Konoha.
Hokage Building.
Hiruzen slowly regulated his breathing.
Within his body, the Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal was absorbing the embedded Fire-Sealing Mark, functioning like a second heart—pumping the properties of fūinjutsu throughout his entire body…
Each pulse wasn't particularly noticeable, yet it left behind faint, discernible traces.
This wasn't a temporary enhancement through a technique, but a permanent transformation—like branding.
The progress was slow, but steady and stable, like a gentle stream continuously washing over the Hokage's body…
'This isn't the same as my original concept…'
Hiruzen stared at his right hand, thinking to himself, 'It's actually better…'
Originally, he had wondered whether it was possible—like the Strength of a Hundred Seal—to store sealing techniques in advance and release them instantly in battle…
But the forbidden technique created by Uzumaki Ashina, the Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal, was fundamentally about turning a person into a living sealing container—a radical concept of "human and seal as one"…
'Even Tobirama-sensei would probably consider this technique too extreme…'
Hiruzen sighed.
He couldn't help but wonder—aside from someone like himself, who had grown alongside the village, who else could possibly train in this technique?
The conditions were simply too harsh!
First, one needed an enormous chakra reserve from childhood—and ideally, external chakra as support.
After all, even if a child had a large chakra pool, maintaining the technique would still affect their growth. And without sufficient chakra, it would be impossible to sustain the Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal at all…
This requirement alone would eliminate the vast majority of people.
Second, one had to be highly proficient in fūinjutsu. Otherwise, how could they embed various sealing techniques within the system?
It wasn't as simple as installing a seal once and letting it continuously refine the body.
Like fuel, once it was used up, it had to be replaced!
Even Hiruzen as a child wouldn't have been capable of precisely embedding seals into the internal formation.
This was a classic case of designing purely for effect, without considering practical implementation.
Although once mastered, the results were astonishing.
Fūinjutsu came in many forms, and the enhancements gained from this constant "washing" of the body were equally diverse.
The Fire-Sealing Mark granted resistance to fire-nature chakra.
Equivalent sealing techniques existed for water, lightning, wind, and earth as well.
Beyond the standard Five Nature seals, there was also the Evil-Sealing Mark…
The Evil-Sealing Mark essentially restricted foreign chakra, spiritual interference, and malicious soul entities.
If Hiruzen could permanently integrate this property into his body, then in simple terms—it would increase resistance to genjutsu and similar abnormal states!
At this thought, the Hokage's expression turned slightly strange.
He recalled something Tobirama used to say often: 'That guy even made me lament the tragic fate of not having the Sharingan? What a joke…'
In the future, even without Flying Thunder God, Hiruzen wouldn't need to lament not having the Sharingan anymore…
He could simply look Uchiha straight in the eye!
A natural counter to genjutsu…
There were still many other sealing techniques that could be integrated, though Hiruzen wasn't too familiar with them.
But with Uzumaki veterans around, he could always ask Mito-sama for guidance later.
Hiruzen had often thought—having an elder in the family truly was like possessing a treasure.
The First Hokage's widow—her reputation, her mastery of fūinjutsu, her practical knowledge, her sensory abilities that safeguarded the village…
Even from a purely pragmatic standpoint, her value far exceeded that of an uncontrollable Nine-Tails.
But Hiruzen wasn't in a hurry to ask.
This technique required patience. He needed to first master the Five Nature sealing techniques before moving on to anything else…
'No wonder Hashirama-sama opposed this technique… once fully mastered, its effects are on the same level as the Mangekyō Sharingan or Wood Release…'
Hiruzen shook his head.
For the sake of power, shinobi could do anything—even harm their own kin.
Even knowing the chances of success were slim, they would still force their children to attempt it. If they failed and were crippled, it would simply be blamed on insufficient talent…
Such cases were already recorded with Wood Release and the Sharingan.
"...Sigh."
'Perhaps Minato and Kushina's child would have a chance?'
Hiruzen suddenly thought of Minato's recent request for permission to marry.
Kushina, as a member of the Uzumaki Clan, naturally possessed immense chakra.
Minato himself wasn't weak either.
And since both of them were proficient in fūinjutsu, their child wouldn't necessarily need to master it personally—they could construct the internal framework for them.
Though it would be troublesome, caring for one's own child day and night was acceptable.
As for external chakra, in the past, one could only consider Jinchūriki as a source.
But now, when Hiruzen thought of the Nine-Tails, his first impression was no longer that of a catastrophic beast—but rather that contradictory little fox perched on Mito's shoulder…
Cooperating with it and obtaining some chakra shouldn't be too difficult.
'In that case… Minato and Kushina should get married as soon as they're of age…'
'And I should also strongly encourage the village's eligible shinobi to have children. The village's sectors are becoming increasingly diversified—having a stable population base is critical…'
Hiruzen continued thinking.
The expanded production of Sage Region Pills and the new cosmetics industry would bring in about 2.5 billion ryō this year.
