The Talk-no-Jutsu

Everyone present was stunned once again by Nawaki's astonishing declaration.

Jiraiya's furrowed brow relaxed as he looked at Nawaki with approval and admiration.

Tsunade covered her mouth in surprise, tears glimmering in her eyes as she gazed at Nawaki with affection. "Is this why you've been daydreaming every day? You want to become Hokage? That's quite an admirable dream, little brother! As your big sister, I'll definitely help you!"

Orochimaru, meanwhile, thought with some disappointment, Become Hokage? That's my ambition, brat.

Nawaki's words moved Mito as well. Gazing at his small figure, her vision blurred by tears, she seemed to see his form gradually merging with Hashirama's. Hashirama, can you see this? The Will of Fire has found a new successor. You have an outstanding grandson!

After making his bold declaration, Nawaki secretly watched everyone's reactions. Seeing their expressions, he knew he had more or less achieved his goal. He thought to himself smugly, After watching Naruto so many times, who couldn't learn the ultimate jutsu—talk-no-jutsu?

He really did want to become Hokage, but his reasons were nowhere near as noble as he'd claimed. He only wanted to gain more fame and Wish Power, then exchange it for greater strength so he could protect himself and his loved ones. As for Konoha, it was just a tool to help him live a better life. If he had to choose between the two, he would choose himself and his family. He wouldn't sacrifice his life for Konoha like the previous Hokage.

That didn't stop him from declaring in the name of the Will of Fire that he wanted to become Hokage, because everyone who became Hokage in the original story had said something similar. The most typical examples were Minato Namikaze and his son, Naruto. Announcing his ambition this way was the best cover! No one would suspect a one-year-old child of lying, and people were drawn to noble ideals. The more lofty the words, the easier they were to accept.

The more he said things like that, the more people would come to recognize his positive image. Then, one day, he could openly compete for the Hokage Position!

Don't underestimate that advantage. Why couldn't Orochimaru or Danzo become Hokage in the original story?

Because they had a dark reputation in other people's eyes.

But a shinobi like Minato Namikaze, who left people with a positive impression, could become Hokage with ease.

That was why one's public image mattered so much. There was another classic example: White Fang of Konoha. He was a hero, yet his background in the Anbu left people with a vague impression of him, so a mere rumor was enough to destroy him.

Don't think he killed himself because he was weak. That's the naive idea of someone who has never seen the dark side of the world!

Words could be terrifying, and cruel speech could wound people. Those sayings existed for a reason. Sometimes mental anguish caused greater harm than physical injuries. Anyone who had ever been wrongfully accused, slandered, insulted, deceived, or betrayed would understand.

At the time, rumors and conspiracies had left White Fang isolated by the entire village. The villagers he had protected all his life misunderstood him and even insulted him, while his own son, the person closest to him, couldn't understand him either. He must have been utterly alone, with not a shred of warmth in his life. Humans were social creatures, and even the strongest person couldn't live in that kind of environment for long. A hopeless situation surrounded by malice was far worse than people imagined. Even Naruto, who had faced similar circumstances, still had the Third Hokage, Iruka, Hinata, and Teuchi. But White Fang had no one. He was swallowed by total darkness and despair!

In that situation, changing his surroundings would have been the best choice. But White Fang was a hero who loved Konoha and could never betray the village, so he chose to endure it in silence. Still, he was human, not a god, and in the end he could only take his own life to escape the pain. The fact that he chose suicide rather than betray the village, and endured that environment for so long, showed that he wasn't weak at all. He was strong-willed—a true hero.

He had said all this simply to make one point: a positive image really mattered. It could help someone gain fame and status, and it could also serve as a shield, protecting both their life and their family.

By taking this opportunity to use talk-no-jutsu in front of everyone, Nawaki had taken the first step toward building a positive image for himself. He believed that if he kept at it, his image would eventually take root in people's hearts.

He thought his little speech had surely won everyone's approval. Sure enough, he soon received a notification from the Wish Power System:

Jiraiya's strong approval and admiration for the host generated 1,000 Wish Power.

Tsunade's strong approval and affection for the host generated 1,000 Wish Power.

Orochimaru's strong interest in and approval of the host generated 1,000 Wish Power.

Mito's intense approval and love for the host generated 2,000 Wish Power.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's strong approval and admiration for the host generated 1,000 Wish Power.

Huh? Had he just discovered something incredible? How had Hiruzen Sarutobi fallen for his talk-no-jutsu too? Familiar with the story, Nawaki immediately realized that the Third Hokage must be spying on them with the Telescope Technique.

Tsunade and the others had gone all out to complete their mission as quickly as possible so they could return to Konoha and celebrate Nawaki's birthday. Their uncharacteristic behavior had drawn the Third Hokage's attention, so he had used the Telescope Technique to keep track of them.

After seeing one-year-old Nawaki move freely under Orochimaru's killing intent, he had grown interested in his former teacher's grandson and continued watching. Then Nawaki's speech had struck a chord with him, earning his approval and admiration. It was a pleasant surprise for Nawaki. Hiruzen's approval would be a great advantage to his future.

Seeing everyone lost in their feelings and silent for so long, Nawaki finally broke the quiet. "Grandma! You still haven't answered my request. Can I learn the Chakra Extraction Technique?"

Nawaki's words snapped everyone out of their reverie. Mito's expression softened again, and she smiled at him affectionately. "Since Nawaki wants to become Hokage and protect Grandpa's precious treasure, Grandma will support you. Tsunade, you'll teach Nawaki the Chakra Extraction Technique tonight. You're skilled in Medical Ninjutsu, so make sure he stays safe."

"Yay! Grandma's the best! Nawaki's definitely going to become a powerful shinobi!" Nawaki jumped with joy. How could he not be happy? He'd put on a little act and said a couple of lines, and now he'd earned 6,000 Wish Power—more than he'd accumulated in a whole year.

"Tsunade, hurry and come back to my room with me to teach me the Chakra Extraction Technique." Nawaki impatiently tugged Tsunade toward the door.

"Call me big sister! Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"