Speech

Qile widened his eyes, staring in utter astonishment at Hashirama Senju, who was holding court on the stage with a relentless, flowing stream of words. He simply could not believe that Hashirama had actually come to the Ninja Academy to give a speech.

Shouldn't he be in the Hokage office at this hour...

No! He should be out gambling away his money!!!

Even if his mere presence was surprising, it wouldn't have shocked Qile to this extent. The real kicker was that the usually boisterous Hashirama possessed such eloquence; it was completely beyond Qile's imagination.

At this moment, Qile felt bored to tears. He helplessly clutched his head, slowly turned his gaze, and looked toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was standing right beside him.

However, in stark contrast to Qile, Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed completely immersed in Hashirama's brilliant speech, listening with rapt, intoxicated attention.

Qile could even clearly see the burning light deep within Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, as if a raging fire were blazing inside them.

"Didn't you tell me with such certainty just a moment ago that the Hokage wouldn't come? Then who is that standing on the stage holding forth right now!" Qile leaned toward Sarutobi Hiruzen and lowered his voice.

Upon hearing this, a trace of imperceptible embarrassment flashed across Sarutobi Hiruzen's face, but he reacted with lightning speed, masking the awkwardness in an instant and returning to his look of being utterly enthralled by the Hokage's words.

Yet, despite his swift movements, he still failed to escape the sharp gaze of Qile, who had been staring at him the entire time!

"Oh, I see, you weren't listening to the Hokage at all! And here I thought you were genuinely interested in this lecture! Hmph..." Qile gritted his teeth, squeezing the words out through the gaps.

Seeing that Sarutobi Hiruzen was never going to respond, a bored Qile had no choice but to shake his head helplessly. Suppressing his inner frustration, he continued to listen to Hashirama drone on with those long-winded, trivial remarks.

"Today, we adults will do everything in our power to protect you, all so that you may grow up safe and sound!" Hashirama said with a solemn expression.

"You must know that you are the future hope of Konoha. Only if you continue to grow stronger can Konoha prosper and flourish. Therefore, please give it your all and forge ahead." Having said this, Hashirama even stood up from his stool, showing just how excited he was.

At this point, Qile couldn't help but mutter to himself: "Isn't this just the Will of Fire before it's been properly distilled? As the saying goes, 'Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire shall burn'! The burning fire will not only illuminate the entire village but also encourage new leaves to sprout and grow strong... Sigh..."

Just as Qile was secretly regretting not having shared this phrase with Hashirama sooner, which would have saved him from standing here listening to this tedious, rambling speech.

However, the very moment his voice trailed off, the four people standing closest to him, as if by prior agreement, simultaneously snapped their gazes toward him.

These looks were like sharp arrows piercing straight at him, clearly shocked by what he had just said.

Immediately following this, a voice that sounded both cold and urgent rang out: "What did you just say?"

Upon hearing this voice, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other three looked toward the newcomer.

When they focused their eyes and saw who it was, expressions of reverence instantly appeared on their faces. They quickly lowered their heads and greeted in unison: "Lord... Lord Tobirama!"

Qile also noticed the newcomer. When he saw that familiar, cold face, he couldn't help but groan inwardly—it seemed he had been loose-lipped again!

However, despite feeling a bit unnerved, he braced himself and offered a greeting: "Ah? So it's you, White-Hair... oh, no, Lord Tobirama! It's been a long time, how have you been lately!"

Faced with Qile's improper greeting, Tobirama merely frowned slightly without saying a word. His cold eyes locked onto Qile, and he commanded expressionlessly: "Repeat what you just said!"

Qile was stunned for a moment before stammering: "...It's been a long time, how have you been lately..."

"Not that sentence!" Tobirama interrupted him impatiently.

"The... the one before that?" Qile scratched his head helplessly; it seemed there was no escaping this.

After a long while, he tentatively asked: "Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire shall burn!? Is it that one?"

Hearing this, Tobirama fell silent for a moment. After a long time, he sighed softly, his eyes becoming exceptionally complex.

Finally, Tobirama slowly shifted his gaze from Qile to the F4 standing nearby. He said in an unquestionable tone: "Once things here are finished, the four of you are to head to the Hokage Rock immediately. I have something important to tell you!"

With that, he turned his head to give Qile one last deep look before turning toward the stage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others had wanted to ask Qile about what he had just said, but after Tobirama's interruption, the young F4 were left nervously and excitedly huddled together, chattering away.

"Big Brother! It's about time!" Tobirama extended his right hand, gently nudging Hashirama in front of him, his expression turning stern and his tone serious.

Hashirama, who had been rambling on the stage, paused slightly upon hearing Tobirama's reminder. "Oh, it's Tobirama! You finished those official duties so quickly? Don't be so impatient! There's just a little bit more, I'll be done in a second, just wait a moment longer!"

However, when Hashirama turned back to continue his speech, his heart tightened for no reason, and he subconsciously swallowed hard.

"Students! My speech ends here for today. Next, we move on to the next important segment—the entrance exam! Now, let's invite the judge for this exam, Tobirama Senju, to say a few words!" As Hashirama spoke, he quickly and decisively handed the microphone to Tobirama, as if afraid that being a second late would earn him a scolding.

Tobirama took the microphone and first lifted his head slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the energetic and expectant children sitting below.

Surprisingly, Tobirama, who was known for his coldness, softened his tone slightly: "Students, please follow the instructions of the teachers beside you and head to the training grounds in an orderly fashion!"

As Tobirama's voice faded, the children sitting below began whispering to their companions.

Qile's eyes lit up instantly; the ninjutsu duels he had been looking forward to were finally here!

Even though these were just duels between children who had only just been introduced to ninjutsu, for Qile, this was enough! Besides, he wasn't participating, just watching the show! No need to be so demanding!