Senju Nawaki glared at Keigo Uchiha with hostility. "I'm sure I'll beat you. I'll prove that your Uchiha Clan will never measure up to our Senju Clan!"
He said it with a sneer.
His eyes blazed with fighting spirit.
"I hope you achieve your Hokage dream soon."
With that, Keigo Uchiha couldn't be bothered to entertain him any longer. What the hell was wrong with this guy?
Sarutobi Hiruzen becoming Hokage was all but certain now. The only ones still trying to stop it were the Senju Clan, and Hiruzen was already seething with resentment toward them.
And yet you're still going around shouting that you'll become Hokage?
Wasn't the unspoken implication that when you grew up, you'd take the Hokage seat away from Sarutobi Hiruzen?
If I were Sarutobi Hiruzen, I wouldn't let you live either!
How stupid did you have to be to say something like that? No wonder he died so young. With that personality, he was arrogant and insufferable!
"All right. Now that everyone has gotten to know each other, we'll begin the sparring assessment. I need to see your strength and skill so I can make a training plan for you!"
Kamimura Yanoi clapped his hands. "Follow me to the training field. We'll spar, and I'll call out names to pair you up!"
Soon,
everyone made their way to the training field.
They began sparring according to the order of their names. Keigo Uchiha considered the pairings. "People with similar styles are sparring against each other so they can bring out one another's strengths. These opening-day matches are just to get a sense of everyone's ability."
Take Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Senju Nawaki, for example. Both relied on Taijutsu to support their ninjutsu, so they'd been paired together.
But... why had Kurama Shimotsuki been paired with Inuzuka Mi?
One specialized in genjutsu.
The other hadn't even made a contract with a Ninja Dog yet and only knew basic Taijutsu. Was there some other reason for the pairing?
"We may be good friends, but I won't go easy on you!"
Yamanaka Asagao smiled brightly. "Kano, if you don't use your full strength, you'll lose!"
As she spoke,
she tied up her golden hair. Her high ponytail made her look sharp and spirited!
In a flash, she shot forward.
Nara Kano shook his head helplessly. "What a drag. I knew they'd put us together. I guess I have no choice!"
As he spoke, he suddenly threw a Kunai,
then backed away.
But Yamanaka Asagao quickly dodged. She moved like a nimble cat, and the two inevitably clashed. As expected, Nara Kano lost, and Yamanaka Asagao held a Kunai to his throat, smiling as brightly as a flower.
"Hmph. You're so boring. You didn't even use your full strength in a match."
"Come on, it was just a spar. It's not a big deal."
Nara Kano shook his head, unconcerned.
One by one, the others sparred.
But most of the matches were Taijutsu and Kunai fights. No one used ninjutsu.
"Next up, Senju Nawaki and... Sarutobi Shinnosuke!"
At the teacher's announcement, Senju Nawaki strode proudly onto the field, but his eyes stayed fixed on Keigo Uchiha. "Hmph! Lucky for you that you didn't get paired with me. Otherwise, I'd have shown you who's boss!"
Then he turned his gaze to Sarutobi Shinnosuke. "And you—I suggest you give up now, or you'll be going home in tears!"
"The Sarutobi Clan has no cowards, and we don't give up!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke's expression was stern. "You're confident, but confidence doesn't mean you're strong."
"You'll have to beat me before I admit defeat!"
He took up a fighting stance, his legs planted firmly on the ground like the roots of a tree!
Keigo Uchiha's eyes lit up. "That's a solid stance. No wonder he's Sarutobi Hiruzen's son. He's already this good."
His own stance was just as steady.
But Lightning Release had accelerated his physical progress. It seemed the Sarutobi Clan had Taijutsu training of their own!
Across from him, Senju Nawaki looked like he thought he was invincible. He was practically covered in openings.
There was no denying it: there was a reason the Senju family was on the verge of extinction in the future.
They were not only stubbornly set in their ways, but had gradually grown complacent in peacetime.
During the Warring States Period, such a large clan had been able to hold a slight edge over the Uchiha.
So why, after the village was founded, had no talented prodigy risen among them apart from Tsunade?
Don't say it was because Sarutobi and Danzo were plotting against them. And don't say the First and Second Hokage had made the Senju Clan lead the charge.
That wasn't the real reason.
Senju Hashirama might have sent his clansmen to their deaths, but what about Senju Tobirama? Was that the sort of person he was? Clearly not.
So why had their ranks of powerful shinobi dried up in the twenty years since the village was founded?
Keep in mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't even taken office yet.
There was only one reason.
The Senju Clan had grown content with peace and fallen into decline.
They were lax in their training, yet confident—arrogant, even.
On top of that, the First had sent Senju shinobi to the front lines and left them to cover the retreat.
That was why the Senju Clan's strong members had steadily dwindled, until not a single prodigy rose among them.
Senju Nawaki was the perfect example.
