will affect his potential.

I want you to be stronger even more than you do yourself.

You said you saw the future, that the Uchiha Clan would destroy Konoha.

I hope you are as shameless as you claim to be; as long as you are given benefits, you will stand on the side of the village in the struggle between Konoha and the Uchiha.

No, you are simply on the side of profit."

Kawadera Uchiha chuckled; Tobirama Senju's summary was spot on.

"Practicing the Eight Inner Gates is extremely damaging to the body. With your taijutsu talent, opening the fourth or fifth gate is your limit. If you want to open the seventh or even the eighth gate, continue completing missions to protect Konoha, and I will grant you the training method for the Strength of a Hundred.

The first step of the Strength of a Hundred is to fundamentally improve your physique using the Senju Secret Technique."

Kawadera Uchiha thought to himself, You really know how to set a hook, dangling a carrot so large that one cannot refuse.

His gaze shifted from hollow to solemn, and Kawadera Uchiha immediately saw Orochimaru staring at him intently with snake-like eyes.

The plot had changed.

Nawaki Senju had not died; he wondered if Orochimaru would still turn to darkness.

Was the inertia of history stronger, or was the influence of Kawadera Uchiha, this butterfly, greater?

Orochimaru, why are you looking at me like that? I have blood and tears on my face; I have risked my life for this organization!