The Land of Rain was usually plagued by constant rain, but today, for once, it had stopped, though the sky remained overcast.
For the Land of Rain, this was already a rare "sunny day." Tsunade walked in front, with Uchiha Xiao behind her.
Tsunade's mind was filled with the joy of reuniting with her fellow students, while Uchiha Xiao was calculating how to secure the greatest benefit for Lady Tsunade.
A short while later, watched by the villagers and soldiers, they arrived at the village gate, where Uchiha Xiao also met Orochimaru and Jiraiya.
The two wore combat uniforms similar in style to Tsunade's and had each brought a unit. Judging by their numbers, Orochimaru's force still had around seven hundred men, while Jiraiya's had around six hundred.
That was only natural. War always brought casualties. Reaching this place in four days while losing less than half their forces already proved the two men's abilities.
Tsunade smiled when she saw them. "Orochimaru, Jiraiya, you two finally made it!" she said, stepping forward to greet them, her face bright with joy.
When Jiraiya saw Tsunade, a gleam flashed in his eyes. "Oh, it's Tsunade. You look great! Hahahaha!" His hearty laughter drew a scornful look from Orochimaru.
Orochimaru shook his head, then looked at Tsunade. Her face showed no trace of fatigue or even sorrow. He was curious about her condition; even he had only recovered yesterday.
As Orochimaru pondered this, Uchiha Xiao suddenly said, "Lady Tsunade, Lord Orochimaru, Lord Jiraiya, there are too many eyes outside the village. Please come in quickly so we can discuss military and government affairs together."
Tsunade smiled. "Xiao is right. Orochimaru, Jiraiya, come into the village with me. Your troops can come in too, but they must follow the rules."
"Rules?" Orochimaru's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected the village's shinobi to follow rules. What kind of rules were they?
Tsunade then explained the Five Killings. The eagerness in Orochimaru's eyes was now impossible to conceal.
"Princess Tsunade, who came up with these Five Killings? Could you introduce me? This person is a talent—a true genius!" Orochimaru said with a smile.
Tsunade smiled and pointed to Uchiha Xiao, who had just spoken. "That was him, Xiao—also known as Uchiha Xiao."
"Uchiha?" Jiraiya furrowed his brow. Weren't the Uchiha supposed to be in his unit? Why had one been assigned to Tsunade?
Although the Senju Clan had become more integrated with the common people and dropped the Senju surname, Tsunade's unit was still unquestionably a Senju unit. How could they possibly let an Uchiha boss them around?
Tsunade wasn't one to be secretive, so she told them everything Uchiha Xiao had done, including his Magnet Release: Eye of True Sight.
Orochimaru's eyes shone. Could he get a whole squad of such a capable aide? He ventured, "Princess Tsunade, my unit is also short of someone like him. How about—"
Jiraiya didn't seem to care, but Tsunade frowned. "Grandma chose him as my aide." The implication was clear.
Orochimaru pursed his lips. Fine, he'd only asked for a person, and she'd gone straight to invoking Lady Mito. How was he supposed to argue with that? He sighed. "It seems Xiao and I weren't meant to work together."
The three entered the office. None of them took the seat of honor; instead, they discussed their next move together.
At the village gate
Uchiha Xiao sized up the two units, with many Senju jōnin following behind him.
Orochimaru's unit was all right. It included shinobi from the Hatake Clan, the Hyuga Clan, and the Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka clans. Most were reasonable and understanding.
Jiraiya's unit, on the other hand, consisted of the Uchiha Clan, the Aburame Clan, the Kurama Clan, and the Hayate Clan. Xiao wondered if Sarutobi Hiruzen had done it on purpose. Compared with Orochimaru's force, Jiraiya's was clearly weaker by several degrees.
Xiao genuinely admired Jiraiya for keeping his unit at six hundred men under that kind of pressure.
The other clans greeted him politely when they saw him. The Uchiha Clan was the sole exception. Some recognized Xiao and curled their lips; others let out cold laughs.
The Senju jōnin behind Uchiha Xiao raised the corners of their mouths. Go on, laugh all you like. The more brazenly you laugh now, the worse you'll suffer when the time comes.
Uchiha Xiao knew what the Uchiha Clan was like and paid them no mind. Walking at the head of the group, he said, "You've traveled a long way and fought along the way. Thank you for your efforts. I'm here to welcome you into the village."
The crowd had no objections to that, but what he said next caused a stir, especially among the Uchiha.
"Lady Tsunade has established these rules. Anyone who breaks them will be executed without mercy! 1. Trespass into a private home: kill. 2. Steal supplies: kill. 3. Rape civilians: kill. 4. Bully the weak: kill. 5. Engage in forced buying or selling: kill." Uchiha Xiao repeated the Five Killings, so there would be no trouble later when he ordered someone to enforce them.
"We already know what you said, so can we go into the village and rest now? Everyone here is exhausted," a Uchiha jōnin said coldly.
Apart from the Uchiha Clan, no one else spoke. They simply watched in silence. The Senju jōnin frowned. The Uchiha Clan really was irritating.
Uchiha Xiao looked toward the voice. Well, an older man. He was a Uchiha jōnin named Uchiha Kiyoshi, an old hand from the Warring States period who, Xiao had heard, held great authority in the clan. He had been assigned to lead the Uchiha this time.
"What? Do you have a problem?" Uchiha Xiao narrowed his eyes and looked at Uchiha Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi froze. This guy didn't seem as timid as the rumors claimed.
But Kiyoshi wasn't someone who could be pushed around either. "What if I do? And what if I don't?" he said cockily.
The few Senju jōnin behind Uchiha Xiao couldn't take it anymore and were about to make a move, but Uchiha Xiao said, "Stand down!" The Senju jōnin froze, then obediently stepped back.
Uchiha Kiyoshi's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected the Senju Clan to give the supposed clan weakling's words such weight.
It seemed this guy wasn't simple. Kiyoshi began to grow wary, though he maintained a scornful expression.
"If I remember correctly, this senior is called Uchiha Kiyoshi, right?" Uchiha Xiao said calmly. He stepped forward and narrowed his eyes.
He was representing Lady Tsunade as he saw the shinobi units into the village. Everything he did reflected on her. He couldn't ignore Uchiha Kiyoshi's provocation.
Doing so would bring shame not just on himself, but also on the unit and Lady Tsunade. He had to step forward.
"That's right. I'm Uchiha Kiyoshi. What do you want, Uchiha Xiao?" Kiyoshi put heavy emphasis on "Uchiha," reminding Xiao that he was a member of the Uchiha Clan.
Uchiha Xiao smiled faintly. "Nothing much. I'm just itching for a fight. Would you do me the honor of giving me some pointers, senior?" As he spoke, he formed the Seal of Confrontation with Uchiha Kiyoshi.
The Uchiha widened their eyes. Uchiha Kiyoshi included, they all looked incredulous. This kid, who had just turned eighteen, was actually this bold!