Chapter 109: Madara: "He Looks Like Izuna?!"
Obito and the others were having lunch.
Tobirama was genuinely surprised to find that the modern Academy didn't just
have active-duty shinobi serving as combat instructors—even the maintenance of
gear and the food were centrally managed by the village. He learned that the
Hokage's office covered all costs; neither students nor parents paid a single
ryo.
He looked around.
The Academy cafeteria was spacious and airy, with long tables arranged in neat
rows. A cross-breeze carried the scent of hearty stews and fresh rice. Behind
the stainless steel counters, various dishes were piled high.
The "Carb Station" offered fluffy white rice, coarse-grain onigiri stuffed with
red bean paste, and buckwheat noodles in rich broth. The "Protein Bar" featured
stir-fried chicken breast with vibrant vegetables, slow-cooked braised beef, and
a milky fish soup garnished with ginger. The "Greens Station" had crisp kelp
salad, steamed pumpkin, and fluffy, layered tamagoyaki.
Tobirama sat down and began to dig in.
Honestly, I ate better as the Second Hokage, but not by much, he thought. On his
busiest days in the office, he'd usually just gulp down a few soldier pills and
call it a day.
"Is the village really this wealthy?"
Tobirama watched the cafeteria lady's hand. She didn't have the "tremble" common
in underfunded canteens; she delivered a massive, overflowing scoop of beef
every time.
"This must cost a fortune. I only hope this money is actually reaching the
plates," Tobirama whispered. He wasn't one to accuse people without cause, but
his default state was always "Suspicious of Corruption."
"Don't worry, Brother! This is Konoha, not the Grass!"
Shisui smiled happily as he savored a piece of braised brisket. "I heard from
Asuma that the Hokage personally designed the menu. He actually researched the
nutritional profiles himself!"
"Pops has a real gift for cooking," Asuma added with a grin. "He says culinary
arts are just another form of chemistry. He promised he'd come by and have lunch
with us sometime to check the quality."
"I heard the Assistant is the one auditing the funds," Kakashi added. "He even
asked us to report any 'insufficiencies' in the portions so he could 'correct'
the management."
At the mention of Danzo, several students reflexively lowered their heads and
focused on their food.
Even though Hiruzen had successfully "rebranded" Danzo as a frontline hero, the
man still radiated a sense of dread. He was currently positioning himself as the
"Hokage's Sharpest Blade"—the man who would "cut the rot" from within the
village. The average ninja viewed him with a heavy dose of "respectful
distance."
In reality, Danzo was simply obsessed. Hiruzen had given him and Orochimaru
joint oversight of the village funds. Danzo was currently desperate to find a
"leak" in Orochimaru's R&D budget to prove the Snake was incompetent. Since he
couldn't find anything in the labs, he was taking out his frustration by
auditing every other department in the village with terrifying intensity.
The cafeteria staff were currently the most disciplined workers in the Land of
Fire.
I thought Danzo was just Hiruzen's loose cannon, Tobirama mused, but he's
actually being used as a systematic pressure valve. Cunning. Using a 'Bad Cop'
to ensure bureaucratic integrity is a classic play.
Tobirama reached out and placed two pieces of grilled fish on Obito and Shisui's
plates. "The conditions here are good. Much better than the Grass. Don't take it
for granted. Cherish this."
Shisui and Obito nodded in unison. "Thanks, Seisui-nii! We will!"
"Wait, Obito," Shisui frowned. "You should call him 'Big Brother.' I'm the
younger brother."
"No way!" Obito made a face. "You're my rival! That makes you my younger brother
by default!"
Even with Shisui's legendary patience, he felt his brow twitch.
Where does Saru get this gold? Tobirama wondered as he finished his soup. I'll
have to ask him. But if he's using it to build this level of domestic loyalty,
then bringing me back wasn't just a whim. He wants me to help him steer this
machine.
"Brother, you were right to join the Academy! See? I told you it would be fun!"
Shisui beamed as they walked toward the training field.
"Hmph. I suppose staying for a year wouldn't be a total waste of time," Seisui
(Tobirama) replied.
The arena went quiet for a moment. Shisui and Kakashi had said similar things
before, but after their "Reality Check" with Minato, the Academy geniuses had
all collectively decided to stop talking about graduating early.
"Brother, staying in school is noble, but don't try to be a hero too fast,"
Shisui warned.
"Yeah!" Obito added, tearing into a chicken leg. "Let's stick together and
figure out how to beat that Yellow Demon first! Once we win one, then we can
think about the real world."
"You want me to test your 'Strength'?" Seisui asked with a small, dangerous
smirk. "I'm curious to see what 'The Elite' of the Academy look like."
Asuma's eyes lit up. "Deal! Let's go!"
The group finished their meal, cleared their trays with military discipline, and
headed to the sparring grounds. There were ten of them—the core of the Azure
Dragon Study Group.
"Shisui, do you have a blade?" Seisui asked.
"I have the wooden practice swords from the equipment shed, Brother!" Shisui
handed him a balanced oak bokken. "Who do you want to start with?"
Tobirama gripped the sword, feeling the weight. He looked at the group. "Are you
all ready?"
"Ready for what?" Shisui asked, stepping back instinctively as Seisui's aura
shifted.
Tobirama didn't answer. He exploded.
His body became a blur of black and blue. His Two-Tomoe Sharingan spun with a
cold, predatory focus. He was mimicking the combat style of a young Izuna
Uchiha—simple, lethal, and blindingly fast.
Izuna's style was that of a "Mad Dog"—using high-speed Body Flickers in tandem
with the Sharingan's prediction to end a fight in a single stroke. Tobirama had
spent decades perfecting counters to this exact style; using it himself felt
like wearing a comfortable old coat.
