(3673 Words)
...
Tōshirō chuckled lightly.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Nothing... I just hope you remember what I said today very well."
Tōshirō smiled meaningfully.
Tsunade didn't understand and felt confused. "Well, since you want to be a medical ninja, do it well. Even though your abilities could be directed towards something else, it's better than having no direction."
A smile of success appeared on Tōshirō's face as he said, "Do you really think I'll be an honest medical ninja? If that's what you believe, you underestimate me."
Tōshirō began sharing some of his little secrets to bring himself closer to Tsunade and her companions, enhancing his image as someone avoiding responsibility.
Moreover, it's impossible to hide everything. The truth mixed with lies is the hardest to distinguish, and even if discovered someday, he could say it wasn't intentional.
Tsunade: "???"
Tōshirō didn't hesitate to clarify his intentions, saying seriously, "My goal in learning medical ninjutsu is only to gain a superficial knowledge of the basics."
Tsunade started feeling uneasy.
"Because if I excel greatly in this field, I'll bear great responsibilities."
Tsunade didn't understand: "Isn't it good to bear great responsibilities?"
Tōshirō replied seriously, "What's good about it? If I bear great responsibilities, it means I'm important, which means I'll be on the wanted lists of all countries. And I don't want to be constantly hunted and live in fear."
"I've had enough of you."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. At first, she thought Tōshirō might have a chance on the ninja path, but she realized she was wrong.
Tōshirō was proud of his little cunning: "This way, even if I'm forced to become a ninja, I can live a comfortable and safe life. Isn't that clever?"
"I think you're too cunning."
Tsunade sighed and said, "Tōshirō, how far will you go? I think your late grandmother wouldn't be happy to see you like this. She was the true heir to the Will of Fire. You should follow her will and become a distinguished ninja instead of wasting your talents."
When she mentioned his grandmother and the Will of Fire, Tōshirō's expression suddenly changed as if something had angered him. He sharply said, "Enough, don't mention my grandmother to me, and don't talk about the Will of Fire. If I didn't know you, I'd think you were brainwashed. Honestly, I don't value those things."
Tsunade's eyes widened slightly. She couldn't tolerate the insult to the Will of Fire left by her grandfather, making her feel angry.
With a face cold as ice, Tsunade sternly said, "I can't let your words pass without an apology."
"And what will you do?"
"Apologize."
Tōshirō sneered: "What if I don't apologize?"
Tsunade clenched her fist and said sharply, "I'll beat you until you apologize."
"Do you know? In fact, my strength is far greater than you think."
Tōshirō pointed to his forehead with his finger and smiled: "If I want, you won't be able to touch a single hair of mine."
"Well, I've been wanting to see your true strength. I know you haven't shown your real abilities at the Ninja Academy."
The joke and sarcasm in the air suddenly turned into seriousness, and the atmosphere became noticeably tense.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru sensed the danger, realizing a fight might break out. Jiraiya tried to calm the situation, saying, "Tōshirō, that's enough. If you continue, Tsunade will beat you to death."
Tsunade coldly interrupted, "Jiraiya, step aside, or I'll beat you along with Tōshirō. I won't forgive anyone who insults my grandfather's Will."
Jiraiya stepped back silently, noticing that Tsunade was unusually angry.
Orochimaru quietly observed the explosive tension between the two.
Suddenly, Tōshirō smiled.
With a sharp gaze, Tsunade asked him, "Why are you laughing?"
Kizaru sighed and replied, "I envy you because you're well-protected and live in a simple world."
Tsunade: "..."
Tōshirō continued, "You know? At first, I hated your grandfather."
"Hate him!?"
This word shocked the three, unable to understand where this hatred came from.
Tōshirō whispered, "In my grandmother's life, she told me a story. At the beginning of Konoha's founding, when your grandfather allied with the leader of the Uchiha clan at that time, Madara Uchiha, Madara proposed using force to control the world. He believed that peace could be achieved by killing anyone who refused to submit. But your grandfather refused, believing that killing would only lead to more hatred, so the plan was canceled, and Madara chose to trust your grandfather."
Tōshirō added, "But peace was temporary. After Madara's departure and his death in battle, the countries started moving again. My parents died during that period, and then your grandfather passed away. When there was no longer anyone to fear the countries with his power, wars broke out. I watched my relatives get killed one by one. Over time, the voices became fewer..."
Tōshirō laughed bitterly and said, "Do you know why?"
"Why?"
The three silently awaited.
"Because almost everyone died, so there were no more voices. I began to hate your grandfather. Why didn't your grandfather listen to Madara Uchiha at the beginning, unite this world, and kill everyone who opposed? If you fear that hatred will grow, kill everyone, kill all the people, and there will be no hatred. At least, my parents wouldn't have died so quickly."
