To Repay Debt, Become Hokage!

"Nonō, if other departments try to recruit you, you may go, but do not stay to serve them." Uchiha Chonhua stared straight ahead, his words clearly reaching Yakushi Nonō's ears. "If you trust me, you must plant your roots firmly in Konoha Hospital and do not move."

"...Chonhua, will there be danger?"

Yakushi Nonō knew that Uchiha Chonhua's background was extraordinary; he often associated with Master Tsunade and had access to many channels of information, unlike her. So, had Chonhua heard something ominous?

"There will be danger, Nonō. You must be extra careful and keep an eye on [Root]."

Root? Yakushi Nonō repeated the word in her heart, then nodded to show she understood.

Fearing that Yakushi Nonō might not take it seriously enough, Uchiha Chonhua leaned in and whispered into her ear, emphasizing his point: "This word must rot in your heart. Do not speak it anywhere else, lest you attract attention. I do not want you to encounter danger, Nonō."

Yakushi Nonō shrank back slightly, her ear feeling ticklish; the warm breath made her face flush with color.

"...I understand, Chonhua."

Chapter 24: Konoha's Traditional Craft

"Hiruzen, I suggest recruiting Uchiha Chonhua into the Anbu."

Shimura Danzō pointed at Uchiha Chonhua's file, his eyes gloomy. "His strength is decent, he has talent, and he possesses a heart that loves Konoha. Such talent is best suited for the Anbu to contribute to Konoha."

"However..." Shimura Danzō shifted his tone. "Since he is from the Uchiha Clan, he should first go to the Anbu Training Department to learn and be observed. We shall see if he truly holds goodwill toward Konoha. Hiruzen, I will personally go to test him."

The Anbu Training Department was headed by Shimura Danzō.

While cultivating many talents for the Anbu, Shimura Danzō also intentionally selected the personnel he needed from within its ranks.

The talents selected by Shimura Danzō gathered together to form [Root]!

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe; Danzō's intentions were far too obvious.

He shook his head and tapped his finger on the desk.

"Danzō, this is a child favored by Uchiha Ryutai. If he favors him, then Uchiha Shohei favors him as well. You cannot get those two to agree."

A child who had caught the attention of the Uchiha Clan head and his right-hand man—could he really be brought into [Root] so easily?

Shimura Danzō naturally knew it was impossible.

"Hiruzen, you are the Hokage." Shimura Danzō stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said, "Ninjas must obey the orders of the Hokage. Those Uchihas are also Konoha ninjas; they must listen to your commands!"

"Heh, Danzō, would you listen to my commands?"

Shimura Danzō's reply came without the slightest hesitation: "I certainly would, but some people are different. Think about it, Hiruzen, that clan has caused no shortage of trouble for Konoha."

"But everything is moving in a positive direction now, isn't it?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's reply was equally unwavering.

"Danzō, they are a part of Konoha. I believe that as time moves forward and the new generation grows, the Uchiha will eventually be able to integrate into Konoha."

"This is no longer the early days of Konoha's founding. Look at how many Uchiha still want to rebel against Konoha today? Many of them are close to Konoha, close to us."

"Hmph." Shimura Danzō sneered. "People who can gouge out the eyes of their own kin are close to Konoha? I fear they are just putting on a show for us."

"They are a clan of madmen. The lessons of the past are there. Hiruzen, your thinking is too naive; you will surely regret this."

"Danzō, this is a choice I have made after careful consideration. I am the Hokage!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen covered the ninja file belonging to Uchiha Chonhua. "I believe he will become someone like Kagami. Danzō, not everyone in the Uchiha Clan holds extreme views. We should find ways to help these Uchiha children who yearn for Konoha and peace to grow, and then change the Uchiha Clan."

"That is the correct approach!"

The two were at loggerheads, staring at each other with grave expressions.

After a long while, Shimura Danzō turned and left, leaving behind one final sentence: "Hiruzen, you will eventually pay the price for your naive ideas."

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched Shimura Danzō's back disappear and muttered to himself, "Danzō, you are too extreme."

He picked up his seal and stamped it onto three ninja files.

"I am more familiar with that child Chonhua than you are. What I hope for will arrive sooner than expected!"

"Uchiha Chonhua, Mikoto Uchiha, Hizashi Hyuga, from today on, you are members of my Team Tsunade."

Seeing that his instructor was Tsunade, the stone hanging in Uchiha Chonhua's heart finally dropped.

Having studied medical ninjutsu under Tsunade for five years, he still hadn't become her direct disciple.

Fortunately, he had become a member of Team Tsunade; although it carried less weight than being a direct disciple, it was still satisfactory. He had finally entered the circle of the Hokage's lineage and secured a foot in the door.

The favorability he had been grinding with Sarutobi Hiruzen over the years hadn't been in vain; having Tsunade lead him was clearly a sign of how much they valued him.

Hmm, he still couldn't slack off. Becoming a member of Team Tsunade wasn't enough; becoming her direct disciple was ultimately the safer path.

Uchiha Chonhua glanced at his teammates.

Tsunade, from the Senju Clan, with students from the Uchiha and Hyuga clans.

Sarutobi Hiruzen certainly knew how to play the game.

"I am already very familiar with all of you, so we will skip the self-introductions and move directly to the next step. Follow me."

Tsunade left first, and Uchiha Chonhua and the other two hurriedly followed.

Before long, they arrived at a training ground.

Tsunade took out two bells, and as she shook them, a tinkling sound rang out.

Here it comes, the classic Konoha tradition: the bell test.

"Since you are all close friends, a test of teamwork doesn't hold much meaning for you."

Tsunade tied the bells to her waist and clapped her hands.

"So, I've changed the rules. You will come one by one to snatch the bells—just one is enough. You have fifteen minutes. Let me see what you're capable of."

