"Hard to say…"
Hiruzen smiled as he responded to Asuma's question.
"You think this is like learning ordinary Five Nature Transformations? Your old man doesn't have that kind of terrifying talent…"
Asuma nodded thoughtfully.
But Danzō remained highly alert—he could smell the scent of "feigning weakness" in it…
From Danzō's perspective, Hiruzen's credibility regarding his own strength was nearly depleted. He was no longer trustworthy!
"The same Kekkei Genkai can manifest in different forms…"
"Take Boil Release, for example. That girl from Kirigakure displayed corrosive properties."
"And as for 'Han' from Iwagakure, according to intelligence reports, his Boil Release manifests as high-temperature steam—both lethal and capable of enhancing speed and strength."
The Ninja Academy students listened intently. Getting to hear the Hokage analyze ninjutsu was a rare opportunity.
"Hokage-sama, could you demonstrate the process of chakra fusion for us? Please!"
Hiruzen smiled and raised two fingers.
On his fingertips, Water and Fire attribute chakra ignited.
"If you plan to attempt this, do not try it before you can manipulate chakra shape outside your body."
"While performing it internally is easier, the failure rate of chakra fusion is extremely high—it can cause internal injuries."
Hiruzen warned the students, "Remember this well!"
The students obediently nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Under Hiruzen's control, the water and fire chakra split into countless fine threads, forming something like a spiderweb.
Red and blue strands intertwined, emitting a sizzling sound.
"What exquisite chakra shape transformation!"
Kakashi couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "Just this step alone is already beyond us."
Asuma also nodded solemnly—he had thought you just needed to make the two chakra masses touch each other…
"You need to maximize the contact surface between the two chakras, to feel both the conflict and the fusion…"
Hiruzen explained, "This requires thousands of attempts. And even then, repetition alone might not yield insight—it's a matter of both effort and luck…"
Suddenly, the red-and-blue web of chakra became unstable.
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. He pulled back slightly, condensing it into a single mass.
Boom!
The chakra sphere exploded.
"This is why you must not attempt it inside your body. Your internal organs are fragile."
"Father, can you try one more time?" Asuma asked expectantly.
Not because he expected Hiruzen to succeed…
But because the sheer precision of breaking chakra into fine threads and manipulating it at that level was already astonishing—truly master-level.
To exaggerate a bit, just watching this could slightly improve one's chakra control…
"Then I'll try again."
Hiruzen smiled gently. "Do you want to see? It'll still fail, so don't laugh at me!"
The students burst into applause.
No one expected Hiruzen to successfully form another Kekkei Genkai—that would be absurd…
They simply wanted to witness top-tier chakra control once more.
Again, Hiruzen stretched the two chakra masses into a web and connected them…
At the same time, he continued explaining the details and principles of chakra control to the students.
It was as if the Hokage had come to the academy personally to teach an advanced lesson.
"Hm?" Hiruzen suddenly felt something stir.
He had caught a trace of that feeling—the sensation of fusion!
Hiruzen focused completely. The net-like water and fire chakra intertwined more and more tightly, gradually transforming into a pale, mist-like state.
Danzō stared in shock.
Even Senju Tobirama unconsciously activated his two-tomoe Sharingan.
But Hiruzen had no time to care about their reactions.
What he had said before—about needing repeated attempts and seizing inspiration—was true.
It wasn't modesty.
It was like scratching lottery tickets.
There's a guaranteed win somewhere in ten thousand tickets.
You might win on the first, or only on the last—it depends heavily on timing and luck.
And right now—
Hiruzen felt that he was about to hit the jackpot on his second try!
The tomoe in Shisui's and Obito's eyes slowly rotated. Neither dared to breathe.
Through the Sharingan, they saw the water and fire chakra fusing ever more closely—almost becoming one.
The Ninja Academy students also began to sense something was about to happen.
And so, in the vast Ice Release playground, hundreds of students and teachers all fell into absolute silence.
You could hear a pin drop.
Only the sound of chakra colliding and fusing in Hiruzen's hands remained…
Moments later—
Even Hiruzen showed a look of surprise as he gazed at the chakra sphere in his hand.
He exhaled softly.
The chakra expanded outward, transforming into a dense acidic mist that corroded the icy ground…
Boil Release—completed!
"Hokage-sama! Hokage-sama! Hokage-sama!"
The silence shattered instantly as cheers erupted, loud enough to pierce the heavens. The students jumped and shouted in celebration.
"Father… didn't you say… didn't you say you didn't have that kind of terrifying talent?"
Asuma muttered, "How can you even lie to your own son?!"
Tobirama let out a long breath.
He actually agreed with what Hiruzen had said…
Objectively speaking, even with profound mastery over the Five Nature Transformations and a high sensitivity to fusion—
It should be impossible to replicate a Kekkei Genkai just by seeing it once.
