Undercurrents and scrutiny within the clan

The news that Tobirama Senju had brought back an unidentified woman, clearly a member of the Uchiha clan, and had placed her directly in his private compound spread far faster than any formal order or battle report. It wasn't like the smoke rising from a beacon tower, soaring into the sky. Instead, it was more like a drop of thick ink falling onto a calm lake, spreading silently yet incredibly quickly, stirring up layers of unsettled undercurrents within the seemingly orderly Senju clan's territory.

Initial shock washed over every tribe member who heard about this like a shockwave, but subsequent reactions varied from person to person, like ripples forming in a lake after a stone is dropped. Speculations, deductions, and even exaggerated imaginations began to grow like fungi in a damp corner, quietly spreading and fermenting amid the flying dust of the training ground, the curling smoke from the dining hall, and the long shadows of the setting sun on the corners of the streets.

On the training ground, sweat and suspicion

The afternoon training grounds were still bustling with activity. The sharp crack of kunai hitting wooden targets, the muffled thud of muscles colliding in physical combat, and the energetic shouts of the young ninjas intertwined, the air thick with the scent of sweat and dust. Several young ninjas, fresh from a round of intense sparring, made their way to the shade at the edge of the field, gulped down water from their water bags, and wiped the sweat from their faces with their forehead protectors.

"Hey, have you heard about it? The day before yesterday, when Lord Tobirama came back!" A young ninja named Kenji, who still had a bit of childishness on his face, lowered his voice impatiently, with an incredible light flashing in his eyes, as if he was sharing a shocking secret.

A tall and thin ninja named Ryuichi wiped his face and continued panting, "Nonsense! Who in the clan doesn't know about this? The patrolmen are all saying they're crazy! Lord Tobirama brought her back personally, and it's a girl! She went straight into his courtyard that he never lets anyone get close to!"

"The key is that woman's identity!" Kenji lowered his voice even lower, almost to a whisper, and subconsciously glanced around. "She's an Uchiha! Sharp-eyed brothers saw that the family crest and style of her clothes definitely show she's an Uchiha! And I heard... she looks like the person in the painting, which is really eye-catching!"

"Uchiha women?" A dark-skinned, burly ninja named Tetsuo frowned, his tone filled with instinctive disgust and confusion, "How could Lord Tobirama... This is against the rules! Even if they are important prisoners, they should be escorted to the dungeon and handed over to the interrogation team or used to negotiate terms with the Uchiha. Placing them in your own yard? This... what's going on?" His rough face was full of confusion.

Long Yi showed an ambiguous smile on his face, nudged Tiexiong with his elbow, and said with a wink: "Rules are dead, but people are alive. I heard that she is very beautiful. Is it possible that our Lord Tobirama, who has never been interested in women, has finally..." He did not finish his words, but the wink and the drawn-out tone have fully expressed the speculation that "even a hero cannot resist the temptation of a beautiful woman".

"Ryuichi! Be careful!" an older, stern-looking ninja named Shingo, with a shallow scar on his left cheek, sternly rebuked the team's temporary captain. "Tobirama-sama always acts with foresight. How can we just assume his actions? He must have his reasons. Perhaps that Uchiha woman carries a crucial secret concerning the war situation, requiring special care and... 'reformation.'" He attempted to offer a more logical explanation for this unusual behavior.

"Is it necessary to keep such a secret in a private compound? And to order the provision of food and clothing to the highest standards?" Ryuichi objected unconvinced, clearly leaning towards the "saucy" theory. "Captain Shingo, you're too rigid. I don't think this is that complicated. It's just a man's thing... Well, this is something strange anyway. We'll see. The clan leader and elders will definitely not sit idly by."

These whispers on the training grounds were just a microcosm of the clan's internal discussions. Similar conversations played out repeatedly, in different teams and during breaks. Curiosity, doubt, and an instinctive resistance born of generations of blood feuds quietly permeated the young ninjas.

Inside and outside the cafeteria, rumors and sour thoughts

The dining hall was bustling with activity in the evening, the aroma of food mingling with the cacophony of chatter. Housewives busily distributed meals, often crucial nodes of information dissemination. Several familiar middle-aged women deftly spun their spoons, exchanging knowing glances and subdued conversations.

"Have you heard? Over in the west courtyard, the Fujiwara family who are guarding the courtyard of Lord Tobirama revealed that the meals delivered contain meat every time, the dishes are also exquisite, and even the drinking water is freshly drawn from the mountain spring every day." A woman with her hair in a bun and fine lines at the corners of her eyes whispered, with a hint of barely perceptible envy and surprise in her tone.

"It's more than just food!" Another plump woman leaned closer and added mysteriously, "My niece works in the laundry room. She said the laundry they sent in is made of the finest cotton, better than what most of us wear! How can this be considered treating prisoners? It's more like... like inviting back a distinguished guest, or..." She paused, her voice lowering, "...keeping a mistress who can't be seen in public?"

"Shh! Stop talking nonsense!" The first woman glanced around nervously, afraid that the patrolling ninja would hear her. "If this gets out, it will be a disaster! But then again, the elders in the clan all say that Uchiha women are like mountain goblins, with alluring eyes and eyebrows, and are the best at bewitching men. Lord Tobirama has always been calm and self-possessed, so I wonder if he really has been tricked..."

