Three days later.
The Uchiha clan compound.
Kaguya Nakamaro suddenly opened his eyes and jolted awake, sitting halfway up on a bed that wasn't large, but was clean enough.
He gasped for air, his expression tense.
He was now living inside the Uchiha clan compound.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had arranged for the Uchiha to provide them with an empty house, allowing the Kirigakure exchange students to move in.
For foreign village ninja to stay within the headquarters of Konoha's Police Force—by all accounts, it was quite appropriate.
But for Nakamaro, it was… a bit too stimulating.
The moment he entered the compound, he saw quite a few Uchiha looking at him with "kind" smiles.
While revealing three pitch-black tomoe: "So you're the one who tried to attack the Hokage's son?"
"I hear you like fighting. We should have a match sometime—or you could break the law right now, that works too."
Uchiha Fugaku was among them.
With a smile, he handed Nakamaro the Konoha ninja regulations manual, pointing out which clauses would allow someone to be executed on the spot as a criminal in the act, and told him to hurry up and commit one…
It scared Nakamaro badly.
Fugaku's ocular power was clearly on an entirely different level compared to Uchiha En…
Even En's genjutsu had already felt so real—if Fugaku used one on him…
Nakamaro feared his mind would collapse…
At the moment he was intimidated by Fugaku,
it was as if he had been dragged back into that horrifying genjutsu space again…
Uchiha En had chopped off his arms hundreds of times…
Then wouldn't Fugaku trap him for three days and nights, slowly carving him up with a small knife?!
But what surprised Nakamaro was—
Fugaku didn't make a move on the spot.
Nakamaro had thought that after provoking him, the next step would be to beat him down directly…
Instead, he only emphasized that Nakamaro must not break the law again, or the punishment would be doubled.
In Kirigakure, if someone got hold of leverage like "attacking the Hokage's son"…
No one would bother talking about rules and regulations.
Being stabbed eight times in the back and ruled a suicide would already be considered graceful.
"What does this mean…"
"Did Asuma really forgive me? Was that just polite talk, or was he sincere…"
Sitting on the bed, Nakamaro's thoughts ran wild. After a while, he pushed open the door—only to find that his companions were already gone.
Terumī Mei had taken an interest in Konoha's morning market and had gone to a Yamanaka clan shop to buy flowers…
Snow had gone early to the Ninja Academy.
Compared to the others, Snow, whose clansmen had been killed, had developed a different way of thinking after witnessing what made Konoha different.
So Snow was especially eager to build relationships with Konoha ninja, just in case.
As for Kisame, he was the type who devoted himself to training, and had gone out early for morning practice…
"No one to help me decide anything…" Nakamaro sighed, a hint of bitterness rising in his chest.
At that moment, he realized that people needed companions.
Everyone had moments of weakness. Having friends or comrades by your side always gave you a bit more strength…
The Shikotsumyaku wasn't invincible.
And he, the so-called greatest genius of the Kaguya clan, was nothing more than an unknown figure in the vast ninja world.
Only after stepping onto Konoha's grand stage did he realize that powerful ninja were everywhere.
"The Hokage actually controls Ice Release, and Terumī Mei said she even found traces of Boil Release…"
Those so-called traces referred to the corroded marks they found on the ice after returning to the scene.
"The Mizukage and Genji didn't tell us in advance—just how useless is our village's intelligence department?!" Nakamaro muttered angrily.
Last night, the three of them had fiercely criticized Kirigakure's intelligence division. Only Kisame had remained silent.
Because their original mission was to represent Kirigakure's elite talents and use their diverse kekkei genkai to intimidate Konoha.
But the Hokage already knew their kekkei genkai…
And his mastery was extremely high!
So what was the point of showing them off?
Wasn't this just coming here to make fools of themselves?
Interestingly enough, after Hiruzen displayed Ice Release and Boil Release, Mei and Snow unconsciously felt a little closer to the Hokage.
Even though kekkei genkai had nothing to do with blood ties in that sense, within the ninja world they were still a kind of marker of identity.
"Everyone's busy with their own things… great, just great…" Nakamaro rubbed his temples, his mind—rusted from all the killing in Kirigakure—slowly beginning to work again.
He was thinking about whether he should talk to Asuma again…
And if he did, how he should approach it so that Asuma would truly accept his apology…
The combination of Uchiha ocular power and martial intimidation had worked quite well in treating the Kaguya clan's madness.
At that moment—there was a knock on the door.
Nakamaro's heart tightened, and bone spikes unconsciously protruded from between his fingers.
Konoha ninja had come for him!
His first instinct was to fight to the death.
But remembering that this was the Uchiha compound, Nakamaro reluctantly withdrew his Shikotsumyaku and composed himself.
If it was a quick death, he wasn't afraid.
But the Uchiha… when it came to tormenting people, they had both the energy and the means…
They were too good at controlling others!
Nakamaro opened the door, only to find that it was Asuma.
Behind him stood Hyūga Tenzō and Uchiha En.
"I was worried you might be under too much pressure, so I came to check on you…" Asuma said with a smile. "We're friends. Even if only temporarily, as long as we are, we should help each other."
Asuma's visit was under Sarutobi Hiruzen's instruction.
The Hokage had keenly noticed the change in Nakamaro…
After understanding the full situation, Hiruzen sent Asuma to observe on his behalf, hoping to plant a seed in Nakamaro that leaned toward Konoha…
At the same time, there was another purpose—to evaluate the "treatment" effect on Nakamaro.
If his temperament had changed, it meant the Kaguya clan could be negotiated with—that they could understand reason.
If he relapsed overnight,
then it would prove that the clan were pure lunatics, with no respect or gratitude toward either strength or human bonds.
In that case, Konoha would have no need to take them in in the future.
Hyūga Tenzō was one of the invited observers.
After all, as distant relatives, the Hyūga clan understood the Kaguya clan's history and nature better than anyone in Konoha.
"Please, come in…" Nakamaro was momentarily stunned, awkwardly speaking polite words.
He wasn't used to it before.
They sat down in the living room.
Uchiha En casually glanced around. "Satisfied with the place? I personally picked it out for you!"
Nakamaro nodded repeatedly. "Thank you for your trouble."
Hyūga Tenzō's eyes flickered.
That kind of response meant Nakamaro could recognize the situation and understand what people were saying…
When the Kaguya clan's madness reached its peak, they were like true rabid dogs—impossible to communicate with.
"I am Hyūga Tenzō, the current head of the Hyūga clan. Who are the elders in your family?" Tenzō asked with a gentle smile.
Nakamaro quickly greeted him respectfully,
then introduced himself and rattled off the names of his parents and grandparents.
He had run into relatives!
Even if they were from opposing sides, in a place as unfamiliar as Konoha, it still counted as having half a connection…
"So it's them… you're from Kaguya Musashi's branch. Then you should call me second granduncle…" Tenzō said kindly.
"Second granduncle!" Nakamaro greeted respectfully, as if he had suddenly been enlightened by genjutsu.
"Isn't this good? It seems there was some misunderstanding before…"
"En, although Nakamaro is a Kirigakure ninja, since he's staying in the Uchiha compound, you should take care of him a bit. Don't let him feel uncomfortable…"
"Nakamaro is still young. It's normal for him to act impulsively…" Tenzō said to Uchiha En.
"Can't do that…" En played along, appearing tough but actually giving him an out: "The Uchiha clan acts strictly according to Konoha's ninja regulations. If he breaks them again, then it will count as knowingly committing an offense a second time—punishment will be increased!"
"Unless the Hokage grants a pardon, no one's words will matter!"
"That's only natural. If he breaks the rules again, I also support strict punishment…" Tenzō nodded.
Their back-and-forth made one thing clear—
for now, Nakamaro was safe.
"Thank you… thank you, Hokage-sama!" Nakamaro's eyes lit up. That was enough.
"This money is a small gift from your granduncle."
Tenzō handed him a small stack of money, smiling as he asked: "How has the Kaguya clan been recently? In the future, our two clans will serve as a bridge between Konoha and Kirigakure…"
He mentioned a few Kaguya clan members he was familiar with.
