Konoha.
The private training ground behind the Konoha Military Police Force building.
Xuanye had paid for this plot of land out of his own pocket a while ago, specifically to train the Police Force members.
At that moment, over a hundred Uchiha members had assembled on the training ground, divided into two large formations on the left and right.
At the front of one formation, a shirtless Might Guy waved his arms, his face flushed red, and bellowed at the top of his lungs:
"Youth!!"
In the past, these proud Uchiha clansmen would definitely have thought this thick-browed kid was an idiot.
But now, swept up in Might Guy's fervor, not a single member felt embarrassed. Instead, their faces flushed as they roared in unison:
"Youth!!"
Under a canopy not far away.
Xuanye reclined comfortably in a custom-made wooden armchair, holding a teapot and taking a leisurely sip.
Recruiting Might Guy into the Konoha Military Police Force as a physical conditioning instructor was definitely one of the wisest decisions he had ever made.
No one else in all of Konoha could match his ability to stir up emotions and enthusiasm.
As his gaze swept over Uchiha Itachi, who was doing one-handed handstands along with the rest, deep amusement flashed in Xuanye's eyes.
At that moment, Uchiha Itachi had "nothing left to live for" written all over his face. His eyelids twitched furiously, and his movements were as stiff as a marionette's, vividly embodying the questions, "Who am I? Where am I? Why am I here?"
He resisted with every fiber of his being, yet his body had no choice but to obediently comply.
This was the price he had to pay for being the Third Hokage's spy.
"Brother-in-law, I want to train with them too!"
Standing beside Xuanye, Senju Nawaki watched with shining eyes, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
To avoid drawing attention, the boy was wearing black contact lenses, slightly concealing his Senju Clan traits.
"What's the rush? Watch from the sidelines for now."
Xuanye lazily shifted in his chair. "Once your sister gets here, ask her yourself."
Nawaki currently counted as an unregistered reserve member. Like Uchiha Itachi, he looked too young, and Xuanye did not want anyone accusing him of employing child labor.
Besides, this boy was the Senju Clan's sole remaining male heir. If anything happened to him during training, wouldn't Tsunade come after Xuanye's life?
Still...
Xuanye looked the boy up and down, his gaze suddenly turning peculiar.
When he had arrived at work that morning, Xuanye had discovered something utterly absurd.
This young Senju master, who should have died over a decade ago, seemed to possess an incredible aura of friendliness.
In just one morning, the effortlessly sociable Nawaki had actually struck up a friendship with the withdrawn Uchiha Itachi. The two were already putting their arms around each other's shoulders and calling each other brothers!
"You... seem pretty fond of that fellow called Uchiha Itachi?"
Xuanye could not help asking.
"Yeah! Itachi-san doesn't talk much, but he's really a pretty nice guy!"
Nawaki nodded emphatically, his face utterly sincere.
The corners of Xuanye's eyes twitched.
He was not worried about Nawaki being brainwashed by Uchiha Itachi's Will of Fire. Rather, he felt that Itachi's mind, filled with schemes and calculations, would probably be utterly thwarted by a carefree, sunny, cheerful boy like Nawaki.
"For the sake of your Senju Clan's bloodline, I'd advise you to minimize physical contact with him from now on."
Xuanye offered the warning earnestly.
Just as Xuanye was pondering how to forcibly separate these two oddballs, he caught sight of several people entering the training ground out of the corner of his eye.
Tsunade strode furiously ahead with Shizune.
Behind the two women followed an old man with an unsteady gait and dark circles under his eyes.
There was no need to guess. Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been put through hell the night before and had not slept well all night, had shamelessly followed them to the Konoha Military Police Force early that morning to gather intelligence again.
"Mother of my child, you're just in time. I've got something deadly serious to discuss with you."
Treating the Third Hokage as though he were invisible, Xuanye stood and seized Tsunade's soft wrist, his expression turning unusually grave.
Tsunade stiffened, the corners of her mouth twitching furiously.
