Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

In the ruined village.

"The sealing technique has been undone. It's an advanced sealing technique from Sunagakure of the Land of Wind, but this is nothing for us of the Uzumaki clan."

After breaking the seal on the scroll, Uzumaki Kushina turned her head to look at Uchiha Shirou, wearing a tsundere expression as if saying, Hurry up and praise me!

An advanced sealing technique from Sunagakure? For me, it's a piece of cake.

Looking at Kushina's childlike demeanor, Shirou smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, laughing:

"As expected of the Uzumaki clan, masters of sealing techniques. Kushina, you're amazing."

As they say, every art has its specialty. When it comes to sealing techniques, there's no comparison to the Uzumaki clan. Especially Uzumaki Kushina, the princess who inherited the legacy of the Land of Whirlpools.

Receiving Shirou's praise, and with Uchiha Mikoto not around, Kushina let go of her restraints. With a tsundere tilt of her head, she formed hand seals right in front of him.

"Release!"

As the white smoke from the unsealed scroll dissipated, a tiny bottle, no larger than a fingertip, appeared on the scroll marked with the character "seal".

"This is—!?"

Both Shirou and Kushina frowned, staring gravely at the small bottle that had been sealed with such caution. Inside the bottle was one-third of a purple liquid, bubbling and frothing continuously. On the bottle's exterior, there was a piece of paper with a single black character: "Pepper".

Given the caution used in sealing this, and the obvious connection to Sunagakure's rogue ninjas, both of them came to the same realization at the same time.

"Pepper! Could it be… the Salamander!?"

The two exclaimed in unison, realizing what this object might be. Meanwhile, Hyūga Hizashi was still standing guard outside, cautiously keeping watch.

"Although the brain has already been destroyed, the injuries and other clues suggest that this was the work of a puppet master and a wind-style user. Based on the tracks, the individual likely escaped from the Sunagakure battlefront."

"And as for this scratched headband, which was carelessly tied to a wound, it's clear that this person stole something important from Sunagakure and defected."

Shirou analyzed solemnly, while Kushina carefully retrieved another sealing scroll from her ninja pouch.

"This small bottle of liquid is likely highly toxic. On the battlefield, only Elder Chiyo of Sunagakure is known to have confronted Hanzō of the Salamander directly. Obtaining some of his poison would make sense."

With a loud "poof", Kushina cautiously resealed the bottle and handed the scroll to Shirou.

Shirou nodded solemnly. "Kushina, you understand the importance of this, right? If our guess is correct, this could be critical intelligence. Clean up the traces here immediately and head to the command post. Deliver this to Sister Tsunade for analysis. If it's confirmed, this could save many lives in the village during this war."

"Understood."

Kushina, not one to hesitate, nodded gravely. She carefully hid the sealing scroll in her clothes. After all, ninja pouches could be dislodged or destroyed, posing a significant risk.

"I'll handle the body. You clean up the traces around here and instruct Hizashi to stay on high alert."

"Yes!"

With the mobility of a ninja, Kushina quickly erased all traces of the Sunagakure ninja in the rain, while Hyūga Hizashi vigilantly scanned the surroundings with his Byakugan, not daring to let his guard down.

Inside the house, Shirou placed his palm over the body without drawing attention to himself. His Sharingan, with its three tomoe, glinted as he remained alert to his surroundings. However, while appearing to reexamine the body, a diamond-shaped curse mark quietly appeared on his palm.

Forbidden Technique: Chimera Jutsu!

Under the guise of his movements, the curse mark on his palm unleashed a powerful suction force, drawing a life-filled energy into his body.

"As I suspected! There's something wrong with this Sunagakure ninja!"

Shirou's pupils contracted as he sensed the energy. This confirmed his suspicions.

If this ninja was truly from Sunagakure, the odds of escaping deep into Konoha's war zone were minuscule. There were simply too many coincidences: his sudden appearance, the Salamander's poison on the body, and Shirou's recent encounter with Nagato's Rinnegan.