"That's right!" The slightly plump woman nodded repeatedly, a look of worry and disdain on her face. "There are so many good girls in our clan, but Master Tobirama didn't even look at them. Instead, he chose a girl from the enemy clan... Oh, he's really bewitched!"

Besides curiosity and worry, these discussions were tinged with subtle jealousy and comparisons among women. This sentiment was particularly pronounced among young women who were unmarried or whose families had considered marrying into the Tobirama lineage.

In a corner of the dining hall, several young girls, clearly more elegantly dressed than the average tribe member, gathered together. They were the daughters of minor clan leaders and elders. One of them, Sakura, clad in a pale pink kimono, twisted an embroidered handkerchief in her hands, her pretty face etched with resentment and grievance. She complained to her companions, "That Uchiha woman, what right did she have? She was just a captive! Lord Tobirama never even looked us in the eye, yet he hid her in the courtyard and treated her so... so well!" Her words were filled with a bitterness that lingered.

A girl nearby, wearing a light green dress and named Aoi (they had the same name as Uchiha Aoi, which was even more jarring at the moment), chimed in with a bit of sarcasm, "Sakura-sister, don't be angry. I heard her brother is the murderous Uchiha Madara! How could a sister be any better than a demon like that? Maybe she's used some shady sorcery or some other trick to get entangled with Tobirama-sama!"

"That's right! The Uchiha clan, from top to bottom, is a bad bunch! They're all treacherous and cunning!" another girl echoed indignantly. Their words were a mixture of natural hostility towards the Uchiha clan and anger stemming from personal loss. Uchiha Aoi's presence had invisibly pierced some of their hidden hopes and pride.

Deep in the streets, worries and foresight

Unlike the younger generation who are full of gossip or emotional discussions, some older members of the tribe who have experienced more hardships and have deeper thoughts are full of worry and caution about this matter.

Under an ancient cherry tree at the edge of the clan land (it had not yet bloomed, so there were only bare branches), several elderly men with white hair and beards or who looked very old gathered together, basking in the sun and talking in low voices, with an unbreakable layer of dark clouds hanging between their brows.

"Clan leader Hashirama and the Council of Elders, are they really going to let that kid Tobirama do this... nonsense?" A hunched old man leaning on a cane sighed, his voice hoarse. "The Uchiha clan and we are sworn enemies! Generations of blood debt, a hatred built on mountains of corpses and seas of blood! Now they're placing the daughter of our enemy, Madara's biological sister, at the heart of their clan, right next to them... This, this is simply inviting a wolf into the house! How foolish!"

An old man nearby, dressed simply but with a sharp gaze, once an outstanding ninja, chimed in, "It's understandable that young people are easily misled by appearances. But Tobirama, known for his rationality, is truly baffling. I'm worried this isn't just a personal matter. Is there some Uchiha conspiracy behind this? Could that woman be a pawn deliberately sent by Uchiha Madara?"

"The clan leader and elders must have their own considerations." A third, calmer-looking elder attempted to lighten the mood, but uncertainty lingered in his tone. "Tobirama is one of the clan's pillars, and his judgment is usually correct. Perhaps... this truly is a special operation, with deeper intentions beyond our comprehension. However, the clan members need to be appeased, and the rumors circulating outside are detrimental to the reputation of our Senju clan."

The elders' concerns were more focused on the safety of their clan, the root of their hatred, and the chain reactions that might follow. They worried that this seemingly sudden incident would upset the fragile balance between the two clans and even drag the Senju clan into unpredictable risks.

Invisible pressure and tense balance

Although these undercurrents of discussion and complex emotions didn't reach the ears of the tightly held Uchiha Aoi, they nonetheless formed a massive, all-pervasive pressure field. This pressure even seeped into the elite guards responsible for guarding the independent courtyard.

They stood upright on either side of the courtyard gate, like two stone statues, their faces expressionless, their eyes piercingly scanning their surroundings. They were the most loyal and professional warriors of the Senju clan, strictly following Lord Tobirama's orders of "highest level of security" and "fulfilling all reasonable needs." However, this seemingly contradictory order—the requirement to guard them closely, like prisoners, while also providing them with treatment close to guests—created a delicate tension.

They could sense the intermittent, inquiring glances from passing tribesmen, and could hear the whispered, yet still audible, conversations. Occasionally, during shift breaks and conversations with their companions, they could clearly sense the strange atmosphere permeating the tribe's territory. This made them, beyond their inherent vigilance, inevitably tinged with a hint of inquiry and suspicion regarding the "special prisoner" within the compound, even a subtle hint of hostility and rejection, influenced by prevailing opinion within the tribe. Their professionalism demanded absolute obedience, but as members of the Senju Clan, the turmoil within them was difficult to completely quell.

The atmosphere throughout the Senju clan was strangely tense, swayed by this small courtyard and this unexpected "outsider." A complex undercurrent of curiosity, suspicion, resentment, worry, and even hostility surged beneath the calm surface, waiting for a chance to erupt, or to be guided and defused by a greater force. Everyone knew this matter would not pass quietly; the clan leader, Senju Fushima, and the clan elders would inevitably be forced to intervene. And the Uchiha woman, hidden within the deep courtyard, oblivious to the outside world, her very presence was like a boulder dropped into the deep waters of the Senju clan, its ripples growing wider and wider, foreshadowing the greater turmoil to come.