Chapter 10: Guard Against Fire, Theft, and the Uchiha
To be honest, both Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Izuna had been deeply worried that their respective rescue teams would stumble upon each other and immediately break into a bloody conflict.
But as luck would have it, the shinobi who arrived to render aid were none other than Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
The two clan heads had, as it happened, already been nearby, plotting the details of their next staged fight. When the distress calls came in, they set out together to search and were the first to find the three injured shinobi.
With these two leading the teams, there was naturally no risk of a fight breaking out.
However, it was hardly the time for idle chatter. Both sides collected their immobilized casualties and returned to their respective compounds, where a thorough and unavoidable debriefing awaited.
Stelle wasn't concerned in the slightest. Senju Tobirama, on the other hand, was terrified she might let something slip and be branded a traitor who colluded with the enemy. He took it upon himself to fabricate the entire story, weaving a tale with such clear, unassailable logic that they managed to fool their way through the interrogation.
Although Stelle was technically involved with that Uchiha, the man had also saved her life.
The young, future Second Hokage found himself stewing in a state of deep irritation.
A few nights later, by the familiar lakeside where they often gathered, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were listening intently to Stelle's account.
"You're saying that battle maniac claimed to be a subordinate of the 'Chakra Ancestor,' and that this ancestor's name is Sōjin?"
This was the first they had ever heard of such a figure, and their curiosity was piqued.
"That's what he said," Stelle confirmed, her voice still raspy as she touched the bandages on her neck. "He also said Sōjin was sealed away and would one day return to destroy this chaotic world filled with war."
In Uchiha Madara's eyes, the Sharingan spun with a dangerous velocity, emitting an ominous crimson light. The corners of his mouth turned down, casting his features in a gloomy, arrogant shadow. An imperceptible tremor of rage laced his tone; he was clearly furious that his younger brother and his best friend had been so grievously injured.
"Hashirama," he declared, his voice a low growl. "Let's cooperate. We'll kill him."
"A mindless maniac who knows only slaughter… he does indeed deserve to die." Senju Hashirama rarely felt such a potent desire to kill, but the man in the black robes had certainly earned a place on that short list. The two clan leaders had already resolved to take their most trusted subordinates and hunt the man down together.
"Speaking of which," Uchiha Izuna interjected, leaning on a crutch, "what exactly did he encounter that made him leave so suddenly?" This was the detail that intrigued him the most.
Stelle feigned a thoughtful expression. "I couldn't see clearly. I just saw a dark shadow on a tree that quickly sank into the ground. The Black Robe Man seemed to think it was some kind of enemy and gave chase."
The three injured shinobi were seated together on a large rock. Izuna supported himself with his crutch, while Stelle's arm was bound in a sling, her neck and shoulder swathed in bandages. As for Senju Tobirama, his entire torso was wrapped in thick layers of gauze. Though his visible injuries seemed less severe, he was in fact the most gravely wounded of the three; he had only been able to come out tonight because Hashirama had insisted on carrying him.
Despite the application of Medical Ninjutsu, their attacker's chakra was bizarrely corrosive, which made the healing process agonizingly slow. Izuna was dealing with a secondary fracture and a back injury. Stelle's shoulder was deeply wounded from a kunai, her wrist was fractured, and her neck had been scorched by that strange energy. Tobirama was a mess of internal injuries. It was a miserable-looking trio that had ventured out for the clandestine meeting.
Senju Hashirama scratched his head in frustration. "I find it all quite amazing. I've never once stopped to consider where chakra even came from. To think there's a Chakra Ancestor… I'm really concerned about his talk of destroying the world. I have a bad feeling about this."
Uchiha Madara's expression was grim. "The Daimyo's estate in the Land of Fire has the largest library in the ninja world. We can go there and search for any related literature. Perhaps we can find some clues."
"Is that really necessary?"
Stelle, who had been leaning against a tree trunk, snapped her head around at the suggestion.
'This was all just a script I made up on the spot to farm Black Zetsu's mood points!'she thought, aghast.'You don't have to take it so seriously, do you?'
"It is," Uchiha Izuna affirmed, agreeing with his brother. "We need to understand everything we can in advance and gather intelligence. That way, if any emergencies do occur, we can keep them within a controllable range."
"True!"
