Obito and the others were eating.
Tobirama was surprised to discover that the Ninja Academy now not only had publicly assigned ninja serving as practical combat instructors, but even the consumption of ninja tools—and even food—was uniformly allocated by the village.
After asking about it, he learned that all of this was covered by the village; neither the students nor their parents needed to pay.
At a glance—
The Ninja Academy cafeteria was bright and airy. Long tables were arranged in neat rows, and the cross-breeze carried the fragrance of the food through the hall.
On the stainless-steel counter at the serving window, all kinds of dishes were arranged in full portions.
In the staple food section were distinct-grained white rice, coarse-grain rice balls wrapped with red bean paste, and buckwheat noodles soaked in broth.
In the hot dishes section, stir-fried chicken breast with colorful vegetables looked crisp and fresh; braised pork had been stewed until tender and flavorful; and the milky-white fish soup was sprinkled with shredded ginger.
In the vegetarian section, cold shredded kelp was crisp and appetizing; steamed pumpkin was sweet, glutinous, and soft; and tamagoyaki was layered with a rich egg fragrance.
Tobirama lowered his head and devoured the meal.
To be honest, when he had been the Hokage back then, this was about what he ate as well…
Sometimes, when he was too busy, what he ate was even worse than this—he would simply swallow a few soldier pills whole.
'Our village… is this wealthy now?'
Tobirama narrowed his eyes and looked at the lunch lady's hand as she served food. He noticed that it never trembled—each scoop was heaping—yet he still spoke softly: "This must have cost a great deal of money. I hope all that money is truly being turned into meals for the Ninja Academy."
Tobirama did not have the habit of wrongfully accusing others, but when he considered matters, he always started from the worst possible scenario.
"Nii-san, don't worry. This is Konoha, not Kusagakure…"
Shisui narrowed his eyes and happily savored the taste of braised beef brisket.
Asuma said with a smile, "Seisui-nii, there's no need to worry. My father said that he will also come here to eat in the future, so nothing will go wrong."
Kakashi also added: "My dad said he heard that Danzō is supervising the flow of the funds, and he even told me to gather everyone's opinions so he could help report them."
The moment Danzō's name was mentioned, even many Ninja Academy students instinctively lowered their heads and focused on eating.
Although Hiruzen had given Danzō a chance to show himself and had established an image of him operating deep behind enemy lines…
That did not mean the ninja were not afraid of him.
On the contrary, Danzō now styled himself as "the sharpest sword of the Hokage—the one who can wield the blade against the inside of the village"…
Among Konoha's ninja, the mainstream attitude toward Danzō was to "keep a respectful distance."
After Hiruzen handed the responsibility of supervision to him and Orochimaru—
Danzō stubbornly tried to uncover flaws in Orochimaru's research funding, but for the time being he truly could not find any.
To relieve the frustration in his heart, he began investigating everywhere, putting everyone on edge…
The person in charge of the Ninja Academy cafeteria was no exception.
'I had thought Danzō was simply a product of Hiruzen's indulgence. I didn't expect this to be the role he would play.'
'Interesting. When the good-cop, bad-cop routine is used well, it really is a time-tested classic…' Tobirama thought to himself.
In truth, Konoha had carried that kind of good-cop, bad-cop structure in its bones from the very beginning.
At the earliest stage, it had been him and Senju Hashirama…
'It's just that Danzō is not me. If you sharpen a blade too much, it can cut its own wielder as well…'
'Judging by Danzō's attitude, he will probably come looking for me in the future. Interesting.'
As Tobirama thought to himself, he did not forget to pick up two pieces of fish for Obito and Shisui.
"The conditions are much better now. It's not like when I was in Kusagakure. Although you may find it annoying when I say this, you should cherish it…"
Shisui and Obito nodded repeatedly and said in unison, "Thank you, nii-san. Why would we?"
Shisui's expression stiffened. "It would be better if you called him Seisui, Obito…"
"I won't!" Obito made a face. "Foolish otōto."