His fundamentals were poor. He wasn't naturally suited to Yang Release, and his talent was average, yet he was blindly confident and went around shouting that he'd become Hokage.
Weak, yet confident.
How could someone like that not die young?
Clearly, the Senju clansmen who were trying to stop Sarutobi Hiruzen from taking office were the same way.
"Give up! I'm the strongest!"
Senju Nawaki charged at him, baring his teeth.
"Your stance is unstable!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke shook his head.
At home, his father had specifically told him to put Senju Hashirama's grandson, Senju Nawaki, firmly in his place.
He'd thought it would be a tough task. After all, Nawaki was the grandson of the God of Shinobi.
But now, the kid looked like a complete fool!
His Taijutsu foundation was clearly weak, yet he chose to meet his opponent head-on. He was both weak and brainless!
If he'd fought on the move and worn Shinnosuke down, it might have taken a while to beat him.
Unfortunately...
Sarutobi Shinnosuke suddenly swept his leg across, and Senju Nawaki's body seemed to go limp. His head slammed into the ground with a thud!
There was no hesitation.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke often sparred with his father, Sarutobi Hiruzen, so his technique was polished and efficient. He swiftly, precisely, and decisively pressed his palm to Senju Nawaki's throat!
"You lose!"
It was a complete defeat.
Nawaki hadn't had the slightest chance to fight back.
Senju Nawaki's skill was about what you'd expect from an ordinary kid who was training to be a ninja.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke, on the other hand, was clearly already at a Genin's level.
It was obvious that the downside of Senju Hashirama's hands-off approach to raising the next generation was already showing.
Senju Hashirama had respected his son's choice and let him live an ordinary life.
He'd also taught his granddaughter to gamble.
He let his grandson grow up carefree, without having to train hard.
Senju Hashirama had thought getting stronger happened naturally and didn't require intense training.
Unfortunately, he'd been the reincarnation of Asura, but his descendants weren't.
As a result, Senju Nawaki, whose potential should have reached Elite Jonin, might now struggle to become even an ordinary Jonin.
"This is impossible!"
Senju Nawaki's face twisted with humiliation. He suddenly struck back, only to be knocked to the ground again.
"Your fundamentals are too weak. Becoming Hokage isn't just about shouting that you want it. You need to train hard. Otherwise, everyone could become Hokage by daydreaming. You still have a long way to go."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke shook his head.
Then he turned and walked away.
"He has the talent and mindset of a strong shinobi. I wonder how he died in the original story?"
Keigo Uchiha considered it thoughtfully.
Judging by Sarutobi Shinnosuke's performance, it was only a matter of time before he became an Elite Jonin.
He'd definitely be stronger than Sarutobi Asuma!
Then he looked up and glanced at the sky. "Sarutobi Hiruzen... is that guy spying again?"
Elsewhere,
in the Hokage's office,
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the crystal ball, his eyes full of approval. "Well done. Shinnosuke's Taijutsu has completely surpassed that of his peers!"
Though he hadn't become Hokage yet,
he'd served as Acting Hokage for years, so he'd always worked in the Hokage's office.
As for Senju Nawaki, who'd lost in the crystal ball,
Hiruzen hadn't spared him a glance.
The kid was pitifully weak, yet went around shouting that he'd become Hokage.
Hiruzen didn't even need to do anything. Nawaki would die on the battlefield sooner or later.
Then Hiruzen stroked his chin, shifting the crystal ball's view to Keigo Uchiha. "Kagami and I were like brothers, and now I have ties to the Uchiha Clan. Perhaps I should start with Keigo Uchiha and bring him into my Hokage faction."
A sharp gleam flashed in Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes. "Yesterday, Kyo Uchiha made his intentions clear. Keigo Uchiha will definitely become the Uchiha Clan's leader. If I bring him under my wing, wouldn't that be the same as bringing the entire Uchiha Clan into the fold?"
His eyes burned with ambition.
What was the Uchiha Clan?
They were one of Konoha's founding clans, strong enough to stand against the Senju Clan. If he could bring the Uchiha Clan under his wing, then the whole of Konoha would be in his hands from that point on!
"It looks like I'll have to push that plan forward soon!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned grave. He picked up a pen and wrote four words in bold strokes in a book.
Will of Fire!
Only by writing textbooks could he start subtly reshaping every ninja's worldview from childhood!
Every ninja who graduated from the Ninja Academy would become, to some degree, a pillar of his Hokage faction!
"Now, let's see what kind of mettle Keigo Uchiha has. Not everyone gets to be one of my pawns!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared intently at the crystal ball, his face full of anticipation.
It never occurred to him that Keigo's strength might surpass his own.
After all, he believed Keigo could grow only to Kagami Uchiha's level.
And he was quite confident he could beat Kagami Uchiha.
Unfortunately, he had no idea that Keigo was a cheat code!
One day, he'd realize just how laughable his current assumptions were!
Before you continue