Nakamaro sighed.
Not long ago, he had fully believed what the elders of his clan said—that the Kaguya were the strongest…
But now, he just wanted to laugh.
"It's the same as always… everyone just wants to fight and kill. Though there are still a few calm-minded clan members…" Nakamaro said, feeling a bit strange.
Not long ago, he had been the one pointing fingers at the doves within the clan and cursing them…
But now, he somewhat understood.
You could enjoy fighting—but without overwhelming strength, constantly seeking battles would only bring trouble.
Tenzō smiled slightly.
Expecting the entire Kaguya clan to become rational was unrealistic.
But as long as there were a few who could think like normal people, things became much easier.
Nakamaro was clearly a talented member—but not because of his Shikotsumyaku.
Rather, because of how quickly his thinking could change, and his intelligence.
In Tenzō's eyes, that kind of intellect was something rarely seen in the Kaguya clan in decades…
He had originally thought it would take several more rounds of intimidation to achieve this effect.
"Nakamaro, you truly are a genius…" Tenzō said sincerely.
"Please don't mock me…" Nakamaro replied with a bitter smile.
"These past few days, we've sparred with the students at Konoha's Ninja Academy. Honestly, it shocked me…"
"We only have a slight advantage because we're older."
"People like Kakashi, Shisui, and Asuma—their experience, techniques, and mastery of ninjutsu are no worse than ours. Sparring with them is very stressful…"
Nakamaro and the others had been assigned as sparring partners, so they had naturally fought with the academy students.
And once they did, they realized that Konoha's academy students were nothing like the sheltered weaklings they had imagined.
Each of them had experience far beyond what students should have—many even fought like seasoned veterans of the battlefield.
Kakashi, Shisui, as well as Obito and Asuma had all left a deep impression on Nakamaro.
All of them were capable of matching him in a fight, and Shisui's genjutsu in particular left a lasting mark.
Even with just a single tomoe, it was enough to make Nakamaro wary.
"And that ninja named Uchiha Seisui…"
Nakamaro exhaled deeply.
"He's just too strong. Completely on a different level from everyone else. I don't understand why someone like him is still in the academy…"
"Granduncle, Konoha's training system is completely different from Kirigakure's."
"If someone like Uchiha Seisui were in Kirigakure, he would have already killed a few of his peers and applied for early graduation…"
Uchiha En had been listening happily as Nakamaro praised Seisui.
But then he froze.
"What do you mean by killing a few peers to graduate?"
En frowned. "You mean defeating them, right? You're talking about speed?"
"I mean killing…" Nakamaro scratched his head.
"Killing your peers makes your name known, proves your strength, and makes it easier to get noticed by important figures and obtain resources."
"And over there, even if we're called classmates, we don't actually get along…"
"Our families belong to different factions and constantly fight each other, so naturally the academy is the same…"
At that point, Nakamaro couldn't help but sigh.
He really didn't know what he had been so proud of before.
When he first arrived in Konoha, he thought these ninja were all too pampered—that they lacked combat ability and didn't understand that endurance should come first for a ninja!
But after spending these few days in Konoha, he realized—he didn't actually enjoy being in a constant state of battle either.
There was delicious food in the cafeteria, tools provided, medical ninja for support, and powerful jōnin who would come over with smiles to give guidance—and all of it was free…
It really was comfortable.
And after Asuma and the others came to talk, Nakamaro's tension gradually eased, and his suppressed appetite began to return…
He glanced at the clock, blinked, and muttered to himself: "At noon… I think it's steamed meat buns and seafood noodles. Kakashi said a famous chef named Ichiraku came to guide the academy kitchen—made a special version with extra ingredients…"
"If we talk too long, we'll miss it. That'd be a shame."
"One of these days, I should go to Ichiraku Ramen and pay for a bowl myself…" Nakamaro murmured inwardly, unconsciously tightening his grip on the money in his hand ever so slightly.
That scene, too, was fully taken in by Hyūga Tenzō.