Tōshirō raised his fist to the sky, clenched it tightly, and his eyes glowed with anger as he shouted hysterically: "Since then, I've been training hard day after day, hoping that one day I could activate the Sharingan. I want this power, to surpass Madara Uchiha, even surpass your grandfather, to become the strongest ninja in the world, and achieve the goal that Madara Uchiha couldn't complete, to make this world free of war. Most importantly, I want to protect my beloved grandmother. But at that time, the unexpected happened..."
As he spoke of that, he seemed to lose all his strength, his shoulders slumped powerlessly, and his eyes filled with tears: "I became alone..."
With tears streaming down his face, Tōshirō felt a power surging into his eyes, where his pupils began to move unnaturally, turning from black to red, as if stained with blood. With this change, a mark resembling a "tomoe" in the shape of a small figure appeared in his eyes.
The three looked at Tōshirō's eyes in astonishment and said, "Tōshirō, your eyes..."
"Sharingan."
Tōshirō raised his right hand to place it on his right cheek, and a bitter smile full of self-mockery appeared on his face as he said, "Funny, isn't it? The power I've dreamed of my whole life, I only obtained it after my grandmother's death. But what's the use now? There's no one left to protect with this power."
As the tears flowed down his face, Tōshirō continued, "After my grandmother's death, a part of my heart died as well... After that, I isolated myself for a long time, and during that long time, I realized one thing."
The three took a deep breath and asked seriously, "What did you realize?"
Tōshirō sighed and replied, "Humans have limits. Even if I become the strongest in the world and achieve peace, once I die, the world will return to what it was. Your grandfather is the living example. When he was alive, the world was at peace, but after his death, wars broke out again. I... don't want to keep trying. No matter what I do, things will return to square one. So, I'll live in the present, and the future no longer concerns me."
The three were deeply affected by his words, realizing at that moment the truth of his feelings.
Tōshirō wiped his tears and smiled bitterly: "I hope you all keep my secret about possessing the Sharingan. Whenever there's a battle, there are casualties. I don't want to feel the pain of loss anymore."
Then he slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they returned to their normal color.
"It's late, you should go to your training with your teacher. I won't bother you anymore."
The three wanted to say something but hesitated, finally letting out a heavy sigh and silently nodding their heads.
In Tōshirō's tear-filled eyes, a hint of slyness flashed, unnoticed.
This way, his character building should be solid now. Revealing the Sharingan was a decision Tōshirō made after deep thought.
As these three continue to grow stronger, and it becomes harder to hide his abilities during constant interaction with them, Tōshirō decided to take the initiative, leaving them with the impression that he became a war-hater due to the death of his loved ones, while also gaining their sympathy and strengthening their bonds.
Tōshirō had always been curious about whether Tsunade had a personal bodyguard assigned to protect her.
Due to his lack of power, Kuzan couldn't detect it.
There was some risk in this decision, but it remained within his control.
This way, Tōshirō would appear as if he hadn't hidden his abilities intentionally, but rather because he was afraid of losing his friends and hated fighting, so he deliberately concealed the Sharingan.
When he reveals the Sharingan later, he will have a noble reason for doing so, which is that he has regained his senses and overcome despair to become a strong heir to the Will of Fire... a character who returns to the right path.
With his connection to the three Sannin and the strength of the Uchiha clan, Tōshirō had no doubt that he would become Hokage.
On a tree that no one noticed, a black cat silently watched Tōshirō's back as he left, its eyes deep and contemplative.
Then, suddenly, there was a "boom" sound, and it transformed into a cloud of white smoke, disappearing with the wind without leaving a trace.
....
"What's the matter? Why do you all look like this today?"
At the appointed time, Sarutobi Hiruzen saw his three students approaching, all of them looking troubled. Even Jiraiya, who was usually the most lively among them, appeared deep in thought.
"Nothing," Tsunade replied dismissively.
But this response only piqued Sarutobi Hiruzen's curiosity further.
As if Orochimaru noticed Sarutobi's thoughts, he spoke up: "Sarutobi-sensei, I have a question I'd like to ask you."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was a little surprised, then said happily, "It's rare for you to ask me something."
Orochimaru asked, "Among the three of us, who has the most chakra?"
"Why are you asking this?"
"Just curious."
Sarutobi Hiruzen showed some surprise, but decided to indulge his student's curiosity: "If we rank you by chakra amount, Jiraiya would be first, followed by Tsunade, then Orochimaru."
"How much more chakra does Jiraiya have compared to us?"
