Along the way, Genji had been thinking about why Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted these few Kirigakure prodigies stationed in the Ninja Academy as sparring partners for those children, and why he had agreed to exchange intelligence with Kirigakure on such cheap terms...
Did he want to quietly keep these geniuses for himself?
The possibility was not high.
Konoha had just carried out a special military operation against Kusagakure. Even if it stood on the side of righteousness, it had still aroused the vigilance and wariness of the other four great hidden villages.
If they forcibly abducted all of Kirigakure's little prodigies...
Compared to the backlash to their reputation, it would absolutely not be worth the loss.
In the shinobi world, there were many villages that hated one another, but they all had one thing in common.
They all coveted Konoha's land, and they all feared the foundations Konoha possessed in the Senju and Uchiha...
If they could launch a plundering attack against Konoha, no hidden village would be able to resist that temptation.
So in Genji's view, Konoha's so-called peaceful stance was also just a disguise to protect itself...
After all, every time a shinobi war broke out, the first move of all the hidden villages was always to besiege Konoha.
If Konoha could hold out, then once the fragile alliance cracked apart, they would descend into a chaotic free-for-all.
That had been the case in the first two wars, and it would probably be the same afterward...
So after thinking it over again and again, and combining the current state of Hiruzen and Danzō's infighting with Konoha's chaotic power-sharing structure through the Konoha Committee, Genji finally reached a conclusion...
Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to use shinobi from other hidden villages to decorate his image as Hokage!
Including the war against Kusagakure—it had also been an outward venting made necessary by internal contradictions that were already on the verge of exploding...
The logic all held together, which was why he was willing to do such a losing deal with Kirigakure...
Based on that, Genji did not intend to have these Kirigakure prodigies carry out any extra actions, such as gathering intelligence.
If they got returned, the loss would be enormous...
Hyūga Hizashi's pair of Byakugan had left a deep impression on Genji.
He did not think Kirigakure's prodigies could escape Hizashi's x-ray vision.
Outside the Ninja Academy.
Before Genji.
Terumī Mei, Kisame, "Snow," and Kaguya Nakamaro stood in a row, listening to his instructions.
"After discussion, it has been decided that you will remain in Konoha for one year and carry out a one-year exchange assignment."
"During this period, you will be responsible for training Konoha Ninja Academy students in practical combat ability, while Konoha will provide the village with important intelligence..."
"The Mizukage-sama will see your contributions."
"You need only carry out your assignment properly. Do not engage in any unnecessary behavior. Return to the village after one year and report then. The Mizukage-sama places great importance on Konoha's intelligence summaries regarding the other hidden villages."
"Put real effort into it. If Konoha is dissatisfied with you, that would be the same as interfering with the Mizukage-sama!" Genji said in a deep voice.
Mei, Kisame, and the others exchanged glances, somewhat dumbfounded.
That was not what had been said when they came here.
Hadn't the plan been to give Konoha's prodigies a show of force? How had it turned into leaving them here in the blink of an eye?
For a whole year, at that!
Not only that, they even had to cooperate with Konoha?
They did not even need to do any espionage work...
"Have we been exiled here?" Nakamaro rubbed his brow, his voice low.
Genji dangerously narrowed his eyes.
"This is for a greater Kirigakure! The Kaguya Clan and the Hyūga Clan will serve as the two villages' point of communication. Being able to work for the Mizukage-sama is something you should regard as an honor."
Nakamaro let out a helpless sigh.
Before this, he would only let out excited, crazed chuckles, but after being in Konoha for less than an hour, his madness had already eased slightly...
He wanted to go back to Kirigakure!
In Kirigakure, even if the shinobi were vicious, they still fought each other head-on with blades and taijutsu...
It was all real steel and real combat, and even if they had foul mouths, they generally did not come at you trying to kill you right away...
Who fought like Uchiha En—ambushing people and then trying to kill them outright?
Inside that illusion, his arm had been cut off over and over again an unknown number of times, and the pain had felt abnormally real, practically no different from reality...
"We'll work seriously for the Mizukage-sama!"
Mei said loudly, "Please rest assured!"
This assignment was actually not bad for her...
Mei was very interested in Konoha's prosperous commerce, so she could just treat it as traveling abroad...
