A Certain High-Ranking Official

Hearing that Princess Tsunade wanted to know about Kawadera, Seigetsu Senju recalled a few details and said:

"Uchiha Kawadera... Back then, my squad was gathering intelligence in the Land of Hot Water when we lost one of our members.

So I asked the village to send another ninja of Chunin rank or higher.

When the village sent Uchiha Kawadera, I was surprised. Why had they sent an Uchiha?

After that, Kawadera seemed to be watching the others in the squad, and he wasn't very active during missions.

Kumogakure sent over a thousand ninja to invade the Land of Fire. Their reconnaissance unit found us.

During our escape, Uchiha Kawadera stayed behind twice, allowing us to get the intelligence back to the village. I came to trust him more and more."

Seigetsu Senju thought for a moment, but didn't reveal Kawadera's Bringer-of-Darkness Technique.

She had promised to keep Kawadera's secret, and she intended to keep that promise.

Seigetsu Senju continued, "Kawadera said he inherited some things from Kagami Uchiha, even his intelligence network.

"According to certain covert sources, someone has been secretly investigating young master Nawaki."

At that, Tsunade's gaze softened at once.

So he was a student of Second Granduncle, and had inherited Kagami Uchiha's legacy. That explained everything.

Second Granduncle Tobirama had chosen a fine student.

Seigetsu Senju said, "I asked my father to send me to the Grass Country battlefield to protect young master Nawaki, and to investigate the forces plotting against him in secret.

"I never expected that our ten days of protection would actually prove useful at such a crucial moment.

"Fortunately, Kawadera's Sharingan Genjutsu was incredibly fast. He could cast it the moment their eyes met, buying young master Nawaki a tenth of a second at the last moment.

"I saw young master Nawaki jump more than twenty centimeters."

Tsunade nodded repeatedly. There was a huge difference between standing on the ground and jumping twenty centimeters into the air.

The momentum from the jump alone could absorb a great deal of the impact.

After thinking it over, Tsunade said, "Xingyue, things have been complicated for the Uchiha Clan lately. Even I can't tell which path they'll take.

"Uchiha Kawadera is an exceptionally rare and unusual Uchiha.

"The Uchiha are an extreme lot. If he recognizes the village, he'll do things for it that would be hard to believe.

"You can keep strengthening your bond with him.

"Also, whenever you have some free time, come learn Medical Ninjutsu from me."

Seigetsu Senju eagerly agreed. "All right!"

It was hard to say whether Seigetsu Senju was more excited about learning Medical Ninjutsu from Tsunade or about getting closer to Uchiha Kawadera.

A little over ten minutes later, she found Uchiha Kawadera practicing the most basic Taijutsu on the training ground.

He was walking backward on his hands, balancing on his fingers to train his arms and fingers.

"Kawadera!" After calling him over, Seigetsu Senju said:

"Kawadera, our squad's next assignment is still to protect young master Nawaki.

"I've been temporarily assigned to the Medical Department to study Medical Ninjutsu under Teacher Tsunade. You'll be stationed around the medical tent where young master Nawaki is staying."

"Teacher Tsunade?" Uchiha Kawadera caught the title. "Looks like you've found yourself an opportunity. Congratulations, Xingyue."

"I have you to thank, Kawadera. Without the intelligence you provided and your Genjutsu at the last moment, I never would have gotten this opportunity." Seigetsu Senju glanced at the sweat on Uchiha Kawadera's clothes and said:

"Hard training in Taijutsu is bound to cause muscle strains or other hidden injuries. If anything feels wrong, come to me and I'll treat you!"

Uchiha Kawadera was about to nod when he suddenly said, "Wait a second! You've only just started learning Medical Ninjutsu. You want to treat me? You need a guinea pig!"

"I already know a little basic Medical Ninjutsu. Most of the Senju Clan have studied it, so I'm definitely not using you as a guinea pig.

"I'll soon be a student of Princess Tsunade, Konoha's strongest medical ninja! Other people would love to have me treat their hidden Taijutsu injuries, but they won't get the chance."

The Eight Inner Gates put a great strain on the body. After joking around for a bit, Uchiha Kawadera hurriedly arranged with Seigetsu Senju when and where she would help repair his muscles.

After seeing Seigetsu Senju off, Uchiha Kawadera trained for another hour before returning to his squad's tent.

On the way, he suddenly spotted a signal from the Uchiha Clan. His heart sank. It was a contact signal from Shiro Uchiha.

His mind raced as he considered how to deal with Shiro Uchiha.

Late that night, he went to the latrine set up at the camp, only to find two people inside.

Pretending to be constipated, Uchiha Kawadera waited until they left, then took the initiative.

"Senior Shiro! Orochimaru already knows everything. He's planning to use Senju Nawaki's life as the price for wiping out the entire Uchiha Clan!"

Shiro Uchiha was about to explode, but the words caught him so off guard that he couldn't react for a moment.

"Wipe out the clan?" Shiro Uchiha said. "Do you even know what you're saying?

"Hiruzen Sarutobi is indecisive. How could he set a precedent like this and wipe out the village's second-largest clan?

"That excuse you made up is far too ridiculous!

"You completely ruined the operation to assassinate Nawaki!"

Uchiha Kawadera continued, "Senior Shiro, it wasn't Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Orochimaru is not only a Jonin of the village, but also takes orders from a certain high-ranking official.

"That official is plotting against the Uchiha Clan. I don't know which official it is."

"A certain high-ranking official?"

Shiro Uchiha's breathing abruptly stopped.

His own assassination plan had also received help from a high-ranking official.

Was there a disagreement among the higher-ups?

Was Uchiha Kawadera talking about Utatane Koharu...? No, impossible. Utatane Koharu was responsible for the village's internal affairs and never paid attention to things like this.

Was it Mitokado Homura...? No, that was impossible too. Mitokado Homura was currently Commander-in-Chief of the Grass Country battlefield, and they had avoided him in all their operations.

Was the high-ranking official Uchiha Kawadera meant the same person as the one Shiro Uchiha had worked with?

Besides those two... Shiro Uchiha suddenly broke into a cold sweat.

Danzo? Shimura Danzō?

Shiro Uchiha quickly pieced together a version of events that, more or less, made sense:

Shimura Danzō had first sent a subordinate from Root to contact him and have him set up the trap that would blow Senju Nawaki to pieces. Even the person who used Genjutsu at the end had been Zhong Uchiha, an Uchiha who had defected to Danzo.

Then Danzo had contacted Orochimaru and set up a conspiracy within a conspiracy targeting the Uchiha Clan?

Shiro Uchiha thought, No wonder he's Danzo, the Darkness of the Shinobi.

Shiro Uchiha had set the trap, and Zhong Uchiha had cast the Genjutsu.

If the truth came out, who would bother to find out whether Zhong Uchiha had defected to Danzo?

As long as Zhong Uchiha sacrificed himself, the Uchiha Clan was doomed.

Uchiha Kawadera added, "Senior Shiro, you don't really think those ridiculous disguises could fool an Elite Jonin like Orochimaru, do you?

"If Senju Nawaki died right in front of Orochimaru, it could only mean Orochimaru wanted him dead!"