A smile remained plastered on Stelle's face, but inwardly, she was a whirlwind of panicked laughter and tears. 'Since they're going to investigate so seriously, I'll just have to whip up some literature for them! This is actually perfect. This stuff is a goldmine for farming Black Zetsu.'A brilliant idea began to form.'Maybe when Black Zetsu sees the documents, he'll keep exploding with mood points! He'll get angry every time he sees it, tossing me three to five thousand points whenever he feels like it.''This is promising,' she schemed.'Definitely promising. I'll forge some ancient-looking documents and age them. I'll keep solidifying the reputation of this Chakra Ancestor.'She sighed internally.'I ran into Black Zetsu so suddenly that I had to improvise the whole script. If I'd known it would be this useful, I would have just used the name Ōtsutsuki from the start.'
In this world of five, four were chatting with growing enthusiasm. Only the silver-haired youth sitting on the far left remained silent, a low-pressure storm cloud hanging over him as if he were trapped in a waking nightmare.
His chest and entire body ached. He had been sleeping soundly in the middle of the night when his older brother had shaken him awake with a conspiratorial grin, whispering about a "secret base" before unceremoniously carrying him off.
They had ended up back at the same riverside where he'd caught his brother meeting with that Uchiha watermelon-head before.
Yet the three beside him—his brother, the Uchiha, and Stelle—seemed incredibly familiar with one another. The moment they met, they launched into a discussion about the Black Robe Man's attack, sharing their opinions with an easy rapport.
When that little Uchiha brat, Izuna, saw his eyes bulging as if the sky were falling, he had the audacity to look smug, as if he'd known all along. Then he turned right back to the others, speaking with the conviction of an insider.
'So,'Tobirama's mind churned,'they've been in secret communication for a long time… meeting privately, and not just once. They've actually kept me in the dark for this long.'
In the end, even that little Uchiha brat knew, while he was the only one who had remained a fool, completely oblivious.
No wonder Stelle called Uchiha Madara 'Madara' so casually. They were obviously familiar from meeting so often, yet she had lied, claiming she was just influenced by his brother.
The feeling of isolation made Senju Tobirama's injuries throb with a fresh, sharp pain. 'Maybe this world should just be destroyed.'
"Tobirama, why aren't you saying anything?" Senju Hashirama asked, flashing his brother a naive grin. "You're usually the one with the most ideas. Don't you have anything to add?"
Beside him, Stelle also tilted her head to look at him, her eyes gentle and pure, as if she hadn't a single guard up against the people around her.
'So foolish,'Tobirama thought, a surge of protectiveness cutting through his despair.'If these two go out into the world, they'll be sold off and still help the seller count the money.'
He suddenly sat up straighter. No. For the sake of his brother and for Stelle, he had to infiltrate this group. He had to prevent them from being deceived by the evil Uchiha, both the big one and the small one.
In short: guard against fire, theft, and the Uchiha.
And thus, the group of four became a group of five.
Today was just another day where Senju Tobirama worried himself sick for his family.
Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were men of action. When they said they were going to kill the Black Robe Man, they meant it.
The two privately dispatched their confidants to track his movements, and soon after, they led their forces straight to his doorstep. The battle maniac, who caused trouble everywhere he went, had nearly provoked public outrage. The clans he had offended included the Hagoromo, the Sarutobi, the Uzumaki, the Hyuga, and more.
Since someone was finally making a move to eliminate him, several clans freely provided intelligence and even sent their own shinobi to join the fray, hoping to land a finishing blow.
Thus, the loathsome battle maniac found himself directly besieged.
Uchiha Madara watched with his own eyes as the man was pierced through the heart by Senju Hashirama's wood-style spikes and swept away into a turbulent river. Though no body was recovered, there was no doubt the man was dead.
Black Zetsu had just received the news and was preparing to find this target he had his eye on. His plan was to save him, then trick him into becoming a tool for his mother's revival.
But by the time Black Zetsu arrived, the man had already been surrounded and killed.
He hadn't bothered to hide his tracks at all, swaggering around the Land of Fire as if he owned it. If he didn't die, who would?
Black Zetsu's mood at that moment was… complicated.
'Reckless people like this all share a common failing: they don't live long. Though useful, they can only ever be short-term workers.'He had met many such individuals, and it seemed this one, with his mediocre strength, was no exception.'Forget it,'Black Zetsu mused to himself,'such a short-lived ghost isn't worth my breath. Better to focus on how to scheme against the reincarnations of Ashura and Indra. As for that Sōjin nonsense… who knows what kind of garbage that is. There's no need to pay it any mind.'
