Ryūichi spoke,
"Tsunade-sama, now is the best time to wipe out the Rain ninja!"
Tsunade nodded and prepared to charge forward.
Uchiha Shin also nodded—there were no other presences nearby.
And so—
An exhausted Rain ninja unit met a fully rested Senju force.
The outcome was obvious.
At that moment, one of the Rain ninja suddenly dropped to his knees and kowtowed to Tsunade.
"Please, Fire Country ninja-sama, spare us! We were forced into this!"
Tsunade was moved.
Just as she was about to say something—
A flash of hatred crossed the Rain ninja's eyes.
He drew his blade and lunged at her!
"Magnet Release: Sand Binding Coffin!"
Uchiha Shin formed a sword seal with his right hand, his left hand aiming forward.
Sand surged forth, binding the Rain ninja tightly.
His blade was crushed from his grip and fell to the ground.
His entire body was immobilized.
His eyes burned with hatred as he stared at Tsunade.
The earlier pleading expression vanished completely.
"You great nation ninja… your hands are drenched in blood!"
"You'll get your retribution—HAHAHAHA!"
As his laughter echoed—
Uchiha Shin's expression turned cold.
His left hand clenched.
Crack… crack…
The sand tightened, crushing the Rain ninja.
The base of the sand mass turned blood-red, seeping with gore.
With a flick of his hand, Uchiha Shin sent the sand sphere flying far away.
He didn't want the sight to disturb Tsunade.
The Senju ninja all nodded in approval.
Immediate control—
And decisive execution.
That was how a true ninja acted.
"Tsunade-sama, are you alright?"
Ryūichi asked, seeing her momentarily stunned.
Tsunade came back to her senses and sighed.
"Are we… truly seen as blood-stained killers in the eyes of small nations?"
No one answered.
But Uchiha Shin spoke:
"The ones at fault aren't us."
"It's this world of survival of the fittest."
"Yes, our hands are stained with blood…"
"But we fight to protect our home from invasion."
Tsunade nodded slowly, half understanding.
This was her first time taking an enemy's life.
Hearing the Rain ninja's accusations had shaken her.
"On the battlefield, you must cut the grass by the roots."
"And besides—look around."
"Our unit hasn't lost a single person."
"And we've already secured a victory."
"Shouldn't you be happy?"
Uchiha Shin gestured toward the others.
The ninja nodded in agreement.
Some older Senju members looked at him with interest.
For someone his age—
He understood far too much.
Encouraged by Uchiha Shin's words, Tsunade regained her composure.
That's right—
Even if her hands were stained with blood…
She was protecting her family.
That was enough.
She took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I was too immature."
The moment she apologized, the Senju ninja quickly responded:
"Tsunade-hime, this isn't your fault!"
"Yeah! The first time I went to war, I was so scared I wet myself!"
"That's right, Princess—you don't need to blame yourself. We'll grow together with you!"
Watching them, Uchiha Shin felt a hint of envy.
The Senju clan…
Truly united.
Tsunade then walked up to him.
"Uchiha Shin-kun, from your performance just now, I can tell—you have great military talent."
"How about this—you act as our strategist from now on."
"During battle, I will follow your arrangements as well. What do you think?"
Uchiha Shin fell into thought.
"It's not impossible…"
"But I have one condition."
"When we return to Konoha, everyone here must keep this a secret."
"Externally, all achievements must be attributed to Lady Tsunade's command."
He swept his gaze across the group.
The older ninja immediately understood—
He was giving credit to their princess.
Their expressions softened even further.
"Uchiha Shin… this… isn't appropriate, is it?"
Tsunade blushed.
Wouldn't that mean she was taking credit for his work?
The Senju ninja hesitated.
They wanted Tsunade to gain merit—
But this felt unfair to Uchiha Shin.
Uchiha Shin, however, understood clearly.
As an Uchiha, if he gained such merit—
It would become a death sentence.
Danzō would fix his gaze on him and treat him as a threat.
But if Tsunade received the credit—
It would strengthen her political standing in the future.
Of course, he couldn't say this aloud.
He couldn't be sure whether anyone here was loyal to the Hokage faction.
Revealing too much would expose his intelligence.
By handing the credit to Tsunade—
The Senju forces would naturally keep his secret.
"I've made my decision."
"If Lady Tsunade wishes me to take command, then please agree to this condition."
Uchiha Shin knelt down sincerely.
Tsunade was flustered, unsure how to respond.
At that moment, a middle-aged Senju stepped forward.
"Tsunade-sama, Uchiha Shin-kun is being sincere."
"If you refuse, it would be… somewhat inappropriate."
His gaze was gentle as he looked at Uchiha Shin, showing goodwill.
Uchiha Shin smiled faintly.
The Senju clan—
Indeed had their share of sharp minds.
Under both the Senju's persuasion and Uchiha Shin's insistence, Tsunade finally agreed.
On the surface—
She remained the commander of the unit.
But in reality—
Uchiha Shin had become the true strategist.
As for Uchiha Shin—
He remained on Ryūichi's back, using the All-Seeing Eye to monitor the surroundings within ten kilometers.
The unit advanced steadily.
With Uchiha Shin's detection—
Tsunade's squad avoided most large Rain forces.
Though they occasionally encountered small units—
Their numerical advantage ensured overwhelming victories.
The Rain ninja didn't even have time to speak—
Or fire signal flares—
Before their throats were slit.
Up to this point—
Their thousand-man unit remained completely unharmed.
Eventually—
They arrived at a village within the Land of Rain, unnoticed by the enemy.
Uchiha Shin climbed down from Ryūichi's back and faced the unit.
"Everyone has marched for an entire day."
"There's a village ahead where you can rest."
"But I'll say this first—"
"We are Konoha ninja."
"We are ninja of the village of love, founded by the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama."