For Your Own Good

"This child... not bad at all!" The Third was somewhat astonished.

The Will of Fire course wasn't offered in the first year, mainly because first-year students couldn't even recognize all the characters, let alone understand the lessons. Rashly introducing a complex curriculum would easily provoke rebellious attitudes in the students.

Kakashi reading that book he could understand—because Kakashi wanted to graduate early, and also because he was currently lost, unsure whether his father's actions were right or wrong, needing to find an answer.

But Kamiya Keiyun? He could actually read it too!

That was rare!

Good talent, sound thinking, and receptive to the Will of Fire.

He was worth setting as a casual piece on the board.

He turned off the crystal ball and began pondering how to speak when they met later.

On the other side, Kamiya Keiyun frowned. He'd just suddenly felt like he was being watched.

But what was going on? Inuzuka Hana wasn't around either?

Scratching his head, Kamiya Keiyun was about to continue reading when he saw his classmates already returning!

He quickly put the book back exactly where it had been.

"That fast?" Kamiya Keiyun was curious. Hadn't even ten minutes passed, and the fight was already over?

"Of course it was fast—Uchiha Obito didn't stand a chance, hahaha!" The student who entered the classroom first spotted Kamiya Keiyun and immediately said, "You really missed out by not watching. You didn't see Kakashi go all out—one kick and Obito was knocked out cold."

Uh, who are you? Do I even know you that well?

Behind him, Kakashi also entered, surrounded by the crowd, but he didn't look smug at all—his eyes were still cold.

Kamiya Keiyun gave a thumbs-up. Kakashi didn't pay it any mind, went straight to his seat, and started reading again.

Soon, Uchiha Obito came back too, rubbing his butt as he walked. Kamiya Keiyun thought about it but couldn't imagine what kind of fight would end with someone getting kicked in the rear.

Probably charged in too hard without braking, got dodged, and then took a kick to the backside!

"Obito, you charged in so fast just now—truly an Uchiha!"

"Shut up!"

"As expected, Kakashi is still Kakashi."

"Hmph, I'll win next time!"

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

Kamiya Sanyō no longer came to pick up Kamiya Keiyun; he always walked home on his own.

Step by step, steady, slowly controlling the distance between each stride—this too was a form of training for leg control.

In his past life, he could manage to do nothing but eat, sleep, and study. In this world, where the main theme was strength, he could naturally do the same—spend every moment except eating and sleeping on learning.

Walking with his head down, Kamiya Keiyun suddenly caught sight of a white robe with a red inner lining.

Huh, that outfit looks familiar!

Kamiya Keiyun looked up blankly and saw the Third Hokage standing before him, wearing a conical hat.

"Ah, Lord Hokage?" Kamiya Keiyun froze for a moment, then quickly straightened up.

"Oh, Kamiya Keiyun, I know you! You moved to Konoha last year, right? How are you finding it here? Any trouble adjusting?" The Third seemed to be passing by, even leaning in to pat Kamiya Keiyun's head.

"Ah, Konoha is wonderful. The villagers here are very warm, and I love the food here. I really enjoy being here!" Kamiya Keiyun quickly replied.

"Good, good! Now that you're here, Konoha is your home!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said, then glanced in the direction Kamiya Keiyun had come from. "You've entered the Ninja Academy too!"

"Yes, I started this year!" Kamiya Keiyun nodded quickly, putting on a smile that met social expectations, looking up at the Third with innocent eyes. "I want to follow in the footsteps of my seniors—study hard, grow strong, and contribute to protecting Konoha!"

"Mm, good, good!" Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction. Children could lie too, but their lies were usually clumsy, easily seen through by adults.

But Kamiya Keiyun's eyes were pure, his tone fervent—clearly this came from the heart!

"Good, keep it up. Here, I'm giving you this book." Sarutobi Hiruzen pulled a book from his robe and handed it to Kamiya Keiyun. "From now on, you won't need to borrow others'."

"Ah, thank you, Lord Third!" Kamiya Keiyun almost gagged when he saw the cover. Wasn't this Konoha and the Will of Fire?

I thought you were going to give me some jutsu or taijutsu, and this is what I get?

Despite his complicated feelings, he kept smiling as he watched the Third amble away.

"Wait—he just said 'from now on, you won't need to borrow others'.' So back in the classroom, it was him watching me?" Kamiya Keiyun was startled. The Hokage's Office Building and the classroom were close, but still two or three hundred meters apart!

He could see that far?

