"Sage, can I stop running?"
Senju Syura slumped his shoulders and sat collapsed on the ground, his voice carrying lingering exhaustion and helplessness as he spoke softly to Black Zetsu in his palm.
"What did you say? Not running? Why wouldn't you run?"
Black Zetsu's expression tightened instantly.
"Sigh, ever since I stepped onto the path of being a ninja, I've felt an enormous amount of mental pressure."
"Not only do I have to kill people on the battlefield, but I also have to keep my nerves constantly stretched tight, afraid that a single mistake will cost me my life."
"I really can't get used to this kind of life… Back when I was just an ordinary person, at this time of day I'd already be at home taking a nap, sleeping straight until evening."
Senju Syura looked up at the patchy shadows of the trees overhead and let out a long sigh.
Black Zetsu's mouth twitched as it listened, its face turning between green and pale, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
'Brother, if you don't run and just sit here waiting to die, what am I supposed to do about my assessment?'
'You're a genuine reincarnation of Asura. How can you slack off to this extent?'
Though it was complaining wildly inside, on the surface it could only patiently try to stabilize Senju Syura's emotions.
"Syura, weren't you just talking confidently about becoming the head of the Senju clan? And now, just facing a little difficulty, you want to give up already?", Black Zetsu immediately tried to persuade him.
Senju Syura forced a bitter smile, his face full of dejection. "If becoming clan head meant everything going smoothly and comfortably, then of course I'd give it my all."
"But if it means living in constant fear every day, never knowing if I'll survive till tomorrow, I'd rather go back to being an ordinary person and live peacefully."
"..."
Black Zetsu silently rolled its eyes inside, completely speechless.
'You want great strength, you want to sit at the highest position, and you don't want to live in fear. Where in the world do you get everything at once?'
[Arisu: Who says that doesn't exist? Not only do I have all that, I can also live forever!]
"Steady your mind. This is just a necessary setback on the path of cultivation."
"As long as I'm here, you'll definitely get through this safely."
"But if you give up on your own, then even if I had the power to overturn heaven and earth, I wouldn't be able to save you.", Black Zetsu suppressed its thoughts and spoke in a deep voice.
"Alright…"
Senju Syura slowly closed his eyes. After a moment of silence, he finally let out a deep sigh.
Right at that moment, Black Zetsu's expression suddenly darkened, its sensing network rapidly contracting.
"Not good! They're getting closer! Ahead is the Uchiha main force, behind is the Hagoromo clan. Both sides are less than a thousand meters away from us!", Black Zetsu said in a heavy voice.
Senju Syura suddenly opened his eyes and froze in place, his voice trembling. "Sage… what do we do now?"
Black Zetsu took a deep breath and said, "Just stand right here. Don't move at all."
"Also, fold over the Senju clan emblem on your sleeve. If they see it, you're done."
This place was an open canyon, completely bare all around. Not even a bush to hide behind. There was nowhere to run.
"Okay."
Senju Syura nodded. He stopped trying to hide and simply stood upright in the middle of the canyon.
Before long, hurried footsteps and the clashing sounds of ninja tools drew closer.
The Hagoromo clan's squad and the Uchiha clan's army arrived from opposite directions at the same time, sealing the canyon completely.
When the two massive ninja forces saw Senju Syura standing dumbly right in the middle, everyone froze for a moment, and the scene fell into a strange silence.
Uchiha Yui narrowed her Sharingan slightly, her brows tightly furrowed as she spoke coldly, "Who is he?"
The Uchiha elder beside her squinted at Senju Syura and guessed in a low voice, "His attire looks unfamiliar. Perhaps he's a scout sent ahead by the Hagoromo clan?"
On the other side, the Hagoromo clan head also stared at Senju Syura, raising a brow slightly. "Where did this person come from?"
A Hagoromo elder stroked his beard and replied just as casually, "Probably from the Uchiha clan. Maybe he came here in advance for the meeting."
And just like that, the Uchiha and Hagoromo forces stopped a few dozen meters apart, exchanging glances, both sides falling silent without anyone speaking first.
Meanwhile, Senju Syura stood alone between the two armies, locked under the gaze of hundreds and thousands of eyes. His hair stood on end.
He hurriedly whispered to Black Zetsu in his palm, "Sage, what do I do? What do I do? With so many people staring at me, I can't hold on!"
He had just left his clan not long ago and was still a novice ninja. He had never seen a situation like this. His heart was pounding wildly.
It felt like it was about to leap right out of his chest.
The atmosphere in the canyon grew tense to the extreme. Senju Syura was locked in place by countless gazes from both clans, his body stiff like a wooden post.
Just as panic filled his mind, Black Zetsu's voice suddenly sounded directly inside his head, audible only to him.
"Syura, don't speak. Only you can hear my voice. From here on, do exactly as I say.", Black Zetsu said.
Senju Syura steadied himself and gave a subtle nod, indicating he understood.
"Why is that kid just standing there like an idiot? Doesn't he see our two clan leaders are about to meet? People from the Uchiha really have no sense at all!", The Hagoromo clan head said with displeasure, already assuming Senju Syura belonged to the Uchiha side.
On the other side, Uchiha Yui also frowned deeply, finding the boy's sudden appearance extremely annoying, likewise assuming he was a subordinate from the Hagoromo clan who didn't know proper etiquette.
Just as both clan leaders were showing impatience, Senju Syura, who had been frozen in the middle of the canyon, finally moved.
Following Black Zetsu's guidance, he quickly formed simple hand seals for an earth-style technique and shouted in a low voice, "Earth Release: Stone Table Technique!"
A surge of earth-attribute chakra poured from his palms into the ground. The soil beneath his feet rapidly churned, condensed, and took shape.
In the blink of an eye...
A square, simple stone table appeared out of nowhere. On both sides of it, two neat stone stools formed perfectly, placed right at the most suitable meeting position between the two clan leaders.
After completing the technique, Senju Syura immediately withdrew his stance, lowered his hands, and stood respectfully beside the stone table, his posture humble and obedient, looking exactly like an attendant.
Seeing this scene, the tightly furrowed brows of the Hagoromo clan head and Uchiha Yui instantly relaxed. At the same time, understanding dawned on both of them.
"So that's how it is!"
Both nodded inwardly, their gazes toward Senju Syura now carrying a hint of approval.
The Hagoromo clan head thought to himself, 'So the Uchiha sent a servant ahead to prepare things. Not bad, quite clever. Syura knew to set up a table and chairs in advance. At least he understands proper etiquette.'
The Uchiha elder also nodded quietly and said to Uchiha Yui, "He must be a scout accompanying the Hagoromo clan. Quite perceptive. Didn't embarrass their clan head."
"A bit strange, but since they've gone this far, I can't refuse to give face."
Uchiha Yui said lightly to the elder beside her.
Although she felt something was off, out of trust in the alliance, she didn't question it.
At this moment, both the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans were completely convinced...
That the Senju Syura standing in the middle was a sensible subordinate from the other side.