Thanks to Ina, I Truly Became a Man

"A guy like you, it would be better if Diejian just finished you off!!"

Having shouted those words, Shuri sprawled out, lying flat on her back against the damp ground.

Even if she were to lose her life here and now, she would have no regrets.

Although she had been defeated in battle, she had emerged victorious in their war of words.

She had succeeded in insulting and fooling the enemy who had mocked the ninja known as Uchiha Shuri, and had even managed to one-up him.

Because she had not yielded to overwhelming power and violence, and had made the decision to persist on the correct path--

"Puhahahahahaha!!"

Shuri laughed aloud.

The joy of upholding her own ninja way dispelled the fear of death.

"--Ugh, so bright."

Shuri reflexively squeezed her eyes shut.

The world, which had been dim due to the dense leaves blocking the light, was suddenly filled with radiance.

Her fully dilated pupils resisted the glare.

Closing her eyes alone was not enough, so she covered her face with her arm.

"Welcome back, Shuri."

"Huh?"

Shuri let out a foolish sound.

Right here on a battlefield where a life was about to be taken, this overly out-of-place, gentle voice vibrated against Shuri's eardrums.

Shuri immediately recognized that familiar voice as belonging to Yamanaka Ina.

"Ina, run!"

Precisely because she understood immediately, Shuri raised her voice.

Uchiha Izuna should be nearby, and if that were the case, Ina might also be silenced.

She had no time to ponder why or how Ina had appeared here; she only cared about not letting her friend die, and Shuri used her willpower to force open her eyes, which were still recoiling from the light.

"Ha..."

--The gentle smile of Ina, emerging in the world of light, reflected in Shuri's eyes.

Beside the supine Shuri, Ina was crouching and smiling.

It was a truly dreamlike scene that warmed Shuri's tense heart.

A silly sigh escaped her, and the body that had been stiff without her realizing it slowly began to relax.

"Could it be... I'm back?"

"You've worked hard. You can rest easy now. Because it's already over."

It took Shuri a moment to understand that the exam time had ended and she had returned to Konohagakure.

The voice she let out was weak and listless.

Watching Shuri's foolish expression, Ina smiled gently while directing her palm toward Shuri's injured body.

Ina's palm emitted a soft glow--after a while, the light vanished as if it had been absorbed into Shuri's body.

"Ah..."

Shuri bit down hard on her trembling lips.

Because if she didn't, tears would surely overflow.

--Saying that death wasn't scary was a complete lie.

In truth, she didn't want to die at all, nor did she want to be left behind alone.

Knowing that she was loved by someone, Shuri's loneliness vanished.

Precisely because of this, Shuri vowed to become stronger--yet a corner of her heart had become weak.

But Shuri would never admit that she would yield.

There was certainly a woman's stubbornness involved.

There was also the pride of being a close friend.

However, what had pushed Shuri to the very last moment was...

"It seems you've suffered quite a bit."

"--That sort of thing doesn't matter. More than that, there's something I need you to hear."

Shuri brushed aside Ina's caring words.

Saying she could rest easy—she couldn't relax just yet.

In that forest, there were still people who were fleeing.

Now that she, the stumbling block, was gone, Uchiha Izuna would surely go to kill the children who had fled.

This, at least, could not be allowed.

"Guh, ugh..."

Juri spurred her aching body into motion.

She gripped Yamanaka Ina's wrist tightly, using it as a support to heave herself up.

"Wai—wait a moment...!! Don't push yourself so hard...!"

"Listen to me!!"

She spoke forcefully to the bewildered Ina, cutting her off mid-sentence.

Immediately after, Juri gritted her molars.

Her gaze drifted slightly, and with an expression of genuine remorse, she squeezed out a hoarse voice.

"...Please tell the Third Hokage and Diejian. A terrifyingly powerful enemy has infiltrated the forest of the exam grounds. Even I... as much as I hate to admit it, was no match for him. His name is Uchiha Izuna, and he is targeting the lives of the Senju clan—"

"Ah, that. That was just Diejian transformed, so it's fine."

"Listen to me, Ina. Uchiha Izuna is targeting the life of the Senju clan's Diejian, not... huh?"