Or was there some other skill—like using a jutsu to achieve that effect?

Afraid the Third might still be observing from the shadows, he quickly opened the book and began reading with apparent relish.

Genuine relish, really—after all, in this life, there were no phones or computers, and entertainment was painfully dull. He was treating the book purely as a story.

As for the Will of Fire?

The Will of Fire was a fine thing, but Kamiya Keiyun had encountered and heard of too many good ideologies in his time. The Will of Fire was just a drop in the bucket, merging into his vast mental library without stirring even a ripple.

Still, Kamiya Keiyun had to consider what the Will of Fire meant in Konoha.

Was it the ideology used to govern the village?

Ruling a region or a country definitely cannot rely solely on military force. A nation born that way would have no cohesion at all and would fall apart within a few years.

A typical example is the barbarian tribes north of Huaxia—from the Xiongnu to the Turkic to the Xianbei, the Jurchens—they were essentially the same group of people. But because they lacked ideological cohesion, not only could they not thrive for long, even if they took over the Central Plains, their dynasty wouldn't last.

Therefore, there must be an ideology to unite everyone. Ancient Huaxia used Confucianism, while modern times use the concept of family, nation, and the world.

The ideology must cover all aspects—not only political, but also economic, moral, and cultural.

How could one book be enough? Even a bookshelf full wouldn't suffice!

But Konoha just uses this one phrase as its founding ideology to rule the village?

Can that work? Absolutely not!

"No wonder the Hatake Sakumo incident blew up so big. It's not just about a hidden hand behind it; the core reason is this flawed founding ideology," Kamiya Keiyun shook his head. Unfortunately, he could only mutter this to himself.

After all, he didn't know if this village had a thing for literary inquisition. Publicly slandering the Will of Fire—what were you trying to do?

"So, it comes back to the same old path: I have to strengthen myself first!" Kamiya Keiyun stepped lightly. As soon as he opened the front door, he felt something was off about the atmosphere at home.

In the living room, on the table, a stack of banknotes was piled up. His father, Kamiya Hiromi, was drunk, a smug look on his face.

Beside him, Kamiya Koromo looked distressed but still forced a faint smile.

As for Kamiya Sanyō—

Kamiya Keiyun didn't even have time to greet anyone. He rushed upstairs, pushed open the door, and saw his older sister with disheveled hair, eyes swollen from crying, kneeling half-prostrate beside the bed.

"What's going on? Where did the money downstairs come from?" Kamiya Keiyun asked.

He already had a guess.

"I've caught the eye of the Shimura Clan. Their eldest son wants to marry me. This is the bride price!" Kamiya Sanyō said, her face full of sorrow.

"The Shimura Clan is a major family in Konoha. I can't refuse. But your sister is also at the age for marriage. Three hundred thousand ryo isn't a small amount—it's enough for us to build another shrine." Kamiya Hiromi took a gulp of sake nearby, his expression bitter.

"Besides, the Shimura Clan has people in Konoha's upper echelons. If you marry into them, it'll be good for your brother too. There's a department in Konoha called Root—many families try to squeeze their people in but can't. I've already agreed with the Shimura Clan Head: once he finishes his first year, he can transfer straight to Root and receive higher-level training!"

Kamiya Hiromi had somehow followed them up and was now leaning against the hallway.

"I... I..." Kamiya Sanyō stammered, not knowing what to say.

She definitely didn't want to marry, but hearing that it would benefit her younger brother, she hesitated again.

If I refuse, wouldn't that affect my brother's future?

Kamiya Keiyun was stunned. What was this? Was I the one turning into a brother-supporting parasite?

"Dad, I'll handle my own future. Why do I need to sell my sister?" Kamiya Keiyun asked angrily. "Return the money. So what if they're Konoha's upper echelons? Give me ten years, and I'll become one of them myself!"

"What the hell do you know? Do you think you can just return it whenever you want? Do you have any idea what the Shimura Clan represents? Do you know how hard it is to make it in Konoha? There are plenty of people who stay genin their whole lives! Out of all the ninja in this village, less than two hundred become jonin! Who do you think you are?"

"And you say I'm selling my daughter? Do I even have that right? You still think the Kamiya Family is the top clan in the village? Here, we're nothing!" Kamiya Hiromi pounded the wall. "Without connections, without relying on other families, you wouldn't even have a chance to learn ninjutsu!"

"This is your opportunity. It's not like you'll never see your sister again. We're all in Konoha. That's how it is. Her marrying into them benefits you too."