Cut the Grass, Remove the Roots

Once the Rock ninja unleashed their Earth Style techniques, the Rain ninja forces were cut down like wheat, slaughtered one after another. The Rain Village's jonin gritted his teeth and ordered, "Break the jars!"

Instantly, a purple toxic gas enveloped the battlefield. Within moments, the Rock ninja troops were poisoned into unconsciousness; they had never expected the Rain ninja to have such a trick up their sleeves.

Some of the stronger jonin remained standing, but their limbs had already begun to weaken. Seeing this, the surviving Rain ninja launched a counterattack.

Their eyes were bloodshot with hatred as they hacked away at the ninja from the great nations. Their eyes were filled with resentment—these great nations chose their small countries as battlefields, and they had watched their friends and family die right before them, all because of these powers.

Watching this scene, the Senju troops felt a sense of relief. If they had fought head-on just moments ago, they didn't believe they would have fared any better than the Rock ninja.

The toxic gas soon dissipated. The hundred-man Rock ninja unit had been completely wiped out, while only about twenty Rain ninja remained. They gasped for air, their hands trembling as they gripped their blades—a sign of total exhaustion.

Long Yi said, "Lady Tsunade, this is the perfect moment to wipe out the Rain ninja!"

Tsunade nodded and prepared to charge forward. Uchiha Xiao also nodded, sensing that there were no other presences nearby.

And so, the exhausted Rain ninja unit met the fresh, waiting Senju troops. The outcome was clear at a glance.

Just then, a Rain ninja knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Tsunade. "I beg you, ninja of the Land of Fire, spare us! We were forced into this against our will!"

Tsunade was moved. Just as she was about to speak, a flash of hatred crossed the Rain ninja's eyes. He drew his long blade and lunged at her.

"Magnet Style: Sand Binding Coffin!" Uchiha Xiao formed a sword-finger gesture with his right hand and aimed his left at the Rain ninja. A massive amount of sand converged, pinning the man firmly in place. The ninja's blade was knocked from his hand, and his entire body was encased in sand, unable to move.

He glared viciously at Tsunade, the helplessness and pleading from before vanishing entirely. He cursed, "You ninja of the great nations, your hands are stained with blood! You will surely meet your retribution! Hahahaha!"

As his voice trailed off, Uchiha Xiao's expression turned cold. He clenched his left hand, and a sickening crunching sound echoed. The Rain ninja was crushed within the quicksand, the base of which turned a deep, blood-red as it began to seep.

Uchiha Xiao flicked his hand, sending the sand sphere flying far away; he didn't want the gruesome sight to affect Lady Tsunade.

The other Senju clansmen were highly approving of Uchiha Xiao's actions. To neutralize a ninja immediately and then kill them without hesitation—that was exactly what a ninja should do!

"Lady Tsunade, are you alright?" Long Yi asked, noticing Tsunade's dazed expression.

Tsunade snapped back to reality. She sighed and asked, "Are our hands truly stained with blood in the eyes of the small nations?"

No one responded, but Uchiha Xiao spoke up. "It is not us who are wrong, but this ninja world where the weak are prey to the strong. It is true that our hands are stained with blood, but we do it to protect our own homes from violation."

Tsunade nodded, only half-understanding. This was the first time she had stained her hands with the blood of an enemy nation, and hearing the enemy ninja's accusations had left her feeling lost.

"We must cut the weeds by the roots, especially on the battlefield! Look, Lady Tsunade, not a single one of our troops has died, and we have completed a battle. Shouldn't you be happy?" Uchiha Xiao gestured toward the surrounding ninja.

The others nodded, agreeing with Uchiha Xiao's words. Some of the middle-aged Senju ninja looked at him with interest, thinking that for someone who appeared to be the same age as Tsunade, this little guy understood quite a lot.

Encouraged by Uchiha Xiao, Tsunade regained her spirit. That's right—even if her hands were stained with blood, she was protecting her family! As long as she was clear on that, it was enough.

Tsunade took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, everyone. I was too immature!" As she apologized, the Senju clansmen quickly spoke up.

"Princess Tsunade, this is not your fault."

"That's right, the first time I went to the battlefield, I even wet my pants!"

"Exactly, Princess, don't blame yourself. We can grow up alongside you!"

Watching the scene, Uchiha Xiao felt a twinge of envy. Tsk, tsk, look at how united the Senju clan is.

Tsunade looked at Uchiha Xiao, walked up to him, and said, "Xiao-kun, from your performance just now, I can see you have great military talent. How about you become the strategist for our squad? During battle, I will follow your arrangements. How does that sound?"

Uchiha Xiao pondered. "That is possible, but I hope that once everyone returns to Konoha, you will keep this a secret for me. Tell the outside world that the results were achieved under Lady Tsunade's command."

Uchiha Xiao scanned the group. The older ones immediately understood—he was building up merit for their Senju Princess. Their gazes toward him became even more amicable.

"Uchiha Xiao, this... this isn't appropriate, is it?" Tsunade blushed. Wouldn't this mean she was stealing the credit for her subordinate's command?

The Senju ninja's expressions shifted. Naturally, they wanted Tsunade to receive the credit, but it didn't seem fair to Uchiha Xiao.

Uchiha Xiao knew clearly that if he, an Uchiha, claimed this merit, it would be his death warrant. Danzo would fixate on him, viewing him as a thorn in his side. But if Tsunade received the credit, it would become a valuable political asset for her future.

He couldn't say this outright, as he wasn't sure if there were any Danzo loyalists among the Senju, and revealing his intellect too early could be dangerous.

By handing the credit to Tsunade, the Senju troops would collectively keep the secret, ensuring not a word leaked out.

"My mind is made up. If Lady Tsunade wants me to participate in the command, please agree to this condition," Uchiha Xiao said, kneeling sincerely.

Tsunade was flustered, not knowing what to do. A middle-aged Senju man stepped forward. "Lady Tsunade, look, Xiao-kun is so sincere. If you refuse, it might be a bit too... why not just agree for now?"

His eyes were calm as he looked at Uchiha Xiao, showing his goodwill.

Uchiha Xiao smiled slightly. It seemed the Senju clan wasn't lacking in clever people.

At the request of the Senju clansmen and Uchiha Xiao himself, Tsunade finally agreed. Nominally, the team was still led by Tsunade.

In reality, the commander had become Uchiha Xiao. As for him, he continued to lie on Long Yi's back, using his True Sight Eye to scout the situation ten miles ahead as the group marched steadily forward.