A knowing smile crossed Shirou's face as he licked his lips and looked up.

"It seems the ancestor Uchiha Madara has taken a particular interest in this descendant."

After all his planning and the release of his fifth chapter, it was clear that everything had gone as intended. He had successfully harnessed the power hiding in the shadows.

"You're eager to see how much chaos I can bring to the ninja world before your plan unfolds, aren't you, Madara?"

Having figured out Madara's intentions, Shirou felt a sense of relief and satisfaction as a smile crept onto his face.

Fire Release!

Flames erupted within the house, consuming the corpse entirely and erasing any trace that might lead Madara to him. Under the night sky, Shirou and his team left the ruined village, leaving behind a single paper flower.

...

Moments later, in the damp shadows of the village ruins, a pale face slowly emerged from the muddy water.

"Although I lost a clone, Madara-sama's plan is still a success. I wonder why he's investing so much in Uchiha Shirou."

With a mischievous tone, White Zetsu's figure slowly disappeared, and the village returned to its deathly silence.

In the forest, three shadows darted forward like fleas.

"Captain Shirou, the temporary destination is just ahead."

When the trio spotted the tents guarded by Konoha ninja, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Hyūga Hizashi discreetly wiped the rain off his face. Though there had been many passcodes along the way, the tension never eased. The meticulous defenses were signs of a major operation on the battlefield.

For Uzumaki Kushina, the relief came from the burden of carrying what was almost certainly Hanzō's poison in the sealing scroll. It had made her nervous throughout the journey. If discovered, it could have drawn elite Sunagakure pursuers.

"Shirou, are you alright!?"

After arriving at the destination, Kushina noticed Shirou's pale face and asked with concern. Shirou wiped the sweat mixed with rainwater off his face, forcing a smile.

"I'm fine. Kushina, let's go report to Sister Tsunade."

"Yes!"

Although Shirou appeared calm, only he knew the truth. Moments earlier, a surge of energy had coursed through his body, making him feel feverish. His constitution was changing.

White Zetsu! A product of the Infinite Tsukuyomi from a thousand years ago, extracted from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. The current White Zetsu had been created by Madara using Hashirama's cells and the Demonic Statue.

This meant that White Zetsu possessed partial abilities of both Hashirama's cells and the God Tree.

"The Wood Release cells of the First Hokage also inherit part of the God Tree's power. But after centuries of evolution, their development must have diverged."

"Now, with these two forces combined, even a weak clone carries a trace of energy perfectly compatible with the Uchiha bloodline."

Shirou felt his body's chakra growing more active. This indicated an imminent breakthrough in his chakra reserves.

"Especially this new energy... It's altering my body—and my eyes! I can feel my eyes being nourished by this energy."

Taking a deep breath, Shirou quietly pulled out a chakra testing strip from his ninja pouch while waiting for Tsunade's meeting to end.

As a trace of chakra was infused, the square chakra paper instantly split in half, and the four corners underwent varying degrees of transformation: wrinkling, moistening, cracking, and burning.

The chakra paper revealed the five elemental changes: fire, wind, lightning, water, and earth.

The next moment, Shirou's hand from the ninja tool pouch crushed the chakra paper. Shirou stood silently at the entrance of the tent, waiting.

Beside him, Uzumaki Kushina, unusually solemn, kept her gaze fixed on the brightly lit tent in the distance. It was evident that top-secret discussions were taking place inside.

"Five elements? No, there should also be Yin and Yang—it's seven elements in total!"

Standing at the tent's entrance, amidst the rain and wind, even the faint smell of burning from earlier had disappeared into the rain. Yet, Shirou squinted, lost in thought.

According to White Zetsu's data, although it had a unique constitution, it indeed possessed all elemental attributes.

"Even though this is just a weak White Zetsu clone, it has directly completed my chakra elements, and there are also subtle changes in my constitution. This is essentially filling the gap in Uchiha's missing powers—from zero to one."

