The Chakra Power of the Ninja Sect

It was not that Li Ke wanted to maintain this misunderstanding, but many things simply could not be said in the public eye.

Moreover, words alone are insufficient to persuade a person.

Most importantly, the conflict between Asuma and him lay in their differing views on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Asuma saw Hiruzen Sarutobi as a bastard, a cold-blooded and heartless scoundrel, yet Li Ke could see the helplessness Hiruzen Sarutobi faced.

Because his capabilities were, in truth, insufficient.

However, to Asuma, and to Li Ke, who was a staunch member of the Hokage faction, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been more than generous.

Li Ke could not harbor deep resentment toward the Third Hokage, as he was one of the beneficiaries of Hiruzen Sarutobi's system.

And Asuma...

He simply did not yet understand the reasons behind many of his father's actions.

Nevertheless, Li Ke decided to try and persuade Asuma.

Thus, after thanking the Second Hokage, Li Ke caught Asuma, who was trying to avoid him, just as they reached the camp, began to rest, and set up their respective quarters.

"Asuma, we must clear up the misunderstanding between us."

Li Ke pressed down on Asuma's shoulder, but Asuma, wanting nothing to do with him, tried to break free.

However, Li Ke's immense strength left Asuma unable to budge.

As Asuma stood there in shock, Li Ke spoke rapidly.

"Asuma, if I were to do nothing and simply enjoy the privileges you secured for me—privileges that broke the rules—how would others view us? How would they view you and your father? When that time comes, how could we face those ninjas who are just like me but never received such medical treatment?"

Asuma felt a surge of anger, but just as he was about to speak, Li Ke pressed a finger to his lips.

"Listen to me first, Asuma. It is not that I don't cherish our friendship; it is that as a Konoha ninja, I must consider the thoughts of my comrades. I am deeply grateful for everything you have done for me, but Asuma, we live in Konoha, and we must act according to Konoha's rules. Even if those rules are unreasonable, as those protected by them, we must abide by them. Therefore, if one breaks the rules, one must be prepared to bear the consequences—and possess the strength to do so."

Li Ke took a deep breath and continued.

"That is why my previous words were not a complaint about you saving me; I am immensely grateful for your actions, Asuma. But it remains a breach of protocol, and we must pay the price for breaking the rules or prove that we have the ability to be worthy of such privileges... My efforts to grow stronger are for this very reason: so that when I am forced to break the rules to save a comrade, I have the strength to pay the price."

Li Ke agreed with some parts of the ninja code—after all, this was effectively a military organization—but he disagreed with most of it.

However, he firmly believed in the necessity of following rules and the requirement to pay the price when they were broken.

"You..."

Asuma, who had intended to ignore Li Ke forever, found himself unable to utter any curses. He could understand the principle that breaking rules carried a cost, yet he still felt bitter about his father's actions.

"But you just came out of the hospital..."

Asuma gritted his teeth; he still could not reconcile himself with his father's conduct.

"That is why I need you to protect me, Asuma. Isn't that the meaning of being comrades? Besides, the reason I strive to kill the enemy is so that everyone knows the ninja you, Asuma, saved by breaking the rules is a genius and a pillar of Konoha, just as your keen eyes perceived! Only in this way can I live up to what you have sacrificed for me!"

Li Ke grabbed Asuma's hand and squeezed it hard. Asuma's eyes seemed to well up with tears, which made Li Ke feel a bit strange, though he felt his speech had been quite impassioned.

Furthermore, he seemed to sense Asuma's inner state.

It was a mix of conflict, being moved, and a sense of relief.

Li Ke found it odd, as this feeling was transmitted through chakra, and it felt remarkably similar to the ability of the Sage of Six Paths to link hearts and minds through chakra, as described in his memories!

Was this another talent brought about by the stacking of his own gifts?

Li Ke was puzzled, but the priority was making things clear to Asuma, who was already beginning to be moved.

"Yeah! Then this time, I will protect you too! Qingtan!"

Asuma squeezed Li Ke's arm back tightly. For some reason, he had just been able to feel how sincere Li Ke's heart was and how much he cherished him as a friend.

He couldn't help but want to hug Li Ke, and it was at this moment that Li Ke finally realized something was wrong.

The atmosphere had become a bit strange!

