A Month's Promise

"Have you heard? Kumogakure has been acting up lately, causing trouble all over the Land of Fire."

"Eh, how could I not have heard? Word is that Lord Tobirama Senju is going to declare war on Kumogakure in the next couple of days."

"War, it's always war. Who knows how many people will die this time."

The increasingly frequent attacks had left his colleagues at the Ninja Academy feeling uneasy.

However, none of this had anything to do with Uchiha Ao anymore. He placed the materials from his desk into a cardboard box, closed the door, and left the office.

He hadn't walked far before his colleagues in the office shifted their topic of conversation from the political situation to him.

"The Hokage is right; you can't trust anyone from the Uchiha Clan. They say that when Kumogakure launched their sneak attack this time, there were Uchiha who leaked information."

"Exactly. That Uchiha Ao never liked to talk much anyway. I suspect that when the Ninja Academy was attacked a few days ago, he likely had a hand in it. Otherwise, why would the Hokage suddenly dismiss him?"

Listening to the snide remarks behind him, Uchiha Ao's mouth twitched. He neither turned back to retort nor made any grand declarations about how the tides of fortune change.

Although he really didn't want to admit it, he actually had done it...

To be precise, it wasn't "him," but the dirty work done by his predecessor.

As for him, he was just an ordinary transmigrator from Blue Star.

His real name was You Sou. In his previous life, after a night of intense grinding and bloody combat in Delta, he ended up staring at the thousands of Hafcoins left in his warehouse, suffered a fit of rage, and died of sudden cardiac arrest.

Now, he was just a mediocre teacher at the Ninja Academy—no, a former teacher.

His strength was at the Chunin level, his parents had died when he was young, and he hadn't awakened his Sharingan. He was a textbook weakling within the Uchiha Clan.

His predecessor, unwilling to remain so mediocre, had secretly accepted a mission from the clan to collude with Kumogakure ninjas, intending to wipe out the Senju family's precious granddaughter.

The result, obviously, was that Tsunade remained unharmed, and the Kumogakure ninjas who came to assassinate her were completely wiped out.

One of them hadn't died completely, and that old schemer Danzo used a Forbidden Jutsu to extract the mastermind behind the scenes. This implicated the Uchiha Clan, as well as the original owner of this body, who served as mere cannon fodder.

And so, on the very night the assassination attempt on the Eldest Princess, Tsunade, occurred, that idiot of an original owner was spectacularly assassinated.

Logically speaking, with the original owner's strength, it would have been a miracle to even have a corpse left after such an assassination. But the moment the assassin appeared, the Uchiha Clan had actually arranged for a clansman to be by his side, who then repelled the assassin.

Based on his analysis, it was likely that the Uchiha Clan feared their bloodline would be exploited by the enemy, which was the only reason they saved the original owner's pathetic life.

However, even then, the original owner had been struck in the heart by the assassin's Flying Needle Ninja Tool. He died while receiving treatment back at the clan, and in the end, You Sou replaced him in this miserable existence.

"Huh, why the Uchiha Clan?"

Uchiha Ao felt a headache coming on, especially since Tobirama Senju, the man who spent his days shouting that the Uchiha were an evil clan, was currently in power.

Although he had narrowly escaped death this time, he couldn't escape the consequences.

Future retaliation and assassination attempts against him were highly likely.

No, they were certain.

How could Konohagakure, governed by the Senju Clan, tolerate the assassination of their eldest grandson while the culprit remained alive?

With his current strength, any Elite Chunin who came along later could kill him in an instant.

Just as Uchiha Ao was feeling utterly hopeless, thinking he was about to speedrun his life right after transmigrating, a tiny speck of light suddenly appeared before his eyes. It expanded rapidly in the wind, growing at a speed visible to the naked eye until it became a screen!

[Name: Uchiha Ao]

[Age: 21]

[Chakra Level: Low-level Chunin]

[Taijutsu: Peak Genin]

[Ninjutsu Mastered: Great Fireball Technique, Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Substitution Technique, Shadow Clone Technique...]

At this moment, Uchiha Ao stared at the system interface before him, unable to help but want to cry. Hadn't it been said that heaven never closes all doors? As long as I want to walk, the path is beneath my feet.

System, give me some stat points!

Then, Uchiha Ao was dumbfounded.

Because no matter how he looked—left, right, up, or down—he couldn't find a plus sign in the frame. There wasn't even a minus sign.

"Wait, System, where are my stat points?"

After searching for a long time, Uchiha Ao had to despairingly admit a fact: his Personal Status Panel didn't seem to have a function for adding points.

In other words, want to get stronger? Go train yourself.

Uchiha Ao: "..."

Damn it, before I awakened the System, you wanted me to work hard. Now that I've awakened the System, you still want me to work hard? Then wasn't this System awakened for nothing?

System, I am your father!