Even with Shisui's good temper, he quietly ground his teeth.
'Where did Hiruzen get all this money from?'
'I actually forgot to ask. But since he revived me, it is probably related to this as well…'
'Experiencing a new life is one thing, but I still have to lend him a hand…' Tobirama thought as he ate the fish in his mouth, then drank down the hot soup in front of him in one go.
'Otherwise, I won't be able to eat this meal with an easy mind!'
The Second Hokage was simply born to toil…
"Nii-san, entering the Ninja Academy really was the right choice! I didn't lie to you, did I…" Shisui said with a smile.
"That's right, that's right…"
Tobirama said cheerfully, "No matter what, I have to stay here for a full year before leaving!"
The moment he said that, the atmosphere instantly fell silent.
Shisui and Kakashi had said similar things before, but after meeting Namikaze Minato, both of them—as well as the geniuses of the Ninja Academy—had tacitly given up on that idea…
"Nii-san, while it certainly isn't right to cling to the Ninja Academy, you also shouldn't step forward rashly," Shisui advised tactfully.
"Yeah, nii-san, you should think of a way together with us to deal with that blond guy!"
Obito tore into a chicken drumstick and said while happily eating, "Once we win just once, we'll all go do things for the village together!"
"How about you first test our level, nii-san? It's not that we're afraid of becoming ninja—we're just worried that if we go out, we'll disgrace Konoha and Hokage-sama…"
Tobirama smiled. "All right. Let's see just how capable everyone is…"
Asuma's eyes lit up. "Good, then let's do it!"
After everyone finished eating, they carried their plates one by one to the return counter, then eagerly headed to the sparring ground.
There were not many people, but there were still as many as ten of them.
"Shisui, do you have a sword?" Tobirama asked softly.
"Yes, nii-san. We have wooden swords for use at the Ninja Academy!"
Shisui hurriedly brought one over to Tobirama. "Nii-san, which of us do you want to go first with…"
Tobirama smiled and said softly, "Are you ready?"
"What are you talking about, nii-san?" Shisui instinctively stepped back several paces, his eyes widening slightly.
Could it be that he was going to imitate that blond guy and take on all of them by himself?
As soon as his words fell, Tobirama suddenly burst into motion.
His figure flashed like lightning, instantly rushing in front of Shisui. Two dark tomoe rotated within his eyes…
He was imitating the fighting style Izuna had used in his youth.
Simple and pure.
Like a mad dog—using extremely fast Body Flicker Technique in coordination with the Sharingan, then defeating the enemy with a ferocious strike of the blade…
Many of Tobirama's forbidden techniques, and even the Flying Thunder God, had originally been created to counter Izuna's fighting style.
'If we speak only of Body Flicker and swordsmanship, I was inferior to him in the past…'
'But that was only in the past. Now, I possess the power of the Uchiha as well!' Tobirama thought to himself as the wooden sword in his hand rotated slightly, switching to the blunt back of the blade.
Shisui instinctively tried to resist, but when his gaze met Tobirama's twin-tomoe Sharingan—
He froze in place for an instant.
Genjutsu!
Immediately afterward, a red mark appeared across Shisui's neck.
Tobirama did not slow down. Like a butterfly weaving among flowers, he arrived before Obito in the next instant.
Obito retreated several steps. A mouthful of chakra gathered in his chest as he prepared to release his proud signature technique—the Great Fireball…
The back of the blade struck his mouth. The chakra surged backward in Obito's throat, and his eyes rolled back on the spot.
A flash of white light streaked forward—Kakashi's blade gleamed coldly as he took the initiative and attacked.
But when he saw a red glint flash past, Kakashi had no choice but to lower his head and avoid meeting Tobirama's eyes, disrupting his own momentum.
Their strength had already differed to begin with, and he had also yielded the initiative…
Tobirama laughed with clear enjoyment. He simply accelerated further, wanting to test the limits of this body.
