Shadow of the Uchiha Guard

The ninja world was vast, yet limited.

Its technological progression was inconsistent, and its worldview sometimes defied logic. The strong could create a moon, yet this artificial celestial body was nowhere near the size or mass of the true moon. Even so, when viewed from space, the actual size of the Earth far exceeded the landmass known as the "Ninja World."

The world was still largely unexplored.

Bai Ye had long considered venturing beyond the known territories—after he had fulfilled his duties as the Captain of the Uchiha Guard.

But for now, he had other matters to handle.

He and Kurenai Yuhi had arrived at a well-known location from the original story—Short Book Street.

Located within the Land of Fire, the street was notorious for its thriving gambling industry, making it relatively easy to find.

Inside a Tavern.

Uzuki Yugao glanced awkwardly at the legendary woman seated before her.

Then, she turned toward Bai Ye with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

So... you want to recruit a medical ninja… and your first choice is Lady Tsunade?

What is going on in your head?

"Hiccup~"

Across from them, Tsunade took a long swig straight from a sake bottle, her face already slightly flushed.

She gave Bai Ye a lazy glance, snorting at the sight of him sipping his drink slowly from a gourd.

The boy had zero drinking presence.

Meanwhile, Shizune, who sat beside Tsunade, was clearly distracted. Her eyes lingered on Bai Ye, her expression betraying an undeniable curiosity.

Bai Ye ignored her reaction and set his cup down, leaning back in his chair.

Uzuki Yugao, ever perceptive, smoothly handed him a cigarette and lit it for him.

A sensible woman knew when to support her man.

After a slow exhale, Bai Ye crossed one leg over the other, exuding the air of a confident negotiator rather than a mere supplicant.

"Lady Tsunade, you're short on money, aren't you?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

She wasn't fond of beating around the bush, and apparently, neither was this Uchiha.

But she wasn't impressed.

She had her ways of handling money—or the lack thereof. Yes, she was perpetually broke, but that was by choice. If necessary, she could always cheat some loan sharks or use a Transformation Jutsu to dodge her debts.

Apparently, she had done just that in the original story.

Still, if he was offering something substantial, she was willing to listen.

Tsunade exhaled, her tone indifferent. "I'm not cheap."

Shizune choked on her drink.

Is it just me, or does this conversation sound incredibly misleading?

Bai Ye, unbothered, flicked his cigarette ash and spoke plainly.

"The biggest casino in Konoha belongs to me."

Tsunade's fingers twitched.

"I'll give you five million ryo per day, and you can gamble as much as you like."

It was an enticing offer.

But not enough.

Tsunade remained silent.

The real problem wasn't money—it was Konoha itself. Returning to the village was out of the question for her.

Bai Ye anticipated this hesitation. He took another drag and continued, his voice calm but deliberate.

"That's just a bonus."

"The real deal concerns the Senju Clan."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What do you mean?"

Bai Ye met her gaze unflinchingly.

"Your brother—Nawaki—died under suspicious circumstances. Don't you want to know the truth?"

Tsunade's heart clenched.

And then—BOOM!

A surge of chakra erupted from her, shaking the table. Her gaze turned deadly.

"You think that's funny?" she growled.

No one—no one—had the right to mock her dead loved ones.

Bai Ye remained unmoved.

"I suggest you ask him yourself."

Tsunade's breath hitched.

Ask him?

A dead man?

She froze.

Her mind immediately jumped to the Impure World Reincarnation—the Forbidden Jutsu created by her granduncle, Tobirama Senju.

Is that what he meant?

Bai Ye casually extinguished his cigarette.

Then, with a flick of his fingers—

"Summoning Jutsu—Impure World Reincarnation!"

A black coffin erupted from the ground, the scent of death thick in the air.

Shizune gasped.

Tsunade clenched her fists, her heart pounding in her chest.

You bastard… you're desecrating the dead?!

"Konoha's First Ninja War," Bai Ye spoke coolly. "Your granduncle used this technique to maintain Konoha's military supremacy. It's a technique you should be very familiar with, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade's teeth ground together.

Of course she knew it.

Her granduncle, the Second Hokage, had created this very jutsu—and Konoha had once relied on it to cement its dominance in the ninja world.

But that did not make it right.

Bai Ye ignored her anger.

The coffin door creaked open.

A figure sat inside.

And then—

Golden light erupted.

Mangekyō Sharingan spun wildly in Bai Ye's eyes, his pupils pulsing with a forbidden power unseen before in the ninja world.

A strange energy enveloped the corpse inside the coffin.

A soul began to materialize.

Shizune's breath caught in her throat.

Tsunade's mind went blank.

Bai Ye's voice echoed through the room, cold and resolute—

"Pupil Technique—Reincarnation Lifted."

And then—

The impossible happened.

The corpse in the coffin breathed.

Tsunade's heart stopped.

A soul had returned from the Pure Land.

From nothing.

From death.

Her brother's voice trembled in the silence—

"…Tsunade…?"

Bai Ye smirked.

This was his Mangekyō Sharingan's true power.