As a seasoned warrior of a ninja clan, although Tenzō did not have an especially deep understanding of the Will of Fire, he understood the Kaguya clan, as well as the ecology and psychology of conflict among ninja clans, exceptionally well.
That was his professional field, and his comfort zone.
As a Konoha council member, the section he was currently responsible for was "strategic analysis of Kirigakure's internal affairs."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was not in a hurry regarding how much Tenzō accepted the Will of Fire.
As long as he was obedient and could get the work done, that was enough…
If the ideals were implemented within the system and carried out consistently, then conviction would naturally bloom and bear fruit.
Besides, if Tenzō had never had the experience of resisting the Will of Fire, then when helping Sarutobi Hiruzen break down Kirigakure's current situation, he would not have been nearly so precise or so practiced…
All experience had meaning. It simply depended on whether it could be used for Konoha.
'This brat Nakamaro gives me a very similar feeling to when the branch family saw Hizashi enter the Anbu…'
'There's potential here. He's someone who can be turned. He needs special attention.'
Tenzō's heart stirred, and he said to the frowning Uchiha En: "Things over there are different from Konoha… It's similar to the ninja clans of the Warring States era, except they're just living inside a village. At their core, their way of thinking still hasn't transitioned."
"You're from a ninja clan too. The Third Mizukage's method is very traditional: let different factions fight each other, then act as the judge, support one faction to suppress another, and keep repeating that cycle until only the people who obey him are left."
"The situation at the Kirigakure Ninja Academy is a microcosm of ninja clan conflict, and also an enlarged manifestation of it."
"When direct fighting between clans becomes too ugly, then killing gets reframed as being 'for the sake of selecting the best,' to the point where even civilian ninja are unconsciously dragged into it. With resentment piling up, it only escalates further and further…"
Tenzō spoke slowly.
En looked at Tenzō in surprise, raised his thumb, and exclaimed: "No wonder you can be a Konoha council member. You really do have the goods…"
The way Nakamaro looked at Hyūga Tenzō also gained an extra measure of heartfelt respect.
It was somewhat similar to the Uchiha clan…
Although the Kaguya clan loved fighting, they still held genuine respect for cultured, intelligent people.
Uchiha Isshin's combat ability was not especially outstanding, but through his grasp of the larger picture and his judgment of the situation, his prestige within the clan had once surpassed even Setsuna's…
'No wonder the elders in the clan always said that if only the Hyūga clan were in Kirigakure, then they'd be able to help us come up with ideas…'
Nakamaro sighed inwardly.
As if sensing Nakamaro's thoughts, Tenzō smiled and said: "Nakamaro, Hokage-sama instructed me to also help the Kaguya clan think of a few ideas…"
"He is a peace-loving Kage and hopes that Kirigakure can become stable internally. You can weigh my words for yourself, and discuss them with your companions too. Take whichever parts are beneficial to your village."
"Of course, what I say might not necessarily be right. It's only one person's opinion…"
Nakamaro nodded and said gratefully, "Thank you, Granduncle!"
He had only stayed in Konoha for a few days…
But the moment he thought about going back to Kirigakure and continuing life in the Bloody Mist, his whole body seemed to feel a bit uncomfortable.
No one liked being put through that kind of torment…
So if the Bloody Mist could be changed, Nakamaro was willing to do it.
But inwardly, Tenzō merely smiled and said nothing.
Many things sounded simple when spoken aloud, but were nearly impossible to carry out in practice…
For example, that single phrase—integrating the ninja clans—was something the Third Mizukage had failed to achieve for over twenty years.
If a broad direction alone were enough to let the Third Mizukage solve the problem…
then Kirigakure's problems would never have dragged on until today, only to be addressed in such a manner.
What Tenzō wanted was for Nakamaro to clearly understand Kirigakure's problems.
So that he could better compare it to Konoha, and so that Tenzō could hand him a knife—one that, a year later, would stab toward the Third Mizukage…
In Hyūga Tenzō's view, if Kirigakure wanted to integrate its internal forces, then the Third Mizukage and the Hokage would have to wake up one morning and discover that the two of them had swapped bodies…
Of course, that was impossible.
