A few days ter, beneath the bright sunlight, a formidable squad of elite ninjas gathered outside the gates of Konoha—a dense and imposing force of over 800 members.

  "Tsunade-sama, all the ninjas heading to the frontlines have assembled!"

  At the forefront of the ninja army stood Tsunade, cd in armor with her arms crossed, exuding an aura of heroism. Upon hearing the report, she waved her hand decisively and commanded,

  "Move out!"

  With a single commanding shout, nearly a thousand ninjas behind her responded with a spirited roar. One by one, they leaped into the forest, their figures swiftly fading into bck dots in the distance.

  Amidst the crowd, Uchiha Shirou gnced back at the vilge, his thoughts clouded as he silently pondered,

  "Will the current me catch the attention of that ancestor?"

  After all, within the Uchiha cn, no one's persona aligned more perfectly with Uchiha Madara's expectations than his.

  This thought carried both advantages and dangers. The upside was that his life would likely be spared—though not without hardship. However, two looming crises haunted him. First, the outcome of the Sannin's battle with Hanzō was inevitable: a loss that would bring heavy casualties to Konoha. Would he get caught in the aftermath? Second, in the original timeline, Katō Dan's demise occurred after the Sannin's battle. This time, could it be him instead?

  Ever since the Second Shinobi World War began, everything seemed to revolve around the Senju cn. He didn't believe this was a coincidence. Compared to Katō Dan, his current threat level was far greater.

  "Perhaps I can leverage Uchiha Madara's shadowy influence to navigate these two crises."

  Frowning in thought, Shirou weighed his options. It seemed the best way to break the stalemate. Yet, a heavy pressure loomed over him.

  Strength. He simply didn't have enough strength.

  If only he could summon a giant mech—then none of this trouble would exist!

  ...

  Hokage's Office

  Through the crystal ball, everything outside Konoha's gates was visible. Watching the departing ninjas, each marked with their family's emblem, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a smoke ring and murmured,

  "So, this is the influence of the Senju cn…"

  Even after twenty years, the Senju remained formidable. Among the 800 ninjas, nearly a hundred came from the Uchiha cn alone—not to mention members from other families.

  Large and small cns, even minor ninja families, had rallied to the Senju's call. In Konoha, aside from the Senju, no one else could unite so many families.

  "Hiruzen, the Senju's prestige binds these families together like a rope. Tsunade is fine for now, but what about the others? Who can guarantee that they'll always follow this path?"

  Koharu Utatane's grave expression betrayed her concern. However, she left one thought unspoken—a belief shared by them all.

  The unity of these families posed a threat to the vilge.

  "Hiruzen, you are the Hokage, yet these families didn't send their elites before. But when the Senju command, even the Uchiha deploy the majority of their forces!"

  Homura Mitokado frowned, pointing out an undeniable truth. Despite all the efforts Hiruzen Sarutobi had made as Hokage, the major cns still regarded the Senju as their true leaders.

  Hiruzen frowned at his old friends' remarks before replying in a deep voice,

  "The war is upon us. Let's focus on winning first. We must trust Tsunade and the Senju."

  The Senju name carried immense weight in Konoha. Unlike the ostracized Uchiha, the Senju commanded respect and power.

  After the First Shinobi World War, the Senju cn suffered heavy losses, and many believed they would decline. Yet, to the major cns, the Senju's reputation remained as influential as ever.

  "Hiruzen, I noticed Uzumaki Kushina is among them, and she's in a squad with Uchiha members," Koharu remarked, her tone sharpening as she voiced her concern.

  "A three-person squad with two Uchiha? What is this—a bond between the Senju and Uchiha?"

  "To stabilize the jinchūriki's seal, the host must adapt to the Nine-Tails' chakra in advance and build trust with their comrades," Hiruzen expined calmly, his tone neutral. However, Homura, knowing him well, spoke with a deeper implication:

  "Hiruzen, perhaps Danzo should handle this."

  The three exchanged gnces. As long-time comrades, they instantly understood each other's thoughts.

  As long as Uzumaki Kushina hadn't fully sealed the Nine-Tails, she wasn't yet a true jinchūriki. There would still be opportunities. And this mission to the battlefield? It was the perfect chance.

  Even Kage-level shinobi had died in the war. The death of a mere ninja would hardly raise suspicion.

  But after a moment of silence, Hiruzen shook his head and replied firmly,

  "Victory on the Land of Rain battlefield must take precedence. Once the war there ends, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure won't try to intervene."

  The three great vilges had been sharpening their bdes, waiting for Konoha to falter. This was precisely why Hiruzen was so eager to end the Land of Rain conflict as swiftly as possible.

  ...

  The Land of Rain

  The overcast sky wept as rain fell like tears, mourning the war-torn nd.

  Boom!

  Explosions from paper bombs and the roar of ninjutsu echoed across the muddy battlefield.

  "It's the Uchiha! Don't look into their eyes!"

  On the sodden ground, the three tomoe of Uchiha Shirou and Uchiha Mikoto's Sharingan glimmered ominously, causing the opposing Sand ninja to cry out in arm as they avoided eye contact.

  "Attack from behind!"

  Clink, clink…!

  The creaking of puppets filled the air as they unleashed a barrage of poison needles and hidden weapons.

  "Don't underestimate me!"

  A fierce cry broke through the chaos as a red-haired figure darted from the treeline, gripping a chakra bde.

  "It's Konoha's chakra bde!"

  The Sand puppet masters excimed in panic as the chakra strings controlling their puppets were severed. Uzumaki Kushina's face lit up with a victorious smile.

  At the same time, Uchiha Mikoto shouted,

  "Kushina!"

  "Got it!"

  As if perfectly in sync, Kushina formed hand seals. But the surrounding Sand ninjas scoffed,

  "Don't underestimate us!"

  Suddenly, five strange puppets emerged from the ground, encircling Kushina and unleashing a flurry of hidden weapons.

  "Kushina!"

  Mikoto cried out in arm as Kushina's pupils shrank in fear. Meanwhile, the hidden puppet master smirked darkly.

  But in that instant…

  "Found you!"

  Surrounded by puppets, Kushina's frightened expression vanished, repced by a pyful grin.