"Kumonaka Torikaze, you're up."
Torifu let out a soft breath and stepped forward. He still didn't quite understand why Hiruzen and the others had looked so nervous when talking about the Will of Fire.
But now that he was standing before Konoha's two guardian deities, ready to explain his own Will of Fire, he felt a little nervous himself.
"Don't be nervous, Torifu. Tell us what your own Will of Fire is."
Hashirama offered some reassurance. He had always been very fond of this disciple of his.
From the moment they first met, the boy had shown a deep love for the village.
Since then, Hashirama had kept an eye on Torifu, whether consciously or not.
And Torifu had lived up to his expectations. As soon as he entered the Ninja Academy, he had displayed exceptional talent for ninjutsu. When disputes arose among his classmates, he could always resolve them with ease.
He also had his own unique insights into the relationship between the various clans and the village.
The more Hashirama thought about it, the more eager he became to hear what Torifu would say.
"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire will burn on forever."
Everyone looked at Torifu with a hint of confusion. Lord Hokage had clearly asked them to discover their own Will of Fire, but what was Torifu doing...?
"Withered leaves and branches become nourishment, nurturing the tender sprouts of early spring."
The others looked at Torifu, only half understanding, while Hashirama and Tobirama watched him with approval.
The younger ones might not understand what Torifu meant, but the two brothers did. They were the withered branches about to become nourishment.
"Why do you say that?" Hashirama asked deliberately.
Torifu walked a few steps forward and stood atop the Hokage Rock, overlooking all of Konoha.
Then he turned around. The wind atop the mountain tousled his snow-white hair, but it couldn't extinguish the Will of Fire in his heart.
"I'm your disciple, Sensei. It's my duty to inherit your will, but I have a Will of Fire of my own, too!"
"Konoha is a tree that's still growing strong. We are its tender new sprouts, while you, Tobirama, and the other elders are its branches, sheltering us from wind and rain."
"But one day, the branches will dry up, decay, and finally fall. Yet they'll become nourishment for the tender sprouts."
"And in the future, we'll become branches, sheltering our descendants from wind and rain. One day, we'll wither, too, and become nourishment."
"But as long as we can see the sprouts we've protected grow strong, we'll face our own decline without fear."
"Everyone will grow old one day. The times keep changing, surging forward like a mighty flood. But Konoha alone will continue to thrive."
Torifu had finished explaining his convictions. Someone started clapping, and soon everyone had joined in.
From their expressions, Torifu could tell the applause came from the heart, not mockery or anything of the sort.
Chirori was clapping the hardest. Watching Torifu stand atop the Hokage Rock, brimming with confidence, filled her with pride.
It was as if she were saying, "Look, this is my best friend, Uchiha Chirori! Just look how amazing he is!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others looked at Torifu in a new light once again. At first, they had been somewhat jealous that the First had taken such a liking to him and made him his disciple.
Now, they truly admired him from the bottom of their hearts.
Watching the confident, spirited boy speak atop the Hokage Rock, Hashirama couldn't help recalling how he and Madara had once stood here as boys, imagining the future.
Back then, they had promised to build a village of their own below the cliff. Now the village had found its footing and continued to prosper, but he had no idea where his old friend was.
Hashirama walked up to Torifu and patted him on the head.
"That's my disciple! Torifu, you're sure to become a remarkable ninja one day!"
Hashirama praised him without reservation. He knew that even if he were gone someday, the village would continue to prosper.
Hashirama rarely spoke to Torifu about his own Will of Fire, and had never demanded that Torifu inherit it.
Yet this six-year-old boy had already inherited his will—and understood it for himself!
What a genius!
Torifu was delighted by Hashirama's praise. His teacher had approved of his convictions. Everything he had said today came from the heart; he hadn't just been making grand claims to draw attention.
Torifu had already mapped out his future. He'd find a wife at the right age, have a few children, and raise them well. Then he'd become an elder of Konoha and help keep the village on the right path.
A simple, peaceful life like that would be wonderful. And if he could take in a few likable brats as disciples and pass on what he'd learned, that would be even better.
Still, he wouldn't force it if things didn't work out.
"All right, Torifu. You can go back now. It's Chirori's turn."
Torifu bowed to Hashirama and returned to the group.
Chirori had been clapping so enthusiastically that she seemed to have forgotten she was supposed to go after Torifu.
Only when her name was called did she suddenly snap back to attention! With Torifu's brilliant speech setting the bar, her own convictions would surely seem ordinary.
And if Lord Hashirama criticized her for it, that would be awful. After all, Chirori was the only one here without a formal mentor!
Everyone else had a teacher. She was merely training under Lord Hokage, and even that was thanks to Torifu.
Chirori timidly stepped forward and began to explain her Will of Fire, a little nervous.
"My Will of Fire is to belong, and to unite."
When she saw that no one reacted in any particular way, Chirori relaxed a little and continued.
"Even before I started at the Academy, I often heard villagers tell their children not to pick on anyone from the Uchiha Clan once they started school."
Hashirama's brow furrowed at her words. He had heard about this, too. Most of the Uchiha were arrogant, often treating villagers with haughty disdain, so they had a poor reputation among the people.
Hashirama didn't know what to do about it. As one of the two great clans that had founded Konoha, the Uchiha were not a clan he could easily interfere with personally.
Perhaps that very attitude of his had allowed more and more Uchiha to grow arrogant, further tarnishing their clan's reputation.
"When I heard people say things like that, at first I felt nothing but hurt and sadness. Why did they hate me when I hadn't done anything?"
As Chirori spoke, a trace of bitterness and sorrow crept into her voice.
"As I grew up, I realized that there were many children in my clan who felt the same way I did. They all wanted to try to fit in, but because of the Uchiha's 'bad reputation,' they usually failed."
"I used to pride myself on being an Uchiha genius. I thought I could easily change people's opinions of the Uchiha."
"But I found there was very little I could do, and I felt defeated for a while. Still, I don't want to give up!"
By now, Chirori had lost the timidity she'd shown at first. She wasn't nervous anymore, either. She stood before everyone—and before the ninja she admired most—declaring her modest, seemingly unrealistic convictions.
"I want the clan and the village to become one. I want everyone to unite, with no discrimination or fear between people!"
"No matter which clan they come from, every child should be able to become friends and trustworthy companions!"
At that moment, Chirori no longer acted like a sheltered young lady. She seemed more like a ninja with unshakable convictions!
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