Black hair and red eyes moved like a specter. Afterimages flashed past the prodigies of the Ninja Academy one after another, as though leaving a streak of black-and-crimson light in the air…
Red marks appeared across the necks of each of his "opponents."
"You all really are quite capable…"
"But you didn't give me much pressure after all."
Tobirama smiled as he looked at the stunned young geniuses of the Ninja Academy.
"After all, I'm a few years older than you. So it's only natural that I'm a bit stronger."
"Nii-san, how can you be this strong…" Shisui looked at Tobirama in shock, his eyes full of confusion and admiration. "Didn't you say you never learned these things?"
"How could I not have learned them?"
Tobirama casually pointed toward the classroom behind him.
"Didn't Clan Head Isshin give me many books? I simply studied from them. With the Sharingan, learning ninjutsu is very easy."
As he spoke, Tobirama released an enormous Great Fireball, which exploded in the sky into bursts like fireworks.
With a flick of his hand, streams of water shot out one after another, precisely extinguishing the scattered flames.
Even though he was now an evil Uchiha…
Tobirama still held himself to the high standards of a Hokage!
What if the scattered flames set a house on fire? Safety had to come first!
Obito stared in a daze and muttered, "Seisui-nii… how many days did it take you to learn a Great Fireball at that level?"
"Two or three days, I suppose. Actually, I already knew it back when I was in Kusagakure. A girl from the Uzumaki Clan taught me…"
Tobirama waved his hand.
"Do you want to learn? I can teach you, Obito."
Obito nodded hurriedly. "Thank you, Seisui-nii!"
"The red-haired one? Brother, I think I saw her. She came to the Ninja Academy yesterday and secretly watched you…"
Shisui leaned closer and whispered: "But Clan Head Isshin secretly told me that it would be best if you found an Uchiha woman. The girls of our clan are more gentle and considerate, and they're very loyal in relationships…"
The corner of Tobirama's mouth twitched.
It was better to focus on doing research properly. Who had the energy to study such meaningless matters?
In this lifetime, he did not want to find a woman, and he certainly would not find an Uchiha woman.
Even someone as strong as Uchiha Izuna—
As far as Tobirama knew, the several women he had been close to were not from the main Uchiha clan…
Because among Uchiha women, it wasn't that there were none who were suited to managing a household, but one was more likely to encounter someone with extremely unstable emotions. If she had talent as well, it would be even more troublesome…
There had been cases where someone awakened the Sharingan after a breakup. Cases where a divorce directly turned into armed conflict could even be found in the records.
Even Hashirama, who liked the Uchiha so much, had never considered forming a marriage alliance with them…
"I don't have time to play romance games. I am someone who has received the village's kindness…"
"Repaying the village's kindness to me comes first."
Tobirama said coldly. Then his tone shifted: "Of course, you are different from me. When you reach the age, you should still fall in love."
Obito nodded thoughtfully, his eyes suddenly lighting up.
That line sounded so cool!
Moreover, he was also someone who had received the village's kindness—the heavy stack of banknotes was not imaginary…
But the problem was…
Obito glanced at Rin and sighed inwardly.
'I really still can't let go! Forget it, I can't completely follow Seisui-nii in this matter. I'll just try not to disappoint the village or Rin!'
Tobirama's performance also shocked many of the Ninja Academy teachers, who began discussing it among themselves.
The name Uchiha Seisui was clearly about to become famous throughout Konoha.
Meanwhile—
Inside the Hokage Building.
Hiruzen looked at the crystal ball on the table and smiled as he thought to himself: 'The old blade is still sharp, sensei…'
'Seeing you get along so happily with those little brats, I feel much more at ease.'
'They are all the village's assets, and also the results of my education. Please help me watch over them for a while!'
Hiruzen planned to visit Tobirama one day.
Then, very casually, he would praise him for being so impressive—defeating so many elite Ninja Academy kids by himself…
Even with Teacher's composure, he would probably feel something subtle in his heart, right?
