Fugaku Uchiha's features twisted in pain as he slid down the wall.
The agony in his back couldn't compare to the resentment in his heart.
His clan had built him up, even proclaiming the Uchiha Clan the greatest shinobi clan, and yet he'd actually lost to Shingu Senju?
An utterly ordinary, unknown Genin from the Senju Clan?
Had he taken some secret Akimichi Clan medicine before the match?
Shingu Senju panted heavily, his face flushed red, steam rising from his head and veins bulging at his temples.
His eyes were bloodshot, redder than the Sharingan.
And yet, in the end, Shingu Senju was still the one standing.
His Taijutsu was too powerful, his recovery too strong. It left Fugaku Uchiha feeling hopeless.
On the Podium, No Uchiha's face had turned ashen.
He didn't resent his son for not trying hard enough. He only resented the Senju Clan for being so unscrupulous.
To maintain their reputation, they'd actually pushed a Genin so hard.
Everyone could see that Shingu Senju wasn't normal.
But the civilians of Konoha couldn't see through the trick, and they cheered the Uchiha Clan's defeat.
Watching a scion of a great clan get beaten fired up the crowd. If a few of them got killed, the spectators would be even happier.
Naraichi looked at No Uchiha, then at Mito Uzumaki.
Mito Uzumaki's aged face was covered in wrinkles. Her eyelids drooped, and she seemed barely able to keep her eyes open.
She said slowly, "The Senju Clan must give everything for the village, no matter what means it takes..."
That mournful declaration made Naraichi put aside his contempt for the moment.
No matter what methods the Senju Clan had used, they were preserving the dignity of the clan.
The great ship kept moving forward, even if it was headed for the shore to run aground, or into the most violent whirlpool in the sea.
In the stands, Nawaki Senju had his eyes closed.
"Clan heir, don't get worked up. Your leg can't bear any weight!"
At Seigetsu Senju's reminder, Nawaki Senju let out a long, dejected sigh.
The one who should have been competing with Fugaku Uchiha was supposed to be him.
Forcing seedlings to grow and draining the pond to catch the fish—the clan had resorted to every measure it used on Shingu because he was useless, and they'd had no choice but to find someone to take his place.
"Seigetsu, when can I resume training?"
Seigetsu Senju replied, "In May. You can train again in May of Year 38."
Across the venue, Seigetsu Senju saw Kawadera Uchiha turn and leave through the passageway.
Outside the venue, there weren't as many people, and even the air felt fresher.
Forbidden Technique: Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!
Tobirama Senju had given him this Forbidden Technique.
Tobirama Senju really didn't seem like a good person. His own Senju Clan was almost wiped out, and even the Forbidden Technique he'd given him was full of schemes.
The Eight Inner Gates was meant to make Kawadera Uchiha trade his life for someone else's. The Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags wasn't much better. Instead of giving him Impure World Reincarnation, Tobirama Senju had only given him Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags—a technique for trading lives, too.
The original story said that Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags was meant to be used in combination with Impure World Reincarnation. If he used it with his own living body, wouldn't he die quickly—and be blown to pieces?
There was no helping it. Since he'd taken what Tobirama Senju had offered, he had to make do with whatever he got.
He hurried home and took out all his Explosive Tags.
He had three Shrapnel Explosive Tags, each with five Explosive Tags packed into an iron tube. The Shrapnel Explosive Tags had impressive destructive power.
Apart from those, he had only a little over twenty Explosive Tags.
He flattened one Explosive Tag and pressed it onto the table. Then Kawadera Uchiha began drawing a seal on its back.
With a clever Sealing Jutsu, he sealed all the other Explosive Tags inside the first one.
The key was the second, unsealing technique. Once the first Explosive Tag detonated, the others would quickly unseal in succession and explode in rapid order.
That way, a single Explosive Tag could produce one continuous explosion after another.
There was no upper limit to the technique's power. With enough Explosive Tags, he could level even Konoha.
His first Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tag contained a little over twenty Explosive Tags. If he caught someone off guard, he should be able to kill a Jonin, right?
In his Sea of Consciousness, Tobirama Senju said:
"As long as you continue completing missions to protect Konoha, I can tell you where one of my secret laboratories is.
"One of my laboratories has several prepared Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags hidden inside, each containing tens of thousands of Explosive Tags."
"A secret laboratory? You'll give me its location for completing an A-rank mission?"
"No. I'll give you its location for completing an S-rank mission."
"An S-rank mission?"
Kawadera Uchiha hesitated.
S-rank mission rewards were all on the level of Forbidden Techniques. The first Forbidden Technique he'd received, the Eight Inner Gates, had made up for his weakness in Taijutsu. The second, Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, had given him a trump card.
Getting only the location of a laboratory for an S-rank mission reward was hard to accept.
"No way. That's a terrible deal. A laboratory isn't worth an S-rank mission reward. Let me make a counteroffer: how about two A-rank missions in exchange for its location?"
"I don't bargain. The exposure of any one of my laboratories would be enough to ruin my reputation. One laboratory is worth at least one S-rank mission reward. Some are even worth two!"
Hearing how resolute Tobirama Senju was, Kawadera Uchiha immediately grew interested.
"Enough to ruin your reputation? Well, now you've got my attention. Deal! I'll agree to get the location of one of your laboratories as my next S-rank mission reward!"
That night, since he didn't need to give Shingu Senju a genjutsu training session, Kawadera Uchiha stayed in Seigetsu's room until late.
After being publicly condemned again and again, Kawadera Uchiha begged for mercy once more.
"I, Kawadera Uchiha, hereby admit that I'm no match for you. I really can't go on. There can't be a fourth time!"
"Haha, you finally admit you can't keep up? I thought your mouth was harder than anything else."
Kawadera Uchiha held Seigetsu's hands to stop her from letting them wander, and the two chatted.
Seigetsu Senju said, "Our operation was a great success this time.
"Shingu Senju silenced everyone's criticism. He's become a combat-oriented shinobi.
"The other four Genin, including Xiaojie Senju, have all been admitted to Konoha Hospital and become Medical Chunin.
"This will become a custom for our Senju Clan. With each generation of Genin, we'll train one or two combat-oriented shinobi to take first place in the Chunin Ninja Exams. We'll bring all the others into the medical system.
"That way, nobody else can criticize us.
"Lady Mito is very clever. She already knows what we're doing.
"She spoke with Senior Mei for a long time tonight. It's rare for her not to scold him for acting on his own authority.
"The leaders of the Inuzuka, Aburame, and Kurama Clans also spoke with my brother. They said there were fewer Senju Clan shinobi on the Front Line, so their own clansmen would suffer fewer casualties. They'd also receive preferential treatment at Konoha Hospital and the medical station on the Front Line from now on."
"Just talk. Don't rub against me! Seigetsu, slow and steady wins the race. Let's take our time. Not everyone has the Senju Clan's constitution."
Kawadera Uchiha really didn't want to spend his whole life with just one person. But with Seigetsu wringing him dry like this, he felt he wouldn't have the strength to fool around with anyone in the future.
After the New Year, Year 38 of Konoha arrived.
In the original story, the Second Shinobi World War ended in Year 39 of Konoha. He wondered whether changing a few things in the timeline would make anything different.
A few days after the New Year, Kawadera Uchiha had just finished his night shift at the Police Force when he saw Ishiya Uchiha waiting outside the headquarters.
"Kawadera, your leave is over. We're heading to the Front Line for the clan!
"After a fierce struggle, the clan head is about to take up the position of Commander-in-Chief at the Front Line!"
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