Prestige! Pressure! Old Bastard!

The atmosphere inside the tent was a little delicate.

Tsunade was wrapped in a blanket. The flush on her face had yet to fade, but her eyes had regained their clarity.

She was one of the legendary Sannin, after all. Her mental fortitude was exceptional. Even though she had just lost her first kiss and nearly died, she had already sorted things out in her head.

"Tobirama."

Tsunade suddenly spoke in a serious tone.

"Today's incident, and the fact that you know Medical Ninjutsu... I'll cover for you."

"As for the Mangekyō Sharingan... if you don't want that gutter rat Danzo watching you, you'd better keep a low profile."

She was teaching him to hide his talents.

She was also protecting her own.

But the next second, Tsunade changed her tone, and her gaze turned sharp.

"But let me make this clear first."

"Although... although I have some feelings for you, and you saved my life."

"If you ever use that power to harm Konoha, or become a madman like your ancestor Uchiha Madara..."

Tsunade took a deep breath and stared straight into Tobirama's eyes.

"I'll kill you with my own hands."

"Even if I die, I'll drag you down to Hell with me."

That was Tsunade.

She loved and hated clearly, and she never compromised when it came to principles.

Rather than getting angry, Tobirama let out a soft laugh.

He stood up and waved at Tsunade with his back to her, looking absurdly carefree.

"Sure."

"If that day comes, you're welcome to try."

"But right now, you're too weak. Want to kill me? Master the Strength of a Hundred Technique first, Teacher Tsunade."

With that, he lifted the tent flap and walked out.

The tent fell silent again.

Tsunade looked at the swaying flap, and her tense shoulders sagged.

She touched her still-burning lips, her mind filled with that aggressive kiss from earlier.

From Hell to heaven, from despair to a racing heart.

The ups and downs of this single night had been more thrilling than the past twenty years of her life.

"Brat..."

Tsunade cursed under her breath, but the corners of her mouth rose uncontrollably. In the end, she buried her face in her pillow and let out the foolish giggle of a girl in love.

Camp supplies depot.

"Quick! Prepare all the medicine!"

At Tobirama's command, several logistics ninjas hurried to comply.

Tobirama's words now carried more weight than a Hokage's written order.

He stood before the workbench, his hands moving so fast they left only afterimages.

Grinding, extracting, blending.

In less than ten minutes, he had prepared a large barrel of green antidote concentrate.

"Dilute it with water at a one-to-ten ratio, then distribute it for everyone to drink!"

"Yes, Lord Tobirama!"

Half an hour later.

The camp, once deathly still, had completely come back to life.

"I'm not dizzy anymore! I can move too!"

"Miracle medicine! This is practically miracle medicine!"

"Waaah... We survived... I thought we were dead for sure..."

The joy of surviving disaster spread like a plague.

All the recovered Konoha ninjas, regardless of how severe their injuries had been, gathered voluntarily in the center of the camp.

There, Tobirama had just fed medicine to the last severely wounded patient.

"Long live Lord Tobirama!"

No one knew who shouted first.

Then came a deafening roar.

"Long live Lord Tobirama!"

"Hero! Lord Tobirama is our hero!"

In this world, where strength was revered and human lives were cheap as grass, whoever could keep them alive was like their own father.

What Uchiha divide? What arrogance of a prestigious clan?

Before the debt of saving their lives, it was all fucking nonsense.

Having collected herself, Tsunade changed into clean clothes and stepped outside, only to see this scene.

The twelve-year-old boy stood in the middle of hundreds of ninjas, surrounded like the moon among stars.

Their eyes were full of fervor. They looked ready to put Tobirama on an altar and worship him.

"Quiet."

Tobirama raised a hand and pressed it downward.

In an instant, the hundreds of people present fell silent.

That was prestige.

Tobirama looked around with his signature sunny smile. If he wanted to become Hokage, that was essential.

"You don't need to thank me."

"We are comrades."

"On the battlefield, entrusting our lives to one another back-to-back is a ninja's duty."

"My Uchiha Clan may not have the most likable reputation in the village."

At that, laughter broke out below, instantly easing the atmosphere.

"But we have always been part of Konoha!"

"Wherever leaves dance, fire burns!"

"Follow me! End the war and return home alive!"

"End the war! Return home alive!"

"End the war! Return home alive!"

At that moment, the name Tobirama Uchiha was forever branded into the hearts of those frontline elites.

Outside the crowd.

Tsunade leaned against a broken wall, watching the high-spirited boy with tenderness in her eyes.

