No One Sleeps Tonight, A Disturbed Fate

That night.

Seisui sat in the rattan chair in his bedroom, eyes closed, pondering the day's events.

"Brat, what exactly are you trying to do..." Tobirama Senju's voice rang out like a ghost, but amusingly, it carried a hint of confusion that couldn't be dissolved or concealed.

Seisui ignored him, while Tobirama Senju analyzed on his own: "You say you believe in the Will of Fire—I won't buy that. For a clever, dangerous brat like you, you can't possibly miss the core of the Will of Fire..."

"Are you trying to infiltrate the Hokage lineage, lie low, and seek benefits for the Uchiha Clan?"

"No... if that were the case, why would you suppress that extremist brat named Obito Uchiha? Besides, you've been mimicking my combat style—both of these things naturally lower your standing within the Uchiha Clan."

"But the problem is, you, the evil brat who sealed me inside your body, make me think you're genuinely devoted to Konoha—then I'd have wasted all my years fighting across the ninja world..."

"Yet, you're also Kagami's descendant."

Even the sharp and composed Tobirama Senju was confused now.

From a self-interest standpoint, Seisui's actions were absolutely unpopular within the Uchiha Clan.

Seisui had publicly flaunted his genius-level pursuit of the Will of Fire, used the Uchiha's most sensitive technique—Tobirama's water-style—to sweep Obito with his Double Tomoe, and criticized the Sharingan for causing his emotional breakdown...

The symbolic implications and room for interpretation were far too many.

Moreover, Tobirama Senju had to admit.

If he set aside the matter of Seisui sealing his soul, and looked at everything else, Seisui's character was so flawless that even he couldn't find fault.

Encouraging the hardworking Might Guy, healing his injuries, making a pact to become rivals despite his genius status, sharing advanced jutsu with the civilian ninja Rin Nohara who had talent but no resources, showing such respect to the ordinary Chunin Iruka Umino, and caring for his younger brother's feelings...

Seisui's humility and gentleness were extremely rare, even within the Senju Clan.

But all of this circled back to the starting point—Tobirama Senju couldn't set aside Seisui sealing him, because his soul was trapped...

Could it really be, as Seisui had introduced himself from the start?

That he wasn't a twisted, insane Uchiha who only appeared calm on the surface?

That he was genuinely a good kid who woke early, slept early, and wanted a peaceful life, who, faced with the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the village, was forced to research forbidden techniques and summon his soul here to seek help?

Thinking this far, a wave of absurdity engulfed Tobirama Senju, and even a faint trace of guilt crept in.

If that were the case, hadn't he personally made a genius Uchiha with the Will of Fire lose faith in the village?

Tobirama Senju shook his head violently, dismissing this abstract possibility, and his gaze hardened again.

But his heart was inevitably shaken, because he couldn't help but change his expectations of Seisui...

"Tobirama, I once read an ancient text with a line I liked: 'A gentleman is judged by his deeds, not his heart.'" Seisui's figure appeared before Tobirama Senju, studying the Second Hokage's complex expression, and said slowly: "It means that to judge a person's good or evil, don't guess what's in their heart—look at what they do."

"You're not only a Hokage but also a researcher, so you should understand: when you approach a person or matter with a preset stance, you've already lost an objective perspective."

"You're a ninja I once respected, so I'll make an exception and reiterate this to you..."

"What I want to do is simple: let good people live better lives, let bad people get the punishment they deserve, and with my justice as Seisui Uchiha, punish evil and promote good, bringing peace."

Tobirama Senju silently stared at Seisui, but even with his sharp eyes, all he could see in those Sharingan was sincerity.

"Brat, I'll be watching you."

"Tobirama, I really need your wisdom to guide me. If you want to say something to me, feel free to speak anytime."

"Don't call me Tobirama! You damn brat, I'm your grandfather's master—I'm from your great-grandfather's generation!"

"Alright, alright, Tobirama. You're already dead—why fuss over seniority?"

From target Tobirama Senju, you have obtained: Sword Technique (Tobirama Senju Version)!

The beautiful sound of dropping gold rang out. Seisui looked at Tobirama Senju, who was fussing over seniority, and suddenly smiled.

That smile was exactly the same as when Tobirama Senju first saw Seisui—like watching a harvest come in...

Tobirama Senju's heart jolted, and he heard Seisui say to him: "Good night, Tobirama."

Darkness once again enveloped Tobirama Senju's vision.

Seisui slowly took off his clothes, humming a cheerful tune: "No matter how much, it's a yield. Tobirama Senju's sword technique is decent—time to buy a blade..."

"Oh, right, there should be plenty of good swords from the Warring States Period in the family storage. I'll check tomorrow morning."

And while Seisui drank his milk, did his warm-up exercises, and fell into a deep sleep...

That night, many people couldn't sleep for a long time.

In the next room, Shisui tossed and turned, thinking about how to improve his strength as quickly as possible. He felt Seisui was under too much pressure.

Might Guy, accompanied by Might Duy, excitedly ran laps around Konoha. Seisui's recognition filled him with motivation.

Rin Nohara lay in bed, unconsciously staring at the bright moon outside the window, inexplicably recalling the tingling sensation of Seisui's finger brushing her throat, and her face flushed again.

Kakashi stared at the short sword in his hand, pondering whether he could win if he really fought Seisui.

Asuma stood in the yard of Hiruzen Sarutobi's house, having stolen his brother's cigarettes. He stared at the swirling smoke, his mind full of Seisui, the Uchiha, and the Will of Fire.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't home. He was in the Hokage's office, focused on writing exam papers, creating questions for the subjects Seisui was looking forward to.

Obito Uchiha received a warm visit from a group of elders led by Setsuna Uchiha, gaining unprecedented attention. After all, a seven-year-old who awakened Double Tomoe was extremely rare in the Uchiha's thousand-year history.

Tobirama Senju pondered in the darkness. He found Seisui more and more unreadable, but that only sparked his curiosity and competitive spirit.

And Madara Uchiha, secluded in his cave, had just received word from Obito and Seisui through White Zetsu. He studied the intelligence in his hands, deep in thought.

From Konoha to the shinobi world—this chaotic era and chessboard where ninjas danced—the threads of fate had begun to tremble, ever so faintly, due to Seisui's sudden emergence.

Whether their destiny and future would turn for better or worse, Seisui did not know.

He slept soundly.

A little late...

Woke up and started writing after a nap...

Please keep reading—I'll try to adjust my schedule this weekend so updates can be more stable from now on.

If a new book on Qidian doesn't get readership, it really will die off...

Though I, the author, would never drop or abandon a story.