After deducting return gifts to the Three Sacred Lands and full funding for specialized industrial workers, around 2.3 billion remained.
Of that, 800 million would be used to maintain the Konoha Mutual Aid Fund.
'The remaining 1.5 billion… one billion will go into further research projects, and 500 million can be allocated as childbirth subsidies…'
Given the number of eligible shinobi in Konoha, this was a substantial sum.
However, Hiruzen decided it wouldn't be unlimited.
First come, first served.
That way, it would also stimulate enthusiasm among the shinobi.
As for the nobles' donations—amounting to nearly one billion ryō—Hiruzen set them aside as a liquid reserve fund for the village, with no intention of including them in the current plans.
There always had to be idle funds sitting on the books. Otherwise, if something unexpected happened and the cash flow chain snapped, it would become a major problem…
The additional population Konoha gained would become seeds—transforming into new potential within Hiruzen's path as a shinobi.
'Compared to clans like the Senju and the Uchiha, who are born with natural advantages, my own path can only be climbed step by step—with sweat and effort. There are no shortcuts…'
Hiruzen had many areas that required long-term training.
Lightning Release body techniques, ultra-gravity tempering, the Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration…
As well as refining and further researching Kekkei Genkai—each of these domains demanded enormous amounts of his energy, along with "performance" as the foundation to continuously raise his limits.
Konoha, too, had to grow stronger in every aspect. Even the smallest scraps of benefit couldn't be ignored.
Having reached this point, Hiruzen now understood more deeply than ever just how terrifying the power of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara truly was…
'It's not quite like a mayfly gazing at the heavens—but the higher you climb, the more you feel just how monstrous those two were…' Hiruzen sighed from the bottom of his heart.
At that moment—
Danzō knocked on the door and walked in, a trace of worry on his face.
Hiruzen looked at him in surprise.
It was rare for Danzō to show such an expression…
But Hiruzen ignored him, merely glancing at the silent Danzō after he sat down, and continued drafting Konoha's childbirth subsidy proposal.
If you've got something to say, say it—what's with the mysterious act?
After a moment, Danzō finally couldn't hold back: "Hiruzen, your barrier techniques are better than mine… This matter involves that issue—seal the office with soundproofing first."
Hiruzen chuckled softly and slowly set down his pen.
With a wave of his hand, a pale green soundproof barrier enveloped the Hokage's office.
Still dissatisfied, Danzō layered it with curse marks, sealing the entire space so tightly that not even a trace of sound could escape.
Even if someone pressed their ear against the office door, they wouldn't hear a thing…
Logically speaking, with ANBU and Root stationed around the Hokage Building, no one could possibly be eavesdropping.
But since this involved Tobirama-sensei and his descendants, Danzō felt that no amount of secrecy was excessive.
"Hiruzen, I'll apologize first."
"This time, it was my mistake. Matters involving Seisui should have been kept completely confidential…" Unexpectedly, Danzō began with self-reflection: "I only came because I ran into something I couldn't resolve. I guarantee this will be the last time."
Hiruzen nodded silently.
He understood Danzō's way of thinking.
Just like how he and Senju Tobirama had many ways to communicate discreetly…
For example, casually constructing a private space with genjutsu.
But in the shinobi world, there were far too many strange techniques and observation methods.
And with that mysterious powerhouse who had appeared during the Uchiha Yashiro incident—someone deeply familiar with Konoha…
If one truly wanted a secret to remain unknown, then it had to rot completely in one's own stomach.
Even when communication was necessary, it should be done through encrypted methods.
For instance, some of the policies Hiruzen issued within the village—public notices, official announcements, even open "fireside talks"—were, in reality, ways of embedding communication with Tobirama within public information.
Tobirama used similar methods. Before impeaching Danzō, he had deliberately brought Asuma along to discuss the plan…
Naturally, that would be known to Hiruzen.
"Go on. With this level of secrecy awareness, you live up to your old role in intelligence work," Hiruzen said with a faint smile, as if he already knew what Danzō wanted to say.
"Hiruzen…"
"I am, of course, more than willing to take Seisui as my disciple."
"But he hasn't come to me… Did something happen?" Danzō hesitated for a while before finally speaking: "I've been waiting for nearly two months."
Hiruzen burst out laughing as soon as he heard that.
"Two months? You've just been waiting all this time?"
"What do you mean just waiting? I've already structured my Wind Release techniques into a complete system! I've also compiled the regulations, experience, and all the key teachings Tobirama-sensei passed down to us in ANBU operations…"
Danzō said irritably, "I've already prepared to pass on my legacy to him! I want him to inherit both my will and Tobirama-sensei's…"
Hiruzen said quietly: "The problem is—he doesn't intend to come to you as a disciple right now… Who exactly are you preparing all that for? If nothing else, why not have a child and pass it on to your own son?"
"Look, I'm planning to implement childbirth subsidies in the village. If you start early, you might even qualify for one."
Hiruzen had expected this situation.
You want Tobirama-sensei to come knocking on your door to become your disciple?
