Chapter 19: Grandfather's Ability
"Heh… I never thought Ruofeng would think so much, just like your mother. She was just as clever when she was young,"
Grandfather chuckled, a gentle smile on his face. He continued, "There are two reasons why no one dares to touch our family's wealth.
The first is the protection of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. You must understand, many of our family's assets were secretly arranged by Uchiha Madara. Most people didn't know about them, but the First Hokage did. After Madara was killed by the First, perhaps out of a sense of responsibility or even guilt, he made sure to look after these assets. He even once met your grandfather. At that time, your grandfather had faked his death and was hiding under a new identity, yet the First still sought him out and spoke certain words. That alone made the prominent clans hesitant to provoke us.
The second reason… is my own ability. You should know, I am also a ninja, one who survived since the Warring States period. Naturally, I possess extraordinary abilities. In fact, this ability has been passed down in our family line. Our clan is small and was weak during the Warring States, but we have a special talent—an extremely strong perceptive ability, combined with stealth. You could say our clan was born to be intelligence operatives. Not many of us are strong in combat, but our ability to sense a person's aptitude allowed our clan to survive for so long.
I can sense a person's physical constitution, mental strength, coordination… Through this unique perceptive ability, we can judge someone's overall potential. Based on this, we can even estimate their future growth and strength.
That is why, every year during ninja recruitment, I would use this ability to assess students' talent, choosing the most gifted to support. Over time, many of these students rose to Konoha's middle ranks. Those in the middle are not easily provoked, and the higher ranks have the First's warning, along with the presence of people like Jiraiya in recent years.
Jiraiya became so powerful not only because of my support, but also because I provided him with Uchiha Madara's battle notes. These notes greatly aided his growth as a ninja. His true rise was also aided by his battles in Mt. Myougi, but this was enough. With the Third Hokage's backing and Jiraiya's strength, even the powerful clans dared not provoke them. You see, when the Third became Hokage, his greatest achievement was smoothing over conflicts between the clans."
Ruofeng swallowed hard, a mix of awe and respect in his gaze. He hadn't expected his grandfather to possess such a hidden influence within Konoha. The middle ranks of the village might seem unremarkable, but they wielded considerable authority. The prominent clans' disciples mostly occupied the upper ranks or the Anbu, while the middle ranks—many of whom had received his grandfather's support—handled most of the village's internal affairs.
In other words, the upper ranks were monopolized by the clans, while the middle ranks were dominated by commoner ninjas. And many of these middle-ranking ninjas had been supported by Ruofeng's grandfather. This ensured the safety and stability of the family's wealth and interests.
Grandfather smiled kindly. "Ruofeng… your talent is exceptional. Among your peers, I have never sensed someone with stronger mental power. Of course, this is only relative to your age group. As you grow, your mental strength will continue to increase. Your physical constitution is also outstanding. Your overall potential even surpasses the Third Hokage when he was your age.
Your mental power is so immense that people might not even believe you're a child. Perhaps this is a gift inherited from your mother—her mental power was naturally strong, though her body was weak. Our clan's abilities focus primarily on mental power. In the coming days, your grandfather will teach you how to use your mental power for perception: to sense the other students in your class, identify the talented ones, and see if you can cultivate future teammates or subordinates."
Ruofeng was momentarily speechless. His grandfather had even thought about class assignments in advance—truly, an old man with experience and wisdom.
⸻
Night fell, and his grandfather departed.
Ruofeng's mind was still brimming with astonishment. He never imagined such secrets existed.
Looking out the window, he murmured, "Incredible… the secret I've been searching for all these years was right here in my bedroom. Could it be that the safest place is also the most dangerous? Heh… my grandfather is truly clever. Today's revelations are like a bolt from the blue: my Uchiha heritage, my grandfather's history, even my grandfather knows the truth about Madara. It seems the world of the Hokage is a complete world. The manga only tells a partial story."
He glanced instinctively toward the corner of the room—the entrance to the secret chamber, the seal already known to him.
Exhaling a sigh, he said, "Better get some sleep. Tomorrow I'll handle the academy matters, and then I can examine these things. As grandfather said, of the scrolls Madara left behind, only the powerful techniques remain. Ordinary ninjutsu likely weren't worth his attention."
Shaking his head, he set the thoughts aside and drifted into slumber.