Meanwhile, while Tobirama remained busy at work, his patient, Tomie, arrived at his house.
Achieving a different kind of home invasion.
Tomie knocked on the door carrying bags full of snacks and ninja tools. Before long, she was sitting comfortably on the sofa, chatting casually with Shisui, Obito, and Itachi.
Shisui required no explanation.
He was officially designated by the Hokage as Seisui's younger brother.
As for Obito, he had simply attached himself to the family on his own. After more than a year of this, Shisui had reluctantly accepted the sudden addition to the household.
Then there was Itachi.
Once he turned two, Fugaku had decisively sent him straight to "Seisui's house."
Isshin had long since seen through Fugaku's flaws.
No matter how many books Fugaku read, he would still make foolish mistakes when it came to education.
After repeatedly scolding him for trying to teach his son himself, Isshin ordered him to let Seisui help guide the boy instead...
The growth pattern of shinobi was fascinating.
During early childhood, they experienced their first burst of mental development. Perception and cognition matured first, and particularly talented children could already think independently at two or three years old.
Then, around twelve or thirteen, came the explosive growth of the body.
Many could transform dramatically within just a few years, developing physiques fully capable of surviving the battlefield.
Their growth occurred in stages, almost like plants...
So when Fugaku sent Itachi over, it wasn't because Seisui needed to take care of him.
Itachi was already completely capable of taking care of himself.
What truly mattered was exposing him to the right environment and helping him build a foundation as a "cultured Uchiha" from an early age.
After constantly being told by Isshin that there was "something wrong with his brain," Fugaku desperately didn't want his son to receive the same criticism in the future...
So what was he supposed to do?
Naturally, he could only turn to Seisui—the most obviously educated member of the younger generation!
"Here, Itachi. Try this dango. This one's sweet..."
Tomie smiled warmly as she handed him a tri-colored dango skewer and gently patted the little boy's head.
"Shisui, Obito, are there any problems you've run into during training?"
"Your brother has been busy working for the village lately! But he's worried about you two, so he asked me to keep you company."
Her voice was exceptionally gentle.
Shisui and Obito exchanged a glance and immediately saw the approval in each other's eyes.
Mm...
If a fellow clanswoman this attractive and this gentle became their future sister-in-law, they could definitely accept it.
That was also part of Tomie's own little plan—and her way of repaying him.
Seisui was mobilizing enormous resources and connections to treat her illness.
She couldn't possibly do nothing in return.
The Uchiha clan believed in reciprocity.
No matter how hard she tried, she could never match the resources being spent on her.
But at the very least, she had to demonstrate the proper attitude. Both sides should be willing to do something for the other. That was the most basic principle.
Tomie possessed the pride of an Uchiha.
She was also an exceptionally talented kunoichi in her own right.
"Tomie-neesan, Shisui and I still aren't very proficient with our Sharingan. Could you teach us some tricks?"
Obito grinned and spoke without the slightest trace of awkwardness.
"Yes, Tomie-neesan. I've been studying genjutsu lately, but I keep running into some kind of bottleneck when trying to activate it."
Shisui scratched his head sheepishly.
One reason Tomie had been accepted so quickly by both Obito and Shisui was because she had perfectly matched their needs.
Whenever Tobirama became absorbed in his work, the two considerate younger brothers naturally didn't want to disturb him.
But as Seisui's younger brothers, neither Obito nor Shisui wanted to seek advice from anyone else.
Somehow, it felt like doing so would tarnish their brother's reputation.
No one else would think that.
But Uchiha were simply stubborn in that particular way.
Tomie's initiative broke the deadlock.
She smiled faintly.
Three black tomoe slowly rotated within her eyes as a cold and powerful ocular force spread outward.
Itachi immediately shivered.
He could feel a tangible chill creeping across his skin.
"This is how you use it..."
Tomie patiently instructed Shisui and Obito.
The two brothers studied with complete focus.
Only when both of them were nearly exhausted of chakra did Tomie finally bring the lesson to an end.
"So? Do you feel like you've started to grasp that feeling behind genjutsu?"
"Genjutsu is all about having the confidence to turn illusion into reality. If even you believe it's fake, then your enemy will never truly become immersed in it..."
Tomie said with a gentle smile.
Her bloodline illness had robbed her of good health.
But it had also granted her talent far beyond that of ordinary people.
Shisui and Obito were certainly gifted.
But they were still only children.
"Tomie-neesan, you're amazing!"
Having received her guidance, Obito and Shisui spoke in unison.