It would be like the embarrassment of a middle-aged man playing house with a group of children, only to be caught completely immersed in it…
Hiruzen raised two fingers, and two faint whirlwinds gathered at his fingertips.
One was wind. The other was water.
'Two kinds of chakra… how should they be fused together? I couldn't do it before, but now it seems I can sense a faint clue…'
'If only someone could perform it once in front of me… Unfortunately, Konoha has many organ-type bloodline limits, but very few chakra-type ones…'
Thinking of this, Hiruzen felt a strong desire for ninjas from Kirigakure.
There, chakra-type bloodline limits were practically everywhere.
'I've already had those Kirigakure prisoners examined once. None of them had it…'
'The Third Mizukage doesn't seem to be doing anything. He still hasn't sent anyone to retrieve them. Could it be that there's internal turmoil? When the time comes, I'll have to make him pay a sum—otherwise, this place is turning into a pig farm for me…'
Hiruzen thought as he brought the two masses of chakra at his fingertips together.
The chakra emitted a faint buzzing sound.
He was thinking that when two types of chakra fused together, their effect could multiply, and this was called a Bloodline Limit.
When three were fused together, it became a Bloodline Elimination, whose power was astonishing. In the entire shinobi world, there was only Dust Release.
Then what about four types? Five types? Even seven?
Hiruzen pondered silently.
Using Lightning Release Chakra Mode and the Yin Seal to solidify his foundation was one aspect.
But to raise his upper limit, he still had to find ways to develop more "distinctive traits"…
The Hokage was training diligently, but he did not notice one problem.
It was not only him observing Tobirama's performance.
A White Zetsu that had been tailing Obito was also silently watching the scene.
"Oh? This is a new Uchiha. I wonder if he fits Madara-sama's requirements?"
White Zetsu pondered.
"Hmm… probably not. Madara-sama said he should be a bit stupid, but this one looks somewhat clever."
"But he does look like the person Madara-sama often watches… that person's younger brother, right?"
"Well, I should still report it to Madara-sama. That Obito looks too much like an idiot. He might not even know the feeling of needing to poop…"
"I still hope to have a somewhat smarter partner in the future!"
White Zetsu sank into the ground and swiftly swam toward the Mountains' Graveyard.
Madara was reading a newspaper.
Aside from watching "variety programs," this was one of his few hobbies.
The newspaper consisted of various pieces of information White Zetsu had gathered, compiled into an intelligence summary by Black Zetsu.
"Konoha attacking Kusagakure? And they actually took the initiative…"
"Hmph. Now that's a little interesting. But they realized it far too late! If they had followed my path, Konoha would have unified the shinobi world long ago."
Back then, Madara had advised Hashirama to do exactly that.
But Hashirama had refused. On one hand, he did not want to continue the wars. On the other hand, even if the two of them together were invincible on the main battlefield—
If the enemy chose to disperse and launch suicidal attacks against Konoha's mid- and lower-level ninja…
The village would collapse as well.
But Madara had never agreed with that reasoning.
What Hashirama said had some truth to it, but such losses were necessary sacrifices.
They were also meant to prevent even greater casualties in the future.
Just as Madara was muttering to himself about how he had been right—
A White Zetsu slowly emerged, greeting him enthusiastically.
"Madara-sama, reading the newspaper again? I found another candidate, but he isn't stupid—he's actually a bit clever. Do you want to pay attention to him?"
"Does he meet Izuna's… the standards I mentioned?" Madara flipped a page of the newspaper and raised his eyelids slightly.
"Actually, not really…" White Zetsu thought for a moment.
"Then don't waste manpower. Just do as I said. Stop always trying to have your own ideas…"
Madara sighed. "Honestly, there's nothing I can do with useless creatures like you."
White Zetsu made a bitter face. "Understood, Madara-sama…"
"But he looks very much like the person you mentioned… what was it, Izuna or something…"
White Zetsu tried to justify himself, but suddenly saw Madara sit up, his eyes shining with a rare intensity.
"Say that again?!"
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