One Tree Cannot Make a Forest

"Shizune, you mustn't speak of these things carelessly from now on."

Tsunade was unusually serious.

Shizune nodded.

Although Tsunade hadn't admitted it, she considered herself Tsunade's disciple. If these words got out, it would be very bad for Tsunade and Kanda Kyoichi, so she naturally wouldn't dare speak carelessly.

"Kid, I'm leaving. Tell the old man not to look for me; I'm not planning on going back anyway."

"Won't you stay for a meal before you go?"

Kyoichi felt a pang of reluctance.

Tsunade wasn't polite to him, but it was precisely this lack of politeness that made him feel like he'd met family—only with family could one be so open.

"Tch, you think I can't afford to eat?"

Tsunade waved her hand, exuding an air of carefree nonchalance. The large "Gamble" character on her green clothes was striking.

Kyoichi didn't try to persuade her to stay.

Konoha was in turmoil right now. With Tsunade suffering from hemophobia, her departure might be for the best.

Kyoichi looked down at the key in his hand, lost in thought.

After a moment, he tightened his grip on the key, put it in his ninja tool pouch, and turned to head towards Shisui and the others.

On the hills of Baiyun Town.

Tsunade stood at a high vantage point, watching Kyoichi's retreating figure, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Only after Kyoichi disappeared behind the village wall did she sigh.

"If Nawaki were still alive, he might have become a Jonin already..."

"Is he very similar to Nawaki?"

Shizune was curious.

"No, he's more similar to the Second Hokage, and Nawaki..."

Tsunade shook her head.

But.

She would unconsciously think of Nawaki. After all, Nawaki wasn't much older than Kyoichi; their age difference was small.

However.

"I'm just feeling sentimental."

"Lady Tsunade, you mentioned earlier that Konoha is in a dangerous situation and other villages might attack to test us. If war breaks out again, will you return?" Shizune asked.

The war with Sunagakure had ended.

But according to Tsunade, this was just the beginning.

Ever since Tobirama Senju's death, the skirmishes between Konoha and other villages had never stopped. Although things had calmed down for two to three years after the Sannin fought Hanzo, friction soon arose again.

Tsunade had traveled to many countries in these past few years and was well aware of the attitude of the major powers surrounding the Land of Fire towards Konoha—

They all longed for Konoha's defeat!

Peace wouldn't last much longer.

"If I go back... what can I do? We'll see when the time comes."

Tsunade shook her head.

The Third Hokage sending Kyoichi to find her clearly indicated he hoped Kyoichi would help resolve her emotional turmoil and persuade her to return to Konoha's service.

But.

She had hemophobia, a fact few people knew. Even if she returned to Konoha, what good would it do?

Tsunade turned and walked away.

Kyoichi looked back, glancing in her direction.

Tsunade had truly left.

Although it was a pity, her state was clearly not suitable for too many questions, and trying to help her with her hemophobia was even more absurd.

Nawaki and Dan Katō had only been dead for a few years.

Tsunade herself was a medical prodigy; if psychological problems were easily cured, she wouldn't have suffered for so many years.

Some things not only required time to heal but also an accident, a stroke of luck.

"Asuma, why don't you rest for a bit..."

"No, no need!"

Asuma gathered his chakra, continuing to use Wind Release nature transformation to cut the stone bricks.

Shisui also gathered Wind Release chakra, attempting to use chakra nature transformation in conjunction with his katana to cleave the stone bricks.

This was training assigned by a Shadow Clone.

As for Kurenai Yuhi.

She was carrying stone bricks.

Those workers were initially unwilling to let ninjas do this, but when they heard from the Shadow Clone that it was a mission and training, they couldn't refuse and just let them do as they pleased.

However.

Precisely because of this, the work went much faster. A task that would have originally taken several days was basically completed in just one afternoon.

In the evening, at the strong invitation of the town mayor, Kyoichi and his three companions attended a party organized by the town.

The food was plentiful, and the villagers were very enthusiastic.

"Teacher, I always thought villagers were difficult to get along with, that we Uchiha were incompatible with them. Now it seems it's not the villagers who are incompatible, but us Uchiha."

Shisui spoke from the heart.

This trip had made him understand many things.

Villagers weren't difficult to get along with.

As long as you didn't consider yourself superior and interacted with them with an equal mindset and behavior, they would naturally reciprocate with their own warmth.

The Uchiha were not like that.

The security force, the high walls of the clan compound, and the title of Konoha's foremost noble clan isolated them from the outside world from birth. Moreover, they had never had any intention of interacting or communicating with the outside world.

In this way, they still wanted to obtain the position of Hokage?

It wasn't that simple!

"It's good that you understand. A single tree doesn't make a forest. If you don't integrate and help the forest expand, the first to be cut down by lumberjacks will be the trees on the outskirts."

"Teacher, I think I've read something similar before."

Shisui paused for a moment.

The words were different, but the meaning was similar.

"You are a descendant of Elder Mirror, so you should have seen something similar in his books. However, it's better to have no books than to believe them blindly. You should read with your own thoughts and view them dialectically."

"Yes."

Shisui nodded.

Kyoichi didn't continue.

Shisui was only five years old. If he said too much at once, he might not understand it all. It was better to let him digest it slowly.

He was currently the only "fat sheep" who recognized him as his life mentor, so he had to cultivate him well.

Asuma was chatting happily with the townsfolk.

However.

The content of their conversation was rather bold.

"Uncle, who do you think is more important, the Daimyo or the Hokage?"

"How would I know? Whoever can keep us safe and fed is more important."

"Is that so?"

"..."

This child was still fixated on his "Jade" problem.

Kyoichi's previous answer had made him understand the nature of "Jade," but Asuma didn't know who his "Jade General" was.

Hokage?

No, coming from a Hokage family, he actually didn't have that much reverence for the Hokage. Before meeting Kyoichi, he even thought the Daimyo was the "Jade General."

Now his thoughts had changed somewhat.

But he was still exploring for himself what exactly it was.

Kyoichi didn't interrupt.

What he figured out himself would be far more profound than what others taught him.

Two or three days later.

Baiyun Town was gradually repaired with the help of Kyoichi's team, and the C-rank mission was completed.

Afterward, they went to the outskirts of the town and, with the cooperation of the mayor, returned the property previously looted by bandits to their families, and then embarked on the journey back to the village.

Whether it was Asuma, Shisui, or Kurenai Yuhi, who didn't have too many worries, they were all in a somber mood.

As they neared the village.

Asuma asked, "Teacher, can we take C-rank missions again next time?"

"Are you addicted to doing missions?"

"No, I just feel that going out on missions, while training, allows me to learn many things. It's much better than staying in Konoha to train."

Asuma explained.

Kurenai Yuhi and Shisui nodded in agreement.

"You're the Third Hokage's son, so cause some trouble at home. Maybe next time we'll get a B-rank mission."

"Huh?"

Laughter echoed through the forest. Only Asuma was bewildered on the spot. After a long moment, he realized his teacher was joking and was left speechless.

But B-rank...

emmm.

Missions at this level involved various kinds of ninja.

He was a little tempted!