"Shizune, you mustn’t speak of these things carelessly iure."

  Tsunade was uncharacteristically serious.

  Shizune nodded.

  Although Tsunade hadn’t explicitly aowledged it, Shizune was essentially her disciple. If such words were to spread, it would reflect poorly on both Tsunade and Kyoichi. Naturally, Shizune wouldn’t dare to speak recklessly.

  "Kid, I’m leaving. Tell the old man not to look for me. I have no pns to return."

  "Won’t you stay for a meal?"

  Kyoichi felt a pang of reluce.

  Tsunade had been blunt and unceremonious with him, but it recisely this ck of formality that made him feel as though he had entered a kindred spirit—someoh whom he could speak openly and holy, as one would with family.

  "Tch, do you really think I’m so broke I ’t afford a meal?"

  Tsunade waved her hand, exuding an air of carefree detat. The rge character fambling" on the back of her green attire was impossible to miss.

  Kyoichi didn’t try to stop her.

  With the current turmoil in Konoha, it might be for the best that Tsunade, who suffered from hemophobia, was leaving.

  Kyoichi looked down, staring at the key in his hand.

  After a moment, he ched it tightly and pced it in his ninja pouch before turning to join Shisui and the others.

  On the hillside of Hikuen Town.

  Tsuood atop the high ground, watg Kyoichi’s retreating figure with a plex mix of emotions. Only when he disappeared behind the vilge walls did she let out a sigh.

  "If Nawaki were still alive, he might have bee a jonin by now…"

  "Does he resemble Nawaki?"

  Shizune asked curiously.

  "No, he’s more like the Sed Hokage. As for Nawaki…"

  Tsunade shook her head.

  But…

  She couldn’t help but think of Nawaki. After all, Nawaki was only a few years older than Kyoichi, so the age difference wasn’t signifit.

  However…

  "I’m just reminisg, that’s all."

  "Lady Tsunade, you mentioned earlier that Konoha is in a precarious situation and that other vilges might unch probing attacks. If another war breaks out, will you return?"

  Shizune asked.

  The war with Sunagakure had ended.

  But acc to Tsuhis was only the beginning.

  Sihe death of the Sed Hokage, skirmishes between Konoha and other vilges had ruly ceased. After the Sannin’s battle with Hanzo, there had been a brief lull of two or three years, but flicts soon resumed.

  Over the past few years, Tsunade had traveled to many tries and uood the attitudes of the major nations surrounding the Land of Fire—

  They all longed for Konoha’s defeat!

  Peace wouldn’t st long.

  "If I return… what could I even do? We’ll see wheime es."

  Tsunade shook her head.

  The Third Hokage had sent Kyoichi to find her, clearly hoping that he could help her overe her iurmoil aurn to serve Konoha.

  But…

  She suffered from hemophobia, a faown to very few. Even if she returo Konoha, what could she do?

  Tsuurned a.

  Kyoichi gnced ba her dire.

  Tsunade was truly gone.

  While it ity, her current state made it clear that pressing her for answers to cure her hemophobia was futile.

  Nawaki and Dan Kato had died only a few years ago.

  Tsunade herself was a master of mediinjutsu. If psychological wounds were so easily healed, they wouldn’t have persisted for so long.

  Some things required not only the passage of time but also a stroke of luck or a pivotal moment.

  "Asuma, maybe you should take a break…"

  "No, I’m fine!"

  Asuma focused his chakra, tinuing to use Wind Release nature transformation to cut through the stone bricks.

  Shisui, too, trated his Wind Release chakra, attempting to use chakra nature transformation in jun with his katana to slice through the bricks.

  This was the training regimen assigned by the shadow e.

  As for Kurenai…

  She was carrying stone bricks.

  The workers had initially refused to let the ninjas do such bor, but after hearing the shadow e expin that it art of their mission and training, they relented.

  However…

  Thanks to their efforts, the work progressed much faster. What would have taken several days was nearly pleted in just oernoon.

  That evening, at the town mayor’s insistence, Kyoichi and his team attended a celebratianized by the townsfolk.

  The meal was vish, and the vilgers were warm and weling.

  "Sensei, I used to think that vilgers were difficult to get along with, that they were at odds with us Uchiha. But now I see that it wasn’t the vilgers who were out of sync—it was us Uchiha."

  Shisui spoke with newfound insight.

  This journey had taught him many things.

  The vilgers weren’t hard to get along with.

  As long as you didn’t act superior and treated them as equals, they would respond with warmth and kindness.

  The Uchiha, however, were different.

  The barriers of the police force, the high walls of their pound, and the reputation of being Konoha’s foremost noble had isoted them from the outside world. And within the , there had never been any iion to engage or unicate with outsiders.

  With su attitude, how could they ever hope to attain the position of Hokage?

  It wasn’t that simple!

  "It’s good that you uand. A siree does not make a forest. If you don’t ie ahe forest grow, the loggers will e and cut dowree standing alone."

  "Sensei, I think I’ve read something simir before."

  Shisui paused for a moment.

  The w was different, but the meaning was the same.

  "As a desdant of Kagami, you’ve likely e across simir ideas in his writings. But remember, blind faith in books is no substitute for critical thinking. You should approach books with your own perspective and analyze them dialectically."

  "Yes…"

  Shisui nodded.

  Kyoichi didn’t eborate further.

  Shisui was only five years old. If he said too much at ohe boy might not fully grasp it. It was better to let him digest the ideas gradually.

  After all, Shisui was currently the only "cash cow" whnized him as a life mentor. He had to nurture him carefully.

  Asuma was chatting happily with the townsfolk.

  However…

  The tent of their versation was rather bold.

  "Uncle, who do you think is more important—the Daimyō or the Hokage?"

  "How should I know? Whoever keeps us safe and ensures we have enough to eat is more important."

  "Is that so?"

  "Uh…" The boy was still hung up on his "King" dilemma.

  Kyoichi’s earlier response had crified the nature of the "King," but Asuma still didn’t know who his "King" was.

  The Hokage?

  No, ing from the Hokage’s family, he didn’t hold the Hokage in as much awe as others might. Before meeting Kyoichi, he had even believed that the Daimyō was the true "King."

  Now, his perspective had shifted somewhat.

  But he was still figuring things out for himself.

  Kyoichi didn’t intervene.

  What one realized on their own was far more profound than what others could teach.

  Two or three days ter.

  With the help of Kyoichi’s team, Hikuen Town was gradually restored, and the k mission was pleted.

  Afterward, they visited the surrounding areas of the town and, with the mayor’s assistance, returhe stolen goods to their rightful owners. Then, they set off on their journey back to the vilge.

  Whether it was Asuma, Shisui, or even Kurenai, who usually had fewer worries, they all felt a sense of heaviness in their hearts.

  As they he vilge, Asuma asked, "Sensei, we take on another k missioime?"

  "Addicted to missions, are we?"

  "No, it’s just that I feel like going out on missions allows us to train while also learning a lot. It’s much better than staying in Konoha to train."

  Asuma expined.

  Kurenai and Shisui nodded in agreement.

  "You’re the Third Hokage’s son. If you make enough home, maybe we’ll get a B-rank missioime."

  "Huh?"

  Laughter echoed through the forest, leaving Asuma momentarily fused. It took him a while to realize that his teacher was joking, leaving him speechless.

  But a B-rank mission…

  Hmm.

  That level of mission would involve enters with various ninjas.

  It was… tempting!

  Gcell