Keep dreaming!
Even Hiruzen himself had never entertained such a thought…
Danzō's face darkened as he snatched the document from Hiruzen's hand and glanced at it, the corner of his mouth twitching.
He had been about to lose his temper—making up a fake village policy just to mock him was going too far!
But it turned out Hiruzen was actually serious about it?
Danzō held it in for a while before stiffly saying: "No need! From the moment Tobirama-sensei saved me, I was destined to devote everything to the village!"
"At my age, thinking about children would only make others think I'm not fully committed to my duties!"
Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully.
"So what you're saying is—if Seisui becomes your disciple, then he also shouldn't have children, correct?"
"How is that the same?"
Danzō frowned and retorted, "Tobirama-sensei's bloodline must be passed down within Konoha!"
"Tobirama-sensei may have left behind contingencies, but those children didn't inherit his will, didn't gain Mito-sama's recognition, and don't possess even a fraction of Uchiha Izuna!"
"I'm certain that Tobirama-sensei's spirit would want us to reshape Seisui in his image—not let him develop in Uchiha Izuna's direction…"
"This is a new battle between Tobirama-sensei and Uchiha Izuna—one that transcends time itself!"
"As his disciples, how could we not support him? Hiruzen, you need to take this seriously. You know very well that Tobirama-sensei and Uchiha Izuna fought their entire lives—we absolutely cannot let him lose when it comes to Seisui!"
Danzō spoke with force and conviction, his tone and expression extremely serious.
Even during the special military operation against Kusagakure over a year ago, he hadn't displayed such a hardline stance.
Hiruzen blinked.
Danzō wasn't only ruthless when pinning labels on others—he showed no mercy when putting pressure on himself either…
No wonder he was usually so practiced at it!
Hiruzen pondered for a moment.
"Danzō, although Seisui carries Tobirama-sensei's bloodline, I never saw you care this much about Shisui before."
"Kagami was our comrade, yes, but how can he compare to Tobirama-sensei?"
Danzō repeated with perfect confidence: "How is that the same? Shisui may be a genius, but his talent lies mainly in combat. His thinking is still that of an Uchiha."
"But Seisui is different! If you analyze his every action carefully, you can see traces of Tobirama-sensei. Even though he was born in Kusagakure, he possesses the mindset of a Hokage candidate!"
"Take his impeachment of me, for example. He did go a bit too far, but look at his ability to draw in elite Academy students like Asuma and Kakashi, and his willingness to challenge authority. Both are extremely similar to Tobirama-sensei!"
Hiruzen's face filled with question marks, and he unconsciously asked, "How exactly are they similar?"
"Didn't Tobirama-sensei also divide and win over the various shinobi clans back then? And on certain important occasions, he also publicly refuted the First Hokage!"
Danzō spoke with absolute conviction: "Tobirama-sensei also once said that when facing problems in the village, those in leadership must have the courage to correct them, allow others to point them out, and accept criticism with humility…"
"Looking at it now, Seisui pointing out certain problems within Root was also an inheritance of sensei's will!"
Hiruzen froze when he heard that.
Did Tobirama-sensei ever say that?
Why didn't he remember?
So that's how it is. One of us invents Hashirama quotes, and the other invents Tobirama quotes, huh?
And what was with Danzō's attitude?
Three months ago, he had clearly hated Seisui so much that he was practically gnashing his teeth, cursing him as an ungrateful Uchiha who split the village and undermined Konoha's stability…
Yet now, just because Seisui had gained the title of Tobirama's grandson, Danzō's opinion of him had taken a full one-eighty, switching from one extreme to the other with ridiculous smoothness…
Couldn't he be even a little objective?
What Hiruzen hadn't expected was this:
To him, Tobirama's bloodline wasn't an especially important factor.
But to Danzō, it was a precious opportunity he had waited nearly thirty years for—a chance to reconnect with his god!
Because Hiruzen was Hokage. Governing the village well was naturally his way of repaying Tobirama for staying behind.
But Danzō was only the Hokage's assistant.
Logically speaking, Konoha's flourishing development naturally included the contributions of him as an assistant.
But Danzō was far from satisfied. That was only an indirect way of repaying Tobirama-sensei, not a direct one!
The lion's share belonged to Hiruzen…
Danzō had not really acknowledged this in the past. He prided himself as Konoha's Root. But over the past few years, he had been forced to admit it.
Without Hiruzen, the seemingly powerful Konoha could even turn red-faced over a single meeting…
During these past two months, late at night—
Danzō had constantly been thinking.
When it came to staying behind, he had been one step slower than Hiruzen. When it came to confessing, he had been one step slower than Torifu…
Now that a chance to repay his teacher had been placed right in front of him, was he going to be one step late again?
Once was forgivable. Twice could be endured. But not a third time!
Danzō's expression unconsciously became somewhat ferocious.
Hiruzen quietly shifted his chair back a little.
His old friend seemed to be having an episode…
Better not get bitten!
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