Chapter 67: An Unexpected Encounter
The brief, formal ceremony at the Uzumaki gates concluded with the appearance of the bride-to-be. She was led forward, her face obscured by a delicate, flowing veil, but her posture was regal and her figure elegant. Uchiha Raizen observed her quietly. He had known of Uzumaki Mito, but the existence of this Princess Yana was a variable he hadn't accounted for. Still, it was not his place to question it.
His attention was pulled elsewhere. The very ground of the Uzumami compound, even the area outside the gates, was subtly inscribed with layers of fuinjutsu. He could feel the latent power humming beneath his feet, a complex network of chakra threads and symbols. It was a treasure trove of pickup opportunities, but with everyone watching, he couldn't simply start collecting the glowing orbs he knew must be littering the area. The frustration was a physical ache.
"The formalities are concluded," Raizen said, stepping forward to address the Uzumaki Patriarch. "Given the late hour, we will—"
The Patriarch interrupted with a hearty, if somewhat forced, laugh. "Hahaha! What Elder Raizen says is true! The night is upon us. Please, be our guests. Rest within our walls and depart at first light."
Uchiha Madara spoke before Raizen could reply, his voice firm and protocol-perfect. "We would not impose. We have brought our own tents and will camp here. The marriage ceremony is not yet complete; it would be improper for us to enter your clan grounds before then."
The Uzumaki Patriarch nodded, accepting the adherence to tradition. "As you wish. We will have food and drink brought out to you." With a final, measured bow, he turned and led his retinue back inside the heavily sealed walls.
The Uchiha set about making camp with practiced efficiency. The unspoken rule was clear: until the marriage was finalized, they were still potential enemies, and crossing the threshold prematurely would be a grave insult.
"See, Elder Raizen? I told you I'd share a drink with you," Uchiha Senna said, appearing at his side with a wineskin and a cheerful grin. "A promise is a promise."
"You're relentless," Raizen replied, though he accepted the offered drink. "By the way, where is your brother?" He had already noticed Uchiha Madara's absence from the bustling camp.
Senna shrugged, taking a swig from his own wineskin. "He said he needed to clear his head, to take a walk. I didn't question it." He then nudged Raizen playfully. "Come on, let's drink! I haven't had proper wine in ages. I wonder if it tastes as good as I remember."
Under Senna's enthusiastic badgering, Raizen indulged him. However, with a personal subspace inventory at his disposal, he could discreetly dispose of the alcohol as easily as he drank it. While Senna grew progressively louder and more unsteady, Raizen remained perfectly sober. Finally, with a happy sigh, Senna slumped over, fast asleep.
Free at last, Raizen stood and turned his full attention to the intricate sealwork around him. It was truly a marvelous art. To think chakra could be manipulated to create such permanent, complex effects…
Then, his Sharingan, which he kept passively active, caught a flicker of data in the distance. A glowing orb. But it wasn't a seal. It was a familiar chakra signature.
A Sharingan?
About eight hundred meters to his right, nestled near the tree line, was a pickup orb emanating the distinct energy of an Uchiha's eye technique. Curiosity piqued, he moved in that direction.
He hadn't gone far when he nearly collided with Uchiha Madara, who was storming back towards the camp, his expression a thundercloud.
"You met him?" Raizen asked, though he already knew the answer.
"He was here," Madara spat out, his voice tight with a mixture of anger and something else—betrayal? "He came to… congratulate me. But his words… they felt more like pity. He pities me."
Before Raizen could probe further, Madara brushed past him, disappearing into the shadows of the camp. The appearance of Senju Hashirama here, now, was deeply suspicious. And Madara's instincts about his former friend were rarely wrong. Hashirama knew something.
Channeling the natural energy he had mastered, Uchiha Raizen moved, his form becoming a blur. In moments, he intercepted the retreating figure of Senju Hashirama at the edge of the forest.
"Elder Raizen, you—" Hashirama began, startled.
"How is your Sage Mode training progressing?" Raizen cut him off, his question direct and devoid of preamble.
Hashirama's eyes widened in shock. "How… how could you possibly know about that?"
"Because I am a Sage as well," Raizen stated flatly. And then he let his own control slip, allowing the potent, balanced energy of Sage chakra to radiate from his body. The air around him stilled, and the very atmosphere grew heavy with the power.
Hashirama physically recoiled, his casual demeanor vanishing, replaced by a look of intense gravity. He had believed the Uchiha's greatest threat was Uchiha Tajima. But this Uchiha Raizen… he was an unknown. A deep, dark well of hidden power. And now, it was clear that the Uchiha's Sixteenth Elder was far, far more dangerous than anyone had imagined.