At the side, "Snow" also nodded and said, "I will follow your orders, Genji-sama."
For "Snow," whose clansmen had all been persecuted, being anywhere was better than going back to that dreadful Bloody Mist Village.
Only Kisame nodded in silence.
At present, he was still a hardline Kirigakure man who held extremely high expectations for the village.
In his view, although the Third Mizukage was killing some of his own people, as Genji had said, it was like cutting away diseased flesh to save the whole body. Once he returned, Kirigakure was sure to undergo major change...
Carrying out an assignment in Konoha suited him well enough. Out of sight, out of mind. When he returned, he would get to enjoy an improved Kirigakure.
"Good..."
"Take this money and use it." Genji took out a stack of banknotes and handed it out to the four of them. "An agreement has already been reached with the Hokage regarding lodging. You'll be housed in the Uchiha clan district."
Nakamaro's arm ached instinctively, and his face turned a little bitter.
"I'm warning you, Nakamaro. The mission has changed now..."
"Do not kill or injure Konoha shinobi. You must both display Kirigakure's bearing and put on a show of friendliness..."
"But remember this: Kirigakure and Konoha may not remain friends forever!" Genji's voice was hoarse and low.
Still, it was only a warning.
Genji did not think those four would come to like Konoha, and even if any of them really did develop such thoughts...
They still had to think about their families, didn't they?
Nakamaro, Mei, and "Snow"—those three all had roots they could not simply abandon.
As for the remaining Kisame, he was someone Genji trusted a great deal.
"All right, get ready to go in. One year from now, I will personally submit your promotion reports and celebrate your merits!"
With a wave of his hand, Genji walked into the Ninja Academy.
And the moment he entered, he was quite astonished.
Why was Konoha's Ninja Academy so large?
Compared with Kirigakure, its configuration and facilities could be described as luxurious and extravagant...
'Sarutobi Hiruzen really does have some skill... No wonder he could still sit in the Hokage's seat after that terrible performance in the Second Shinobi War, all while fighting Danzō and presiding over this kind of power-sharing mess.'
'So this is what it means to know how to make money!'
'Knowing how to make money is good. They're rich enough to drip oil. It makes a man want to take a bite...'
A bright gleam appeared in Genji's eyes.
For a Kage, being able to make money was naturally impressive...
But if it could not be converted into combat strength, then it was meaningless.
In Genji's mind, that was the true difference between Kirigakure and Konoha: Kirigakure hoarded weapons, while Konoha hoarded wealth.
'Sarutobi Hiruzen doesn't understand one principle. We in Kirigakure are not the same—we've been infighting from the Second Mizukage's time until now, for decades...'
'A village with scattered hearts, no matter how well supplied it is, may not be able to bring out even half its strength...' Genji thought to himself darkly.
This was also one of the lessons Kirigakure had learned over the years.
No matter how many bloodlines, ninja swords, and suitable tailed beasts it possessed, if they could not be forged into a single whole, it was all for nothing.
It was not that Genji was shortsighted.
Rather, Konoha's framework—which looked dispersed but was actually centralized—along with Danzō's skilled and polished performance, plus the ingrained inertia of Genji's native Kirigakure way of thinking, led this Warring States-era strategist into a deeply self-consistent misjudgment.
'The Uchiha even dare to call Sarutobi Hiruzen their brother—how interesting!'
'They openly use force against shinobi from another village in the village itself, but there's no way the Uchiha Clan could enjoy that level of trust in Konoha. This is a grave challenge to the Hokage's authority...'
'Sarutobi Hiruzen is Senju Tobirama's disciple. He would never dare delegate power to the Uchiha, so the truth must be that he can no longer control the Uchiha Clan...'
Genji had once again found what he considered ironclad proof that Konoha would fall into internal turmoil.
The logic of that point also ran smoothly, stemming from stereotyped impressions of Senju Tobirama and the Uchiha.
It also came from a misunderstanding of Sarutobi Hiruzen...
Genji had not expected that within the village, Hiruzen usually referred to himself as the First Hokage's disciple, only occasionally mentioning Tobirama...