He quickly pressed his hands against the shoulders of the teary-eyed Asuma to keep him from embracing him, and turned his head away.

"Ah... well, I'm not really fond of getting too close to guys..."

Asuma's expression stiffened instantly. At the same time, he sensed Li Ke's inner aversion to his beard, along with some other odd thoughts. The next moment, his face flushed bright red.

"Murata Qingtan, you bastard!! I like women!!"

Asuma punched Li Ke in anger and then stomped off to sit in his tent to sulk. Li Ke rubbed his left shoulder, which had been struck by Asuma, feeling quite helpless.

"The Hokage's son, Asuma, actually beating up a one-armed ninja... I'll remember this grudge."

Li Ke muttered to himself, then shook his arm and looked at Yuhi Kurenai, who was stifling a laugh.

"Really now, Kurenai, you're laughing at me too."

Yuhi Kurenai chuckled, quickly came to Li Ke's side, and began to knead his left arm with a gentle touch, speaking in a soft voice.

"Well, you two are very close, after all... but it really is amazing that you managed to persuade Asuma so easily."

Yuhi Kurenai also found it interesting. Asuma was known for his stubbornness and immense pride; if Li Ke hadn't completely overwhelmed him in every aspect, it would have been difficult for him to get along with Asuma so well.

She even thought that if her future son with Li Ke could be as lively as Asuma, that would be wonderful.

But the eldest must have a steady personality like Li Ke's, so he could be like his father and take good care of his younger brother.

Li Ke also laughed. He felt it was due to the strange chakra perception caused by his sudden appearance. He tried to grab Kurenai's hand, but suddenly remembered he had covered Asuma's mouth with his right hand. So, he wiped it on his body first before taking Kurenai's hand.

Kurenai shyly lowered her head. Seeing this, Asuma, standing nearby, clenched his clothes, his face contorted horribly.

But Li Ke's expression grew increasingly serious.

Because...

He could truly feel the changes in Kurenai's emotions and thoughts!

It was shyness, and a sense of anticipation. Furthermore, faintly, Li Ke felt that at this very moment, Kurenai was fantasizing about their married life.

Their eldest son would resemble him, their younger son, though his appearance would be his, would be mischievous like Asuma, their daughter would be as beautiful and gentle as Kurenai, and their youngest daughter would be as gluttonous as Anko.

Li Ke subconsciously pursed his lips. Kurenai's thoughts were not without beauty, but they had one flaw.

All these children still wore ninja headbands.

Recalling his own despair back then, recalling his helpless life, Li Ke subconsciously frowned, but immediately dispelled the gloom in his heart and began to consider his own power.

"Has my talent reached this point?"

Li Ke cared deeply about this, because such talent was not simple. It was what the Ninja Sect initially advocated: connecting with others' hearts through one's own chakra to achieve mutual understanding.

Honestly, that so-called mutual understanding was bullshit in Li Ke's opinion, but back then, it was indeed the main thing the Ninja Sect practiced. Even in that relatively simple era, few could achieve this; they were either elites or the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.

And in this era, when chakra users were beginning to seal their inner thoughts, if he could perceive the hearts of all ninjas...

Didn't that mean his talent in chakra had reached an inconceivable level?

Li Ke had ample reason to doubt this, because the surprises brought by his shared talent were too great.

"Interesting... If that's the case..."

Li Ke narrowed his eyes, as he thought of something amiss with Senju Tobirama. Based on Senju Tobirama's previous thoughts, he would definitely be eager to return now.

"Is it really as I thought... No, impossible. If he wanted to use my body to summon back Hashirama Senju, he could have contacted the Third Hokage during my time in the hospital. With the abilities of the Third Hokage and Danzo, they would never have let me leave the village. Thus, it's highly probable they've taken a liking to some other ability of mine..."

If it wasn't the ability related to Edo Tensei, then what ability would make Senju Tobirama so preoccupied?

Li Ke released Kurenai, spoke a few more words with her, and then pretended to go talk to Chojuro Akimichi, heading to the center of the camp's conference room.

Although reinforcements had arrived, they still had to wait for the commander, Minato Namikaze, to decide how to proceed.

Yes, the battlefield on the Mist Village's side was currently led by Minato Namikaze, who was in discussion with Chojuro Akimichi, Fugaku Uchiha, and the Nara Clan.

