The Will of Fire: Konoha's Trees and Leaves

Iruka flipped through the essays he had collected, skimming them at a glance.

The Ninja Academy's final graduation score was divided into two parts: practical combat and written exams. The written exam devoted a great deal of space to understanding the Will of Fire.

Why?

Naturally, the Third had a lot to do with it.

The essay Naruto had handed in was covered in crooked writing, with his name scrawled across the page.

His handwriting was messy, and the only things he had to say were, "Grandpa Third is really nice to me" and "I'm going to be Hokage." He couldn't come up with anything else. He'd even written the character for "shadow" incorrectly.

Iruka frowned, disgust rising within him.

The "Demon Fox" really is an uncultured brat.

Without reading it carefully, he gave it a low score.

Next came Sasuke Uchiha's essay. The Uchiha students had always been a major focus at the Academy.

Iruka read it carefully and nodded.

Compared with other Uchiha, Sasuke's understanding of the Will of Fire was fairly profound. His essay was even better than many written by civilian ninja.

He had also mentioned that "the Uchiha are part of Konoha, too."

"Not bad. He understands it very well. It proves my teaching is still pretty good."

Then a neatly structured essay with elegant handwriting caught his eye. Its presentation alone was much better than the other students', and it was more than twice as long.

His eyes lit up, and he couldn't help reading it closely. By the end, his heart was surging, and he clapped in approval.

"Excellent! This is exactly how it should be."

"I have to let Lord Hokage read this essay!"

He picked out several essays and placed Akimichi Denji's on top. After sealing them inside a scroll, he sent a Ninja Raven off with it.

The scroll was eventually delivered to the Hokage's office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, finished with his paperwork, looked at the scroll in his hands.

"Is this the essay assignment I gave them this morning?"

He had assigned an essay on the Will of Fire that morning. The death of Konoha's White Fang and the Sannin's departure had made him especially concerned with cultivating the next generation's Will of Fire.

Konoha could no longer afford losses like those.

That was why he personally reviewed anything concerning the Will of Fire.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was gradually realizing that ideas were the sharpest, most silent weapons.

He opened the scroll and saw that a neatly structured essay had been deliberately placed at the very top.

"Oh?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was a little surprised. Most ninja were strong in combat but paid little attention to knowledge.

And these were just a bunch of kids whose minds hadn't yet taken shape. He hadn't expected them to produce anything brilliantly written.

He only wanted to see how these children felt about Konoha, so he could correct any problems in time and prevent a repeat of the past, when a well-trained ninja left the village.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's attention was caught by the essay's title: [Konoha's Trees and Leaves—Akimichi Denji].

"The Will of Fire. When I first started school, I didn't really understand what those words meant. In my childish understanding, 'fire' was something precious."

"In the Land of Rain, fire is very precious. You need a house to keep the firewood from getting damp. It can drive away the cold and help sick people get better faster."

"When I first came to Konoha, I was very surprised that it didn't rain here and that fire was everywhere."

"Only later did I gradually understand. It was because powerful ninja sheltered us from the wind and rain, and provided the trees and leaves that let the flames burn. My father, Akimichi Choza, Grandpa Third, and Iruka-sensei are all ninja like that. It's because of them that tiny sparks can burn on this land and, in the end, gather together to drive away the cold."

"Konoha, Konoha—why is it called Konoha? I think every person together makes up Konoha. Lord Hokage and the other powerful ninja are like the trunk and roots of Konoha. The trunk is sturdy, and the roots sink deep into the soil. No matter how hard the wind blows or how heavily the rain falls, they stand firm. And every person in the village is a leaf on this tree."

"A tree can't do without its leaves. Without photosynthesis from the leaves, the tree will wither."

"Leaves can't do without the tree, either. Without the trunk and roots, they'll fall and rot in the soil. The tree provides the leaves with nourishment, allowing them to grow strong."

"Both the leaves and the trunk contribute their strength to this shared tree in their own way."

"Because this great tree shelters me, I want to become a more vibrant leaf—and even grow into a trunk. I want to become part of the great tree."

"Burn for the Will of Fire. Let the Will of Fire live on forever!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared blankly, his breathing growing quick.

The essay's language was simple, just the plain words of a six-year-old child, but it clearly expressed his understanding of the Will of Fire from beginning to end.

Most importantly, his understanding of the Will of Fire was better than that of many ninja.

It had struck exactly the right chord with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"This... was written by Denji?"

He murmured, then let out a long breath, his heart still stirred by complicated feelings.

"If only those foolish students of mine understood it as well as Denji."

Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes and took a puff of his pipe. Its flame flickered, and smoke gathered in the room.

He couldn't help thinking of what Akimichi Choza had said to him earlier.

"Bring Tsunade back? With this kid, maybe he really can change her mind and get her to return to the village..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen thought it over for a long while, then finally made up his mind.

"Let's use this opportunity to summon Tsunade back! If this child can change Tsunade's mind even a little and get her to take the Hokage Position from me, it'll be a great blessing for Konoha."

"Besides, this gives us a good excuse. We can use the matter of having Tsunade study Denji's constitution to bring her back, and Denji can try to change her mind, too. If it doesn't work, we won't have lost anything."

"The Akimichi Clan can pay for the research, too. She's in debt up to her ears, so she should still come back."

"Right, this essay..."

A trace of a smile crossed Sarutobi Hiruzen's lips.

"Someone come in!"

"Yes, Lord Hokage." A ninja wearing a mask entered.

"Take this essay to the records department. Have them polish it up and emphasize the key ideas in it."

Sarutobi Hiruzen wore a hearty smile.

The line about "Lord Hokage being the root of Konoha" made him feel carefree and pleased for the first time in a long while.

Even a kid who'd only just returned to the village knew how much I'd contributed to it.

Being Hokage isn't so bad after all!

Seeing Lord Hokage so happy, the Anbu Ninja wearing an animal mask was a little surprised.

But his duty as a ninja kept him from asking questions.

"Yes!"

He took the scroll, went out through the door, and disappeared down the hallway.

After taking a puff and letting his spirits settle, Sarutobi Hiruzen remembered the first matter Choza had brought up.

"Danzo..."

This child... I absolutely can't let you have him!