She was just about to curse him out and correct that damned form of address, but when she sensed Hiruzen Sarutobi's murderous stare behind her, she could only force down her anger.
After all, when Nawaki had completed his employment paperwork at the Hokage building yesterday, he had casually made up a story to conceal his identity, claiming he was the illegitimate son Xuanye and Tsunade had secretly had outside the village.
Yet in private, the damned brat merrily called him "brother-in-law" at every opportunity.
According to Nawaki's own bizarre logic: Although I'm nominally your illegitimate son, deep down I'm still your brother-in-law. We can treat those relationships separately. There's nothing wrong with that!
"Father... father of my child, what exactly is it?"
Tsunade lowered her voice through gritted teeth, letting Xuanye hold her hand.
"Your son's fallen for Uchiha Itachi!"
Xuanye lowered his voice, sounding heartbroken.
Uchiha Itachi?
Which little girl from the Uchiha Clan was that?
Having spent years away from the village, Tsunade failed to grasp what he meant at all. She thought Xuanye was referring to a beautiful girl as gentle and gracious as Uchiha Mikoto, leaving her momentarily bewildered.
Just then, the physical training on the field reached a stopping point, and Might Guy blew his whistle for a five-minute break.
Uchiha Itachi, who had been secretly monitoring the Third Hokage's movements, immediately took the opportunity to leave the formation and hurry toward Xuanye, looking for a chance to make contact with the Third and report.
But he had barely taken two steps when Nawaki's eyes lit up. He darted forward and planted himself squarely in Uchiha Itachi's path.
"Itachi-san! You must be tired after doing a thousand push-ups in one go! Here, have some water to wet your throat!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Nawaki pulled the canteen from his waist, unscrewed the cap, and thrust it straight against Uchiha Itachi's mouth, an incredibly radiant smile on his face.
"Tree-san! Please show some restraint! You're too close!"
Uchiha Itachi went deathly pale and tried to back away in horror.
Someone like Nawaki, who had absolutely no concept of personal space and constantly forced a brotherly friendship on people, gave him a hundred times more trouble than Might Guy!
But before he could retreat, he suddenly caught sight of Hiruzen Sarutobi staring fixedly at them from nearby!
At that moment, the Third Hokage's entire worldview was on the verge of collapse.
Tsunade actually had a child?!
And the child's father was that little bastard Uchiha Genya?!
Was I still half asleep when I left home today?!
Most importantly, Hiruzen Sarutobi faintly detected an extremely familiar trace of chakra fluctuations from this boy named "Tree."
No! I must get to the bottom of this boy's background immediately!
At that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi discreetly signaled Uchiha Itachi with his eyes, indicating that he absolutely had to use this opportunity to get close to Nawaki and extract information!
Uchiha Itachi shuddered upon receiving the order and stiffly stopped backing away.
He stared fixedly at the canteen's mouth pressed against his lips.
There were even a few scraps of meat clinging to it, left over from the chive buns Nawaki had eaten that morning.
It's over!
Lord Third's orders carry the weight of a mountain. Everything is for the village!
A sudden crimson gleam appeared in Uchiha Itachi's eyes, and a single clear tear of humiliation silently slipped from the corner of his eye.
He squeezed his eyes shut, held his breath, clamped his mouth around the canteen's opening, and tipped his head back to gulp down a great mouthful!
"Hahaha! My good brother! Now that's loyalty!"
Nawaki laughed excitedly, snatched back the canteen, put his mouth against the very spot Uchiha Itachi had just drunk from, and tipped his head back to take a great gulp himself.
After drinking, he smacked his lips as though savoring it, then excitedly spread his arms and gave Uchiha Itachi a solid bear hug!
Under the canopy.
Tsunade was utterly dumbfounded.
Xuanye pressed a hand to his forehead, unable to bear watching.
Beside them, Shizune covered her mouth in horror.
In the deathly silence that enveloped the field, only Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his aged eyes, his expression profound.
This was a great bond that transcended the boundaries of clans!
Before you continue