Chapter 116: One Youth, Three Shadows
The Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat with two swirls of raw chakra dancing above his fingertips.
Under his precise manipulation, the two energies—Wind and Water—clashed and
swirled, attempting to find a point of equilibrium.
A faint shadow of a fusion was beginning to take shape.
On his desk, the crystal ball of the Telescope Jutsu provided a live stream of
the events unfolding in the Uchiha compound.
Chakra nature transformation is a grueling grind, Arata thought. Repetition is
the only path to inspiration. Fortunately, Master Tobirama's 'show' is excellent
entertainment. It's the perfect way to decompress while I train.
Even so, when Hiruzen heard Tobirama—now Seisui Uchiha—declare with a straight
face that he intended to "inherit Madara's spirit" and "merge it with the Will
of Fire," the Hokage nearly lost his focus.
Master, you're playing a dangerous game, Hiruzen thought, a grin spreading
across his face.
The moment Tobirama had put on the Uchiha mask and shed his Hokage robes, his
strategic mind had become far more predatory. He was no longer restricted by the
diplomacy required of a Kage. He was a free agent of chaos.
He's integrating into the clan faster than I expected. He's clearly enjoying the
freedom of being the 'Arrogant Genius.'
If Hiruzen hadn't been the one to personally facilitate the revival, he might
have been fooled himself. The boy's performance was perfect: the right amount of
obsession, the right amount of extremism, and just enough idealism to be a "True
Uchiha."
He's seizing the Narrative Sovereignty of Madara's legacy, Hiruzen analyzed,
puffing on his pipe. He's consolidating the clan's loyalty to himself by
reframing their greatest traitor as a misunderstood hero. But a debate within
the compound can only go so far.
The Uchiha want external validation. They want the village to stop looking at
them like monsters. To truly cement the Master's influence, I need to bring this
debate into the public eye.
Hiruzen picked up a brush and began drafting a set of questions.
The Academy's mid-term exams were only a month away. The "Philosophy of the
Fire" essay was a standard requirement. Normally, no one cared what a student
wrote on a test—even a complete nonsensical answer usually just resulted in a
zero and a lecture.
But with the Hokage's hand on the scale, everything was possible.
I'll personally grade the elite tier of the exam, Hiruzen decided. I'll pick out
Seisui's paper and find a way to leak it. I'll give him the 'Viral Traffic' he
needs to become a village-wide sensation.
He didn't know much about "Madara's Will"—he was a Senju student, after all—but
he trusted his Master to provide a "corrected" version that benefited the
administration.
And I think I know who the Master is going to use as his primary target...
Hiruzen shook his head, chuckling. Poor Danzo. He's looking for an opening to
'discipline' an Uchiha brat, but he doesn't realize he's walking into a trap set
by his own idol. He's about to get a very expensive lesson in speed.
Danzo believed he held the initiative because of his status as Anbu Commander.
He was used to being the one who attacked while others reacted. He had no idea
the "Uchiha Orphan" was actually the God of Shinobi.
Let them play, Hiruzen thought. As long as I'm the anchor, a little internal
friction will only make the village stronger.
The Uchiha Training Grounds.
The duel between Fugaku and Seisui (Tobirama) had begun.
Fugaku moved with the fluid grace of a high-level Jonin. His Uchiha-style
Taijutsu and blade-work were flawless—honed by a lifetime of elite training.
Though Elder Isshin called him "average," that was only by the standards of
legends like Madara. In the modern Leaf, Fugaku was a Tier-1 combatant.
"How is it, Seisui?"
Fugaku laughed, parrying a heavy strike from the boy's wooden blade. "Your speed
is incredible, but my Sharingan can still track your vectors! I have the
advantage in raw power and reach!"
Fugaku flared his chakra, his blade glowing with a faint blue light as he forced
Seisui back.
The watching Uchiha veterans were stunned. Seisui had only been back for two
months. How could a malnourished refugee match the Vice-Chief in a contest of
strength?
Give him two or three years to grow, En Uchiha thought, and Fugaku won't even be
able to see him move.
"I apologize, Seisui—"
"But I carry the honor of the Uchiha. I cannot lose to a boy today."
