A few years ago, Nagato's mind was completely immersed in a state of self-deifying hypnosis. Now that the illusion had shattered and he had returned to reality, Nagato occasionally found himself lost.
The book Kawasaki had given him couldn't help when the will of the Hashirama cells flared up, but every time he opened it, Nagato felt he was slowly rediscovering his former self.
Each eruption of the Hashirama cells' will was accompanied by excruciating pain. Nagato endured it all, relying on his increasingly resolute spirit.
The Hashirama cell fluid contained the First Hokage's original cells. Activated by Orochimaru's hand, these cells were extraordinarily potent. Normally, when injected into a body, these original cells would rapidly divide and multiply, eventually replacing the host's own cells in a swift process.
Nagato's daily suffering, however, was due to his Uzumaki heritage. The Uzumaki Clan shared a distant blood relation with the Senju Clan. When the Hashirama cells entered Nagato's body, they also divided rapidly, but they didn't replace his cells. Instead, they fused with them.
Embedded within the Hashirama cells was the will of Hashirama himself, a will that was chaotic and disordered. During the fusion, if one was eroded by this chaotic will, the best outcome was insanity. In most cases, it would obliterate the individual's consciousness. Ultimately, the body would lose conscious control and transform into a tree.
The Rinnegan's purpose was to suppress this very chaotic will. The pain Nagato now endured daily stemmed from this struggle.
Now, after each eruption, Nagato's physical abilities would see a significant boost. While resisting the will, Nagato could even receive glimpses of Hashirama's past, seeing images of him performing his techniques.
Nagato was now in a state of painful bliss. After every bout of agony, he grew stronger.
As for why he had suddenly been able to "see" his internal condition today, Nagato wasn't sure. But it was a good thing, regardless.
Seeing Nagato's emotions stabilize, Konan handed him a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.
"How much longer will this last?"
Wiping his sweat, Nagato replied with a hint of fatigue in his voice, "The fusion is going smoother than expected, so there shouldn't be any mishaps. It's just that the will of the Hashirama cells is incredibly stubborn. It might take some time."
Konan was relieved. "As long as nothing goes wrong, taking a little longer is fine."
Nagato touched his chest. "It feels like my body has been tampered with. I can feel the curse seal here now."
Konan's heart tightened. Kawasaki's words had come true. "Is there a way to remove it?"
A curse seal on the heart was not something that could be easily broken. The simplest removal method was physical destruction, but clearing a seal from the heart without damaging the organ itself was incredibly difficult. At least, it was beyond Nagato and Konan's capabilities.
Nagato was determined to break the seal. He recalled the images that had recently surfaced in his mind. His voice lowered slightly. "There might be a way, but I'm not confident yet. I'll have to wait until the enhancement from the Hashirama cells is complete."
Konan's face was filled with worry. "But that will take a long time."
Nagato frowned. "There's no other way. This is a path I must walk."
Back in Konoha Village, Kawasaki had been promoted to the position of Elder, granting him the authority to post notices on the public bulletin board. He had recalled half of the Uchiha clansmen who were stationed outside the village. Led by Yōzuki, they had returned to the clan compound a short while ago. The other half had returned to the Sound Village with the Third Elder.
Kawasaki also used the bulletin board to announce his plan for practical combat training. This group of Uchiha was brave and skilled in battle, the most diligent in carrying out missions, and rich in real-world experience.
"Clan Head, why are we starting combat training?"
"Yeah, I have no interest in messing around with a bunch of genin."
Upon their return, this group of Uchiha began to mutter amongst themselves when they heard about the training. Yōzuki and Katsura, being more familiar with Kawasaki, voiced their questions directly.
Kawasaki gestured with his hand, and the crowd immediately fell silent.
"Katsura, you lost to Naruto and Sasuke last time. You haven't even mastered how to play around."
Kawasaki's words made Katsura's face flush red. It seemed he would never live this down. If he had known, he would have gone to the Sound Village with Kazuki.
Seeing Katsura's expression, Kawasaki chuckled inwardly. Once Naruto and Sasuke get stronger, you won't feel so ashamed anymore. It was like how Kakuzu's loss to Hashirama was once a disgrace, but years later, it became a source of bragging rights.
Kawasaki's gaze shifted to Yōzuki, who had spoken first. Yōzuki puffed out his chest. My match against Sasuke and Naruto was a complete victory. Aren't you going to praise me?
Unfortunately, Kawasaki didn't take the bait, leaving Yōzuki's expectations unfulfilled. Instead, he addressed the crowd.
"Many of our Uchiha children are approaching the age to start school. You all graduated from the Konoha Ninja Academy. You know that most of the time there is spent in vain. The most crucial part is their mandatory 'Will of Fire' course. Do you want your descendants to be brainwashed by the 'Will of Fire' as well?"
Most of the Uchiha present were in their prime and married. The majority had one or two children, mostly conceived after Kawasaki implemented his incentive policies. They were only six months to a year away from starting school. Not only was the relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha no longer close, but the 'Will of Fire' taught in the academy was a form of brainwashing... a doctrine of sacrifice and contribution that they, as a faction, detested.
Kawasaki's sudden mention of this topic made everyone pause and think.
At that moment, Yōzuki raised his hand and said loudly, "Clan Head, if you were to become Hokage, wouldn't all these problems be solved?"
Kawasaki laughed to himself. You'll be waiting a while for that.
Outwardly, however, he wore a serious expression. "Do you think the position of Hokage is so easy to obtain? Even if I did sit in the Hokage's chair, changing the environment isn't something that can be done overnight. The population of our Uchiha Clan is growing, so we need to consider this problem ahead of time."
Kawasaki continued, "If we educate the children of our clan ourselves, we can completely avoid these issues. We can teach them however we want, freely. The Uchiha Clan needs its own academy."
Everyone's eyes lit up. So the Clan Head was already planning for the next generation?
"All of you are excellent at carrying out missions abroad. In the future, it will be your duty to teach the children practical combat. That's why I'm establishing this training program—to let everyone get accustomed to teaching."
The crowd murmured amongst themselves, all agreeing that Kawasaki's words made sense.
Yōzuki asked, "But we tend to be quite heavy-handed. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold back properly during instruction."
The others below voiced their agreement.
Just then, Kawasaki happened to see Tsunade standing by a window, looking down at them. He immediately raised his voice, pointing towards the newly built hospital next to them. "Tell me, who is the greatest medical ninja in the entire shinobi world?!"
This group of Uchiha was no fool. They roared in unison, "Lady Tsunade!"
Tsunade leaned against the windowsill, arms crossed, and a faint smile touched her lips as she heard the shouts from below. That guy...
"That's right! It's Lady Tsunade!" Kawasaki nodded in satisfaction. "With our practical combat training here, as long as you don't knock someone out on the spot, they can definitely be saved. This is precisely to prevent you from being too rough when you teach our clan's children, so I'm having you practice beforehand."
"Moreover..." Kawasaki said with a slight smile, "It's also time for the people studying at the Uchiha Hospital to begin their internships."
The Uchiha below looked at each other, thinking to themselves, As expected of the Clan Head. His mind works incredibly fast.
Seeing that the Uchiha below understood, Kawasaki smiled.