Dark Walk

Genma had studied the Will of Fire of Konoha very earnestly.

From the First Hokage Senju Hashirama, to the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, and down to the current Sarutobi Hiruzen, he had examined it from every possible angle.

The First Hokage's original intention in merging various ninja clans and ending the war was to minimize sacrifice and protect children; this was the embryonic form of the Will of Fire and the core that allowed Konoha to coalesce.

The Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's Will of Fire, as Genma summarized it, was order and protection.

Compared to Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama was colder and more calculating; order was the framework, and protection was the core. For Senju Tobirama, even the sacrifice of an individual was acceptable for the sake of the entire Konoha.

In essence, it meant that to protect the many, one could coldly sacrifice the few.

The establishment of the Anbu was Senju Tobirama's tool for maintaining that order.

His vigilance toward the Uchiha clan was also a manifestation of the will to maintain order by sacrificing the individual.

Therefore, when encountering a naturally evil Uchiha brat, the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama would strike him down without hesitation.

Senju Hashirama would not; he would show more tolerance toward children, even those of the Uchiha.

The Sarutobi Hiruzen before him, I fear, would not either.

Of course, Senju Tobirama possessed sufficient power and will to carry out his own philosophy.

Thus, at the end of the First Ninja World War, facing the pursuit force of Ginkaku and Kinkaku, he chose to sacrifice himself to allow his subordinates to evacuate.

Excluding the bug that was the Flying Thunder God, Senju Tobirama's actions undoubtedly embodied his own Will of Fire.

It also set an example for Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others.

But as an observer, looking on with a god's-eye view, Genma saw that Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo had each inherited and carried forward a part of Senju Tobirama's philosophy.

Sarutobi Hiruzen inherited the gentler side of Senju Tobirama, or perhaps more accurately, he inherited the philosophy of Senju Hashirama, advocating for the protection of the village through gentle means within the framework of the "order" of Konoha.

Yet, he was also very clear that trees could not thrive on warm sunlight alone.

Therefore, he also needed Danzo, who inherited the dark and cold side of Senju Tobirama.

But Danzo was more extreme than Senju Tobirama and lacked sufficient resolve, eventually becoming nothing more than darkness, obsessed with power struggles and the position of Hokage.

Whether it was Sarutobi Hiruzen's scheme to have himself and Danzo represent the light and darkness of Konoha respectively, or his own awareness of his character flaws, the current landscape of Konoha had already been set.

And barring any accidents, it would remain this way for many years, burying countless hidden dangers.

Although Sarutobi Hiruzen eventually practiced the philosophy of sacrificing himself to protect the village and passed on the spirit of the Will of Fire, he still bore leadership responsibility for the dirty deeds Danzo committed, even if he was unaware of them.

For instance, the seizure of Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan.

Perhaps Orochimaru was merely trying to give the Hokage the ending he deserved.

Of course, for Genma to think this way at this moment might not be entirely objective.

But speaking of the matter itself, Sarutobi Hiruzen did indeed seem overly cowardly, if one were to set aside conspiracy theories.

Why else would they say Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo were good friends who understood each other perfectly?

As Sarutobi Hiruzen's speech concluded, Genma's thoughts gradually returned to the present.

Watching Sarutobi Hiruzen's departing back, Genma felt he still needed to continue observing calmly.

He did not yet understand the Sarutobi Hiruzen before him well enough.

Half an hour later.

Under the tree outside the Hokage Building, Genma, holding his dark blue chunin vest and ninja scroll, was the object of intense envy from Shizune and Yamashiro Aoba.

However, Genma was not particularly fond of the chunin vest: "The defensive capabilities of this vest are mediocre; it's not as good as my iron armor."

Shizune also held her vest and laughed: "That may be true, but for most people, this vest is much more convenient than iron armor."

Yamashiro Aoba nodded in agreement.

He felt that Genma's set of iron armor was too heavy and lacked flexibility.

It was only suitable for a physical monster to wear.

Of course, besides envying the vest, he was even more envious of the ninja scroll Genma was holding.

