What is the Will of Fire? This is it!

"So fast!"

Shisui couldn't help but exclaim.

He'd thought his teacher might be skilled, but he never imagined Kyoichi's Body Flicker Technique had already reached a speed where hand seals were almost unnecessary, with no warning when activated.

Just now, he'd barely sensed any chakra fluctuation.

That meant...

If Kyoichi had been lurking in the shadows and suddenly struck to kill him, he might not have had time to defend.

"Amazing."

The other students also marveled one after another.

They couldn't grasp it.

But.

It was fast!

So fast they couldn't even see it clearly, almost like teleportation.

"Shisui, give everyone a demonstration."

"Yes!"

Shisui didn't hesitate.

He formed hand seals, mobilized his chakra, then flashed behind Kyoichi.

But.

His speed was clearly much slower.

The difference seemed slight on the surface, but one glance revealed who was superior.

"Did everyone understand?"

"Yes!"

Genma Shiranui nodded excitedly.

He understood.

Even with the same Body Flicker Technique, differences in chakra mobilization, hand seals, and other details—seeming only a hair's breadth apart—made a massive gap in actual combat, potentially deciding victory, defeat, or even life and death.

"Today's lesson is on the finer points of the Body Flicker Technique."

Kyoichi began explaining the many details within.

The commoner children's eyes all lit up, including those from minor clans like Genma Shiranui, because while what Kyoichi taught wasn't secret arts, it was priceless to those who couldn't access higher-level knowledge.

Asuma listened from below, but many questions arose in his mind.

Why would the teacher...

How did a clan establish itself?

Through these techniques and secret arts, yet Kyoichi was freely imparting his insights and understanding to students at the Ninja Academy, no different from handing over a clan's foundation to outsiders.

It didn't make sense.

At this point, Asuma wasn't yet the jonin who'd returned from the Daimyo's side, having grasped the true meaning of the "King."

He was lost, full of confusion and curiosity.

In Asuma's view, a normal person would use these techniques to strengthen their own clan, not share them with others like this...

After one class.

Asuma hadn't absorbed much of the lesson.

"The war is almost over. Ninjas are returning to the village one after another. Everyone might be reassigned to new squads, divided by grade level. There won't be many chances to study together after this."

Kyoichi said with emotion, "Truth is, these techniques are beyond the curriculum. I didn't have to teach them."

"!!!"

Hearing that, Asuma's ears perked up instantly.

Right.

That was exactly what he was curious about!

Not just him—many kids were curious, including Shisui.

"But in recent years, wars have been frequent. This year's conflict with Sunagakure is over, but no one knows what next year will bring. My parents died on the battlefield early on. I survived only by some accident."

"Many of you will graduate this year. I hope you survive."

"Dismissed."

Kyoichi waved his hand, signaling everyone could leave.

But.

None of the children moved. They all vaguely understood the situation.

The teacher might be leaving soon.

As Kyoichi had said, this class was only mixed together because of the war and the shortage of jonin teachers. Now that the war was over, there was naturally no need to keep them mixed like this.

And besides...

"Someone as strong as Teacher couldn't really stay a teacher forever. He might already have a jonin appointment lined up."

Kurenai Yuhi murmured from behind.

Her father was a chunin instructor for genin. Having grown up around that, Kurenai knew very well what a normal chunin's strength looked like.

The village wouldn't leave a jonin idle.

Especially during wartime.

Asuma was utterly shaken.

He thought of his father's words.

The Will of Fire!

What was the Will of Fire?

Maybe Teacher Kyoichi's actions right now were the Will of Fire!

"You little brats, stop guessing. Alright, dismissed. Don't forget to train after class. I'll check your progress next time."

Kyoichi had come up with these words on the spot.

First, to say some of his "true thoughts."

Second...

He wanted to test whether the system's rewards were linked to the psychological feedback of those he taught. If so, he'd have a better handle on how to farm rewards in the future.

Besides.

Weren't words and moral education still education?

If you didn't say the good things out loud, how would people like the Third Hokage ever know?

Kyoichi had to admire himself.

In truth.

He guessed right. Quite a few people were watching him right now, and the Third Hokage was one of them.

Witnessing this scene, the Third Hokage was deeply shocked.

Then, greatly moved.

Indeed.

Kanda Kyoichi was someone who truly understood the Will of Fire!

"As expected of that teacher's descendant."

The Third Hokage sighed with emotion.

Using the Clairvoyance Jutsu to observe, he naturally also saw Fugaku Uchiha standing at the school gate. Thinking of the Uchiha clan, he couldn't help but chuckle.

Kanda Kyoichi really could deliver!

Making him a temporary teacher, and he'd already educated Shisui into a good kid like Obito.

What a pity he wasn't of his own lineage.

If he could become Tsunade's disciple, then the position of Hokage might not be out of his reach in the future.

The Third Hokage sank into thought.

"Shisui."

At the school gate.

Shisui followed Kyoichi out the whole way, asking several detailed questions about the Body Flicker Technique along the way. Kyoichi held nothing back and taught him everything.

Seeing Fugaku at the gate, Shisui paused for a moment, then turned and bowed.

"Teacher, are you going to become a jonin after this?"

"Barring any surprises, that should be the case."

Kyoichi thought for a moment, then gave a slight nod.

The Jonin Exam was only necessary because his meritorious service wasn't enough yet. This kind of internal village promotion was mostly a formality—

Even if it weren't just a formality, he had confidence.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Teacher... Ah, I'll be going now."

A smile appeared on Shisui's face.

Then, he took a deep breath, sorted out his thoughts, turned, and walked toward Fugaku.

Fugaku narrowed his eyes slightly, greeted Kyoichi from a distance, then led Shisui away.

After returning to the clan compound.

Fugaku finally spoke: "Shisui, that person is the newly transferred teacher?"

"Yes, his name is Kanda Kyoichi, and he's a very good teacher."

Shisui replied respectfully.

"I heard you've been following Obito lately, helping the villagers carry water and firewood?"

"Yes. Because I noticed the civilians didn't seem to like me much, but with Obito they had almost no barriers. I was curious, so I observed for a while and tried following his example. Sure enough, the civilians stopped rejecting me."

A smile appeared on Shisui's face.

He looked up at Fugaku and said: "Clan Head, I think our clan could try interacting with them more too. Otherwise, they'll keep misunderstanding us Uchiha."

"..."

Fugaku was shaken inwardly. He stroked Shisui's hair and was silent for a long moment.

Shisui was only five years old.

But it was precisely a child's words that struck him the most.

Because Shisui, at just five, was already looking at problems from the clan's perspective, not simply as an individual.

That was rare!

He stared at Shisui for several seconds, then let out a long sigh. "Easier said than done... But it's good that you have this kind of thinking. You're clearly different from Obito after all."

Obito acted purely on instinct.

Shisui acted with purpose and observation. The two were obviously different, which put Fugaku somewhat at ease.

"Clan Head, after graduation, will you allow me to follow another jonin?"

Shisui added.

"You want to join Kanda Kyoichi's squad?"

Fugaku fell into hesitation.

If it were before, he would never have agreed. But Shisui's words had made him recognize the boy's intelligence even more, and besides...

Shisui didn't know, but he did.

The Uchiha were currently like fish trapped in a pond. He had wanted to try something, but could never find a direction.

Now, Shisui seemed to be just the opportunity!

To build a connection with Kanda Kyoichi, and use that as a springboard into the Hokage's Anbu.

Thinking this far, Fugaku nodded lightly. "I understand. If Kanda Kyoichi is promoted to jonin and is willing to lead a team, I will bring it up with the Third Hokage."

"Thank you, Clan Head!"