'Indulging in comfort, living too much at ease—shinobi like these may seem like elites, but once they set foot on a battlefield, they'll be exposed. They've never experienced the pressure of hovering on the edge between life and death.'
Genji swept his gaze across the academy's equipment, feeling more and more pleased.
These Ninja Academy students actually had smiles on their faces...
What kind of nonsense was this? They did not have even the slightest proper understanding or awareness expected of shinobi...
Once they stepped onto a battlefield and ran into a formidable shinobi, the pressure alone would probably make them collapse on the spot.
Once the Third Mizukage finished straightening out internal affairs, Genji had already made up his mind.
He would definitely persuade the Mizukage to stab Konoha in the back and take a big bite before all the other hidden villages could!
Looting the spoils of war was also one of Kirigakure's old traditions.
The mutual destruction of Hōzuki Gengetsu and Mū had happened over nothing more than a bit of war loot...
What Genji did not know, however, was this—on average, Konoha's Ninja Academy children had to undergo a severe test once every two months, courtesy of a certain blond Flying Thunder God user who did not wish to be named...
Minato was even planning to use a kunai instead of lipstick, striving to give the Ninja Academy elites the most realistic experience possible—letting them feel the chill of a blade brushing the hairs at their throats.
And doing that would also help him control the precision of his Flying Thunder God teleportation. The hand had to be accurate.
So the next time Minato came to the academy, Tsunade would accompany him.
As long as he did not spill anyone's guts or shatter their internal organs, nothing serious would happen.
And now, there was also one more person—"Seisui"...
The reason the academy children liked to smile, besides their improved material conditions, was that sometimes it was simply a necessary release after taking pressure to the limit...
"Hokage-sama, you've arrived."
"To be frank with you, although these children are not the very best our Kirigakure has to offer, every one of them possesses some special skill. Having them accompany your village's Ninja Academy students in practical combat will still be very easy!"
The moment he saw Hiruzen approaching, Genji smiled brightly.
He could already see the future where Hiruzen and Konoha were defeated...
"Rather than exchange pleasantries, why not let them each display their skills?"
Genji lowered his voice.
"If things turn ugly, it would be bad for appearances. I say this out of consideration for your authority. Presumably, you must be the headmaster of the Ninja Academy..."
"I have already instructed them to work here peacefully for Konoha. We will not contact them, but I ask that Hokage-sama allow the Kaguya and the Hyūga to maintain communication as our intelligence bridge."
Hiruzen blinked.
He had the distinct sense that Genji was thinking some very impolite thoughts.
But he did not pay it much mind.
When it came to Konoha's own shinobi, Hiruzen could more or less guess what they were thinking, since he knew them well...
But figuring out what lunatics from another village were thinking was asking a bit much of him.
Shinobi, on average, were all in beautiful mental condition, and there were all kinds of madmen and obsessives among them...
Especially relics from the Warring States era, who were even more likely to produce masters of madness.
"Of course, of course!"
And as soon as Hiruzen appeared, he was immediately met with cheers from the Ninja Academy students. The children all rushed over at once, hopping and bouncing as they greeted the Hokage, some even raising both hands high in celebration.
'As expected, he likes doing this kind of useless work...'
'The situation is already at the brink, and he's still fooling children just to prove he has the people's support...' Genji began analyzing again.
In his line of reasoning, the indulgence shown to the Uchiha, the power-sharing of the Konoha Committee, and Danzō's attitude had already defined Hiruzen's position as Hokage as precarious in the extreme.
Everything else was just a disguise!
"The village and Kirigakure have currently signed an exchange agreement."
"These four Kirigakure shinobi will be living and interacting with all of you here at the Ninja Academy from now on."
Hiruzen said leisurely, "Everyone, welcome them."
The shinobi students hesitated somewhat. They were not the innocent little fools Genji had imagined.
On the contrary, in the academy's advanced classes, several parents from the Nara Clan analyzed the state of the shinobi world for the children and explained the course of the shinobi wars, so the children's understanding of shinobi from other villages was actually quite solid.
Of course, while doing so, they also subtly raised the Hokage's prestige, telling the children how precious life in Konoha was...
The applause that rang out was still quite loud.
After all, it was Hiruzen's request.
Danzō stood beside Hiruzen without saying a word.