Upon hearing Ina's words, Juri's train of thought ground to a halt.

Uchiha Izuna was targeting the life of the Senju clan's Diejian, and it was impossible for it to be the Senju clan's Diejian himself.

After all, Uchiha Izuna was called Uchiha Izuna because he was of the Uchiha clan; if he were of the Senju clan, he would be called Senju Diejian—right?

A fragmented cluster of words flashed through Juri's mind.

"Juri-san, you're so badly hurt...!!"

"You are..."

Just as Juri was about to clear her thoughts, overlapping voices rang out in the room.

The ones who had rushed to Juri's side with pale faces were the Genin, led by Dan Katō.

Juri stared at the faces of the three Genin.

"Why are you here? You should still be in the forest..."

The very people she had intended to rescue immediately were standing right there.

What had happened? What was the situation? Information flooded in one after another.

Juri's confusion reached its peak, and she openly displayed her agitation.

Her slender eyes widened adorably, and her usually tightly closed lips parted weakly.

"Juri-san..."

"We were all beaten quite badly..."

"Tsunade, Orochimaru...?"

Tsunade and Orochimaru, who was leaning on Tsunade's shoulder, approached with exhausted expressions.

From the atmosphere surrounding Tsunade and Orochimaru, Juri sensed that the battle had truly ended, and she let out a deep, relieved sigh.

"Juri-san, thank you so much. To think you would go this far for us... I will never forget this as long as I live."

Dan Katō bowed his head deeply.

Following him, the Genin spoke words of gratitude to Juri one after another.

These words, miraculously, seeped straight into Juri's exhausted heart.

A strange sense of exhilaration welled up.

What she felt next was a permeating, poignant torrent of emotion.

They were the very proof that her decisions and choices had not been wrong.

A year ago, Juri had hoped to live for someone else, just like her close friends Hatake Sakumo and Yamanaka Ina.

But for Juri, who had lived only for self-satisfaction until now, she hadn't known how.

That was why, to become someone who wouldn't bring shame to her friends, she had officially begun aiming for the Chunin Exams.

Even though she yearned to live for someone else, she hadn't known where the answer lay.

Was this battle, where she had staked her life, ultimately just another form of self-satisfaction? The unanswered self-interrogation turned into endless bitterness, disturbing Juri's heart.

However, the answer was actually quite simple.

The answer she couldn't find herself was reflected back to her through the figures of others, like a mirror.

Now—Juri's heart took the figures of others as a mirror, transforming them into light that returned to her.

"..."

Juri lowered her head and hunched over, hiding her face so they wouldn't see it.

Then, she opened her mouth, intending to say something brave—but stopped herself.

Juri's heart did not want to speak those insincere words.

She did not want to inadvertently hurt the hearts of those who had woven their words so honestly.

She hung her head powerlessly, hiding her expression, and turned slightly away from them.

Then, after hesitating for a few seconds, the only thing Juri managed to weave into words was a single sentence.

--It's really good that you're all okay.

No one could see the expression on Juri's face as she kept her head bowed.

But her slightly reddened ears spoke volumes, explaining everything.

The Genin's expressions brightened.

They realized that rumors were, after all, just rumors.

The children, faces blooming with smiles, expressed their heartfelt gratitude with childlike cheerfulness to this older sister who only looked fierce but was actually shy.

★

"I hate to interrupt while everyone is having such a lively time, but it's about time. May I have a word?"

Ina, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

Although it was a bit awkward to intrude upon the circle of Genin who were gathered excitedly around the silently bowing Juri, she couldn't just leave things as they were.

Besides, Juri's ears were turning red enough to explode, and Ina felt it was about time to rescue her.

"R-right, Ina. What was it you said just now? Something about Diejian, right?"

Juri was the first to react.

She was struggling to endure the embarrassment of being fawned over by everyone, so she could not help but react to this opportunity, which felt like a spider's thread lowered from above.

Seeing Juri react exactly as expected, Ina smiled gently.

"I have things to say, including the matter I mentioned to Juri. First, I have an announcement. Of the six Genin present, five—excluding Orochimaru—have qualified to participate in the second exam."

"--I see... so that's how it is. What an excessive person."

Orochimaru whispered.

