Chapter 4: Uchiha Izuna Questions Reality
The system's alert had just pinged in Stelle's mind, informing her that Uchiha Izuna was peeking from the woods.
Sensing a foreign presence emerge from the shadows, Stelle broke away from the riverside and headed in that direction.
At this moment, Uchiha Izuna was lurking behind a large tree, his handsome features twisted into a grimace. His older brother had been slipping out of the clan grounds every night, forgoing sleep. At first, Izuna had suspected Madara was up to something treacherous behind his back.
Then, his brother had taken the initiative, explaining that he was merely training on the outskirts of their lands, venturing a bit further than usual to avoid disturbing anyone. Izuna had followed him to "train" a few times, only to get beaten soundly for his trouble. Feeling he was of no help in improving his brother's strength, he'd eventually given up. Still, Madara made a point of informing him every time he left, a gesture meant to put his mind at ease.
Izuna had believed him. He'd truly believed his brother was just training. But tonight, with the clan's next major operation only three days away, he had sought Madara out to discuss strategy. He discovered his brother wasn't on the back mountain at all. He had come here. To meet Senju Hashirama.
Damn it, Izuna seethed. What kind of captivating potion did that watermelon-headed Senju feed my brother to make him waste precious training time?
With their clans on the brink of war, what if Madara's skills dulled? What if he hesitated on the battlefield and was struck down by that man because he'd grown soft?
Just as Izuna was lost in his spiraling thoughts, a hand rested gently on his shoulder. A warm, melodic voice reached his ears, carrying no hint of pressure or malice.
"Peeking isn't very polite, you know."
A chill shot up Uchiha Izuna's spine, making the hair on his arms stand on end. When he risked a glance out of the corner of his eye, his shock intensified.
So fast! He had seen this woman walk into the woods, but she had vanished from his sight almost instantly. He had run a considerable distance to get here, yet in the blink of an eye, she had appeared silently behind him.
He hadn't sensed her approach at all. If this were a battlefield, he might already be a corpse.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice tight.
"Senju Stelle."
Izuna's hand dropped to his side, his fingers covertly beginning to weave hand seals. Before he could complete the sequence, a slender hand clamped down on his wrist, interrupting the flow of his chakra.
Seizing the opening, he kicked off the ground, launching himself forward like a coiled leopard. Twisting his body in mid-air to face her, he resumed forming the seals.
He was fast, but the woman was faster. She clapped her hands together, and in an instant, countless thick branches erupted from the forest floor, surging toward him like striking serpents. Izuna was forced to abandon his jutsu, executing a sharp backflip to evade the wooden tendrils.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he sprang away again as the assault continued. He leaped back several more times before finally landing in a clear patch of earth, his heart hammering against his ribs.
"I can't let you finish those seals and draw those two idiots over here," Stelle said, letting out a troubled yawn. "I'd lose my beauty sleep just to clean up your mess." She stretched languidly. "Speaking of which, it's the middle of the night. Why am I always forced to pull all-nighters? Even a beast of burden needs to rest."
Uchiha Izuna didn't reply. He drew the long sword from his waist and lunged, aiming a clean strike at her head.
His swordsmanship was superb—a true genius for his age—but compared to Uchiha Madara, it was riddled with deficiencies. And Stelle, who had been sparring with Madara almost daily, saw through every flaw at a glance.
After a brief, ringing exchange of steel, she parried his blade with a single kunai, then suddenly vaulted into the air and drove a powerful kick into his chest.
Izuna flew backward, slamming hard into a thick tree trunk. The impact knocked the wind from his lungs and sent his sword clattering to the ground. Before he could even push himself up, the cold, sharp edge of a kunai was pressed against his throat.
He froze. This woman was unbelievably powerful. Fighting her felt like facing his own brother—an exercise in utter helplessness.
Am I going to die? His heart trembled, and a bead of cold sweat traced a path down his temple.
He expected the blade to slice into his neck, but instead, he watched her withdraw it. In its place, she used her Wood Release, manipulating the branches to bind him tightly from his shoulders to his ankles.
'Being a cheater feels so good,' Stelle thought, relishing the moment. After opening a Jōnin-level Battle Experience Gift Pack, she could easily wipe the floor with the current Uchiha Izuna.
She propped an elbow on his shoulder with practiced ease, leaning against him as if they were old friends.
"Such a naughty little boy, wandering around instead of sleeping. Didn't your brother beat you into submission a while ago? And you still dared to follow him. Believe it or not, I'll tattle to him when you get back and let him give you another thrashing."
As the future intellectual powerhouse of the Uchiha clan, Izuna's mind was swift. The pieces clicked into place instantly.
"So it was you," he snarled, glaring at her. "I was wondering how my brother had become so slick, managing to keep me away and hide this for so long at such a critical time."
