Undercurrents Stir / Hanzō: I'm Just That Brave!

Minato and Chonhua listened to the lesson with such focus that Tsunade nodded in satisfaction.

She clapped her hands. "All right, class. That's the end of today's lesson. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me now."

Uchiha Chonhua eagerly asked several questions in a row.

Tsunade answered each one, then glanced at Uchiha Chonhua in surprise. The fact that he could ask such questions showed that he'd really taken the lesson to heart.

After a while, when it seemed the students had no more questions,

Tsunade announced, "Class is dismissed. Be careful on your way home, everyone."

"Awesome!"

Nawaki jolted out of his listless state.

At last, the torturous lesson was over.

Chapter 10: Underlying Currents

Beneath the towering Kage Rock stood the building that housed the Hokage's office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe as he worked.

He wasn't yet as old and short as he would be in later years. On the contrary, he was tall and sturdy.

He was reviewing the Ninja Academy teachers' evaluations of their students.

"Minato. No wonder Jiraiya thinks so highly of him."

After reading Teacher Kinoshita's evaluation of Namikaze Minato, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought of how gifted the boy was. The praise was well deserved.

Uchiha Chonhua, who was even more outstanding than Namikaze Minato, had drawn even more of Sarutobi Hiruzen's attention.

"Uchiha... Chonhua."

Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a stream of smoke. His face was obscured by the haze.

The teachers had nothing but praise for Uchiha Chonhua. Compared to Minato, Chonhua had received even more glowing compliments.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had used the Telescope Technique to observe Uchiha Chonhua.

The more he watched him, the more Chonhua's excellence became apparent.

He was outstanding in every way, whether in how he treated others or in his studies and training as a ninja. He was gentle, humble, and courteous...

He hardly seemed like a member of the Uchiha Clan.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't get caught in the trap of preconceived notions.

He was the Hokage, the village's leader, and the head of everyone's family.

Whether civilians or clan heirs, they were all comrades and family members he had to protect.

To Sarutobi Hiruzen, the choice between a peaceful Uchiha and a berserk one was obvious.

"He chose the Ninja Academy instead of the Military Police Force..."

Everyone wanted talented people, and as Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted them more than most.

Those who could work for him and help him break through certain constraints were especially precious.

The Military Police Force was effectively run by the Uchiha Clan alone, making it difficult for Sarutobi Hiruzen to influence its internal affairs.

But Uchiha Chonhua had chosen the Ninja Academy.

As its principal, Sarutobi Hiruzen could influence many things.

For instance, ninjas who graduated from the Ninja Academy were more likely to earn his favor and get promoted. With the right arrangements, it wouldn't even be difficult for them to become trusted subordinates of the Third Hokage or join the Anbu under his direct command.

He hadn't waived tuition and entrance exams for clan heirs at the Ninja Academy as an act of charity.

His goal was to gradually weaken the marks of their clans and strengthen their identity as ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village, so they wouldn't be confined to their clans but would become part of the village.

They would contribute to the village and work tirelessly for him, the Hokage.

Put simply, they would become supporters of the Hokage's faction!

That was what Sarutobi Hiruzen hoped for and wanted.

"I hope you can be like Kagami, rise above your clan, and keep the village in your heart. Don't disappoint me."

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't pay special attention only to Uchiha Chonhua. He kept an eye on the heirs of all the other ninja clans as well.

And among the children he watched, Uchiha Chonhua was the most outstanding.

Knock, knock.

"Lord Hokage, Lord Advisor is here."

The Anbu's voice made Sarutobi Hiruzen look up from his paperwork. He glanced over in confusion as Shimura Danzō pushed open the door and entered.

"Danzō, what is it?"

Shimura Danzō wasn't yet a one-eyed man. His gaze was sinister, and his stride was brisk as he approached Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Root Division has sent word. Salamander Hanzo of Amegakure is making a move."

"He's gathering a force of ninja and heading north."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned serious. "North? Has he declared war on the Land of Grass?"

"Land of Grass has no intention of fighting Salamander Hanzo, and he doesn't seem eager to fight them either," Shimura Danzō replied. "His forces are marching at full speed. They've already crossed Land of Grass and entered Land of Waterfalls."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked toward the map of the Ninja World on the wall, fixing his gaze on the country north of Land of Waterfalls.

It was a nation of samurai.

"The atmosphere in the Ninja World has grown restless. I've heard there's been more talk within other ninja villages of starting wars to seize resources."

"That's true," Shimura Danzō said. "Our Konoha takes seventy percent of the mission fees in the Ninja World. They're left fighting over the remaining thirty percent, which isn't nearly enough to support their villages. At the same time, there's talk in other countries' Daimyo Mansions of disarming and cutting funding."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. "Troubled times are upon us."

Talk of starting wars within the ninja villages had grown more common, while the Daimyo Mansions were already unhappy about having to increase funding as their villages' mission earnings dwindled.

Not every country had an environment as favorable as the Land of Fire, with enough resources to be self-sufficient.

As the balance shifted, the flames of war grew ever higher.

"Salamander Hanzo is after Land of Iron's mineral resources, then."

If he was preparing for war, Land of Iron's mineral wealth would be of greater use to Salamander Hanzo than that of any other country to the north. It was a reasonable assumption that this was the target of his forced march.

"Hiruzen, if this keeps up, war will be unavoidable. We can strike first while they're distracted."

Shimura Danzō's eyes glinted fiercely. "After more than a decade of recuperation, it's time to show the Ninja World the might of the foremost ninja village, Konoha!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head and rejected Shimura Danzō's suggestion.