He slid powerlessly off Tsunade's shoulder and sat down on the ground with a thud.

Orochimaru, the sharpest mind present, had reached the truth based solely on Ina's words.

Having understood the general background and realizing that all the tension until now had been meaningless, he was utterly exhausted.

Seeing Orochimaru covered in dirt, Ina guessed he must have fought with all his might, and she felt a little sorry for him.

--A few seconds later, the Genin's exclamations rose one after another.

"The first exam has already begun, and now, it has ended. Allow me to explain."

--The first exam was conceived by the chief examiner, Senju Diejian.

One of its components was to intimidate the Genin who arrived at the reception desk full of spirit to register for the exam, making them tremble with fear.

Another was to simulate a situation where they encountered an overwhelmingly powerful enemy during a mission—again, to make the examinees tremble.

It is said that not only Senju Diejian, but also other proud warriors of the village like Hatake Sakumo and Kagami Uchiha, each transformed into the appearance of enemies they deemed appropriate, patrolling the forest to intimidate the candidates.

Those who showed an unseemly appearance as ninjas were knocked unconscious.

Those sent back to the village in an unconscious state were considered to have been branded as "failed" by the examiners on-site, and were informed of this by the examiners waiting in the village.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tsunade snorted.

The Genin could not hide their confusion, and more or less showed expressions of dissatisfaction.

Among them, two remained calm.

They were Juri, who had initially stopped thinking due to shock, and Orochimaru, who had been judged as failing.

"The aptitude required for this exam is only one thing. It is the resolve of a ninja itself."

--Mission failure is synonymous with death.

The "strong will" to walk the path of a ninja despite knowing this.

--And the "tough nerve" to remain calm and think at any time.

This exam was meant to discern whether they possessed this "resolve as a ninja."

"One year ago, the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, sacrificed himself on the very day that was meant to commemorate the peace treaty with other villages—the long-cherished wish of the First Hokage, Hashirama."

Chunin is not merely a title bestowed upon the talented.

It is bestowed as proof of having grown from a child who is protected into an adult who protects others.

Therefore, the children must know.

Before becoming Chunin, before growing into adults, they must know the true cruelty of the ninja world.

"Even the strongest Hokage in the village can sacrifice himself in battle... Until now, you have all been protected by your respective Jonin leaders. But becoming a Chunin means stepping away from the protection of Jonin and standing in a position to protect your comrades. Just like the Second Hokage who died fighting to protect the future of the village a year ago, it means you must step toward the side that sacrifices their lives for others."

A moment of silence followed.

In the taut air, Ina spoke her final words.

"I just said, you have qualified for the second exam. Now, I'll ask again. -- Do you want to participate in the second exam? Or not? I leave this choice to you."

What would happen then--Ina watched the speechless Genin with a serious expression.

★

"I'll participate. My dream is to protect everyone--to be Hokage."

Dan Katō said, puffing out his chest.

"Heh."

Juri smiled faintly.

Dan looked back at Juri uneasily.

"No, I'm not laughing at you. It's a good dream. Be proud."

Juri smiled gently, as if remembering someone.

Hearing Juri's words, Dan's cheeks flushed, and he stammered his thanks.

The dream of Hokage.

Hearing this, it was indeed during the first Chunin exam.

That was the fated day for Juri, when the two, who were hostile--or rather, one was unilaterally sulking--opened their hearts to each other and became friends.

Juri smiled with a complex expression, thinking how far they had come since that day.

"But that dream is incredibly grand. Because there's a very ill-intentioned senior running ahead."

"Huh?"

When they were children, they were indeed rivals--but somewhere along the line, he had reached an unreachable height.

The retreat battle where the Second Hokage died against Kumogakure.

Juri had no idea what Diejian gained from that incident, which changed him.

But he must have reached this point after much anguish.

Juri could think so now.

From a long time ago, since the day she thought "It's probably the Senju's fault," Juri had become stronger and grown.

That certainly wasn't achieved by her own strength alone.

Sakumo and Ina, as friends, had created the "trigger" for her to "realize."

From the two who healed her loneliness, she saw the path a person should take.

They accomplished what Kagami Uchiha couldn't due to being too close.

On the other hand, Diejian coincidentally existed as a "wall to overcome."