"If we assume your chakra is 1, Tsunade's would be around 1.5, and Jiraiya's would be around 4."
"Does he really have that much chakra?"
Orochimaru smiled bitterly; he hadn't expected that Jiraiya, whom he hadn't paid much attention to, possessed such a large amount of chakra.
Chakra is one of the most important measures of a ninja's strength, so it wasn't surprising that a team consisted of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.
The three were thinking to themselves and whispering, "Just as Tōshirō said."
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought that Orochimaru was upset about having less chakra than the others, so he tried to comfort him: "Orochimaru, your chakra amount is significant compared to your peers. Jiraiya is an exception, and besides, a ninja's strength doesn't rely solely on chakra."
But despite saying this, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that this statement wasn't very defensible. Chakra is extremely important for a ninja and might be the most important factor.
Many aspects of a ninja can be developed through training, but chakra amount is like height; training might increase it a little, but the basic amount is determined at birth, and training can only slightly affect it.
This is also the real reason why Jiraiya was delayed in many areas but eventually caught up in a team of geniuses like Orochimaru and Tsunade.
It wasn't to balance power as some might claim.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Jiraiya and didn't notice any expression of joy on his face. He felt confused; usually, Jiraiya would be happy to hear that he has a large amount of chakra, but he showed no reaction, as if he already knew.
"What's wrong with you all?"
"Nothing, just feeling a bit emotional..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's students were reflecting on what happened with Tōshirō, feeling sorrow for their talented friend who didn't want to become a ninja.
....
On a remote island in the vast ocean south of the Land of Fire.
The Land of Water.
The Hidden Mist Village, known for being surrounded by thick fog year-round due to its location in deep mountains.
Inside a cylindrical building, in a dark room.
A middle-aged man with long, messy black hair slowly opened his eyes, revealing red eyes with three rings of dots around the pupil. If anyone were present, they would have gasped in astonishment, shouting, "Sharingan!"
But what was strange was that his other eye was white, due to blindness, making it appear completely white, sparking curiosity about the identity of this man.
"Meow... meow..."
With two meows, a black cat emerged from a dark corner, quickly leaping into the man's lap. The man placed his hand on the cat's head, not to pet it, but to examine its memories. After a while, his lips moved, and a dark, twisted smile appeared on his face: "Uchiha Tōshirō..."
To others, it was clear that this smile concealed a conspiracy, enough to make them shudder with fear.
"You seem very happy, former Mizukage, or rather, Madara..."
Suddenly, another voice was heard in the room.
A middle-aged man with long, straight black hair emerged from the shadows with quiet steps, his eyes closed, and his features distinctive.
He was the Third Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village. His presence here was intriguing, but compared to the man named Madara before him, the position of the Third Mizukage seemed less significant.
Because this man bore a name known to all, Uchiha...
And his full name was Uchiha Madara, the legendary warrior who was equal to the First Hokage.
After being defeated by Hashirama, Madara disappeared to investigate the secrets of the inscriptions in the Uchiha Temple.
He chose the Land of Water as his hiding place.
This place, located in the middle of the sea and surrounded by perpetual fog, far from the continent and isolated from the world, was perfect for hiding.
During the Five Kage Summit, there were guards accompanying them for protection, and after the death of the First Mizukage, these guards became the Second Kage, except for one: the current Third Mizukage, who lost the competition for the position of Second Mizukage to Hōzuki Gengetsu and held this grudge in his heart.
Madara saw this resentment in his eyes and secretly approached him, promising to help him become the Third Mizukage in exchange for his assistance in gathering information, which the Third Mizukage quickly agreed to.
And the Third Mizukage didn't have the power to refuse.
The elements of water and fire have always clashed, and the Uchiha clan is known for their mastery of fire techniques. Now, the strongest member of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Madara, had taken control of the leader of the ninja excelling in water techniques, becoming the hidden hand that ruled the Hidden Mist Village, creating a deep irony.
Madara growled lowly, as if his mood had soured after being interrupted, and said with a blank expression, "Why have you come to me?"
The Third Mizukage laughed and said, "Nothing important, I just wanted to inform you that the level of students in this batch has reached the highest level thanks to your suggestion. The Daimyo of the Land of Water has praised this system that reduces military spending while maintaining combat strength."
"This was expected."
Madara showed no interest in this news; he had been confident in the success of this plan from the start.
After all, the graduation of this batch was different from the usual, as the students had to kill their comrades to graduate.
So, everyone trained with all their might to survive.
In his eyes, hundreds of weak ninja were of little value compared to one elite ninja.
This idea came from Madara's experience when he killed his friend to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. He believed that feeling pain early on is what causes a ninja to grow quickly.
