The Land of Rain was perpetually shrouded in endless drizzle.
Yet today—
The rain had stopped.
Though the sky remained gloomy, for the Land of Rain, this already counted as a rare "clear day."
Tsunade walked in front.
Uchiha Shin followed behind.
Tsunade's mind was filled with joy at reuniting with her fellow disciples.
Uchiha Shin, however, was calculating—
How to secure the greatest advantage for Tsunade.
—
Before long, under the watch of villagers and soldiers, the two arrived at the village entrance.
There, Uchiha Shin saw them—
Orochimaru and Jiraiya.
Both wore combat uniforms similar to Tsunade's, each leading their own troops.
By estimation—
Orochimaru still had around seven hundred men.
Jiraiya had about six hundred.
This was normal.
War meant casualties.
Reaching here in four days with less than half lost—
Already proved their capabilities.
Tsunade smiled brightly upon seeing them.
"Orochimaru, Jiraiya—you finally made it!"
She stepped forward, clearly delighted.
Jiraiya's eyes lit up when he saw her.
"Oh! Tsunade! You're looking energetic as ever! Hahaha!"
His hearty laughter earned him a disdainful glance from Orochimaru.
Orochimaru shook his head, then looked at Tsunade more closely.
There was no fatigue on her face—
Not even a trace of strain.
He was intrigued.
Even he had only recovered fully yesterday.
Just as Orochimaru was thinking—
Uchiha Shin suddenly spoke:
"Tsunade-sama, Orochimaru-sama, Jiraiya-sama—there are too many people outside the village. It's not appropriate to speak here."
"Please enter the village quickly so we may discuss military affairs together."
Tsunade smiled.
"Uchiha Shin-kun is right."
"Orochimaru, Jiraiya, come inside."
"As for your troops—they may enter as well, but they must follow the rules."
"Rules?"
Orochimaru's eyes lit up.
Interesting.
A force that followed rules?
What kind of rules?
Tsunade then explained the "Five Kill Orders."
Orochimaru's excitement became undisguised.
"Tsunade-hime, who came up with these rules?"
"Introduce him to me—this is a talent! A great talent!"
He laughed softly.
Tsunade smiled and pointed at Uchiha Shin.
"Him. Uchiha Shin-kun. Uchiha Shin."
"Uchiha?"
Jiraiya frowned.
Shouldn't Uchiha belong to his unit?
Why was one assigned to Tsunade?
After all—
Though the Senju had integrated into the populace and dropped their surname—
Tsunade's unit was still fundamentally a Senju force.
How could they tolerate an Uchiha giving orders?
Tsunade, being straightforward, explained everything—
Including Uchiha Shin's contributions and his Magnet Release: True Vision Eye.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
Such a subordinate… could I get a dozen of them?
He probed lightly:
"Tsunade-hime, my army also lacks such talent… how about—"
Tsunade frowned immediately.
"My grandmother chose him for me."
The implication was clear.
Orochimaru clicked his tongue.
You bring out Mito-sama just because I asked for a person?
He sighed.
"It seems I have no fate with Uchiha Shin-kun."
—
The three entered the office.
None of them sat at the main seat.
Instead, they began discussing their next move together.
—
At the village entrance—
Uchiha Shin observed the incoming troops.
Several Senju Jonin stood behind him.
Orochimaru's force was relatively balanced—
Including members from the Hatake, Hyūga, Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka clans.
Most were reasonable and composed.
Jiraiya's force, however—
Was made up of Uchiha, Aburame, Kurama, and Gekkō clans.
Whether intentional or not—
Compared to Orochimaru's army, Jiraiya's was clearly weaker.
Yet despite that pressure—
Jiraiya had still maintained six hundred troops.
Uchiha Shin couldn't help but feel impressed.
Other clans greeted him politely.
Only the Uchiha were different.
Some recognized him and sneered.
Others outright laughed.
The Senju Jonin behind Uchiha Shin smirked.
Laugh while you can…
Later, you'll see how it ends.
Uchiha Shin understood the Uchiha temperament well.
He paid it no mind.
Instead, he stepped forward.
"Everyone, you've traveled far and fought hard."
"I welcome you into the village."
At first, no one objected.
But what came next stirred unrest—
Especially among the Uchiha.
"Tsunade-sama has established these rules. Anyone who violates them will be executed without exception!"
"1. Trespassing into civilian homes—death.
2. Looting supplies—death.
3. Assaulting civilians—death.
4. Bullying the weak—death.
5. Exploiting or coercive trade—death."
Uchiha Shin repeated the Five Kill Orders.
Better to make things clear now—
Than deal with chaos later.
A Uchiha Jonin spoke coldly:
"We already know the rules."
"So can we enter the village now? Everyone here is exhausted."
Aside from the Uchiha—
No one else spoke.
They simply watched.
The Senju Jonin frowned.
As expected… the Uchiha are troublesome.
Uchiha Shin turned toward the speaker.
Ah—
An older man.
Uchiha Jonin.
Uchiha Kiyoshi.
A veteran from the Warring States era.
Highly influential within the clan.
"Do you have a problem with that?"
Uchiha Shin narrowed his eyes.
Kiyoshi paused.
This kid… doesn't seem as weak as rumored.
Still—
"I have a problem—so what?"
"And if I don't—so what?"
Kiyoshi replied arrogantly.
Several Senju Jonin behind Uchiha Shin were about to step forward—
But Uchiha Shin spoke:
"Stand down."
They hesitated—
Then obeyed.
Kiyoshi's pupils shrank.
This so-called 'useless' boy… holds such authority among the Senju?
Interesting…
He grew cautious internally—
Though his face still showed disdain.
"If I remember correctly… you're Uchiha Kiyoshi, right?"
Uchiha Shin said calmly, stepping forward.
His eyes narrowed.
At this moment—
He represented Tsunade.
His actions represented her authority.
He could not ignore this provocation.
Otherwise—
It would disgrace himself, the unit, and Tsunade.
"That's right. I am Uchiha Kiyoshi."
"What's your problem, Uchiha Shin?"
Kiyoshi emphasized "Uchiha," reminding him of his identity.
Uchiha Shin smiled faintly.
"No problem."
"My hands are just a little itchy."
"I was wondering… if Senior would be willing to give me some guidance."
As he spoke—
He formed the Seal of Confrontation.
The Uchiha present were stunned.
Even Kiyoshi's eyes widened.
This boy—
Just turned eighteen—
Actually dared to challenge him?!