And now, perhaps Diejian chose to be that way by his own will, Juri arbitrarily thought.

It was precisely because he sensed Juri's sincere desire to move forward and her desperate struggle that Diejian stood up as a worthy opponent, a rival.

He made Juri fully realize that the person who was once her equal had reached an unattainable height, thereby spurring her on.

Even if it resulted in Juri disliking him, Diejian would not regret it.

--For the future that his friend Juri sincerely wished for.

So--Juri vowed in her heart.

One day, she would definitely get revenge on Diejian.

Ah, yes.

While feeling indignant, Juri was also grateful for this exam.

Precisely because of that, it couldn't end here.

If they were rivals, it wouldn't do to always be on the defensive.

So--yes, how could she possibly come to dislike him.

She would return the favor, and then it would be over.

There was certainly no need for bad feelings between them.

"I..."

Tsunade spoke, as if squeezing the words out.

Juri crossed her arms.

Her well-developed chest was naturally emphasized.

"...I'll withdraw for now, maybe next time. I want to train more under Teacher Sarutobi before coming again."

Tsunade said with a hint of loneliness, realizing through Ina's words and this exam that she was still far from becoming a Chunin.

In the battle in the forest, the choice to leave Juri and Orochimaru behind was neither right nor wrong.

If staying behind only leads to a pointless death, then increasing the options for survivors cannot be judged as a mistake.

From Ina's words, one could perceive that what Tsunade's brother, Diejian, looked for was not the courage to confront a powerful enemy.

Whether it was running away or fighting, what Diejian looked for was the ability to make a swift decision based on one's own will and execute it.

At that time, Tsunade did not have the strong will to make that choice on her own.

She only hesitated and hesitated, wasting time.

A lack of decisiveness.

But this was not Tsunade's fault.

It was the environment that led to this situation.

Since she was small, Tsunade had always had her brother by her side to protect her.

This was the barrier that Tsunade, as the "little sister," needed to overcome.

Tsunade was grateful for the opportunity to realize this; she clenched her fists tightly, determined to show growth that would surprise her brother next time.

"--Speaking of which."

Tsunade cast her gaze toward Orochimaru, who was sitting on the ground.

"According to Miss Ina, it seems Orochimaru has met the passing criteria."

"Yes, I think so too. It would be hard for me to accept that Orochimaru, who stayed on the battlefield with me and fought for his comrades until he lost consciousness, is disqualified."

Juri nodded in agreement with Tsunade's words.

Juri acknowledged Orochimaru, who had fought side-by-side with her.

Judging him as disqualified made her feel somewhat displeased.

--Even if you say that, Ina said, placing a hand on her cheek with a troubled expression.

"I don't know the situation... and in principle, children who return unconscious are disqualified. Although I am an old acquaintance of yours and would like to do something to help, that would be an abuse of power."

"Hmm~, from my brother's perspective, were there any disqualifying factors?"

"Who knows. I think that guy probably likes children like Orochimaru."

"Eh?"

Tsunade and Ina tilted their heads in confusion.

Watching the two of them, Juri snorted as if she couldn't stand it.

"That guy, anyway, it's not any major reason. It's probably something like getting carried away and losing his sense of proportion, or overdoing it; it's that kind of reason."

"Oh my, that sounds all too likely. How terrifying."

Watching Juri and Ina laughing together, Tsunade asked a question as if she had suddenly remembered something.

It was about the examinees covered in blood who were carried away on stretchers at the reception desk.

To the worried Tsunade, Ina replied nonchalantly.

"Ah, those people? They were just Chunin who used the Transformation Technique to look like that."

"I knew it. Haa, I feel completely drained all of a sudden..."

As she said this, Tsunade made an exhausted gesture and sat down next to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru was dejected, but it was no wonder.

Given her brother's personality, it was very likely that he had accidentally knocked Orochimaru out by mistake.

Tsunade deliberately avoided touching Orochimaru and gently looked away.

"--'No matter what happens, I will stop Diejian.' Juri, you were super cool back there. My heart even skipped a beat."

"O-oh... th-that, forget that!! C-cunning!! That's too cunning!!"