The strong—
Especially strong people who were also kind—earned respect wherever they went.
Besides, in Shisui and Obito's minds, Tomie was most likely their brother's girlfriend, even if nobody had said it outright.
Naturally, they needed to stay on good terms with her!
"Tomie-neesan, I want to learn that too!"
Itachi spoke up, his voice still carrying a trace of childish softness.
"A little bean like you should focus on eating properly and growing up first."
Her eyes curved into crescents as she pinched Itachi's soft cheek before leisurely turning and leaving.
"Tomie-neesan is such a gentle woman..."
Obito sighed sincerely.
"Yeah, yeah. No wonder Brother approves of her."
Shisui nodded in agreement before turning toward Itachi.
"Itachi, did you see that? This is Brother's standard. As Uchiha, our emotions can give us strength, but we have to learn how to control them and use them for ourselves and for the village."
"And don't become extreme whenever something happens," Obito added.
These were all things Tobirama constantly repeated to them, hoping to gradually leave an imprint on their way of thinking.
Itachi nodded, half understanding and half confused.
From his perspective, both his brother and sister were incredibly kind people.
There really didn't seem to be any need for them to keep talking about extremism.
It didn't seem related to them at all!
Whether it was Obito, Tomie, or Shisui, Itachi felt they were all far kinder than his father.
That was one reason he liked spending time at Tobirama's house.
His father, Fugaku, was completely different.
The moment he learned something new, he couldn't wait to show off his knowledge and test Itachi on it at home...
It was incredibly annoying!
'I wonder what Obito-niisan, Shisui-niisan, and Tomie-neesan would be like if they ever became extreme?'
As a child, Itachi naturally developed an excessive amount of curiosity.
'What a shame. I'll probably never get to see it!'
What Itachi didn't know was that he might very well get the chance someday...
...
Konohagakure.
First Training Ground.
Hiruzen sat cross-legged beneath the sunlight, smiling as he looked at the man who had become one of his most dependable right-hand aides—Hizashi.
The two chatted casually while enjoying the warm sun.
"Hizashi, you've worked hard."
"Remember to balance work and rest. Your body just underwent surgery. Don't rush back into training."
Hiruzen's tone was serious.
"Thank you for your concern, Hokage-sama!"
A bright smile appeared on Hizashi's face—a smile he rarely showed anyone else.
After several days of recovery, Hizashi had gradually become accustomed to the two powers now flowing through his body.
The power of the Curse Mark.
And the power of Storm Release.
"Hokage-sama, the Storm Release you selected for me truly suits me perfectly!"
Hizashi spoke with complete sincerity.
"And you've taught me such refined chakra-control techniques. Please rest assured—once I fully master the Curse Mark's power, I'll definitely complete the technique you've envisioned for me!"
Storm Release was formed through the fusion of Lightning and Water chakra.
It possessed both Lightning Release's explosive power and Water Release's flexibility, making it more powerful while also easier to control.
It also compensated for one of ordinary Lightning Release's greatest weaknesses—the dramatic drop in power over long distances.
"It's not really my accomplishment. The Hyūga clan's Byakugan and Gentle Fist foundation naturally make you excellent at projecting chakra outward..."
Hiruzen waved his hand with a chuckle.
Projecting chakra outward—especially from the entire body—required tremendous skill.
Techniques like the Hyūga clan's Rotation and the Lightning Release Chakra Mode both belonged to that category.
Based on that, Hiruzen had taught Hizashi some of his own experience regarding the instant release and retraction of chakra, as well as techniques for concentrating massive amounts of chakra into a single point before unleashing it.
"Hokage-sama, please don't worry. I already have a clear direction in mind..."
"And this Curse Mark can help me as well."
Hizashi stared at the black mark on his wrist, the visible manifestation of his Curse Mark.
When activated, the Curse Mark allowed him to absorb a small amount of natural energy and even alter portions of his body's structure according to his will.
It was still only a first-generation version, however.
The amount of natural energy it could absorb was limited, and it couldn't support large-scale physical transformations.
But with Hiruzen's assistance, it was already more than sufficient.
Enough to build a combat style unique to Hizashi alone.
The focus of their design was his hands.
By using the Curse Mark to reshape his hands into something resembling the channel of a crossbow, he could gather and compress Storm Release chakra to its absolute limit.
Then, using the Byakugan to lock onto his target, he could perform ultra-long-range precision strikes beyond normal visual range.
Storm Release Heavy Crossbow!
Even throughout the entire shinobi world, such a combat style was exceedingly rare.
