Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms

"Who did this?!"

Danzo was stunned, his face a mix of disbelief and a trace of shock.

No.

Wasn't he the only rumor-monger in Konoha?

He had already planned to lie low and live peacefully for a while, so how could someone be scheming against him now?! This was utterly outrageous!

"Lord Danzo, we haven't found the source yet. According to the investigation, the news came out of a brothel, and the faces were unfamiliar, so it's likely difficult to track down the rumormonger."

The Root member with the patterned mask spoke stiffly, devoid of any emotion.

"Damn it!"

Danzo's face turned colder: "If Fu and Toru were still here, such a simple piece of information would have been solved long ago."

But now, Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Toru were both dead.

All because of Uchiha Siming!

"No matter what, find me the rumormonger."

Shimura Danzo's triangular eyes were cold and sinister, his face hidden in the shadows as he said:

"What dirty water hasn't been thrown on me? Back when Orochimaru defected, I was drenched in the same filth, yet I'm still the leader of Root. If the rumormonger thinks this can make me submit, their methods are far too naive."

He had been through this several times before.

The name Danzo could stop children's crying at night.

He spoke slowly, word by word, like a starving wolf patiently waiting for prey in the grasslands: "Since they won't let me be quiet, then I'll play along. Also, ask Orochimaru how the fusion of Wood Release and the Sharingan is progressing."

"I need greater power!"

He was confident that rumors and gossip couldn't harm him much.

But they stirred a sense of urgency in his heart. He had just killed Uchiha Shisui, and now another Uchiha Siming had appeared!

This Uchiha Clan was truly relentless!

Senju Clan.

Uchiha Siming's family garden.

"What a load of bullshit."

Watching Asuma Sarutobi struggle to maintain his Sage Mode, a hint of disdain crept into his eyes.

"Tch."

"How the hell can't you enter Sage Mode on your own? Are you telling me that in future battles, you'll have to come to me for help to enter Sage Mode?"

What a pain in the ass.

When Naruto first learned Sage Mode, even though he wasn't skilled at it, he could still enter it on his own. But Asuma Sarutobi? He needed Siming's help just to enter Sage Mode.

And it only lasted a minute.

"Heh, isn't it just that I'm not talented enough?"

Asuma Sarutobi's face was full of excitement, his gaze toward Siming carrying reverence and gratitude.

His face was covered in intricate red markings, and his body had undergone a slight change, becoming stronger and darker.

"If it weren't for you, big brother, I would never have learned Sage Mode in my lifetime. Being able to hold it for a minute is already more than I could ask for. Once I can enter Sage Mode on my own, I'll definitely shock the old man!"

He let out a long sigh of relief, his back straightening.

The pent-up frustration that had been suppressed for years under the title of "Son of the Third Hokage" vanished in that instant!

He felt completely at ease, the past grievances and awkwardness with his father dissipating like smoke.

"Strange. Now I feel like I was pretty stupid for butting heads with the old man back then."

Asuma Sarutobi scratched his head.

He felt that his past self had been somewhat clueless.

"Excessive inferiority leads to unwarranted rudeness and cluelessness."

Uchiha Siming nodded in agreement.

He said meaningfully: "So, when you feel unreasonably angry or inferior, remember this: you're not being unreasonable—you're just hating your own lack of strength, hating your own weakness. That's why you need to work even harder. Becoming stronger is the only path."

Because of weakness, you hate yourself.

Because of hard work, your mind finds peace.

He recalled that in his past life, there was a period when he was extremely anxious, not knowing his direction, until he came across Wang Yangming's School of Mind and the clouds parted, leaving his heart clear and sharp.

"I see."

Asuma Sarutobi suddenly understood. All the emotional turmoil before now found its explanation and clarity.

Whether it was his earlier inexplicable dissatisfaction with the old man, his rebellious act of leaving Konoha, or his disgust with the title "Son of the Hokage"—at the root of it all was his own lack of strength. But now, he had the power to step into the realm of Kage, and all of this was thanks to his big brother, Uchiha Siming!

He understood clearly.

Without Siming, the best he could ever have been in this life was an Elite Jonin!

"Th-this is unbelievable!"

Beside him, Kurenai Yuhi's pretty face was stunned, her beautiful eyes wide open: "Asuma, you actually entered Sage Mode... that means... you've stepped into the realm of Kage!"

What did a Kage-level expert mean?

As far as she knew, the entire Konoha right now... seemed to have only the Third Hokage as a Kage-level expert, right?

Her gaze toward Siming sparkled with dazzling light!

"Siming, Siming, I don't care, I want to become a Kage-level expert too!"

Kurenai Yuhi wrapped her slender, jade-like arms around Siming, a soft touch and a fragrant scent washing over him, making one's heart stir. Uchiha Siming glanced sideways and was met with a sea of surging waves.

Especially Kurenai's outfit.

The white bandages paired with black, outlining her slender, long legs.

It was enough to make one's heart race.

"You and Asuma are different."

Uchiha Siming shrugged: "With your abilities, you'll at most reach Elite Jonin."

"Why?!"

Kurenai Yuhi refused to accept it, hands on her hips as she demanded, almost face-to-face with Siming, to the point where he could even see the fine fuzz on her fair skin.

"I want to learn Sage Mode and become a Kage-level expert too!"

She had been strong-willed since childhood, unwilling to fall behind others.

Now, seeing Asuma on the verge of becoming a Kage-level expert, she felt as if an invisible whip was urging her from behind!

"You don't have Asuma's decent chakra reserves."

Uchiha Siming shook his head and explained:

"The first requirement for entering Sage Mode is having a fairly large amount of chakra. Without that, you can't gather enough natural energy in your body, and naturally, you can't talk about entering Sage Mode."

It was like leveling up in a game—you need enough experience to advance to the next level.

Without enough natural energy, you can't even activate Sage Mode, let alone maintain it.

Kurenai Yuhi immediately deflated.

Her eyes grew much more disappointed: "Fine, I'll find a way to get stronger sooner or later!"

Uchiha Siming didn't respond.

Beside them, Hyuga Neji, seeing that the questions were done, spoke up with a hopeful look on his small face:

"Teacher, I've already learned the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Next, I want to learn the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms. Can you teach me?"

Last time, the teacher taught him the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

This time, the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms...

His face showed a hint of nervousness. As far as he knew, the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms was a secret technique mastered only by the Main Family, and even as an adult, a member of the Branch Family would never have the chance to learn it!