Withered Branches and Tender Sprouts

"Kumonaka Torikaze, it's your turn."

Torikaze let out a soft breath and stepped forward. Having seen Hiruzen and the others struggle to articulate the Will of Fire just moments ago, he had been a bit puzzled by their hesitation.

But as he stood before the two guardian deities of Konoha, preparing to expound upon his own Will of Fire, he felt a touch of nervousness himself.

"Don't be nervous, Torikaze. Tell us what your own Will of Fire is like."

Senju Hashirama said with a hint of comfort; he had always been very fond of this disciple of his.

From the very first time they met, this child had displayed an incredibly strong love for the village.

Ever since that day, Hashirama had been observing Torikaze, whether intentionally or not.

And Torikaze had not disappointed Hashirama's expectations. Upon entering the Ninja Academy, he had displayed immense talent for ninjutsu, and he was always able to easily mediate disputes between his classmates.

He even held unique insights regarding the relationship between the various clans and the village.

The more he thought about it, the more Hashirama looked forward to what Torikaze might say.

"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire shall burn ever bright."

The gazes of the crowd turned toward Torikaze with a hint of confusion. The Hokage had clearly asked everyone to realize their own Will of Fire, but what was this...

"The withered leaves will turn into nourishment, nurturing the buds of early spring."

Everyone looked at Torikaze with a look of half-understanding, while Hashirama and Tobirama looked on with gratification.

The young ones might not understand the meaning behind Torikaze's words, but they understood, for they were the withered branches soon to become nourishment.

"Why do you say that?" Hashirama asked deliberately.

Torikaze walked forward a few steps to stand upon the Hokage Rock, looking down over the entire village of Konoha.

He then turned back around. The wind on the mountaintop ruffled his snow-white hair, but it could not extinguish the Will of Fire in his heart.

"I am the teacher's disciple, and I have an obligation to inherit the master's will, but I also have my own Will of Fire!"

"Konoha is a tree growing vigorously; we are the tender new buds, while Master, Lord Tobirama, and the elders are the branches shielding us from the wind and rain."

"But one day, the branches will wither, decay, and eventually fall, only to become the nourishment that feeds the buds."

"And in the future, we will become the branches, shielding our descendants from the wind and rain. One day, we too will wither, and we too will become nourishment."

"But as long as I can see the buds I have protected growing strong, I will have no fear, even when facing the end."

"Everyone will eventually grow old; eras change like a torrent rolling forward, but only Konoha will continue to prosper forever."

Torikaze finished speaking his will. It was unclear who started it, but everyone began to applaud.

From the looks in their eyes, Torikaze could tell that this applause came from the heart, not out of mockery or anything else.

The most enthusiastic among them was Izori Uchiha. Watching Torikaze, who stood on the Hokage Rock filled with confidence, a sense of pride welled up in her heart.

It was as if she were saying, "Look, this person is my best friend, Izori Uchiha! Look how outstanding he is!"

Hiruzen and the others also looked at Torikaze with newfound respect. At first, they had been somewhat jealous of Torikaze for being appreciated by the First Hokage and taken on as a direct disciple.

But now, they truly admired Torikaze from the bottom of their hearts.

Looking at the confident, spirited youth on the rock, Hashirama couldn't help but think of the time he and Madara had sat here in their youth, dreaming of the future.

Back then, the two of them had agreed to build a village of their own at the foot of this cliff. Now, the village was on the right track and constantly prospering, but his old friend was nowhere to be found.

Hashirama walked up to Torikaze and patted him on the head.

"As expected of my, Senju Hashirama's, disciple! Torikaze, you will surely become an amazing ninja in the future!"

Hashirama did not spare his praise for Torikaze, for he knew that even if he were gone one day, the village would still continue to prosper.

Hashirama rarely spoke to Torikaze about his own Will of Fire, nor did he demand that he must inherit his will.

Yet this six-year-old boy had already inherited his will and grasped its essence!

What a genius!

Torikaze was very happy with Hashirama's praise. His will had been recognized by his master, and everything he said today came from his heart, not from empty talk meant to garner attention.

Because Torikaze had already planned out his future path: marry a wife at the right age, have a few children, teach them well, and become a Konoha elder to keep the village on the right track.

Living such a plain and simple life would be just fine. If he could find a few likable brats to take on as disciples and leave behind some legacy, that would be even better.

But even if that didn't happen, Torikaze wouldn't force it.

"Alright, Torikaze, you go back first. It's Izori's turn."

Torikaze bowed to Hashirama and returned to the ranks.

Izori, who had been clapping with such enthusiasm, seemed to have forgotten that she was supposed to go after Torikaze.

Only when she was called upon did she suddenly snap back to reality! With Torikaze's brilliant performance preceding her, her own will would surely seem plain and ordinary.

If she were criticized by Lord Hokage because of this, that would be truly miserable. One had to remember that Izori was currently the only one without a formal status!

The others all had masters; only she was training by the Hokage's side, and even that was only because she was riding on Torikaze's coattails.

Izori walked forward timidly and began to explain her Will of Fire with a hint of nervousness.

"My Will of Fire is: integration and unity."

Seeing that everyone didn't have any particular reaction, Uchiha Chirori relaxed slightly and continued.

"Long before I even started school, I often heard villagers telling their children not to provoke anyone from the Uchiha Clan."

Hashirama frowned upon hearing this; he had heard of such things as well. Most of the Uchiha Clan were arrogant and often acted haughty toward the villagers, which was why their reputation among the common folk was poor.

Hashirama really had no way to deal with this; as the Uchiha were one of the two great clans that founded Konoha, it was difficult for him to intervene personally.

Perhaps it was this very mindset of his that caused more and more people in the Uchiha Clan to become arrogant and conceited, further tarnishing the Uchiha name.

"When I first heard those words, my heart was filled only with sadness and grief. Why did they hate me so much when I hadn't done anything?"

As Uchiha Chirori spoke, her tone carried a hint of bitterness and sorrow.

"As I grew up, I discovered that there were many children in the clan just like me. They all wanted to try to integrate with everyone else, but they often failed because of the 'infamy' of the Uchiha."

"I actually always prided myself on the title of Uchiha Genius, believing that I could easily change the way people viewed the Uchiha."

"But I discovered that there was very little I could actually do, and for a time, I felt defeated. Yet, I didn't want to give up!"

Uchiha Chirori no longer had the timidity she started with, nor was there a trace of nervousness. She stood before everyone, standing before the ninja she admired most, articulating her small and seemingly impractical will.

"I want the clan and the village to merge into one. I want everyone to unite, with no discrimination or fear between people!"

"No matter which clan a child belongs to, they should be able to become good friends and trustworthy partners!"

At this moment, Uchiha Chirori had shed the airs of a young lady; she looked more like a ninja with a firm conviction!