The Experiences of Senju Zhenyang

Tobirama ultimately did not call out the title. Beyond the issue of his own pride, it was inherently strange for a second brother to call a third brother "Third Brother"; the education he had received since childhood did not permit such a thing.

However, Hiugo still taught him. He himself knew the Flash Thunder Seal, but it required a lightning affinity, so even if he taught it to Tobirama, the latter would be unable to use it.

Someone had kindly offered to teach him ninjutsu, only for him to find that the other party couldn't learn what he taught. Thinking about this, Hiugo felt a bit embarrassed.

Of course, if Tobirama were to actually call him "Third Brother," then he wouldn't mind the embarrassment.

The two walked back. Although the battle had been short, it had still attracted a number of young boys and girls to watch. Among their peers, the two of them were somewhat well-known.

However, one was obsessed with researching ninjutsu, and the other was thinking about how to become stronger, so they ignored them.

The two little ones of the Senju Clan stayed obediently at home, terrified that if they were caught running away, they would receive double the lashes from their second brother.

Tobirama took a wooden frame and a board from a room, combining them to form a writing surface.

The board was crafted to be very smooth; this type of wood would show black marks when it encountered water. Writing on it generally required gathering water Chakra at the index finger, and once finished, one could disperse the Chakra to use it again.

"You go first."

Tobirama said this, then took out a stool and sat down.

Hiugo didn't waste any words. He gave a light cough and said:

"The ninjutsu and taijutsu we learn in the clan grounds are skills for frontal combat."

"But in the future, whether on the battlefield or during missions, besides fighting enemies head-on, there are other things you must pay attention to."

"First, do not listen to others' nonsense. At those moments, they are waiting for you to lower your guard before they strike. So, no matter the situation, when facing an opponent, kill them immediately."

"Second, if you encounter someone stronger, feign submission and wait for them to lower their guard before attacking. If you encounter someone of similar strength, do not be afraid; fear makes it easier to die. If you encounter someone weaker than you but they manage to run away, remember not to pursue them."

Itama couldn't help but ask: "Shouldn't we pursue those who are weaker than us?"

"That is the third point. You are currently only Genin, and in a year or two, you will be Chunin. In the execution of missions, there are plenty of examples of Genin and Chunin being killed in counter-attacks, not to mention the existence of traps."

"Traps?"

"The enemy's intelligence cannot be underestimated. You are the sons of the clan leader. Whether it is capturing you, killing you outright, or using you to lure others to save you, your impact is greater and your value higher than other clansmen."

The two little Senju were silent. They had never felt they were any different from the other clansmen.

Hiugo looked at Itama and said: "Besides throwing Explosive Tags by hand, there is also the method of burying them in the soil and waiting for someone to step on them to trigger them. You must pay special attention to this."

The reason Hiugo said this was that he remembered the future Senju clansman Senju Nawaki, who had died after stepping into an Explosive Tag trap. Connecting this to the fact that Itama's body was never found in the anime, he mentioned it while thinking they might share the same fate.

The atmosphere was a bit heavy; the topic of life and death was still a bit too early for them.

Tobirama's gaze flickered. He stood up and patted Hiugo on the shoulder: "Alright, leave the rest to me."

Hiugo glanced at the two little ones, reflecting on the fact that they were still children, and said in a low voice:

"Did I make it sound too serious?"

Tobirama shook his head:

"You are only a year or two older than them, and appropriate pressure can promote their own progress."

"You must be quite tired lately, get some rest early..."

Hiugo nodded and pushed the door open to leave.

Night had fallen, carrying a hint of coolness.

A Dark Ninja appeared from the side and handed a scroll to Hiugo.

"Is this tomorrow's quota?"

The Dark Ninja spoke in a hoarse voice: "It concerns Senju Zhenyang."

"What happened to him?"

"He encountered a giant cat during his mission. His life or death is unknown."

"A giant cat?"

"It is a giant cat covered in blue flames with black markings. According to the clansmen who were with him, Senju Zhenyang lured it away himself to protect the others."

Hiugo frowned: "How many tails did it have?"

"The report says two."

"Hmm."

Land of Fire, inside a mountain cave.

Senju Zhenyang slowly regained consciousness and saw a massive cat head appearing right in front of him.

"You're awake, human of the Senju Clan."

The cat opened its eyes, its attitude appearing quite gentle.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

Senju Zhenyang asked in confusion. He had been on a mission and never expected that the only clan-level powerhouse of the Onmyo Clan, Onmyo Seimei, would also be performing this mission.

Then, they had been repelled by a group of summon beasts. Fortunately, Onmyo Seimei had no intention of killing them, which was the only reason they had been able to save their lives and escape.

However, they later encountered a "Giant Cat." Based on their previous experience of being chased by a summoning beast, they instinctively felt that Onmyo Seimei had changed his mind and decided to silence them.

Consequently, he used a ninjutsu to draw the "Giant Cat's" attention and lured it away. In his memory, he was finally swatted into the ground with a single palm strike and knocked unconscious; he had no recollection of anything after that.

It was not that the Warring States period lacked information on Tailed Beasts, but at this time, there were no Jinchuriki. Many clans that had previously coveted the power of the Tailed Beasts were wiped out because the beasts were uncontrollable, so no matter how great the power, people dared not take an interest.

Furthermore, most Tailed Beasts were peaceful existences that rarely appeared before people, so over time, this information was relegated to a corner.

Senju Zhenyang's words left the Two-Tails feeling somewhat helpless. It was one of the better-tempered Tailed Beasts; otherwise, it would have already swatted the other party to death with one paw:

"Why didn't I kill you? Because I fear trouble. The Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan are the most troublesome, though your Senju Clan is slightly better."

If it had really killed this brat, the Senju Clan might have started spouting nonsense about love and comrades while hurling ninjutsu at its head.

Senju Zhenyang stood up and discovered that not only was there not a trace of pain, but the injuries sustained in the previous battle had completely healed. Realizing this, he immediately bowed in apology:

"I am sorry for my previous offenses. May I ask how I should address you?"

The Two-Tails nodded in satisfaction; it was not in vain that it had used its Chakra to help heal him:

"Do not ask for my name. You injured me, yet I saved you. Shouldn't you help me with some matters..."

Senju Zhenyang understood the logic. They had only just met, and the fact that the other party had saved him clearly meant there was an ulterior motive:

"Please, speak."

The Two-Tails revealed a hint of exhaustion. Recently, it had been constantly disturbed by ninjas, and the human who had released the summoning beast earlier also seemed to be looking for it. This series of events made it feel that perhaps the place it had chosen was problematic:

"Help me find a relatively quiet place, the kind where people rarely pass by, preferably one where no one exists at all."

"Very well."

Senju Zhenyang thought about it and agreed. With the Senju Clan's intelligence network, this task was not too difficult.

Seeing that he had agreed, the Two-Tails extended a beast claw and lightly tapped Senju Zhenyang, causing a surge of red Chakra to flow into his body.

"This is my Chakra. Once you find the place, you can notify me directly. At the same time, if you reveal my whereabouts, it can also take your life instantly."

"Understood."

A bead of cold sweat appeared on Senju Zhenyang's forehead; he had not expected a cat to know so much.

"You need not be afraid. Most people would give anything to possess my Chakra."

"Many thanks..."

After offering his final thanks, Senju Zhenyang left the cave.

It seemed he would not be able to return to his clan's territory for a while, but saving his own life was not a loss. One had to know that he had previously prepared himself for death, and now that he had survived, the experience between life and death had caused the bottleneck of his peak Jonin level to begin to loosen.