He was thinking about why Hiruzen had made that kind of promise to the Uchiha...
At first, he had not understood it.
Shouldn't Uchiha Madara have been beaten to death with a single stick? Even if the First Hokage, before his death, had emphasized that they should not do that.
But that was Uchiha Madara!
Besides, wasn't it better to keep the Uchiha burdened forever with that heavy weight, so they could be suppressed more easily?
Danzō could not understand what Hiruzen and Tobirama were trying to accomplish together...
By folding Madara's name into the Will of Fire, the so-called will of Madara would completely dissolve within the Uchiha, never to revive again.
And interestingly enough, Danzō suddenly thought he understood, much like Genji's own wild conjectures...
'I see. This is just dangling bait in front of the Uchiha Clan!'
'Letting them chase after it like donkeys turning a millstone, forever straining after a carrot they'll never be allowed to eat...'
Having "figured it out," Danzō smacked his lips inwardly.
As expected of the man who had inherited their teacher's will—his sinister side might even surpass that of Danzō himself, the Darkness of the Shinobi!
Mei and the others stepped into the middle of the training ground and bowed to the Konoha Ninja Academy students as well.
Mei was two or three years older than Kakashi and the others.
Kisame was the same, but because of his special shark-man bloodline, he looked like an adult...
When he told people his age as a child, he would always get suspicious looks.
As for "Snow" and Nakamaro, both were around fourteen or fifteen years old.
"My chakra reserves are relatively large, and I specialize in Water Release," Kisame introduced himself tersely.
"I possess a dual Kekkei Genkai, with Boil Release and Lava Release..." Mei noticed Genji giving her a signal and immediately understood. "Let me demonstrate them for everyone..."
Mei gathered chakra.
She exhaled a small amount of white mist, and the moment that mist touched the ground, it showed the corrosiveness of acid.
Then the white mist from her mouth changed into an orange-red liquid, which likewise displayed a powerful corrosive effect.
"So strong..."
Kakashi's gaze sharpened. Lava Release did not concern him that much, but Boil Release was rather frightening.
In an enclosed space, the lethality of Boil Release would rise exponentially.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, smiling inwardly.
That was also why he wanted these Kirigakure prodigies to remain in Konoha.
Kirigakure was famed for bloodlines, and the prodigies it sent for exchanges had a high probability of possessing Kekkei Genkai.
And just like that, there were two of them at once.
'That kind of chakra composition... Boil Release is fire and water; Lava Release is fire and earth...'
'The ratio is roughly three to one, and the chakra framework is a lattice-like fusion...' In Hiruzen's eyes, it was as if he could directly see the composition of Boil Release and Lava Release.
He was gradually analyzing the chakra ratios and the method by which they were fused together.
If he did not fully grasp it in one viewing, it did not matter. He could use the crystal ball back in his office and watch it slowly.
Hiruzen had even developed a "recording" function for the Crystal Ball Technique...
"I possess the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai."
"Snow" gave a slight bow. "Please take care of me!"
He lifted a hand, and an ice pillar rose from the ground.
Hiruzen's eyes lit up.
What he had recently been getting a feel for was precisely the fusion of water- and wind-attribute chakra...
And upon seeing "Snow's" Ice Release, Hiruzen's understanding of the fusion of water and wind chakra immediately found reference points for several areas where he had previously been unable to make progress.
'I've got it...' Hiruzen rubbed his fingertips together.
A trace of frost appeared on them, though no one noticed.
"I possess the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai..." Nakamaro pulled a bone from his shoulder. He had originally wanted to enjoy the fear this would evoke in the Ninja Academy students.
But to his surprise, Kakashi and the others looked completely normal. They were only somewhat taken aback.
That was because Orochimaru had come to teach the academy students the previous week.
In order to give the children a truly worthwhile lesson—and to make sure they would not be rattled by bizarre and grotesque jutsu in the future—Orochimaru had demonstrated a little "a snake spits me out, and I spit out a snake."
Even the attacks of dozens of elite academy students had been unable to do any real damage to him.
And that kind of jutsu, which should have shredded people's composure—
under Orochimaru's deeply charismatic explanation, the children's negative impression of it had instead vanished...