"I was the one who spearheaded the signing of the End-of-War Treaty. We can't be the first to violate it."

It had been after the First Shinobi World War, when Sarutobi Hiruzen had just taken the Hokage Position, that he had pushed for the End-of-War Treaty.

The First Shinobi World War had cost Konoha its Second Hokage and Cloud Village its Second Raikage. The Second Kage of Mist Village and Iwagakure had died fighting each other. Only Sand Village had stayed out of the war, quietly building its strength.

When Sarutobi Hiruzen proposed the End-of-War Treaty, none of the ninja villages agreed at first, but none rejected it either.

After a series of conflicts and ceasefires, negotiations eventually succeeded, and the treaty became a major milestone in bringing the First Shinobi World War to an end.

Ending the war was one of Sarutobi Hiruzen's achievements, and people praised him for it. If he now started a war and broke the treaty he had proposed, that praise would quickly turn to scorn.

Wouldn't that make him a petty man who broke his word?

"Let them fight among themselves. As long as Konoha isn't involved, it's none of our business."

Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled. "We should learn from the Second Kazekage. Let the world fall into chaos while we remain at peace. Our Land of Fire is rich in resources and self-sufficient. Danzō, we're not the ones who should be worried."

"Isn't that abundance exactly what they lack?" Shimura Danzō sneered. "Hiruzen, when they turn around and attack us, you'll regret it!"

"Whoever attacks Konoha will regret it."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was in his prime and unafraid of trouble. "Danzō, step up your intelligence gathering on other countries."

Shimura Danzō frowned. Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders made him uncomfortable, but the other man was the Hokage, while he was only an advisor.

"Understood, Hiruzen."

Shimura Danzō left. As he stepped out of the room, he glanced back at the Hokage's seat, his heart filling with envy and regret.

Hiruzen, if I'd had the courage to step forward back then... I'd be the one giving orders now.

If only he'd had the courage...

Chapter 11: Hanzo: I'm Just That Brave!

"I heard there's a war going on in Land of Iron."

"I heard about it. Salamander Hanzo of Amegakure is behind it. After all these years of peace, why did war break out all of a sudden?"

A Uchiha drinking sake gave a cold laugh. "War's always been there, one way or another. I hope Salamander Hanzo is strong enough to spread it across the entire Ninja World."

"If that really happened, it'd be wonderful."

Another Uchiha laughed excitedly. "We Uchiha have to go fight on the battlefield and show the Ninja World the might of our clan! Let them see the power of the Sharingan!"

"Exactly. No matter how you look at it, an expansion of the war is good for us. It's an opportunity for the Uchiha Clan. With our strength, we're sure to earn the Hokage Position through our achievements on the battlefield!"

"Your tempura is ready."

Uchiha Chonhua set down the tempura, interrupting the Uchiha clan members at the table.

He'd heard what they were saying and rolled his eyes, speechless.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was in his prime. Why would they think battlefield achievements would be enough to win the Hokage Position?

Uchiha Chonhua couldn't understand their train of thought. It seemed far too simplistic.

It wasn't as if the Hokage retired. Unless he chose to step down, the position was essentially for life.

"Uncle Kenji, please keep your voices down. You're disturbing the other customers."

The man named Uchiha Kenji looked around and saw the other patrons frowning at him. He felt a little embarrassed.

"Oh, right. We'll keep it down."

Uchiha Chonhua walked away. Then he heard the quiet conversation of Uchiha clan members at another table.

"Is war really a good thing? Why are they so eager to go to the battlefield?"

"Keep your voice down, or that lot will hear you. Instead of appreciating peace, they're actually embracing war. The Uchiha are a peace-loving clan. I hope Lord Third Hokage doesn't let these warmongers influence him..."

So which was it, war or peace?

Uchiha Chonhua wasn't surprised. The Uchiha Clan had never been united; it was no wonder its members held such wildly different views.

Salamander Hanzo's attack on Land of Iron had caused quite a stir. Even as Uchiha Chonhua helped his family fry tempura on his day off, he kept hearing customers discuss the matter.

From this small glimpse, he could tell that the whole of Konoha was probably just as focused on the war. The interest in it was intense.

After all, it had been a long time since anyone in the Ninja World had shown such audacity.

Just as that Uchiha had said, war was always happening, on a large or small scale.

Local conflicts were constant. Not to mention clashes on the borders of the great nations, the small countries were frequently torn apart by internal strife.

But an overt invasion of another country like Salamander Hanzo's was rare.

Small-country conflicts rarely spilled beyond their borders, because the local Feudal Lords could hire ninjas from the great nations to discourage invasions. But the great nations' ninjas hadn't deterred Salamander Hanzo, who was determined to invade Land of Iron.

That gave the war a different significance.

Land of Iron wouldn't be able to stop Salamander Hanzo. It would inevitably hire ninjas from the great nations to repel the invasion.

In the past, the threat of ninjas from a great nation had either made a small country abandon its plans, or else the aggressors soon realized how hopelessly outmatched they were by the great nation's ninjas. The result was usually a successful S-rank mission: they earned their fee and stopped the war.

But this time, the reward for an S-rank mission wouldn't be easy to claim.

Salamander Hanzo was no ordinary man. Soon, he'd make the whole Ninja World recognize his strength, and he'd earn the title of Demigod.

Konoha would remain at peace for only a few more years, leaving Uchiha Chonhua little time to grow.

He had to work hard to grow stronger, then ride the winds and dance amid the surging tides of the era!

That's it, host! Keep going until you become Hokage, then pay off your debts and build your income!