Senju Style: Willow

Orochimaru asked, "What does Tsunade want with Kawadera Uchiha?"

Xingyue Senju knew that Lord Orochimaru was the teammate Tsunade trusted most, far more than that unreliable Jiraiya. Even so, she was still afraid of Lord Orochimaru.

She said, "Lord Orochimaru, Lady Tsunade said she was going to teach Kawadera a secret technique as a reward for all the help he's given the young clan head, Nawaki, recently."

"Teach Kawadera Uchiha a secret technique?" Orochimaru shook his head slightly. "You may go."

Watching Xingyue Senju and Kawadera Uchiha leave, Orochimaru realized he was too late.

Tsunade teaching Kawadera Uchiha a secret technique meant that Kawadera Uchiha had officially become one of her subordinates.

He had been interested in Kawadera Uchiha because he dared to pry into Konoha's secrets. As for why Tsunade was interested in Kawadera Uchiha, Orochimaru didn't care.

As long as Tsunade was happy.

Xingyue Senju led him to the tent where Tsunade was. Tsunade was performing an operation.

Tsunade had her hand inside the injured person's chest, performing CPR.

Who had learned this from whom? Their techniques were so alike.

If Orochimaru's gender weren't unclear, Kawadera Uchiha would have thought Tsunade admired him.

When Tsunade finished the operation and cleaned up, she led the two of them out of the tent.

Once they reached another tent, Tsunade formed Hand Seals and used the Summoning Technique.

A scroll as tall as a person appeared beside her.

The Senju Clan's twin-leaf crest was emblazoned on it.

Kawadera Uchiha grew excited. He spoke to Tobirama Senju in his Sea of Consciousness:

"It's over! You're finished, Second!

I've completely fooled Princess Tsunade. She's going to give me something good!"

"Tsunade has the ability to correct any mistake at any time. I'm not worried in the slightest."

"Second, you're really stubborn. You're just like when you refused to admit that your student killed you with your Flying Thunder God Kunai. Can't you at least acknowledge my acting?"

Tobirama Senju fell silent, and the Sea of Consciousness grew quiet.

Tsunade said, "Kawadera, Xingyue told me all about your recent achievements.

"You warned us that Nawaki's life was in danger, helped him several times, and distinguished yourself on the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water. You covered the retreat again and again and volunteered for dangerous work as a messenger.

"I agree with Xingyue's assessment. There's no doubt you're a successor to Kagami Uchiha.

"Now I'll teach you a secret technique unique to the Senju Clan. It'll serve as a reward, and it'll also officially establish you as my subordinate and ensure my protection."

Kawadera Uchiha hurriedly replied, "Thank you for trusting me, Lady Tsunade! I'll carry on Kagami's legacy and continue to protect the Will of Fire!"

Tsunade nodded and opened the Scroll of Sealing.

The scroll's narrow end kept rolling up as its wider end unrolled, until it finally stopped at a particular section.

"Kawadera, this is one of the Senju Clan's secret techniques: Senju Style: Willow.

"It combines Genjutsu with swordsmanship.

"You don't need Hand Seals. You use Genjutsu to make the enemy see more than a dozen swords, like a willow by a lake, its soft branches carrying more than a dozen leaves.

"The enemy is trapped by the Genjutsu and unable to move. Then you strike suddenly from their blind spot."

Kawadera Uchiha read the description, but instead of looking enlightened, he seemed confused.

From the description, this secret technique was the same as Maruboshi Kosuke's Konoha Style: Willow in the original story.

He just didn't know why a Senju Clan secret technique had eventually become a Konoha Style technique.

"I know it won't be easy to grasp right away," Tsunade said.

"You're a Genjutsu specialist who uses the Sharingan to cast illusions, so you may not understand Genjutsu that doesn't rely on the Sharingan.

"It's like how some ninja are skilled with Ninja Blades and can't understand why anyone would use Kunai in close combat."

Kawadera Uchiha hurriedly said, "Please explain it to me, Lady Tsunade."

The abilities he'd gained from Tobirama Senju had come with Tobirama's memories, experience, and even muscle memory, so he'd mastered them quickly.

Learning a new technique was different. He'd have to figure it out on his own—and while it wasn't quite right to say he had no brains, his way of thinking came from his previous life and was very different from that of the ninja here.

Tsunade said, "Chakra has seven nature transformations: Fire, Water, Wind, Lightning, Earth, Yin, and Yang.

"I'll skip the five elemental releases and focus on the crucial transformations, Yin and Yang.

"Examples of Yang Release transformations include Jiraiya's Wild Lion's Mane Technique and the Akimichi Clan's Multi-Size Technique.

"Examples of Yin Release transformations include Genjutsu and the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Body Switch Technique.

"According to the Senju Clan's records, beyond Yin and Yang transformations lie the legendary Yin Release and Yang Release.

"If you want to learn our secret technique, you'll need to forget about the Sharingan for now and first learn how to cast Genjutsu with Yin Release Chakra.

"If you're talented enough, you can combine this technique with the Sharingan after mastering Senju Style: Willow."

Kawadera Uchiha's chakra natures were Fire, Lightning, and Yin—an extremely typical combination for the Uchiha Clan.

He studied the chakra flow pattern on the scroll, tried to draw out his chakra, and found that it naturally carried the Yin attribute.

Instead of flowing toward his eyes, the chakra surged toward his hands.

After drawing his Ninja Blade, he focused on the way the chakra changed his hands and the blade.

According to the scroll, Yin Release Chakra—Genjutsu Chakra—moved through the Ninja Blade, darting from side to side like a fish's bones.

The Ninja Blade swayed slowly as the chakra shifted.

From Tsunade's perspective, Kawadera Uchiha moved his Ninja Blade very slowly, but it had already begun to leave faint afterimages.

"Very good. Excellent, in fact. You have a real talent for Genjutsu. You've managed to make your Genjutsu Chakra resonate with your Ninja Blade on your very first try.

"Next, follow the techniques described in the scroll and practice making your Ninja Blade resonate with your Genjutsu Chakra quickly and smoothly, until you can use the secret technique in actual combat.

"I don't know this technique myself, and no one in the Senju Clan has recreated it in over a decade.

"The Second seems to have passed it on to a few people, but no powerful ninja ever developed it further.

"Kawadera, I hope you can prove how powerful it is."

Tsunade put away the scroll and ended the Summoning Technique.

A hint of disappointment and greed flashed in Kawadera Uchiha's eyes.

Tsunade had revealed only a small section of the Scroll of Sealing, showing Kawadera Uchiha just one technique.

That scroll held more than a thousand years of accumulated knowledge from the Senju Clan.

Kawadera Uchiha said, "Lady Tsunade, I'll practice this technique diligently and make its name ring out again!"

Senju Style: Willow and the Frame-Skip Body Flicker Kawadera Uchiha had created himself shared some similarities.

Senju Style: Willow could create more than a dozen swords like willow leaves, while the Frame-Skip Body Flicker could create afterimages. Combining the two techniques would make his movements even more baffling and unpredictable.

Tsunade concluded, "The situation on the battlefield in the Land of Grass is getting worse. Amegakure has declared war on Konoha and joined forces with Iwagakure to attack us.

"Our forces in the Land of Grass may have to split up, with some of them entering the Land of Rain to hold back the Rain Ninja led by Demigod Hanzo.

"Train hard. We're running out of time."