The Uchiha Clan's Most Loyal Warrior

Over the seven-day journey, Kawadera Uchiha trained intensively in the Leaf Flicker Technique until he had made it his own.

His core and legs worked effortlessly when he used the Body Flicker Technique.

When they reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass, Xingyue Senju quickly found a scout, who led them to the forward camp.

In the command tent, Commander-in-Chief Mitokado Homura, Deputy Commanders Princess Tsunade and Orochimaru, met with Xingyue Senju.

"What did you say? The Two-Tails appeared at the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire? Uncle Ken was killed?"

Tsunade was in disbelief.

Ken Senju was the strongest Taijutsu user in the Senju Clan. His Strength of a Hundred technique made him so formidable that an ordinary Jonin couldn't withstand even one of his blows.

She didn't want to believe that the last few outstanding ninja of her parents' generation had fallen one after another.

To ordinary ninja, a Tailed Beast was a natural disaster.

Only a handful of Kage Level ninja in each village could face one head-on.

Tsunade suddenly thought of Kushina, who had been brought to the village after the Uzumaki Clan was wiped out. She didn't know when her grandmother would reach the end of her strength, or whether Kushina could serve as a Jinchūriki.

Kawadera Uchiha glanced at Jiraiya, who stood off to the side.

At this point, Jiraiya came across as unreliable. He hadn't even managed to become a deputy commander and stood there like a nobody.

Compared with Jiraiya, who was standing, Orochimaru sat behind the long table. His peculiar, cold aura inspired both awe and fear.

His corpse-pale skin, snake-like eyes that didn't seem human, alluring eye makeup beneath them, Tomoe earrings, and chilling smile with pressed lips all made people shudder.

After Xingyue Senju finished reporting on the situation at the other battlefield, Tsunade stayed behind to meet her alone.

Tsunade hadn't expected Xingyue to wait outside the command tent for more than two hours.

Xingyue Senju motioned for Tsunade to go somewhere away from the others, then said quietly, "Princess Tsunade, I've received some information. Someone intends to harm Nawaki, the young clan leader!"

Tsunade paused, then said:

"I've always been very careful with Nawaki because I experienced several assassination attempts when I was young.

The entire Shinobi World would rather the Senju Clan didn't produce another powerhouse like Grandfather or Second Granduncle.

It wouldn't be unusual for an enemy village to try to assassinate Nawaki.

Xingyue, do you know which village is behind it?"

Xingyue Senju shook her head. "I don't."

To avoid exposing Kawadera, Xingyue Senju made up a reason and said:

"My father gave me an order before he died. He sent me to the Land of Grass battlefield with only one mission: to protect Nawaki, the young clan leader."

Hearing that it had been an order from her uncle Ken, Tsunade immediately grew serious.

"I understand. You came to the Land of Grass camp as part of an intelligence squad, but you don't have to return to the Land of Hot Water battlefield, and the Land of Grass command won't give you any orders. That way, you can carry out Uncle Ken's mission and protect Nawaki?"

"Yes. That was my father's plan."

If she said her information came from Kawadera Uchiha, Princess Tsunade would never believe her.

But if she blamed it on her late father, Princess Tsunade would take it seriously.

Tsunade said, "I understand. I'll coordinate your squad as deputy commander."

Your squad will have only one responsibility: protecting Nawaki.

But...

But you're a Special Jonin of the Senju Clan. You should be fighting on the front lines. Having you lead people to protect Nawaki seems like a waste of manpower to me."

"It's no waste!" Xingyue Senju suddenly remembered that her brother had specifically told Kawadera to take his time on the way.

Her brother's scales had tipped slightly.

Konoha mattered, but showing a little care for family and clan members mattered too.

"I'll notify Orochimaru as well," Tsunade said.

"If I don't tell him, he might detect unfamiliar people nearby and kill your whole squad as spies on the spot."

Xingyue Senju nodded repeatedly.

While Xingyue Senju waited for Tsunade, Kawadera Uchiha left a coded message somewhere, just as Ishiya Uchiha had taught him.

By nightfall, an X-shaped mark had appeared beneath the code.

From the length of the X's strokes, Kawadera Uchiha learned the meeting place and time.

A little after three in the morning, he pretended to get up to relieve himself and left the squad's tent.

Ken Aburame was still fast asleep nearby, with three or five bugs constantly circling him like mosquitoes, which was extremely annoying.

After waiting outside the tent for half a minute and seeing no bugs follow him, Kawadera Uchiha headed to the designated place.