"Yep, that was my idea," she chirped. "I originally thought you'd give up after three or five days of beatings. I didn't expect you to be so resilient. Your brother had to keep it up for a full ten days before you finally quit."
She still wore that gentle, disarming smile, but her words made Izuna feel like he was in the presence of a demon.
"You damn woman."
"Angry? Oh my, you wouldn't be so pathetic as to run home and tattle to your father after losing a fight, would you? Surely not, surely not."
Izuna fell silent. How could he not tell his father about something as monumental as his brother consorting with the Senju? Of course, that was assuming he made it back alive.
With a flick of Stelle's wrist, the branches retracted, releasing their hold on him. She then turned her gaze toward the distant sound of the river.
Her tone shifted, becoming tinged with a wistful uncertainty.
"Isn't peace a good thing? Your brother and our young clan leader are working hard for it. They want to change this chaotic era, and we should support them. Surely you don't want to die on a battlefield before you've even grown up, leaving your poor brother all alone."
She paused, letting the words sink in. "Or perhaps you'd rather that after you reach adulthood, your children—and your brother's children—will face the same choice you do now? Forced onto the battlefield before they've even truly lived, again and again, in an endless cycle."
Uchiha Izuna was rendered completely speechless. His mind was a tangled mess, unable to grasp a single coherent thought.
Stelle had already turned her back to him, walking out of the woods without the slightest hint of guard.
"They've been waiting for a while; they must be getting anxious. Goodbye, Madara's little brother."
Izuna's hand had already drifted to his ninja tool pouch. His fingers brushed against the cold steel of a shuriken, but after a moment's hesitation, he let it go.
She was his brother's friend. If he killed her in a sneak attack, Madara would surely be devastated.
Besides, she had just let him go. They were even.
At worst, he would just kill her on the battlefield next time.
As for what just happened… he only lost because he was caught off guard.
[Ding! Mood value from Uchiha Izuna +1000.]
'A thousand, huh? Looks like I guessed right.'
In this Warring States Period, if she wanted to farm mood values, her primary sources were the two pairs of brothers: Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, and Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna. Everyone else was just small fry. Thinking of this, Stelle shed a waterfall of theatrical tears.
This was too cruel. Relying on the emotional fluctuations of just four people to extend her life—the system was clearly terrified she'd earn too much, wasn't it?
She opened the system space to check her recent rewards.
[System-produced Special Shadow Clone: Possesses eighty percent of the Host's strength, inherits the Host's thoughts, and will not disperse when attacked.]
[Fun Special Effects Card: Can add cosmetic special effects to oneself during battle, creating illusions that cannot be seen through.]
[Transformation Card: A high-grade Transformation Technique that, when worn, ensures one's true identity will absolutely not be discovered.]
Piles and piles of rewards, but only a handful of people to provide the mood values to earn them. It felt like being invincible while simultaneously teetering on the verge of death.
Stelle sighed, claimed the Special Shadow Clone skill, and immediately sent out a clone to stir up some trouble. Perhaps it could share some of her burden.
To her, in this era, every single point of mood value was a precious commodity that could not be wasted.
She glanced back in the direction Izuna had disappeared and began to strategize.
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were single-minded beings, utterly dedicated to peace. As long as she earnestly helped them find a path forward and gave them hope, she could steadily farm their mood values. If she played her cards right, she could gain over a thousand points each time, with the occasional jackpot.
As for Senju Tobirama, Stelle had positioned herself as his caring older sister. By spending time with him every day and occasionally getting under his skin, she could reliably contribute hundreds of points.
The question was, what angle should she take with Uchiha Izuna?
Logically, the deeper the emotion, the more mood values she could obtain. She had to win Izuna over as well.
Didn't Naruto always talk about bonds? How about becoming comrades who could entrust their lives to each other?
Small frictions between the Senju and Uchiha were constant. They had only been quiet for two days before another skirmish broke out.
Senju Butsuma, intending to give Stelle some field experience, assigned her to a mission to destroy a Hagoromo clan stronghold. They were to depart that very night.
While Senju Tobirama was checking her ninja tool pouch, he couldn't help but complain about their father.
"Father is really something else. You've never even been on a proper battlefield. How could he assign you to such a dangerous raid and not let me go? At least I've fought several times and have more experience than you."
The silver-haired youth's brow was furrowed in a tight knot, but he was helpless. He had clearly already argued his case and lost. Now, he could only pass on his battlefield knowledge to her piece by piece, nagging like a worried old man.
Stelle glanced at him. This guy… not only did he have a brother complex, but now he was developing a sister complex, too?
"I'm talking to you. Are you even listening?"
Sensing her distraction, Tobirama's worry nearly overflowed. With her gentle demeanor and simple appearance—occasionally acting as airheaded as their older brother—could she really survive on the battlefield?
"Tobirama, you should call me 'Sister.' I'm two years older than you, you know. Why do you never call me that?"