So in Tenzō's eyes, Kirigakure's internal chaos was bound to worsen.
"All right, that's everything I had to say, so I should be going…"
En thumped his waist with one hand.
"That brat Minato asked me to eat at his house again. Sigh, young people just have too many ideas. He's developing Flying Raijin and still wants this old man there to help him as a reference. What a pain!"
"Aren't I just a little more experienced, that's all?"
Tenzō chuckled. "Oh, enough of that. You keep bringing up Namikaze Minato at every turn, making it sound like he's your own grandson!"
"You're obviously delighted inside—getting to go over there, take a few packs of cigarettes, and hear a few words of filial flattery—but you're too embarrassed to say it directly, aren't you?"
"And that cigarette case Hokage-sama gave you—you practically want to tattoo it on yourself…"
En burst into laughter. "Exactly so. As expected, I can't hide anything from you!"
"Showing off a bit makes me feel much better. Otherwise it just sits there and makes me uncomfortable!"
En waggled his brows, looking like an old child.
"You really do have good fortune. This Namikaze Minato is no ordinary ninja…"
"If there are adjustments to the advisor positions in the future, and a Konoha council seat opens up, he'll most likely be promoted into it by exception and become one of the youngest council members…"
Tenzō sighed. "He and Seisui, barring accidents, will be the core of this generation of ninja."
Hearing the name Namikaze Minato, curiosity involuntarily welled up in Nakamaro's heart.
During these three days at the academy, he had never seen Namikaze Minato—but he had heard that name countless times.
Everyone brought up Namikaze Minato all the time, whether there was a reason or not…
It was as though he were some kind of demon king who, one day, would descend upon the academy and bring calamity and destruction…
"Um… between this Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Seisui, which one is stronger?"
Nakamaro could not hold back from asking.
"Although Seisui's fundamentals are no worse than his, and his ninjutsu mastery is relatively comprehensive… if you haven't personally experienced the Flying Raijin Technique, then there's no way to understand that kind of pressure."
"Even if others warn you, it doesn't help much…"
Back then, he had known full well about the Flying Raijin Technique, yet Senju Tobirama had still cut off his arm.
Those Flying Raijin users—there was no telling when they might leave a mark somewhere.
And although Minato was like a little sun, the way he fought was not sunny at all.
Lately, he had been researching how to move Flying Raijin marks remotely after fixing them in place…
The man was shady to the extreme!
En shook his head and said in a conflicted tone.
To him, both Seisui and Minato were equally dear!
"So you mean Namikaze Minato is even stronger than Uchiha Seisui?"
"He's a teenage ninja too?" Nakamaro asked in shock.
"Not exactly. He's almost an adult…"
En waved his hand.
"You were just about to get a chance to see him, but Minato's busy researching a new technique, isn't he? In another two months, you'll have a chance to cross hands with him…"
"In two or three months, Minato will come assess the academy. There'll be both one-on-one battles and group battles…"
Nakamaro's eyes narrowed.
An opponent even stronger than Uchiha Seisui…
His first instinct was that he did not want to fight him, because even for a battle-loving clan, no one actually wanted to die.
But on second thought, this was Konoha, not Kirigakure…
The strong here came to guide, not to abuse.
'How did I end up having thoughts like this? Kirigakure has its merits too…' Nakamaro shook his head.
He felt that something was a little off with himself, but he did not pay it too much mind.
And when facing a strong person like that, without having to pay with his life…
Nakamaro became excited again. "How does the one-on-one work? And the group battle?"
"In the one-on-one, you fight him one by one. In the group battle, he fights all of you."
En said darkly: "Just look forward to Minato's new technique. I won't leak it, or he'll blame me…"
A huge question mark appeared over Nakamaro's head…
One man against all of them?
He was not even an adult yet—how was that possible?
At that moment, Nakamaro finally understood a little why the academy students were already so strong… and yet were always talking about how they wanted Uchiha Seisui to lead everyone in charging at Namikaze Minato one more time…
He really was a terrifying monster!