Chakra attributes take a Jonin at least two to three years of training to gain mastery of an additional one. Moreover, a Jonin must be proficient in at least two attributes to avoid being easily restrained.

Yet, some ninjas are born with multiple attributes, or even all attributes, giving them a much higher starting point than most.

Take Kakashi Hatake, for example—he was born with all attributes. Why could he become a Jonin at the age of twelve? The advantage of possessing all attributes played a significant role.

For the Uchiha clan, having all chakra attributes is even more impactful. After all, with the Sharingan's ability to copy and learn techniques, every Uchiha could be regarded as a master of ninjutsu.

"This power is just right. If I weren't a Uchiha absorbing the White Zetsu clone, it would take me at least three to five years, even for a weak clone."

"But now, it will take me at most half a year to fully integrate this constitution."

Feeling the changes within his body, Shirou revealed a satisfied smile.

It was similar to when he absorbed Elder Setsuna's Sharingan. Since they were of the same clan and origin, it only took a few months. As for the White Zetsu clone's energy, it would only take a few additional months—after all, they were still distantly related, sharing the same origin.

The Uchiha, the cells of Hashirama, and White Zetsu were all derived from the same source: the power of the God Tree.

"Shirou, Kushina."

The rhythmic sound of rain falling on the camp created a steady background noise. Finally, after half an hour of waiting, Tsunade emerged from the meeting tent, calling out to the two from afar.

"Captain...Sister Tsunade."

"Sister Tsunade."

Under Tsunade's gaze, Shirou awkwardly changed "captain" to "sister, prompting Tsunade to break into a relaxed smile as she strode into the tent.

"Shirou it seems like you've been taking good care of Kushina during this time."

"Sister Tsunade!"

Uzumaki Kushina glared at her in frustration. Now wasn't the time for teasing. She then began recounting everything that had happened on their journey here.

"What!? You encountered Sand ninjas carrying Hanzo's poison on your way here!?"

Tsunade couldn't hide her astonishment after hearing this. They had been racking their brains for clues but found nothing.

And yet, during your journey, you just happened to run into them?

Uzumaki Kushina cautiously took out a sealing scroll. "Sister Tsunade, it's only a possibility. It could also be a trap deliberately set by the Sand ninjas to mislead us."

Although her words were cautious, as Tsunade released the seal and saw the light purple poison, her expression immediately turned serious. She solemnly activated her chakra with both hands.

"Uchiha Shirou, go meet White Fang with Uchiha Fugaku. This may be good news."

"I need to study and confirm this poison further!"

Tsunade then issued strict orders for the surrounding ninjas to heighten their alertness. Uzumaki Kushina was assigned to act as her temporary guard while she focused on analyzing the poison.

Although Shirou frowned slightly, he nodded and said:

"Understood. I'll head there now."

Tsunade had specifically summoned him here and arranged for him to meet with Uchiha Fugaku. The two of them held significant positions—one as the heir to the clan, the other as the inheritor of Elder Setsuna's legacy.

If White Fang wanted to see them, there could only be one reason: he needed their agreement or approval on certain matters.

"It seems a major operation is indeed about to take place!"

This was the only possibility that came to Shirou's mind. What worried him, however, was himself.

How should he explain to Tsunade or find out why Hanzo of the Salamander and the Rain ninjas were preparing for a major battle outside the town he was guarding? Moreover, how had the Rain ninjas managed to infiltrate the depths of the Konoha war zone?

"Shirou."

As Shirou headed toward the meeting tent, he happened to encounter Uchiha Fugaku. The two exchanged greetings.

Seeing Shirou's furrowed brow, Fugaku lowered his voice and chuckled. "Don't worry. This will be good news for the Uchiha clan."

"Good news!?"

Shirou looked at Fugaku in disbelief. Thinking about the Uchiha clan's personality, he realized it made sense.

It's just war, right? If you make the Uchiha stay in the rear, they'll take it as an insult. But if you send them to the most dangerous frontlines, they'll take it as a testament to their strength.