White Zetsu Discovered

"Nawaki will grow taller. Besides, five foot ten isn't short.

"Orochimaru—uh, all right, Orochimaru is almost six feet tall.

"But nearly half the adult men in the Uchiha Clan aren't even five foot ten.

"So you don't need to worry about it so much.

"And height has nothing to do with strength. Lord Hokage isn't a particularly tall man, but that doesn't make him any less powerful," Uchiha Yi said earnestly.

"I hope so. Neither Mom nor Dad was short, and Grandpa was tall, too." Tsunade sighed helplessly. "If Nawaki ends up too short, he'll have trouble finding a wife."

"You don't need to worry about that, do you? Being a little short or unattractive won't matter much.

"Once Nawaki grows up, he'll have strength, connections, money..." At the mention of money, Uchiha Yi glanced at Tsunade uncertainly. Actually, Nawaki might have a hard time holding on to any money. No amount would be enough for Tsunade to squander on her own.

Maybe it's better not to inflict him on some poor girl.

With Nawaki's personality, it would be no surprise if he grew up unable to say no to his sister.

He had graduated over half a year ago, and rumor had it Tsunade took his entire salary. He didn't even have money for snacks. Given the way Tsunade burned through money, even a young lady from the Daimyo's Residence might not dare marry Nawaki!

Uchiha Yi thought of all the people who dreamed of finding themselves in the world of the Hokage and making Tsunade their first target. He had to admire their courage. They clearly weren't afraid of going bankrupt.

Tsunade had even tried to borrow money from Uchiha Yi. Fortunately, he had stood firm and refused. Otherwise, he would never have seen that money again.

Tsunade could certainly earn money, but she spent it far faster than she made it.

Sensing something strange in Uchiha Yi's gaze, Tsunade glared at him. "What's that look supposed to mean? Nawaki is still young. He shouldn't be carrying money around. I'm doing it for his own good."

"Sure, sure. It's for his own good." Uchiha Yi observed a moment of silence for Nawaki but said nothing more. Better Nawaki than him. Tsunade could keep tormenting her brother.

"Hmph!" Tsunade decided she was done talking to Uchiha Yi. He clearly had no intention of funding her gambling. How heartless.

She would be better off getting on Hyuga Rinka's good side. Kushina Uzumaki was no help either; she would tell Grandma Mito about the gambling. Hyuga Rinka, on the other hand, spent money as if it meant nothing to her.

"Lady Tsunade, we're counting on you to keep us safe." Tsunade was Tsunade, after all. She commanded respect wherever she went.

The Daimyō of the Land of Fire recognized her as the Konoha Princess, and many nobles also respected her as Konoha's finest medical Ninja.

As wealthy people, they naturally wanted a good doctor to treat them if they ever fell ill or were injured. Befriending Tsunade might save their lives someday.

In many people's eyes, it was safer to offend the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi than Tsunade.

"Don't worry about it. You paid us, after all. And thank you for putting your trust in the Land of Fire." Tsunade waved them toward their carriages. They still had a long way to travel.

Nobles held considerable status in this world, though Uchiha Yi sometimes wondered why so many capable people were willing to risk their lives for ordinary people who couldn't even defend themselves.

During Shinobi World Wars, it was usually Ninja who fought. The conflicts rarely touched the nobility.

Even during the Fourth Shinobi World War, Mei Terumi, the Mizukage, had been tasked with protecting a Daimyō.

Why not just let useless people like that die?

If the Ninja showed even a little indifference, the Akatsuki and White Zetsu probably wouldn't bother with those people at all.

These nobles also maintained their own Ninja and Samurai. Fewer than ten nobles traveled in the group, yet over a hundred people guarded them, and numerous carriages carried their considerable wealth.

Uchiha Yi's group had even been given a carriage of their own.

"Do you think those people will make a move?" Uchiha Yi suddenly asked Tsunade inside the carriage.

Hyuga Rinka quickly turned to Tsunade. This concerned the real purpose of their trip.

She was risking her life alongside Tsunade. If Tsunade still refused to tell them the truth, she was hardly a dependable teacher.

"What do you mean? Are people from other villages going after these nobles?" Kushina Uzumaki asked Uchiha Yi, puzzled.

"No. We're the real bait." Uchiha Yi shook his head slightly, his gaze sharpening. "Ever since we left Konoha, quite a few Ninja have been following us. Most of them are Anbu.

"They're not here to protect the nobles. They're here to protect us.

"If the other villages learn who's on our team, I imagine they'll come after us."

"Us?" Kushina Uzumaki blinked. "No wonder Grandma Mito told me to be careful. So that's what she meant.

"But why can I sense someone nearby who means us harm?"

"Oh? You can sense that, Kushina?" Tsunade asked at once. Her grandmother had been able to sense whether others bore her goodwill or malice. Had Kushina Uzumaki learned to do the same?

"Grandma Mito left some Chakra in me earlier. That's how I can do it." Kushina Uzumaki scratched her head, pulled back the carriage curtain, and pointed at a nearby tree. "There's someone in that tree."

Uchiha Yi's thoughts raced. He couldn't sense anything, but given Kushina Uzumaki's ability, this was clearly the Nine-Tails' power.

A possibility came to him at once—White Zetsu!

Now that we're out here, why not make the Shinobi World even more chaotic?

He pulled out a Kunai and threw it at the tree Kushina Uzumaki had indicated. Just before the Kunai struck, a white figure emerged from the tree and dodged it.

"What is that?" Tsunade's pupils contracted sharply. Even she had never seen anyone so strange.

Before anyone else could react, Uchiha Yi flashed in front of White Zetsu and thrust the Sword of the Thunder God at him.