Meanwhile, Hizashi's mastery of Gentle Fist ensured that he remained highly capable in close combat as well.
He could fight effectively at both long and short range.
"Hokage-sama, if the village conducts any future experiments, please consider me first."
Hizashi spoke from the bottom of his heart.
"Only after obtaining this power did I realize just how many things I can still do for you!"
"I want more power. I want to keep following you forever."
"Even falling during the charge would be ten thousand times better than being left behind like a coward!"
Hizashi had already made up his mind.
Whether it was Hashirama Cells or Tailed Beast tissue cultivation, as long as Orochimaru and Hiruko approved him through compatibility testing, he would volunteer first.
He didn't care about the danger.
Hizashi wanted to become Konoha's ultimate Prototype Unit-01.
The corner of Hiruzen's mouth twitched.
He could tell Hizashi was completely sincere...
But somehow, a perfectly normal Hyūga had barely obtained new powers before immediately wanting to throw himself into even more dangerous experiments.
He was starting to resemble an Uchiha a little too much.
"All right, all right. Don't be so impatient, Hizashi..."
Hiruzen shook his head helplessly.
"You're already strong enough. Slow down for a while. Spend some time with your wife. Your child will be born soon, and it's about time you learned how to be a proper father."
"The Will of Fire hopes that every shinobi of Konoha can live a fulfilling and happy life. You're no exception."
Hizashi nodded, deeply moved.
"Hokage-sama, I've already picked out a name for my child! I want his name to mean 'Always First'! I'll raise him to be the first to step forward whenever Hokage-sama needs someone!"
Hiruzen rubbed his forehead and replied in the tone of an order: "Absolutely not!"
"Hizashi, you've already sacrificed enough. I order you to choose another name for your son—one that carries the meaning of peace and tranquility."
Hizashi froze.
But an order from the Hokage was still an order.
After thinking for a moment, he reluctantly said: "As you command. Then I'll name him Neji. Would that be acceptable?"
"Yes, yes..."
"Neji is a fine name. Better to remain peacefully in second place than to struggle to be first in everything. Steady and dependable—that's a good meaning."
Hiruzen was completely out of ways to deal with Hizashi and hurriedly finalized the name before the man could come up with something else.
"For the next three months, spend more time with your family."
"That's an order."
Hiruzen emphasized the point before changing the subject.
"You mentioned earlier that both your brother Hiashi and Kō have been asking about positions suitable for members of the Main House. Once Hanzō arrives, I'll arrange for them to meet with me."
"I've already decided where they should go."
Hizashi sighed.
"You've gone to so much trouble for them as well..."
"Don't say that. They're Konoha shinobi too."
Hiruzen shook his head.
"Don't underestimate the Main House. When it comes to dealing with nobles, the Hyūga Main House may be among the most suitable people in the entire shinobi world."
Hizashi nodded in agreement.
In a certain sense, the Hyūga Main House truly was the closest thing shinobi had to nobility.
Both their heritage and traditional conduct were remarkably similar.
And the nobles recognized that.
After Hizashi left, Hiruzen remained at the training ground.
He recalled the sight of Hizashi using Storm Release and continued contemplating its structure.
Recently, Hiruzen had noticed something.
After mastering both Boil Release and Ice Release, subtle changes had begun occurring within his body.
He had become stronger.
But the feeling was completely different from Lightning Release training or gravity-enhanced body conditioning.
Those methods tempered and compressed the body, following a straightforward and forceful path.
The changes brought about by Kekkei Genkai were entirely different.
It was as though an additional layer of incredibly thin, elastic threads had appeared along his chakra pathways, making the flow of chakra smoother than before.
Hiruzen wanted to weave those threads into something thicker.
Perhaps even turn them into a network.
A more efficient system of connections.
Yet he had been unable to find the method.
"It's still a matter of having too few samples. If I could master a few more Kekkei Genkai..."
Hiruzen pondered.
Somewhere in the depths of his mind, it felt as though he had brushed against a realization.
A flash of inspiration.
But it had disappeared before he could grasp it.
"I'm still not strong enough..."
Hiruzen let out a long sigh.
Lightning-attributed chakra surged into one hand while Water-attributed chakra flowed into the other as he continued studying Storm Release.
What should one do when no clear path forward could be found?
Keep practicing.
Once he accumulated enough material, enough experience, and enough understanding, a broader perspective would naturally emerge...
Ten days later.
Hanzō, having adjusted himself to peak condition, did exactly as he had planned from the beginning...
He entered Konoha alone.