Most of the other Jonin were preparing their supplies, gathering information, setting up the camp, and waiting for the formal combat meeting to begin before the mission assignments.

So, about two hours later, these reinforcements would be dispersed to various fronts.

And then, it would likely be time for the counterattack.

This was the way of ninja warfare: efficient and brutal.

As he passed by the camps of the newly promoted Genin who were setting up the camp, Li Ke's overly sensitive ears picked up more sounds.

"Brother, this is my will..."

"If I die, then Asaka will be entrusted to your care."

"We're going to be heroes, right?"

Li Ke left in silence, not wanting to hear more of these voices.

Because he suddenly realized that he had never truly considered his own future. From the moment he became a ninja, all he thought about was how to survive!

He hadn't even considered the beautiful dream Kurenai had!

But immediately, he saw a large number of wounded soldiers and ninjas who had just rotated off the battlefield.

Many of these ninjas were supporting each other as they walked back to the camp, still bearing various weapons. But they were considered lucky, because at least they were alive.

However, their faces held only despair. Even seeing their reinforcements, they could only manage a weak twitch of their lips.

Li Ke saw a familiar face among these people, but that was from the battlefield at Sunagakure...

Looking at the exhausted ninjas with no life in their eyes and the injuries on their bodies, Li Ke couldn't help but think of Tsunade.

Because in this camp, in a few days, many people would be crippled and die in agony.

And all of this was due to the lack of medical capabilities.

But at this moment, Tsunade was still working at the Konoha Hospital, yet she had already developed hemophobia and was no longer capable of treating these people.

And the death of her only supporter for the medical ninja plan, a Jonin and her boyfriend, Dan Kato, had completely severed her ties to Konoha.

Li Ke subconsciously touched his shoulder. The muscles and blood vessels there had already healed, and he could move without any problems. Even with just a superficial understanding of medical ninjutsu, if Tsunade could still provide medical ninjutsu support...

Then the conflict between him and Asuma wouldn't have occurred, and he could have rested peacefully in the village instead of going to the battlefield. Because the large number of ninjas who would be crippled and die now could easily return to the battlefield, at least thirty percent of them.

Konoha's troop strength wouldn't be stretched so thin that they had to deploy the Uchiha clan.

Thinking of this, Li Ke couldn't help but recall Kurenai's beautiful dream, which he had perceived through chakra.

That 'beautiful dream' where they had two sons and two daughters, but all of them were ninjas.

So what if he retired? Was he supposed to wait for Naruto to save the world?

But Naruto hadn't changed anything. If it weren't for the invasion of the Otsutsuki clan, the ninja world would have erupted in war again, and it would only become more terrifying and more unscrupulous.

The ninja system itself is a pile of shit. Even if he could dodge it himself, could his and Kurenai's child dodge it?

Not let them become ninjas? But if they didn't become ninjas, it would be even worse, because without power, they would only be able to drift with the tide.

But if they became ninjas of a Konoha that hadn't changed at all, wouldn't they be just like him now, forced to swim in a cesspool?

Li Ke closed his eyes, recalling the Wind Style he had learned under Senju Tobirama's tutelage, and a bold idea took shape.

"...These are not the choices or the path I should take."

So, Li Ke spoke to Senju Tobirama, who had remained silent ever since they arrived at the camp.

"Lord Second, if I could master the First Hokage's Wood Style and your Flying Raijin Jutsu, could I end the fighting here quickly? And would I then be able to become Hokage to change all of this?"

Senju Tobirama hadn't expected Li Ke to ask such a question, but after a moment of thought, he gave his answer.

"You will absolutely not be the Fourth, because it is already too late for you."

He paused, letting Li Ke guess the implication, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

"But if you truly can accomplish it... perhaps."

Li Ke nodded and clenched his fist. He felt it; he had indeed become a bit arrogant since his golden finger came online...

But if he didn't even dare to harbor the thought of changing the world according to his own will despite having a cheat, then as a transmigrator, he would be far too pathetic.

"Then, I shall be the Fifth Hokage of Konoha."

Senju Tobirama was delighted to hear this, because Li Ke was truly like him!

To be precise, he was very much like his big brother, but with his own brain!