"All right, time to go."
"Oh, right, Tenzō—I recently applied for a limb regeneration surgery…"
"From what I've seen, what they're doing is pretty good, quite decent. Although supposedly the new arm can't generate much chakra, it's still better than having no arm at all…"
"If any of your clansmen need it, remember to apply. Orochimaru and Hiruko are short on volunteers right now."
En said this as he stood up.
"I understand, En…"
Tenzō nodded. "The research division's efficiency really is impressive. I believe that in the future, they'll definitely overcome chakra's interference with cells…"
"Of course, all of this is mainly thanks to Hokage-sama's guidance and concern."
Tenzō coughed lightly and added that last sentence.
Recently, Tenzō had noticed that the Uchiha clan's attitude toward work had improved quite a bit, and in their speech they had also become much more full of praise for Sarutobi Hiruzen, as though they had changed strategies.
Since that was the case, the Hyūga clan could not afford to fall behind either. Their positioning had to keep pace closely…
"You really are starting to resemble your son Hizashi now!"
"Don't imitate him. Do you think you can pull it off? He's from the branch family—you're from the main family…"
En teased Tenzō with a remark, then swaggered out the door.
In a few more days, he probably would no longer be a disabled ninja.
He would become a whole man again.
"Granduncle, what does 'cloned arm' mean?"
Nakamaro asked curiously.
Tenzō glanced at this bargain grandson of his.
If some other foreign-village ninja had asked that, he would have suspected they were probing for intelligence…
But Nakamaro most likely was simply curious, and had a weaker sense of boundaries.
'Chakra's interference with cloning is common knowledge in the ninja world. There's no harm in telling him…'
'And I can use this to spark some thinking in him while I'm at it!'
Tenzō's mind stirred, and he answered: "It means cultivating cells outside the body, differentiating them into tissues or organs, and then attaching them to ninja with severed limbs."
"Isn't that even stronger than the Shikotsumyaku's self-healing?"
Nakamaro first looked shocked, then asked in confusion, "Wait, if the new limb doesn't have much chakra, then isn't it still essentially a disability? And doing something like this should be expensive, right?"
"Wouldn't that mean the gains don't outweigh the cost? Then why go through with it?"
In a Kirigakure ninja's way of thinking, let alone being crippled—even dying just meant you were not capable enough.
For the village to spend money and install low-function clone arms for disabled ninja free of charge… that somewhat exceeded Nakamaro's imagination.
"Chakra interferes with cell growth. There's no way to fully recreate the mother body's environment and all its factors, so the only way is to remove part of the chakra and vitality to make it controllable. Naturally, the chakra the new limb can generate will be lower."
"For a physique-type kekkei genkai ninja like you, I've heard controlling cell differentiation is even more troublesome."
"As for whether it's expensive, of course it is."
"But how can you say it's useless? A ninja's life is not only about fighting. Even in battle, one extra arm is still better than none, and in everyday life, it means becoming a complete person again."
"Nakamaro, let me give you a line Hokage-sama once said during a meeting…"
"A ninja is a ninja, but before that, a ninja is a person—not a tool to be thrown away once it's worn out."
Tenzō smiled. "Think about it yourself…"
With that, Tenzō also turned and left.
Nakamaro lowered his head in thought.
A ninja is a person, not a tool?
Who decided that?
Didn't that go against the ninja code that had been recognized for centuries?
Could such a thing really be done…?
And if they really did this, wouldn't it cause ninja to slack off in training and lead to invasion?
Nakamaro felt his head starting to ache.
'Is this what they call the Will of Fire at the academy?'
'Forget it. Once Kisame and the others get back, I'll talk with them about Konoha. I can't figure this out on my own!'
Asuma looked up at the clock, patted Nakamaro on the shoulder, and said: "Come on, let's go try the cafeteria's Ichiraku seafood noodles together. We can still make it!"
Nakamaro shot to his feet and, shoulder to shoulder with Asuma, quickly headed toward the academy cafeteria.
From afar, they looked just like two extremely close friends…
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