Ninja Academy.
Seisui surveyed the exam paper before him, glanced over the questions, then smiled confidently and casually spun his pen.
This was the final subject of the end-of-term examination—the Overview and General Discussion of the Will of Fire.
"Tobirama, how about it? Interested in seeing how many points you could score?" Seisui spread out the paper and said to Tobirama Senju with a smile.
"You were the first principal of the Ninja Academy, the one who summarized the Will of Fire. You couldn't possibly fail to get full marks, right? That would be rather funny..."
"Brat, don't underestimate me. Monkey's Will of Fire was taught through my own actions. How could a test like this possibly stump me?"
Tobirama Senju scoffed. "If you want me to help you cheat, just say so..."
"If you want to use your understanding of the Will of Fire to catch Monkey's attention, then rely on your own ability. I won't help you."
Seisui raised an eyebrow. Why was this old man feeling so good about himself?
Briefly recount the achievements of the Third Hokage and discuss your opinion of him.
Discuss the differences between shinobi clans and civilian shinobi based on your background, and describe your plans for your future shinobi career.
Shinobi must obey the rules and prioritize completing missions. Discuss the importance of discipline to shinobi.
Describe your understanding of the Will of Fire.
The four essay questions covered the Third Hokage, the Will of Fire, the currently sensitive issue between clans and civilian shinobi in Konoha, and the lack of discipline that Ninja Academy students had compared to mature shinobi.
Seisui narrowed his eyes. Judging by the way these questions were written and the ideas behind them, this exam had considerable substance and even some practical value. It did not seem like something those mediocre Chunin at the Ninja Academy would come up with...
Every question Seisui had before him today seemed ordinary, but each one targeted a hot-button issue in present-day Konoha.
Past Will of Fire examinations had even included dreadful prompts like, "Who is the Strongest Hokage, and why?" It looked like an attempt to bolster the Third Hokage's popularity and consolidate his rule, but in truth, it merely invited criticism.
Civilian students might not know great figures from thirty or forty years ago like Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju, and Tobirama Senju, but would students born into shinobi clans not know the titans of the Shinobi World who had once shaken heaven and earth?
Every shinobi clan had old men at home—the kind who told stories.
Tobirama Senju seemed to mirror Seisui's movements. He narrowed his eyes, his expression turning serious as he thought, What is Monkey doing? Making Ninja Academy students answer questions this deep? Even Elder Brother might not pass if he had to answer these...
While Tobirama Senju was still questioning the difficulty of the exam—
Seisui thought for a moment, and then his pen began to make soft swishing sounds as he smoothly started writing his answers.
Tobirama Senju watched with a cold sneer.
If the Uchiha Clan could truly explain the Will of Fire, then they would not be Uchiha!
Even if Seisui currently looked somewhat like him, that was only in superficial aspects like Water Release and Kenjutsu...
Although Seisui's current performance did carry a hint of the Will of Fire, Tobirama Senju did not believe that an Uchiha—always practical geniuses but weak in awareness and theory—could handle questions of this caliber.
But as Seisui continued writing, Tobirama Senju's smile gradually faded. His mocking expression turned solemn as he studied the answers on the paper with utmost seriousness.
No, you really knew all the answers? Were you from the Hokage lineage, or was he?
Oh, Seisui was Kagami's descendant. Then it was fine. As expected of his disciple's descendant. Good!
"...Wherever the leaves of Konoha danced, the fire endured. Where leaves fluttered, the flame of hope burned. The light of the fire illuminated the village and brought forth new leaves..."
Seisui smoothly borrowed Hiruzen Sarutobi's heartfelt final words as the conclusion to the last essay question, making Tobirama Senju's eyes light up as hesitation stirred within him.
Those emotions were far too abundant... Was Seisui seriously invested in this? Could he truly be a genius naturally suited to studying the Will of Fire?
"Fallen blossoms are not heartless things; turned into spring mud, they protect the flowers all the more..." As Seisui checked his paper, he said sentimentally to Tobirama Senju.
"It is autumn. The falling leaves become nourishment within the earth, nurturing the tender shoots of next spring. The Will of Fire truly contains the principles of nature's workings. The more one considers it, the more profound it becomes..."
Tobirama Senju carefully savored the verse Seisui had casually copied. The more he pondered it, the more flavor it held.
He had originally wanted to argue back and put Seisui down a little, but now he could not say a word.
Damn brat. He was rather literary...
Especially when Tobirama Senju saw Seisui's answer regarding discipline, his expression became even more complicated.
"...Discipline is absolutely necessary for shinobi. Shinobi must suppress unnecessary emotions, while the village must establish strict and effective rules and obey them from top to bottom. That would prevent most needless conflicts..."
Those words were almost exactly the same as his own answer when he and Hashirama had discussed how to achieve peace in their childhood!
Other than Hashirama Senju and the brothers present at the time, Tobirama Senju had never spoken of that conversation to anyone else—not even his disciples.
Yet thirty years after his death, Tobirama Senju was hearing an Uchiha Clan brat speak words nearly identical to those he had said in his youth!
That Uchiha's name was Seisui Uchiha.
That strange feeling enveloped Tobirama Senju's heart. Recalling Seisui's Water Release and Kenjutsu, both so similar to his own, and even their personalities, he began to imagine more similarities between them.
None of the disciples Tobirama Senju had ever taught had given him this feeling...
This feeling was called "likeness to oneself." It was among the highest forms of praise in a master-disciple inheritance, and the standard for "graduation"... In the era of feudal emperors, it would have been the standard for choosing a successor.
From Target of Confrontation Tobirama Senju, you have obtained a special talent: Power of Tobirama Senju! Power of Tobirama Senju: You may borrow the power of Tobirama Senju's soul within your body. Its strength depends on that target's subjective willingness.
Seisui blinked at the strange talent.
What kind of bizarre ability was this? His ancestor possessing him or something?
No, he was from the Uchiha Clan. System, at the very least, let Indra possess him. If not, Madara Uchiha would do...
Sigh, forget it. He would make do with it. It was better than nothing.
Unaware that Seisui found him rather distasteful, Tobirama Senju put on a reluctant expression and coughed theatrically. "Brat, your answers were passable..."
"However, there is still a huge gap between you and me."
"How about this? Think of a way to let me answer a set as well. I'll show you a perfect answer sheet and teach you something..."
A perfect Saturday! Woohoo!
Before you continue