[Ding! Mood value from Black Zetsu +10,000]
The memories from her clone flowed back to her. Having received a flood of mood points, including a massive payout from Black Zetsu, Stelle was incredibly excited.
As expected, to really stir up trouble, one had to revolve around Black Zetsu.
'Let's do the same with the next clone,'she plotted.'Let's create an organization. What kind of organization? The Chakra Ancestor's Destruction Organization. No need for a fancy name, just call it the Destruction Organization. It's straightforward; everyone will know what it's for the moment they hear it.'
The Chakra Ancestor is going to destroy the world, hehe.
Goal: Piss off Black Zetsu and earn mood value.
But for now, the most important task was to create some aged documents and plant them in those libraries.
After resting for a week, the three injured shinobi could finally move about, though they still looked like a collection of walking bandages.
Senju Hashirama was eager to visit the Daimyo's estate and check those ancient documents. Stelle, who had been so busy surviving since arriving in this era, hadn't had a chance to see the sights and was keen to go as well.
In the end, Senju Hashirama set out, carrying his bandage-wrapped younger brother and "sister."
He had a prior arrangement with Uchiha Madara. At a small town outside the Capital of the Land of Fire, Stelle saw Madara and a tagging-along Uchiha Izuna. Even after a week, his leg still hadn't healed, yet he had insisted on coming. He really was a curious one.
To prevent their identities from being recognized by anyone with ulterior motives, the group had donned simple disguises. If their fathers knew their sons were gathering together again, their legs would surely be broken.
Normally, as ninja, they would have simply traveled by foot. But since they were escorting three injured people this time, the two attentive older brothers had prepared a carriage.
The ninja world of the Warring States Period, even the Capital of the Land of Fire, had little to do with prosperity. It was steeped in an old, backward atmosphere; only the Daimyo's estate possessed an air of luxury.
Senju Hashirama found an official of the estate, explained his purpose, and produced a token symbolizing the Senju Clan. Uchiha Madara did the same, presenting a token of the Uchiha.
Although they were the heirs of great clans, the Daimyo did not grant them an audience. A lone library guard simply led them to the archives where the documents were stored.
Staring at the walls packed with scrolls and countless shelves, all five of them felt a headache coming on. How long would it take to find anything in this mess?
"Tobirama," Hashirama said, "don't you love researching strange ninjutsu? I suggest you research one that can turn one person into several. It would be really convenient for finding things in a place like this."
"Now that you mention it, that would indeed be very convenient. I'll consider it," Senju Tobirama replied, picking up a scroll and beginning to unroll it.
Uchiha Izuna was still on crutches and found it difficult to move. Stelle brought him a soft cushion, placed it on the floor, and helped him sit down.
"If you sit here while you search, you won't get so tired."
Senju Tobirama watched as Izuna accepted Stelle's care with an air of total entitlement and let out a soft scoff. "Knowing full well you're a burden yet coming anyway—that curiosity of yours must be heavy indeed."
Uchiha Izuna was, by nature, a gentle person. As long as someone was within his circle of 'his people,' he was exceptionally kind. The white-haired man before him, however, was a glaring exception.
He completely ignored Tobirama's jab and simply thanked Stelle with a warm smile.
Just as Tobirama was about to retort, Senju Hashirama, who was beside them, pulled a document from the top shelf, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
Choking, Tobirama began to cough. Each hack sent a sharp, intense pain through his chest, but he couldn't hold it back. He leaned against a bookshelf, coughing violently.
Seeing his distressed state, Stelle suggested, "How about I find a soft cushion for you to sit on the floor as well?"
"No need," he rasped, his pride stung. "Business comes first. I'm not as delicate as a certain someone."
'Do they have to compete over this, too?' Stelle truly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Tobirama was clearly a calm and reserved person, and Izuna was the gentle, reserved type. How did the two of them end up clashing like mortal enemies the moment they met? Was it the influence of the original plot?
She took out a handkerchief and handed it to Tobirama, letting him cover his nose and mouth so he wouldn't be so uncomfortable.