This really was Hiruzen's luck—he had just happened to catch that spark of insight on his second attempt and mastered Boil Release in one go.
Tobirama himself had experienced similar situations while researching forbidden techniques.
He had created a prototype of Impure World Reincarnation after only a few tries, yet spent ten years developing Flying Thunder God despite having a clearer direction.
But luck is also part of strength…
'This moment will be deeply etched into these children's hearts. As long as Hiruzen doesn't make any major mistakes, his authority in this generation will surpass even that of previous Hokage…'
The children could understand the First Hokage's power and the Second Hokage's intellect…
But those came from textbooks.
They were nothing compared to witnessing it in person.
No matter how much the books emphasized that Hashirama's Wood Release could destroy the world—it was still just words…
But seeing foreign ninjas display three Kekkei Genkai, and then the Hokage immediately replicate two of them—
This would become a legendary story told in the academy for the next ten years.
Tobirama could even imagine these children telling the story to their own kids in the future…
"Hiruzen, you really are… really are…" Danzō was speechless.
You've completely thrown away your dignity, haven't you? Even your last bit of credibility is gone!
Thinking about how his own Wind Release Chakra Mode had only just begun to show some progress, Danzō felt utterly frustrated.
Sage of Six Paths above—how is this fair?
"Old friend, this really was luck. I don't know if you'll believe me…"
Hiruzen said sincerely, "Look—I tried Lava Release just now and didn't feel anything at all!"
"If you had succeeded with Lava Release too, I'd start suspecting you're the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths…" Danzō took a deep breath. He didn't want to talk to Hiruzen anymore.
He needed some peace.
"Hokage-sama, you… you're amazing! Could you give me an autograph?"
Obito rushed up to Hiruzen, blushing, his face full of admiration.
"My grandmother always praises you, saying you're a great Hokage who truly embodies the Will of Fire…"
"I admire you too. Today is my grandmother's birthday, and I… I was hoping you could sign something for her. She'd be really happy!"
Obito finished awkwardly and bowed deeply.
Hiruzen smiled.
What an interesting little Uchiha…
"As for an autograph—let's skip that."
Obito looked slightly disappointed as he raised his head—
Only to find Hiruzen pulling him closer, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Kid, smile!"
Obito instinctively grinned.
An ice mirror formed in front of them.
With a tap of Hiruzen's finger, the image on the mirror was instantly fixed by chakra.
The entire mirror then shrank, condensing into a framed picture—the two of them together.
"I reinforced it with fūinjutsu. It won't melt…"
Hiruzen handed the ice photo frame to Obito and said softly, "Happy birthday to your grandmother. She's very lucky to have such a thoughtful grandson."
Obito stared blankly at Hiruzen, his face turning bright red, as if it had been steamed.
"Alright, go have fun…"
Hiruzen patted Obito's spiky hair and disappeared instantly.
He needed to hurry back and solidify his grasp of Boil Release.
Danzō might misunderstand and think his talent was unmatched—
But Hiruzen himself wouldn't deceive himself.
This time, luck allowed him to succeed on the second attempt. That didn't mean the next Kekkei Genkai would come so easily.
He might get stuck for a long time—or fail to grasp it altogether.
Once something was obtained, it had to be turned into real strength.
Biting off more than you can chew would only backfire.
Hiruzen had no particular interest in Ice Release—
But the dual manifestations of Boil Release intrigued him greatly.
It was a technique suited to him.
Both destructive and capable of enhancing mobility…
After Hiruzen left, Danzō let out a long sigh, recalling his words.
'Inspiration… that's right. Blindly drilling at something doesn't always yield results.'
'I need to clear my mind—handle some other matters first.'
'Perhaps during that process, I'll gain new insight…'
As Danzō thought this, he noticed someone different from the celebrating students—
Tobirama, standing quietly, deep in thought.
He had been considering taking an Uchiha as a disciple…
And even forming an Uchiha squad as his personal Anbu unit.
If he could achieve both—
It would greatly boost his reputation and give him leverage against Orochimaru's unpredictable research outputs.
And all of this…
Danzō's thoughts shifted. Starting with that Uchiha Seisui seemed ideal.
As the Anbu commander, he had already heard how Seisui's name was spreading through the village—
On the verge of becoming a prized figure within the Uchiha clan.
'Steady, composed… and originally from Kusagakure. Someone who has suffered and witnessed the harshness of the shinobi world…'
'I see the same darkness in your heart as in mine.'
'You rejected me once. But for the sake of Konoha, I will give you a second chance…'
Danzō cast a deep glance at Tobirama. 'You will come to accept my will.'
What he didn't know was—
When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you.
Tobirama had already set his sights on him as well!
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