"Stop shaking her. She's probably injured her meridians and internal organs!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Uka Senju looked up at the woman beside her and hurriedly asked, "Sister Chiharu, when did you get here?"
Chiharu didn't answer Uka's question. Instead, she looked at the boy squatting on the ground, her expression complicated.
She had been protecting him from the shadows all along.
Earlier, people stationed around the perimeter had held her up, so she hadn't been able to get there right away.
After she dealt with the outer squad, she'd just reached the corner when Baku came running for his life.
She killed him, then saw what had happened in the alley.
Who would've thought!
The younger brother she'd looked after for so many years had been hiding such a secret.
Judging by how skilled he was, he must have awakened it a long time ago!
For a moment, she didn't know whether to be happy that he had awakened Wood Release or angry that he'd kept it from her all this time.
"Thud!"
A group of people landed!
After seeing the signal flare, Kenchū Senju had brought the patrol team rushing over.
But judging by the scene in the alley, they seemed to have arrived too late?
He called out, "Chiharu, what happened?"
"Anbu attacked Uka. Harumi seems to have injured her internal organs. Anyone who knows Medical Treatment, come take a look!" Interrupted from her thoughts, Chiharu addressed the people who had just arrived.
At that, a woman around thirty stepped forward to examine Harumi. "Her internal organs aren't badly hurt. The main problem is that the chakra flowing in reverse injured her meridians. Shigemasa, come help me treat her, then we'll take her back for further care!"
"Okay," Shigemasa Senju replied.
"There's one body at the alley entrance and three more outside. Take them all with us. We need to get back as soon as possible!" Chiharu said, staring at Kenchū Senju.
"Okay. Daisuke, Sanji, Yoshitoki, the three of you go take care of it!" Kenchū Senju instructed his teammates.
"Yes!" the three answered.
Once everything had been arranged, Kenchū Senju looked at the white-haired boy in armor beside him.
Puzzled, he asked, "Uka, you wore your Battle Armor to school today?"
"Yes. It's convenient to carry around." As he spoke, Uka Senju withdrew the Wood Release chakra.
The armor slowly receded from his body, turning back into a belt around his waist.
He hadn't intended to hide it from the clan, so he showed it openly.
Watching the miraculous scene before him, Kenchū Senju's eyes widened with excitement. "Uka, how did you do that? How strong is its defense? It looks pretty cool! Can you make one for me too? This is so convenient!"
Uka Senju was a little bewildered by all the questions.
Shouldn't you be paying attention to the fact that this is Wood Release, big brother?
How did this turn into asking me to make you some armor?
Hearing her companion's foolish remarks, Chiharu couldn't help shaking her head. She really couldn't understand how Lady Toka had chosen such a blockhead as her bodyguard!
She immediately said, "You should be asking what the armor is made of. And you should be looking at what technique he used to kill those two!"
Chiharu's words left Kenchū Senju a little confused. Following the direction she pointed, he looked at the two piles of flesh in the alley.
Puzzled, he asked, "Uka did this? It wasn't you?"
Chiharu rolled her eyes and said irritably, "I'm not that twisted!"
Kenchū Senju walked over to the corpse riddled with countless holes and examined its injuries and the chakra residue.
After a moment, he asked in a trembling voice, "Is this real?"
Chiharu slowly nodded.
He then turned his gaze to Uka, who nodded to confirm his suspicion.
Kenchū Senju hurriedly ordered, "Shigemasa... Gari, carry Harumi. We're heading back right now!"
"Yes!" the two people treating her replied. Without asking why, they lifted Harumi from the ground and left.
Outside the clan grounds.
The two of them escorted Uka to the main gate, where they saw Senju Toka leading a large force out, bristling with murderous intent.
They hurriedly saluted. "Lady Toka!"
Seeing that her nephew was unharmed, Senju Toka felt relieved. She gave a slight nod and asked, "What happened?"
"Anbu sent two squads to capture Uka. They've all been killed!" Chiharu stepped forward and replied.
At that, Senju Toka looked at her nephew.
Under his aunt's gaze, Uka added, "We'd just walked into the alley when they blocked our way. They said Shimura Danzō wanted to summon me!"
"When I refused, they attacked. Harumi was also injured by the Anbu Jonin, Baku!"
Senju Toka nodded to show she understood, then gave her subordinates their orders. "Kenchū, take Harumi to get treated!"
"Yes!" Kenchū Senju took two teammates and carried Harumi toward the Infirmary.
Chiharu stepped closer and whispered in Toka's ear, "My lady, Uka has Wood Release!"
"Hm...?" The words in her ear left Senju Toka at a loss for what to say.
She had intended to lead her people to wipe out the Shimura clan right then, but hadn't expected to hear this news.
She could only turn to her nephew and ask with her eyes.
Having guessed what Sister Chiharu had told her, Uka hurriedly nodded to confirm it.
"Show me!"
At her words, Uka Senju raised his hand to demonstrate.
After a pulse of chakra, a branch sprouted from the ground.
Seeing the scene before her, the corners of Senju Toka's mouth rose on their own.
She turned slightly and instructed the people behind her, "Continue guarding the clan grounds. This time, anyone who approaches can be killed after a warning. Also, don't say anything about this to outsiders yet!"
"Yes!" the people in heavy armor, holding swords and blades, answered.
They reluctantly took a few more looks at the branch in front of Uka Senju before slowly dispersing!
Unlike when they'd come out, brimming with murderous intent,
they left with smiles on their faces, and hope shining in their tearful eyes.
Walking up to her nephew, Senju Toka slowly crouched and stroked his hair. Smiling, she pulled him into her arms and said with a sigh, "You really are the Senju clan's lucky star!"
The council chamber.
In a side hall, Senju Toka sat with her nephew at a tea table.
Uka Senju felt a little uneasy. He didn't know whether his aunt believed what he'd told her.
But aside from the system, he'd told her everything about Wood Release!
"Fine. We'll do as you say," Senju Toka said, not pressing him further.
Everyone was entitled to a few secrets, weren't they?
Besides, he was her nephew. Looking at his small face, which combined the best features of her younger brother and sister-in-law, Toka smiled with satisfaction. "Your idea for the Battle Armor Technique is good, but mastering it will be difficult!"
Seeing that his aunt wasn't asking any more questions, Uka secretly breathed a sigh of relief and replied with a smile, "It is difficult, but it works really well. Those two Chunin today both died to this technique!"
Toka smiled and shook her head. "That's because they didn't know about it. Once you make a name for yourself, this move won't work so well. If you want to keep using it in the future, you'll need to practice more. Only when you've become highly proficient in Wood Release will you be able to use it properly in actual combat!"
Uka nodded. He understood what his aunt meant.
Indeed, in the Shinobi World, information about famous ninja was usually common knowledge!
Those two had died because they didn't know about it.
His aunt was right. Only with more practice could he achieve the results he wanted.