It was all for Konoha that Orochimaru-sama used such jutsu! Orochimaru-sama did not want to do that either!
"Hokage-sama, please look after our Kirigakure shinobi. In one year, we'll send people to bring them back..."
Genji nodded in satisfaction and took his leave of Hiruzen.
The Ninja Academy students also crowded around, commenting on the traces left by Boil Release, Ice Release, and Lava Release.
And among them, the beautiful Ice Release drew especially strong interest from the children.
"Ice Release, formed from the fusion of two chakra attributes, is indeed more powerful than the ordinary five basic releases..."
Asuma looked at the ice pillar, his expression solemn.
"It has both the piercing nature of Wind Release and the defensive quality of Water Release. Not even Father can do that—he can only use compound jutsu in place of actual attribute fusion."
"Indeed, jutsu of the Kekkei Genkai can't even be copied by the Sharingan..." Obito and Shisui also came over, the two of them staring with their single-tomoe Sharingan.
It was worth mentioning that because Obito kept showing off his Sharingan and boasting that he was Seisui's more outstanding little brother, he had annoyed the good-tempered Shisui so much that Shisui had awakened his own as well...
Tobirama, too, had his two-tomoe Sharingan active as he looked at the traces left behind by those three Kekkei Genkai.
He did not feel threatened by them at all. He only felt some regret.
Just as some shinobi, no matter how strong they were, still could not learn the Flying Thunder God Technique...
Even though Tobirama possessed all seven chakra natures, he likewise could not fuse them.
A person's talents sometimes could not be broken through by effort acquired later in life...
"It seems everyone is very interested in Ice Release..."
A thought stirred in Hiruzen's mind, and he walked forward smiling.
Although it did occasionally snow in Konoha, large-scale ice sculptures were rare.
Especially when creations made with Ice Release were so unusually clear and beautiful, it was only natural that they would attract attention.
"You've all been training very hard lately..."
"We can't help it, Father. That blond guy said he's coming next month to give us practical combat training!" Asuma sighed and said worriedly, "We can only work overtime trying to think of something, but luckily Seisui-nii is here now!"
Hiruzen laughed heartily. "Boy, don't call him 'that blond guy' in front of me. You should call him Minato-senpai..."
Hiruzen rapped Asuma on the head.
"Got it, Father..." Asuma said sullenly.
"Children, all of you have worked hard in your training lately..."
Hiruzen said with a smiling expression, "Would you like to have a good, carefree time playing in an ice amusement park?"
"Yes!" the Ninja Academy students replied enthusiastically.
At the side, "Snow" turned pale.
How could he possibly have enough chakra to build an ice amusement park large enough for so many people to play in?
"Child, don't be nervous. With your body, trying to do something like that would wear you out..." Hiruzen glanced at "Snow" and said gently.
"Snow" relaxed inwardly. He had thought that on his very first day in Konoha, he was about to be mercilessly squeezed dry...
"Now that you're in Konoha, you'll follow Konoha's rules. But accordingly, Konoha will also take care of you."
Hiruzen said slowly, "Go along with them later as well. Get to know Konoha's shinobi. Perhaps you can become very good friends."
"Snow" nodded, not understanding.
Did Konoha actually have something like an ice amusement park?
The Ninja Academy students at the side were also a bit confused, and even Tobirama was somewhat puzzled.
If Hiruzen had specifically set up something like that, then it would be leaning a bit too far into entertainment...
Hot springs and movie theaters were already enough.
"All right, be careful to lift your feet in a moment. Don't let them freeze to the ground."
Hiruzen exhaled a long breath.
Frost spread outward from him in an instant, sweeping across the earth, covering it in a gleaming white layer of ice, extending inch by inch for dozens of meters.
Hiruzen raised a hand.
The ice layer shook with a thunderous rumble, and a giant ice slide rose up from the ground, winding and stretching as it climbed, its surface lightly carved with Konoha's crest.
Transparent swings hung down in midair, and ice walls crisscrossed into a maze.
An ice amusement park took shape in the blink of an eye!
Danzō stared at Hiruzen in utter disbelief.
Even Tobirama cast him a shocked look...
Since when had Hiruzen learned Ice Release?
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