Withered Branches and Tender Shoots

"Torikaze, you're up."

Torikaze let out a soft breath and stepped forward. Seeing how Hiruzen and the others had trembled when explaining their Will of Fire earlier, he had found it somewhat puzzling.

But now that he stood before Konoha's two guardian deities, ready to explain his own Will of Fire, he too felt a little nervous.

"Don't be nervous, Torikaze. Tell us what your own Will of Fire is like."

Hashirama offered some reassurance. He had always been extremely fond of this disciple of his.

From their very first meeting, the child had displayed a deep love for the village.

Since then, Hashirama had consciously and unconsciously kept an eye on Torikaze.

Torikaze had not disappointed his expectations. The moment he entered the Ninja Academy, he displayed remarkable talent in ninjutsu. Whenever conflicts arose among his classmates, Torikaze could always smooth them over with ease.

He also had his own unique insights into the relationship between the major clans and the village.

The more Hashirama thought about it, the more he looked forward to hearing what Torikaze would say.

"Where Konoha's leaves dance, the fire shall burn without end."

Everyone looked at Torikaze with a trace of confusion. Lord Hokage had explicitly told them to realize their own Will of Fire, yet Torikaze was...

"Withered branches and leaves become nourishment, feeding the tender shoots of early spring."

The others looked as though they only half understood, while Hashirama and Tobirama's eyes held approval.

The younger generation might not understand the meaning behind Torikaze's words, but they did. After all, they were the withered branches that would soon become nourishment.

"Why do you say that?" Hashirama deliberately asked.

Torikaze took several steps forward and stood atop Hokage Rock, looking down over the entirety of Konoha.

Then he turned around. The wind at the mountaintop tossed his snowy white hair into disarray, but it could not extinguish the Will of Fire in his heart.

"I am my teacher's disciple. I have a duty to inherit my Master's will, but I also have my own Will of Fire!"

"Konoha is a tree growing strong and tall. We are its young, tender shoots, while Master, Lord Tobirama, and the elders are the branches that shield us from wind and rain."

"But one day, those branches will wither, rot, and finally fall away. Yet they will become nourishment for the tender shoots."

"And one day, we too will become branches, sheltering our descendants from wind and rain. One day, we too will wither, and we too will become nourishment."

"But so long as we can see the tender shoots we have protected grow strong and healthy, then even in the face of withering away, we will have nothing to fear."

"Everyone will grow old eventually. The changing of eras surges onward like a great flood, but Konoha alone will continue to prosper forever."

Torikaze finished speaking of his will. No one knew who started it, but the crowd began to applaud.

From their expressions, Torikaze could tell that the applause came from the heart, rather than mockery or anything else.

Chiri clapped the hardest of all. As she watched Torikaze standing atop Hokage Rock, brimming with confidence, a sense of pride rose in her heart.

It was as if she were saying, See? This is Uchiha Chiri's best friend! Look how outstanding he is!

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others also looked at Torikaze in a new light. At first, they had been somewhat jealous of him. Why had he earned the First Hokage's favor and been accepted directly as his disciple?

But now, they sincerely admired Torikaze.

Looking at the spirited, confident youth atop Hokage Rock, Hashirama could not help but recall how he and Madara had once stood here in their youth, imagining the future.

Back then, the two of them had agreed to build a village of their own beneath this cliff. Now, the village was on the right track and growing ever more prosperous, yet his old friend was nowhere to be found.

Hashirama walked over to Torikaze and patted his head.

"As expected of Hashirama Senju's disciple! Torikaze, you will definitely become an extraordinary ninja in the future!"

Hashirama praised Torikaze without reserve, because he knew that even if he were gone one day, the village would continue to flourish.

Hashirama rarely spoke to Torikaze about his own Will of Fire, nor had he demanded that Torikaze inherit his will.

Yet this boy, only six years old, had already inherited his will—and comprehended it as well!

What a genius!

Torikaze was delighted by Hashirama's praise. His Master had acknowledged his will. Everything he said today had come from the bottom of his heart; he had not spoken grandly simply to draw attention.

Torikaze had already mapped out his future. At the right age, he would marry, have a few children, raise them well, become an Elder of Konoha, and ensure the village continued moving along the proper path.

Living out his life peacefully like that would be more than enough. If he could also take in a few kids he liked as disciples and leave behind some inheritors of his teachings, that would be even better.

Even if he could not, though, Torikaze would not force the issue.

"All right, Torikaze, go back for now. It's Chiri's turn."

After bowing to Hashirama, Torikaze returned to the group.

Chiri, who had been clapping away with great enthusiasm, seemed to have forgotten that she was supposed to go after Torikaze.

Only when her name was called did she suddenly realize! With Torikaze's brilliant words coming first, her own will would surely seem utterly ordinary.

If Lord Hashirama criticized her because of it, that would be awful. After all, Chiri was currently the only one without a Master!

Everyone else had a teacher. She alone was merely training at Lord Hokage's side, and only because she had benefited from Torikaze's favor.

Chiri timidly stepped forward and began to explain her Will of Fire, her voice carrying a trace of nervousness.

"My Will of Fire is integration and unity."

When she saw that no one reacted in any particular way, Chiri relaxed a little and continued.

"Even before I entered the academy, I often heard villagers tell their children, 'Once you start school, don't provoke anyone from the Uchiha Clan.'"

Hashirama frowned upon hearing this. He had heard of such things before. Most members of the Uchiha Clan were arrogant and often treated villagers with an air of superiority, so their reputation among the villagers was poor.

There was not much Hashirama could do about it. As one of the two great clans that had founded Konoha, the Uchiha Clan was not something he could easily interfere with personally.

Perhaps it was precisely this attitude that had caused more and more members of the Uchiha Clan to become arrogant and conceited, while the clan's reputation worsened by the day.

"When I heard such words, I only felt hurt and sad at first. Why did people hate me so much when I hadn't done anything?"

As Chiri spoke, a trace of bitterness and sorrow entered her voice.

"As I grew older, I discovered that there were many children in the clan just like me. They all wanted to try to fit in with everyone, but they often failed because of the Uchiha's 'bad reputation.'"

"I used to call myself an Uchiha genius and believed I could easily change the way people viewed the Uchiha."

"But then I realized there was very little I could do, and I once felt defeated. But I don't want to admit defeat!"

By now, Chiri had lost all of her initial timidity and nervousness. She stood before everyone, before the ninja she admired most, explaining her fragile and seemingly unrealistic will.

"I want the clan and the village to become one! I want everyone to unite, without discrimination or fear between people!"

"No matter which clan a child comes from, they can become friends and trustworthy companions!"

At that moment, Chiri no longer carried herself like a young lady. She was more like a ninja with unwavering conviction!