82 How to Adapt the Will of Fire?

"There's nothing to fear with me here. If anyone objects, let them step forward," Tsunade declared without hesitation.

Kyōichi's qualifications were naturally insufficient.

But still.

What place did qualifications hold in these dire times? With Konoha facing an impending attack from three different ninja villages, naturally, the competent should rise to the occasion. Whoever was capable should step up, if they left it to a bunch of old, spent leaders, they would only be on the backfoot, leading the situation towards a crisis.

"Moreover," Tsunade said, breaking into a smile, "the old man is just paving the way for me, so I can have more power at my disposal. If you do well, things on my end will be much smoother."

Kyōichi was an intelligent man.

Therefore.

Tsunade had no intention of withholding the truth.

To ensure a smooth implementation of Kyōichi's policies, to prevent Konoha from falling into the hands of a group of old men...

She intended to become the Hokage!

"I suspected as much," Kyōichi nodded gently in acknowledgement.

Under normal circumstances, Tsunade could easily take the stage with her qualifications and crush any opposition.

Take Danzo, for example.

Once Tsunade took the helm, he immediately reduced the scale of his operations within the Root and dared not make any further moves.

However.

The situation now was different. Tsunade's hemophobia wasn't cured yet.

Hiruzen hadn't asked, but he must've received enough information from the leaf's intelligence department, combined with the previous information, it wouldn't be hard to guess Tsunade's current state.

Therefore, he had Kyōichi positioned on the eastern front.

Although Tsunade was not happy about it, she didn't have any better alternatives. Suffering from hemophobia, she was destined to stay away from the front lines.

Jiraiya was stationed in the north.

As for Orochimaru...

He most likely harbored his own secrets. Best he clear himself before anything else.

After considering all options, other than Kyōichi, the only option left was Minato Namikaze, but when it came to the Hidden Mist Technique and Water Release jutsus, Kyōichi clearly had a better understanding.

This was also what the Third Hokage considered.

"I will spend some time studying it and try to master that jutsu!" Tsunade declared through gritted teeth.

Kyōichi was bound to go to the front line.

However.

If he could learn the Creation Rebirth technique, his abilities would greatly increase.

Of course.

Besides Creation Rebirth, there were many other ways for Kyōichi to improve.

One was through the system.

During this period, he had received some rewards. Although they were small, the cumulative effect had made his medical Ninjutsu, Water Release, and even his Genjutsu much stronger.

Second was the Rasengan.

He had no intention of directly copying Naruto's Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. Without enough Senjutsu chakra, using Rasenshuriken was courting death. He had his own ideas.

The high-pressure Water Blade combined with the Rasengan.

This technique could be performed together with Water Release Sword Technique. As long as he could master the high-pressure Water Release Sword Technique, the Water Release Rasengan wouldn't be far off.

Third, was the Shikkotsu Forest.

The Slug Sage had a gentle and kind personality. If his body met the required standards, the live slug had already promised to offer its assistance, so there was no need for him to seek it out.

After thinking about it, Kyōichi decided to pursue the first and second strategies simultaneously.

Coincidentally, the Chunin Exam had ended, and Kurenai, Shisui, and Asuma were back on the team.

Three well-nurtured 'fattened sheep' had finally been prepared.

"May I pluck it?" The silence was deafening...

In the woods just beyond the Uchiha clan's domain, Shisui sat facing another individual.

Both were in a rather pitiful state, their bodies covered in wounds. However, it was evident that Shisui's injuries were slightly less severe.

"Why don't you step forward when you have the strength? Don't you want to bring honor to our clan?" the man across Shisui asked.

"Foolish," Shisui coldly responded, "Does our clan need more fame?"

He let out a derisive snort, "Who in the shinobi world doesn't know about us Uchihas? Our glory is not something outsiders can understand. Even if we seized the top spot, it wouldn't change how others view us."

"So you're playing weak?" the teenager, Uchiha Tekka, asked, discontent seeping through his words.

"It's not an act. Gay didn't use his secret technique," Shisui clarified.

"He has a secret technique?"

"Do you know about the Eight Inner Gates? My teacher told me Guy can open these gates, which can instantly multiply his combat power. At that time, he had only opened the first gate."

"What?"

Uchiha Tekka knew about the Eight Inner Gates, but he found it hard to believe. Could it be possible that such a ludicrous character, who looked no more impressive than a clown, possessed such formidable strength?

Impossible!

He sat there stunned for quite some time.

After a while, Shisui noted that Tekka's hostility had vanished.

He smiled for a moment before asking, "Do you know who our greatest enemy is?"

"Of course it's..."

Tekka looked toward the village, wanting to speak but hesitating.

"Do you know that I'm actually following the orders of our clan leader?" Shisui asked.

"That's impossible!"

"You wouldn't understand. There are two factions in the village. One is sympathetic to the Uchihas, while the other wishes us dead. They believe that the best Uchiha is a dead Uchiha, with the leader of the Root as their representative."

Shisui took a moment to ensure they weren't being spied on, then continued speaking.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Our clan leader says we should ally ourselves with the faction that supports us, and bring down the one that views us as enemies. We shouldn't view the entire village as enemies like the elders do. No matter how strong the Uchihas are, we can't stand against the entire Hidden Leaf."

Shisui took a patient, persuasive approach, laying out his reasoning.

Ironically, Tekka had come looking for trouble, suspecting Shisui had thrown the Chunin exam. Yet, after this "discussion," Shisui realized that Tekka, five years his senior, was a perfect subject for his teacher's theory.

And so, their current situation came to be.

In fact, it was relatively easy to convince a child using the teacher's techniques. Tekka ended up utterly bewildered and dazed.

"You might not understand, so let me simplify. If you're facing three people, two wanting to fight you, and one trying to mediate, we don't challenge all three. We ally with the mediator and take down those who want to fight."

"Ah, I see now!" Tekka's face lit up with understanding. It made sense!

"So, what should we do?" Tekka asked.

"Doesn't the Hokage preach about the Will of Fire? We learn! We repackage the Will of Fire slightly so that it's essentially the same, enough to confuse our opponents."

"Right!" Tekka nodded in agreement.

"Also, we should treat the civilians and ninjas from smaller clans better, to let them feel the goodwill of the Uchihas."

"Well... okay," Tekka hesitated for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

"In the end, the most crucial objective was to eliminate Danzō. Only by dealing with him could we, the Uchiha, find a space to survive. Unfortunately, not many recognize the clan leader now..."

"My older brother, I believe we can persuade him."

"There's no rush, let's tend to the injuries first."

It was only at this point that Shisui thought about this, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words. Fortunately, Uchiha Tekka was only ten years old and did not delve too deeply into the matter.

Under Shisui's guidance, Tekka sought treatment from Kurenai.

However, shortly after leaving, he dispatched a shadow clone towards the "Tsunade household"—

He might not find teacher elsewhere, but there was always teacher's shadow clone here.

"Teacher, I need your help. I want to know if there is a way to reframe the Will of Fire, something that we, the Uchiha, can accept... Quickly, it's urgent."