The three tomoe in Fugaku's eyes spun with a manic frequency. He took a deep
breath, his chest expanding unnaturally.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
Fugaku didn't hold back. A literal sea of fire erupted from his mouth, engulfing
the entire central field. It was a jutsu designed to incinerate whole platoons—a
tribute to the "Battlefield Rose" style of Madara.
Seisui's chakra reserves are impressive for a kid, but he can't match my output
yet, Fugaku calculated. I'll suppress him with the fire, drain his stamina, and
end it with a Genjutsu when he gets close.
Tobirama (as Seisui) narrowed his eyes, analyzing the heat.
The hardware of this body is exceptionally compatible with Fire-style chakra. In
time, mastering the advanced nature transformations will be easy. But right
now... I'm only two months into this new 'loadout.'
He's trying to win an attrition war with raw numbers? How boorish.
Time to use the 'Software' he doesn't have.
To the Uchiha watching, it looked like Seisui was about to be burned alive.
"GO, SEISUI-NII! GO!" Obito screamed, his fists clenched.
"Brother! Use the secret arts!" Shisui shouted, his face red with anxiety. He
cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. "Use Lord Kagami's legacy!
Don't let the fire touch you!"
The Uchiha veterans blinked. Kagami's legacy?
Kagami Uchiha had been a well-rounded shinobi, but no one could recall him
having a "signature" Fire Style that could counter a Majestic Destroyer Flame.
"Good lad! Perfect setup!"
Hiruzen, watching through the crystal ball, smirked.
Tobirama wove a string of hand signs. To the observers, it looked like a complex
sequence of six signs. In reality, he was moving so fast he was actually weaving
twelve, but making them look like six to hide his true level.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
In the middle of the parched Uchiha training ground, several massive dragons of
pressurized water erupted from the air itself. They roared into the flames,
creating a high-pressure steam explosion that rocked the stadium.
"Water Style? An Uchiha used high-level Water Style?" Fugaku's jaw dropped.
It was unheard of. Using Water Style was considered "unfashionable" at best and
"sacrilegious" at worst for an Uchiha.
En Uchiha felt a phantom pain in his stump. His eyes went wide. That spirit...
it's almost like that silver-haired bastard's. How is he using Water Style with
that much 'Soul'?
Isshin pulled at his beard. The Ancestral Blessing! Shisui was right! He's using
the 'Kagami' arts to counter the clan's predictable Fire Style! It's a miracle!
Tobirama didn't give them time to process. He charged through the steam, his red
eyes glowing.
"Writing Style... Bringer-of-Darkness!"
Tobirama didn't wait for Fugaku to break the visual lock. He projected a surge
of pure spiritual pressure.
Fugaku's world went pitch-black. Even with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he
lost 90% of his vision.
What kind of Genjutsu is this? Fugaku panicked, retreating blindly. I need to
clear the field!
He inhaled to cast another Fire Style to blow away the darkness, but the moment
he opened his mouth, the "Bringer-of-Darkness" shifted.
"Fire Style: Hiding in Ash and Dust!"
Instead of clear air, Fugaku sucked in a lungful of scorching, abrasive ash.
He collapsed, coughing and gagging, the ash reacting with the moisture in his
throat to form a suffocating paste.
Tobirama stood outside the smoke cloud, a single flame dancing on his fingertip.
He sounded perfectly calm.
"Don't move, Big Brother Fugaku."
"If you flare your chakra again, I'll ignite the ash inside your lungs. It'll be
a very messy way to die."
"Yield."
"My eyes have already seen the end of this fight."
In the Mountains' Graveyard.
Madara Uchiha sat bolt upright, his Rinnegan glowing with a terrifying light. He
had thrown his steak aside, oblivious to the Zetsu eating it off the floor.
"That Genjutsu... that wasn't an Uchiha art," Madara whispered, his voice
trembling with a mix of fury and awe.
"That was Tobirama's 'Bringer-of-Darkness.' He used his enemy's eyes to cast his
rival's most hated technique."
"The Resemblance is no longer a coincidence."
"That boy... he is the reincarnation of Izuna."
Madara began to laugh—a low, haunting sound that echoed through the tombs.
"Hashirama... you and I are gone. But the war for the soul of the village has
just begun."
☆☆☆
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