"This kid... he was born to be a leader."

Beside her, Jiraiya had just woken up with two panda eyes and sidled over sourly.

"Tch, all he knows is how to show off."

"But seriously, Tsunade, you really found a treasure this time."

"That kid's ability to rally people may already be stronger than the old man's."

Tsunade shot him a sidelong glance, her face full of pride.

"Of course. Don't you see whose student he is?"

Two days later.

Konoha, Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared fixedly at the urgent battle report in his hands, his hands trembling.

[Urgent report from the front: Tobirama Uchiha directly defeated Salamander Hanzo at the Land of Rain camp!]

[Hanzo fled after losing an arm! The Rain Ninja army was wiped out!]

[Suspected of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan! Repelled the Rain Ninja assault! Killed hundreds of Rain Ninjas!]

[Frontline morale is currently soaring. All ninjas now look to Tobirama for leadership!]

Every word made Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart tremble.

"Mangekyō... Susanoo..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered, his face pale.

As the Second Hokage's disciple, he knew too well what that meant.

That was Uchiha Madara's power!

Power capable of destroying the world!

"Twelve years old... Kage Level strength... awakened the Mangekyō... drove back the Demigod..."

"This is no longer genius. This is a monster!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe again, but his hand could not hold it steady.

The fear.

Deep wariness.

Yet at the same time, there was a trace of greed.

If that power could be completely used by him...

But what if... Tobirama lost control?

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was caught in an internal struggle.

From the shadows came the sound of a cane striking the ground.

"Hiruzen, you saw it too, didn't you?"

Danzo stepped out with a gloomy expression. His single eye was frighteningly red. He had clearly just read the intelligence as well and was frantic with urgency.

"All Uchiha are threats!"

"A second Uchiha Madara has appeared!"

"He must be dealt with immediately!"

Danzo slammed his palm onto the desk.

"While he's still on the front lines and hasn't fully grown yet, summon him back to the village!"

"Hand him over to me! Hand him over to Root!"

"I'll use a Cursed Seal to control him and brainwash him into Konoha's sharpest weapon!"

"If he refuses to obey... then kill him! Dig out those eyes!"

Danzo's greed was no longer concealed.

The Mangekyō Sharingan!

If he could obtain those eyes... why would Danzo ever fail to become Hokage?!

"Shut up, Danzo!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly rose to his feet, a Kage Level aura erupting from his body.

"He is Konoha's hero!"

"He just saved hundreds of comrades and drove off Hanzo! And now you want to move against him?"

"Do you want the frontline soldiers to lose heart? Do you want to force the Uchiha Clan into rebellion?"

Danzo sneered, refusing to yield an inch.

"Hero? He's a hidden danger!"

"The Uchiha are inherently evil! Once he has that kind of power, do you think he'll still listen to you?"

"Look at what the report says! They all look to Tobirama for leadership!"

"Hiruzen! Even your position as Hokage is about to become unstable, and you're still talking to me about the Will of Fire!"

Those words struck Hiruzen Sarutobi's sore spot.

He fell silent.

His eyes flickered uncertainly.

That was right.

His achievements overshadowed his ruler.

An Uchiha with absolute power and immense prestige...

Far too dangerous.

"...Not now."

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back down and took a deep drag from his pipe, letting the smoke conceal his expression.

"It's wartime. We need that power."

"Besides, Tsunade is over there, along with Jiraiya and Orochimaru."

"More importantly, he is currently Konoha's hero. His prestige is simply too great... If we move rashly, it will cause a major disaster."

"For now... win him over."

"He is Tsunade's student, after all. He still has a chance to become an heir to the Will of Fire."

Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, returning to the calculating politician he had always been.

"Increase the rewards."

"Publicize him as an heir to the Will of Fire."

"Build him up, build him up high, until he has no choice but to give his life for the village."

"As for afterward..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not continue, but a glint of coldness flashed through his eyes.

Danzo saw through his old friend's thoughts.

Praise him to death.

First, keep him steady and use him as a weapon. Once the war was over, they could slowly settle the score.

"Hmph, you'll regret this, Hiruzen."

"Your indecisiveness will bring disaster to Konoha sooner or later."

Danzo snorted coldly and turned to leave.

When he reached the doorway, he stopped and said sinisterly:

"However, I won't give up."

"Root... will keep its eyes on him at all times."

The doors closed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wearily leaned back in his chair, looking out at Hokage Rock beyond the window.

"Tobirama Uchiha..."

"I hope you're a smart child."

"I hope you can make the right choice..."