"Genma, what ninjutsu did you choose? It must be S-rank, right!"

"What does the Scroll of Sealing look like?"

"Are there a lot of forbidden techniques inside?"

Yamashiro Aoba asked in succession.

Shizune was also very curious: "Being able to select ninjutsu from the Scroll of Sealing is truly rare."

Genma shrugged slightly: "I might have to disappoint you."

"I didn't see the real Scroll of Sealing, just a catalog, and it was limited to genjutsu."

Shizune was slightly disappointed upon hearing this: "Eh, only genjutsu?"

"What a pity."

Genma smiled. "That's not bad. If you use genjutsu well, you can easily decide the outcome of a battle."

Yamashiro Aoba said, "Genjutsu might indeed be the most suitable for you, so what kind of technique did you choose?"

"Bringer-of-Darkness Technique. It's a visual-based genjutsu, rumored to have been developed by the Second Hokage, and it's classified as A-rank."

Genma introduced it with a smile.

Whether this genjutsu was developed by Senju Hashirama or Senju Tobirama, he highly suspected it was created specifically to counter the Sharingan.

Just then, Hatake Sakumo walked over from the Hokage Building and greeted the three of them. "Let's go. I'm treating you all to barbecue to celebrate Genma and Shizune becoming Chunin."

"Of course, Aoba, don't be discouraged."

"With your strength, there's no problem with you becoming a Chunin. Just apply for the exam again in November."

In Konoha, besides the fixed annual Chunin Exam, ninjas are also free to apply for the assessment themselves.

However, if one fails the exam, they must wait three months before applying again.

Yamashiro Aoba didn't hold a grudge about failing the exam and said calmly, "Sakumo-sensei, I have absolute confidence. After all, I am Genma's companion."

Regarding Yin Release, or rather sensory perception, he had indeed received guidance and help from Genma.

Hearing Yamashiro Aoba's words, Genma and the others couldn't help but smile, then headed toward the barbecue restaurant together.

Meanwhile.

At Ichiraku Ramen, Namikaze Minato and his three students were celebrating Kakashi becoming a Chunin.

However, Uchiha Obito, with a bandage on his face, was in a bad mood.

"Obito, your strength isn't actually bad, it's just..."

Namikaze Minato carefully chose his words. "You aren't steady enough, not calm enough, and not focused enough."

"If you could manage those things, becoming a Chunin should be very easy for you."

Uchiha Obito perked up upon hearing this. "Really?"

Nohara Rin immediately supported him. "Sensei wouldn't lie, Obito. We all believe in you!"

Uchiha Obito's mood gradually recovered. "Thank you, Rin."

"Unlike some people..."

Kakashi snorted. "If you don't get rid of those bad habits, you'll be a Genin forever!"

"Also, Rin, don't spoil him too much."

"Minato-sensei, you too."

Namikaze Minato, not expecting to be criticized himself, scratched his head in embarrassment. "Haha, it's not that serious!"

Uchiha Obito was furious. "Kakashi, don't be so arrogant. I will definitely become a Chunin."

"Once I awaken my Sharingan, I'll definitely be able to beat you too!"

Kakashi curled his lip in disdain. "Tch!"

Namikaze Minato put down his chopsticks and reached out to press down on both of them. "Obito, even though you are a Genin, you are still a qualified ninja. You need to mature."

"And Kakashi, now that you've become a Chunin, you must take on more responsibility."

"I'm not asking you to accommodate Obito more, but to treat him with the right attitude."

Kakashi fell silent, but he took the words to heart. "Next time if he doesn't listen, I'll teach him a lesson and make him change!"

Nohara Rin was delighted to hear this.

Uchiha Obito was unconvinced and couldn't help but mutter, "I'm not afraid of you!"

Nohara Rin immediately stared at him sternly. "Obito!"

Uchiha Obito's momentum instantly weakened, and he blushed, not daring to speak.

Namikaze Minato smiled and patted both of their shoulders. "Alright, you've reached an agreement for now, so hurry up and eat!"