She had thought it would take ages to find the document, but unexpectedly, it was on the bottom shelf of the very rack where Uchiha Izuna was sitting. It was written on a parchment scroll and had been remarkably well-preserved over the years.
The group crowded around, staring at the ancient script.
The general meaning was this: Ten thousand years ago, the Chakra Ancestor Sōjin saw that humanity was plagued by war, with the flames of battle raging everywhere and bloodshed without end. He intended to destroy the world and rebuild it, but he was sealed by his Guardian. The Guardian hoped that a leader would one day emerge in the mortal world to lead everyone back to peace.
"That's it?" Senju Tobirama was somewhat surprised. He had thought that, concerning a figure as grand as the Chakra Ancestor, there would be numerous rumors or legends left behind, but there was only this single, short passage.
"It's not easy for a document from ten thousand years ago to survive at all," Uchiha Madara said. "I took a look around; this entire row is filled with records of ghosts and strange occurrences. This parchment was likely classified among them."
"So the Chakra Ancestor originally wanted to destroy the world because it was too chaotic," Senju Hashirama mused, already beginning to indulge in his fantasies again. "If I could meet him, it would be great to have a good talk with him."
"Are you so sure this information is real?" Stelle couldn't help but ask.
"I'm not sure," Hashirama admitted, his expression turning serious. When he focused, he was remarkably reliable. "But any information is useful. There's no harm in knowing a bit more."
He looked at the last few words on the parchment.
"A leader?"
His gaze shifted to Uchiha Madara. Their eyes met, and in that instant, it was as if they had both realized something deep.
"Madara!"
"Hashirama!"
"Let's cooperate and become the leaders who bring the world to peace!"
The two reached out, their hands gripping each other's tightly.
Stelle leaned against the shelf, watching this scene that seemed to happen so frequently. Listening to the mood values they were generating, she wore a faint, knowing smile, like a proud shipper watching her favorite pairing.
The fake history she'd concocted to fool Black Zetsu was expanding further and further, even roping Madara and Hashirama into its narrative. It was a good thing, and she should use it well.
The librarian, hearing their excited conversation, stepped forward to glance at the ancient parchment. He let out a soft sound of surprise.
"I organize this library often, yet I never knew there was such a document here."
'Of course it wasn't here originally,'Stelle thought smugly.'I created it myself and stuffed it in here.'
She had even had the newly minted member of her "Destruction Organization," the Black Mask, run around stuffing copies into the Daimyo's estate of every country. There were even backups in the homes of ancient-looking nobles.
This sustainable source of 'wool' had to be managed well; it was best to spread the word as widely as possible.
No matter what, she was claiming the identity of the Chakra Ancestor for herself.
As for Ōtsutsuki Kaguya—never heard of her, never seen her.
"This thing reads like a legend," the librarian commented. "Do you all really believe it?"
None of the five spoke. They had come to investigate because they were curious about the Black Robe Man's words, and they hadn't expected to actually find something. As for whether it was true or false, they would deal with that later. If such a person truly existed, then the now-dead Black Robe Man certainly wasn't the only one who knew.
After leaving the Daimyo's estate, on the way back, Senju Tobirama noticed that Stelle was particularly curious about the capital and suggested they take a stroll.
When Stelle heard they could go shopping, her eyes lit up. "Tobirama, if you want to go shopping, I'll accompany you!"
She nimbly fell into step beside him.
A rare smile touched Senju Tobirama's red eyes. "Alright, let's go together."
Stelle looked at all the old-fashioned wares she had rarely seen before. Turning her head, she saw Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara walking ahead. Because they were in disguise, seeing the two of them standing together now looked incredibly… clandestine. She couldn't help but giggle.
"It feels like… they're on a date."
"A date!" Uchiha Izuna, walking to her left, exclaimed, his voice a little too loud.
"Yeah." Stelle pointed at the two older brothers with a grin. "I always feel like they're a couple whose parents oppose them being together, but who still want to see each other, so they sneak out for a secret meeting. Don't you think?"
Receiving no response, Stelle glanced sideways and found Uchiha Izuna lost in thought, his face flushed a deep red all the way to his ears.
'Wait, why are you blushing? I wasn't talking about you.'
'Hold on.' Stelle glanced to her right and, sure enough, saw Senju Tobirama narrowing his eyes like a cunning fox. His red eyes were fixed on Uchiha Izuna with a fierce, wary glare.