This bombshell, dropped by the mischievous grin on Ina's face, caused Juri's cheeks to turn bright red instantly.

Having had her weakness exposed unintentionally, Juri approached Ina with shy, teary eyes.

She brought her flushed face close to Ina's, shouting at her to forget it; Juri no longer cared about maintaining her composure.

For quite a while after that, Ina and Juri continued to frolic without stopping.

While everyone else was fired up by having gained a new goal, Orochimaru sat on the ground.

He felt that the bright and lovely playful banter of the girls happening above his head was inexplicably annoying.

Thinking about the candidates for why he was disqualified, all of which were ridiculous reasons, he felt a sense of depression that surprised even himself, and he experienced the impermanence of the world.

★

"You, it seems you really put her through the wringer."

"That was necessary for Juri, wasn't it?"

Beside the hospital bed where the man covered in bandages—Senju Diejian—lay, Ina sat down.

She turned and reached out to Diejian, gently stroking his cheek.

Diejian did not show any sign of being ticklish, letting Ina do as she pleased and accepting her caresses.

"What about Orochimaru?"

"Honestly, I feel quite sorry for him."

"I thought so. That boy is quite depressed, you know. He has been training under Lord Hiruzen and seemed very confident... but well, setbacks are necessary too. I don't think you need to apologize, but you are taking this too seriously."

Ina's soft fingers slid across Diejian's cheek and came to rest on his neck.

Diejian's gaze followed the sensation of Ina's fingers.

Then, he turned his eyes to Ina's, wanting to know what intention she had in doing this.

Her expression was full of worry, and he could read the loneliness and anxiety hidden behind her gentle smile.

"You've been severely injured again. You were planning to call Master Kagami, weren't you? He was rarely this angry, saying that you, Diejian, were acting on your own."

"Isn't me acting on my own a common occurrence?"

"Hey!"

"Hmph, I just wanted to avenge Uncle with my own hands."

"--That's a lie."

Ina immediately judged and denied this statement, which sounded like self-abandonment.

Diejian sighed, conceding to her straightforward attitude and those eyes that believed he was not bound by such hatred.

"I really can't win against you, Ina. Indeed, it was a lie. Kinkaku is certainly hateful, but that is not the reason I acted on my own. Honestly... I really feel that meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me..."

"What kind of obvious thing are you saying, you id--iot."

"That day, thanks to you, I truly became a man."

--What came to mind were the memories of that day.

It was the day Diejian visited Ina and Juri while they were training.

After finishing training with Juri and washing off the sweat at home, Ina had visited the Senju residence in high spirits.

On the other hand, Diejian had greeted Ina with a face full of distress.

That day, Diejian poured out the worries in his heart to Ina.

Was he truly suited to be an Examiner? Was he really worthy of being someone who taught children their "path"—

Diejian suffered, his clenched fists trembling.

For the past year, the driving force behind Diejian, who had survived in a harsh environment, had been his feelings for the Second Hokage.

He had worked himself to the bone, efficiently and mechanically, persisting again and again, never allowing the village built by the Second to be trampled upon.

Watching Diejian suffer under such a heavy burden, Ina thought once again.

This useless man, who was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, was always pushing himself too hard.

He wanted to become like the Second Hokage, and because of that, he was in pain.

Ina understood in an instant that this was fundamentally wrong, but Diejian did not seem to realize it.

Whether to say he was dull about his own affairs or deliberately avoiding them, Ina always felt it was the latter.

Having once entered Diejian's deep psyche with the Mind Body Switch Technique, Ina knew of the massive, dark power sleeping within him.

Understanding the troubled Diejian was easy for Ina, and she was not the type to feel burdened by supporting a man who was trying his best, but there was one thing Diejian got wrong.

It concerned the very roots of the ninja known as Senju Diejian.

If he could realize this, Diejian would become even stronger.

With a prayer in her heart, Ina said only one sentence.

--Who is the Hokage you truly admire in your heart?

For a moment, Diejian wore a stunned expression.

The next second, all the distress on Diejian's face vanished.

Ina couldn't help but smile at this sudden change, though it was probably not a time for laughter for Diejian.

She had instantly perceived the part of him that was in pain and, with just one sentence, liberated him from that suffering.