Uchiha Chonhua stepped forward without hesitation: "I'll go first, Teacher Tsunade."

"Good, Chonhua. Give it your all. If you fail, you'll be tied to a wooden post and left in the sun for the whole day."

Mikoto Uchiha and Hizashi Hyuga stepped back, leaving space for the two to fight.

"I certainly don't want to be tied to a post. My apologies, Teacher Tsunade!"

A light breeze swept by, and Uchiha Chonhua's figure suddenly appeared beside Tsunade. He reached out with his right hand, aiming straight for the bells.

Tsunade dodged to the side. With a jingle, Uchiha Chonhua missed, only brushing against the bells before his outstretched hand was grabbed by Tsunade.

"Your Body Flicker speed has improved again. You were just a hair's breadth away from grabbing them."

Tsunade felt a momentary jolt of alarm, then her eyes sharpened. She pulled Uchiha Chonhua toward her and delivered a knee strike.

Uchiha Chonhua let out a pained grunt, then poof—he burst into a cloud of smoke and dissipated. It was a Shadow Clone.

Tsunade was stunned. When did he cast the Shadow Clone Technique?

She had been observing him the entire time and hadn't seen him weave a single hand seal.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A wave of intense heat washed over her as a massive fireball erupted through the air toward her.

Tsunade leaped backward. The fireball slammed into the ground, scorching the grass and blasting a crater into the earth.

Snap!

Tsunade suddenly sensed movement behind her. She saw a pebble at her feet transform into Uchiha Chonhua, who lunged to grab the bells.

Tsunade gathered chakra, utilizing the techniques of the Strength Enhancement, and bent her right arm to deliver a downward elbow strike, smashing Uchiha Chonhua to pieces.

Another Shadow Clone.

Whoosh!

A piercing sound cut through the air. A kunai streaked in an arc, missing the bell cord by a fraction of an inch.

"That was close."

Before Tsunade could relax, a shuriken flew out from the bushes on the left, striking the kunai with a metallic clang.

The impact altered the kunai's trajectory, sending it toward the ground at Tsunade's feet.

At that moment, another shuriken shot out, striking the kunai just as it was about to embed itself in the ground.

The kunai's path was altered once more. After two deflections, it was now heading straight for the bells at Tsunade's waist.

A flash of admiration crossed Tsunade's eyes.

What exquisite throwing technique, and the calculations were incredibly precise.

If she didn't stop it, the bell cord would surely be severed.

That wouldn't do; she hadn't finished testing them yet.

Tsunade quickly extended a finger and flicked the kunai.

The iron kunai shattered instantly under the force of her finger.

Chapter 25: Tsunade: Students and Apprentices, Aren't They the Same?

Seeing Tsunade shatter the kunai with a single finger, Uchiha Chonhua, who was hiding in the grass, felt a sense of shock.

He had attempted to develop the Strength Enhancement himself, but the results were poor. Without expert guidance, it was easy to damage one's muscles and bones, or accidentally blow one's own hand apart.

He understood the theory, but the details—the degree of force, the precise dosage of chakra—were everything. Without those details, one would put in double the effort for half the result, ending up only with self-inflicted injuries.

He coveted the power of the Strength Enhancement. The day he became Tsunade's direct disciple, he would definitely learn it from her!

"Found you!"

After shattering the kunai, Tsunade suddenly flickered to a position above Uchiha Chonhua. She pulled her right fist back to her waist and, with a sharp cry, unleashed a devastating blow!

Uchiha Chonhua's stealth had been in vain; Tsunade's sensory abilities were nothing to scoff at.

Seeing this, Uchiha Chonhua mobilized the chakra within him, instantly completing a lightning-nature transformation to stimulate every cell in his body. Like a bolt of lightning, he vanished from her sight, leaving Tsunade's eyes to blink in confusion.

Her fair, delicate fist missed its target and slammed into the earth.

BOOM!!

A thunderous boom shook the earth, causing it to crack and spiderweb outward, while surrounding trees toppled in droves, forming a massive circular crater centered on Tsunade.

Hizashi Hyuga and Mikoto Uchiha stumbled unsteadily; Tsunade's punch had triggered a brief, violent earthquake throughout the training grounds!

They steadied themselves, staring blankly at the destruction caused by Tsunade's strike, then exchanged looks of disbelief before both swallowed hard, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

Such... such terrifying destructive power. I never imagined Teacher Tsunade possessed such formidable offensive capabilities.

In their understanding, Tsunade's greatest expertise lay in medical ninjutsu, but the sheer power of this punch had opened their eyes and left them thoroughly shaken.

"Chonhua... is Chonhua alright?"

Hizashi Hyuga's voice stuttered, and Mikoto Uchiha looked toward the center of the dust-choked battlefield with concern.

Then, she saw a flash of blue light erupt there, like a bolt of lightning streaking across the sky, before vanishing just as abruptly.

Following that came the high-spirited voice of Uchiha Chonhua.

"Teacher Tsunade, I've snatched them."

Jingle.

That was the sound of bells.

As the dust settled, Hizashi Hyuga and Mikoto Uchiha hurriedly looked over.

Tsunade stared blankly at her waist, where a small hand gripped two bells, shaking them gently to produce a crisp, tinkling sound.

Uchiha Chonhua looked at Tsunade with a beaming smile, his expression full of pride and the unmistakable vigor of youth.

"Both of them... I've taken them both..."

Tsunade had not expected this outcome. She knew the boy's talent and aptitude meant his strength would certainly not be lacking—he could likely trade blows with a jonin if she went all out—but she was no ordinary jonin; she was an elite among them.

In her projections, Uchiha Chonhua would only be able to secure one bell from her.

Yet, he had actually managed to take both.