Confused Asuma Sarutobi, Lively Seisui's Home

Asuma Sarutobi couldn't figure out what the Will of Fire really meant...

In his view, if Seisui were following the Will of Fire, he should have encouraged Kojiro Inada to keep trying and not give up on becoming a Konoha ninja.

But Seisui didn't do that. He directly funded Kojiro Inada to open a shop.

Why? Why?

Why would Seisui encourage a dead-last like Might Guy to keep moving forward step by step, but not encourage Kojiro Inada?

Yet seeing Kojiro Inada's face full of joy, Asuma fell into confusion.

Was failing to become a ninja really such a happy thing?

But that smile from the heart couldn't be faked, meaning Seisui hadn't done anything wrong.

Asuma slowly crumpled the Will of Fire test paper in his hand, stared intently at Seisui, let out a long breath, and his gaze grew firm.

He had decided to find the right moment to ask Seisui face-to-face: what exactly was the Will of Fire?

Compared to the hypocritical, uncomfortable scenes he'd heard about and witnessed at home, he trusted the Seisui who made his friends and classmates smile.

"Brat Seisui, I told you to help him, not to tell him to quit being a ninja." Tobirama Senju frowned, seeming a bit dissatisfied.

"What's the point? Send him off to die as a ninja?"

Seisui shook his head and said slowly, "A student so talentless he can barely master the Three Body Technique—even if he puts in a hundred and twenty percent effort, reaching Chunin in this lifetime would be lucky. More likely, he'll stay a Genin forever."

"In a few years, when war comes, someone like him is cannon fodder. You wouldn't even find his bones on the battlefield."

"Do you think Konoha needs one more piece of cannon fodder, or a shopkeeper who makes great Dango, Tobirama?"

Tobirama Senju was taken aback. He'd never thought of it that way.

But as he mulled it over, he felt Seisui had a point—though something still seemed off...

Tobirama Senju fell silent, then slowly nodded after a moment. "Maybe you're right."

"Learn from me well, Tobirama." Seisui shrugged. "Of course I'm right. Or do you think your zero score is right?"

"Wicked Uchiha brat!"

#

"So good, Seisui! Your cooking's amazing!"

At Seisui's dinner table, Might Guy attacked the generous spread of meat with chopsticks like whirlwinds and a mouth like a bulldozer, launching a youthful assault on the feast, eating with pure joy.

In no time, he'd wolfed down eight bowls of rice.

And though Seisui's eating was more refined, his appetite was no less than Might Guy's.

In fact, a ninja's strength could partly be judged by their appetite. Not every strong ninja could eat a lot, but a ninja who couldn't eat much generally couldn't fight.

If you can't even get food down, how can you have the strength to hit someone?

Might Duy watched his son devour the food with a warm smile, his eyes carrying a mix of sadness, gratitude, and shyness.

Unlike his still-childish son, Might Duy—though always shouting about youth—was a mentally sound adult.

The food laid out on the table ranged from red meat to white meat, from chicken, duck, fish, and goose to medicinal dishes—almost everything was there, the nutritional balance as if carefully calculated.

To put it bluntly, even the Hokage's household probably ate about this well.

Only now did Might Duy understand what Seisui meant by "room and board," and just what kind of treatment that was...

"Uncle Duy, dig in. Why are you just watching?"

Just as Might Duy was silently waiting for Seisui and Shisui to start eating first, Seisui cheerfully placed a large pot of beef in front of him and handed him a bowl of rice:

"If you don't eat your fill, you'll build up hidden injuries from overtraining, and I'll have to keep fixing you up. Do you trust me that much, Uncle Duy?"

"Don't be polite. Eat up so you have the strength to guard the house. This was all agreed on as part of the deal."

Might Duy stared blankly at Seisui, who seemed to be scolding him, and smelled the aroma of the beef. For a moment, he felt dazed.

After decades of struggling in Konoha, never once valued by anyone, Might Duy felt genuine respect and warmth from another person for the first time.

But Seisui was an Uchiha...

"Uchiha... so what if he's an Uchiha?"

Might Duy took a deep breath, nodded firmly at Seisui, and grabbed a rib that Might Guy had his eye on, snatching it right in front of him before stuffing it into his mouth and chewing loudly.

"Father!"

"Guy, eating is also a form of training! If you don't approach Seisui's cooking with a youthful attitude, it's a sin!" Might Duy laughed heartily and gave Seisui a thumbs-up:

"Don't worry, Seisui. I'll be a great guard for the Seisui household!" Might Duy emphasized the words "Seisui household" a bit heavily.

"I've always believed in you, Uncle Duy." Seisui grinned and returned a thumbs-up.

Seisui didn't mind at all that Might Duy and Might Guy ate a lot. In fact, the more they ate, the better.

Might Duy and Might Guy, who had never had abundant resources growing up, were having their hidden injuries healed and their bellies filled at Seisui's place. When they unleashed their youth later, they might kick more than just the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to death, or cripple more than half of Madara Uchiha's body...

At the very least, they definitely wouldn't be kicking Seisui.

A few dozen tons of meat was nothing compared to the might of Night Guy—practically free. This angel investment was one no one else in Konoha was willing to make, and Seisui wasn't about to pass it up.

Shisui watched this scene from the side and let out a cold snort. Though he felt his family didn't need a guard, as a proper younger brother, he wouldn't question his brother's decision.

But!

When it came to his brother's cooking, Shisui was determined to eat more than anyone else!

Shisui wolfed down his food until his face and neck were red, glaring at Might Guy, vowing to out-eat that glutton!

"Alright, Guy!"

After eating, Might Duy leaped up full of energy: "Now for training—wash the dishes within three minutes, then mop the floor three times, and finally sweep the yard spotless!"

"Oh! Got it, Dad!"

"Oh, right, Seisui. Kakashi told me today that if you want to spar with him, come to Training Ground One in the village this weekend. He'll be waiting there."

Might Guy scratched his head sheepishly. The food was so good he'd forgotten his friend's message.

With that, Might Guy bustled about gathering the dishes, chasing after Might Duy who had already started washing them, and began the chores.

"Hey, I used to wash all the dishes in this house!" Shisui slammed the table. "No way, I'm washing them too!"

Seisui smiled as he watched the three of them fighting over the dishes, his eyes narrowing.

Kakashi wanted to spar with him. What did that mean? A challenge from a genius...

Meanwhile, Tobirama Senju watched this heartwarming scene, his gaze complicated.

He wondered how Tsunade was doing, all alone.

Second chapter done--

Today I almost got caught writing a novel by a coworker.

Luckily I was quick: "Bro, what novel? I can't write a hammer novel!"

But thinking about it, that's not wrong. I can't write a hammer novel!

Orz...