[Fate: Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success is Guaranteed]

[Effect: Can cultivate any Ninjutsu or Taijutsu, ignoring restrictions on Chakra nature and physical constitution. No talent threshold, no bottleneck limitations.]

"Dad, it's fine now."

Uchiha Ao suddenly became excited. To have no bottlenecks whatsoever—what a powerful support this was.

No matter how mediocre his talent might be, as long as he practiced diligently, he could conquer and master any Ninjutsu.

Hashirama's True Several Thousand Hands, Uchiha Madara's Complete Body Susanoo, Yin Yang Release, and other peerlessly powerful Ninjutsu...

With such an astonishing effect, even without experiencing the pain of losing loved ones, he could still awaken the Sharingan at an incredible speed, catching up and surpassing those freaks born with massive Chakra reserves.

As far as he knew, the clan had secret techniques specifically for training to awaken the Sharingan. Otherwise, if every single person had to lose a loved one to awaken it, the Uchiha Clan would have gone extinct long ago.

"Uchiha Ao, come to my office."

Just as Uchiha Ao was feeling excited, he was called out by Tobirama Senju, who had appeared behind him at some point. Standing beside him was a gloomy youth.

"Danzo," Uchiha Ao muttered.

Why would he be here?

It wasn't surprising that Tobirama Senju had called him over; after all, the first grandson of the Senju Clan had been assassinated. That the Hokage had managed to hold off on punishing him until now was already a sign of great magnanimity.

Without waiting for him to overthink it, he saw Danzo standing outside the door, signaling him to enter with a cold, gloomy gaze.

Uchiha Ao took a deep breath, placed the cardboard box in his hands on the corridor floor, and pushed open Tobirama Senju's office door.

If it's a blessing, it's not a curse; if it's a curse, there's no avoiding it.

Enter!

As soon as he stepped inside, the door behind him clicked shut.

He looked up.

He saw Tobirama Senju draped in the Hokage's haori, his hands pressed against his chin, looking him up and down.

During this scrutiny, Tobirama Senju's massive amount of Chakra and undisguised killing intent almost completely engulfed the entire office.

At this moment, Uchiha Ao felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Did the man really intend to kill him?!

But why choose this time and this setting to make a move?

Was he not afraid of inciting suspicion from the Uchiha Clan on the eve of war with Kumogakure?

No, that wasn't right. This was Tobirama Senju, the legendary creator of countless Forbidden Jutsu. If he truly wanted to kill him, his head would have been severed the moment he stepped through the door.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Ao forced himself to suppress the fear born from the disparity in their strength. He looked directly at the peerlessly imposing Hokage, his voice raspy as he spoke:

"May I ask, Hokage, what business do you have with me?"

Tobirama Senju's eyes flashed:

"Uchiha Ao, is it... It seems we all underestimated you."

Uchiha Ao squeezed out a smile: "Why would the Hokage say such a thing?"

Tobirama Senju gave him a meaningful look:

"If you had knelt and begged for mercy just now, I would have killed you on the spot. After all, even if you are just cannon fodder, if you have no value to be utilized, I will not allow anyone who has harmed my kin to remain in this world.

But now... I have changed my mind."

As he spoke, a cold light flashed in Tobirama Senju's eyes:

"Go back and tell your Uchiha Clan Head that I can pretend this incident never happened.

However, with war between Konohagakure and Kumogakure imminent, I want the Uchiha Clan to dispatch one Elite Jonin, six Jonin, and fifteen Chunin to join this war. If there are further needs later, I will continue to draw from your ranks."

"Understood."

Feeling the pressure around him gradually dissipate, Uchiha Ao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and bowed:

"Upon returning to the clan, I will report the Hokage's words to the Clan Head exactly as they were spoken."

This Hokage was truly asking for the moon; there was no way the Clan Head would easily agree to such a request.

However, that was no longer his concern.

"Dismissed."

Uchiha Ao let out a silent breath of relief. Just as he was about to turn around, he heard a cold, icy voice from behind him.

"The matter of you colluding with Kumogakure to kill Tsunade a few days ago is not over.

In one month, I will send another Jonin to kill you. If you are still alive by then, come to me, and I will give you a reward you cannot refuse."

"..."

Uchiha Ao's body stiffened. After a moment of silence, he said in a raspy voice:

"Thank you, Hokage, for your mercy in sparing my life."

Uchiha Ao felt bitter inside, but he respectfully closed the door with a composed expression.

In the corridor, Danzo remained guarding the door, appearing like a loyal dog, and said coldly:

"A month from now, I will come to assassinate you again. By then, I hope you still have a Guardian by your side."

Hearing this, a surge of fury welled up in Uchiha Ao's heart.

So it was you, you grandson, who tried to kill me last time!

I could let it slide if it were that legendary figure Lord Tobirama Senju—I wouldn't dare provoke him—but you? Do you really think I can't afford to mess with you?!

He moved his lips, silently mouthing two words at Danzo:

"F*ck your mother!"