If we're talking about raw speed and blade-work, I was always a hair slower than
Izuna, Tobirama mused. But that was then. Now, I have his hardware and my
software. I am the upgrade.
He appeared before Shisui in the blink of an eye. Shisui tried to react, but his
eyes locked onto Seisui's crimson gaze.
Genjutsu.
Shisui froze for a millisecond. In that window, the back of Seisui's wooden
blade tapped his jugular.
Seisui didn't stop. He flowed through the group like a butterfly through a
garden. He reached Obito, who was frantically trying to mold chakra for a
Fireball. Tobirama's blade-hilt slammed into Obito's chin, forcing his jaw shut
and sending his chakra into a reverse-flow. Obito's eyes rolled back as he
collapsed.
Kakashi lunged with a White Light-style strike, but as Seisui's red eyes
flickered toward him, Kakashi was forced to look at the ground to avoid the
Genjutsu. The loss of eye contact broke his momentum.
Seisui laughed—a sharp, arrogant sound. He accelerated, his afterimages weaving
between the Academy's "best."
TAP. TAP. TAP.
A second later, he was standing at the edge of the field, his wooden sword
resting on his shoulder.
Every single member of the Study Group—Asuma, Kakashi, Shisui, Obito, and the
rest—had a distinct red mark on their necks.
"You all have a lot of heart," Seisui smiled at the dazed children. "But you
lack pressure. Since I'm a few years older than you, I suppose it's only fair
that I'm a bit better."
"Brother... how?" Shisui gasped, looking at Seisui with pure worship. "You said
you never had a teacher!"
"I didn't," Seisui lied casually, gesturing to the classrooms. "Elder Isshin
gave me the scrolls. I just read them. With a Sharingan, learning Ninjutsu is
like breathing. It's not that hard."
To prove his point, Tobirama wove a single sign and exhaled a Great Fireball so
massive it lit up the entire training ground like a second sun. Then, with a
casual wave of his hand, he summoned a series of precise Water jets to
extinguish the residual flames before they could scorch the grass.
Even as an "Evil Uchiha," Tobirama maintained his "Hokage Standards." Can't let
the village property get damaged. Safety first.
Obito stared, his jaw hitting the floor. "Seisui-nii... how long did it take you
to learn a Fireball of that scale?"
"Two? Three days?" Seisui shrugged. "I picked up the basics in the Grass. An
Uzumaki girl there helped me."
"Want to learn? I'll teach you, Obito."
Obito nodded so hard he almost gave himself whiplash. "THANK YOU, SEISUI-NII!"
"The red-haired girl?" Shisui whispered, leaning in. "Brother, I saw her
yesterday. She was peeking through the Academy gates looking for you. But Elder
Isshin told me to tell you... you should look for an Uchiha girl instead. He
said our women are 'more devoted.'"
Tobirama's lip twitched. I'm here to save the village, not to deal with an
Uchiha breeding program. I have zero interest in romance.
He remembered Izuna's various flings back in the day—none of them were Uchiha.
Even the "Mad Uchiha" knew that Uchiha women were either "Homemakers" or
"High-Tier Psychos" who would awaken a Mangekyō the moment you forgot an
anniversary. Even Hashirama, the world's biggest Uchiha-fan, had married an
Uzumaki.
"I have no time for games," Seisui said coldly. "The village has given me
everything. Repaying that debt is my only priority."
Obito's eyes sparkled. So cool! 'I am a tool of the village!' I need to work
that into my next speech!
The Hokage Office.
Hiruzen watched the scene through his crystal ball, a boisterous grin on his
face.
Still got it, Master, Arata thought. Watching a fifty-year-old man play 'King of
the Sandbox' with my son and his friends is the highlight of my day.
Hiruzen looked at his own hands. He wove a few signs, causing two tiny cyclones
of chakra to form on his fingertips. One was Wind, the other was Water.
The 'potential' I'm gaining from the village's growth is finally allowing me to
feel the 'Boundary.' I can see how to merge them. If I could just see a live
demonstration of a natural Kekkei Genkai, I could probably 'Copy' the fusion
logic.
Konoha had many "Organic" bloodlines (Byakugan, Sharingan), but it lacked
"Chakra-Type" bloodlines like the Mist's Lava or Ice styles.
I need a Mist Ninja, Hiruzen mused. What is the Mizukage doing? Is he really
going to let his captives rot in my jail? I should start charging him a daily
'stabling fee' for his people.
In the Mountains' Graveyard.
Madara Uchiha was reading a newspaper, one of his few remaining hobbies besides
watching "The Konoha Show."
"Konoha hit the Grass? An unprovoked offensive?"
"Hmph. Finally, the Monkey is showing some spine. But it's too late. If they had
followed my lead decades ago, the world would already be unified."
Suddenly, a White Zetsu emerged from the floor. "Lord Madara! You're watching
the news? I found a new candidate! He's not a 'moron'—he's actually quite smart!
You should see him!"
"Does he fit the 'Izuna-standard' I set?" Madara asked, not looking up from his
paper.
"Actually... he doesn't," the Zetsu admitted. "He's too composed."
"Then don't waste my time. Stick to the plan. I don't need 'Independent
Thinkers'; I need 'Broken Hearts.'"
Zetsu pouted. "Fine. But Lord Madara... he looks exactly like that person you
keep looking at. You know... the 'Izuna' guy."
Madara dropped the newspaper. He sat bolt upright, his Rinnegan eyes glowing
with a sudden, haunting intensity.
"Repeat that. Now."
☆☆☆
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