In the latrine built at the camp, Kawadera Uchiha met Shiro Uchiha, the Uchiha Clan's commander on the Land of Grass battlefield.

Shiro Uchiha had a stocky build. He was probably an Uchiha ninja who specialized in Taijutsu and had a keen eye for detail.

Kawadera Uchiha spoke quietly. "Big Brother Shiro, I've obtained important intelligence about the Senju Clan!"

"Tell me!"

"Big Brother Ishiya arranged for me to join Xingyue Senju's squad. I brought up the rear for her and earned some of her trust, so I've been able to stay with her squad.

I overheard snippets of a conversation between Ken Senju and his daughter, Xingyue Senju.

They said... they said that Nawaki Senju, the Senju Clan's young leader, has just learned a Forbidden Technique!

He's a grave threat! An absolute grave threat!"

Shiro Uchiha was so startled that he pissed on his hand, and the urine was almost too hot to touch.

"What? Nawaki Senju has learned a Forbidden Technique?"

Shiro Uchiha went pale and wiped urine onto his pants as well.

Any Forbidden Technique of the Senju Clan was enough to make your scalp tingle.

Hashirama Senju's Wood Release had suppressed the Uchiha Clan for over a decade, until the Uchiha finally surrendered to the Senju.

Tobirama Senju could switch between Forbidden Techniques at will. He combined them in all sorts of ways and did things with them that no one else could.

Everyone said Nawaki Senju was a genius, but who would've thought he was this much of one?

He was so young, and had only just graduated from the Ninja Academy this year, yet he'd already mastered a Forbidden Technique.

If the Senju Clan produced another Tobirama Senju, how long would the Uchiha Clan have to lie low? Were they going to be suppressed for decades again?

Thinking of Tobirama Senju filled Shiro Uchiha with wave after wave of despair.

Shiro Uchiha hurriedly asked, "Which Forbidden Technique did he master?"

"Sorry, Senior Shiro, I couldn't find that out. They've kept Nawaki Senju's secret very well."

Shiro Uchiha wasn't surprised that Kawadera Uchiha hadn't uncovered the details.

The Senju Clan was on guard against the Uchiha Clan. Finding out even a few scraps of information was already remarkable.

"Kawadera, pretending to care about your teammates and pretending to believe in the Will of Fire must be exhausting."

"Yeah. For the clan, I can put up with how nauseating it is."

"Exactly! Nauseating!" Shiro Uchiha had found someone who understood him.

"To gather intelligence for the clan, I also perform the Will of Fire every day, pretending to cherish my bonds with my teammates.

It makes me sick. It's even more disgusting than getting urine on my hand."

"Yeah, who could disagree? It's revolting." Kawadera Uchiha asked:

"Senior Shiro, what should we do? Should we act for the clan and take advantage of the fact that Nawaki Senju has just learned a Forbidden Technique and isn't proficient in it yet, and risk—"

Kawadera Uchiha mimed slitting someone's throat, indicating that they should eliminate Nawaki Senju.

He wanted to muddy the waters first. That way, whoever tried to kill Nawaki Senju, he could get involved.

Shiro Uchiha frowned. "Assassinating the young leader of the Senju Clan is something we need to consider carefully..."

After thinking it over, Shiro Uchiha said, "To kill Nawaki Senju, the first thing we need is a way to evade Orochimaru's sensory perception."

Orochimaru is a genius, and his sensory abilities are no joke.

I'll look into it and see if there's a way to block Orochimaru's senses.

I know someone in the clan who worked with Orochimaru for several years."

He looked at Kawadera Uchiha and said, "Kawadera, for the clan, are you willing to assassinate Nawaki Senju?

Whether the assassination succeeds or not, you'll have to die. You mustn't implicate the clan."

Kawadera Uchiha was startled.

Was the person who killed Nawaki in the original story also using Explosive Tags to erase all traces of himself?

He pretended not to care, thrust his hips forward, hitched up his pants, and said:

"For the clan, I'm willing to face death without hesitation!

Senior Shiro, once you find a way to block Orochimaru's senses, give it to me. I absolutely won't implicate the clan!"

"I'll cover myself in Explosive Tags. When I kill Nawaki, I'll be blown to pieces!"

If he were the one to assassinate Nawaki Senju, and then saved him, wouldn't it be easy to complete Tobirama Senju's mission?

Shiro Uchiha was deeply moved. "No wonder Ishiya chose you as a spy!"

"You're the Uchiha Clan's most loyal warrior!"