Uchiha Ascendant: Rewriting the Ninja World

Konoha, August.

Under the scorching summer sun, while the Shinobi World War had begun, most battles were localized. For now, the village of Konoha enjoyed a brief moment of peace.

On a rooftop, Tsunade leaned against a railing. Having returned to the village, she now wore her hair in a ponytail and had changed into a breezy short-sleeved crop top, complemented by a fishnet undershirt.

"Nawaki, happy twelfth birthday."

Tsunade beamed as she spoke, her gaze fixed on the boy opposite her. Nawaki, wearing a Konoha forehead protector, grinned back at his older sister.

When Tsunade handed him a gift, he tried to act aloof.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Sis. You don't have to give me birthday presents."

Though his words suggested indifference, the gleam in his eyes and how quickly he took the gift betrayed his true feelings.

Tsunade chuckled at his attempt to appear mature and teased, "Come on, open it. You might just like what's inside."

She leaned lazily on the railing, her smile affectionate but with a hint of hidden worry in her eyes as she watched him unwrap the gift.

Inside the finely wrapped metal box was an item that left Nawaki stunned.

"Sis, is this—?"

His face lit up with shock and excitement as he recognized the gift.

Tsunade smiled gently. "That's right. It's the Hokage necklace that belonged to the First Hokage, our grandfather."

Nawaki's excitement was unmistakable as he clutched the necklace tightly.

"I love it, Sis! Thank you so much!"

Seeing his joy, Tsunade couldn't help but smile. Then, in a casual tone, she asked, "So, Nawaki, I heard you're heading out on a mission tomorrow?"

Caught up in his happiness, Nawaki didn't notice the probing in her voice. He nodded enthusiastically and shared everything without hesitation.

"That's right! The mission was assigned yesterday, and I'm heading out with Orochimaru-sensei tomorrow!"

He looked up at her with an earnest smile, as if trying to reassure her.

Though Tsunade kept up her teasing demeanor, a shadow of worry lingered in her eyes.

Could Orochimaru really be involved in this?

She didn't want to think about it. Nawaki wasn't just her younger brother—he was the future of the Senju clan.

As Nawaki laughed, Tsunade said with a smirk, "Alright, but remember, that Uchiha kid in your class was ranked above you. If not for that, you'd already be working under me."

Hearing this, Nawaki laughed. "Don't worry, Sis. Even if I were the top student, I'd still choose Orochimaru-sensei. But I bet Uchiha Yo will give you plenty of headaches!"

The mention of Uchiha Yo brought a mischievous glint to Nawaki's eyes, and the siblings shared a laugh as the day passed in celebration.

The next day, the weather shifted dramatically, clouds rolling in to replace the scorching sun. It was as if the skies themselves foretold an ominous event.

At Konoha's gates, Orochimaru led Nawaki's team out of the village on their mission.

Unbeknownst to them, Tsunade was watching from the shadows, hidden under a large tree outside the village.

Her expression was grim as she stared at the intelligence scroll in her hands.

"A simple C-rank mission to handle a group of wandering samurai? During wartime, when intelligence within the Land of Fire should be top priority, how could such a basic mistake occur?

"And so close to the village?"

No matter how she analyzed it, the mission details didn't add up. Without prior knowledge, she would never have suspected anything.

The distance involved meant the task could be completed in a single day. Yet the idea that a rogue group of samurai could sneak past the patrols in the heavily monitored Land of Fire seemed absurd.

Especially during wartime.

But this was her brother's safety at stake. Tsunade's expression hardened as she disappeared into the shadows, opting not to trail Nawaki's team directly.

With Orochimaru leading the team, her presence would be too easily detected. Instead, she decided to head directly to the mission's target location. Without the burden of teammates, she would get there much faster.

Half a day later, deep within a dark forest, shadows darted among the trees.

A bloodcurdling scream rang out, followed by a man collapsing lifelessly as his neck was crushed by a snake.

Orochimaru's serpents retreated into his sleeves as he let out a sinister chuckle.

Moments later, Nawaki and his two teammates emerged from the shadows, their excitement palpable.

"Well done, Nawaki. It seems you're quickly adapting to the battlefield," Orochimaru said with an approving smile.

Nawaki, a Senju, possessed chakra far superior in quality and quantity compared to his peers. Once fully acclimated to combat, he would undoubtedly reach elite Chunin-level strength.

But just as Orochimaru's admiration swelled, an explosion erupted in the distance, flames illuminating his pale face.

His golden, serpentine eyes narrowed in shock as disbelief washed over him.

"This… can't be!"

The two Genin behind him froze in terror, their faces pale. They weren't strangers to life-or-death situations, but this was different.

The explosion's target wasn't just anyone.

The flames painted their faces in a stark light, and in the distance, Tsunade's eyes burned with fury.

"Why are there explosive tag traps here? And so many of them!"

Tsunade had arrived more than an hour ahead of Orochimaru and his team, watching from the shadows. The wandering samurai had seemed ordinary enough—nothing to suggest they were a threat.

And yet, she had just witnessed Nawaki walk straight into a trap set by these same samurai.

There was only one explanation:

The trap had been prepared long before.

Could this truly be a coincidence?

"Nawaki!"

The desperate cry came from one of Nawaki's teammates, but before anyone could act, Tsunade threw down a pre-prepared corpse, along with the Hokage necklace she had given Nawaki the day before.

Clutching the real Nawaki, she disappeared into the forest, leaving only the towering flames behind.

At this point in time, the Sannin were not yet legends. Among the three, Tsunade was the strongest, followed by Orochimaru, with Jiraiya lagging behind.

Tsunade's position as the Senju princess granted her resources beyond what most shinobi could imagine. Orochimaru had yet to master forbidden techniques or develop his near-indestructible body. Jiraiya had not yet learned Sage Mode.

Today, Tsunade's strength made her decision swift a

nd decisive.

As she disappeared into the distance, Orochimaru stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the blazing inferno.