Owl Eyes and Tiger Fangs, a Purple Frog's Croak

After the meeting at Naka Shrine ended, every detail was reported to Guo Wang.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Facing Shisui, he—usually so cold-faced—rarely let a smile show.

"It's what I should do. I'll carry on my father's and grandfather's will and give everything for my clan and the village."

Only in this cruel world would a ten-year-old child be made to serve as a spy, torn between family ties and the greater good.

"Keep the Uchiha Clan's emotions steady. I hope that within my lifetime, I can fully integrate your clan into the village."

After founding the village, the brothers Hashirama Senju and Senju Tobirama selflessly disbanded the entire Senju Clan to ensure that their family would not become an obstacle. As a result, only the First's son, born during the Warring States Period, retained the Senju surname. All the other descendants—even someone as distinguished as Tsunade—had only their given names and could not bear the Senju name.

But being the First's granddaughter made Tsunade different, after all. The Feudal Lord had personally bestowed upon her the title of "Princess," and outsiders, to show their respect for the God of Shinobi, called her "Lady Tsunade."

The two Hokage had done this mainly to put the common good above their own clan, ensuring they could treat all the villagers fairly and impartially as family. In doing so, they sought to eliminate the class divisions that had persisted since ancient times and bring about true peace and equality.

Their predecessors had been remarkably enlightened. Even Guo Wang, an outsider from another world, couldn't help but admire them after learning this history.

Unfortunately, very few people shared the Hokage's way of thinking. Uchiha Madara, in whom Hashirama Senju had placed his hopes, rejected the proposal and stubbornly insisted on preserving his clan.

As a result, other clans, such as the Hyuga Clan, later used this as an excuse to preserve their ancient traditions.

Disbanding the Senju Clan had been a bid to set an example. If Uchiha Madara had agreed, they could have eliminated the divisive scourge of clans without bloodshed. Unfortunately, they had ultimately failed.

From that point on, Senju Tobirama began making new plans for the Uchiha Clan. Even after his death, Danzo faithfully carried on his legacy.

"Compared with the sacrifices made by my teacher and the Hokage, what I've done is insignificant."

Shisui, wearing a fox mask, had blood-red eyes. After awakening his Mangekyo, his abilities had begun advancing by leaps and bounds. Just like Jiraiya after he learned Sage Mode, Shisui's strength had multiplied. If his body had fully matured and could handle the tremendous evolution of his eyes, there would probably have been only a handful of people in all of Konoha who could defeat him.

"Class and opposing interests are the greatest causes of conflict. As long as our predecessors' ideals live on in our branch, one day we'll bring true peace to the Shinobi World."

At those words, Shisui's eyes burned with fervor. In that moment, he saw in Guo Wang the figures of the great men depicted on Kage Rock.

They were all so noble, selfless, and just.

Knock! Knock!

A crisp rap sounded at the door. Gui appeared silently behind Guo Wang, then used the Body Flicker Technique to leave. In the blink of an eye, he returned with a scroll and handed it over.

"Oh, this is unusual. I never expected him to make a request like this."

"Teacher, is it a mission?"

"No. Someone who carries on the Will of Fire has found a new seed."

Guo Wang reached for the calligraphy brush on the desk and wrote his approval on the scroll.

"Give it to him, and tell him I don't object. But new seeds don't sprout easily. Without enough water, they might die before they emerge from the soil. After all, the odds of one taking root and growing into a towering tree are only one in ten thousand."

Gui took the scroll and vanished.

Shisui stood perfectly still, waiting for the next order.

"Since I'm your teacher, it's time I fulfilled my duties as your master."

Since stepping down as head of Anbu, Guo Wang had deliberately faded from view at the Hokage Building. He didn't want to make things difficult for his former comrades, but more than that, he enjoyed the growth that came with training far more than the struggle for power.

After taking care of his marriage, he had methodically refined the energies of both mind and body, building strength for his next transformation.

Once he had arranged everything on the Land of Water battlefield, Guo Wang suddenly realized that, aside from his daily dual cultivation, he had nothing left to do.

Orochimaru and Aburame Torune were keeping pressure on the outside. Within the village, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the two advisors had begun pushing him out of the center of power, lest the hawks become uncontrollable after the war.

As for the most crucial Intelligence Department, Yakushi Nonō was overseeing it. She didn't want to work in the field anymore, but the Orphanage's monthly funding was in Guo Wang's hands, so she had no choice but to give in.

Speaking of the Orphanage, on the second day after he married her, he had gone there with her. Some of the children were hostile toward the old man, apparently having believed the rumors outside and resenting him for bringing his wife back to her family home.

One of the children was quite unusual. He wasn't some dazzling prodigy, nor was he a tragic figure burdened by misery. At first glance, he seemed utterly ordinary, but Guo Wang could tell from his face that the child was destined for extraordinary things.

To make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, that night, after cultivating with Nonō, he had sent out his Primordial Spirit and used the Qi Observation Technique to examine the orphan, who had no name, no memories, and no known origins.

Owl eyes and tiger fangs, a purple frog's croak! (Note 1)

Incredible, incredible! He had to bring this child into his fold one day.

It meant the child had the potential to become a dragon. If the winds and clouds converged, he could raise monstrous waves and throw the world into chaos.

As a cultivator of the Dao Realm, Guo Wang had been taught to love taking on students and imparting the Dao and his knowledge.

Uchiha Shisui was an unparalleled talent. Even in the Dao Realm, the great immortal sects would have fought to take him as a disciple. The orphan could only hope to stand shoulder to shoulder with Shisui if he succeeded in becoming a dragon.

So, although Guo Wang badly wanted to bring this future genius into his fold, he couldn't neglect one in favor of the other.

With the talent this child showed, proper guidance might make him the next Namikaze Minato.

All three of Sarutobi Hiruzen's disciples had reached Kage Level. He had never let the other elders and advisors forget it. Perhaps because Guo Wang's former disciple, White Fang, had been so exceptional that Hiruzen had bragged about him for over a decade, Sarutobi Hiruzen had made the most of his own disciples' success once the Sannin had come of age. He let out all the frustration he'd felt in his youth and enjoyed nearly half a lifetime of satisfaction.

Perhaps because Danzo's memories had recently finished merging with his own, Guo Wang's motives had begun to center on two goals.

The bigger goal was to destroy the Uchiha Clan.

The other goal was to do anything he could to strike at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Because it made him feel so much better.