Diejian could not hold back his tears and hugged Ina.

He couldn't help but say thank you.

Yes--Ina understood immediately.

In a sense, having studied under Senju Tobirama—the perfect superman who surpassed Senju Hashirama—and having been instilled with his way of thinking and living, it was easy for Ina to see why Diejian, after experiencing a painful separation, would force himself to believe he "must become that."

Just as he had once imitated Senju Hashirama.

Ina smiled bitterly, thinking that this aspect of him had not changed at all, though considering he could control himself better than in the past, he must have grown.

However, no matter how hard he tried, Diejian could become neither Hashirama nor Tobirama.

The Senju Hashirama whom Diejian truly admired in his heart.

As for why Diejian admired Hashirama—it was simply because Hashirama, while acknowledging the existence of Izuna and loving Diejian as an individual, had accepted him as a comrade of the village.

What Ina wanted to say was that there was no need to erase oneself for the sake of the village.

Diejian only needed to live for the village as Diejian himself.

The village accepted everyone; those who lived within it were all family.

The village that Senju Hashirama built must surely be like that.

Awakened by Ina's words, Diejian reclaimed his original nature.

That was the truly profound "love" rooted in the soul of the Uchiha clan, a deep love for everything in the village.

—Because of this, Diejian later clashed with Sarutobi Hiruzen, who seemed to neglect the village, and out of excessive concern for the village's children, he set up harsh trials.

Hashirama, who was too gentle to be strict, and Tobirama, who was a passionate man but pursued cold severity—it would likely take some time for these traits inherited from them to take shape within Diejian.

"Shuri is quite angry, you know. She seems to have deep feelings for that man named Uchiha Izuna."

"I hope an ice cream is enough to make her forgive me..."

Ina and Diejian looked at each other and smiled, gazing up at the blue sky together.

Iwagakure, having gained the reputation of joining Konoha in the crusade against Kinkaku, would likely not make a move against Konoha for the time being.

Sunagakure, unable to publicly acknowledge its connection to Kinkaku, would likely remain silent.

—However, if a war were to break out because of this, Sunagakure's target would surely be Konoha.

Emotionally speaking, Konoha had provoked Sunagakure too much.

Had the Third Hokage realized this? The situation in Kirigakure was also unstable, and the envoys sent there had been driven back.

This time, although they had narrowly won this gamble, it was merely a product of chance.

Furthermore—through this battle to eliminate Kinkaku, Konoha's combat strength had been revealed to Iwagakure.

Diejian had not called for Kagami's support, partly because he did not want the Iwagakure ninja following Kagami to learn his secret techniques.

Diejian thought.

The loss of the deterrent force known as Senju Tobirama was far more serious than Hiruzen and Danzo imagined.

It was not just the other nations; there were internal concerns as well.

The men of the Senju clan had stood on the front lines to protect the village during the First Shinobi World War, and many had died in battle.

The women who remained had integrated into clans like the Sarutobi and Akimichi, and those bearing the name Senju were rapidly dwindling.

The decline of a clan once hailed as one of the strongest in the Warring States period—from now on, Konoha would inevitably fall into a position of relying on the Uchiha clan.

If it were only that, it might be fine.

The current Uchiha clan head was proud but not foolish.

The Uchiha clan itself reigned over Konoha as an elite group admired by the entire village, and their posture as the Police Force guarding the village even attracted the envy of the children.

However, the Uchiha clan, being hailed as heroes of the village, would sooner or later realize the truth.

They would realize the reality of the isolation policy implemented by Senju Tobirama.

Diejian now realized what he truly needed to do.

That was to find the balance between Hashirama's policy of appeasement toward the Uchiha and Tobirama's overly strict policy—

That was Diejian's duty.

Diejian turned his gaze toward the lovely woman who was peeling an apple for him.

The emotion welling up from the bottom of his heart was his own true feelings, finally realized.

However, Diejian perceived the truth.

He understood the real intention behind Tobirama placing Uchiha Shuri and Senju Diejian in the same squad and having Uchiha Kagami serve as their jonin instructor.

Someday, the time to make a choice would come.

But, until that day arrived—

Resting his head on the soft pillow, Diejian quietly closed his eyes.