Stelle seized the opportunity to give the silver hair on his head a vigorous ruffle, only letting go after his perfectly styled hair was a complete mess.
"I told you not to touch my hair!"
"Got it."
Stelle placed a food container in front of him. "I bought some snacks when I went to town yesterday. They're your favorite flavor. Remember to eat them."
She turned to leave, but the worrisome boy called out to her again.
"Be careful. A battle maniac has appeared in the shinobi world recently, challenging people everywhere. He's very strong, and no one has been able to determine which faction he belongs to. Don't run into him."
Stelle turned back and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Don't worry, little Lord Tobirama. Don't act like an old man all day, or you'll get wrinkles very quickly."
Tobirama was at the age where he was shooting up in height. In what felt like the blink of an eye, he had become as tall as her. Now, as she rested her hands on his shoulders, he no longer had to look up at her as he once did.
Meeting her gentle eyes and that faint, knowing smile at eye level, Senju Tobirama's ears suddenly turned a bright red. He pushed her away and muttered, "In any case… just be careful."
Having said his piece, he turned and stalked away.
Hearing the system's notification for incoming mood value, Stelle was momentarily dazed. Weren't they just having a friendly conversation? Why did he suddenly get so prickly and provide 500 points?
Whatever. As long as there was mood value, there was no need to get to the bottom of it.
She turned to regroup with the main force.
As for that "battle maniac," he was the persona Stelle had created using her new Special Shadow Clone. This clone could be upgraded; the more it was used, the faster it leveled up. At max level, she could summon three at once. It truly lived up to its status as a purple-tier reward.
Her Wood Release was a gift from the system, sufficient for handling matters within the Senju clan. But to create a distinct alter ego, she had studied ninjutsu intensely and managed to create black flames. The improved body and brain provided by the system were truly amazing; she had used her affinity for various chakra natures to research and develop the unique jutsu.
Combined with the Body Flicker Technique, the battle experience pack, and her other assets, a clone with eighty percent of her strength possessed formidable combat power.
Unfortunately, in a Warring States Period where individuals relevant to the main world line were so scarce, the mood value she could harvest was still pitifully low.
She sighed internally. At this moment, how she missed the future Crown Prince of Talk-no-Jutsu.
The leader of the mission was an elder of the Senju clan. Besides Stelle, the group included three other jōnin-level experts, with the rest being chūnin seasoned by countless battles—a high-quality team.
Perhaps Senju Butsuma had given special instructions, as the elder consistently positioned himself in front of Stelle during their rapid march, keeping her within his protective sphere. After all, she was one of only two Wood Release users in the entire Senju clan. She was a precious asset; they couldn't let her die on the road just for the sake of a training exercise.
Upon reaching a dense forest, a Senju scout suddenly appeared via Body Flicker. He stepped forward, handed a sealed scroll to the elder, and then vanished.
The elder unfurled the scroll, his eyes scanning its contents. He then abruptly changed direction, leaping into the large trees and sprinting toward the thicker part of the forest to their left.
"Follow me!" he ordered.
The squad jumped into the canopy one after another, matching his pace.
Stelle caught up to him with a few powerful leaps. "Elder Takuma, weren't we going to destroy a base? Why have we changed direction?"
Elder Takuma was a man of few words. "Mission change," he said curtly.
"Then what are we doing now?"
"Hunting."
The answer was as illuminating as saying nothing at all. Stelle's mouth twitched.
The group lay in ambush in a patch of tall grass. Soon, a team of shinobi appeared on the road ahead. A single glance at the fan-shaped crest on their clothes identified them as Uchiha.
Stelle focused her gaze and—good heavens—Uchiha Izuna, the very same boy she had run into just two days ago, was among them.
What a coincidence. The enemy was inferior to their side in both numbers and strength.
'System, look! Izuna is about to get beaten up.'
[Isn't this a perfect opportunity to increase his favorability? Host, beat him gently. This is one-quarter of your life you're looking at.]
'A quarter of my life?'
That seemed about right. With only four main targets to farm for mood values, what was he if not a quarter of her life?
Seeing that the enemy had entered their attack range, Elder Takuma made a sharp, downward motion with his hand and was the first to leap out. In an instant, a storm of ninjutsu rained down on the Uchiha's heads.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
"Earth Release: Sandwich Technique!"
The leading Uchiha jōnin reacted with lightning speed, shouting, "Enemy attack! Retreat!"
To avoid the barrage of jutsu, they scattered. The moment they landed, countless shuriken were already showering down from above.
The Uchiha leader's eyes flashed blood-red, three tomoe spinning wildly. Without dodging, he snatched several of the incoming shuriken from the air and hurled them back with expert precision.
Clang! Clatter!
