My own will of fire?

Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed a smug smile after hearing this: "Heh heh, I know! This is Lord First's Will of Fire!"

Senju Hashirama patted Hiruzen Sarutobi on the head with a gratified expression: "Not bad, Monkey, this is my Will of Fire."

"Then what is your own Will of Fire?"

Upon hearing this, the group was stunned; they seemed to have never really pondered this question before.

"Your will is our will, Lord Hokage," Danzo said earnestly.

Torikaze glanced at Danzo from the corner of his eye; at this moment, he was very different from the future Darkness of Konoha.

Although he was stern and humorless, Kumonaka Torikaze could see a light in his eyes.

"No, you must have your own will!" Hashirama said sternly, a tone that startled everyone present.

"After you go back today, think carefully about what I said and find your own Will of Fire! Tell me in a week!"

Hashirama's presence was incredibly overwhelming, and these fledgling children could not withstand it at all.

They could only nod repeatedly in agreement, while Kumonaka Torikaze was not affected much.

But in order not to appear conspicuous, he also nodded tremblingly.

Torikaze had some guesses about what his master said, and as for his own Will of Fire, he already had some ideas.

"Kagami, what do you think Lord Hokage actually meant?"

Torifu Akimichi was eating snacks non-stop; he had just thought about it for a moment.

He confirmed that he did not have a Will of Fire of his own.

"Lord Hokage probably doesn't want all of us to build the village according to his ideas; if that were the case, we would all become puppets executing orders."

Torifu Akimichi nodded after hearing this; Kagami's words made him suddenly enlightened.

If nothing unexpected happened, the Second Hokage would definitely be Lord Tobirama.

Lord Hokage was naturally at ease with his own younger brother.

But the Third Hokage would likely be chosen from among them.

If the person chosen was a Hokage who only knew how to develop according to the thoughts of their predecessors without knowing how to adapt, then the village would definitely run into trouble.

Danzo, who was on the side, also heard what Kagami said and began to reflect; Lord Hokage's words just now had made him somewhat aware.

All this time, he had been carrying out Lord Hokage's will, even fantasizing about what he would be like when he became Hokage in the future.

My own Will of Fire?

He didn't know; having followed the two lords to practice and learn since he was a child, their thoughts and will had permeated every part of his body.

It wasn't just Danzo; apart from Torikaze and Uchiha Chirori, everyone else had more or less confusion on their faces.

Especially Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was darting back and forth among the five teammates, asking questions left and right.

In the end, he annoyed Koharu, who beat him up before he finally settled down.

Hashirama also felt some worry in his heart; this was a test he had set for them, and if they could successfully solve it, the future would be bright.

Actually, this was his own fault; if he hadn't realized it so late, he wouldn't have had to make things difficult for these children.

"Children, don't be too anxious; calm your hearts and think about what I said."

Hashirama comforted them: "Today's test is a bit difficult, so I won't have you do any extra training; you are dismissed."

For Monkey and the others, learning ninjutsu was no longer the most important thing; improving actual combat ability was the top priority.

Usually, Tobirama would lead them in combat drills, but since his big brother had spoken today, they were dismissed.

Upon hearing the dismissal, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others wobbled down the mountain.

As for Torikaze and Uchiha Chirori, they stayed to train in taijutsu with Hashirama for the whole morning, and both gained a lot from it.

Whether it was Torikaze or Uchiha Chirori, they both had one thing in common: strong ninjutsu but weak taijutsu.

Senju Hashirama also focused his efforts on taijutsu.

This morning really tired the two of them out, but neither had any complaints; after all, this was the fastest way to improve their strength.

By noon, Hashirama let Torikaze and the other one go to rest.

"Big brother, why did you give them such a test today? You didn't use to say things like that."

Tobirama had actually been puzzled by his big brother's words today.

Although they had never explicitly stated it while teaching Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others all these years, his big brother's idea was for them to inherit his will.

But why did he suddenly change his tune today?

Hashirama put his hands on his hips and laughed loudly: "It's all because of this disciple I took in."

Tobirama was even more confused now; could just one child really influence his big brother's will?

Seeing the confusion written all over his younger brother's face, Senju Hashirama decided not to keep him in suspense any longer.

"Last night, I had a private chat with Kumonaka Torikaze. I originally asked him about his experience cultivating Cloud Release, but the kid's words ended up giving me some inspiration."

"Oh?"

"He said that his clan's ancestors passed down a set of cultivation methods for Cloud Release, which clearly recorded the ratios for various elemental chakras."

Tobirama nodded; almost every clan possessing secret techniques would leave behind such cultivation methods to make it easier for their descendants to learn.

"But for some reason, no matter how closely the kid followed the scroll's records, he couldn't master it. In the end, he had no choice but to figure out the chakra ratios on his own, and only then did he succeed."

Hearing this, Tobirama roughly understood what his older brother was trying to say.

"In fact, the succession of the Hokage position is not unlike the situation of the Kumonaka Clan."

"I am like the Kumonaka ancestors, leaving behind a fixed Will of Fire to teach future generations how to manage the village. Perhaps for many generations, they will be able to continue the village according to my will."

"But what if an accident suddenly occurs in a certain generation! My set of the Will of Fire might not be able to save the village, and if the Hokage doesn't know how to adapt!"

"Just like Kumonaka Yama, who failed to learn the Cloud Release that had been passed down for countless generations despite following the scroll, the entire village could very well be destroyed in an instant."

"Perhaps after a few generations, someone like Kumonaka Torikaze, who knows how to adapt, will appear to lead the village again, but the damage the village suffers during that period would be immeasurable!"

The more Hashirama spoke, the more agitated he became, his emotions rising steadily.

Because he could not accept that the village he loved so deeply, the village he would protect at all costs, might truly disappear from history at some point in the future.

Just like the countless clans that perished during the war, they wouldn't even cause a ripple against the backdrop of the entire world.

"Actually, I spent the whole night thinking about whether or not I should test them like this."

"After all, my will is enough to guarantee a happy life for several generations, but in the end, I decided to trust them."

Tobirama didn't know what to say at this moment, so he simply patted his older brother on the shoulder.

No matter what decision his older brother made, he would support it, though he also had his own standards.

"If they cannot withstand the test, then we cannot entrust the village to them."

Tobirama had originally set out to realize his older brother's dream, but watching the village grow and flourish bit by bit, he had unknowingly fallen in love with this village as well.

Fortunately, they still had enough time to nurture the fledglings until they were ready to leave the nest; by then, perhaps they could finally relax a little.

Senju Hashirama looked at the sun high in the sky at noon and revealed a warm, gentle smile.

"Let's believe in them; young people have the most infinite potential."