Chiri had no idea where Toji's talent for Fire Release came from, but she was in a cheerful mood.
Being able to help Toji relax was something that made her quite happy as well.
"Do you want to keep learning?" she asked.
"Sorry for the trouble."
Chiri had no intention of holding anything back. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Next, I'll teach you the Phoenix Flower Jutsu. Like the Great Fireball, it's also a C-rank ninjutsu. Once you've mastered it, learning the more advanced B-rank Phoenix Flower Claw Red will be much easier."
"However, for this lesson..." She paused before asking, "I'm planning to have several talented juniors join us. Their progress has reached this point too, so it'll save time. Toji, you don't mind, do you?"
"I don't."
Toji smiled faintly. "Training alongside younger ninja will motivate me as well."
Uchiha Ninjutsu Training Ground.
Toji met the talented juniors Chiri had mentioned.
Kagami Uchiha, Kenji Uchiha, and Sōsuke Uchiha.
All three were around ten years old.
Looking at the three little ones before him, Toji was dazed for a moment.
Every one of them had the face of someone he had known...
Kenji Uchiha looked exactly like the future Uchiha clan head, Fugaku Uchiha, around the eyes and brows. Meanwhile, Sōsuke Uchiha bore a striking resemblance to Obito.
"Come, greet Lord Toji."
"Lord Toji!"
Chiri introduced them from the side. "Kenji is Uchiha Bing's son. Like Sōsuke, he's a genius who awakened his Sharingan at the age of ten."
"I see." Toji nodded slightly.
The Shinobi World's Bloodline Theory was truly fascinating.
Not only did talent pass down through generations, surpassing what came before, but even appearances were so similar.
Was it because of chakra?
Kenji was Uchiha Bing's son, and also the future Fugaku's father. That meant Itachi Uchiha and Uchiha Sasuke's great-aunt was his subordinate.
That really made him senior by quite a few generations.
"Is there anything you want to say to them?"
Noticing the strange expression on his face, Uchiha Chiri blinked and asked.
"Something I want to say?"
Toji came back to himself. His gaze settled on the three young boys and girl as he slowly said, "Without a family, there is no village. No matter when, you must love your own clan first. When you start families of your own in the future, pass on this will to your descendants."
All three of your descendants will be Uchiha traitors.
Toji did not care what ripples his casually spoken words would stir up in the future.
With at least two generations between now and then, many things could not be predicted.
He was merely doing his part. At the very least, he ought to guide the future tragedy of Konoha's Twelve Golden Immortals.
Toji's gaze swept over the three of their beating chests without leaving a trace.
The hearts of genius ancestors looked delicious.
"Yes, Lord Toji!"
Their expressions varied, but all three answered in unison.
To them, Toji's teachings were no less than the words of a sage.
Clan and village—different insights fermented in their hearts.
Kagami Uchiha asked curiously, "Lord Toji, are you here today to...?"
"To learn Fire Release ninjutsu with you." Toji took over, clapping his hands with a sharp smack. "All right, no more unnecessary talk. Start training seriously."
Toji put aside his stray thoughts and focused on learning the Phoenix Flower Jutsu from Chiri.
Another week passed, yet Hashirama still had not returned from Shikkotsu Forest.
Meanwhile, word that Toji was learning Fire Release ninjutsu from the Uchiha Clan spread like wildfire.
The source was probably some Uchiha genius with a loose tongue, who had mentioned it at school. It then reached the ears of bored adults.
Once they learned that Toji possessed all five chakra natures, the various clans began showing up at the Zenin Clan's doorstep.
Senju Touka visited as the Senju Clan's representative, bluntly stating that she wished to teach Toji Water Release and Earth Release, the Senju Clan's signature techniques.
The Shimura Clan and Hyuga Clan then each expressed their willingness to teach him Wind Release.
When it came to Lightning Release, however, the Hatake Clan Toji had expected did not appear. Instead, the Sarutobi clan stepped forward.
Unlike the more limited composition of ninja in other hidden villages, Konoha at this time was brimming with talent. There were clans and ninja proficient in every type of Release, as well as endless secret techniques and Bloodlines.
This once again made Toji feel just how abundant Konoha's resources were.
Unlike Kakuzu, who was still wandering the Shinobi World, with no idea what methods he would eventually rely on to learn Release techniques.
Toji welcomed the various ninja clans' overtures without refusing anyone.
But his time was precious. He could only spend a small portion of each day learning Release techniques; the vast majority still had to be devoted to developing Impure World Reincarnation and the Yin Seal.
So they would have to line up.
As for why the great ninja clans were trying to stuff ninjutsu into Toji's hands as though it cost nothing, despite such techniques being precious to civilian ninja, the reason was simple.
After Hashirama Senju left the village, Tobirama took charge of village affairs as acting Hokage.
This was the first time Konoha had faced a change of Hokage. Every clan understood that Hokage was a position, and only someone who earned recognition was qualified to sit there.
And Toji was currently the Konoha ninja with the most impeccable reputation and character.
Even though he had always appeared indifferent to competition, if he were willing to say a few good words for a particular Hokage candidate before the villagers, then under that subtle influence, even if the Second was out of reach, perhaps the future Third might end up belonging to their clan.
The clans were competing to show him goodwill only to pave the way for their own people in advance.
"Not a bad idea."
Standing in his family's ninjutsu training ground, Toji murmured softly, "The Hokage's seat belongs to you, and it belongs to the Senju Clan too. But in the end, it still belongs to the Senju Clan."
The moonlight was cold.
The next moment, Earth Grudge Fear burst open from Toji's back, five black tendrils unfurling through the night.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Flames did not merely erupt from his mouth. They also burst forth simultaneously along every Earth Grudge Fear tendril, scattering like flower seeds across the sky. Blazing light blanketed the training ground, covering every target within it.
Firelight reflected in Toji's eyes, as if he were watching the Shinobi World burn fiercely.
He turned his head to look at the Earth Grudge Fear tendrils.
This was another powerful aspect of Earth Grudge Fear.
Most ninjutsu was released through a ninja's mouth, but with Earth Grudge Fear, Toji effectively possessed five casting ports. In the same amount of time, he could unleash saturated ninjutsu with greater power and broader coverage, directly doubling his firepower.
The drawback was that his chakra consumption doubled as well.
"I need to hurry up with rewriting the Yin Seal."
"And... the Tailed Beasts."
Toji had always had an idea: capture a Tailed Beast and seal it inside himself. His chakra might not become inexhaustible, but at least it would no longer be in such short supply.
After gaining the Yin Seal, that idea had grown increasingly intense.
He assessed it in his mind.
If it were the weakest One-Tail, he should barely be able to handle it with the power currently at his disposal.
There were two main problems.
First, he lacked the Four Symbols Seal needed to seal a Tailed Beast and create a Jinchuriki.
Second, Hashirama and Madara were both still alive.
Those two paid considerable attention to the Tailed Beasts. As long as they were alive, Toji would have no chance to make a move.
"Though it's rather rude of me to think this, but..."
"Hashirama, when are you and Madara going to kick the bucket?"
Before you continue