When Madara first proposed this policy, he faced intense resistance from the Hidden Mist Village led by the Second Mizukage. But in the face of the power of the Uchiha's eyes, it wasn't a problem. Madara used the Sharingan to control the Second Mizukage and force him to comply.
However, the strong ninja in the Hidden Mist Village were not fools. They quickly realized that something strange was happening. To eliminate this problem once and for all, Madara sent the Second Mizukage into a deadly battle with the Second Tsuchikage.
This incident became a mystery between the two nations, as the geographical location of the Land of Water and the Land of Earth is very far apart, with a vast distance of tens of thousands of kilometers between them, and the Land of Fire situated in between. There was no geopolitical reason for two rational leaders to engage in a personal battle that would weaken the strength of both countries.
But since both leaders were already dead, there was no need for further investigation, so the two nations continued to focus on the arms race as a priority.
At the same time, Madara was planning to inquire with the Third Mizukage about information regarding the Sage of the Six Paths.
According to the information on the stone tablet, Madara had acquired Hashirama's cells and implanted them in his body, and by combining them with the Eternal Sharingan, he was supposed to evolve into the Rinnegan. But over time, there were no signs of change, causing him to doubt the secrecy of the stone tablet.
So, he could no longer wait. He had to move and search for more information about the Sage of the Six Paths to verify the truth of what was written on the stone tablet.
At the same time, he had to leave behind many backup plans; the more pieces in his game, the better to achieve his dream.
"Sorry..."
The Third Mizukage didn't dare to look into Madara's soul-devouring eyes, as Madara's power during the strong wars era had left such a strong impression that he couldn't resist.
Madara closed his eyes as if he were contemplating something, and after a moment of silence, he slowly opened his eyes and said, "In the future, I may have to leave this place..."
"Leave? Where will you go?" The Third Mizukage asked in surprise.
Madara stared at the Third Mizukage with blood-red eyes, as if his eyes were asking, "Are you trying to discover my location?"
The Mizukage immediately shut his mouth and didn't dare to say more.
Madara felt satisfied with his reaction and uttered two words: "Konoha."
He told the Third Mizukage this to communicate with him in the future, as he might need their cooperation to execute his plan.
The Third Mizukage's eyes widened slightly as if trying to shake off the fear he had felt earlier, and with great effort, he forced a simple smile and said, "Well, Hashirama is no longer here, and there is no one left to stand in your way. The Hokage position should be yours now. I can't imagine Tobirama's reaction when he sees you alive. His expression must be incredible."
Madara stared at the Third Mizukage with dark, ominous eyes and said, "The position of Hokage is trivial to me."
Then he closed his eyes again, as if he had no desire to talk further. The Third Mizukage understood the cue and carefully left the room, leaving Madara alone.
After he left, Madara was alone in the room. He quietly opened his mouth and began to whisper the name of the dear friend he had lost in the past.
His friend's way had failed, and now it was Madara's turn to try his own way.
He would erase all wars from this world and ensure that everyone lives in happiness.
Under the control of the "Infinite Tsukuyomi....."
.....
"Achoo!"
After school, Tōshirō suddenly sneezed, then rubbed his nose and said, "Strange, why did I sneeze all of a sudden? Is the little girl in class thinking about me?"
Tōshirō always had a knack for enjoying his time, and with the blood-red sunset, his slender shadow appeared as he walked through the streets. He saw a group of girls talking loudly, but he couldn't hear what they were saying.
One of the blonde girls, whom Tōshirō recognized, was Tsunade. Unlike him, Tsunade had a much larger social circle.
When Tsunade noticed Tōshirō's presence, she made an excuse to leave the other girls and approached Tōshirō, who seemed hesitant as if he wanted to say something.
"Is there something you want to tell me?"
Since that incident, it seemed like a thick barrier had been built between them, and they hadn't spoken in a while.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have said those words to you last time."
"What words? I've already forgotten."
Tōshirō smiled naively, and Tsunade understood that she was giving him a chance to make things right.
"Extend your index finger and ring finger."
"Why?"
"Just do what I ask, why so many questions? Do you want me to punch you?"
Although Tsunade was known for her violent temper, Tōshirō found it endearing. Sometimes, he thought he was teasing her a bit, which made him feel guilty about her innocent feelings.
Tōshirō extended his index and ring fingers.
After a moment, he felt warmth fill his fingers.
Tsunade's fingers intertwined with Tōshirō's in a gesture of reconciliation.
"Tsunade..."
"Don't do it again."
In an unnoticed shadowy corner, a black cat licked its paw and watched the two with its eyes.
(End of Chapter)
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