And Uchiha Izuna, snapping back to his senses, tilted his chin up, a challenging smile on his lips as he stared back, refusing to show any weakness.
'Ah… so it's not like he can't blush.' Suddenly feeling like a third wheel, Stelle silently took a step back.
As a result, the two of them, seemingly lost in their own worlds, also took a step back in unison. Stelle took two more steps back, and the two of them followed suit, maintaining the formation.
Stelle deadpanned. 'Am I just a prop in your little play?'
After walking around for a bit, just before they parted ways, Uchiha Izuna handed Stelle a well-packaged box of snacks.
"I heard from my brother that you like these kinds of sweets. This is for you, and thank you for saving me."
"Although there's no need for such formalities between friends, I really do like this gift, so I won't be polite."
Stelle took the snack box and opened it to taste a piece. The craftsmanship was average, but for this era, it was a very fine pastry. She took a bite; it was cloyingly sweet, but in an age of scarce resources, this was a delicacy.
She missed the food from the Crown Prince's era a little. 'Sigh, this era is truly difficult.'
She smiled at Uchiha Izuna and said, "It's very sweet and delicious."
Uchiha Izuna scratched his head, suddenly looking a bit embarrassed. "Then… as long as you like it…"
Upon returning to the Senju Compound, Senju Hashirama was immediately called away by their father, Senju Butsuma. As the Young Clan Head, he was perpetually busy; having spent half a day leisurely outside, a mountain of matters awaited his attention.
Stelle was also summoned. Senju Butsuma asked her about her improved Medical Ninjutsu and was very satisfied, but he still reminded her that the Senju Clan had specialized medical ninja. Her focus, he insisted, should remain on her Wood Release. After all, medical ninja could be trained from any clan member with good chakra control, but there were only two Wood Release users in existence; she couldn't neglect the primary for the secondary.
When Stelle returned to the main hall, she discovered that the snacks Uchiha Izuna had given her had been devoured by a group of children who had come to play with Senju Hashirama. He was incredibly popular with children; all the kids in the compound adored him.
Stelle didn't mind such a small thing, but Senju Tobirama appeared and handed her a bag of wagashi. "Sorry," he said, his expression carefully neutral. "I wasn't paying attention, and the snacks were shared by everyone. I happened to buy a portion of wagashi on the way. You can have it for a late-night snack."
How very 'apologetic' of him, indeed.
"I never turn down sweets. Thanks, Tobirama." Stelle had no intention of being polite and left with the bag.
After the recent ambush on the Black Robe Man, things had been unusually quiet. She felt they would be fighting again in a couple of days. She needed to consider how to allocate her points to reasonably and legitimately increase her strength, while also continuing to farm Black Zetsu.
Far away in the Land of Fire, Black Zetsu was currently reading the same document that Senju Hashirama and the others had seen.
His small, bead-like eyes were filled with utter confusion. To be honest, he was baffled from head to toe.
Something he hadn't heard of in over a thousand years of existence actually had a written record.
To figure out if this document could possibly be real, he had specifically searched the libraries of several nobles in the Land of Fire and had seen similar ancient documents.
'Since there are multiple documents,'he reasoned,'it must mean that some people heard stories of Mother and wrote down these records.'After all, back then, his mother had wanted to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi and turn all of humanity into White Zetsu, which could certainly be considered destroying the world.'However, which blind fool got my mother's name wrong?!' He was happy his mother was a legend, but if the name was wrong, what was the point?
He'd better not find out who wrote these documents. If he did, he'd scatter their ashes and kill all their descendants.
'Should I promote my mother's deeds?'
No. Basically no one knew about his mother being sealed. His plan to rescue her was being conducted in absolute secrecy; he couldn't risk a single detail leaking.
He had almost been led astray by this bullshit "Sōjin."
[Ding! Mood value from the big spender Black Zetsu +20,000]
Awakened by the system's chime in the middle of the night, Stelle giggled under her covers.
Earlier, when the system had told her it could 'age' items, she had looked down on the function as useless. She hadn't expected it to be so effective; in such a short time, she could use aged items to completely fool Black Zetsu.
If she actually managed to conjure up a physical 'Sōjin' when the time was right, wouldn't Black Zetsu's mood values hit the absolute roof?
It seemed like something she could pull off, but she needed to research exactly how to do it.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]