The shuriken from both sides collided in a shower of sparks. His projectiles ricocheted at impossible angles, deflecting a large number of the Senju's weapons and sending them clattering harmlessly to the ground. In that same instant, his hands blurred through seals.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
A volley of small fireballs erupted from his mouth, blocking the path of several enemies. But while his strength was formidable, his comrades were not. Several Uchiha had already been seriously injured by the initial sneak attack.
"Damn it! I'll cover the rear! Everyone, fall back!"
The jōnin tried to move to support his injured clansmen but was immediately intercepted and surrounded by two of the Senju jōnin.
BOOM!
Explosive tags, buried in the forest in advance, were triggered.
Uchiha Izuna had terrible luck. Though he wasn't at the center of the explosion, he was caught in the blast wave and sent tumbling into the grass. A Senju chūnin immediately rushed forward to deliver the finishing blow.
Stelle's eyelid twitched. She shot toward Izuna, moving even faster than the chūnin.
This was a quarter of her life; he couldn't die here.
She deliberately slowed the speed of her shuriken throws, giving Izuna a precious moment to catch his breath and scramble to his feet.
Their gazes met. Uchiha Izuna's expression was extremely grave. From their brief encounter in the forest, he had already realized the gap between them. He hadn't expected to run into her again today.
He touched his eye. He hadn't used his Sharingan last time. If he activated it, he should stand a chance.
His hands flew through a rapid sequence of seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
Rows of thick wooden pillars erupted from the earth, blocking the massive fireball. Just as the pillars disintegrated into embers, Izuna was already upon her, his sword flashing with silver light as it thrust toward her chest.
Stelle flickered to the left, her kunai parrying his blade with a sharp ring of metal. Both of them instinctively poured more strength into the lock. The force of the impact sent Stelle stumbling back a few steps, her shoulder dipping slightly.
Izuna's sword suddenly changed direction, slashing diagonally toward her. He had predicted her movement. She could only block again, using the momentum to continue her retreat.
Just as she moved, the sword seemed to have a mind of its own, thrusting straight forward and perfectly anticipating her next position.
'As expected of an Uchiha.' After activating the Sharingan, his dynamic vision was on another level. Even with only a single tomoe, his speed and precision were completely different.
She stomped her foot, retreating even faster, then flipped onto a high tree branch and began weaving her own ninjutsu.
"Wood Release: Silent Strangling Bond Technique!"
The branches of the surrounding trees elongated, whipping through the air to bind him. Izuna's advancing figure blurred, and he performed several backflips to create distance.
Relying on the massive chakra reserves of her Sage Body, Stelle unleashed a relentless barrage of C-rank jutsu.
"Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!"
"Wood Release: Wood Pillar Prison!"
"Wood Release…"
On the ground, branches constantly swept across the terrain while massive wooden pillars burst from the soil. Being in a dense forest was a natural home-field advantage for a Wood Release user.
Uchiha Izuna was forced to constantly dodge and retreat, the battlefield stretching further and further from the main skirmish. But Stelle's seal-forming speed was too fast, her ninjutsu coming one after another without pause. Besides dodging, he had no way to fight back. Even the few shuriken he managed to throw were casually blocked by her wood constructs.
When the bombardment finally ended, he was already panting, half-kneeling on the ground. He had been caught in the explosive tag's blast, then sent flying by a huge wooden pillar, and had nearly been entangled by branches countless times. If not for the Sharingan's predictive ability, he would have been captured long ago.
In stark contrast, Stelle, who had just performed seven or eight ninjutsu in a single breath, was only breathing slightly heavily. She clearly still had plenty of strength to fight.
What kind of chakra reserves are those? he wondered in disbelief. How can she show no reaction after using so many jutsu? And her seal speed… it's too fast. I can't keep up.
He hadn't noticed that Stelle's attacks had systematically pushed him further and further away from the center of the battle, right to the edge of a cliff.
Under the immense pressure, his single-tomoe Sharingan began to spin faster, and a subtle change appeared in the pattern within.
Hearing someone rushing toward their position, Stelle quickly condensed chakra into her fist and smashed it ruthlessly toward Uchiha Izuna.
He rolled desperately to the side, dodging the attack. The Senju's monstrous strength slammed into the earth, cracking the cliff edge. The ground beneath Izuna gave way, and he tumbled over the side along with the shattered rock.
Stelle looked back. Elder Takuma was walking over, his expression grim. With the clear disparity in power, the battle was already over.
"Elder Takuma," she reported, her voice steady. "The target was already seriously injured. I knocked him off the cliff. There's no possibility of survival."
"You did very well," the elder said, his tone laced with satisfaction. "I will report this to the Clan Leader."
Far below, clinging to the cliff face and held securely in place by a network of thick branches, Uchiha Izuna held his breath. He didn't know why that woman had let him go again, but he knew he absolutely could not be discovered by that jōnin.
[Ding! Mood value from Uchiha Izuna +1000]
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