As summer's twilight quickly faded, the morning dawned beneath a blazing sun. The temperature climbed steadily as the sun rose, while the cicadas outside the window disrupted the Ninja Academy's lessons.
Rikusei absently twirled his pen as he listened intently to Tobirama teach the art of throwing shuriken.
The lessons on the blackboard were now far more advanced than they had been at the start of the school year. The instruction was thorough and had taught them a great deal.
These techniques clearly came from the Senju Clan's throwing methods, so Rikusei was giving them his full attention. But the noisy sounds outside the window kept distracting him.
He had long since grown used to the cicadas' persistent chirping. What distracted him was the hearty laughter of Baru and the others.
Today was the Ninja Academy's enrollment day. After several days of discussion, the village had finally assigned the available places.
The students' names and classes had already been posted on the wall outside the school. Rikusei and Naori had stopped to read them carefully when they entered.
The new students were divided into Classes B, C, and D, with twenty students in each. Their Class A remained unchanged, with nineteen students.
Well, this was obviously meant to drive anyone with obsessive-compulsive tendencies to despair.
Before they knew it, class was over. Rikusei and the other boys in his class stood lined up against the hallway wall, watching the excited new students with the unruffled air of veterans.
Kagami was focused on the Uchiha students. When he saw Baru, Rai, and Naka split up, one to each class, he couldn't help smiling from the bottom of his heart.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched Biwako enter her classroom, then turned his gaze to the girls in the other classes, studying them in detail with an intensity worthy of someone diligently learning ninjutsu.
Watching it all in silence, Rikusei thought, Well, look at that. He's already got a spirit of exploration at such a young age. Why not explore his own class? I guess rabbits don't eat the grass by their own burrow.
Danzo, meanwhile, was eagerly checking whether any students in the three classes could surpass him.
Of course, they inevitably ran into friends from their own clans. The crowd swarmed into the hallway and packed it tight until the school bell rang, sending everyone scattering like birds and beasts.
Rikusei had also noticed members of the Hyuga Clan among the new students. They were all Branch Family members who covered their foreheads. He sighed helplessly; the Hyuga Clan's affairs weren't his to worry about.
The great clans had stood in the Shinobi World for hundreds of years. They certainly wouldn't stake everything on the newly established village.
Even though it had been founded by two other great clans, they hadn't entered the heart of its power. They had every reason to suspect it was a conspiracy against them.
The afternoon lessons were simple. The textbook had been written by Tobirama Senju.
It was something like an encyclopedia of the ninja world. It seemed to touch on everything, yet explain nothing in depth. The teachers were expected to go over the material in detail.
According to the author, the rest was still being written. There were so many countries in the world that it was impossible to finish the book quickly; simply gathering the intelligence would take a long time.
There was no need to rush. Everything could proceed at its own pace. Just like the newly established Konoha, it couldn't be hurried.
Inside a workshop in Konoha's southwest corner.
After a loud bang, thick smoke began to billow through the room. A moment later, a Wind Release technique swept it away.
Kohei leaned on his cane and stroked his soot-blackened beard. The grime on his face couldn't hide the pride in his eyes as he said to the Uzumaki clansmen beside him, "Hurry and try it out. See if it works perfectly with your Sealing Jutsu."
Ashina, whose hair had been dyed black and white, took the teapot in his hands and fed chakra into it to test its conductivity. He nodded in satisfaction.
Even the renowned master of sealing in the Shinobi World had approved of it. Looking at the ninja tools his clansmen had worked so hard to forge, Kohei couldn't help planting his hands on his hips and standing even prouder.
"Haemi, take out a Sealing Talisman," Ashina said softly, holding the teapot.
Everyone around them fixed their eyes on the red-haired man. Somewhat nervous, he rummaged through his ninja pouch, then solemnly handed the Sealing Talisman to Ashina.
Tobirama, who was accompanying them, watched the hale and hearty Ashina. Focusing chakra in his hand, he wrote a sealing formula on the blank paper.
"This won't be enough to seal an entire Tailed Beast," Ashina said with a frown, glancing around at the people present, all of whom knew about this operation.
"That's right, Clan Leader Ashina." Tobirama stepped forward from the back of the crowd, ready to explain.
"I understand." Ashina's gaze swept over the wooden cabinets behind the table. Seeing them filled with teapots just like the one in his hand, he suddenly understood. "You're planning to seal a single Tailed Beast in multiple batches."
As expected, experience counted. Tobirama nodded to his kinsman to confirm it.
"The Uzumaki Clan will first use Adamantine Sealing Chains to restrain the Tailed Beast, then extract its chakra and seal it in this little thing. Am I right?" Ashina asked confidently, turning the teapot over in his hands. His eyes gleamed with wisdom as he made his leisurely guess.
Tobirama's stern face mercilessly shattered his fantasy. "The Uzumaki Clan only needs to handle the sealing."
"Right. With Hashirama and Madara's abilities, suppressing those Tailed Beasts should be easy." Ashina set the teapot on the table, dusted off his hands, and spoke casually.
At the mention of those two names, silence fell over the room.
Ashina coughed as if nothing had happened, then patted his foolish son on the shoulder. His gray-stained hand returned to its original color. With a satisfied look, he said solemnly, "Haemi, I'll leave some of our clansmen here with you in Konoha. Make sure you cooperate with them in the coming operation! For now, the glory of the Uzumaki Clan is in your hands."
Looking at Haemi's excited face, Tobirama turned away, unable to bear the sight. He calculated the number they would need. At this rate, they would be able to seal their first Tailed Beast in a few more days.
After showing the Uzumaki clansmen around the workshop, Tobirama cleaned the dust from his clothes and returned to the Ninja Academy. He leisurely sipped his tea as he gazed out the window at the Hokage Building.
With Madara there to advise his elder brother, things probably wouldn't go wrong. Besides, he would review all the documents after they'd been processed.
The thought of the two of them bickering in the office made Tobirama's brow twitch. Outsiders would think they were just children squabbling.
No one would ever associate it with their fearsome reputations.
Looking at the assignments waiting to be graded on his desk, the mountain of documents piled up at home, and the textbooks waiting to be written, he couldn't help thinking of the joyful days he'd spent developing forbidden jutsu.
His elder brother had sealed away all the results, but the fun of it was impossible to put into words for anyone else.
His days were packed from morning to night, yet he still made time for himself to drink tea. Tobirama drained his cup and got back to work.
The dismissal bell finally rang. Tobirama rubbed his aching neck, gathered up the intelligence reports spread across his desk, put them in a cabinet, and locked it.
Most of these reports had been collected through the hard work of the newly formed Anbu. They had easily infiltrated other Hidden Villages that were still being established or expanding.
Getting intelligence from their own village was even easier.
A knock at the door drew his attention.
It was Rikusei.
Tobirama sat in his chair. One look at Rikusei's sincere smile told him the boy had come to ask for the reward he'd been promised yesterday, he thought to himself.
That Uchiha brat is too clever for his own good. It's really irritating.
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