As soon as the Iwa-nin unleashed their Earth Release techniques, the Rain-nin troops were slaughtered like melons and vegetables. The Rain-nin jōnin gritted his teeth before giving the order, "Smash the jars!"
Instantly, purple poisonous gas enveloped the battlefield. Within moments, the Iwa-nin forces were knocked unconscious. They hadn't expected the Rain-nin to have such a trick up their sleeves.
Some of the stronger jōnin hadn't collapsed yet, but their limbs were already weakening. At this point, the surviving Rain-nin launched a counterattack.
Their eyes were bloodshot as they hacked these shinobi from the great nations to death. Their gazes were filled with hatred. These major nations always chose their small country as a battlefield. Their loved ones and friends had died before their eyes, all because of these major nations!
Watching this scene, the Senju troops felt somewhat relieved. If they had fought head-on earlier, they didn't think they would have fared any better than the Iwa-nin forces.
Soon, the poison gas dissipated. The hundred-strong Iwa-nin unit had been completely wiped out. As for the Rain-nin, only about twenty remained, gasping for air, their hands trembling as they gripped their swords—a sign of exhaustion.
Ryūichi said, "Lady Tsunade, now is the best time to eliminate the Rain-nin!"
Tsunade nodded and prepared to charge forward. Uchiha Ryun also nodded in agreement, as there were no other presences nearby.
Thus, the exhausted Rain-nin troops faced the well-rested Senju troops. The outcome was obvious.
One of the Rain-nin knelt on the ground, kowtowing to Tsunade. "Please, shinobi-sama of the Land of Fire, spare us! We had no choice!"
Tsunade was moved. Just as she was about to say something, the Rain-nin's eyes flashed with hatred as he drew his sword and stabbed at her.
"Magnet Release: Sand Binding Coffin!" Uchiha Ryun formed a hand seal with his right hand while aiming his left at the Rain-nin. A surge of sand gathered and tightly restrained the Rain-nin. His sword was crushed and fell to the ground, his entire body wrapped in sand and unable to move.
His eyes glared viciously at Tsunade. The earlier look of desperation and pleading had vanished, replaced by curses. "You shinobi from the major nations, your hands are drenched in blood! You will pay for this! Hahahaha!"
As his words ended, Uchiha Ryun's expression turned cold. He clenched his left hand, and a sickening crunching sound followed. The Rain-nin was crushed within the sand sphere, its base turning crimson as blood seeped out.
With a flick of his hand, Uchiha Ryun sent the sand ball flying far away. He didn't want Tsunade to be affected by the gruesome sight.
The other Senju clansmen fully approved of Uchiha Ryun's actions. Controlling the Rain-nin instantly and killing him without hesitation—this was how a shinobi should act!
"Lady Tsunade, are you alright?" Ryūichi asked, noticing Tsunade's dazed expression.
Tsunade snapped out of it and sighed. "In the eyes of these small nations, are we truly drenched in blood?"
No one responded. But Uchiha Ryun spoke up. "The fault doesn't lie with us, but with this lawless ninja world. Yes, our hands are stained with blood, but we do it to protect our homeland from invasion."
Tsunade nodded, though she only half-understood. This was the first time she had taken the life of an enemy shinobi and heard their accusations. She couldn't help but feel lost.
"Uproot the weeds completely, especially on the battlefield! Lady Tsunade, look—not a single one of our troops has died, and we've completed a mission. Shouldn't you be happy about that?" Uchiha Ryun pointed at the shinobi present.
The others nodded in agreement with his words. Some of the older Senju shinobi studied Uchiha Ryun, finding the young man quite interesting. Despite being the same age as Tsunade, he seemed far more experienced.
With Uchiha Ryun's encouragement, Tsunade regained her spirit. That's right. Even if her hands were stained with blood, she was protecting her family! As long as she held onto that belief, it was enough.
Tsunade took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, everyone. I was too immature!"
Her apology prompted immediate reassurances from the Senju clansmen.
"Lady Tsunade, it's not your fault."
"Yeah, the first time I was on the battlefield, I even wet my pants!"
"That's right, Princess. Don't blame yourself. We'll grow alongside you!"
Watching the scene, Uchiha Ryun felt a pang of envy. Tch, look at how united the Senju Clan is.
Tsunade turned to Uchiha Ryun and approached him.
"Ryun, from your performance just now, I can see you have exceptional military talent. From now on, why don't you act as our squad's strategist? Even I will follow your commands during missions. What do you say?"
Uchiha Ryun pondered.
"I can do that, but I hope everyone here will keep it a secret once we return to Konoha. To the outside world, it must be said that all achievements were made under Lady Tsunade's command."
He scanned the group. The older members immediately understood—this was to build prestige for their Senju princess. Their gazes toward Uchiha Ryun grew even kinder.
"Uchiha Ryun, this… this isn't appropriate." Tsunade blushed. Wasn't this just stealing credit from her subordinate?
The Senju shinobi's expressions shifted. Of course, they wanted Tsunade to gain merit, but this seemed unfair to Uchiha Ryun.
Uchiha Ryun knew that, as an Uchiha, receiving such credit would make him a target. Danzō would mark him as a thorn in his side. But if Tsunade took the credit, it would serve as political leverage for her in the future.
He couldn't explain this outright, though. He wasn't sure if any of the Senju here were loyal to the Hokage, and revealing his intelligence would only expose him.
By giving the credit to Tsunade, the Senju shinobi would collectively keep it a secret, ensuring no leaks.
"My decision is final. If Lady Tsunade wishes for me to participate in command, you must agree to this condition." Uchiha Ryun knelt sincerely.
Tsunade was flustered, unsure how to respond. Then, a middle-aged Senju stepped forward. "Lady Tsunade, since Ryun is being so sincere, refusing would be too much. Why not accept for now?"
His gaze was calm as he looked at Uchiha Ryun, conveying goodwill.
Uchiha Ryun smiled slightly. It seemed the Senju Clan had its share of intelligent people too.
Under the combined insistence of the Senju clansmen and Uchiha Ryun himself, Tsunade finally relented. For now, the squad remained nominally under Tsunade's leadership.
But the actual commander had become Uchiha Ryun. He continued riding on Ryūichi's back, using his True Sight to scout the area ten miles away as the group advanced steadily.